September 29

Updates from the World of Wiley

Lockdown Drill:  Per WCPSS policy, school facilities must be prepared to respond to an emergency event, and all schools shall conduct a minimum of two lockdown drills annually.  Wiley, in collaboration with the Raleigh Police Department and the WCPSS Security Department, will conduct the first of our lockdown drills for the school year this week. Please feel free to contact Ms. Taylor if you have questions or concerns (ltaylor2@wcpss.net). 

  

Testing Assistance: Ms. Hahner, Wiley's testing coordinator, is looking for volunteers to proctor for upcoming testing sessions on the following dates:  10/7, 10/8, and 10/9. Please email her if you can assist  (chahner@wcpss.net).  

Free Hurricanes' Tickets:  Looking for something to do this Friday evening (10/3)?  A Wiley parent has offered free tickets to the Hurricanes' 7:00 preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.  If interested, please use this google link to submit your request by 10am Thursday.  We will send your tickets home with your child Friday.  Go Canes! 

Read to Achieve:  An information session for parents of third graders will take place Friday, October 3 at 9:15 am in the media center.  If you wish to learn more about the Read to Achieve legislation and its impact on those students scoring a 438 or below on the Beginning of Grade (BOG) standardized test, please join us.  Individual score reports were sent home last Friday.  

  

The Wiley Spotlight

This week, the Wiley spotlight shines on one of Wiley's newest members of our team, kindergarten teacher Kelly Gess.  

What do you like to do during the summer?  I love to cook, run, travel, and read.  

If you could teach anywhere (other than Wiley) where would you teacher, and why? Copenhagen, Denmark - it is somewhere that I have always wanted to travel.  

Tell us something about yourself that you are proud of and that most people wouldn't know about you. I moved from California to North Carolina knowing very little about it - other than what I learned from One Tree Hill.  I have made a home from myself here and love it! 

If you could have anyone as your teacher, who would you pick and why? My mom!  I think she would provide a neat and unique perspective for me.  

Who was your favorite teacher in Elementary School? Ms. Shea - Bryant Ranch, Yorba Linda, California.  She made everything fun and exciting, and she never got mad at anyone.  

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, 9/30: Open House - general meeting and classroom visits/curriculum information sessions, 6:00 p.m. 
Friday, 10/3: Read to Achieve information session for 3rd grade parents - 9:15 in the media center
Saturday, 10/4: Jellybeans Skate Night, 5:15pm -7pm
Thursday, 10/16: Band Concert
Friday, 10/17: Early Release
Tuesday, 10/21 - Friday 10/24: International Book Fair
Wednesday, 10/29 - Teacher Workday

News from our Wiley PTA

Backpack Buddies: 
If you have about 30 minutes to spare on Thursday afternoons, our Backpack Buddies team is looking for volunteers to distribute bags to classrooms.  If interested, please use this link  to sign up.  
Playground Cleanup Day a Success:

Thank you Wiley families for coming out to support the Go Green and Gardens and Grounds committees with the Savannah Restoration Project. We had 28+ volunteers including 13 Wiley students and siblings. Our efforts were extremely successful! We filled 2 truck beds with weeds and trees including all the ragweed. Plans are in place to add mulch to prevent runoff this winter and continue improvements. Dates to be announced. Parents and students, please stay out of the Savannah area on the K-2 playground for the next few weeks to give it time to recover.

Jellybeans Skate Night Reminder

This coming Saturday, October 4^th, join the PTA for Skate Night at Jellybeans in Cary from 5:15-7:00 p.m. Reach out to social@wileypta.org with any questions.

International Book Fair Help

The International Book Fair is coming up later this month. We have a great lineup of books from around the world and a guest author coming to make the event a success. We do need help to pull the event together. Please email vp@wileypta.org and vp.waysandmeans@wileypta.org if you’d like to volunteer.  

