WhatNot!
March 19, 2025
Message From the Principal
Dear Wildwood Families,
Hope everyone is doing well. We’re looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow evening from 6-7pm for Open House! It’s a great time to visit Wildwood and see all the wonderful work that your child has done this year. We encourage everyone to visit their child’s classroom and see what’s been happening this year. There is also classwork in the hallways. Feel free to stop by the auditorium and see the PE slideshow (it will be running throughout Open House). Ms. Gnusti and I will be on site, floating around.
A few reminders about tomorrow's schedule:
-Noon dismissal for ALL students
-School lunch (pre-ordered) will be available for students to grab-and- go
-If your student is signed up for Camp Kaleidoscope (Schoolmates) they will eat lunch there
-No ASE classes tomorrow
Hopefully you have heard that Amy Fry has been selected as the new Wildwood principal! I know Amy as we worked together in Berkeley for several years. It was a rigorous interview process and Amy did a great job. Ms. Fry will be coming to a staff meeting in May and hopefully a Parent Club meeting, too. We will let you know when that date is set! Amy is thoughtful, organized, hard working and completely committed to doing what is best for kids. I’m so excited to hand off the keys to her for the 2025-2026 school year! (Re-retirement, here I come!)
But… we have plenty of school to go this year, and Ms. Gnusti and I are happy to be here, to finish out the year, and get things ready for Ms. Fry to take over!
Thanks for all you do to support Wildwood!
Beth Rhine
Calendar
March
20 Open House - NOON DISMISSAL - Open House from 6-7pm (with students)
21 Mileage Club 7:50a
Community Coffee 8:30
24 Makeup photos for K and 5th Comings and Goings photos
April
3 Class photos
4 K-3 Vocal Concert at 8:45a
7-11 Spring Break - NO SCHOOL
Open House is Tomorrow! Noon Dismissal!
This is the time for families to come visit their child’s classroom to see what has been happening all year in the room! You can visit with the teacher, other families and enjoy the work displayed in the classroom. We encourage everyone to come by and visit their child’s classroom. Just a reminder, it’s not a time to visit the following grade level teacher - they are busy with their own classroom families.
Please visit the Lost and Found while you are on campus!
REMINDER - 12pm Dismissal on Thursday 3/20
Thank you!
K-3 Vocal Concert April 4 at 8:45am
Join us on Friday April 4th for the K-3 Vocal Music Concert at 8:45a in the auditorium!
Art News
Save the Date!
Wildwood Art Show
Wednesday April 30
Time: TBD
Parents Club Update
Join us for Community Coffee this Friday at 8:30am, in the front side courtyard of the school (to the right of the main entrance stairs). This is a fun, casual gathering that always sets the day off well!
The next WPC board meeting is 7-8pm (preceded by a 6:40pm social) Tuesday, March 25, in the Wildwood library. We will discuss our budget for the 2025-26 school year, with the goal to approve at our April meeting. We hope you can make it! As always, please sign up for childcare if need be at this link.
On the evening of April 23, WPC’s Belonging Committee will facilitate a Parent Circle at Wildwood. Childcare will be available. Mark your calendars and stay tuned as we will share a registration link in the next few weeks!
Parent Circles are in-person gatherings designed to foster community and connection among Wildwood parents. The circles offer a unique opportunity for parents to engage in meaningful conversations and build supportive networks.
Dad's Club
Next meeting is Thursday, April 3, 7:30pm at Cato’s, 3891 Piedmont Ave, Oakland
Our next event is our annual end of year celebration (aka Golf Outing) on April 25th. Mark your calendars. Details coming soon!
Check out the full year calendar of Wildwood Dads’ Club events here
Spring Fling 2025: Piedmont Palm Royale
Spring Fling 2025 The Palm Royale: A Season of Events Benefiting Beach, Havens, and Wildwood
Spring Fling 2025, the only fundraiser directly for Beach, Havens, and Wildwood, is excited to kick off an exciting season of events.
Palm Royale Gala Friday, April 25 at the Oakland Scottish Rite Center.
Join us for a beachy getaway at this year’s Palm Royale Gala with an evening of tropical cocktails, auctions, dinner, and dancing for our schools. Early Bird tickets are now on sale at PiedmontSpringFling.org. Purchase your ticket before March 25 and save $50 per ticket.
Comings & Goings Photography is a special program where our Kindergarten students (comings) and our 5th-grade students (goings) are photographed by local photographers (and moms) Sasha Pryzbla, Marielle Hayes, and Jane Violich to capture this special moment in their elementary school journey. This year, parents will receive an 8 x 10-inch black and white photo ready for framing as well as a digital image. To purchase your student’s picture, visit PiedmontSpringFling.org.
