The Paw Print Press

Monday, October 5th - 9th - Making Strides Fundraiser

Wednesday, October 7th - PTO Meeting 6 pm in the cafeteria

Friday, October 9th - PINK OUT Day - Wear Pink to Support our Making Strides Fundraiser

Monday, October 12th - Columbus Day - No School

Friday, October 16th - Trunk or Treat at TR - 5:30 pm

Tuesday, October 20th - 3rd Grade Field Trip

Friday, October 23rd - Fall Pictures

Wednesday, October 28th - Superintendent's Conference Day - No School for Students

Friday, October 30th - Halloween Celebration

Wednesday, November 4th - PTO Meeting 6 pm in the cafeteria

Tuesday, November 10th - Veterans Day Ceremony

Wednesday, November 11th - Veterans Day - School Closed

Tuesday, November 24th - Celebrate Reading and Math Night - 6:00 - 7:30 pm

Wednesday, November 25th - Organizational Day - No School for WW/TR Students only

Thursday, November 26th - Friday, November 27th - Thanksgiving Break - No School - Enjoy!

3rd Grade is Back at it in 2026!

The third graders are settling into third grade, learning new rules and new routines!

This year, the third graders started off very busy in math learning place value and how to regroup with adding and subtraction. We will be moving into multiplication soon. We need to remember to memorize our addition and subtraction facts in order for math to become easier. Keep studying your facts nightly.

Students have also been working on learning the different kinds of Genres in reading and the 7 continents and landforms in social studies.

October will bring more reading and learning. We will be learning about Brazil and Mexico. Please remember to read, read, read!!!!!!!!

4th Grade Soars to Success in September

What an amazing first month it’s been in 4th grade! We have learned a lot about each other and about different topics in all of the content areas. In reading and writing, we began to learn about the wolves of Yellowstone National Park by reading multiple texts. We learned what caused them to disappear from the area and what happened to bring them back. We also learned that wolves and beavers are keystone species that have major impacts on certain ecosystems. While learning about these topics, we put our focus on what a gist statement is, how to support it with evidence from the text, how to explain how the evidence is connected to the statement, and how to wrap up a gist statement paragraph. Throughout our reading and writing lessons, we have discussed complete sentences, prepositions, prefixes, suffixes, and time-order words. In math, we started out by learning about place value and rounding. Then, we learned about addition and subtraction of bigger numbers. In science, we started our “Powering Through the Fair” unit. We learned about the different types of energy and how energy is transferred.

In October, we will continue to learn about wolves and the important role they play in an ecosystem. We will also learn about what an explanatory essay is and how to construct one. At the end of our first ELA unit, the students will write a four-paragraph response to the essential question: “How is everything in nature connected?” They will be able to use information from all of the texts we have read throughout the first unit to answer the question. In math, we will continue to practice with addition and subtraction. We will also shift our learning to multiplication. In science, we will learn about the different senses we have and the systems in our body.

We thank each and every single one of you for getting your child off to a great start for the school year. Everything you do at home helps us in school. Please remind your child to read for at least 20 minutes every night and practice their multiplication facts. We look forward to an amazing school year!

5th Grade: Off and Running!

The 5th graders are off to a great start. They have enjoyed getting to know each other better over the last few weeks through a variety of getting to know you activities. They have also been reviewing and practicing our school-wide and classroom expectations as we settle into the new school year.

Students have been diving into our first Magnetic Literacy unit, “Unlocking Confidence!” Over the past several weeks, students have been exploring stories, poems, and characters while building important reading skills. Students have been busy “thinking like detectives,” using clues and evidence from the text to make inferences about characters, explaining figurative language, and looking at how characters respond to challenges. They’ve also been working on identifying a story’s theme and supporting their ideas with evidence from the text. Along the way, students have been sharing their thinking, discussing different ideas with classmates, and putting their thoughts into writing. We’re excited to see their confidence grow as they become stronger readers, writers, and thinkers!

