Washington Wizards Weekly Updates 10/31

Dear Washington Wizards,

As we turn the page from spooky season to a month of reflection and gratitude, we’re excited to kick off our November Challenge: Spark Gratitude. This month, we invite everyone to take a few moments each day to recognize the good things, big or small, that make life a little brighter. You can start a family gratitude wall in your space or keep a gratitude journal, adding one thing your family is thankful for each day. By the end of the month, you’ll have a collection of moments and memories to look back on and reminders of the people, experiences, and simple joys that make a difference.

Shout-Outs & Spotlights

Golden Sneaker Award: Congratulations to classes 3C and KRO for earning October's Physical Fitness Golden Sneaker Award! Their consistent display of core virtues towards teachers and classmates truly shone throughout the month.

Halloween Celebration: A huge thank you to all the class parents who dedicated their time and effort to making today a truly memorable Halloween for our Washington Wizards!

School-Wide Morning Meeting - This morning's school-wide celebration was a resounding success, thanks to our student council representatives. Their eloquent, funny, poised, and engaging leadership truly showcased them as future leaders!

Reminders for Families

As we launch our month of gratitude, we are going to have 3 different community service opportunities. Please participate in as many as you can.

After the recent hurricane in Jamaica, many people there need extra support. This cause is especially close to our hearts, as we plan to come together to help a Washington Wizard who helps us everyday. Starting 11/3, the student council encourages your support in raising funds through our Coins for a Cause donation drive! Please send your child in with coins of any amount to put into their grade level bucket. We are excited to see how much each grade can raise! Please see attached flier.
The Student Council is collecting leftover Halloween candy to donate to the “I Matter Project”. Please send in your extra, unopened candy between November 3rd and November 14th.
It has come to our attention that several Bergen County food pantries are in urgent need of food donations. Many families in our area are struggling, and we’d like to help as quickly as possible. During the week of November 10, we’ll be collecting items such as healthy soups and beans, fresh apples (yes—fresh!), toilet paper, and any other non-perishable foods you’re able to contribute. Please bring your donations in a reusable bag if possible, the pantries can put those to good use as well. One of our parents has kindly offered to deliver all collected items directly to the food pantries. Thank you for supporting our neighbors in need—every little bit truly helps!

As the weather gets colder and the rain (or snow!) begins, we’d like to remind everyone to follow our “rules of the road” during morning drop-off. When everyone follows these steps, we can prevent traffic from backing up onto Monroe Ave and keep drop-off safe and efficient for all. Thank you for your cooperation! Please:

Pull all the way up to the end of the drop-off lane.
Stay in your car while your child exits.
Keep traffic moving smoothly.

Please note the following important dates and schedule changes for the upcoming two weeks: November 6th & 7th: School closed for the NJEA convention. November 10th: No school for students. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM. November 17th: Minimum day for students. Parent/Teacher Conferences will be held from 2:00 PM to 7:00 PM. November 18th: Delayed opening with a 10:20 AM start time.

On November 5th and 12th, our 4th and 5th grade students will participate in the New Jersey Student Learning Assessments–Adaptive field test administration for English Language Arts and Mathematics. Wyckoff Public Schools is required to participate in this field testing. During the field test, students will respond to a sample of test items rather than a complete assessment in any subject area. Field test results will not be provided to students, educators, or schools, as the primary purpose of a field test is to evaluate the quality and performance of test items rather than to measure student achievement.

Family Conferences will take place on November 10th from 12:00 PM to 8:00 PM and on November 17th from 2:00-7:00 PM. There will be no school for students on 11/10 and a minimum day on 11/17. Additionally, November 18th is a delayed opening with a 10:20 start time. New this year, we are offering conferences with our specialist teachers. If you wish to discuss your child's progress, please sign up using the links provided below. As our specialists work with 365 students, we kindly request that you be mindful when selecting time slots. Please arrive on time for your scheduled conference, and contact us in advance if you need to reschedule.

Guidance

Art

Music

Spanish K-2 3-5

PE Cornetta

Band

Have a lovely weekend everyone!