2 wes pto - wallingford-swarthmore school district · sandra emmanouilides for taking on the big...

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November 2011 Volume 3 DOLORE SIT AMET ERAT TE BLANDIT DIUS ALISED VELI WISI ERAT DOLRE SIT ENIM ERAT ELIT .................. 1 ALISED VELI DOLORE SIT ET ERAT TE BLANDIT DIISI TE WISI ERAT DOLRE SIT ENIM ERAT ELIT .................. 2 WES PTO WES: BUILDING THE FUTURE TOGETHER IN 2011/2012 WALLINGFORD SWARTHMORE SCHOOL DISTRICT WALLINGFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Preparing students to change the future November, 2011 Dear WES Families: November is packed with acƟviƟes at WES! We kick othe month with the PTO Book Fair the rst week in No- vember, and we end the month with parent/teacher conferences. In between, our children will also parƟcipate in the Art Goes to School program. Art Goes to School is a naƟonal program through which trained volunteers visit classrooms to present various, diverse works of art to our students. Our children always enjoy the Art Goes to School visits, and we are grateful to the volunteers—many of whom are current and past WES parents—who share their Ɵme, knowledge, and enthusiasm for art with our kids. This year, November will also include the Wallingford-Swarthmore Relay for Life. Headed up by Strath Haven High School students and several district stamembers, Relay for Life is a wonderful community event that rais- es money for the American Cancer Society. This year’s Relay will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the George King Field at Strath Haven Middle School from 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. WES is always proud to eld a large team of staand families. We hope to see you there. And when you come, be sure to visit the snack bar: the WES stawill be working there throughout the day. ( ConƟnued on Next Page )

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Page 1: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

November 2011 Volume 3 DOLORE SIT AMET ERAT TE BLANDIT DIUS ALISED VELI WISI ERAT DOLRE SIT ENIM ERAT ELIT .................. 1

ALISED VELI DOLORE SIT ET ERAT TE BLANDIT DIISI TE WISI ERAT DOLRE SIT ENIM ERAT ELIT .................. 2

WES PTO W E S : B U I L D I N G T H E F U T U R E T O G E T H E R I N 2 0 1 1 / 2 0 1 2

WALLINGFORD SWARTHMORE

S C H O O L D I S T R I C T

WA L L I N G F O R D E L E M E N TA RY S C H O O L

Preparing students to change the future November, 2011 Dear WES Families: November is packed with ac vi es at WES! We kick off the month with the PTO Book Fair the first week in No-vember, and we end the month with parent/teacher conferences. In between, our children will also par cipate in the Art Goes to School program. Art Goes to School is a na onal program through which trained volunteers visit classrooms to present various, diverse works of art to our students. Our children always enjoy the Art Goes to School visits, and we are grateful to the volunteers—many of whom are current and past WES parents—who share their me, knowledge, and enthusiasm for art with our kids. This year, November will also include the Wallingford-Swarthmore Relay for Life. Headed up by Strath Haven High School students and several district staff members, Relay for Life is a wonderful community event that rais-es money for the American Cancer Society. This year’s Relay will take place on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at the George King Field at Strath Haven Middle School from 10:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. WES is always proud to field a large team of staff and families. We hope to see you there. And when you come, be sure to visit the snack bar: the WES staff will be working there throughout the day.

( Con nued on Next Page )

Page 2: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

(Continued ) From Our Principal

BUILDING THE FUTURE

WES

November 13-19

brings the 90th

celebration of

American Educa-

tion Week, an ini-

tiative originally

created by the

National Educa-

tion Association

and the American

Legion in 1919.

… Across the

country, we cele-

brate one group

in particular on

November 16:

Education Sup-

port Profession-

als.

