Hour of Code: Like thousands of schools around the world, Wiley will be participating in Hour of Code events during the week of Dec. 7-11. Hour of Code introduces children to computer science, a rapidly growing field with many career opportunities. We need volunteers to make these events run smoothly. If you can assist us and are in the computer science field, please sign up only as a speaker. This means we will have you speak about your job for a few minutes and then help with the activities. If you are not in the computer science field and can come to help out with the classroom activities, please sign up as a volunteer. Volunteers do not need any computer science experience. This event is always a lot of fun, and we really appreciate your assistance! Here is the link to our Sign-up Genius form. For more information, contact Jill Molloy (jmolloy@wcpss.net)

First Grade Service Field Trip:  Have you heard about our first graders' exciting experience gleaning sweet potatoes?  If not, you’re missing out!  First graders gleaned sweet potatoes at a Johnston County farm and then rode the bus to a senior living center to donate them!  Their produce was also added to our weekly Backpack Buddies food bags.  Wow! Thank you first graders for your incredible service to our community!    

Winter Thanks Spirit Week … Wiley Gives Back:  Only at an International Studies Magnet School would Spirit Week themes be linked to the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals! That’s Wiley for you! Inspired by our fifth grade students and their work throughout the first and second quarters, you’ll see student-initiated “take action” projects connected to our spirit week themes.  Opportunities to ‘give back’ are highlighted each day and you will receive (via email) a student-created message daily to introduce you to the next day’s theme. In addition to our incredible 5^th graders, big thanks also goes out to several 2^nd and 3^rd graders for their inspiration behind additional themes AND to our PBIS Club for getting the word out. It promises to be an experience like no other!  You’ll find the week’s agenda here and at the end of this blog post! 

Growth Mindset:  Perhaps you’ve heard your student talking about the brain and its connection to mindset. Our entire staff is participating in a book study of Mindsets in the Classroom, led by Dr. Mary Whitehouse, our School Psychologist.  Mary is leading us through thoughtful conversation and reflection as we work together to help students (and ourselves) understand how persistence, effort, and a focus on learning develop our intelligence.  The book, authored by Mary Cay Ricci is geared specifically for educators and builds upon much of the research done by Carol Dweck as showcased in her book Mindsets. We hope to offer a parent study on the topic in the Spring. 

A message from our partners at the Alexander YMCA:  At the Y it is beginning to look a lot like Christmas! This year, we are hosting our second annual Presents of Peace event and inviting families in our outreach programs through the Alexander YMCA to participate in a dignifying and uplifting Christmas shopping experience!  

Presents of Peace is an event where we partner with families to make a mutual investment in the gift-giving process.  The Presents of Peace “store” will take place on December 12th from 3:00pm-6:00pm. Families will be able to shop for their children and purchase each of them 3 items: a clothing item, a toy, and an educational item.  All proceeds from the event will benefit our Annual Campaign, which funds all of our Outreach Programs (which includes Wiley’s Y Learning Program and students), and many of our families will also be attending the event to shop for their kids!

There are different ways that you and your family can get involved. We currently have hundreds of tags on Christmas Trees at the Alexander Y that list items we will use to stock our store. To help us stock the store you can choose a tag off of the tree and return the unwrapped gifts to the Y by Thursday December 10th. You also can give of your time, by signing up to volunteer the day of the store. You can sign up by clicking here. If possible, please sign up by Thursday, December 2, or ASAP if you would like to help! 

If you have any additional questions about how to get involved, please feel free to contact Sarah Peterson at Sarah.Peterson@ymcatriangle.org

Enloe Charity Ball:  Christine, an Enloe High School student opened our staff meeting this morning to share information about the Student Council’s annual Charity Ball benefitting Learning Together Preschool.  If you’d like to learn more click here. 

Have You Walked Your Art Today?  If you’re looking for a fun community activity this weekend, you may wish to consider visiting some of our teachers and several Wiley families at Boylan Heights’ Art Walk on Sunday (12/6) from noon-5pm.  (boylanheights.org)

Wiley Spotlight

This week's Wiley Spotlight shines on our Broughton High School interns. Their class in Early Childhood Education allows them to share their time & talents with our Kindergarten and First Grade Students each week.  

