Your membership will support our school - and ensure you continue to receive The WHISTLE!

More details on how to join below

THIS MONTH - OCTOBER

NEXT MONTH - NOVEMBER

BLUE & GOLD DAYS - OCTOBER

2020-21 SCHOOL CALENDAR

WIS PTO WEBPAGE

WIS MAIN WEBPAGE

WIS PTO FACEBOOK PAGE - Please follow us to get updates on WIS PTO news!

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
• JOIN THE PTO
• BOE REPORT
• SCHOOL PHOTOS ORDER
• Q&A WITH MARK COOPER
• VIRTUAL BOOKFAIR
• MINTED.COM FUNDRAISER
• FLIPGIVE FUNDRAISER
• WHS CAR MAGNET FUNDRAISER
• AROUND TOWN

Dear WIS Families,

We are currently looking for VDL parents to be part of a Distance Learning Task Force. You must have children in both Hurlbutt and WIS. If you have any interest please send your information to WHS PTO President, janethof@optonline.net

As we return to full day school this coming Monday I’m interested  in hearing your questions, concerns,  or suggestions. By reaching out and sharing I can propose your views directly with Dr. McKersie at our biweekly Presidents’ Meeting where we aim to tackle the issues we are facing today.  

Thank you!
Have a wonderful weekend

Daniella Swetland 
PTO President 
daniellarc@aol.com

Membership for the PTO is NOW OPEN.  You can sign up for membership, purchase extra directories, and make a tax deductible donation to the PTOs. CLICK HERE--PTO Membership to sign up for membership. The payment link will be visible once your information is entered.

We had some issues with the database, so please make sure that your child’s school and grade are correct:

• UPDATE YOUR INFORMATION FIRST
• MAKE SURE your child(ren)’s SCHOOL and GRADE are CORRECT!! (alumni year is the high school graduation year)
• UPDATE:  FAMILY INFORMATION before purchasing membership
• REACTIVATE EACH CHILD before purchasing membership

And remember, once our membership drive is complete, The WhIStle will only be sent to current paid-up WIS PTO members - so if you want to continue to receive the latest news and updates throughout the school year, sign up now!

BOE REPORT - OCTOBER 13 2020 MEETING

The Board of Education met on October 13th, via Zoom. This meeting was focused on the Voluntary Distance Learners (VDL) under the updated Full Return to in-person learning. Kenneth Craw spoke at length regarding the three options for VDL students. The first option was Full Return Early Dismissal (1:15/1:40). VDL students would be synchronous leaners throughout the day and would meet with their teachers virtually at the end of the school day. The second option, and the option chosen by the district, is Full Return, Full day, with VDL students working synchronously with the class throughout the entire day. The third option, Full Return with Dedicated VDL Teachers, follows the same schedule and curriculum as in-person students and creates a community within a class with a dedicated VDL teacher. Seven (7) teachers would be needed to cover the K-5 VDL students by grade. Grade 1, 4 and 5 have more than a classroom full of VDL students. Because of these numbers some classes would be split classes K/1, 2/3 etc. Three Hurlbutt teachers and four WIS teachers would be moved to the VDL students and leave their existing classrooms. One fifth grade teacher would become the VDL teacher for the 5th grade VDL students. The students in the classes with teachers that leave the in-person classroom and go to VDL would be reshuffled to the other classes -giving those students new teachers for the remainder of the school year. Class rosters in each grade would be reshuffled, which can lead to more children in the classroom. This option was considered disruptive in many ways. 2nd grade classrooms would also be reshuffled.

With the Full Return, VDL students will be synchronous learners throughout the day. This maintains current teachers and student assignments, conferring and conferences with students occur as part of the workshop, all student participate in specials. VDL students can leave the screen and complete work and then come back into the classroom via their screen.

Mrs. Kaddis mentioned that she and Mrs. Falber have been very impressed with their teachers and believe whichever model they go with, the teachers will implement it to the best of their ability. It was also emphasized that with Full Return VDL students have a wide open door to the classroom, not a window.

They also emphasized that support for VDL students is of upmost importance. They have looked at a variety of supports. They have structure in place with reading and math intervention, as well as supports in special education.

For Full Return, Wednesday’s early dismissal for the in-person students will be check in time for VDL students.

There was a question posed about giving VDL students separate curriculum to work on, hopefully cutting down on screen time. There will not be separate planning for asynchronous learning as State guidelines require the same attendance guidelines as in-person students. Any student enrolled with the school needs to be active with their class for planned parts of the day.

The next regularly scheduled Board of Education meeting was Monday, October 19th. The next Board of Education meeting will be Monday, November 16th.

All of the Board of Education meetings can be viewed on their YouTube channel at the following link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfiS5TdWMVozkWFY1FS3knw

Julie Ruby

WIS PTO BOE Representative

If you didn’t order  photos prior to photo day you can order when you receive your proof.  You can order a package or just the digital image. Makeup day, won’t be scheduled/announced until after photos and proofs have been delivered to school.