( Con nued from Front Page )

November 13-19 brings the 90th celebra on of American Educa on Week, an ini a ve originally created by the Na onal Educa on Associa on and the Ameri-can Legion in 1919 in response to concerns about illiteracy and poor physical fit-ness among World War I dra ees. The original intent of the week was to gener-ate public support for educa on. Today, we s ll strive to use that week to bring a en on to some of the ac vi es and people that are instrumental in providing our children with a quality educa on. Across the country, we celebrate one group in par cular on November 16: Educa on Support Professionals. Here at WES, we are privileged to benefit from a remarkable cadre of Educa on Support Professionals who enhance our children’s and teachers’ experiences every day. They are responsible for everything from decora ng bulle n boards to assis ng teachers with instruc on in the classroom. They are the ones who supervise our children in the lunchroom and at lunch recess, who perform numerous clerical du es, and who make sure parent notes and wrapping paper orders get to the right place. They take care of everyone here at school, and we are all deeply grateful. They are: Instruc onal Support Susan Boyle Jean (“Angie”) Hopkins Lynne e Jones Sandy Mar no Terry McGeehan Jill McGinnity Anne Mulhern Suzanne O’Neill Sue Polselli Amanda Pugliese Jenna Russo Kathy Salom Michelle Schiller ‘Cille Scidurlo Jennifer Vallieres Eileen Vansant

( Con nued )

Page 3: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

(Continued ) Even More From Our Principal

( Con nued from Front Page )

Secretary/Instructional Support Tanika Johnson School Secretary Norma Long Technical Support Specialist Connie Marchei Custodians Bob Vasaturo Diane McGurk In celebration of American Education Week, we invite you to stop in the lobby before or after your par-ent-teacher conferences for some refreshments. And for helpful guidance as you head into confer-ences, take a look at the article entitled “Keep the Lines of Communication Open with School” that ap-pears in this newsletter. We can’t think of November without thinking about Thanksgiving. We at WES annually conduct a Turkey Drive that provides full Thanksgiving dinners for as many as 100 needy families. Please watch for infor-mation in the next few weeks about the Turkey Drive, and help us to maintain the generosity to those in need that has always characterized WES. The WES community sets the standard for philanthropy and thinking of others. All of the events de-scribed in this column reflect contributions of time, energy, money, expertise, and goods. And they re-flect not only the altruism of the adults in our community, but the children, as well. Often, community members ask me about other ways they can contribute to our children. As I have in the past, I’d like to mention two opportunities.

( Con nued )

Page 4: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

(Continued ) And a Little Bit More From Our Principal

( Con nued from Front Page )

Several years ago, we established the WES Scholarship Fund at the Community Arts Center. In the ensuing years, we have provided approximately three children each year with scholarships for classes ranging from Summer Spree to Lego Building Adventures. A second opportunity is an ASK (Alumni Supporting Kids) Scholarship. The mission of ASK is to provide funding for the economically disadvantaged children of WSSD in order to enable them to participate in activities that will enrich their lives, support their talents, and develop their interests. Since its incep-tion several years ago, ASK has funded scholarships for WES students in gymnastics, music lessons, and art classes. To learn more about ASK, please contact Liz Morris Orye at 610-565-9996 or [email protected]. With the holiday season approaching, and many people thinking about meaningful holiday gifts, please keep these—or any cause that is meaningful to you—in mind. The best gift you can give to the staff here at WES is a gift that benefits our children! And, finally, on behalf of all of us at WES, I want to thank all of you. Every day you do things big and small, from being guest readers in the classroom to orchestrating Pancake Day and a Haunted House. Every day you enrich our lives. We recognize how fortunate we are, and we are most grateful. Sincerely, Ellen L Milgrim, Ed.D. Principal