Our 5th graders have been busy building their Math skills and developing positive habits as mathematicians. In Unit 1, students shared their personal “math stories” describing their own math superpowers. We also focused on the thinking habits that help us become successful problem solvers, such as explaining our thinking, asking questions, and communicating effectively about math. This unit helped students understand that they are in charge of their own learning journey throughout the school year. We recently wrapped up Unit 2, which focused on volume. The students used unit cubes and formulas to determine the volume of rectangular prisms. They then applied these strategies to find the volume of composite (irregular) figures and solve real-world problems involving volume. Throughout the unit, students practiced explaining how they solved a problem and why their strategy worked. Next, our 5th graders will begin exploring, place value and decimals, building on what they already know.

The 5th grade classes have started their “Toys Matter” Science Unit, where students have been exploring the concept of matter, what it is and how it behaves. Science is often a student favorite, especially when it involves hands-on activities and opportunities to explore how things work. We’re excited to see what they discover throughout this unit!

Here are a few ways you can support your child at home:

• Review concepts and skills learned in class to help keep them fresh.

• Continue practicing multiplication facts to build speed and confidence.

• Encourage daily reading and remind your child to log their minutes as they work toward their reading goal.

Artists' Corner

The first collaboration from the WW Artists is up and brightening up the main hall of our school! After getting their art seats WW Artists got right to creating. Each class earned about street artist Jimmy Paintz. He has one very simple motto; “good vibes only!” He believes everyone deserves a smile. After looking at his art we talked about Mrs. Zaccarine’s daily quote, “It’s a great day to have a great day Woodrow Wilson!” Many artists acknowledged how Jimmy’s art and Mrs. Zaccarine’s quote went well together, both promoting positivity. Our collaboration is a combination of the quote and our version of Jimmy’s smiles. Artists also got the chance to become teachers to their family members on Meet the Teacher Night! One stop on the WW scavenger hunt was to stop in the art room and teach your family about our collaboration. Families followed the same steps artists did only creating a “mini version” of a smile. The family collaboration is displayed across from the student display for all to see. We hope it’s making more smiles every day!

Updates in Physical Education

This month, our students have been exploring a variety of warm-up games and playing Four Square. These activities not only promote physical activity but also encourage teamwork, strategy, and good sportsmanship.

Our students have especially enjoyed Four Square, which is a classic playground game that builds quick thinking, agility, and coordination. It’s a fun activity that can easily be played during recess or even at home!

Congratulations to Melanie Walker, our Physical Education Student of the Month! Mel has shown an excellent attitude, great participation, and consistent effort in Physical Education this month.

Musical Happenings from Mrs. Fitzner…

Welcome to a new school year! We are so excited to be back making music in the General Music Room here at Woodrow Wilson School. This year students will be learning many musical concepts while using our instruments. A friendly reminder that every student will need his/her own soprano recorder. If you did not order from Mrs. Fitzner, you can find them at any local music store.

Additionally, our after-school groups are ready to begin. Grade 3 began with a great rehearsal in September and we look forward to many more. ⅘ Choir is also already started and Drama Speaking will meet for their first time on October 13, 2026. Please look for messages to come weekly in Parent Square. A reminder that if you need to change transportation or report an absence, please contact Mrs. Fitzner through parent square or by email.

From the Band Room

Our First-Year Band Musicians are off to a great start in instrument lessons! Each group has been focusing on learning the basics of sound (tone) production on their mini-instruments (mouthpieces) and how to properly hold their instruments. From there, we have been diving into learning our first five notes! The percussionists have been working on challenging stockings (reading and playing 'Rights' and 'Lefts' in various patterns). The best thing you can do at home is ask your musician to show/play for you what they have learned so far -- ask them to teach you how to set up the instrument and make a sound.... ask them to play for you a couple of their first notes or sticking patterns!

Our Advanced Musicians have picked up right where they left off last year both in lessons and on the stage for after-school band! I am super, super happy with the progress thus far and am excited for what's to come!

Please make sure you check the lesson schedules (After-School Band members: check the after-school schedule, too) and show up to lessons! If you have any questions, please reach out to me!

