Read this week’s PTA newsletter here: https://www.wileypta.org/pta-newsletter

 

This year’s Principal Message will go out biweekly.  PTA updates and reminders will be sent out every other week via email or text message. 

 

Open House/Curriculum Night Thursday, September 26

 

Join us for our Open House on September 26 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. This is an opportunity for you to learn more about your child’s grade level including the curriculum, upcoming events, and classroom expectations. There will be at least two sessions offered for families with multiple children and an opportunity for kindergarten families to engage with our Language teachers. This event is intended to be for parents and guardians and at this time we have not planned for childcare, so we ask that you plan accordingly. Children who attend this event will be expected to be with an adult at all times. This includes during presentations.

 

Arrival

 

Make sure that you have your child at school by 9:15 am every morning. We will continue to demonstrate grace as you make your best effort to arrive before the tardy bell rings. Students arriving after 9:15 are marked tardy. The first bell to allow students into the building rings at 8:45 am with instruction beginning at the sound of the 9:15 bell. Consistently late students consistently miss instruction.  Fifteen minutes of missed instruction a day is more than an hour of missed instruction a week.

 

Dismissal

 

Dismissal begins at 3:45 p.m. If changes need to be made for afternoon transportation dismissal, please communicate this with your child and their homeroom teacher. If you need to communicate a change during the school day we ask that you call and communicate this with the front office before 2:30 pm. We understand that emergencies do occur but communicating with us as soon as possible will ensure that the message is delivered promptly.

 

Excused Absences for Religious/Educational Reasons

 

As you make plans for the school year, we ask that you submit requests for excused educational or religious absences well in advance. All requests should be submitted at least two to three weeks prior to the requested dates. According to policy, excused absences for educational reasons are authorized for educational experiences that are comparable to school academic experiences. The intent of the experience should be educational from the outset and an academic assignment (i.e. journal entry, reflection, presentation, images, project, etc.) will be required as verification of the educational experience.  Family trips and vacations that were not designed, initially, to be educational will not be excused. The form linked here should be used to request the excused dates weeks before the absence.

 

Office Closed Daily 3:30 - 4:15

 

The office is closed for dismissal between 3:30 and 4:15 daily. At this time, we will not be dismissing students from the office except in the event of emergencies. This is our busiest time of the day and we are completely committed to the safe and timely dismissal of all our students. If you know that you have to pick up your child for an appointment or special occasion please do so before 3:30. If your reason for early dismissal can wait we ask that you wait patiently in our carpool line as every minute of instruction matters. Thank you in advance for your patience and understanding. 

 

Transportation

 

BUS RIDERS: Please be patient with transportation as we work together to make sure that your child is safe and delivered to school in a timely manner. Remember that if your child is a bus rider they are required to have a bus tag to get on the bus in the afternoon and students in kindergarten and first grade are not allowed to get off the bus unless an adult is visible and recognizable.

 

CARPOOL:  If you need a carpool tag please visit our receptionist in the front office. Our carpool is extremely quick and efficient. Please make sure that your carpool number is hanging in your window and facing the outside during dismissal. The first few weeks will be the slowest, but if you pay attention, follow the traffic pattern, and stop at the correct cone (and not your child)  we will be done in 30 minutes or less.  Cars should line up and wait at the entrance of the parking lot until 3:30. PLEASE STAY IN LINE AND DO NOT JUMP WAITING CARS. 

 

WALKERS: Visit the office if you need a walker tag. Remember that if your child is actually walking home they must leave the premises at dismissal. Families who choose to hang around and play at the playground must adhere to our playground rules.

 

Volunteer renewal closes Oct. 1

 

Families and individuals who were approved to volunteer in the 2023-24 school year will receive a reminder email about the simple volunteer renewal process for the 2024-25 school year. Renew their volunteer status by Oct. 1. Review volunteer renewal details. New Volunteers start here: https://www.wcpss.net/Page/55232

 

New Quick Pass system for visitor management kiosks

 

Effective this month, Verkada has released an upgrade to our “Guest” platform that will allow approved, vetted visitors/parents to create a “quick pass” QR code on their smartphones that can be used during the signing process in order to expedite the process on future visits. A Guest Pass can expedite a visitor’s sign-in for multiple Guest Types, but new sign-in steps that the visitor has not completed previously must be completed. Expiration: Guest Passes will last 1 year since they were last used. Guest Passes that have not been used for more than 1 year will expire

 

School meal price increase

 

The Board approved a 25-cent price increase for school meals for the 2024-25 school year. At elementary schools, full-paid breakfast will be $1.75 and lunch will be $3.50. At middle and high schools, full-paid breakfast will be $2.00 and lunch will be $3.75. The price increase is necessary to cover rising costs of food, supplies, and wages and benefits for staff.

