Wheeling News and Views

Wheeling Elementary School“Where Learning is a Family Affair”

472 South Wheeling StreetAurora, Colorado 80012Phone: 303-344-8670

Fax: 303-326-1246

Jan Lotter, Principal

March 2008

March is CSAP Testing month. Our third grade students have already completed the Reading portion of CSAP and will continue with the remaining tests in March. Our goal all year has been to increase our level of proficiency for reading and math on the CSAP tests. Our schedule for the CSAP tests are as follows:

March 4-6 4th and 5th grade math and 5th grade scienceMarch 11-13 4th and 5th grade reading, 3rd grade mathMarch 18-20 3rd through 5th grade writing

Please be sure your student is in school, on time.Be sure your student has eaten breakfast and is well rested.Place positive emphasis upon the importance of your student doing his or her best on all schoolwork, including CSAP.

If you have any questions about CSAP, please feel free to contact the school at 303-344-8670.

Other notes:Math/Science Night was held on February 21 and was a huge success. We had 175 participants. Thanks to your planning committee and all families who participated.

Our Leadership Team and Parent Accountability group will be looking at three year goals for Wheeling. You are welcome to participate at the next PTA meeting which will be March 5 at 6:15.

We continue to learn more about the International Bac-calaureate Primary Years Program We will be sending 8 teachers to visit other existing programs in the area, as well as sending more teachers to training. We have a consultant who will speak to the staff in April and will be hosting a Parent Information meeting about the program in late April.

Jan LotterPrincipalWheeling Elementary303-344-8060

Activities For The Month of MarchThursday, March 6 Third Quarter EndsMonday, March 24 thru Spring Recess – NO SCHOOL!Friday, March 28Monday, March 31 School Resumes from Spring Break

IMPORTANT FUTURE DATES:2008 SCHOOL YEARWednesday, April 16 ARTS EXPLOSIONThursday, April 17 5th Grade Orientation Night At Aurora Hills Middle School 6:00 p.m. Technology FairFriday, April 25 Wheeling School CarnivalFriday, May 2nd K-5 ILP Conferences All Student K- 5 students will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. Lunch will be served at Wheeling Elementary School Ms. Bonds A.M. Kindergarten Class Attends Friday, May 9 K-5 Individual Literacy Plans Conferences- All Student K- 5 students will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. Lunch will be served at Wheeling Elementary School Ms. Bonds P.M. Kindergarten Class Attends Thursday, May 15 Field Day/PBS Assembly Friday, May 16 Teacher Inservice – NO CLASSES K-12Monday, May 19 Academic Awards AssemblyTuesday, May 20 Kindergarten Graduation Wednesday, May 21 5th Grade Graduation Wednesday, May 21 Last Day of School and Last Day of Term 4 Thursday, May 22 Teacher Workday – NO CLASSES K-12Monday May 28 Memorial Day- No Classes K-12Tuesday, May 27- 5th Block Begins for those students who qualify June 26

School Nurse Notes:

Safe bike riding and In-line skating:

Broken bones will mend, Torn skin will heal, But the brain is fragile And the damage real.

A quote from HEAD STRONG, a coalition for the prevention of traumatic brain injury. The brain IS fragile and damage to it is permanent.

Children ride bikes and do in-line skating every day, fall, get minor scratches and quickly get back up. HOWEVER, each year over half a million people are injured and require emergency room treatment from injuries.

PREVENTION of injuries requires wearing protec-tive equipment: Don’t let your children ride a bike or skate without recommended safety equipment.

Talk about the importance of using safety equipment. If they start using protective equipment early, it will seem very natural and continue doing so in later year.

HAVE A SAFE AND FUN SUMMER BIKE RID-ING AND SKATING!

Karen PachecoHealth Para Wheeling Elementary School

10 TIPS FOR SAFE BICYCLING FROM COLORADO SAFE KIDS:1. On every ride wear a helmet, which is certified by

SNELL, ANSI or ASTM.2. See and be seen. Wear bright colored clothing3. Avoid riding at night. Use a bike light and have

reflectors on the bike and your clothes.4. Pay attention to the road or path. Rocks, tree limbs,

animals and other drivers may be hazardous.5. Ride with traffic in a single file. It is dangerous to

ride against traffic.6. Ride defensively and ALWAYS be aware of traffic

even on quiet streets.7. Learn the rules of the road and obey all traffic laws.8. Keep your bike in good condition. Check brakes

and tire pressure frequently.9. Ride a bike that fits your height. When in the saddle

your feet should comfortably touch the ground.10. If your bike has quick release wheels make sure they

are secure before the ride.

