A MESSAGE

FROM OUR

PRINCIPAL

SOCCER CLEATS ALERT!!

Please remember that students MAY

NOT wear soccer cleats into the school.

We’ve learned from experience that they

are an accident waiting to happen! It is

a new school with new floors that could

be damaged by wearing cleats.

REMEMBER: RESPECT THE

SCHOOL BUILDING!

Thanks for your understanding.

From the Principal                   November, 2012

Dear WES Families:

November is a month during which the word “thanks” is repeated frequently. Foremost on all

of our minds is Thanksgiving. We at WES have always reached out to our community at this

time through our “Turkey Drive.” This year will be no different. In the coming weeks, you will

learn of ways you and your children can contribute to our effort to provide complete Thanks-

giving dinners to scores of families in our own community as well as nearby communities. We

hope you will support the Turkey Drive not only by donating food, but also by helping us to

imbue in our children the importance of helping others.

Veterans’ Day is an important November event. This year, the WES third grade has initiated a

program to recognize those who have served in our nation’s military, protecting all of us and

ensuring that we continue to enjoy the rights and privileges of United States citizenship.

Of course, one of those rights and privileges is the opportunity to vote—to participate in the

process that elects our nation’s leaders. Because we believe it is essential that children learn

about civic responsibility early, we hold mock elections at WES during all presidential election

years. In the weeks leading up to the November 6 election—the results of which will probably

be known by the time you read this column—fifth graders have daily announced to our entire

student body the presidential candidates’ positions on such topics as education, foreign rela-

tions, the environment, the economy and energy. The position announcements were culled

          ( Con nued )          

THE WES PTO ISSUE 03 YEAR 2012 A BRIGHTER FUTURE BEGINS TODAY

IN THIS NEWSLETTER From the Principal

PTO News

“Book Fair”

Pancake Breakfast

01

03

05

06

From the Principal (Continued)

from the non-partisan educational website Studiesweekly.com. We are hopeful that when our students vote in the mock election, they will be making informed deci-sions and will be gaining an understanding of the electoral process that will serve them for life. Finally, November also brings American Education Week (November 11-17), a na-tional celebration of public education and all of those who help to ensure that our children receive a quality education. Wednesday, November 14, brings a national celebration of a special group of frequently unsung heroes: Education Support Pro-fessionals. Our WES staff of 77 individuals includes 27 support professionals. The scope of their responsibilities is vast. And, in fact, it is beautifully described in the poem below, penned by Dave Arnold, a custodian at Brownstown Elementary School in Southern Illinois.

What If?

Let’s suppose just for a moment, what if there weren’t an ESP What would become of our schools and where would education be If not for the dedication of each Education Support Professional

How could our schools ever survive or even function at all

For the bus driver wouldn’t be there to pick up children along the way The doors wouldn’t be unlocked, the lights on, or the buildings heated each day

The aides wouldn’t be there to help those children with a special need Or the cooks wouldn’t have a hot and tasty meal ready for all to feed

School security wouldn’t be there to watch over the children with care

Each child’s records wouldn’t be the secretary’s load to bear The computers would crash without the technician to keep them up to date And not for the maintenance personnel, one can only guess the school’s fate

And there are many more that give so much, each in a different capacity For to each ESP, education is far more than just another job or utility

Education is each child’s future, the hope and prayers of our nation For that future, each day, ESP give their work, love, and dedication

( continued )

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

TO EVERYONE AT WES

How wonderful it

would be if we could

help our children and

grandchildren to learn

thanksgiving at an

early age. Thanksgiv-

ing opens the doors.

It changes a child's

personality. A child is

resentful, negative –

or thankful. Thankful

children want to give,

they radiate happi-

ness, they draw peo-

ple.