We love them ... and so do our students!  

 

 Upcoming Events

Thursday, 12/3:  Ms. O’Brien’s class participates in Special Olympics
Monday (12/7)- Friday (12/11):  Hour of Code

Tuesday, 12/8:  Third grade field trip to Morehead Planetarium

Friday, 12/11:  PTA hosts Winter Thanks for Wiley Staff

Friday (12/11) – Friday (12/18): Winter Thanks Spirit Week … Wiley Gives Back

Monday (12/14):  Wiley Restaurant Night @ Village Draft House – Cameron Village

Tuesday (12/15):  First Grade Field Trip to Marbles

Friday (12/18):  International Showcase (various hours throughout the morning – more details to come); Early Release – dismissal @ 1:15pm

News from our Wiley PTA

VOLUNTEER & DONATE FOOD FOR WINTER THANKS (12/11): Thank you to everyone who has already signed up to volunteer and donate food for Winter Thanks!  We have such a wonderful community of parents supporting our teachers and helping to show them just how much they are appreciated. However, we still are in need of a large number of volunteers in the classrooms and with cleanup after the breakfast. Any and all help is very much appreciated!

We are also still in need of fun gift items to raffle off for the teachers .  If you are a small business owner who can donate a gift certificate or a fun item for our teachers, please contact Tina Hlabse at thlabse@gmail.com. 

To learn more about the event or volunteer using Sign Up Genius, click here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/508094daeab22a31-winter

WILEY RESTAURANT NIGHT: VILLAGE DRAFT HOUSE: Join us Monday, December 14th for the first Wiley Restaurant night (day) of the year at the Village Draft House Cameron Village.  The restaurant will donate 10% of all sales ALL DAY LONG to the Wiley PTA.  Please come out to share some food and fun with Wiley families and support your school!  

SPIRIT WEEK

Day of the Week	Give Back Opportunity	Show your Spirit
Friday (12/11)	Wiley Students & their families show their thanks to the Wiley staff @ Winter Thanks! Community Partner: Wiley PTA	We Are Wiley! Wear your Wiley t-shirt.
Monday (12/14)	Bring in a (small/medium sized) gently-used or new stuffed animal to share some comfort with the child of a refugee family. Community Partner: USCRI Refugees United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Sustainable Cities & Communities	Dress in your coziest and most comfortable clothes. It’s pajama day! Feel free to bring your favorite stuffed animal - just don’t get it mixed up with the one that you’re going to donate.
Tuesday (12/15)	Bring in a canned food/nonperishable food item to donate. Community Partner:  Interfaith Food Shuttle/ Backpack Buddies United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Zero Hunger	Meal times are wonderful times to connect with one another.  Mix it up at lunch!  Sit with someone you don’t know well. Crazy Mismatch Day (including hair!)
Wednesday (12/16)	Clean out your closets!  Bring in gently-used jeans or tennis shoes to donate to those in need. Community Partner: Note in the Pocket United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: End Poverty	Dress for Success Assemble an outfit that makes you feel successful.
Thursday (12/17)	Bring in a new or gently –used easy reader or board book. (Target age: preschool) Community Partner: Learning Together Preschool United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Quality Education	Is there anything better than getting lost in a book? Dress as your favorite book character.
Friday (12/18)	Each class will spend time today making holiday cards for our senior friends. Community Partners: local senior living centers United Nations Sustainable Development Goal: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions	You … Us Express your cultural background by wearing a flag on your shirt or clothing from your native country. (Or, wear your Wiley t-shirt.) *International Showcase throughout the morning. Families are welcome to join us. Invitation to follow with more details and times of presentation.

The Wiley World Review is back!

Wiley’s 2015/16 Teacher of the Year:  Please join me in congratulating Gretchen Ross as Wiley’s 2015/16 Teacher of the Year.  Ms. Ross teaches fifth grade science & social studies and is a long-time member of the Wiley team. Hooray for Ms. Ross! 

Congratulations!  Way to go Ms. McCann and Ms. Ziada-Brandt!  They are our newly renewed Nationally Board Certified Teachers!  Yahoo!! 