If you chose NOT to send your Child in for Photo Day:
You can contribute a portrait for the yearbook. The portrait background this year is going to be nature. Photo must be vertical.
You will not email your photo, but submit it directly to the yearbook site, clearly labeling photo with students’ name.

Check back next week for link to upload the portraits.

Weather is supposed to be sunny this Saturday and could be a great day for photos. Take a head
and shoulder style photo (taken in an outdoor environment).

If you are submitting portraits make sure they are contributed/uploaded by November 30th.


Daniella Swetland
daniellarc@aol.com

PLEASE JOIN HES/WIS/WMS & WHS PTOs for a 

 Zoom Q & A with:

 Mark Cooper, Director of Health Westport Weston Health District

 And Members of the WPS COVID-19 Management Team

Mon Nov 2, 2020

 9am – 10:30am

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88305554732?pwd=dE5lWlVzeWl5VCthWUR0SCtOSWp5dz09#success  

Password: 576507

Participants will be muted upon entry and the chat function will be used for questions.  We will post all questions & answers on the PTO website after the call.  Should you be unable to attend, please email questions to whsptovp@gmail.com. The PTOs, in cooperation with Superintendent McKersie, look forward to giving the WPS community the opportunity to discuss health and safety best practices for our students and staff.

The HES/WIS joint VIRTUAL BOOKFAIR with Scholastic is coming soon!!

November 9th through November 22nd

More details to follow!

This year we have an exciting opportunity to make our fundraising efforts for the Weston PTOs easier by using an app called FlipGive.

Simply join our team on FlipGive and start shopping through the app or our team page and we'll earn money every time you shop with popular brands like Sam's Club, Starbucks, Lulumon Athletica, Dick’s, Marc Jacobs, Athleta, Williams-Sonoma and so many more!

Join our team now by clicking HERE.

If you are prompted for a join code, enter this code NTFCQ3

Remember to use FlipGive before you shop online so we'll earn cash back - make a purchase within the first 14 days of joining and we'll receive an additional bonus!

If you still have questions, click HERE for a handout that explains FlipGive in more detail.

This holiday season, we're partnering with minted.com to help us fundraise!

Shop holiday cards and gifts on minted.com now through December using our promo code to help support Weston Schools.  You save 20% and Minted donates 15% back to Weston Schools!

PROMO CODE – FUNDRAISEWESTON

Show your Weston Spirit and purchase a car magnet - for $5.00 each!

To order, please email alimelito818@gmail.com 

All proceeds will benefit the class of 2022. Payments will be made via Venmo or check, and magnets will be delivered to your mailbox within 10 days. More details when you email!

The High School's Weston Against Cancer Committee are currently having a "Trick or Treat: Reversed" fundraiser - the Committee will bring nut-free goody bags to homes, at a distance and in costume, for a minimum $10 donation. 

Visit https://westonagainstcance.wixsite.com/home/trick-or-treat-reversed for more information!

The Weston Historical Society wants YOU to get creative and carve a Jack O'Lantern for its "Jack O'Lantern Stroll"!  Prizes will be awarded for the top three Jack O’Lanterns, which will be voted on by those attending the “Jack O’Lantern Stroll” on Sunday, October 25, 2020 from 2:00pm – 6:00pm at the Weston Historical Society’s Coley Homestead.

Register to Carve & Donate your Jack O'Lantern and to select a drop off time here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49AEAA2EA6F8C07-signup

You must register your pumpkin by Sunday, October 18, 2020.

As a thank you for your carving efforts, you will receive a discount code for one FREE ticket to the "Jack O'Lantern Stroll". The discount code will be emailed to you within 48 hours of registering to carve and donate a Jack O'Lantern. *If you carve 2 Jack O'Lanterns, you will receive a code for 2 free tickets!

Questions: Please email director@westonhistoricalsociety.org or call 203-226-1804

Help fill the Coley Homestead with fun Jack O'Lanterns! Register to carve a pumpkin and donate it today: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49AEAA2EA6F8C07-signup

• The WIS PTO newsletter is distributed on Fridays, please send your submissions by the prior Wednesday, 2 pm.
• It is your responsibility to write and submit your relevant WIS activity each week.
• All submissions should be either included in the text of your email or attached in Word format and the content should be print-ready (please proofread!). Keep it simple and short.
• If you have a flyer, please submit a brief write-up along with it in PDF format and we will link it to the newsletter.
• Please send all necessary links, there will be a click "here" linking to the more detailed information.
• If you want to re-run a write-up from the previous week, check to see if it requires updating, i.e. changing the wording from  "next week" to "this week", etc.  If so, please make appropriate changes and re-send the revised write-up.
• All submissions should be sent to: wisptocommunications@westonpspto.org. All will be acknowledged.
• Submissions should be relevant to WIS and the town of Weston (i.e., town sports programs, Town of Weston sponsored community events or after-school sports programs for students taking place in the Town of Weston). If there is any question regarding the relevance of submission, final approval will be determined by the HES PTO Communications Chair and/or President.