Wildcat News

Dear Williams Families -

We hope you enjoyed your time off and had a wonderful Thanksgiving. November was a great month at Williams! We celebrated Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day, held our October Wildcat Assembly (where we presented 220 attendance awards!), watched our 4th and 5th graders shine in their music programs, and welcomed over 200 people to our Social-Emotional Learning Night. Thank you for your continued support and engagement!

December promises to be another busy month, with only 15 school days before Winter Break. This month, we will hold our December PTO meeting, host a skating party, enjoy the Williams Holiday Ornaments & Cocoa PTO event, and watch our Band & Strings concert as well as our 2nd- and 3rd-grade music programs. Friday, December 19th marks the final day of the second quarter before we head into break. We will also kick off our annual December to Remember countdown, featuring special spirit days during the last 10 days before break. The flyer is included below.

Winter Break runs from December 22nd through January 5th. We look forward to welcoming students back to school on Tuesday, January 6th.

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to Engage, Prepare, and Inspire our students!

Ms. Kari Ritter, Principal

Attendance Goal: 95%

Current Attendance Rate: 94.4%

Chronic Absenteeism Goal: 15%

Chronic Absenteeism Rate: 17.3%

The Williams Student Council is participating in the NexTrex Recycling Challenge Community Project through the Trex Corporation. Our school will be collecting recyclable plastic items starting December 1st, with the goal of turning in 1,000 lbs. of plastic that can be turned into a bench. Students may turn in these items to Mrs. McDaniel or Mrs. Black in Pod 3.

Join us for our December PTO Meeting!

When: Tuesday, December 2nd

Time: 5:15 - 6:15 pm

Where: Williams Library

Mark your calendars - Pictures with Santa & Family Health Fair happening Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 9:00-11:00 am at SENT Topeka! Bring your family, friends, and holiday spirit for a morning filled with joy, laughter, and connection.

Here's what you can look forward to:

• Pictures with Santa - Meet Santa Claus and capture a free holiday photo to take home and treasure.
• Kids Christmas Shop - Children can experience the joy of giving by choosing and wrapping free gifts for their caregivers.
• Wellness Fair - Learn about health and wellness resources available for families right here in our community.
• Southside Filling Station Pantry - Families attending the event are welcome to shop our client-choice food pantry while they're here.

This free community event is the perfect way to celebrate the season, connect with neighbors, and discover the local programs that support family well-being all year long.

Our 2nd and 3rd grade students will be having their music programs on Thursday, December 18th!

2nd grade will begin their performance at 5:30 pm and 3rd grade will begin at 6:30 pm. We hope to see you there!

Dismissal - As the weather gets colder and more people opt to stay in their cars to pick up after school, please make sure you have your number clearly displayed in your vehicle. While we do appreciate you having it memorized, when you are in your vehicle, our staff will not be coming to the car and asking you for your number. Please help us to keep our car dismissal smooth and efficient! We appreciate it!

Transportation Changes - As a reminder, any changes to your child's mode of transportation must be done by 2:00 pm. We want to avoid any miscommunication or mistakes that can occur with last-minute transportation communication. Thank you!

As we prepare for our annual Williams Magnet Learning Expo in April, we are requesting your help in the collection of the following items:

• Empty water bottles
• Bird Seed

You may drop off donations in our office! We thank you for your assistance!

Do you still need to order pictures? Use the new Code Lookup Tool to gain access to your child's picture ordering gallery.

*Student last name and Student ID number will be required for data security.

As a reminder, all Topeka Public Schools students will continue to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost for the 2025-2026 school year! This initiative ensures that every child has access to nutritious meals that fuel learning and success.

New to families is an interactive menu for each school, making it easier to see what's being served each day and explore the many new menu items our Child Nutrition Services team has introduced.

To explore the interactive menus and learn more about the meal program, visit the Child Nutrition Services page.

President: Danielle Packer

Vice President: Krystal Young

Secretary: Amanda Chapman

Treasurer: Sarah Hitchens

We invite you to get involved here at Williams! Our PTO helps to organize school events, oversee fundraisers, assist with special projects, and help to serve our Williams community. We need YOUR help! We welcome you to attend our monthly PTO meetings. These meetings are listed on our school calendar for your reference.

Contact our PTO at: williamsptoteam@gmail.com.

We want to give a BIG SHOUT OUT to everyone who participated in the Kids Heart Challenge!!! We raised $2,083.49 for the American Heart Association. Well Done Wildcats! The Williams gym will be named after Grace Wiebel this upcoming year since she got the most donations at over $500!!! Awesome job, Grace!