Sir John Templeton

(1912-2008), Investor &

Philanthropist

Thank You - To Our Unsung Heroes

Our WES Education Support Professionals take care of everyone here at school in ways too varied and numerous to mention. We are all deeply grateful. They are:

Instructional Support Jenna Adams Susan Boyle Melissa Gallagher Krista Hafler Anne Holland Jean (“Angie”) Hopkins Lynnette Jones Kathy Lennon Sandy Martino Terry McGeehan Anne Mulhern Suzanne O’Neill Sue Polselli Amanda Pugliese Kathy Salom Michelle Schiller ‘Cille Scidurlo Diane Silzle Eileen Vansant Secretary/Instructional Support Tanika Johnson School Secretary Norma Long Technical Support Specialist Connie Marchei Custodians Bob Vasaturo Diane McGurk Food Service Nicole Mulhern Christine Thomas Eileen White-DeGrave

We look forward to seeing you all at parent-teacher conferences, which occur simultaneously with American Education week. And we wish you all a joyful Thanksgiving . Sincerely, Ellen L. Milgrim, Ed.D. Principal

NOVEMBER 11-17, 2012

A national celebration of

public education and all of

those who help to ensure

that our children receive a

q u a l i t y e d u c a t i o n .

Wednesday, November 14, brings a national cele-

bration of a special group

of frequently unsung he-

roes: Education Support

Professionals.

AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK

From the Principal (Continued)

"Children need all school

workers. A person is not

'just' a janitor, not 'just' a

custodian. Janitors can

see children when

[teachers] don't see them,

and bus drivers recognize

that children who are dis-

ruptive on the bus are like-

ly to be disorderly in the

classroom. They're part-

ners in education. We

need each other to make

this work."

—Rev. Jesse Jackson

APPLE CRUNCH

On 9 October 49 Moms, Dads and Grand-

parents worked together to serve apple

slices from Indian Orchards during our

children’s snack times. Volunteers

washed and sliced 3 varieties into color

coded bowls so that a scientific taste test

could be conducted. Children learned about the areas of the tongue that provide taste buds,

allowing us to distinguish different flavors. They were encouraged to close their eyes and

experience texture, crunch and sweetness. Thank you to everyone who helped make this

event a big success. We thank Indian Orchards for donating apples, Mary Huff for providing

colorful “placemats” and Allison Karpyn for loaning an apple costume. We thank our kitchen

staff for allowing us space to wash apples, Celeste Sheehan for her photograghy and we

thank our teachers for accommodating volunteers and helping tally the vote…..the vote!

THE RESULTS: STAYMAN 166, GOLDEN DELICIOUS 165, YORK 81

Apple Crunch is coordinated by Health and Safety Reps to our PTO: Laurie Branes and

Page King

THANK YOU! It’s time to THANK all of our Super Volunteers!

We would like to place a thank you to all of our Super

Volunteers who helped flip the pancakes, tend the line, collect the funds and clean up!!

A special note of thanks to Diane McGurk of cutodial services

And Eileen of the kitchen staff:)

Ani and her entire family! What a blessing!

We enjoyed corporate sponsorship from Giant, BJ's, Acme, Wawa and Aramark.

Thank you all of WES for our first enjoyable and successful year

At the Pancake Breakfast in our new school:)

Tammy McCauley and Ani Diakatos

Student enjoying the taste-testing experiment on

Apple Crunch Day at WES!

November News from WES PTO

It has been a very busy month for the PTO. We really appreciate all the support from our many WES families and WES Staff.

Joe Corbi’s deadline was October 9th - Delivery date is November 15th at 2:00 pm. A big Thanks goes out to Jennifer Loving, Colleen Deskis and Karen Rendulich - PTO appreci-ates all the work you did in finding a new vendor and working with them to make the most money for our school. Thank You, Thank You !!

The Kids Stuff Coupon book fundraiser ended on October 15th. If you have decided not to purchase the book, please send back to school so the teacher’s can return the books. If you wish to keep it and have not sent in your $25.00, please do so – Many Thanks to Kristina Vacha and Michelle Grunseich for heading up this fundraiser.

Where were you on Oct. 20th ? If you didn’t make it to the Pancake Breakfast and Hal-loween Carnival then you missed out on a great WES day !! The Pancakes were as deli-cious as always and the added fruit cups were a huge hit ! Thanks so much to Ani Diaka-tos and Tammy McCauley and their spouses Harry and Brian for all their hard work in making this WES tradition happen.