http://www.wssd.org/wes/site/default.asp

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November News From the WES PTO ... IthasbeenaverybusymonthforthePTO.Wearenowgearingupforafun- illedHalloweenParadeonOctober31at1:15onKershawRoad.Comeout&cheeronthestudentsandfacultyintheirspooktacu-larcostumes&tobeentertainedbytheStrathHavenMiddleSchoolBand.ThankstotheHomeroomPar-entsfororganizingfunclassroomHalloweenactivitiesforourghosts&goblins.Also,toSueFriedmanfororganizingtheTrick-or-TreatforUNICEFcollection.TheFallBookSalebeginsonNovember1stwithagreatselectionofhighqualitybooksfromJabber-wockyBooks.Studentswillbeabletoshopduringtheirregularlibraryperiod.TherewillbeafamilyshoppingnightonWednesday(11/2)from6:00–8:00p.m..ThankstoMarthaLambertsonforhersup-portandtothe5thgraderepresentativeteamofGioiaSharp,HollyPorter,LeighAnnForbes,KellyPen-noni&ErinWalshfortheirhardworkinorganizingthissale.Needanightofffromcooking?ThenheadtoIronHillBreweryinMediabetween5:00–10:00onMon-day,November7th,forafamilydinner.20%ofyourfoodbill(excludingalcoholicdrinks)willbedonat-edtoWESPTO.ThereisnoschoolonTuesday,November8th,sostaylate&enjoy!Didyourchild’sclasswintheOctoberBoxTopcontest?PleasecontinuetocliptheBoxTopsforEduca-tionandsendthemintoyourchild’steacher.ThankstoRochelleKellyandNicoleMcLaughlinforor-ganizingthiscollection.

MANYTHANKSTO:LaurieBranesandtheWellnessCommitteevolunteersforhelpingtoteachourchildrentoeathealthieronAppleCrunchDay.HomeroomParentCoordinatorsJenniferLovingandDanielleWilsonforfacilitatingtheemergencyphonetree.SandraEmmanouilidesfortakingonthebigtaskoforganizingtheSustainabilityCommittee.Thecom-mitteeaimstoidentify,promote&supportsustainability&environmentaleducationinitiatives.PleasecontactSandraifyouwouldliketogetinvolvedwiththisnewPTOcommittee.SeeyouonTuesday,November1st,at7:30forthenextPTOMeeting!KimPizzirusso,PTOChair

Page 6: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

Building Our Future with Fundraising

GREAT NEWS...We will be selling the valuable, family-friendly KidStuff Coupon Books this fall!

Families quickly and easily save more than the $25 cost of the KidStuff book...especially if they

keep books in their cars! Our school earns at least a 50% profit per book! KidStuff Coupon Books help save hundreds of dollars on clothing, shoes, toys, books, electron-ics, spor ng goods, ac vi es, food and more! Most coupons are valid immediately and offer savings through December 31, 2012. Also, your family earns one FREE book worth $25 for every 5 books you sell!

Look for our KidStuff Coupon Book fundraiser this fall...We would greatly appreciate your par cipa on!

$AVE! $AVE! $AVE! with valuable coupons in the Chester, Delaware & Philadelphia Coun es KidStuff Coupon Book 11-

12!!! Kohl’s, Acme, Kmart, Rite Aid, Pathmark, Super Fresh, Sears, Dick’s Spor ng Goods, ShopRite, Bed Bath & Beyond, Chil-dren’s Place, Payless, Burlington Coat Factory, Disney Store, Gymboree, Lord & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Office Depot, Claire’s, Rainbow, Modell’s, Five Below, Mandee, Jo-Ann Fabric, New York & Company, Sports Authority, Party City,

Men’s Wearhouse, Lane Bryant, Joy Stride Rite, Dressbarn, Shoe Dept., Fashion Bug, Learning Express, Eddie Bauer, A.C. Moore, Jos. A. Bank, Regal Cinemas/United Ar sts Theatres, Clearview Cinemas, Six Flags, Hersheypark, Dutch Wonder-land, Sesame Place, Adventure Aquarium, Franklin Ins tute, Disney on Ice, Academy of Natural Sciences, Please Touch Museum, Land of Make Believe, Sahara Sam’s, Camelback, Spring Mountain,Knoebels, Great Wolf Lodge, Crayola Fac-

tory, Dave and Buster’s, Friendly’s, T.G.I. Friday’s, Sonic, Cosi, Chick-fil-A, Popeyes,Buca di Beppo, Dunkin’ Donuts, Rita’s, Applebee’s, Subway, Boston Market, McDonald’s, and many more!