Reminder that the Pacer Test for grades 3-5 will be the week before Winter Break. Remember to wear tennis shoes so you can do your best! The goal is just to run more laps than they did in September.

Upcoming Events-

December 11:

-3rd grade winter singing tour 8:30-12 noon

December 18:

-2nd grade program at 5:30

-3rd grade program at 6:30

Focus:

All students will cover winter celebrations: Hanukkah, Christmas, Los Posadas, Kwanzaa and New Years.

Elements of music focus by grade level:

Kdg-Beat, timbre of unpitched instruments

1st -Beat, form, melodic direction

2nd-program prep

3rd-program prep

4th-Tempo, Woodwind family, rhythm, lines and spaces of the grand staff

5th-Beat, form, musical scale, rhythm, lines and space of the grand staff

Congratulations to the 4th and 5th graders for their great performances in November.

Piano is in full swing. I still have space available for both sessions, one for the 4pm session and multiple for the 4:30pm session. If you have a 2nd-5th grader interested, contact Mrs. Cluke, lcluke@tps501.org.

Just one more group of students will come through the art lab! They will have the benefit of well-rehearsed lessons, and I’ve made sure to hold back enough rad supplies to feed their creative fires! There has been a moment in each class this semester that has the students saying “Oooooooooo.” We make one single cut in a folded piece of paper, and it turns from flat to three-dimensional. It’s so satisfying. They love that part, and I love watching their imaginations run wild with this blank canvas. I’d love to see the art students are making during winter break! Send photos to bkivett@tps501.org! I’ll make sure to get cat cash to your young artists when we return.

Students have been exploring space through robotics..

Fifth-grade students are learning about the pattern of stars, the distance of stars related to their brightness, and gravity.

Fourth-grade students are learning to program Micro:bits and will create a game for Rock, Paper, Scissors, and teleport a spaceship.

Third-grade students are learning how to code a simulation rover to travel over Mars and collect data from moonquakes.

Second-grade students are learning how to code programs using VEX123 and an iPad. The coding system that they are using is block code and avoids asteroids.

First-grade students are learning how to code programs using VEX123 and code cards. They will simulate an exploration of the Moon’s surface and dodge craters..

Kindergarten students are learning basic coding with offline coding to begin, and then are moving to VEX123. They will explore different ways to code to go around asteroids.

Fifth grade: Students will be learning about the four spheres of Earth, meaning the hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere, and the geosphere. Students will be finishing this unit by creating a model showing all four spheres as well as how at least two of them interact.

Fourth grade: Students will be learning about erosion and weathering. While doing so, at the end of the unit they will create a project that will protect their “schoolyard” from erosion. Students will have to test and revise before presenting their projects.

Third grade: Students are learning about the difference between weather and climate. At the end of the unit they will try to help create a solution to a climate hazard.

Second grade: Students will be learning about the water cycle as well as erosion and deposition. Students at the end of the unit will be creating a water cycle model with examples of erosion and deposition.

First grade: Students will be learning about where light comes from and how it works. Students at the end of the unit will be creating their own reading lamp model with transparent, translucent, and opaque items.

Kindergarten: Students are learning about types of weather, forecasting, and severe weather. At the end of the unit students will create a shelter from the sun or rain, test it, fix it, and then show their peers their projects.

Kindergarten will explore the Rainforest while learning about their 5 senses.

1st graders will explore why rainforests are full of life and how people, plants, and animals live there—so we understand why it's special and worth protecting.

2nd graders will make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in the Rainforest vs. the Desert.

3rd graders will explore inherited traits, learned behaviors, variations in traits, and problem-solving in animals.

4th & 5th graders will explore how energy flows and matter cycles through the rainforest ecosystem so we can understand the connections between plants, animals, and decomposers and explain how these relationships keep the rainforest alive and balanced.

Kindergarteners: We have planted sunflowers in a pot and pumpkin seeds in a sprout house. We are learning the characteristics of living and non living things. We are also learning the parts of plants.

1st Graders: We have planted sunflowers in a pot and pumpkin seeds in a sprout house. We are exploring a unit on the Structure and Function of designs. We will be building a beanstalk, a house, and a painting tool.

2nd Graders: We have planted a sunflower in a pot and are have a Germination Race going between 5 different kinds of seeds. We are also learning what plants need to survive and the process of pollination so that we can explain how plants make seeds.

