The Weekly Update #4

Dear Wilder Families,

I hope you are all enjoying these glimpses of sunshine as we head towards Spring Break! It is such an exciting time of year at Wilder, and I love seeing our Wildcats energized and ready to R.O.A.R. as the weather warms up.

As we approach the final stretch of the school year, it’s the perfect time for a mid-year reminder to ensure our routines remain safe, efficient, and focused on student success.

Morning Drop-Off & Afternoon Pick-Up Our priority is always the safety of our students. To keep things running smoothly, please remember that the circle in front of the school is reserved strictly for JCPS transportation—this includes cars and vans as well as our big yellow buses. Recently, we have had some families pulling in too quickly or double-parking in the fire lane, which creates very unsafe situations for our walkers and staff.

Please utilize our car rider drop-off in the back; it is incredibly efficient! Just a reminder: no cars are let through the carpool lane after 7:28 a.m. If you arrive after that time, you must park in the front parking lot and walk your student into the building to sign them in.

In the afternoon, our carpool moves very quickly, so please make use of it! If your child is a "walker," the expectation is that they actually walk off school property. Families are not permitted to park in the staff parking lot to pick up walkers. The back lot is reserved for staff, and unauthorized parking there is creating unsafe conditions.

Smart Watches & Focused Learning I know many of our students have been sporting fun smart watches lately. While these are neat gadgets, please remember that at Wilder, smart watches are treated the same as cell phones. Our expectation has been that they remain powered off, but we have had an increasing number of students accessing them during the school day to text or play games.

Please note that managing these devices is not just a Wilder rule, but a district-wide expectation for all JCPS students. To help our Wildcats stay focused on their learning and remain in alignment with district policy, students are now expected to place smart watches (or any watches that play games) inside their backpacks during the school day.

Thank you to all of our families for following these school-wide and district expectations. Your partnership and positive spirit help make Wilder a place where every student can be wildly successful!

One of the absolute highlights of our week was seeing our fourth and fifth-grade students perform! It was truly impressive to see both grades showcase their talent on both the recorders and the ukuleles. Watching them switch between instruments with such focus and rhythm was a joy for all of us.

Wilder Elementary is thrilled to partner with the Special Olympics for our "Choose to Include" Campaign from March 2–6! Throughout the week, students will explore kindness and inclusion during guidance and participate in an exciting Spirit Week, featuring themes like Mix & Match Monday and "Black Out" Bullying Thursday. We also invite all Wildcats to enter our Inclusion Poster Contest; please submit your entries to the front office by Tuesday, March 3. The school will vote on the winner during our banner-signing ceremony on March 4, and the grand prize winner will enjoy a special lunch with the school adult of their choice! Let’s work together to show our Wildcat spirit and make everyone feel welcome.

I am so excited to invite all of our Wilder families to join us for our very first Inaugural Culture & Inclusion Evening Event! The weather is shaping up to be absolutely glorious, making it the perfect night to be out on campus. This evening will be a beautiful opportunity to experience the fact that Wilder is representative of so many different cultures and backgrounds. It is going to be a wonderful night of connection, community, and celebration of what makes our Wildcat family so unique. I truly can’t wait to see everyone there enjoying the sunshine and our vibrant school spirit!

Our spring book fair is right around the corner and lots of awesome reading awaits. Click here to go ahead and load your student's eWallet. Students will be shopping March 16-20. Thanks for helping us grow readers!