Page 7: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

10/28/2011 Dear Parents, The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District u lizes a messaging system that allows us to instantly com-municate with all of our families and staff members if necessary. The system, Honeywell Instant Alert, ena-bles us to rapidly deliver a single, clear message to all students' parents or guardians by telephone, cell phone, e-mail, or pager. Each family's main contact phone number has been entered into the Alert System. The system will deliver phone messages to that main number only unless you take addi onal steps. To add alternate phone num-bers, or to have messages delivered via e-mail or phone text, follow the simple instruc ons located at www.wssd.org/honeywell. Any previous changes you made to your account are s ll in effect. If you do not have access to a computer, please feel free to contact your child's school for assistance. Instant Alert phone messages will “display” that the call is coming from 610-892-3470 which is the school district's main phone number. If you do not pick up your phone during an alert and you have an answering machine Instant Alert will leave a message. If you do not have an answer machine, the system will make a total of three a empts to call you to deliver the message. We will be sending our annual “test message” on Saturday, November 5, 2011 at noon. You do not have to be home for the test to be completed. We intend to use the Instant Alert messaging system to immediately deliver a school closing message once a closing decision has been made. This typically occurs prior to 5:30 AM. If you do not wish to receive a phone message at that me you can customize your profile to receive an e-mail or text message. As always, school closing messages are posted on the front page of the district's website (www.wssd.org) as well.

BUILDING BLOCKS FOR A FUTURE OF TECHNOLOGY

Page 8: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

PLEASE KEEP OUR FUTURE SAFE!

REMEMBER—BE SAFE THIS YEAR! FOLLOW ALL OF

THE SAFETY RULES!

Do You Love Art? Want to learn more about it? Then we want you! Come join our enthusias c and friendly group of Art Goes to School volun-teers. We are parents of all ages who visit kindergarten through seventh grade classrooms in the Wallingford Swarthmore School District twice each year to present a por olio of art reproduc ons from around the world, ranging from prehistoric to up-to-the-minute contemporary works. You need no special art background to join Art Goes to School, simply a desire to learn. Our training sessions are held in Swarthmore Borough Hall on Tues-day mornings in September and October, and again in January and February. Further enriching our educa on, outstanding lectures at The Philadelphia Mu-seum of Art and other local museums are sponsored by our parent organiza-tion, Art Goes to School of Delaware Valley, Inc. So test the waters and see what we're about. Chapter leader Mimi Haggerty at (610) 565-0138 will be happy to give you further details.

Page 9: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

TIPS FOR SCHOOL

ARE YOU LOOKING FOR THAT PERFECT HOLIDAY GIFT ?

Well there are still a few WES Cook Books - pick up a couple at the Book Fair for only $10.00 each.

The recipes are delicious - make sure you try Mr. C's "Casamento Chops"!

They are mm... mm… Good!!!

Working With Your School

Keep the lines of communication open with school Parent-school communication is critical to students' success. Whether your child is an average student or has special needs, these tips will ensure effective home-school communication:

• Meet with school staff regularly. Attend meetings and follow up to see how things are going. Always contact the teacher if con-cerns arise.

• Arrive prepared. Before meetings, jot down notes so you are sure to remember everything you wanted to say and ask.

• Be optimistic. Remind yourself that you and your child's school have a mutual goal: your child's success. A positive attitude makes conversations more productive.

• Listen attentively. Keep an open mind as you focus on the teacher's view, which may be different from yours. Ask for clarifica-tion about anything confusing.

• Stay calm. It's natural for parents to feel defensive of children. If you accidentally say something you regret, just apologize and refocus on solutions.

• Offer suggestions. You know your child best. Explain what you think will help him most--and why you believe it will work.

• Don't give up. If an initial meeting doesn't get results, try again. You could also ask for another staff member to join you. Reprinted with permission from the October 2011 issue of Parents make the difference!® (Elementary School Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2011 The Parent Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: "Parenting Children with Learning Disabilities: Tips for Helping Your Child," Helpguide, www.helpguide.org/mental/learning_disabilities_treatment_help_coping.htm#school.