3rd Graders: We have sunflowers growing and we are doing a “Does it matter?” experiment. In this experiment we are testing our plants' survival when watered with different liquids. We are also learning about plant life cycles and pollination using a study of bees.

4th Graders: We have sunflowers growing and are growing root vegetables in containers of water. We are studying the internal and external structures of plants beginning with roots-stems-leaves. Several plant dissections are being used as well.

5th Graders: We are growing sunflowers and doing a “Fair Test” experiment on 5 plants. We are testing the true needs of plants (water, sun, air and soil). We are also learning the process of photosynthesis and creating a 3D model.

It’s officially Cozy Reading season!

Kindergarteners are LOVING exploring different authors and series, and they especially like checking out nonfiction books.

1st graders are checking out 2 books each week. One book is a starting chapter book because so many are becoming readers:)

2nd graders have ‘leveled up’ and are now practicing finding ‘right fit’ books for them. They also get to choose a Book Buddy to read with when they’re in library.

3rd-5th graders are enjoying the addition of joke books, Would you Rather? Books and drawing books. We continue to get in new chapter books as we encourage them to check out ‘right books’ and finish them. We have about 20 students who have books a month (or more!) overdue. Please help your children find those books. :

Upcoming Event: The EL department is hosting our English Learners Family Winter Party on December 5th. If your child receives EL services, you should have received an invitation by email. Please be sure to RSVP so we can plan accordingly. We hope to see you there!

Próximo evento: El departamento de Aprendizaje del Inglés (EL) organiza nuestra Fiesta de Invierno para Familias de Estudiantes de Inglés el 5 de diciembre. Si su hijo/a recibe servicios de EL, debería haber recibido una invitación por correo electrónico. Por favor, confirme su asistencia para que podamos organizarnos. ¡Esperamos verlos allí!

Winter Break Ideas: With winter break approaching, this is a great time to visit the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library (https://tscpl.org/). They offer many free resources, activities, and events for families.

You can also explore this helpful guide from Colorin Colorado about using your local library: https://www.colorincolorado.org/guide/parent-guide-resources-your-library

Ideas para las vacaciones de invierno: Con la llegada de las vacaciones de invierno, es un buen momento para visitar la biblioteca pública, Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, (https://tscpl.org/). Ofrecen muchos recursos, actividades y eventos gratuitos para familias.

También puedes consultar esta útil guía de Colorin Colorado sobre cómo usar tu biblioteca local:

https://www.colorincolorado.org/es/guide/gu%C3%ADa-para-padres-los-recursos-de-la-biblioteca

Winter Weather: As colder weather arrives, please take a moment to review the Topeka Public Schools winter weather guidelines (https://www.topekapublicschools.net/weather ). This will help ensure your family stays informed about any weather-related updates or changes to the school schedule.

Clima invernal: Con la llegada del frío, les pedimos que consulten las directrices de las Escuelas Públicas de Topeka sobre condiciones climáticas adversas (https://www.topekapublicschools.net/weather). Esto ayudará a que su familia se mantenga informada sobre cualquier actualización relacionada con el clima o cambios en el horario escolar.

Need to report an absence? Here are your options:

1) Call the office at 785-235-7330 and push 1 for the attendance line. Leave a message.

2) Send an email to cmurray@tps501.org.

3) Use the QR code provided below and on the magnet that was handed out to start the year.

4) Send a note with your child when they return.

Attendance in school is important! All day, every day.

• December 2: PTO Meeting (5:15 pm)
• December 4: House Meetings/Skating Party (6:00-8:00 pm)
• December 5: Late Start, 9:30 am
• December 9: Holiday Photo/Ornaments/Hot Cocoa PTO Event (5:30-6:30 pm)
• December 11: Band & Strings Concert (6:00 pm)
• December 12: Late Start, 9:30 am
• December 18: House Meetings/2nd & 3rd Grade Music Programs (2nd-5:30 pm, 3rd-6:30 pm)
• December 19: Late Start, 9:30 am/End of 2nd Quarter
• December 21: Impact Topeka Meal Distribution (5:30-6:30 pm)
• December 22-January 5: Winter Break, NO SCHOOL
• January 6: School Resumes/PTO Meeting (5:15 pm)

Kari Ritter, Principal

Email: kritter@tps501.org
Website: https://wms.topekapublicschools.net/
Location: 1301 Southeast Monroe Street, Topeka, KS, USA
Phone: 785-235-7330
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Williams-Science-and-Fine-Arts-Magnet-School-327425970630311