And starting another tradition this year was the 1st Annual Halloween Carnival which the 5th grade reps and the 5th grade children organized instead of the Haunted House. If you were there, it was obivious that everyone was having a great time. The games, raf-fles, cake walk and Mad Scientist kept the children entertained. We sure hope this Carni-val will continue on for many years. Thanks again for all your hard work – Maura Clark, Carolyn Folk, Mary Huff, Kim Pizzirusso, Frances Shehadi and Connie Watson – (5th grade reps)

Although it was a little early this year we hope you had time to stop by WES for the annu-al BOOK FAIR !! Many Thanks to Mrs. Lamberston for helping each child select a book. Again we appreciate all the Parent, Teachers and Staff support. This again was run by the 5th grade reps. Thank You.

The phone tree is finally done. Thanks to our Homeroom Parent Coordinators – Frances Shehadi, Cathy St. Clair and Janet Faggioli and all the homeroom parents who worked tirelessly getting all the names and numbers correct for their classes.

And last but not least – Thanks to Laurie Branes and Paige King and their many volun-teers for teaching our children to eat healthier on Apple Crunch day !!

Again, many, many thanks to everyone – PTO would not exist without so many parent volunteers.

Hope to see you at the next PTO meeting!

Kelly Caulfield , PTO Chair

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY

MRS. GAUR’s MILK and COOKIES

WES PRESS

PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE

JOE CORBI’s DELIVERY DATE

WHAT’S NEW AND EXCITING AT WES THIS MONTH?

WES PTO NEWS - November

**On a side note – I would

like to express again that I

know we have a lot of fund-

raisers and as I mentioned

at the PTO meeting it is not

expected for you to partici-

pate in every one. We of-

fer so many fundraisers in

the hopes that one or two

things will appeal to you.

Thanks again for

supporting PTO.”

Instill a sense of gratitude in your child

Parents have been reminding kids to say thank you for ages. Now research links gra tude to many benefits, including be er grades, rela onships and even health. 

Researchers also say gra tude can be taught‐‐even to kids who seem less posi ve. These children may actually see the greatest improvement! 

Experts advise parents to: 

Be role models. When someone does something kind, show apprecia on. If your child takes out the trash without being told, take note. "You helped the family without being asked. Thank you!" This demonstrates how to be thankful. 

Make gra tude lists. Help your child focus on what he has. He may not have the new sneakers or video game he wants, but there is always something for which to be thankful. Many of people's most treasured "things" aren't things at all. They're people, friendships, abili es and accomplish‐ments. 

Shi  your focus. This winter, turn your a en on to family  me and helping others. What do you have that others might need or want? How can you share? Your family might donate items, vol‐unteer or find small ways to be kind to others. 

Reprinted  with  permission  from  the  December  2012  issue  of  Parents make the difference!® 

(Elementary School Edi on) newsle er. Copyright © 2012 The Parent  Ins tute®, a division of NIS, 

Inc. Source: C. Butler, "Teaching kids to be grateful may have long‐term benefits even though it's not 

easy," The Washington Post, www.washingtonpost.com/na onal/health‐science/teaching‐kids‐to‐be

‐grateful‐may‐have‐long‐term‐benefits‐even‐though‐its‐not‐easy/2011/11/14/

gIQAbtlshN_story_1.html.

Book Fair Results and Gratitude Greetings to All,

Given the current economic climate and state of affairs, I’m delighted to report that the Fall Book Fair profit came in at

$ 2,032.29 this year! Our gross sales were an amazing $8,129.14 of which we make a hefty 25% profit. We were just

shy of what the book fair did last year ($2,039). Thanks to ALL for your volunteer time, financial contributions and sup-

port in this wonderful fundraiser.

A special thanks to Mrs. Lambertsen who remained so bubbly and cheerful during the ensuing chaos. We took over

her entire library -moved tables, disrupted book displays all the while she just smiled and entertained the students with

PILES of book selections specific to their age group and reading level. It’s amazing to see her in action. Did you know

that she actually KNOWS what your child is reading? More than once I witnessed Mrs. Lambertsen zero in on a stu-

dent who was struggling with finding the “perfect” book and she would offer a guiding hand. She missed her calling in

sales!

