Happy Holidays, Wildcats!

Community Helper Day

Today, Mr. Cappas and I had the privilege of visiting our Kindergarten classrooms as they participated in Community Helper Day.  Students were dressed as various community helpers and they presented information on their selected role as well.  We were so impressed with the scope of their research and presentations!

'Tis The Season For GDW's Holiday Hoopla

This evening, over 400 Wildcat families participated in GDW's Third Annual Holiday Hoopla.  This year's event featured a holiday store, guest readers, crafts, games, talented musicians from Hampshire High School, and even a visit from Santa.  A fun and festive time was had by all.  We would like to thank our PTO, GDW Staff, and HHS for all of your support in making this another memorable event.

November's Pawsome Card Raffle

On Friday, the winners of November's Pawsome Card Raffle were announced and fifteen students from each grade received either a poster or a Smencil.  Keep demonstrating respect, responsibility, and readiness while earning those Pawsome Cards, Wildcats!  We will continue to have Pawsome card incentives to look forward to each month.

Happy Thanksgiving, GDW!

GDW Honors Our Veterans

In honor of Veterans Day, the students and staff at Gary D. Wright Elementary School participated in a variety of activities. In addition to wearing red, white, and blue; we collected granola bars to send to troops; and wrote heartfelt letters giving thanks to those who have served and are currently serving in the U.S. Military.  In addition, we welcomed some distinguished guests to our school who provided us with an opportunity to learn about their experiences in the military and ask questions.  Thank you, Colonel Witczak and Technical Sergeant Pugh, for your service to our country and for taking time to talk to our Wildcats about Veterans Day! 

Happy Halloween, GDW!

From classroom parties to our costume parade, GDW students and staff enjoyed our Halloween festivities.  We would like to thank all of our volunteers for helping to make the day extra special!  Happy Halloween, Wildcats!

GDW's Storybook Pumpkin Patch

Tim Hannig's Pro-Kids Show Visits GDW

Today, GDW students and staff were able to participate in Tim Hannig's Pro-Kids Show.  Hannig's Show is a fast-paced, entertaining one-man show with custom music, amazing illusions, hilarious comedy, ventriloquism, drama, and audience involvement.  However, the Pro-Kids Show is more than just entertainment. Throughout the unique program, the audience was reminded of the importance of character traits like honesty, respect, cooperation and responsibility. We would like to thank our PTO for providing the funding for this wonderful assembly for our school!

GDW Second Graders Present "The Day The Crayons Quit"

This evening, under the direction of GDW Music Teachers - Ms. Crater and Mr. Valdivia, our second graders presented The Day The Crayons Quit.  It was a wonderful music performance!

Thank you, Hampshire Fire Department!

Throughout the month of October, GDW students have been provided with fire prevention education from the Hampshire Fire Department. The month's activities culminated with several of our students and their families joining Mr. Cappas and me at the Hampshire Fire Department for an awards ceremony honoring the following GDW Students for their efforts on the HFD Coloring and Fire Escape Plan Contest: Ella Skolar (Kindergarten), Ella Marek (First Grade), Adele Velazquez (Second Grade - Not Pictured), and Nathaniel Ohprecio (Third Grade).  Congratulations to our student winners and thank you to the Hampshire Fire Department for their commitment to our community!

Google Expeditions AR Pioneer Program Visits GDW

Today, GDW students and staff in first through fifth grades were able to experience augmented reality as part of the Google Expeditions AR Pioneer Program.  Students were able to explore various concepts through a guided tour including topics such as the solar system, ocean floor, or forces of nature while using technology to bring 3D images to life right in our classrooms.  The looks of wonder and awe generated as a result of this opportunity were truly priceless!  Thank you, Google Expeditions, for providing this amazing opportunity to our students and staff!

PTO Culvers Restaurant Night Fundraiser

This evening, GDW fifth grade students volunteered at Culvers as part of our PTO's Culvers Night.  Not only did our student volunteers have fun while everyone in attendance enjoyed a delicious meal, but our PTO also received a donation from Culver's in excess of $1,000!

Raise The Roof For PTO's Walk-A-Thon Fundraiser Success

Mr. Cappas and I spent the day on our school's roof as a result of our students exceeding the PTO's fundraising goals for our annual Walk-A-Thon.  In total, over $30,000 in donations were collected, which meant that I had to conquer my fear of getting onto the roof.  I found no better way than to get into character as a magical unicorn accompanied by my trusty side-kick, Spider-Man!  Together, we spent the day on the roof and had a blast interacting with the students and staff.  A huge thanks to our PTO for providing items such as frisbees for us to throw out to our super fans.  Mr. Cappas and I are so proud to be a part of such an amazing school community!  Way to go, Wildcats!

PTO Grandparents Day

Today, GDW students invited their grandparents to school as part of our PTO's Grandparents Day.    We were honored to be able to spend the day with our special guests and treated them to some musical selections, special projects, photos, and snacks.

PTO Dads & Donuts

Many of our Wildcat Dads were up late on Thursday evening as they watched the Cubs earn another "W", however, that didn't stop them from waking up early to come to school and enjoy the morning with their kids!  This morning, our fabulous PTO treated GDW students and their dads to dozens of donuts as part of their annual Dads & Donuts event.  In total, nearly 65 dozen donuts were served, and judging by the smiles below (and a few messy faces), a good time was had by all. 

GDW Goes Blue

Today, Gary D. Wright Elementary School students and staff participated in Blue Shirt Day® World Day of Bullying Prevention™.  A huge thank you to Mrs. Neitzel for her efforts in creating staff shirts for the occasion and for taking the staff picture featured below.