WPS Newsletter

March 16- Parent-Teacher Conferences 4-7:00

March 17- Parent-Teacher Conferences 4-7:00

March 18- Miner of the Month Celebration 2:45

March 19- No School-Teacher Comp Day

March 20- No School- Spring Break

March 28- Prom

March is a time of growth, fresh starts, and looking ahead! As we move closer to spring, it’s a great opportunity for students to refocus, set goals, and continue building strong academic, social, and emotional skills.

Spring can bring busy schedules and seasonal illnesses. Remember: consistent attendance is key to academic success. If your child is struggling with school avoidance or worries, please reach out. We are here to help.

Secondary School

Individual meetings with every high school student will begin this month to ensure 4-year plans are completed with graduation and state scholarship requirements in mind. This also lays out the groundwork for individual career counseling, which is vital for our Wilton students' success after their time at Wilton Public School. The counseling program aims to help prepare all students for the real world while encouraging each student to stay true to themselves, because success looks different for everyone!

Please encourage your high school student to meet with me BEFORE class sign-ups happen. I am currently unaware of when this will happen next year, and I do apologize for this. However, that does not mean your student cannot be prepared. If students have their 4 year plan completed BEFORE being handed their registration sheet, it helps the decision-making process greatly.

The CTE Advisory Board meeting is happening this month. I am excited to share updates about our programs and discuss some ideas that I have for our students in the future.

All yearly testing for the school counseling program is completed. If you have not been shown your child’s test scores yet, please let me know. I DO NOT have ACT scores back at this moment, but if you would like to see PreACT, WorkKeys, or ASVAB, I am more than happy to get those to you!

Elementary School

The past months’ lessons consisted of growth mindset, accepting differences, belonging, kindness, and being unique. It was phenomenal to watch some of the emotions that the books or video clips pulled out of our kids. It is wonderful to watch them make the connections before we even talk about it.

One of the elementary lessons was all about figuring out what makes us unique. In this lesson, each student was able to design a puzzle piece with their name, characteristics, and their strengths. These completed puzzles are hanging on the bulletin board outside my office. I love the sense of belonging this created for many of our students.

If your 4th grader is excessively nervous about entering middle school, please keep me in the loop. I know the transition from elementary school to middle school will begin to be a bigger topic of conversation this month. I am here for every student struggling, even if they just need one check-in!

This month’s movie feature is Winnie the Pooh. Winnie the Pooh is most consistently available for streaming on Disney+, since it is a Disney film. Families with a Disney+ subscription can typically access it there. It is also often available to rent or purchase digitally through platforms such as Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and YouTube.

• What makes each character different from the others? How do their differences help the group?
• How do you think Eeyore felt when he lost his tail? Have you ever felt left out or different? What helped you feel better?
• Pooh loves honey and is often distracted by it. What is something special or unique about you? Why is it good that we are not all the same?
• When the friends thought Christopher Robin was in trouble, they worked together. How does working as a team help people feel like they belong?
• Rabbit likes things neat and organized, while Tigger is bouncy and energetic. How can people with very different personalities still be good friends?
• At the end of the movie, how do the characters show they care about one another? What are ways we can show others they belong in our classroom or school?

WILD About Reading Month

As you will see in this month’s newsletter, Reading Month is upon us. This is for the whole school. I oversee grades 5-12, so if any of those students want to participate, they must get their packet from me. I tried to streamline it with the elementary version as much as possible, but there are a few tweaks. For example, grades 5-12 get weekly prizes and more chances to enter for those prizes. However, there will only be one teacher to pie in the face. This means only one student---the top reader---in all those grades will get to do the honors. The schoolwide reward is the same: Anyone who reaches their reading goal will get to attend a movie. Remember, our Book Blast just ended, so a great majority of our students have at least one new book start reading and track minutes next week. Plus I know of a great school library that is full of books just waiting for someone to take them home to read. (wink, wink). Please see the attached Middle/High School Reading Month calendar for our list of activities and fundraisers. All money is due March 18 if you choose to participate in those. I look forward to many students checking out books in March!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Quinn