Parents, it was wonderful to interact with your children. WES is a special place. I witnessed sharing, patience and

true love of reading.

A student who is filled with gratitude about the opening of the New WES this year - 2012!

Welcome to the start of the

new school year! It’s time to

start registering for the Giant

A+ school rewards program.

You must register each year

to earn rewards for our school.

S i m p l y l o g o n t o

www.giantfoodstores.com/

aplus to designate Wallingford

Elementary school #03868 or

forward your 11-digit bonus

card number and last name to

R o c h e l l e K e l l y @

rbkelly02@msn.com. After

registering, using your BO-

NUSCARD earns CASH for

our school from October 7,

2012 through March 30, 2013.

Enroll today!

A+ SCHOOL AWARDS

WES PRESS Adventure and Suspense

By Martha Lambertsen

Adventure stories clearly stand out as favorites for WES students, as we have noted while reviewing various genres. Among new fantasy, realistic fiction, humor, historical fic-tion, fairy tales, folk tales, and non-fiction books, the genre most children prefer is adventure, often devouring entire

series of them. Why do they choose adventure? The reason is clear; great adventure stories create an atmosphere of suspense and excitement. The reader can’t wait to find out what happens, often speeding up their reading, and comprehending more difficult books because their curiosity is ignited. The new titles mentioned below were selected because they are full of breath-taking action for a thrill-seeking audience. Since they are well written, they quickly catapult readers into exciting situations, often in faraway places. It is not surprising to see even the most reluctant reader returning to the library a few days later for the sequel, ready to follow their favorite characters in more action packed adventures. There are many new and exciting adventures stories published this year for younger read-ers. Attracted by the graphic novel flavor and cartoonlike illustrations, Captain Awesome to the Res-cue, written by Stan Kirby and illustrated by George O’Connor (famous for his award winning “Olympians” graphic novel series), is a winner. Read the dynamic review by our WES Press editor, Jack Henry, a second grader, to learn more about this title. Super Chicken Nugget Boy and the Furi-ous Fry, written and illustrated by Josh Lewis, features another zany superhero in a fun filled adven-ture. One of the most creative adventure series, with new authors after the passing of Jeff Brown, is Flat Stanley’s Worldwide Adventures, written by Josh Greenhut and Sara Pennypacker. It seamlessly continues Flat Stanley’s fantastical, imaginative escapades. An old favorite continuing to delight our young adventure seekers with new titles, the popular Magic Tree House books take readers to excit-ing places, traveling back and forth in time to survive the latest challenge and learn a few facts along the way. For our older students, there are many new, superlative adventure stories too exciting to miss. Each of the titles below leave the reader anxious to learn if the hero/heroine will survive the next sequel. Fifth grader and WES Press editor Raina Kuzemka expertly reviewed False Prince by Jennifer A. Neilson, the beginning of a thrilling adventure series set in medieval times. Another “must read” title is Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Bodky, the first in the Chronicles of Egg series. If you love action and don’t mind a bit of blood and guts, this sizzling pirate tale is for you. The following titles are time travel adventures. Invisible Tower, by Nils Johnson-Shelton, features a brother and sister who accidently travel back to the time of Merlin the magician through their video game. The dangers they face battling evil knights and dragons call for brave, death-defying battles. The Last Musketeer, by prolific author Stuart Gibbs, finds 14-year-old Greg falling back in time through a painting his family is viewing in Paris. In order to save himself and his family, he joins the original “Three Musketeers” in this swashbuckling adventure, deftly interwoven with exquisite de-tails of French history. Award winning author William Joyce’s highly imaginative and beautifully illustrated Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King is the first title in The Guardians series. Beginning with a meteor striking earth, the collision with our planet inadvertently frees the evil Pitch the nightmare king from his 1,000 year imprisonment. This extraordinary magical adven-ture will soon be brought to life in a movie, “Rise of the Guardians.” Lastly, Capture the Flag by Kate Messner, a realistic, suspenseful adventure, finds Henry and two other 14-year-olds trapped in an airport with evil thugs during a snowstorm, while searching for a priceless flag stolen from the Smithsonian Museum during a party they attended the night be-fore. This adventure is so fast paced it almost reads itself. Keep an eye out for these nail biting ad-ventures; sequels will surely follow continuing the exciting escapades of your favorite characters.