Page 10: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

BUILDING A FUTURE AT WES—ONE BOOK AT A

TIME

WES Press

What’s Next after Harry Potter ByMarthaLambertsen WiththeanticipationoftheHarryPotterandtheDeathlyHallowsmovielastsummer,allagesofkidsatWESweregluedtoHarryPotterbooks,readingthemeverysparemomenttheycould.TheHarryPottertrendcontinuesthisyear,however,someofourmostvoraciousreadershavecompletedtheseriesormovedon,searchingforothermagicaladventureseries.AfterreadingEllaKanes’eloquentreviewofTheEmeraldAtlas,the irsttitleinabrilliant,actionpackedtrilogybyJohnStephens,fantasyreaderswillneedtoreadthissuspenseful,magicaltale,fulloftimetravelandunexpectedtwistsandturns.TheywillbeanxiouslydemandingthesequeltoTheEmeraldAtlas,assoonasitispublished.Ifyoulovetrulyorigi-nal,adventurestoriesexquisitelyillustratedwithmoredrawingsthantext,tryWonderStruck.OurlibraryhasabrandnewcopypersonallyautographedbyauthorBrianSelznick,creatoroftheCaldecottMedalwinner,TheInventionofHugoCabret.AnotherseriesforreaderswithgreatimaginationsisTheSistersGrimmcollection.MichaelBuckley,afanofDisneyclassicmoviesandGrimm’sFairyTalesgrowingup,createdawitty,imaginativegroupoffairytaleadventureswithmagicalcharacters,suchasPrinceCharm-ing,thethreelittlepigs,andthemagicmirror.AfterlisteningtoMichaelBuckley’sexcitingpresentationtothe4thand5thgradersatWES,thecompletesetofSistersGrimmwasimmediatelypurchasedfortheWESlibrary. Storieswithhumorarefavoritesforstudentsofallages.OneofthefunniestnewtitlespublishedthissummerwasTheTroublewithChickens,writtenbyDoreenCronin,authorofDiaryofaWorm.AndrewKantnerarticulatelydescribesthishilariousmysteryofarescuedogwho indshislifeinretirementany-thingbutrelaxing.ReadingAndrew’sreviewwillputTheTroublewithChickensonthe“mustread”barom-eterforallkidswholoveafunnydogstory.Forolderstudents,tryStephenCotler’sCheesieMack,toldfrom5thgraderRonald’spointofview,ashewritesaboutafeweventfuldaysafterhis5thgradegradua-tion.Hepondershisneedforsummerspendingmoneyversushisdesiretomaketherightchoice,leadinghimtoahumorousdilemma.Thereisnothingbetterthansittingdownrelaxingbyyourselforwitharead-ingbuddyandgigglingoveramagni icentpicturebook.OneoftheoutstandingnewonesLittleRedPenbyJanetStevens,isaboutapenwho indsherselfoverwhelmedwithtoomanycorrectionstomakeuntil,uhoh,shefallsintoatrashcan.Withhilariouswordplay,thiswillneverlingeronourshelvesforlong. TherearelotsmorebrandnewtitlesintheWESlibrarywhicharefunny,scary,realistic,historical,sporty,and,science iction,animalstories,etc.Tomakebrowsinguserfriendly,we’veaddedgenrelabelstothespinesofmanyofourtitles,sostudentscanindependentlybrowsetheWESlibraryandpickoutatitlethatisaperfect itforthem.Don’tworryifyou’vereadalloftheHarryPotterbooks,we’vegotmanymoretitlesnewandoldthatyou’llenjoyalmostasmuch.

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Book Reviews: Building a Future of Readers

