Dear Wildwood Families,

Hope everyone is doing well and having a good week.

I want to thank those who were able to come to the “Coffee with the Principal” meeting last Friday morning. In the meeting, I shared how I came to be at Wildwood, how things are going, and then opened it up for questions. I am happy to hold another meeting if parents/guardians are interested, maybe a zoom one? But if most feel like things are settled and we’re moving forward, I am good with riding along with that movement!

As many of you know, I spend a fair amount of time outside at recess, mostly watching four square and football. Our kids can be a little competitive so I do remind them that it’s a playground game and there are no trophies or prize money involved. The playground games are meant to be fun, not to make less athletic students feel bad. I tried out something new today, I recruited 5th grade foursquare players to help out the younger kids during their recess time. They were great! I think the younger students like to be coached and reffed by the older cool kids. I’m hoping I can continue that type of student engagement.

Another project I’m working on is the funding prioritization. The Dads Club has funds for capital projects and we want to move forward with a plan. The first thing I did was survey the staff to gather ideas and information about what we need at Wildwood. I’ve had to do some research on the feasibility of some items, specifically structural ones. I shared my findings at the staff meeting yesterday and our next step is to prioritize the list. I’ll be talking about it more at the PC meeting next week, Tuesday, 12/17.

The main principle that guides all of my recommendations, decisions, and actions is what is best for our kids. I’ve had the privilege of working at other schools and seeing things that work well for students. During my time here, I am hopeful to add to the school in a way that best serves all of our students. I really appreciate everyone’s support at Wildwood. It’s an amazing community!

13 Mileage club 7:50a

Winterfest - 5-7pm

20 Last Day of Semester

Community Coffee 8:30a

12/23-1/7 Winter Break - NO SCHOOL

January

8 First day of semester

Happy Winterfest week! This special event will feature a jazz band, a singalong, nearly a dozen potluck stations, catered food, and baked goods from nearly 50 Wildwood bakers.

There is also a new Tutu Shoppe brought to us by Kinder families, and there are talented people creating handmade decor, craft kits, and supplies for handmade greeting cards.

Also, the silent auction is not to be missed! There will be amazing baskets curated by Wildwood classes (thank you to all who donated!), gift cards to premiere East Bay restaurants, exercise classes, piano lessons, a private tour of Pixar Animation Studios, and more!

PRE-ORDER TUTUS

Our AMAZING Kinder and 2nd grade moms were hard at work this week handmaking our BEAUTIFUL SNOWFLAKE TUTUS for Friday's Winterfest!!

Pre-orders are still open - ORDER YOURS TODAY to capture the $20 promotional price (PLUS the personalized ribbon with your child's name)

Venmo @Jennifer-Poon-5 and include your child's name for the ribbon! #WildwoodWinterFest #HandmadeTutus #SchoolSpirit

Dear Parents/Guardians,

Happy December! It is hard to believe we are nearly half-way through the school year. In an effort to offer Wildwood students an outstanding Physical Education experience, I continually reflect on my teaching practices and programs. My goal is to educate and motivate all students and instill in them the skills, knowledge and confidence to be lifelong movers. Your input is highly valued in my reflection process and I invite you to complete this Mid-Year Physical Education Survey. Your responses will provide meaningful feedback that I can use to continually improve the Physical Education experience at Wildwood.

Please try to complete the survey within the next two weeks so that I can begin compiling the responses in the new year. Thank you for your time and consideration!

SURVEY LINK: https://forms.gle/LaVEcPgkWgRtzaKC9

Wishing you all the best,

Ms. Matarazzo

This week all elementary school tech classes are celebrating Computer Science Education week, Dec 9-13! Through age appropriate lessons and activities, we are focusing on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and how it works, its impact on our lives, and discussing the pros and cons of AI. As part of our learning, we invite families to talk about how they interact with AI at home. Please complete this short survey by Friday 12/20.

A team of Wildwood 5th graders were the champions of the Piedmont First Lego League tournament of more than 35+ teams. This involves designing a robust robot (hardware+software) and also a project that solves a problem. This year the theme is the deep seas.

Please check out the lost and found over the next few weeks. Everything left will be donated over Winter Break.

Dear PUSD Families,

With the holidays upon us and folks gathering indoors, we’d like to remind you of some of the important ways we can all work together to keep our community healthy this winter. Not only have we entered cold and flu season, but RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus), pertussis (whooping cough), walking pneumonia (Mycoplasma pneumoniae), and of course, COVID-19, have all been circulating in the community as well. It is therefore important to be mindful when gathering with friends and family this season to prevent the spread of illness.