WES Press: Adventure & Suspense

Captain Awesome to the Rescue By Stan Kirby Little Simon, $14.99 Who is Eugene McGillicudy? And will he save the day? Eu-gene McGillicudy is an eight year old boy with a big secret. Everyone thinks he is a normal boy, but he is really a superhe-ro named Captain Awesome. On Eugene’s first day of school, his teacher, Mrs. Beasley, gives him the job of taking care of the class pet, a hamster named Turbo. One day, Eugene puts Turbo in his cage and leaves the room but, when Eugene comes back, Turbo is gone. When Eugene looks on the floor, he sees hamster bedding leading to a backpack with pink ribbons. He then sees Turbo’s head sticking out the front of the backpack. Eugene is just about to get Turbo out when Mrs. Beasley tells him that it is time to go out for recess. After he goes out to recess, he comes back in and puts on his Captain Awesome costume. Captain Awesome races to the front of the classroom and tells every-body that Turbo is in the backpack with pink ribbons. Mike, a boy in the class, tells Captain Awesome that his Uncle Lewis wears pink ribbons. Meredith Mooney also wears pink rib-bons. Who stole Turbo, Meredith or Uncle Lewis? Was it someone else? It is up to Captain Awesome to solve the mys-tery. I think 2nd and 3rd graders would enjoy this book because it is funny and has lots of adventure. I liked the way Eugene kept his secret and showed up as Captain Awesome at just the right time. Reviewed by Jack Henry 2nd Grade

The False Prince By Jennifer A. Neilson Scholastic, $17.99 Four boys. One plan to fool an entire kingdom, but will they succeed? The False Prince is about a boy named Sage. Sage is a pickpocket, a thief, and a very clev-er teenaged orphan. He is on the verge of stealing a chick-en when he is tripped and caught by the butcher. Sage is about to be killed when a very formal man named Connor stops the butcher. Connor pays the butcher for the chicken and helps Sage up and walks him back to the orphanage. Conner tells Sage to pack his stuff because Connor has just bought him. After packing his things, Sage follows Conner out to the wagon. In the wagon, Sage is facing 3 boys of his age, orphans by the look of them, and a strong looking man between the ages of 20 and 30. Connor gets in the front seat and looks back to introduce everyone. Mott is the driver, Latamer is the lean, sick-looking boy, Roden is the strong looking boy, Tobias is the smart and skinny boy, and Creagan is the strong guard . Connor is one of the King’s 20 regents. He has a plan that, at the end of two weeks, he will be able to choose an orphan to become the false prince. Will Sage be chosen? Will Connor be caught? Read this book to find out. I recommend this book for 5th grade to 8th grade. I enjoyed this book because of the unpredict-ability. There are so many twists and turns, you never know what will happen next. Read this book. You won’t be able to put it down! Reviewed by Raina Kuzemka 5th Grade

Gidwitz Kept Us Howling!

By Laurie Davis - Dimensions in Art

On October 1st, award-winning author Adam Gidwitz, best known for his Brothers Grimm

adaptation, A Tale Dark and Grim, visited WES to promote his latest book, In A Glass

Grimmly. Gidwitz entertained 4th and 5th grade students and faculty alike with animated

storytelling of his youth and gross depictions of classic fairy tales. Did you know that in the

Brothers Grimm version of Cinderella, rather than a fairy godmother, a mockingbird shook

magic dust from a tree, transforming Cinderella’s tattered clothes into a beautiful gown? Or,

that in order to fit their feet into Cinderella’s lost slipper, one stepsister cut off her big toe and

the other cut off her heel?! Gidwitz encouraged students to always carry a little notebook to

write down ideas because from those ideas great stories are possible. After answering WES

students’ questions, Gidwitz personally signed each students’ purchased book. WES PTO

received a 20% profit

from each book sold and

made $180.43. We are

so fortunate to have had

such a superb speaker

as Mr. Gidwitz visit our

school, for free, courtesy

of Children’s Book World

of Haverford, PA.