If you would like further information about CSKC call 303-692-2585.

Music and Art Notes!We will be celebrating the arts this month with ARTS EXPLOSION on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008. The art show will be in the halls of Wheeling featuring theartwork of all students from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

The 2nd graders and 4th graders will be giving concerts that evening, April 16th, in the Wheeling auditorium the following times:

2nd Grade Concert - 6:00 p.m.4th Grade Concert - 6:45 p.m.

The singers are asked to arrive 10 minutes early andmeet in the auditorium dressed nicely for the concert.

We look forward to entertaining the parents, friends, and family as we celebrate the arts.

Sincerely, Muriel Austad, Music TeacherNancy Moseley, Art Teacher

APS Uses Connect-Edto Reach ParentsWe are implementing a new messaging service throughout Aurora Public Schools. This new service is called Connect-ED and will enable us to personally communicate with parents about emer-gency situations, school events and other issues impacting your child. The system will allow us to send personalized messages to your family’s home, work, cell phones and e-mail addresses. We will be able to reach every family in the district within an hour. Connect-ED will replace our current system, Infinite Campus Messenger, which takes more than 12 hours to reach families and does not have the ability to reach staff.

It is important that we have all of your current telephone numbers and e-mail addresses so that you will not miss out on any important communication. Please log on to the Infinite Campus portal at www.aps.k12.co.us/family/portal/ to update your informa-tion or contact the school office staff.

WHEELING CARNIVAL!!!Spring is just around the corner, and with it comes the Wheeling Carnival!!! The carnival will be held on Friday, April 25 from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. To ensure that this year’s carnival is fun and safe, we are asking for any help you can give us. Please notify us at 303-344-8670 as soon as possible if you will be available to volunteer. Tickets for the carnival will be on sale from April 9th thru April 25th, 2008. Tickets purchased between April 9th and noon on April 25th are 5 for a $1.00. Tickets purchased after noon on April 25th are 4 for a $1.00.

Centralized AdmissionsCHANGE OF ADDRESS PROCEDURESParents/guardians who have changed their address need to visit Centralized Admissions to verify their new address.To verify your address please do one of the following:

IF YOU RENT, please bring ONE of the following:• SignedLeasedorRentalAgreement(current)• Notarizedletterfromlandlordifyoudon’thavea

rental agreement

IF YOU OWN YOUR HOME, please bring ONE of the following:• WarrantyDeed,DeedofTrust,orBillofSale• Purchasecontractwithpossessiondate(notclosing

date)• CurrentXcelEnergybillunderyourname(lastor

currentmonth)• AdamsorArapahoeCountytaxbillforcurrentyear

IF YOU ARE LIVING WITH ANOTHER FAMILY, all of the following are required:• Anotarizedletterfromtheownerofthehomewith

whom you live stating the length of time you will be staying.

• ProofofaddressfromtheOWNEROFTHEHOUSE

(Proofisbasedonwhetherthepersonyoulivewithownsorrentstheirhome,seeaboverequirements.)

Hours and Locations of Centralized Admissions: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday690PeoriaStreet,SuiteF(southeastcornerofHoffmanHeightsShoppingCenter)1250S.BuckleyRd,SuiteL(southeastcornerofMissis-sippi&Buckley)

Fifth Block of InstructionGeneral Information about Fifth BlockBeginning summer 2008, Aurora Public Schools will offer a voluntary fifth block of instruction for students who have shown academic growth during the school year and who could benefit most from additional learning time. Fifth block will provide 23 additional days of instruction for students who are making prog-ressinmathandliteracy(readingandwriting)butarenot yet considered proficient. Staff at each school will select 50 students from each elementary school and 100 from each K-8, middle and high school. Invita-tions to attend will be offered to those students near proficiency in math and literacy and who have had continuous enrollment in APS for at least one year (March2007toMarch2008),consistentattendanceand overall good behavior.

