JUNE

2021-22 SCHOOL CALENDAR

WIS PTO WEBPAGE

WIS MAIN WEBPAGE

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

** NEW - WIS PTO YOUTUBE CHANNEL **

• PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
• WIS ROOM PARENTS VOLUNTEERS
• FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT WOLAK
• SCHOOL SUPPLIES
• YEARBOOKS
• LOST & FOUND
• 2022-23 YEARBOOK TEAM
• BOE MEETING REPORT
• AROUND TOWN

The 2021-2022 school year was almost a normal year at Weston Intermediate School. We started out the year with a plan in place to help our students return to school and get back to in-person learning. Without the support of parents, caregivers, teachers, and the administration at WIS and WPS, we would not have had such a strong start to the school year. In the fall, the PTO was cautiously optimistic about which traditional programs we could bring back to school. Now that we are days away from Summer break, I am happy to report the WIS PTO was able to provide funding for many familiar programs, added new events, and fulfilled several philanthropy requests.

Approved Philanthropy requests included new furniture and a new 3-d printer for the Library, a new laptop for the cafeteria sound system, ukuleles for Music, and my kids’ favorite - new playground games, equipment, and balls for the playground.

This spring, the WIS PTO welcomed 2 special guest speakers - Brian Williams the Kindness Ninja and John Patrick Green, Author of Investigators series. The WIS PTO also provided Kindness Ninja books for the grade leaders and the Library and also a book from the Investigators series for every student along with 2 sets of the series for the library.

The WIS PTO sponsored back to school luncheon for the teachers and staff, Bus Driver Appreciation Day, Teacher Appreciation Week, snacks during parent-teacher conferences,

None of the work the WIS PTO does would be possible without fundraising and special events such as the Book Fair, Family Fun Nights, Square1Art, and the best weekend ever - Memorial Day Fair weekend. The WIS PTO also offered new events this year: Movie night and Family Portraits.  

As the WIS PTO plans for the 2022-2023 school year, I would like to welcome our new Executive Board members, General Board members, new families to Weston and our 2nd graders from Hurlbutt Elementary.  I would also like to extend a warm welcome to Maria Rowbotham who is joining the WIS PTO Executive Board as Co-President. Maria is currently the President of the Hurlbutt PTO and has a son in 4th grade and a son in 2nd grade. Maria is going to be an amazing Co-President with me next year. She is motivated, bright, sweet, caring, and overall a wonderful person whom I am so lucky to call a friend.   When you see Maria this summer, please thank her for all she has done for Hurlbutt and also for joining me at the helm of the WIS PTO.

I’d like to wish all of our 5th graders and their families all the best as they move up to Weston Middle School - especially to my favorite 5th grader Parker. Watch out WMS!! Here they come!

Debbie Carrothers

WIS PTO President 2021-2022

If you’re interested in being a Room Parent next year, please click on the link below and submit your information. Preference will be given to those who have never been a Room Parent before, followed by those who have never been a Room Parent for this specific child before.

Room Parents will be asked to:

• use Sign-Up Genius to coordinate classroom and PTO activities (no paper sign-up forms),

• disseminate information, promptly, to class parents via email,

• other class-related activities as needed.

Click HERE to volunteer! Room Parent selections will take place in late August.

Another way to stay in the know about Weston School is following our social media channels.

Please like our Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/WestonPublicSchoolsCT

And subscribe to our YouTube Channel - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfiS5TdWMVozkWFY1FS3knw

BE A MEMORY MAKER! 

Volunteer for the 

WIS 2022-23Yearbook TEAM

A CHANGE for the next school year is there will be FOURpeople working on the yearbook instead of one.

The YEARBOOK COORDINATOR will oversee the project, set the theme and book layout, and handle the business side of things. 

Then there will be a YEARBOOK CHAIR for GRADES 3, 4 & 5. Each Chair will be responsible for pictures for the pages in their grade section and divide up school events. 