TheEmeraldAtlasByJohnStephensAlfredA.Knopf$18.99 Whenthreesiblingsaremysteriouslytakenawayfromtheirparents,theyhaven’tathoughtintheirmindsthat,tenyearslater,theywouldembarkontheadventureoftheirlives,allbecauseofanAtlas! Kateistheoldestofthethree.Sheremem-berspromisinghermomtokeephersiblingssafe.HerbrotherMichaellovesdwarves.Hereadsallhecanaboutthem.HisfavoritebookondwarveswaswrittenbyG.G.Greenleafandgiventohimbyhisfather.Emma,theyoungest,isextremelybraveandhasastrongloveforherbrotherandsister. Thethreesiblingsweremovedfromorphan-agetoorphanage,eachoneworsethanthelast.Whenthey’removedyetagain,theyhavenoideahowitcouldgetanyworse.OncetheyarriveattheirneworphanageinCambridgeFalls,they indabookthatcantransportthemthroughtime!TheytraveltoCambridgeFallsinthepast,whichhasbeentakenoverbyanevilwitchcalledtheCountess!Herarmyofmorumcadi(deathlesswarriors),calledscreech-ersbythetownspeopleonaccountoftheirinhumanshriek,havetrappedthechildren,andhavethemendiggingforwhattheCountessmostdesires,Kate,MichaelandEmma’stimetravelingbook,calledtheAtlasofTime.OnlytheycansavetheworldfromtheCountess! Ithinkthisbookwouldbegreatforkidsingrades4throughadulthood.Ireallylikedthisbookbecauseofthefabulousanddescriptivewriting.Ialsothinkithasagreatplot.Thecharactersdevelopalotthroughthebook,helpingyougettoknowthem.Therewasalotofexcitementinthisbookmakingitsomuchfuntoread!Ialsolikedthattheauthorwouldtalkaboutwhatwashappeningtoonecharacterandthenswitchtoanothercharacterinanotherplacewhichleftyouonacliffhangerandkeptyoueagertoreadon!ReviewedbyEllaKane5thGrade

The Trouble with Chickens By Doreen Cronin Blazer + Bray $14.99 After seven years of service as a search and rescue dog, Jonathan Joseph Tully is looking forward to relaxing. J.J. has moved to his trainer Barb’s quiet country home, a reward for his years of hard work. He shares his yard with Moosh, her four chicks and Vince, the dog, who lives “inside” Barb’s country house. Sud-denly J.J. finds himself back at work searching for two of Moosh’s missing chicks. What has hap-pened to Poppy and Sweetie? Would the note found on the chicken coop lead J.J. to the chick-napper? Or could Vince, the dog who lives in the big house, have something to do with the disap-pearance? The note had some very big words…behoove, rendezvous and twilight. The Trouble with Chickens is a book that you just can’t put down. I learned about friend-ship, teamwork and search and rescue. And the comedy kept me clucking! Second to fourth grade children would love to read this book. Reviewed by Andrew Kantner 3rd Grade

Page 12: 2 WES PTO - Wallingford-Swarthmore School District · Sandra Emmanouilides for taking on the big task of organizing the Sustainability Committee. The com-mittee aims to identify,

WES

BUILDING A FUTURE OF

CONNECTIONS

Children'sBookAuthorCaptivatesWESStudentsOnFriday,Oct.21,Children'sBookWorldofHaverfordsponsoredafreeWESpresentationbyauthorMichaelBuckley.The4thand5thgradeclassesweretreatedtoanintimatelookatthelifeofthishilariouswriterwhopennedtheSistersGrimmandN.E.R.D.Sseries.Buckleysharedofhismodestbeginningsasanaward-winningjokewriterwhospentadaywithEddieMurphy,tohisinternshipworkingwithDavidLetterman's“clinicallyinsanedog,”totimewritingfortheDiscov-eryChannel,MTV,VH1,andNickelodeon. In2005,attheageof35,Buckleypublishedhis irstbook,TheSistersGrimm:TheFairy-TaleDetectives,aseriesdescribedas"NancyDrewmeetsShrek."Within iveyearshehadwritteneightvolumesandsimultaneouslystartedwritingN.E.R.D.S.,whichnowhasthreetitlesinitsseries.Afterhishumorouspresentationtothegroup,Buckleyperson-allysignedcopiesofhisbooksfornearly80delightedstudents.TheWESPTOreceived20%ofallbooksalesfromtheevent.BeforeleavingWEStoheadtoMediaElementaryforanotherengagement,thisNewYorkTimesbest-sellingauthorsatdowntoaninterviewwith5thgraderAbbyMacPherson.Herarticleisbelow. KimShimerDimensionsinArt

DON’T FORGET - ATTEND THE WES PTO EVENING at the BOOK FAIR!