The regular school year runs from August 7, 2007, to May 21, 2008. Fifth block will be offered from May 27, 2008, to June 26, 2008, for the 2007-08 school year. School staff will notify parents of eligible stu-dents between March 31 and April 3, 2008, and par-ents must confirm enrollment to accept participation in fifth block. Transportation, breakfast/lunch and nursing services will be made available to students. There will be no need to reapply for free or reduced lunch.

APS will also offer its traditional summer school to many students. In the spring of 2008, APS will provide parents the APS Activity Guide, which will include information about additional summer learn-ing opportunities for students.

For more information about Fifth Block Instruction, visit www.aps.k12.co.us/schools/fifthblock.

Be Alert to Parking Regulations The Aurora Police Department has received numerous complaints from Wheeling neighbors about illegally parked cars and inconsiderate drivers, especially during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times. Since it is important for us to be good neighbors to those who live in this neighborhood and for our students to learn from the good example of their parents, please observe the following rules:• DONOTparkinorblockdriveways.Thelawstatesthereisnoparkingwithin5’ofeitherapublicorprivatedriveway.• DONOTdoubleparkorotherwiseblocktraffic.Thisisanobvioussafetyissueforeveryone.• DOparkonWheelingStreetinfrontofWheelingoraroundthecorneronAlaskaAvenueifyouneedtocomeintothe

school.• DONOTdrivethroughthedrivewayorparkinglotswhenbusesarearrivingat(8:45-8:50a.m.)orduringdismissalat

(3:20-3:30p.m.)• DoNotEnterorparkonthestaffparkinglot.

APS Adopts Standards-Based Grading for All Schools by Fall 2009!

APS will be adopting Standards-Based Grading dis-trict-wide in the fall of 2009 in order to assess student work. The current grading system measures students against each other. Standards-Based Grading will mea-sure students against the Colorado state standards and will bring us into alignment with what we are already doing with assessment, instruction and curriculum. Standards-Based Grading will allow teachers to accu-rately show how students are learning their particular subject area. Standards-Based Grading is currently used in all of the elementary schools and K-8 schools in APS. Over the next few months we will be working with students, staff members and parents to develop how Standards-Based Grading will work in APS for all schools. To learn more about SBG, visit http://www.aps.k12.co.us/family/grading.

Win Cash For Our SchoolMore Choices…. More Points…. For Our School!Town Center at Aurora, in partnership with Aurora Public Schools, continues Cash for Class - a point re-demption program which can turn into a cash award for your school!

How it WorksSimply bring your Town Center at Aurora receipts, report card or collage acceptance letter Simon Guest Services to redeem these items for points! You have plenty of time to participate in Cash for Class. It run now through May 2008.

Special POINT Bonuses!1,000 Points for completed “Get the Goods” Teen Punch Cards. Pick yours up at Simon Guest Services and you could win a $1,500 Shopping Spree to Town Center at Aurora.

500 Points for every completed Shopping Wish List redeemed per child. Pick up your Wish List at Simon Guest Services today.

Receive 3 points for every dollar spent at: Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Anchor, Blue, Charlotte Russe, The Children Palce,d.e,m.o, Finish Line, Foot Locker stores, Holister; Hot Topic and NY & Co.

Aurora Public School Announces 2008-2009 Kindergarten RegistrationStarting March 17, 2008Child must be 5 years of age on or before October 1, 2008 to enter kindergarten in August 2008.Centralized Admissions will accept registration for Kindergarteners starting March 17, 2008 between the hours of 7:30 am to 4:00 pm Monday thru Friday. You may visit one of our sites at 1250 S. Buckley Road, Suite L(Mississippi&Buckleyshoppingcenter)or690PeoriaStreet,SuiteF(HoffmanHeightsShoppingCenterat6th&Peoria).Phonenumberis303-326-2200.We will be open during spring break.Please bring the following information:• BirthCertificate• ImmunizationRecord(staterequired)• PhotoIDofparent/guardian• PROOFYOULIVEATYOURADDRESS• Ifyouownyourhome:WarrantyDeed,current

property tax bill, or current Xcel Energy bill• Ifyourent:acurrentsignedlease• Ifyoulivewithanotherfamily:pleasebringano-

tarized letter from the owner of the home stating that you live with them, the length of time that you will be living there and their signed lease if they rent or their Xcel bill if they own their home.