September 22

Updates from the World of Wiley

The Wiley staff wishes to thank our incredible PTA for the Brueggers breakfast that was served last Friday!  What a nice start to the day!

Interims were scheduled to go home this week; however, the district has revised the date and they will go home with students Wednesday, October 1.

To minimize distractions and to ensure the safety of your child, we request that all changes to afternoon transportation be submitted by 3:15.  If you must make a change request, you may do so by calling 919-856-7723.  

Please remember that Thursday, September 25 is a Teacher Workday, and students do not come to school.  

The Wiley Spotlight

Please allow us to introduce the members of our Wiley team by highlighting them in our Wiley Spotlight! 

 

This week, the Wiley spotlight shines on Mrs. Chris Hahner, our Instructional Resource Teacher and 2013/14 Teacher of the Year. Enjoy this interview with Mrs. Hahner: 

What do you like to do during the summer?  I like to be outside – hiking, running, being on the lake.   I also like to read, cook, and spend time with my family.

If you could pick anywhere to teach, where would it be? Why? (And you can't pick your present job).  I would like to teach at The International School in Billund, Denmark. The international population appeals to me, and I am intrigued by the creative and innovative approach of the Lego group that defines the school. 
What's the funniest thing that has happened to you while teaching?  There are so many!  I was teaching about the rainforest to a group of first graders and the roof started to leak due to a pipe bursting.  The students were amazed that I could make it rain in the class, just like the rainforest. 

If you could have anyone as your teacher, who would you pick and why? Mister Rogers – he inspires me.  He really understood the importance of structure and play.

Who was your favorite teacher in Elementary School? Mr. Langan, Fairview Elementary School, Mountaintop, PA

Upcoming Events:

Tuesday, 9/23: Chick Fil A restaurant night in Cameron Village, 4-8pm
Thursday, 9/25:  Teacher Workday
Tuesday, 9/30: Open House - PTA meeting and classroom visits/curriculum information sessions, 6:00 p.m. 
Sunday, 9/28:  Playground Clean-up Day, 1:30-3:30pm
Saturday, 10/4: Jellybeans Skate Night, 5:15-7pm
Friday, 10/17: Early Release

News from Wiley's PTA

Last Chance for Directory Edits:

We are putting the final touches on the directory and need any updates you have! Last chance for edits will be via email / form on Tuesday 9/23. Please reach out to vp.communications@wileypta.org with any questions / edits.

Playground Cleanup Day Sunday 9/28

Join Go Green and Gardens & Grounds on Sunday from 1:30-3:30 to clean out the prairie on the corner of  the K-2 playground. This is the first step in making that garden a great place for our children. Please bring any gardening gloves and implements that you have to the event and come prepared for fun.  Email pmbrezny@gmail.com to let her know that you are planning to come.

Childcare Signup for 9/30 Curriculum Night

The PTA and YMCA Afterschool will offer free childcare for school-aged children the night of 9/30. You do need to sign up ahead of time at the following link by 9/27. We look forward to seeing you there.

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1zAGUQKEfLwWsWNzv_k8-EpggkLfWkutFi00gbMuFJMg/viewform

Clubs are Here!

Information will be coming home in today’s folder on club signup. This year, we have vendors and PTA members offering the following clubs in addition to Band which began earlier:

-KidzArt (Tues 3:45-5:00)
-Club Scientific (Wed 3:45-5:00)

-Go Green (Fri 8:00-8:45)

-Chess (Fri 3:45-5:00)

Look for signup information in your folder today. Need-based financial aid is available if fees are an issue. Contact Hadley Cairns Heath at vp.communications@wileypta.org with any questions.

Update on BAC 6 Meeting with Christine Kushner

We had a very interesting and informative first Board 6 Advisory Council meeting.  Christine Kushner, our School Board member, and Laura Evans, Director of Student Assignment for Wake County Public Schools, presented the proposed school enrollment proposal, a version of which the school board hopes to pass in December and then implement for the 2015-2016 school year.

