WhatNot!
December 4, 2024
Message From the Principal
Dear Wildwood Families,
I hope you are all well and had a nice Thanksgiving break. It was nice to come back on Monday and see everyone, especially the students. This week, I’ve been at recess, watching different games, especially four square and wall ball. I got to do some puzzles with 1st graders, watched 3rd graders explore the buoyancy of cranberries, and observed as 5th graders weighed different solids and liquids. It’s been a nice week back.
Through conversations with various Wildwood parents and committee leads, it seems like it’s time for me to set up an opportunity to meet with parents/guardians and check in about what is happening at Wildwood. I appreciate everyone’s patience while I get up and running at the school and into a routine. One meeting isn’t enough to connect with everyone but we’ll start with a “coffee with the principal” on Friday morning, 12/6. We will meet in the front patio of the school at 8:30am. (The Parent Club offered to provide coffee.) I would love to hear your questions, share what I know, and talk about how we move forward to build a stronger Wildwood community. I don’t have all the answers, no one does, but we need to talk, ask questions, and figure out what is best for our kids.
And finally, I want to acknowledge that tragedy that happened to the community recently, the tragic loss of the young people from the Piedmont community. Although I didn’t know them, losing anyone in such a way is so traumatic and sad. The impact is felt throughout the community and it’s very sad. Our condolences go out to the families and friends of the young people who passed.
Take care of yourselves and your families.
Beth Rhine
Interim PrincipalCalendar
DECEMBER
5 Shelter in place drill
6 Mileage club 7:50a
Coffee with Principal Rhine 8:30
13 Winterfest - 5-7pm
20 Last Day of Semester
12/23-1/7 Winter Break - NO SCHOOL
January
8 First day of semester
Emergency Planning
As much as I hope we don’t have an emergency at school, planning for them is the best thing we can do. Part of that planning is educating our kids regarding what to do in an emergency, so we have drills to practice different scenarios. In our school assembly today, Wednesday, 12/4, I did a short presentation about the different emergency drills. My goal is to inform the students, not scare them. Feel free to check it out and consider a follow up conversation at home to answer questions that may come up. In an emergency, we want to know what to do and be able to adjust if needed. We are having a Shelter in Place drill on Thursday, December 5. This drill is when we have to stay inside and shut doors and windows. Smoke days are an example of why we would shelter in place. I will try to keep you in the loop as we hold the various drills throughout the school year.
Professional Development
Piedmont Unified is dedicated to providing professional development for our teachers and staff. Did you know that back in August, the teachers did a day training on Playworks? They learned games and activities to do with the students on the playground. (I wish I had been there!) The Wednesday before the November break, all three elementary schools met and participated in conversations related to race, led by Jean Takazawa, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging. Over the past year, the district has led several professional development sessions on literacy, specifically focused on the science of reading. On January 7th, that work will continue with an all-day professional development session.
Most Wednesdays are dedicated to grade level collaboration and planning. The outcome that I notice from that is there is consistency throughout grade levels. This helps each child have a similarly strong learning experience, regardless of who their teacher is that year.
In addition to staff professional development, the PUSD administrative team is participating in a series of meetings led by the National Equity Project. We also have regular meetings where we review data, discuss curriculum, share best practices, etc.
Although there are many demands on our staff, PUSD works hard to offer a range of learning opportunities, including academic, social-emotional, and equity-based training to support their growth as professionals.
Winterfest
WINTERFEST 2024
5 to 7pm Friday, Dec. 13th
The gathering season is upon us, and Wildwood’s annual Winterfest, is the epitome of community gathering. It will only be as successful as the people who join and the joy they carry with them. Please look at this school-wide SignUp Genius for the many ways you can participate.
To help get us there, some features include:
- ***NEW! Community Potluck - please sign up above to bring a dish that's a family favorite! Seasonal or cultural, super simple***
- “Frozen” Themed Photo Booth with professional family photos by Wildwood parent
- Holiday Snowflake Tutu Shoppe (money raised goes to Wildwood Staff as a cash gift)
- festive live entertainment and a sing-along
- community giving opportunities
- bake sale (money raised goes to Wildwood staff as a cash gift)
- silent auction (money raised supports WPC’s many programs)
Other important things to know:
- The Winterfest Team is counting on ALL Wildwood classes to participate in the silent auction by donating a fun theme basket of items. Classes can band together for this. Some of the most favored items are those made by the students themselves (think artwork, poetry book, etc.) Some examples include:
- Pokémon Paradise (assorted card packs, books and other collectibles)
- Holiday Host Helper (essentials to make the holidays easy and more enjoyable!)
- Jewelry Design Studio (bead kits, charm collections, bracelet-making supplies
Your Winterfest 2024 Team
Jen Anzenberg, Morgan Driskill, Carolyn Pan, Vic Manley & Thuan Tran
Library News
Lost and Found
Please check out the lost and found over the next few weeks. Everything left will be donated over Winter Break.
Wildwood 5th Graders Win Robotics Competition
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.
Dad's Club
**DADS’ CLUB MEETING THIS WEEK**
This Thursday, Dec 5 is the Tri-School Dads’ Club Ugly Sweater Holiday Gathering,
8pm at 1635 Grand Ave, Piedmont
And…
Crab Feed tickets are on sale now!
Join the Wildwood Dads’ Club on Saturday February 8th for an unforgettable evening of delicious food, drinks, and festivities at the Island Vibes themed Crab Feed 2025.
Discounted early bird tickets are on sale now until Jan 1. Click here for tickets
So put on some summertime tropical garb or costume up as a pirate, sailor, crab, or anything else your imagination can whip up and join us for the fun.
Full year calendar of events: https://www.wildwooddadsclub.org/
Join the Giving Campaign & Help Us Reach Our Goal!
The Piedmont Education Foundation (PEF) has launched an exciting participation challenge as part of this year’s Giving Campaign! Our goal is to raise $4 million, and this year, every family’s participation counts toward something special. If we reach 75% participation from Piedmont Unified School District families, the entire town will celebrate with a community-wide pajama day!
Watch the Giving Meter in the center of town to track our progress. Imagine our entire community in PJs, celebrating our united support for our schools.
PEF encourages everyone to contribute, no matter the amount. Let’s come together to make a positive impact and show our commitment to education.
Stay Updated:
Follow the “Pop Up Participation” Giving Meter’s progress in the heart of town, and let’s reach our goal together!
Make a Difference Today:
For more information or to donate, please visit www.piedmontedfoundation.org/donate.
See's Candy Sale
Join the fun of giving back this winter!
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
District Technology Meeting on AI, 12/9/2024
Staff, students and interested community members are invited to our third Technology Advisory meeting of the year. On the agenda:
Educators involved with our AI professional development program will share their experiences
Discuss AI detection tools and policies involving AI
We will be meeting 3:45-5:00pm in the Havens Library, with a remote option. Please sign-up to let us know you are coming.
Tri-School Dad's Circle 12/11
Holiday FUN(D)RAISING with ShopRaise, Minted & GoodEgg
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.
Sign Up Now for Piedmont’s 2025 Math Kangaroo Competition
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
Save the Date: DEIB Book Club
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
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