Principal's Message
Dear Wealthy Elementary Families,
Last Friday was full of activities to honor the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. At our assembly, we reflected on Dr. King’s work and thought about how we can “be bold” in our own lives. Thank you to guest speaker, Ms. Sommer Jabbar, who has worked at the Kent ISD as a Diversity, Equity, and Belonging consultant, for sharing her message of “being bold” by welcoming those who are new or look different than us. The choir and student body shared songs with messages of “boldness” including “Wavin’ Flag”, “This Little Light of Mine”, and “Be a Light”. We followed our assembly with an outdoor Silent March and Dream Keeper activities where students listened to the book “The Best Part of Me” and participated in a related writing activity. To view photos from our MLK Day, please click here. Teachers will continue to embed lessons throughout the school year through classroom activities and read alouds.
Yesterday, staff participated in professional development sessions on a variety of topics including phonic instruction and comprehension strategies. Some staff continued their professional training in Restorative Practices. This is an emerging social science that studies how to strengthen relationships between individuals as well as social connections within communities. This philosophy also helps to repair harm and restore relationships after an unexpected situation has occurred. To learn more, you can visit this site for the International Institute of Restorative Practices. I look forward to having all staff trained in this area in the future.
Bright Star Theatre
A special “thank you” to the Wealthy Elementary PTO for supporting Bright Star Theatre performing last Thursday. Our students in grades K-2 students enjoyed learning lessons from AESOP’s fables and our students in grades 3-5 learned all about the role that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and others played in the Civil Rights Movement. Both were engaging performances by young actors!
School Work for Student Absences
Recently there has been an increase in the number of student absences for various reasons. While we realize that special opportunities arise, we encourage families to plan trips during the pre-determined school breaks when at all possible. Missed instruction cannot be replicated and our teachers do not have worked prepared to send home ahead of a student absence. During your child's absence please encourage them to read, practice IXL, write in a journal, or continue their work on previously-communicated activities, when possible. Thank you for your understanding with this matter.
PTO Family Movie Night
Next Friday, January 27 at 6:00 p.m. we are happy to once again host the PTO sponsored Family Movie Night! Please join us in your pajamas, bring a blanket, and make yourself comfortable on the gymnasium floor as we watch Minions: The Rise of Gru. This movie was chosen by our students during the November election run by our Student Leadership Team. To learn more about the movie and developmental level of the content, please click here.
Movie night is an event for the whole family and children must be supervised by an adult to attend. The doors will open that evening at 5:30 p.m. The PTO and Student Leadership Team will be selling popcorn and candy for enjoyment during the film. Please bring a labeled water bottle from home and use the drinking fountains purchased by our PTO to stay hydrated while also helping out the environment.
Calendar
Please click here to view upcoming events on the Wealthy Elementary School calendar. Please mark your calendars for the following events:
- Wednesday, January 25: PTO General Meeting in the Learning Commons at 6:00 p.m. (please note this is a date change)
- Friday, January 27: PTO Family Movie Night at 6:00 p.m. in the Gymnasium
If you ever have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at callen@egrps.org.
Warm regards,
Carlye Allen
Wealthy Elementary Principal
https://twitter.com/principalcallen