Essential Self-care Strategies

If you have not done so already, we highly encourage you and your student to get a flu vaccine and a COVID-19 booster. Some members of your family may benefit greatly from the RSV vaccine as well. Please consult with your healthcare provider for guidance.

We also stress the importance of following the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for preventing the spread of illness, along with the following measures:

• First and foremost, please do not send your child to school if they are exhibiting signs or symptoms of illness and they don’t feel well enough to participate meaningfully in school.

• If your student develops chills, fever or any other symptoms of COVID-19, please keep them home from school and administer a home COVID-19 antigen test. Four tests can be ordered free of charge here.

• For a negative result: Please have them mask indoors and repeat the test in 24-48 hours.

• For a positive result: Please keep your child home and fill-out and submit the GotCovid? self reporting form for our tracking and reporting purposes. This will help us limit the risk of on-campus transmission. A District Nurse will email you with further instructions regarding when your child can return to school.

• Please do not send your student to school if they have any of the following symptoms:

• Fever of 100.4°F or higher (38° C). Keep your student home for 24 hours after a fever is below 100.4°F without the aid of fever reducing medication (such as Tylenol or Advil).

• Nausea or vomiting. If your student has vomited due to illness within 24 hours of the start of school, please keep them at home.

• Diarrhea.

• Severe sore throat.

• Skin rashes of unknown origin or a contagious rash.

• If you have received a pertussis exposure notice from the Alameda County Public Health Department through PHS/MHS or PMS, and your student has respiratory symptoms and/or a cough, please make sure your child sees their healthcare provider, and take a copy of the notice with you. Pertussis is a highly communicable respiratory illness, and should be treated with a course of antibiotics.

As always, if you have any health concerns, it is important to reach out to your healthcare provider for guidance.

If you have additional questions, the District Nurses can be reached at: nurses@piedmont.k12.ca.us.

We wish you all a safe and healthy holiday season!

Carol and Claudia,

The PUSD Nurses

We can't wait to see everyone at Winterfest on Friday! Many thank to the dozens of people who have volunteered and donated to make this a special evening.

On Tuesday, please join us for the final WPC meeting of 2024. It will be held at 7p in the Library, with a social beforehand at 6:40p. Childcare will be provided; please sign-up here. Topics include a Capital Project progress report from Principal Rhine and a budget update.

Also, there will be a Community Coffee next Friday 12/20 at 8:30a.

The Wildwood Dads’ Club is serving up an unforgettable night of fun, food, and flair at the Island Vibes Crab Feed 2025 on Saturday, February 8th!

Early Bird Special: Grab your discounted tickets now before they scuttle away on Jan 1!

Click here for tickets

What to Expect:

• Mouthwatering crab, salmon, sides, and more delicious food

• Island cocktails and good vibes all night

• Costume fun: channel your inner pirate, sailor, crab, or island vacation vibes!

Don’t wait, tickets are moving fast! Don’t miss the best night of the year to shake your claws and make waves. We’ll see you there!

Despite the passage of Measure P, rising costs have left the Piedmont Unified School District facing difficult financial decisions. Last year’s budget reductions—resulting in larger class sizes and reduced library hours—are already being felt. Without community support through the Giving Campaign, further cuts may jeopardize vital programs and the quality of education. To date, 50% of PUSD parents have contributed to the Giving Campaign, and these donations, added to those of the broader community, total $3 million for our schools.

The need for immediate community action is urgent. The Giving Campaign is working toward a goal of $4 million to continue to help PUSD meet its obligations. Every contribution helps bridge the gap and preserve PUSD’s excellence. Together, we can ensure Piedmont schools thrive for future generations.

’Tis the season for showing appreciation to Wildwood’s mighty Schoolmates Staff!

Wildwood has a long tradition of including Schoolmates Staff in the season of gifting. Financial donations from generous families whose children are enrolled in Schoolmates go directly to individual staff members.

If you have a student enrolled in Wildwood Schoolmates, or have relied on and appreciate the opportunities that Schoolmates provides our Wildwood community, please consider donating via Venmo to @Victoria-Manley-3.

All funds will be collected until 5pm Wednesday, Dec. 18, and then will be distributed equitably to staff by Thursday, Dec. 19.