Please email mindyfierro@gmail.com if you are interested in volunteering for Yearbook Coordinator, Yearbook Chair 

Grade 3, Yearbook Chair Grade 4 or

Yearbook Chair Grade 5. 

An update on the District’s Action Plan was presented. It serves as a review of how WPS has met the goals that were set at the start of the year. A comprehensive outline of each goal/outcome can be viewed here: 

 https://meetings.boardbook.org/Public/Agenda/2468?meeting=534765

The following are a few recent updates from the document. 

Math and Reading: 

Dr. Craw discussed the District’s Math and Reading Goals, and while the standardized testing results (MAP, SBA’s, and Fountas and Pinell) have not been formerly released, an initial overview indicates the our students performed well. Most importantly, the targets for growth from Fall to Spring look promising. 

 Reading Curriculum Update: There is a plan to roll out a more comprehensive and expanded Fundations program in 3^rd Grade.

Kindergarten Math Curriculum Update: 

The board approved to adopt a new Math Curriculum in Kindergarten entitled, Mathodology. The program was piloted in two classrooms this past year and was met with positive reviews from educators and administrators. The former curriculum, Math in Focus, was thought to move too slowly for this age group.  

Highlights and teacher reviews:  

• Montessori-based methods
• More developmentally appropriate for children
• More engaging 
• Multiple online teaching resources and workbooks 
• Reaches all levels of students 
• Blends seamlessly into Math in Focus in 1^st Grade

Special Education/PPS: 

WPS is focusing on transitions and refining the processes of helping children moving from school to school through graduation. We have hired a transition coordinator and have committed to training our staff over the summer in the new IEP data system that will be used going forward.  

Technology: 

The district has implemented multiple new data analytic programs used to drive district goals and outcomes. These tools, such as Tableau, help to inform administration and staff of assessment and curriculum data. Regarding Data Security, WPS is educating staff on how to identify sophisticated phishing scams to help protect student data. 

DISTRICT WIDE

Safety and Security Update

Chief Ed Henion of the Weston Police Department reviewed the updated Security document which can be found on the district website.  

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wVmf1mfBrTEcp9lvqykM1tcrM0L8pLOt/view

Highlights:  

• WPS is a secure campus with 6 District Security Specialist that monitor both inside and outside of our schools. 
• WPS has a rapid mass notification system that operates instantly within all 
• Multiple security cameras monitor both inside and outside the perimeter of the schools and we are looking add more in dead spots
• Our campus has 5 nurses for 4 schools, each certified in basic life support through the American Red Cross. 
• Our schools are equipped with highly trained support staff (social workers, counselors, and psychologists) and our elementary teachers are trained in RULER (a systemic approach to Social Emotional Learning) and our upper school teachers are trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy…all techniques designed to support students.  

Facilities

The Board approved to propose paving projects for both the Middle School and High School parking lots/bus loops to the Board of Finance. Estimated cost of the projects combined: $195,500. Discussions continue. 

Notable New Hire: Meghan Ward, formerly of John Read Middle School, has been hired as the new Weston High School Principal. 

BOE NEWS

Policy

Discussion of a new policy, “Equitable Identification of Gifted and Talented Students” was put forth. This is a discussion around the process by which children in Grades 3-8 are identified for the gifted program. A recommendation was made to WPS as well as other local districts to look closely at procedures and amend/improve as necessary.  Discussions continue. 

BOE Meeting Calendar

The Board approved a hybrid meeting schedule for next year. One meeting per quarter will be in person, the other two will be held fully remote via Zoom. The scheduling of the meetings will be determined by which agenda items lend themselves to be discussed in person and which could be better served on Zoom. 

Transitions

President Anthony Pesco and BOE member Taffy Miller have resigned. The Board and the community thank them for their dedicated service. 

Town Hall Link: https://www.westonct.gov/about-us  

Weston Public Library: https://www.westonpubliclibrary.org/ 

Weston Historical Society: https://www.westonhistoricalsociety.org/ 

Weston Garden Club: https://www.westongardenclub.com/

Weston Education Foundation: https://www.westoneducationfoundation.org/

• 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.