Hot
Off the WCPSS website … Make-Up Days: Due
to the prolonged effects of last week's winter weather, the Wake County Public
School System will use the following schedule to make up the academic time lost
from Feb. 17 through Feb. 20. No additional make-up time will be required.
Traditional-Calendar
Schools - One make-up day will be taken by extending
the early release days scheduled for March 6 and April 17 to full school days.
We were able to avoid additional make-up days by
using the hours that students already are scheduled to attend above the state's
required minimum of 1,025 hours.
Please note that the changes restore a five-day
spring break for students on the traditional calendar by once again making
March 23 a teacher workday. Due to state laws governing calendar flexibility,
these changes leave spring break vulnerable if further cancellations are
required. (www.wcpss.net)
Growth
Mindset: Recently
teachers, support staff, and administration gathered to discuss student data in
a way that empowered our thinking about the whole
child. What a powerful image it was to see nine or more people, gathered
around the table, talking about how best to meet the needs of all Wiley
students. We launched these discussions with a reading of this article, “Even
Geniuses Work Hard” by Carol Dweck, the author of Mindset. We talked
about the importance of building a growth mindset in children, one that
embraces failure as an opportunity to learn, one that appreciates the process
of learning over the pride of already knowing, and one that promotes
resiliency, progress, and “the power of yet”. When students throw up their
hands and say “I can’t do it”, parents and teachers can add “yet”. You may not be able to do it
now, but with perseverance, you can.
It can start by replacing
praise like “You got them all right. You are so smart.” with highlighting
specific actions that led to success; “You used a new strategy and took your
time.” The staff at Wiley is on a
journey to create a growth mindset culture. As we learn more, we will keep you
posted on ways in which we support students to persevere and value effort,
process, and persistence.
*Thanks, Katie Ware, for providing this update of our staff’s
learning!
**Huge thanks to our friends and family at St. Mary's School for welcoming us to campus for two days of data meetings!
Wiley Spotlight
This week’s spotlight
shines on Hannah Tucker, Special Education Teacher.
Get to know Ms. Tucker …
What do you like to do during the summer? I usually nanny and hang out with friends & family.
If you could teach anywhere (other than Wiley), where
would it be? Costa Rica – I have always wanted to visit Costa Rica. I think it would be cool to teach in Costa Rica with immediate access to so many elements of nature.
Who was your most memorable teacher? My third grade teachers – Ms. White, Ms. Totten, and Ms. Martin at North
Chatham Elementary in Chatham County, NC.
They really helped pinpoint ‘why’ school was hard for me and they helped
identify ways to help me become more successful in the school setting.
What is something that you are most proud of, that most
people wouldn't know about you? What you
see is what you get! I can’t think of
anything that I don’t normally share.
If you could have anyone as a teacher who would it
be? Alvin
Ailey – Since I struggled as a student, it would provide opportunity to incorporate
movement into education. I could serve
as his apprentice, and then put into practice what I learned.
Upcoming Events
Monday,
February 23:
Tuesday,
February 24: Fun Run
Kick-Off Pep Rally – Rockstars!
Wednesday,
February 25:
Thursday,
February 26: Moe’s –
Wiley Restaurant Night;
Friday,
February 27:
Monday,
March 2:
Tuesday,
March 3:
Wednesday,
March 4: 2nd
grade field trip to Marbles, 1st grade field trip to Science Museum
Thursday,
March 5: Wiley
FUN RUN! K/1: 9:30, 2/3: 10:40, 4/5:
11:50
Friday,
March 6: Regular
School Day for Students (was scheduled as Early Release)
News from our Wiley PTA
Moe’s
Restaurant Night Reminder
Visit Moe's in Cameron Village on Thursday, Feb
26 for restaurant day. It's an all-day event so come for lunch with friends or
coworkers or grab dinner for the family. They will donate 20% of all sales to the Wiley PTA when you mention Wiley. You
must mention Wiley at checkout to ensure we get 20% of your purchase to
benefit! Share this with your friends as every dollar spent counts!
Fun
Run for Technology Kicks off this Week—Dress Like a Rock Star for the Pep Rally
Tuesday!
The Fun Run for Technology kicks off this
Tuesday, February 24th with
pep rallies for all students. Students and teachers are invited to kick off the
fun run in style by dressing like a rock star!
Look for more information on how to register
your student to solicit pledges in your Monday folder this week. Be sure to register at www.FUNRUN.com , a safe and
secure website that allows you to easily manage your student’s pledges, review the daily character lessons, and watch
Rock’n Town Live music videos. You can help connect your child to friends,
family, and neighbors who can make a pledge. (phone, email, social media,
etc.). Information on registering will come home this week.
We also need volunteers to make race day and
follow-up counts a success. Please register at the following links to help us
out:
Talent Show Update: Application and Music Submission Deadlines Extended
NEW MUSIC SUBMISSION DEADLINE: 9 PM, Wednesday, February 25th
NEW APPLICATION DEADLINE: 11 AM, Thursday, February 26th
You can reach the online application at: http://bit.ly/wileytalentshow2015
If you have internet connectivity issues, please contact Patricia Brezny at 919-609-4952.
Music files should be submitted via Dropbox or
Google Drive. (Links are below.) The music file name should include your
child's name and the name of the song. Acceptable file formats are: .mp4, .mp3,
.avi, and .wav.
If you are unable to submit music via these
services, please put your non-returnable CD in the Talent Show box in the Media
Center by 3:45 PM, Wednesday, February 25th.
If you have music-related questions, please e-mail Dawson Roark at
droarkl@gmail.com
Wiley Coders Club Signup Open
Wiley Coders Club signup is available at the
following link, beginning today. Additional information on the club was
provided in last week’s blog. If you have internet connectivity issues and wish
to sign your child up, please call Elyse Lyons at 650 387 4319 and she will do
the registration for you. Signup is available at the following link:
The club will be limited to 20 students. If more
than 20 students complete the sign-up, we will randomly select participants.
Those not chosen will be placed on a wait-list and will have first priority for
the next session of Wiley Coders.
Meeting dates:
Fridays from 3/6/15 - 5/29/15 (no meetings on 3/27 or 4/3)Club
time: 8:00 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. in the
Computer Room. The club is free to all participants, but parents are required
to volunteer in the classroom for at least 2 of the sessions. (If this
requirement is problematic, please
email WileyCoders@gmail.com and we can figure out another way for you to
support us).
Drop-off instructions: A volunteer will meet you
& your child at the carpool loop or you can walk your student into the
Computer Room. Students will be dismissed to their classrooms at the end of
Wiley Coders. If you have any questions, you can reach Renate Andrews and Brian
Marks at WileyCoders@gmail.com.
Frozen Skate Night to be Rescheduled