Enrollment Cap Proposal:  Check out this link to access an N&O blog post that provides information about a recent proposal to add Wiley to the list of capped schools for the 2016/17 school year.   

Morning Arrival:  Our Wiley staff begins their morning arrival duty at 8:45am, and we have noticed that students are being dropped off before our adult supervision begins.  We appreciate your cooperation in helping us keep your students safe by making sure that an adult remains with your child until the 8:45 bell rings. 

Homework:  This summer, our K-2 teachers and administrators engaged in discussion around recent (and not-so-recent) research around homework.  We committed to trying a different approach that incorporates more reading for understanding and practical application of taught/learned concepts. We certainly don’t want to leave families in the dark, though!  On the WCPSS website, you’ll find a great link to grade-by-grade parent guides.  Further, our WCPSS Mathematics Departments has offered one suggestion for extending mathematics learning at home, the Bedtime Math app.  From the website:  We know to read to their kids at night, but what about math? Our mission is simple: to make math a fun part of kids' everyday lives, as beloved as the bedtime story. Choose the Math Problem of the Day, or explore over 400 additional math problems with various zany topics, ranging from electric eels and chocolate chips to roller coasters and flamingos. Each has three levels of challenge ("Wee Ones," "Little Kids," and "Big Kids"), and many also have harder questions ("The Sky's the Limit") for really big kids, grown-ups, and anyone who's feeling brave!  Try it out and let us know what you think! 

Hour of Code is returning to Wiley! 60% of jobs are in the field of Computer Science, while only 2% of students are seeking a Computer Science education. In order eliminate the gap and promote Computer Science education, every Wiley student will be participating in Hour of Code, which is a world-wide celebration where students participate in a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify code and show that anybody can learn the basics. We will host Hour of Code during Computer Science Education Week, the week of December 7th.   Be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities! 

Holiday Support:  This year, Wiley is partnering with the Salvation Army and Hayes Barton Methodist Church to provide support for some of our Wiley families.  Ms. Cherry, our Social Worker, and Ms. Williams, our School Counselor, have assisted families expressing need for the holidays to connect them with the Salvation Army.  Margaux, our Salvation Army contact, has suggested several opportunities that you & your family may wish to consider if you’re looking for opportunities to serve (below).  Additionally, we are hoping to continue our ‘giving campaign’ with a special outreach event during our December Spirit Week. 

Stockings: Over 8,000 Stockings need to be filled with goodies for boys and girls 0-11 years old. Stockings can be picked up now and we ask them to be returned by Dec 12. A guideline of items to include can be provided, and stockings can be picked up at 1863 Capital Blvd during regular office hours. 

Adopting Angels: Individual angels can be adopted from Angel Tree locations at Crabtree Valley Mall, Triangle Town Center or Cary Towne Center. Angels can also be adopted online by visiting our website www.wakearmy.org. Should you or your group be interested in adopting a large quantity of angels or a family staying in our shelter, please contact us. We ask that gifts be returned by Dec 12. 

Fill the Truck: Walmart has partnered with The Salvation Army to host a nationwide Toy Drive. Help us collect toys and fill the truck! On December 4 through Dec 6^th we will be at Walmart’s throughout Wake County and hope you will volunteer or come drop off a toy. This is a fun opportunity for volunteers of all ages. Contact us for locations and more information. 
Dates: Dec. 4, 5, & 6 

Thanksgiving & Christmas Baskets: Each holiday we pack a grocery bag full of all the items families need to make a nutritious and warm Thanksgiving or Christmas meal at home with their families. Donated items such as potatoes, canned green beans, turkeys, pies, etc are needed and a complete list of what we include in the baskets can be given to groups or individuals interested in helping. 