The plan is ultimately a response to growth in Wake County and is primarily driven by how to fill the new schools that last year's school bond made possible.  Yet, as Ms. Kushner continually reiterated, while growth is mainly concentrated on the edges of Wake County, the board remains committed to keeping central schools strong.  Ms. Kushner is a huge supporter of magnet programs, which is great for Wiley!

One of the objectives of the magnet program is having healthy diversity in schools.  Achieving this sometimes involves changing base addresses of magnet schools, and the plan does propose adjusting Wiley's non-contiguous base area.  However, since current students and their siblings are eligible to remain at their existing school no Wiley student will be forced to change schools unless they so choose.  The redrawn base will help ensure our school community remains diverse, helping Wiley remain a vibrant magnet school.

You can check out the proposed enrollment plan at www.wcpss.net/enrollment-proposal.  Let Meredith Nelson, Wiley PTA Board 6 Advisory Council Representative, know if you have any questions (Meredithnelson1@bellsouth.net).

 

September 15

Updates from the World of Wiley

This week we celebrate Custodial Appreciation Week.  If you see Mr. Reggie this week, please acknowledge the importance of his hard work around Wiley!  

Media Center Assistance Needed ... Have a few minutes to spare?  Ms. Molloy can use a few extra hands in the morning (between 8:45 and 9:30) and throughout the day with general circulation and shelving.  All ability levels welcome!  Please contact Ms. Molloy if you can help at jmolloy@wcpss.net.  

WCPSS announces their first Parent Academy catalog.  You may access the workshops offered by this WCPSS partnership with local community agencies, organizations, businesses, schools, and faith-based institutions here www.wcpss.net/parent-academy

The Rawlins Fund is excited to announce preliminary details of their fall fundraiser - Monday, November 17 at The Hive (Busy Bee Cafe) from 6pm-9pm.  Please save the date! More details will follow.  

Is your family going to the North Carolina State Fair?  If so, please consider purchasing your tickets on the link below. For each adult ticket purchased with this link, our school will earn $2, and we will earn $1 for each child’s ticket.  Enter Wiley's School code (620) when you click on the State Fair link.

Upcoming Dates:

Thursday, September 25 - Teacher Workday
Tuesday, September 30 - Open House:  General PTA meeting @ 6, Classroom visits at 6:30 and 7:00

Wiley PTA News

PTA UPCOMING EVENTS

Restaurant Night to Benefit Wiley—September 23^rd

Chick-fil-A in Cameron Village will be sponsoring our first restaurant night of the year on Tuesday, September 23, 2014 from 4:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Please mention Wiley when you order to make sure we get credit.

15% of Wiley sales will be donated to the PTA. Tell your friends and family to “EAT MORE CHICKEN” and come out to Chick-fil-A at Cameron Village to support Wiley Elementary School.

This offer is good only at Chick-fil-A at Cameron Village on 9/23/14 between the hours of 4:00 and 8:00 p.m. on the day of event.

Chick-fil-A at Cameron Village

2000 Cameron St.

919-821-1155

www.cameronvillagecfa.com

Childcare Available for Curriculum Night and PTA General Membership

Meeting on Tuesday, September 30th - 6:00pm - 8:00pm

The PTA and YMCA Afterschool will offer childcare for school-aged children during Curriculum Night / PTA general membership meeting at no charge. Look for a signup in next week’s blog.

Jellybeans Skate Night Coming on October 4^th!

Mark your calendars for an evening of fun at the Cary Jellybeans on Saturday, October 4th, from 5:15-7:00. Skaters pay only $5! Wear your Wiley Wear to show your school spirit. Hope to see you there!

International Book Fair Looking for Volunteers

The International Book Fair is coming to Wiley in October, and we’re looking for one or two volunteers who are interested in learning the ropes this year and then taking over the co-chair roles next Fall. The event runs from Tues 10/21 to Fri 10/24 with set-up on Monday 10/20. If you’d like to discuss the co-chair role and needs this year, please reach out to vp@wileypta.org and vp.waysandmeans@wileypta.org.