Fun website for New Adventure Titles http://pages.simonandschuster.com/captainawesome/ The Captain Awesome to the Rescue site has activities and a book trailer.

http://www.flatstanleybooks.com/ The Flat Stanley site includes games and activities.

http://www.scholastic.com/FalsePrince/ This site has a book trailer, game and a mini biography of the author of The False Prince.

http://www.theguardiansbooks.com/north.php The Nicholas St North and the Battle of the Nightmare King site introduces the entire Guardian series, a trailer for the upcoming Guardian movie, and beautifully illustrated inter-active links.

http://www.katemessner.com/capture-the-flag/ Author Kate Messner’s website contains a sneak preview to Cap-ture the Flag, don’t miss What to Read Next under her “Kid” link. She’s listed some exciting new novels by other authors.

Adam Gidwitz - engaging the

students at WES during the

Dimensions in Art presentation.

We are hoping by now that parents of multiple siblings at WES have noticed a slight decrease in the volume

of fliers in their children's backpacks and folders. We've initiated our paper reduc-tion program in line with the district's goal. Our process at WES assigns fliers to only the youngest child of each family with the thought that that is the folder/backpack parents are most likely to look through. Fliers that require signatures or were forwarded from the district will not be affected. So far it will save WES over 130 pieces of paper per flier!!! Other schools in the district have developed "opt-out" programs which we will investigate and ascertain if feasible for WES or not. We have asked the PTO chairs to try to ensure all WES sponsored events provide either biodegradable or recyclable items as well as recycling bins. Reusable items did not work well last year per feedback. Recycling initiatives at WES are another focus with more to come shortly. As al-ways, ideas are welcomed, please email Susan Maeder-Chieffo at si-maed@msn.com or Katie Switala at katherine.switala@verizon.net

Susan I. Maeder-Chieffo

“It’s only ‘waste’ if you waste it.”

I’d like to welcome Chris Pieretti of Kitchen Harvest to the WES community. Chris is the organic farmer who will be growing our organic seedlings for the Spring fundraiser. He is also the founder and co-owner of Kitchen Harvest, an innovative service that con-verts kitchen scraps into to rich, high-quality organic compost, “black gold” for gardeners. It serves as both a fertilizer and pesticide in organic gardens.

Some people enjoy creating their own compost, either through a compost pile in their yard, or by creating a lasagna garden (explained in October’s issue). For others, like me, who are com-mitted in theory to the philosophy of re-using organic materials ra-ther than sending them to the landfill, but who in practice don’t always get around to carting the kitchen waste out to the compost bin, Kitchen Harvest provides a solution. Every other week, Chris provides me with a large compost bucket with a lid, which I keep in the garage. I add apple cores, vegetable peels, coffee grounds, tea bags and egg shells to a com-post bucket on my counter, which I then run out to the garage every few days. For a modest fee, Chris stops by to pick up my buck-et and leave me with a fresh one. By using the service, I also earn “Compost Cast,” which I can then use at local Farmer’s Markets, or to buy back the wonderful organic mulch that our kitchen scraps help to create.

In addition to growing seedlings for us, and helping with our gar-den education programs, Chris will be donating organic mulch for our fund-raiser. Any family that pre-orders seeds or seedlings for the Spring fund-raiser will be en-tered into a raffle for a chance to win some black gold. To learn more about Chris, check out www.mykitchenharvest.com or follow the link to see his favorable mention in a front-page article in The Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.phi l l y .com/phi l l y / l iv ing/green/20121002_Reducing_food_waste_called__quot_the_next_frontier_quot__of_recycling.html

Barbara Briggs at 610-565-2244 or barbara.briggs.esq@gmail.com.