Contact Margaux Austin, Volunteer & Resource Coordinator, with any questions or for more information: 919-834-6733 ext 104 or Margaux.austin@uss.salvationarmy.org 

If you’re looking for something that hits closer to home, consider the following that will directly impact our Wiley students:

·         Donate expenses to cover the cost of a field trip for another student

·         Chaperone a field trip and make it a meaningful experience for your small group

·         Share your time each week with a lunch bunch book club

·         Purchase extra Wiley wear and let your student “gift it” to a friend that doesn’t have a Wiley t-shirt

·         Distribute Backpack Buddies food through the Cecilia Rawlins Fund and/or donate to the Fund (theewens@gmail.com)

·         Donate to our cafeteria’s emergency lunch fund (CNS620@wcpss.net)

·         Build a relationship with a student as a Wiley Pal (jwilliams7@wcpss.net)

Principal Chat:  Our October Principal Chats covered some of the pressing issues around funding and student enrollment, particularly in terms of the effects on Wiley.  The small groups allowed for insightful dialogue and question/answer. Many thanks to those that shared their time with the group and especially to the Wiley PTA for drinks & treats!  The next Principal Chat will be scheduled for January. 

Free Family Concert:  Ms. Wolfgang, our Music Specialist, wants to let you know about a free family concert to be held at 3:00pm on Sunday, November 29^th at Carswell Recital Hall, Meredith College – “Santa’s Gift to the Monsters”. 

Wiley Spotlight

This week’s Wiley spotlight shines on our newest members of the Wiley family.

Missy Overby – Speech Language Pathologist

Jackie Stocks – School Nurse

Thelma Cherry – School Social Worker

Challie Sullivan – Special Education Teacher

Erin Wilson – Kindergarten Teacher

Elizabeth Fogleman – First Grade Teacher

Lia Sticweh – First Grade Instructional Assistant

Kristina Wise – First Grade Instructional Assistant

Stacey Smith – Second Grade Teacher

Whitney Bickelhaupt – Third Grade Teacher

Eman Ziada- Brandt – AIG & Magnet Coordinator

Meghan Sollars – AIG

Lori Jones – ESL

Tracy Avery – Assistant Principal & Technology Facilitator

WELCOME!!

 Upcoming Events

Wednesday, 11/18: 1st grade field trip to glean sweet potatoes; Lunch & Learn for 5^th grade parents wishing to learn more about Middle School Magnet opportunities

Friday, 11/20:  Fourth grade field trip to NC Museum of History; Fifth grade field trip to Outer Banks

Monday, 11/23:  Make-up pictures

Tuesday, 11/24:  Board Advisory Council Meeting, hosted by Christine Kushner, WCPSS Board of Education Chair – 12:00 at Brentwood Elementary – topic: Magnet Schools

Wednesday, 11/25: Teacher Workday – no school for students

Thursday & Friday, 11/26 & 11/27: Thanksgiving Vacation - no school for students

Wednesday, 12/2:  Ms. O’Brien’s class participates in Special Olympics; Magnet Mini Fair @ Poe Magnet School from 9:30am-11am

Going the Distance ... eager anticipation for a fabulous year!

Welcome Back!  The 2015/16 school year is off to a great start!  We are so grateful to each of you for your patience and cooperation to promote a smooth start for our school year.  So far, 2015/16 by the numbers:

·         over 120: the number of new students (including Kindergartners) we welcomed to the Wiley family this year

·         11: the number of new staff members we welcomed to the Wiley family this year

·         2: the number of times the cafeteria has flooded since the beginning of school (once during pm carpool and once during am carpool – of course)

·         2: the number of new staff babies we welcomed to the Wiley family this summer (congratulations Ms. Gao and Ms. Hahner)

·         1: the number of fire drills already in the books

·         5: the number of incredibly patient bus drivers that work hard each day to safely transport our Wiley students

·         1: the number of Crossing Guards added to our streets to help get our Wiley walkers safely to and from school

·         3: the number of custodians that worked tirelessly throughout the summer to prepare our building for the school year (shout out to Mr. Reggie, Ms. Daisy, and Mr. Henry!!)

·         65: the number of Wiley staff members … from reception to cafeteria to the classroom … that have committed to ‘go the distance’ for each of our Wiley students this year! 

We Are Wiley!

Beginning of Grade Testing for 3^rd Grade:  Our Beginning of Grade (BOG) testing date has been set for September 8.  Calling all proctors … please mark this date on your calendar.  While proctoring is not the most fun you will ever have, it’s essential to providing all students with a positive testing environment.  As a Wiley family, we look forward to another opportunity to pull together to support our school!