Club Update

We are waiting on final approval for club space requests with WCPSS and plan to launch applications soon. As mentioned last week, clubs offered by outside providers are only permitted by WCPSS after school. PTA Member/Parent run clubs can be held before school.  If your child participates in the Y after school program, they can still join after-school clubs and will be walked back to the YMCA program at the end of the club. Here is the schedule for clubs:

 Tuesday afternoon 3:45-5:00 Kidz Art

(Fee for participation, financial aid available, open to Grades 1-5. Will be open to Kindergarten later in the year) The KidzArt experience supports creativity, experimentation and taking a risk within a non-competitive environment where mistakes are okay! We reach the artistic individual as well as those who never thought they could draw or create works of art!

Wednesday afternoon 3:45-5:00 Club Scientific

(Fee for participation, financial aid available, open to Grades 1-5. Will be open to Kindergarten later in the year) Join Club Scientific, formerly Rock It Learning, for an after school experience that you will never forget! Get ready to break out the beakers!  We'll put them to use as students dive into the world of chemical and physical reactions. It is chemistry chaos at its finest, teaching students how chemistry applies to the real world!

Friday morning 7:45-8:45 Go Green Club

(No fee, open to all) The goal of this club is to encourage students to become environmental stewardship leaders within their school and community. This club will participate in the USGBC NC Environmental Stewardship Challenge. Club activities will fall in the areas of saving energy, conserving water, recycling or using resources efficiently, improving indoor air quality, and improving our school site and the natural environment.

Friday afternoon 3:45-5:00 Chess Club

(Fee for participation, financial aid available, open to all) Chess Achieves helps kids achieve more through chess. Chess gives kids confidence that carries over to many other pursuits. Reading and math skills of children who play chess consistently soar. Their social skills increase regarding sportsmanship, courage facing difficult situations or opponents, and the patience needed for exceptional timing.

If you are interested in leading a club in the future or have questions about clubs, reach out to vp.communications@wileypta.org

Monday Update - September 8, 2014

Welcome Back!  Thank you for helping to get the school year off to a smooth and successful beginning. The kind and warm smiles have been overwhelming, and Wiley is buzzing with positive energy!  

New Wiley Faces:  You may have noticed several faces around Wiley. This year, we welcomed the following to our Wiley family:  Julie Thompson (K), Molly Strom (K), Kelly Gess (K), Crystal Blum (1st), Andrea Murdick (4th), Snow Gao (Chinese), Angi Wolfgang (Music), Hela Dridi (German), Susan Giska (ESL), Mary Dodd (PT), Louise Eaglefield (OT), Gina Cornick (School Nurse), Carolyn Watkins (Special Education), and Leslie Taylor (Principal).   Each week, we will highlight a Wiley staff member to help you become better acquainted with our Wiley heroes.  

Visiting Wiley:  For the safety of our students and staff, all visitors are required to check-in at the main office.  At check-in you will receive a visitor's sticker; please wear your visitor's sticker throughout the duration of your visit.    

Walkers:  If you have a student that will be walking without parental supervision (only 4th and 5th graders) in the afternoons, please send Ms. Taylor an email at ltaylor2@wcpss.net.  

Carpool:  Carpool tags are available in the main office. In the afternoon, please remain at the street entrance until a staff member motions for you to proceed to the loop's entrance - doing so enables us to quickly load our special transportation vehicles with multiple riders to encourage more efficient traffic flow. 

3rd Grade Beginning of Grade (BOG) test:  Wednesday, September 10 - testing begins promptly at 9:30.

