PTO Walk-a-Thon

Today, Gary D. Wright Elementary School participated in our annual Walk-a-thon, which is a PTO fundraiser.  Our entire school spent the morning walking, dancing, and participating in other fun challenges on the Hampshire High School track.  We had a blast and also raised $25,776.39 in the process!  I would like to take an opportunity to thank everyone involved in making this event a huge success, including our PTO, parent volunteers, students, staff, Mr. Hicks and Hampshire High School for so graciously hosting us, and all those who donated time and/or funds in support of the Gary D. Wright Elementary School learning community!  I am so proud to be a Wildcat!

Greetings From Camp Duncan

The GDW Fifth Grade Team took their show on the road today, as they traveled to YMCA Camp Duncan for a field trip filled with team building activities and outdoor environmental education fun!  YMCA Camp Duncan, located in Ingleside, Illinois, provides students with the opportunity to make nature their classroom as they learn throughout its 300 acres of forest trails, meadowlands, and 65-acre lake.  As you can see from the photos below, Camp Duncan was a memorable experience for GDW's Fifth Grade Team!

Midwest PBIS Network Silver Level Recipient

We are pleased to announce that Gary D. Wright Elementary School was recently recognized by the Midwest PBIS Network as a Silver Level Recipient for the 2015-2016 school year.  Gary D. Wright Elementary School is part of a larger community of implementers across the country with a strong commitment to positive student outcomes and PBIS implementation.  As a recognized school, we are prominently featured on the Midwest PBIS Network website.  We are both thankful to all of the students, staff, parents, and community who support our efforts and excited to see our school’s progress throughout the 2016-2017 school year!

So Many Activities, So Little Time

Students who are involved in extracurricular activities, from chess club to cheerleading to chorus, tend to have higher self-esteem and stronger connections to school. But an overloaded schedule with too many activities can have the opposite effect, leaving kids and parents stressed out. Each month, the National Association of Elementary School Principals publishes its Report to Parents.  This month's Report to Parents, "So Many Activities, So Little Time", offers families strategies to support their child's extracurricular activities while ensuring they're manageable.

Wildcat Summer Challenge

Throughout the summer, Gary D. Wright Elementary School students had the opportunity to participate in the Wildcat Summer Challenge.  Students were challenged to complete the following tasks each week: engage in 45 minutes of iReady Math lessons, 45 minutes of iReady Reading lessons, and pass at least one iReady Math and Reading lesson.  For each week students met this criteria, they earned a chance to win cool prizes including Chicago White Sox tickets, Culver’s custard, bowling at Brunswick Zone, and more!  Thank you to our PTO for providing the funds to create yard signs for the Wildcat Summer Challenge, and to all of our community sponsors who donated prizes in support of our students’ accomplishments throughout the summer!

Congratulations to GDW fourth grader, Ploylinn Xaypharath, for winning the Wildcat Summer Challenge grand prize – an iPad mini!  Additionally, congratulations to all of our Wildcat Summer Challenge participants!  We would also like to thank our Wildcat families for promoting the challenge with your children.  For those families who submitted their child's photo, thank you!  We have included them in this blog post!

Welcome Back to School, Wildcats!

Welcome back to school, Wildcats!  We have spent the summer preparing for what is sure to be the best year ever and it was so exciting to kick things off this past week!

Our first day of school began with our first ever Boohoo Yahoo Breakfast sponsored by the PTO. Parents of incoming kindergarten students were able to meet in the cafeteria to enjoy breakfast, find out about the many ways to become involved in our learning community, and network with one another.

To commemorate the first day of school, we gathered around our school's flag pole to celebrate our annual balloon release.  We were honored to have Mr. Gary D. Wright himself in attendance.  Mr. Wright addressed the students, staff, and families.  He then spent the first day of school with Dr. Unruh and myself visiting classrooms, where we had the privilege of welcoming back our students and engaging in many creative getting to know you activities that our incredibly talented staff planned.

This week, students were able to have fun on our newly installed playground equipment, thanks to the support of our PTO and Wildcat learning community!  Additionally, Mr. Krivosik, our Band and Orchestra Teacher, held an assembly for our fifth grade students to preview instruments.

Our first week back to school was amazing and I look forward to what our future will hold throughout the 2016-2017 school year!

The Rewards of Reading

Encouraging children to read at home is one of the most powerful ways that parents can support students' learning.  Just 15 minutes of reading at home per day can make a difference in students' reading fluency.   Each month, the National Association of Elementary School Principals publishes its Report to Parents.  This month's Report to Parents, "The Rewards of Reading", offers families strategies to get kids reading more at home.