WhatNot!
August 20, 2025
Message From the Principal
Dear Wildwood Families,
The first week of the 2025-26 school year is in the books! I am working hard to get to know every student’s name. As I said in my video, it is important that they know they are important to me and important to the Wildwood community. In order to get to know your students and for them to get to know me, I visited every classroom last week to introduce myself. You may have heard about my family, my 18 year old cat, or my family’s Halloween costume themes. I want school to be a place where students not only have access to a rigorous academic program, but where they also find joy in learning. There were many joyful interactions as students shared about their own pets and got to laugh at the funny Halloween costumes my family has worn over the years.
This week, I hope you will join us as we have two community events happening. Tonight, the Wildwood Parents Club will hold their first meeting of the year. It will start at 7 PM in the Wildwood Library, with a social beforehand starting at 6:40 PM. Come to learn more about how the Parents Club supports the programs here at school. Then, tomorrow night, bring the whole family to our Welcome Back Barbecue on the Lower Playground from 5:30-7:30 sponsored by the Wildwood Dads’ Club. This will be a wonderful opportunity for our whole community to come together to celebrate the start of the school year. I look forward to seeing many of you there!
Please mark your calendars for Back to School Night next Thursday, August 28th. This is an adults only event. This is a valuable time for you to learn more about your child’s class and the experiences they will have in that class this year. Reminder- all grades will be dismissed at NOON on that day (8/28).
And, just a reminder and a change in protocol from years past. There are no U Turns allowed at the Requa intersection. The crosswalk along there can be dangerous at drop off and dismissal times as students can be crossing and drivers don’t see them as they are doing a U Turn. I encourage you to walk to school or park your car and walk your child into school. If that’s not a possibility, please plan your route so that you come right in on the Wildwood Elementary School side of the street. I appreciate your help with this as we continue to make sure our students are safe.
Thank you all for all of the support you have shown me. I continue to feel incredibly fortunate to have landed in a community where families work so hard to ensure that every child has what they need to learn and grow.
With gratitude,
Amy Fry
Calendar
August
11-29 Adjusted Schedule for Literacy Assessments
Grades 1-3 dismissed at 2 PM (M, T, Th, F) and 1:45 PM (W)
20 1st WPC Meeting - 7pm
21 School Picture Day
Welcome Back BBQ - Hosted by Dad's Club (5:30-7:30) Lower Playground
27 Mileage Club - 7:50a Witter Field
28 Back to School Night (6:00-7:00 PM) - Adult Only Event
Noon Dismissal
Grades K-2: 6:00-6:30
Grades 3-5: 6:30-7:00
September
1 Labor Day - NO School
2 Grades 1-3 begin 3pm dismissal (except Wednesdays)
School Picture Day - 8/21
ASE Sign Ups are Live!
After School Enrichment (ASE) program offers a variety of art, music, performance, STEM, and athletic programs at Wildwood directly after the end of the school day. ASE is run by the Wildwood Parent Club and all funds raised go directly to Wildwood Elementary School.
FALL SESSION enrollment opens on Tuesday, August 19th at 8pm. Check out a new class offering - Girls Sports Explosion on Mondays (run by Wildwood's own Amy Matarazzo) - and we've added back a second offering of Musical Theatre on Tuesdays! Our Fall Session begins after Labor Day on Tuesday, September 2nd until Friday, November 21st.
Lunch Volunteers - Still Needed!
Calling all parents!! Thank you for your stepping in to help with hot lunch service. There is one volunteer signed up daily for several weeks, but Wildwood now actually needs TWO volunteers daily. We still need you!!
Come help our kids fill their bellies with hot lunch so they can be the best learners they can be!! We are looking for TWO volunteer(s) daily. Detail and link below to sign up and support our children. Thanks in advance for all your support!!
1st to 5th Grade Parent Volunteers
2 volunteers per school day
Time: 11:40am -12:25pm
Link here: SignUpGenius for Parent Volunteers - 1st to 5th Grade Lunch Program
Kinder Parent Volunteers
2 volunteers per school day
Time: 11:30am -12:15pm
Link here: SignUpGenius for Parent Volunteers - Kinder Lunch Program
Parents Club Update
WPC's first meeting of the school year is TODAY, 8/20, in the Library from 7-8pm, with a social at 6:40pm.
Please join us! Principal Fry will share her insights from the first week of school, and volunteers will share the accomplishments and some goals of WPC's various committees.
The full agenda can be found here.
Whether you're new to school or have been here awhile, this first meeting is a great place to learn about WPC and how we support Wildwood with funding and volunteerism. Attending these meetings allows you to see how your donation dollars are spent, and to have a say!
If you have not yet contributed to WPC’s fund and its partner programs (Field Trip funds, Wildwood Merchandise, Staff Gifting, and Staff Grant Fund), please visit Wildwood’s PEF Store and check it out!
Go Wildwood!
Amelia Winchester & Victoria Manley Thompson
WPC Co-Presidents
Wildwood Dad's Club
See you at the All School BBQ Thurs!!!
