Wiley Updates
Check out Wiley and Broughton kids perform Suessical this week!
Order Yearbooks Now
Check out Wiley and Broughton kids perform Suessical this week!
What do you get when you combine the rhymes, characters and imagination of Dr. Seuss with song? Seussical the musical of course! Students from Wiley have been working hard with Ms. Pawlowski to prepare for their roles as Whos, in the Broughton High School production. Shows will take place on March 13,14,15 at 7:00pm in the Broughton HS Auditorium. Tickets are $10 Adults $5 students. Come out to support our talented students and see a fun, colorful show!
Wiley's Yearbook order forms will be sent home this week with your child. Look for it in your child's Monday Folder. The yearbook will cost $16.00. You may order your child's yearbook by two different methods this year. You may either return a check to your child's teacher in the order envelope that was provided, or you may order your yearbook online. The online information needed is on the order form. The deadline for ordering the yearbook is April 9th. There will not be extras on sale so please order now.
It’s March and that means it’s time for the Books Are Magic book drive at Wiley!
Books Are Magic builds home libraries for kids who need them.
Wiley is once again partnering with Books Are Magic to ensure that all children at Wiley have home libraries! As we have done for the past two years, we will be having a book drive and asking members of our Wiley family to donate gently used books between March 10 and March 28.
How it Works
Students will bring donated books into their classroom during the book drive. After the collection period has ended, the organizers will transform Katie McMillan’s office into a beautiful “book store” on April 14 and 15. Homeroom teachers will pick six books for each child in the program. Next, the children will have the chance to “shop” in Ms. McMillan’s office by picking six more books to bring home. This is great fun for the children and the adults! When the shopping is complete, every child at Wiley will have books at home!
History
Books Are Magic is a 501(c)(3) and was modeled after a landmark study that gave disadvantaged students 12 books at the end of the school year for 3 years in a row. The students became owners of home libraries with a total of 36 books each by the end of the three years—books they could read, organize, and take pride in. Reading researchers at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville then tracked the students' performance in school.
The results were incredible. Reading scores improved significantly. The summer reading proficiency slide was arrested. In fact, just having those 12 books in the first year seemed to have as much positive effect as attending summer school. In addition, the students with home libraries indicated that they perceived themselves as readers.
Building home libraries for children is a low-cost effort that gets invaluable results. Books are Magic is determined to duplicate those results for as many kids as possible.
Taking Action
This year, we are incorporating our magnet theme and asking the students to “take action” by helping to clean and organize donated books in their homeroom classrooms. We are asking for families to “take action” by contacting neighbors, church groups, and other organizations to help with the book drive. We are also asking parent volunteers to help sort and organize the books that are collected. Any books left over from this event will be used by Books Are Magic in other book distributions in WCPSS!
If you have any questions or would like to volunteer with the program, please contact Kathy Foglia (kfoglia@wcpss.net) or Heather Cassidy (hcassidy@wcpss.net). Our parent coordinator is Lea Roark (lea@booksaremagic.org).
Guest Blog Post by Wiley Art Teacher, Karen Rose and Wiley Music Teacher, Erika Pawlowski
Our Global magnet theme element Recognize Perspectives (students recognize their own and others’ perspectives) is learned in art electives by asking students to give their own interpretation to each project. Rather than give the children an example that they are expected to duplicate, they are given an idea which they are asked to interpret in their own way. Individual expression is encouraged! Every piece should look different as each child has their own way of making things and their own perspective. One is not better than another and they learn to respect the great diversity of creations. I have a great respect for the way children naturally draw, paint, collage, sculpt, etc. and do not want to enforce my own perspective of how I draw or how other people might think children should draw. I find that the students are most engaged and happy in making work using their own creativity, rather than feeling like there is a “right” way of doing things to which they must adhere. It is great to see some children really blossom as they gain confidence in their own instincts and ideas. Also, it is a great life lesson to learn to creatively problem solve in this manner.
Students also recognize perspectives when they participate in music electives at Wiley. When in music class, the students are given opportunities to express themselves through singing, moving, composing and playing instruments. Students are asked questions and they respond with a musical answer. Your K/1 students can probably remember a time in music class when I sang their name and the students each responded by creating a short musical reply to share their favorite color, animal, sport, food, etc. The 2/3 students probably can recall a “getting to know you” echo rhythm chant where they say their name and something about themselves and the class responds by repeating that information back to them. The 4/5 students have taken that activity to the next level in their drumming elective this quarter—the drum question is “What’s for Dinner” and the students have 2 beats to reply. These warm up activities are a great way for students to get to know each other and to learn about other students. I often hear the students quietly comment, “What’s that?” or, “I like that too!” when they hear the foods that their classmates like.
One of the rewarding aspects of our music class is how much student choice is involved, and how they get to express themselves through music. Sometimes the students are given a song and they create a way to move to the music. Students might use their body to add percussion sounds to a song. One music elective focused on using everyday objects (pots, pans, cups, clipboards) and listening to each other’s musical idea to find a way to make their rhythmic idea blend in. Sometimes students (even the youngest Wiley students) compose/create their own music and perform it so that others can hear their composition. I love how the students, who are given the same set of instructions, come up with unique and musical ideas all their own. Students learn that music class is a place where they can try new things, experience different cultures, and learn more about themselves.
Upcoming Events
March 13th, 6pm-8pm Curriculum Night
March 24th, Spring Pictures
March 28th, Regular School Day (snow make up day)
March 31st-April 4th Spring Break
Upcoming Events
March 13th, 6pm-8pm Curriculum Night
March 24th, Spring Pictures
March 28th, Regular School Day (snow make up day)
March 31st-April 4th Spring Break
Wiley PTA Updates
Continue Bringing in Fun Run Pledge Money!
Students and parents, thank you for doing such a great job collecting your Boosterthon pledges. We have collected about 70% of the money but need your help collecting 100%! Please continue to bring in your envelopes (you can get another from the office). The next submission deadline is Tuesday, March 18th. The sooner we collect, the sooner we can purchase new technology for classrooms.
Science and Curriculum Night this Thursday from 6-8 p.m.
Don’t forget that this coming Thursday, March 13th from 6-8 p.m. is our annual Science and Curriculum night! There will be lots of hands-on activities to interest students, including engineering, chess games, live creatures and more! There will be a short PTA meeting to kick off the evening, followed by lots of time to explore all of the exhibits! Please meet in the media center at 6pm.
