Dear Wildwood Families:

A special thanks to our students and staff while Ariel Dolowich, Jean Fagin, and I have provided administrative support at Wildwood. These have been special days for us, and we have enjoyed getting to know our students even better. Wildwood is a magical place, and our students are in good hands with an expert staff, including our new Interim Principal, Beth Rhine.

Beth Rhine, Interim Principal, is scheduled for Board approval on 10/24, and Ms. Rhine will begin on Friday, 10/25. More information about Beth Rhine was sent out on 10/20 and is also linked HERE. We are pleased to bring an experienced Elementary Principal to Wildwood during this time, and thank you to the hiring panel of over 15 Wildwood staff, parents, Board members, and administrators who assisted in the interview process. Ms. Rhine will attend the Wildwood Parent Club meeting held online next Tuesday, 10/29 at 7pm. And, she will participate in the Wildwood Halloween Parade and coffee on 10/31.

In partnership,

Jennifer Hawn, Ed.D.

Superintendent

TONIGHT - BOOK FAIR READ ALOUD AND ICE CREAM TRUCK

21-25 Scholastic Book Fair

24 School Site Council Meeting

25 Mileage Club 7:50am

28-11/1 Conference Week - NOON DISMISSAL ALL WEEK

29 WPC Meeting - 7pm on Zoom

31 Halloween Parade at 9:15 following Parent Coffee

NOVEMBER

4 Parent Circle on Belonging 6:30pm (sign up below)

11 Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL

Lunch will be distributed at dismissal for students who receive school lunch.

We are looking forward to seeing you next Thursday for our Halloween parade. We know the 9:15 start time can be tricky but due to the preschool on site and their drop-off time we cannot close the street until after 9am. Thank you for your understanding.

Please be aware that the parade can feel overwhelming for some of our students. If you are bringing a dog or plan to dress up yourself please be mindful of how that may impact members of our Wildwood community.

Many students, families, and staff members in our community love Halloween and wonderful costume celebrations. Part of creating a safe school community for ALL students on Halloween is to avoid wearing costumes that are racially, ethnically, and/or culturally based, or those that play on gender stereotypes. Here are some thoughts to consider as families prepare Halloween costumes to wear at school:

• Please consider the impact a costume depicting an ethnic/racial/cultural group can have on others, including making people feel unsafe and/or disrespected. If your child wants to dress-up as a particular person or character from a story or movie, who is not of his or her same ethnic, racial, or cultural group, think about how your child can do so without using things like “ethnic” wigs, face/skin paint, but rather with the use of obvious props and costumes to capture the spirit of that character or person.
• Please reflect on what it means to depict a culture or race even for a day-- because for many people it’s not just a costume, it is part of their identity. Even if your child is part of the group of people the costume is intended to represent, it is helpful to ask if the costume is perpetuating a negative stereotype.
• Consider that a costume meant to be funny because it is making light of an ethnic or racial group is most likely a caricature, and thus inappropriate.

Also, please keep in mind the following reminders about appropriate Halloween costumes:

Keep it Safe: Avoid tripping hazards, and ensure that nothing is covering your student’s face (no masks)

Keep it Simple: Make sure the costume can be put on and taken off independently

Keep it Friendly: We ask that scary costumes are avoided so that Halloween is fun for even our preschool students. Please, no gore, weapons, or clowns.

Keep it Hands Free: For our school parade, hands free works the best.

We invite our amazing families to have fun getting creative with costumes this Halloween so that everyone in our community feels safe, welcome, and respected!

Want to visit your Wildwood student(s) during their lunch hour or support Wildwood with your efforts? If so, become a lunch volunteer! This is an easy and fun way to volunteer at school and a great way to interact with your kids as well as the rest of the school. It only takes 1 hour out of your day to help support our school!

We have two lunch programs that need daily parent volunteers. Please sign up for one if you haven't already.

SignUpGenius for Parent Volunteers - 1st to 5th Grade Lunch Program - we need 1 volunteer daily between 11:30am to 12:30pm

SignUpGenius for Parent Volunteers - Kinder Lunch Program - we need 2 volunteers daily between 11:20am to 12:15pm

Join us tonight for the book fair 5:30-7:30! Read-Aloud at 6 PM

We still need 2 cashiers for Thursday 5-6:30 PM, please sign up to help!

Wednesday October 23 5:30-7:30 PM

with Mister Softee Truck and Read-Aloud with Ms. Ludmer!

Thursday October 24 3-6:30 PM

Friday October 25 3-4:30 PM

1. Sign up to Volunteer! We need help setting up the actual fair, operating the register during book fair hours, and packing up at the end. We rely heavily on volunteers to make this happen, so please sign up if you can! This year we’re also asking if you can’t volunteer your time, to please consider donating money to help fund the raffle prizes, treats, and decorations. Sign up here.

2. Remember our teachers: At the fair, there will be each teacher’s wish list set out. While you’re at the fair picking out books for your child, please purchase a book from your teacher’s wish list! There will be labeled teachers’ bins to place the paid books inside.

