Wingate Elementary News
December 2024
Growing Together with Curious Minds and Kind Hearts
December Calendar and Events
Wednesday, December 4th - School Picture Retake Day
Wednesday, December 4th - PTO Meeting 4:15pm - All are welcome! Childcare provided!
Friday, December 6th- Canned food drive ends
Friday, December 6th - Festive Fridays - Favorite Flannel or Holiday Plaid
Monday, December 9th - Hour of Code week in tech lab
Friday, December 13th - Festive Friday - Holiday Wear
Wednesday, December 18th - Quarter 2 Awards Assemblies/Dress for Success
Thursday, December 19th - Christmas Musical and Modern Band 9:10am and 6:00pm
Friday, December 20th - FREE Fun Friday
Friday, December 20th - Festive Friday - PJ Day/ Cozy Clothes
Monday, December 23rd - Friday, January 3rd - No School - Winter Break
Monday, January 6th - No school for students - Teacher workday
Tuesday, January 7th - No school for students - Teacher inservice day
Wednesday, January 8th - Welcome Back Students! 3rd quarter begins
December Staff Birthdays
December 3rd - Mrs. King (5th grade teacher)
December 4th - Mrs. Delong (Counselor)
December 5th - Mrs. Boersma (Speech Language Therapist)
December 21st - Miss Maegan (SpEd Teacher)
December 27th - Miss Laura (SSN Teacher)
Hour of Code
We live in a world surrounded by technology. And we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works.
But only a tiny fraction of us are learning how technology works. Fewer than half of all schools teach computer science.
That’s why our school will be joining in on the largest learning event in history: The Hour of Code, during Computer Science Education Week (December 9-12). More than 100 million students worldwide have already tried an Hour of Code. Click here to watch a short video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FC5FbmsH4fw
Our Hour of Code is making a statement that Wingate Elementary is ready to teach these foundational 21st-century skills. To continue bringing programming activities to your students, we want to make our Hour of Code event huge. Parents are welcome to join their child(ren) during tech lab time this week to learn more about coding at Wingate.
Check the schedule below for your child’s tech lab day and time:
Monday, 12/9
9:05-10:00 Dailey; 10:05-11:00 Ward; 11:05-12:00 Harrison; 12:40-1:35 Pewters; 1:40-2:35 McCaskill
Tuesday, 12/10
10:05-11:00 Cawlfield; 12:40-1:35 Wytulka; 1:40-2:35 Van Pelt
Wednesday, 12/11
9:05-10:00 King; 11:05-12:00 Pingleton; 1:40-2:35 Ostroski
Thursday, 12/12
9:05-10:00 Elliott; 10:05-11:00 McKinley; 11:05-12:00 Anderson: 12:40-1:35 Connell
Wingate Angel Tree & Ornament Painting Event
Every year, Wingate sets up an “Angel Tree” for families in our Wingate community. The majority of the Angel Tree is funded with money raised during our ornament painting event. This year's ornament painting event raised over $900 for the Angel Tree! Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate the season and create an ornament while helping out a worthy cause. We would also like to recognize Angelo's Pottery, Millie Funderburk, and all of the volunteers who helped out. Even though funds were raised for the Angel Tree during the event, additional contributions are still needed in order to adequately provide for our families in need. In the next week, you will see tags placed on the tree in the school’s front entrance. The tags indicate various gifts, gift cards and other donations that are needed to support some of our Wingate families who may struggle to provide for the holidays. Thank you in advance for your #kindheart and generous spirit.
Staff Gift Giving
Looking for that perfect gift for your child's teacher or favorite Wingate staff member? Check out our Wingate Staff Gift Binder located in our school office. The binder includes a page for each staff member that provides information such as favorite food, places to shop, special treats, etc. You can also access a copy of the gift binder on the PTO website or by using the following links
Please note that board policy does not allow staff to accept gifts in excess of $65 in value, so please keep that in mind when purchasing gifts.
Join the Playground Committee!
We’re looking for passionate volunteers to help us continue building our inclusive playground! This is an incredible opportunity to support a project that creates a welcoming space for all children. We need assistance with planning fundraising events and reaching out to local businesses for sponsorships. Your ideas, connections, and enthusiasm can make a lasting impact.
If you’re interested in joining the committee or learning more, please contact Anne Jenkins, mailto:anne.l.heideman@gmail.com Together, we can make this vision a reality!
Festive Fridays
Throughout the month of December, we celebrate the season with "Festive Fridays". Students and staff participate in "themes" throughout the month. Festive Fridays are:
December 6th - Favorite Flannel (or plaid)
December 13th - Holiday Wear (holiday shirt or ugly sweater)
December 20th - PJs/Cozy Clothes
Quarterly Awards Assemblies
Our Quarter 2 Awards Assembly will be held on Wednesday, December 18th (primary awards at 10:00 and intermediate awards at 3:00). All parents are welcome to attend as we celebrate students who exemplify curious minds and kind hearts.
If your child is receiving an award, you will be notified via a letter in their Wednesday folder the week prior. Please note that attendance awards will be presented in individual classrooms.
To celebrate the occasion, we encourage students to "dress for success" and look their best for this special day. We look forward to recognizing the outstanding achievements and character of our students!
School Picture Retakes
School picture retakes are coming!
You can also order by going to www.mymjthomas.com and entering our school's event code. (Event Code: C125)
Retakes are for absent students, new students, students who want to purchase, and students who want a retake. In order to get a retake replacement package, students must return their original package of photos.
If you have any questions or concerns about pictures please call MJ Thomas Photo at
1-800-219-0199.