We love our buddies! Our buddy program matches 5th graders with 1st graders, 4th graders with 2nd graders and 3rd graders team with other 3rd graders (we're looking for kindergarteners!). This program is a great chance to build community outside each classroom community and for older students to take on leadership responsibilities. They can be great writing mentors, help with math problems or simply take the lead on collaborative projects! Plus, it's fun and super cute! 2V met with 5G to get to know each other.
Chorus started this week! Mr. Geyer always gets the most out of our students! Chorus starts in 5th grade and is a required part of the curriculum for all students.
How do we teach students to read? Well... we don't have enough space here to explain ALL of what we do but here is one small, important thing we do when working with our youngest students. We start by teaching students the sounds that letters make. This can help them more easily decode (sound out) words like cat and hat. But, what about words that are not spelled like they sound? These are trickier, hence their name "trick words". Trick words like "of" "the" and "was" don't follow the rules for sounding out. Plus, they are high frequency words so students will encounter them constantly which is likely to frustrate them (or they might just skip them all together). Not knowing these words can quickly get in the way of reading, understanding (and enjoying) their books. These two students were working hard in a small group with their teacher practicing reading and writing some common trick words. Keep up the great work boys!
Teachers are life long learners! Here are some teachers participating in a Lunch and Learn about Canva. Canva is a great resource for teachers. It has many materials that can be added to Google Classroom and is a great way to create more engaging instructional materials. This session as run by our Instructional Technology experts Mrs. Rygiel and Ms. Gottko.
Mash Up: Be The "I" in Kind meets Dot Day! Dot day is for being creative and being yourself. Our school theme this year is Kindness Starts With Me which goes with Be the "I" in Kind!
Bulletin Boards!
September Wrap up: Music lessons are up and running. Mrs. Naylor is welcoming her students after the summer break! Lessons start in 4th grade and we have winter and spring concerts!
Reminder for parents/guardians of students in PreK to 12th Grade: Don't miss this opportunity to learn about the district's HIB process from members of our counseling team. Tuesday, October 8, beginning at 6:30p at Wilson.
We are excited to introduce an important resource for our community - our Facilities Bond Referendum Information Portal. The portal will be updated frequently with lots of important details, as we move closer to finalizing the referendum in February 2025. You'll find an easy-access button on the district and school websites.
https://sites.google.com/westfieldnjk12.org/wps-bond-referendum/home
From September 15 to October 15, we celebrate the rich cultural heritage, diverse traditions, and invaluable contributions of Hispanic and Latino Americans to our nation. We honor the resilience, creativity, and vibrant spirit of Hispanic communities that have shaped and continue to enrich our society in countless ways. #WPSCelebratesDiversity
Outdoor Movie Night at Franklin means school is back in session! What a great event our PTO put together for our Franklin families!
Mrs. Davenport, our Art teacher, is combining our theme, "Kindness Starts With Me" with International Dot Day which is a celebration of art and creativity. More pictures to come!
More recess! Friends, siblings, 4-square, soccer, playground and more!
We've had an amazing first full week!
One big change this year is our lunch and recess schedule. We've provided students with more time to play or just enjoy some fresh air with their classmates. Here are some pictures of students enjoying this beautiful fall weather!
Save the Date for an informative and important session to help parents understand the HIB process. October 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Wilson Elementary School library. For PreK-12 parents/guardians. Hope to see you there!
First day recess! Hanging out with new classmates, connecting with friends, getting some fresh air and semi-pro level 4-square!
More first day photos!
It was great to see everyone back on the first day! 2024-2025 here we come!
Welcome to our newest Franklin All Stars at the First Grade Meet and Greet!
Teachers got ready by decorating their bulletin boards!