Happenings in the Library

It’s hard to believe our first month of school is already behind us! We’ve had a wonderful start to the school year, focusing on learning important library rules, procedures, and expectations while getting back into the fun of learning. Students have enjoyed our learning centers, including engineering and wood plank activities, drawing step-by-step creations inspired by our library books, and exploring our many digital resources, including e-books and online databases.

I’m excited for all the reading, creating, exploring, and learning still to come this year! If you ever have any questions, feel free to email me at wwiesmore@cheektowagasloan.org

⭐“Meet Our Leaders!”⭐

Woodrow Wilson is excited to share that our first round of Student Lighthouse members has been selected! These students will take on important leadership roles during their time on Student Lighthouse, including leading assemblies, setting a positive example for their peers, leading activities, and creating fun, interactive experiences throughout the school to keep students engaged and motivated.

We can’t wait to see the positive impact this team of young leaders will make in our school community! We are looking forward to working with this amazing group and seeing all the great ideas they bring to Woodrow!

📹The Woodrow Wilson Video Announcement Team is back in action!📸

Our student crew works together to help create weekly video announcements that keep our school informed, entertained, and connected. The videos feature the pledge of allegiance, birthdays, pictures, student interviews, fun mysteries, and many other segments about our Woodrow school community.

Team members get hands-on experience both in front of and behind the camera. Students help with filming, presenting, sound, and other parts of the production process while learning how to work together as a team.

Most importantly, the Video Announcement Team gives students a chance to be creative, build confidence, and help bring a little extra fun to the Woodrow community. We can’t wait to see what they create this year. Lights, camera, action!

Please send in a note to school if you are picking your child up early or you are changing the way they will be dismissed.

If your child is absent from school for any reason, please send in a note with them upon their return.

Greetings Woodrow Wilson Families,

Our year is off to a great start. We were excited to see so many families at our annual Open House and Ice Cream Social. This is always one of our favorite nights and it is fun to see our students guide their families through the building to get the tour and meet all of their teachers. We hope if you joined us you had a nice evening, and for those who didn't, look for next year's date and make sure to join.

We also had a fun Homecoming week with spirit days, a pep rally with JFK athletes, and our annual Walk-a-Thon, which raised over $700 for our student incentives. Great work! We saw so many families at our parade, either walking with us, dropping their children off, or on the sidewalks as we rode by. It was a great evening followed by a Bears win on the football field.

Fun continues this month with our Trunk or Treat and Halloween celebrations. If you have questions about any events, please reach out to us so that we can support you. As a reminder, this Friday is Pink Day to celebrate all of the donations we have made toward Making Strides this week. Thank you for anyone who was able to send in a donation. If you were unable to, you can support by sending your child in pink on Friday. Let's get the whole school wearing something pink.

Thank you for reading important notes from the office and health office that are sent home, and for making sure you are active in your child's classroom by keeping up with Parent Square. This is where you will find opportunities to volunteer and updates and reminders.

We began a new reading program this year called Magnetic Literacy, and so far our students are loving the stories. Thank you for encouraging them to read something at home each night for 20 minutes. This does not need to be something difficult, but something they enjoy reading or something you can read with them. This 20-minute nightly reading will make a huge difference in your child's reading ability. If you are reading at home, make sure they log into Beanstack to get their reading log credits. Any questions, reach out to us.

We value your input and open communication, and we thank each of our families for all they do to get their children to school each day they are healthy. Remember that our attendance goal is 95%. In order for your child to make that goal, they should not miss more than 9 days in the entire year. We understand sickness happens and things come up in life, which is why we account for those 9 days instead of perfect attendance. If you are having difficulty getting your child in, please reach out to us in the office or your child's teacher so that we can make a plan.

If at any time you have questions or concerns, we are here to help. You can reach us in the office between 7 am and 3 pm. We have one clerk (Ms. Thielke). If we do not answer, we ask you leave a message and we will get right back to you. Sometimes the phone lines get busy or there are multiple people at the door. We promise to get back to you when we can and appreciate your patience if you are reaching out. I can be reached by email as well at ezaccarine@cheektowagasloan.org

We thank you for your partnership and look forward to a fantastic fall.

Sincerely,

Mrs. Zaccarine