THIS MONTH IN YOUR GARDEN Sustainability

Banana peels, coffee grounds and grass clippings have been rendered com-

pletely unrecognizable by nature's recyclers: air, water, sun and millions of tiny organisms. Organic compost is “black gold” for gardeners.

Counselor Corner November 2012 Wallingford Elementary

Welcome back to another school year. My name is Rebecca Schwam and I am the guidance counselor at WES. I would like to take this opportunity to explain my roles as the guidance counselor. As the elementary guidance counselor, I support children with their academic and social development. I explain my role to your children describing my-self as the feelings teacher in the building. This means that I make sure that every child feels safe and comfortable here at school. To you, this means I support your child with self-esteem, social skills, making friends, family changes such as divorce or death in the family, bullying, anxiety, peer relationships, organizational skills and conflict resolution. I see students through guidance lessons, one-on-one, in groups, lunch bunch sessions, and conflict resolution. Here is a more detailed description of my programs.

Conflict Resolution

The counselor helps mediate conflicts amongst peers. This means that I help children re-solve problems with their peers that might happen on the playground, cafeteria, bus or in the classroom. If this problem should become ongoing, I would contact parents for their support.

Individual Counseling

The counselor meets with students who need to talk about their feelings regarding topics such as friendship, schoolwork, or family issues. Parents, teachers, and support staff can refer a child to the guidance counselor. Parents are notified if more than a few meetings are scheduled with a student.

Students are also able to refer themselves to the guidance office through self-referral mail-boxes throughout the building. Many times children seek me out for a friendship problem, a conflict with a peer, or family changes. If children are seeing me on an ongoing basis, you will receive contact from me and a permission slip to receive my services.

Small Group Counseling

At various times, small group counseling occurs with 2-6 students. Group topics include such areas as friendships, social skills, and organization. Parents, teachers, and students can request that a child participate in a particular group.

Lunch Bunch

Throughout the school year students have the opportunity to eat lunch with me in my of-fice. Children are given the opportunity to pick a friend to eat lunch and play a game. This helps students develop new friendships and social skills in a smaller setting than the cafe-teria. Parents and students can request a lunch bunch session.

New Student Orientation

I meet with every new student to assist his/her adjustment to our building. At the beginning of the year we had the “New Kids on the Block” bulletin board. It was right outside the of-fice. It introduced and welcomed all the new students to our school.

Classroom Guidance

I am in the classroom each month for classroom guidance. During the school year, I will be teaching the Second Step Program in Kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms. It teaches students empathy, impulse control and anger management. In addition, for 3rd and 4th grade I use Steps for Respect, which is a bullying prevention program. Students learn how to recognize, refuse, and report bullying. Lastly, 5th grade participates in our Positive Psychology Program. Students learn to explore their character traits through rec-ognizing their strengths. You will see many projects come home during this program in which you will be asked to participate.

Internet Safety Basics:

Help your child under-

stand they should:

Never share their

names, schools,

ages, phone num-

bers or addresses;

Never send pictures

to strangers;

Keep passwords

private (except to

parents);

Never open email

from strangers - it

may contain viruses

that can harm a com-

puter; and

IMMEDIATELY tell

an adult if something

mean or creepy hap-

pens.

Feedback

Feedback is a classroom exercise designed to encourage children to give their peers com-pliments or concerns. Children learn how to use “I Statements” to communicate their feel-ings. An “I statement” follows this format: I feel __________ when you _________ because __________. Children can use either “happy” or “sad” feelings to share with their friends. I facilitate feedback sessions in the classroom based on the needs of the teachers.

Project Wisdom

This is a school-wide morning announcement program that teaches character education, which in turn decreases bullying and behavior incidents in school. Students in the 4th and 5th grade will have a chance to read a “Project Wisdom Announcement” over the loud speaker.

These are some of the programs the guidance department will be running this year. I look forward to working with your children.