 

New bus delay notification system

 

Starting this school year, parents of students who ride the bus now can receive up-to-the-minute notifications via text and/or email when their child’s bus is delayed. The system has been in use for year-round schools and has worked well, saving staff time and providing parents information quickly. To receive the notification messages, parents will need to make sure they have given permission to receive text and/or email notifications via SchoolMessenger. Bus delays also can be viewed by clicking on the Live Bus Updates link on an individual school’s transportation page, or by visiting wcpss.net/busupdates. Parents also can still track your child’s bus using the Here Comes the Bus app.

 

Teacher Shout Out 

 

This year we want to share and shout out all the amazing things that Wiley teachers are doing for your students. If you have an amazing story to share or just want to tell a teacher how much you appreciate all they do, use this link:  Comments will be shared with the teacher and the Wiley staff. 

Wiley PTA

Wiley PTA Annual Fund

 

The goal for this year’s Annual Fund is $18,000 which amounts to $43/student. Donate to support the events, programs and initiatives that Wiley PTA provides for staff, students and families. Double the impact of your donation through corporate matching. Check with your company’s HR to determine if your gift can be matched. Read more about where your Annual Fund donation goes here.

 

Register for Fall Afterschool Clubs

 

Wiley PTA coordinates three six-week sessions of afterschool clubs throughout the school year. The clubs are administered by TEK, which pays our teachers to lead the clubs. Participation in clubs supports our teachers. TEK will send club placement information once registration is closed. Fall Afterschool Clubs will run on Tuesdays, 9/24 - 10/29 from 4:15-5:30pm. Learn more about club topics and register here.

 

Sustainability Meeting

 

The Sustainability Committee will hold two interest meetings on Thursday, 9/12. Meet in person at 9am at the picnic tables near the Main Office or attend virtually at 8pm through Zoom. Click here to join the Zoom meeting: https://us04web.zoom.us/j/77303171616. Meeting ID: 773 0317 1616, passcode: 1K4kZX.

 

Wiley Family Directory

 

Connect with other Wiley families or find a Carpool Partner by opting in to our Family Directory. Families need to renew every year. To join or renew, visit our Family Directory page.

 

Wiley Band

 

Registration for the Wiley Band is open! All Wiley 3rd-5th graders are eligible for band. Beginning Band meets Monday & Wednesday before school. Wiley Band starts Monday, 9/9. Tuition is $515 for the year. Register here today or learn more at https://www.wileypta.org/programs/band.

 

Fall Wiley Wear is Here!

 

Shop our new Wiley t-shirts, hats and visors here. Sale will close on Friday, 9/20. Purchases will be delivered to your child’s homeroom around the beginning of October.

 

Wiley Foundation

Wiley Way Soirée

 

Get ready for this year's Wiley Way Soirée! Join parents and teachers at our "Around the World"-themed party on Friday, October 18, 7-10 pm. Bid on amazing silent auction items October 11-18. Click here to buy early bird tickets, see NEW sponsorship options, or donate an auction item.

 

The Soirée is the primary fundraising event at Wiley to support the Cecilia Rawlins Fund and the Wiley Elementary Foundation. Proceeds from the Soirée are shared 50-50 by the two non-profits, which are separate from the PTA.

• The Cecilia Rawlins Fund supports students and families in the Wiley community who require essential living assistance, such as food and housing. This need has grown dramatically at our school during the past two years. Addressing these needs helps students succeed in the classroom and lets teachers focus on teaching.

• The Wiley Elementary Foundation supplements key areas of teacher/staff pay. The money it raises fills gaps left by public education budget cuts in areas such as AIG and magnet programming; paying for more Wiley teacher/staff hours results in lower student-teacher ratios, more instructional time, and a stronger magnet program.

Upcoming Dates