Thank you for your support and extending your generosity to Schoolmates!

Please feel free to email victoria.manley@gmail.com with questions.

Bring your gently used winter clothing, toys and children’s books to Winterfest to support local schools Bridges Academy at Melrose and Lockwood STEAM Academy!

This annual drive is brought to us by SERVES (Student Engagement, Responsibility, and Volunteerism in our Elementary Schools), and supports its two partner OUSD schools to get needed items to families in time for winter break.

There will be a donation station near the entrance of school at Winterfest and will remain until EOD Tuesday, 12/17.

Please donate gently used clothing and shoes (all sizes: infant, children and adults), purses/tote bags/backpacks, small household items, toys and children’s books. Please no stained, ripped, out of style or clothing in poor condition - we want the kids to feel good in what they wear! No underwear or socks unless new with tags or in original packaging. Please, no toys or games that are broken or have missing parts and no books in poor condition.

SERVES is a TriSchool parent-run committee composed of three groups serving their respective PUSD elementary school. SERVES organizes community service events and activities appropriate for our elementary students and their families that benefit and have an impact beyond our small Piedmont Community. Please email SERVES if you are interested in helping organize events and opportunities!

Hi Wildwood,

December’s Community Hike this Sunday!!

Please join Fern, Hawk and I this weekend at Redwood Regional Park. It's that time of year when the ladybugs come to hibernate. Hiking through the Redwoods is epic enough, but ladybugs are the cherry on top. It gets very chilly down in that part of the park, so I recommend layers, hats and even gloves. The relatively easy hike to where the ladybugs usually are located, is about a 3 mile round trip, so snacks and water are a great idea. The trail is pretty flat, so stroller friendly if you have younger ones.

When: this Sunday, December 15 @ 9:30AM

Where:

Canyon Meadow Staging Area in Redwood Regional Park

Hope to see you and whomever you’d like to bring/invite. This hike is dog friendly, but on leash.

Melanie

Call if you need anything

6505158325

FYI-

No phone reception once you head down Redwood Road.

Here are some pictures from last months hike in Sibley.

We’re fundraising with See’s Candies to benefit Wildwood until December 6th.

Wrap up your holiday shopping list while supporting a cause!

Shop our online candy storefront and help us raise funds for Wildwood. [direct to link] https://www.yumraising.com/secure/wildwoodpc_wildwood_winterfest57/_PET2950/candy

As we approach the holiday season, don't forget these easy ways to support WILDWOOD while doing your everyday shopping!

ShopRaise:

Have you started your holiday shopping yet? Remember to use the ShopRaise app or website when making online purchases - including gift cards!!! ShopRaise will donate a percentage of your purchases at thousands of major retailers to our school at no extra cost to you! It's an easy way to fundraise while you shop for the holidays and beyond!

Minted Holiday Cards:

Use CODE: FUNDRAISEWILDWOOD when ordering holiday cards this year! You'll save 20% off your purchase AND Minted will donate 15% of your card purchase to our school! Last year we raised over $600!!

GoodEgg:

Use CODE: GoodEggsForWildwood at checkout for all your grocery shopping, including stocking up on Thanksgiving essentials! GoodEgg will donate 5% of your order's total directly to our school.

Do you know a student who might benefit from a fun challenge in math? Math Kangaroo is a low-stakes, international math competition for students in grades 1-12 that takes place on the third Thursday in March. Kids are given 75 minutes to solve interesting problems involving math and logic. All participants receive a t-shirt and prize to reward their efforts. Responses are scored after the event so students can track their progress from year to year. High scorers receive additional recognition later in the Spring.

Regular Deadline: December 31, 2024

Late deadline: February 1, 2025

Try out some sample questions from last year’s test.

Piedmont ALPS is excited to host our local Math Kangaroo testing site.

When: Thursday, March 20, 2025, 4 - 5:15PM

Where: Havens Elementary, 323 Highland Ave, Piedmont

Register at this link: https://mathkangaroo.oasis-lms.com/Users/LearningActivityInformation.aspx?LearningActivityID=LdNW4r5uklGMGTEuIlhpSA%3d%3d

Enter this invitation code: PIEDMONT94611@25MK

Cost: $18 by December 31 (late registration is $35 by February 1)

Questions? piedmontalps@gmail.com

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 the Haven’s Library from 7pm-9pm. 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