3. eWallet: If you’d like to not worry about cash or credit cards at the fair, a great option is to set up an e-wallet online. You simply add funds and/or invite family to contribute. Grandparents love to donate towards books! This is a great option if you want your child to stop by the fair on their own after school. At the time of checkout, the eWallet account can be looked up on the register and used towards one’s purchase. Set it up through the book fair webpage.

4. Catch a "read aloud" with Ms. Ludmer on Wednesday 10/23 at 6:00 pm! Our Head Librarian, Ms. Ludmer, will be reading a lively piece for all to enjoy. The reading will most likely be outside in the courtyard so please dress accordingly! Cookies and milk will be passed around!

Stay updated through the Book Fair webpage.

Any questions, please email Morgan Driskill morgan.driskill@gmail.com

Date: Tues Oct 29th

Time: 6 to 8:30 pm

Place: Havens Library

"Please join us to learn how to be a circle keeper. As we engage in the circle process, we will understand the structure of a circle, learn the different aspects of holding a circle, and walk away with an understanding of the basics of circle-keeping."

Facilitated by Ina Bendich and Cory Wechsler.

RSVP Here: Parent Circle Keeper Training

Our Lost and Found is overflowing! Please stop by the lost and found near the front entrance (and at Schoolmates) to check for missing clothing items. We will lay out items in front during conference week and will be donating them in November.

We are already a quarter-way through the school year, and there are lots of exciting events ahead! Be a part of making them happen by joining WPC’s monthly board meeting this Tuesday, 10/29.

The meeting will be virtual in hopes that it will be accessible to those who can’t typically attend in person. A link to the meeting is here. Please email WPC in advance if you have any questions or topics you'd like to discuss.

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Halloween is near! There is fun in store for families as we wait for the costume parade, including a Community Coffee and a mini-show for costumed dogs!

Dress up your pup and gather from 8:30-9:15 at Wildwood and Prospect avenues for coffee and treats. We also will distribute friendly noisemakers to help cheer on our wonderfully costumed Wildwood students and staff at the parade!

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SERVES, a Tri-School parent-run committee, still needs Wildwood representation. The group organizes community service activities appropriate for elementary students and families. Please contact SERVES or WPC for more information.

The pumpkin patch is on track to have a record fundraising year. We're on track to raise over $20k for Wildwood. Help us close it out strong by volunteering for one of the remaining vacant shifts on 10/22, 10/25, and 10/27. We especially need help on Sunday (10/27) running the close out sale and cleaning up the patch.

Bring this pumpkin coloring sheet to the patch to get a free mini-pumpkin!

Next Dads' Club meeting: Thursday, November 7, Cato's Ale House (3891 Piedmont Ave.)

Full year calendar of events: https://www.wildwooddadsclub.org/

Next week, the Giving Campaign is launching the annual participation competition. The grade level that has the highest percentage of parents contributing to the Giving Campaign (in any amount!) will win an AMAZING activity for the whole grade. Last year, 83% of TK parents participated and won a candy and bubble party. Who will win this year?

When considering ways to give, more and more families are choosing to donate stocks or securities. For some donors, giving appreciated stocks directly to PEF may allow donors to minimize capital gains taxes and receive a tax deduction for the full value of the donation, making it a win-win for everyone involved!

Donate by November 1 to receive a lawn sign and show your support. To learn more about the Piedmont Education Foundation's Giving Campaign or to make a donation, visit www.piedmontedfoundation.org.

Join us for a live workshop with Natasha Singh M.Ed. to talk about how to use a value-based approach to teaching our kids about empathy, decision making, consent and more to cultivate healthy relationships. The presentation will offer a professional perspective and essential tools, frameworks, and strategies to enable parents to create and maintain open lines of communication with their kids about these foundational topics - and keep them open.

Dates: Havens on 10/25 at 8:30 AM or at Beach on 12/3 at 7:00 PM. The content will be geared to parents of kids grade K-5. Parents of Havens, Beach and Wildwood families are welcome, and can attend either workshop. RSVP on the PiedmontStore.org is required. Parents are asked to make a suggested donation of $25 per attendee to offset the cost of the workshop. The Tri-School Parent Education Program is presented by your tri-school Principals and Parent Clubs. Please email Katie Castles Shaffer with any questions: kwc.shaffer@gmail.com

(Event Page link for reference: https://piedmontstore.org/products/cultivating-healthy-relationships-a-workshop-with-natasha-singh-m-ed)

Please save the date for the first DEIB book club meeting. We will be reading and discussing Do the Work!: An Antiracist Activity Book by W. Kamau Bell and Kate Schatz on January 22nd at a place TBD. More details to come, but if interested please get the book and start reading. For questions feel free to reach out to Sean Bartmasser at bartmasser@gmail.com.

ATTENDANCE REPORTING

1. Please report your student's absence or tardiness - and include the reason.
2. 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

1. Parents, please remember that if your child needs to be out of school, you can submit
   donations for the lost revenue.
2. 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:

K-3rd Grade = $61.32 - 4th-5th Grade = $56.39

• Wildwood School Calendar
• Hot Lunch Order (pw: Wildwood)
• Attendance Reporting

WHATNOT submission requests must be received by Tuesday at 12:00 PM,
whatnot@piedmont.k12.ca.us