November 2, 2011 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm

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WES

BUILDING A FUTURE OF

CONNECTIONS

MyInterviewwithMichaelBuckleyBeforeMichaelBuckleycametoWEStogiveapresentation,Ireadthe irstbookintheTheSis-tersGrimmseries,titledTheFairy-TaleDetectives.Itwasasuspensefulpage-turnerwithcliffhangersattheendofeverychapter.AfterIheardMr.Buckleyspeak,IthoughtthecharacterDaphneywasmostlikehim,veryfunny.Duringmyinterview,Iaskedhimifhecouldbeanyofthecharactersinhisbooks,whichonewouldheliketobe.Mr.BuckleychoseAgentBrandfromN.E.R.D.S.becausehehasthebestgadgets.IalsowonderedifanyofMr.Buckley'scharac-tersarebasedonrealpeople,andhesaidthatmostofthemare.Heusesthepersonalitiesandtraitsoffriends,familymembers,andex-girlfriends!Heevenbasessomeofthemonhimself.BecauseIsawtheteachersandotheradultsinthegymlaughingalotatMr.Buckley'spresen-tation,Ithoughthemightwanttowritebooksforadults.WhenIaskedhim,hesaidhehasafewideasforadultbooks,butreallylikeswritingforkids.Ialsowonderedifhestillwritesjokeslikehedidwhenhewasyoungerandhesaidhedoes,butthatthey'renotforchildren.Hedidsayhemightdostandupcomedyagain,butrightnowhe'sworkingonthefourthbookintheN.E.R.D.Sseries.It'scalledTheVillainVirusandit'saboutavirusthatmakeseverybodywanttotakeovertheworld.OneofthelastquestionsIhadforMr.Buckleywas,“Ifyouweren'tawriterwhatwouldyoube?”“Aliontamer,”hean-swered,humorously!Lastly,IaskedMichaelBuckley“Ifyoucouldgiveonepieceofadvicetosomeonewhowantedtobeawriter,whatwoulditbe?”Hesaid,agoodwritermustbeagoodreader!AbbyMacPherson5thGrade

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Exciting Things to Look Forward to at WES in November!

WES EVENT CALENDAR

NOVEMBER November 1-4, 2011: WES PTO Fall Book Fair (during child’s sched-uled Library Time November 1, 2011: WES PTO Meeting in the Library at 7:30pm November 2, 2011: WES PTO Fall Book Fair Evening Sale 6:00pm to 8:00pm November 11, 2011: Picture Retakes (on stage) November 17, 2011: Afternoon and Evening Conferences (Dismissal at 12:30pm) November 18, 2011: Afternoon Conferences (Dismissal at 12:30pm) November 21-23, 2011: Afternoon Conferences (Dismissal at 12:30pm) November 24-25, 2011: Thanksgiving Break (School Closed) December 5-9, 2011 WES PTO Secret Workshop (during art classes)

RUSTY’sREMINDERSfortheREFRIGERATOR:ImportantNovember"thingstoknow!"FRUITFILLEDFRIDAYS!!PleasehaveyourchildbringfruitforsnacktimeeveryFriday!WESPTOFALLBOOKFAIR!HELPBUILDAFUTUREOFREADERS!!Timesforthebookfaironpostedinthecalendarcolumn(totheright)!

2011-2012 DIRECTORY ADDITIONS/CHANGES/CORRECTIONS

Changes & Corrections: Biesantz, Naethan Kathleen Sheffron Bogert Jonathan & Daphne Bogert Carroll 610-631-1706 phone # addition Chieffo 610-627-1052 phone # correction Fletcher Francis Fletcher & Jennifer Johnson Green 807 Forrest Street Hall 610-565-3683 phone # correction Hernandez 12 Shepherds Lane O’Loughlin 610-565-1849 phone # correction Pickett, Jaelin Pierce Christine DeShields Pierce Russell Tahar Sutton & Terri Russell Saddler, Kiel 5 Lynell Thomas 704 Forrest Street Media 19063 Sigismondi Joseph & Ranee Sigismondi Taimanglo, Michael