Sincerely,

Rebecca Schwam

Wallingford Elementary Guidance Counselor

The 5th grade reps and the 5th grade class would like to send a BIG THANK YOU to all the parents and families that helped to support the First Annual WES PTO HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL! We also could not have done this without the tre-mendous support from the 5th grade students families for donating baked goods for the Cake Walk and for donating items for the Bas-ket Raffle and most im-portantly for helping to make sure your child was at the school during “off hours” to help with market-ing, then setup, than man-aging the booths at the carnival. Another Big Thanks to Diane, Bob and all the 5th grade teachers who gave their support and time to make this a successful event! This 5th grade class has started a new tradition (for the New WES) to be hand-ed down through the younger students for many years to come! CONGRATULATIONS 5th GRADE CLASS of 2012! The 5th Grade Reps

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! Counselor Corner (continued)

WES SCHOLARSHIP

As we approach the holiday season, please

consider donating to the WES Scholarship

Fund at the Wallingford Community Arts Cen-

ter (CAC). This wonderful fund allows finan-

cially deserving WES students chosen by

Mrs. Ryan and Dr. Milgrim the opportunity to attend an art class or summer

camp at the CAC on a scholarship. No donation is too small! It can be

made in honor of a special teacher at WES or in the name of your family.

The art center will notify all honorees of the gift made in their name. With

one donation, you can touch the lives of WES students, help support our

local Community Arts Center, and honor a WES teacher. If you would like

to donate, make your check out to CAC and send to the following address:

414 Plush Mill Road Wallingford, PA 19086. Please indicate "WES Schol-

arship Fund" in the note section of your check. If you would like to name

an honoree, attach a note specifying the person's name. One additional

way you can help support the WES Scholarship Fund is by spreading the

word to your friends. While the fund has had generous supporters over the

years, we are trying to make many more aware of its existence so we can

offer more children a chance to enrich their lives with art. Thanks so much

for your support!

WHY ART SCHOLARSHIPS FOR KIDS?

“Creativity is allow-

ing yourself to make

mistakes. Art is

knowing which ones

to keep.”

— Scott Adams

“The aim of art is to

represent not the

outward appearance

of things, but their

inward significance.”

— Aristotle

“Every child is an

artist. The problem is

how to remain an art-

ist once we grow

up. “

— Pablo Picasso

“No great artist ever

sees things as they

really are. If he did,

he would cease to be

an artist.”

— Oscar Wilde

B-I-N-G-O - BINGO!  Hello everyone!  Bingo Night is approaching, January 18th. 

As you begin to prepare for the holidays, we would like to remind you that we 

are looking for dona ons for Bingo Night.  During your gi  purchasing, we 

would ask that you consider picking up addi onal items as prizes.  We also ex‐

cept gi  cards as prizes.  Some ideas for these are Chick‐fil‐A, Five Below, Am‐

azon, and iTunes.  As the final prize, we offer one "big  cket" item during each 

of the two sessions.  In the past, this has been a Kindle. If you know of some‐

one who would be willing to donate an item such as this or a night out to a 

spor ng event or a night out of any sort of fun ac vity for children, we would 

greatly appreciate it. 

 

Please contact, Laurie Thomas ( lauriethomas313@gmail.com ) or Katy New‐

lon ( jknewlon@verizon.net ) with ques ons or items you would like to do‐

nate.  Thank 

you! 

A BRIGHTER FUTURE

BEGINS TODAY

610.892.3470 - Main Phone

Number for WSSD

610.565.7847 - Attendance

www.wssd.org

WES CALENDAR: November 15 - 21, 2012: Mrs. Gaur’s Milk and Cookie Stand

November 15-21, 2012: Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 15-21, 2012: Half Day for Students in grades 1-5

November 21, 2012: No School for Kindergarten

November 22-23, 2012: School Closed for Thanksgiving

November 26 - 29, 2012: ART GOES TO SCHOOL

December 3 - 7, 2012: WES - PTO Secret Workshop During Art Class

December 4, 2012: 3rd Grade to Lankenau (Haebel/Liberi)

December 5, 2012: 3rd Grade to Lankenau (Gallagher/Fantozzi)

December 7, 2012: 4th Grade to Harrisburg

December 24, 2012 - January 2, 2013: Winter Break