Open House:  Tuesday, September 30 @ 6:00

AIG:  The nomination window for students (high achieving 4th or 5th grade students who are not already identified; high achieving 4th or 5th grade students who wish to add a second area of identification; high achieving 4th or 5th grade students who are new to Wake County Public Schools)  will be open until September 24.  Please email Dr. Cecconi-Roberts at lcecconi-roberts@wcpss.net for more information.  

WOW!  (Wonders Of Wiley): Languages and Electives will be offered Monday - Thursday due to schedules of our language teachers.  On Fridays, staff members will be hosting WOW time, a series of enrichment opportunities that infuse academic objectives, international themes, and fun!  

Ms. Hahner is seeking donations of LEGO DUPLO building blocks to use during her Build to Express learning opportunities.  

News from your Wiley PTA

Clubs Coming to Wiley

Clubs are coming to Wiley, and information on signing up will be available once we receive final space usage approval from the WCPSS office. Our expectation is that this approval will come in and we’ll be able to provide details in next week’s blog. Clubs will be offered in both the afternoon and morning. As per this year’s WCPSS guidelines, clubs led by outside providers (e.g. Chess) will be offered in the afternoon and clubs offered by PTA members / parents (e.g., Band) will be offered in mornings or afternoons. If you are interested in proposing a club to add to the options this school year, please reach out to Hadley Cairns-Heath at vp.communications@wileypta.org.

District 6 Student Assignment Plan Discussion Meeting

From Mary Jane Swecker, District 6 Chair:  

Date / Time: Wednesday September 17^th 12pm-1:15pm

Location: Carroll Magnet Middle School (Thank you, Ms Keech and the Carroll PTA!)
Topic: Student Assignment
Speaker: Ms. Laura Evans, Senior Director of Student Assignment for WCPSS
2014-2015 District 6 BAC Chair
Please remember to place your order by Friday!

I hope you will all plan to attend and invite other members of your school communities. Ms. Evans and her team are meeting with each BAC to explain the Student Assignment process and solicit feedback. This is a wonderful opportunity to hear and understand the Student Assignment process, why reassignment is necessary, and all the complexities involved. Community feedback is an important part of this process and Ms. Evans and her team welcome comments and ideas. While I cannot promise that this meeting will allow time for a lot of dialogue, the student assignment team has set up other avenues for communication that are open for us to use.

Please feel free to bring your lunch. The Carroll PTA will have snacks and drinks to share as well.

I look forward to seeing you at Carroll on the 17th!

School Volunteer Needs: 

There are a number of great ways to help out at Wiley, both through the PTA and directly through our counselor, teachers and specialists. Here are some current needs and appropriate contact information: 

Library: The library could use parent volunteers each week to help with general library tasks—shelving and sorting books, organizing displays, etc. Timing is very flexible, and you can volunteer as much or as little as you’d like each week. Please reach out to jmolloy@wcpss.net

Wiley Pals: Consider serving as a Wiley Pal to a student who would benefit from regular attention from a caring, supportive adult to help foster his/her school success. Wiley Pals meet briefly once a week with their adult mentor. Meetings might include lunch in the cafeteria, a quick check in at breakfast before school starts, or tutoring / reading in the classroom with the child. 

Adults are encouraged to be matched with younger students and follow the child through their years at Wiley.  Email jwilliams7@wcpss.net to join the program. If you have questions about what it is like to be a Wiley Pal, reach out to vp@wileypta.org, president@wileypta.org or vp.waysandmeans@wileypta.org. All three have been involved in the program and can share experiences. 

Tutoring: Once the school year is in full swing, teachers will reach out to provide parents with in-class support and tutoring options. In addition, the Wiley team will lead a training session and provide support so that tutors are confident in their ability to contribute in a meaningful way. 

Wiley Wear

Come visit the Wiley Wear store outside the media center this Friday, September 12th from 8:45 to 9:30 am. We will have sample sizes as well as a few older style Wiley shirts on sale. 

Welcome Back!

Test Post

Check back Monday for the first blog post of 2014/15!