Friday, February 1, 2013

Open House

Thanks to everyone for participating in our January Open House.  Students were so excited to share their learning with you.  We appreciated the time you spent listening and giving feedback to our students.  Students will have the opportunity to make a more formal presentation of their learning to their peers in the coming weeks.  Many presented today, and we will have more present in morning meetings and kiva throughout the next couple of weeks. 

Marko, The Magician

Thanks to everyone who helped out and came to see Marko, the Magician last Saturday.  The fundraiser was successful, raising $1,829 for our DC Field Trip!

Thai Scholar, Nina, Coming to WSD Next Week

Williston Schools will be hosting a teacher from Thailand, beginning Monday.  Swift House will be officially welcoming her on Thursday.  We will be asking a couple of students to share some music, and we will be giving her a sterling silver Swift pin.  Mrs. Donnelly and Mrs. Longchamp will be inviting her into social studies classes during the spring semester to share her culture.

New Literature Groups Begin Monday

Students will begin new literature groups on Monday.  Please ask them about their books as well as their reading schedules.

New Science and Social Studies Classes Begin Monday

With our open house over, we will start ten weeks of new classes in science and social studies.  We will be running these class as we did in the fall.  We will be alternating "Blue" and "Gold" days (science and social studies), allowing for long blocks of time for research, inquiries, and activities. 

Swift Students and The Stock Market Game

All students on Swift House will begin their social studies classes with an engaging introduction to the stock market by participating in the Stock Market Game (SMG).  Students will be divided into teams of 3-4 and given 100,000 to invest.  The simulation runs from February 4-April 12.  SMG is the only market simulation that is endorsed by the New York Stock Exchange and is correlated to voluntary national and state standards in Math, Economics, Business Education, English Language Arts, Family and Consumer Sciences, Technology and Social Studies. It is run by a non-profit foundation that does not accept advertising or merchandise company products in delivering the program. It has more than 30 years of educational programming built into and around it and is played in schools around the world.

We encouraged students to look at the products they use on a regular basis and come into school with some ideas of companies in which they would potentially invest.  We will be posting the rankings of the top portfolios!  If you'd like to read up on the game, visit www.stockmarketgame.com.

Front Door Locks and Cameras at WCS

All visitors to WCS will have to press the intercom button located above the handicap button and speak with the receptionist before being “buzzed” in. Press the button briefly, and stand by the buzzer as you identify yourself and wait to be admitted. You do not need to hold the button to talk. This will be the new process for entering the school building during the school day.

Scripps National Spelling Bee

Qualifying Test: Wednesday, February 6th at 12:30 in the WCS Dining Room.  If your child is interested, please see the School Bell for spelling lists.