PIE - PRD Sidekicks Benefit Concert
AI Literacy
Technology Meeting March 31st, 3:45-5:00pm Havens Library
Staff, students, and interested community members are invited to participate in a District Technology Advisory meeting on March 31st. The agenda will include discussions and activities related to AI literacy.
We will meet from 3:45 PM to 5:00 PM in the Havens Library, and a remote participation option will be available.
Please sign-up to let us know you are coming!
Piedmont Unplugged
Piedmont Unplugged presents "The Parenting Secret This Generation Has Forgotten" by Lenore Skenazy
Piedmont Unplugged, together with the Piedmont Elementary Parent Education Committee, is thrilled to host a thought-provoking evening with Lenore Skenazy, entitled "The Parenting Secret This Generation Has Forgotten."
Lenore is a nationally recognized parenting expert, author of Free-Range Kids, president of Let Grow, and collaborator on The Anxious Generation. At this event, she will offer powerful insights and practical strategies to help us raise more confident, capable, and resilient kids. She will help our community understand why giving kids more independence, responsibility, and unstructured play can help them thrive.
Thanks to the generous support of Piedmont Unplugged, this event is free and open to all. Don’t miss this chance to rethink modern parenting and discover simple shifts that can make a big difference.
Date: Thursday, April 3rd
Location: Ellen Driscoll Auditorium
Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
To RSVP, please head to https://www.piedmontunplugged.org/events
Piedmont Food Fest is Back! (Sat 4/19, 11am-4pm)
Join us at the Piedmont Food Fest this year and enjoy the best of what the diversity of the Bay has to offer. Look forward to Japanese fried chicken sandwiches, Peruvian street food, momo dumplings, lobster rolls and more. Quench your thirst with our various beverage vendors, and enjoy diverse performances on the main stage, and a KidZone carnival midway complete with cultural crafts and sno-cone station.
Register (free) today, grab Early Bird drink & carnival discounts (thru March), and bring your picnic blankets, friends and family - we will see you there!
Saturday, 4/19, 11am - 4 pm
Piedmont Park (711 Highland Ave.)
Interested in volunteering? Sign up here!
Summer Adventures 2025 – Registration Now Open!
Summer Adventures Spotlight: Welcome to Kinder & 6th Grade!
Is your child gearing up for a big transition? Our Welcome to Kinder and Welcome to 6th Grade programs are designed to help incoming students feel confident and excited for their next chapter! These engaging sessions will introduce them to their new school routines, build friendships, and set them up for success in the fall.
We also have an exciting lineup of classes for 1st-5th graders, with half-day and full-day options available. For 1st and 2nd graders, offerings include Masterpieces in the Making: Art Class, where young artists will explore different mediums, Readers are Leaders, a fun and engaging literacy program, and Growing Gardeners, where students will get their hands dirty while learning about plants and nature. For 3rd-5th graders, we have Art and Writing: Exploring Color, combining creativity and storytelling, Junior Journalists, where students will dive into the world of news and reporting, Science Explorers!, full of hands-on experiments and discoveries, and Playing and Creating Board Games, where kids will design and play their own games.
Join us for a summer full of learning, creativity, and fun! Register now using this link.
Junior Counselor-in-Training (JrCIT) Program
Calling all future leaders! Our Junior Counselor-in-Training (JrCIT) program is designed for 7th-9th graders (Fall 2025) looking to build leadership skills, gain hands-on experience, and have fun mentoring younger campers. JrCITs will participate in leadership training before assisting in Summer Adventures classes, making a meaningful impact while developing confidence and teamwork. Spots are limited—register now! Registernow using this link.
Piedmont Makers
Piedmont School Maker Faire - “Call for Makers” Now Open!
Save the date for the Piedmont School Maker Faire at the Piedmont High School campus on Sunday, May 18 11am - 3pm! Come celebrate K-12 Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Math (S.T.E.A.M.) education for the Piedmont community & beyond.
Our “Call for Makers” is now OPEN. Students & the community can show off your creativity – drones, cosplay, puppets, kites, virtual reality, Legos, music – or check out our project ideas page for inspiration. When ready, submit your project by April 30th.
Join LEGO League Robotics - Fall 2025
Fall 2025 Robotics Registration Now Open: Registration for the Fall 2025 Robotics season for rising K-8th graders is now open. Robotics helps children develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and teamwork skills while having fun and learning about engineering, writing code, and thriving on a non-athletic team.
LEGO League - Open House Presentation and Q&A: For more information about LEGO League Robotics, K-8 parents & students are invited to attend our Open House Presentation and Q&A on March 27, 7-9 PM at the Piedmont High School Student Center, or visit https://www.piedmontmakers.org/robotics to learn more.
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:
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,
whatnot@piedmont.k12.ca.us