Calling all volunteers… WE NEED YOU!  Please visit this link to sign up to proctor, and sign up for a date for proctor training.

Proctors will need to attend a one hour training prior to BOG testing.  The training consists of a 30 minute security video and a 20-30 minutes of talk time.  Proctor trainings are scheduled for this week of August 31^st at various times throughout the week.  

Please contact our Testing Coordinator, Eman Ziada Brandt, with any questions.  You may email her at eziada-brandt@wcpss.net or leave a message in the office with your name and phone number. 

P.S. More proctors will be needed the week of October 5, 2015. 

Thank you for your help!

Local outreach opportunity with an International flair: 

Greetings from the Office of International Services!

Apart from the immigration services that our office provides to international students and scholars at NC State, we offer several cross-cultural programs to help international students connect to the university, their fellow students, and the community.

One of these programs is Breaking Bread in which local volunteers host international students or scholars for one meal. Many of our international students, scholars, and their families have never had the opportunity to visit an American’s home. By participating in Breaking Bread, you are extending a hand of hospitality to our students and scholars through one of the world’s common cultural denominators: food!

For more information or to apply for Breaking Bread, please visit our website or email oisprogramsasst@ncsu.edu. We sincerely appreciate your assistance in making our programs successful again this year!

 Upcoming Events

Wednesday, 9/2:  Electives Forms Due
Friday, 9/4:  Early Release – school will dismiss at 1:15

Monday, 9/7:  Labor Day Holiday – no school  

Tuesday, 9/8:  Beginning of Grade (BOG) testing for all 3^rd graders

Saturday, 9/12:  Wiley Family Night @ Jellybeans

Sunday, 9/13: Gardens & Grounds Workday @ Wiley

Tuesday, 9/22:  Open House & General PTA Meeting

Wednesday, 9/23:  Teacher Workday – No School for Students

News from our Wiley PTA

Welcome Back!

Your PTA is gearing up to make this another great year at Wiley. Our focus for this school year will be on healthy living. To start, the PTA has purchased storage boxes for each playground, and filled them with jump ropes, hula hoops, and playground balls, to help kids be more active during recess. You will read more about our efforts in the Welcome Packet coming home next week in your child's weekly folder.  

We hope you will consider getting involved in the PTA. Wiley's enrollment numbers will be at a record high this year, and with shrinking state budgets and limited resources, we need your help more than ever. Volunteers play an important role in enriching our Wiley community.  Regardless of the amount of time you have, we can find a job for you.  

Don't forget to link your cards! Harris Teeter VIC cards, Box Tops, and Target's Redcard contribute thousands of dollars to the PTA budget.

Harris Teeter #2920

Target RedCard - #81109 

PTA Communication

We want to keep you in the loop!  Please contact vp.communications@wileypta.org if you or someone you know is not receiving PTA emails.  Also, please be aware that our website is under construction, but should be up and running soon.

Mark Your Calendars!

Saturday, 9/12 - Jellybeans Skate Night - Kick off the new school year with friends and classmates at Jellybeans on Saturday, 9/12, from 5:15 - 7:00 pm.  The cost to get in is $5 and skate rental is only $1.

Sunday, 9/13 - Gardens and Grounds workday - Our gardens need attention!  Join us for the first Gardens and Grounds workday of the year on Sunday, September 13th from 1:30-3:30pm. We will be weeding and mulching the Prairie Garden. We need 20-30 people for this project to be successful in 2 hours.  Sign up at: http://bit.ly/prairie1

Tuesday, 9/22 – Open House & Curriculum Overview, along with the PTA’s first meeting of the year will be held on Tuesday, 9/22, in the media center.  Ms. Taylor (Wiley’s Principal) is hosting a welcome meeting for new-to-Wiley parents at 5:30pm. The Grand Kick-off and general PTA meeting will begin at 6:00 with classroom visits scheduled for 6:30pm and 7:00pm.  Please plan to join us for a great evening! *This event is geared for adult-only attendance.