August 21, 5:30-7:30pm at Lower Playground
We can always use more hands for setup and burger flipping - please consider helping out!
https://m.signupgenius.com/#!/showSignUp/60B0E48ACAD2AA2FF2-57949186-welcome
Harvest Festival 9/21
Attention makers, artists, builders and lovers of the Harvest Festival: It is time to start thinking about Scarecrows!
The 27th annual Piedmont Harvest Festival will be held 11a-3p in Piedmont Park on Sunday, Sept. 21. The theme is "Under the Sea" — think sea creatures, mermaids, sunken pirate ships, and more!
Each year, Piedmont's elementary students gather to design and build incredible scarecrow structures that are auctioned during the Harvest Festival in "Scarecrow Alley" as a fundraiser for the elementary schools.
All proceeds from the scarecrow silent auction and carnival are directed by the Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) to the tri-schools (Wildwood, Beach and Havens). Last year’s event raised $28,000 to help fund art, music, theater and counseling services.
Wildwood needs volunteers to help lead their classes in creating a scarecrow. Reach out to your class’s room parent(s) if you are interested in getting involved. We need helpers with all kinds of skills — builders, organizers, suppliers, transporters and cheerleaders all welcome!
PEF needs volunteers to help run stations at the festival: The Piedmont Education Foundation can also use lots of hands for set-up, running carnival games, clean-up, and more – middle and high schoolers are encouraged to join in too and can earn volunteer hours. A signup link from PEF is forthcoming, be on the lookout!
Questions? Please email your Wildwood Harvest Festival reps, Carolyn Pan and Vic Manley.
If you’ve never been to Harvest Festival before, enjoy some photos of past Scarecrow Alleys (attached) to get an idea!
Try (it) Out Tuesdays!
Recreation Department invites girls+ to experiment with new sports at Try (it) Out Tuesdays
The Piedmont Recreation Department (PRD) invites girls+* ages 6-16 to experiment with
new sports at Try (it) Out Tuesdays - three upcoming evenings of hands-on activities for
current and aspiring athletes of all skill levels.
Each event features three different sports to try:
• August 26: Pickleball, Powerlifting, Golf
• September 23: Rugby, Judo, Lacrosse
• October 21: Disc Golf, Running, Softball
All events run from 5:30-7:30pm at Linda Beach Playfield.
These events offer girls of all skill levels an opportunity get hands-on with a new sport,
meet coaches, ask questions, and learn about opportunities to keep playing throughout
the year.
Try (it) Out Tuesdays are free to attend, but advance registration on Community Pass is
encouraged to help the Department plan for adequate staffing.
Try (it) Out Tuesdays, part of larger Piedmont Recreation efforts to support
girls’ sports
Try (it) Out Tuesdays are just one of the Piedmont Recreation Department’s initiatives to
empower young women through athletics.
Participation in sports builds skills that support girls throughout their lives, teaching
leadership, discipline, and teamwork. Research has shown a direct link between
participation in sports and better educational opportunities, positive health outcomes,
and improved career outcomes for girls. Girls who participate in sports have been shown
to experience lower rates of depression and higher self-esteem than their non-athlete
peers.
The Department’s annual Play Like a Girl+ offers hands-on activities for over 20 different
sports, live demonstrations, and meet-and-greet opportunities with pro athletes. Last
year, the event drew over 1,000 young women from throughout the Bay Area. In 2023,
Piedmont Recreation’s Title IX basketball jersey initiative was recognized by the
California Park & Recreation Society as “Outstanding JEDI Program or Event” of the year.
For questions about Try (it) Out Tuesdays, contact Recreation Supervisor Liam Kelly at
lkelly@piedmont.ca.gov.
* Try (it) Out Tuesdays are inclusive events open to all female-identifying youth, as well as non-binary,
gender nonconforming, and genderqueer individuals.
Coffee, Cars and Cops
Coffee, Cars & Cops is back! Please join the Piedmont Police Department for this exciting annual event on Saturday, September 20th, 2025, from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM in front of the Piedmont Police Department. Please bring your family, friends, and anyone with an incredible exotic or classic vehicle. The community loves to see them on display!
To participate or show a vehicle, sign up with Ofc. Tyler Petit at coffeecarscops@piedmont.ca.gov and provide your vehicle make/model/year/color.
Attendance
ATTENDANCE REPORTING
- Please report your student's absence or tardiness - and include the reason.
- You are welcome to email your teacher, but you must also report by either calling
(510) 594-2719 or emailing: wwdattendance@piedmont.k12.ca.us
INVITATIONAL: DONATE FOR ABSENCES
- Parents, please remember that if your child needs to be out of school, you can submit
donations for the lost revenue. - Each day that a student is out of school (for any reason, including illness) means a loss of
revenue in the following amounts per day: - Checks payable to PUSD and can be dropped off in the front office
K-3rd Grade = $61.32 - 4th-5th Grade = $56.39
Important Links
- Wildwood School Calendar
- Hot Lunch Order (pw: Wildwood)
- Attendance Reporting
WHATNOT submission requests must be received by Tuesday at 12:00 PM. If including flyers or images please submit .jpg format.
whatnot@piedmont.k12.ca.us