Originally delivered on 11/4/2022 9:44 pm

SUBJECT: Wharton DLA Newsletter 11.04.22

November 4, 2022
From the Principal's Desk

Dear Wharton Families,

Thank you for supporting our book fair at Barnes & Noble this week. Now we are ready for our Scholastic book fair on campus starting Monday. Thank you to the wonderful volunteers who helped Mr. Natividad set up the fair. We hope you will visit us during one of our evening book fair dates. 

HISD has announced the dates for its School Choice Fairs and Magnet Tours (see full schedule below). If you have a 5th-grade student who is interested in staying at Wharton for middle school, please note that you must apply for 6th grade through the district's magnet application process. Please join us for a magnet tour to learn more.

Have a wonderful weekend,

Jennifer Day
Principal

Events & Programs

November 5, 8:30 AM - 11 AM
Wharton Garden Work Day
The whole family is welcome! Please bring shovels, hoes, and pitchforks if possible. Meet at the Wharton courtyard.

Through November 9
Book Fair at Barnes & Noble River Oaks
Shop online through November 9 using book fair ID# 12634911 at checkout. Proceeds benefit Wharton.

November 7-11, 8 AM - 4 PM
Scholastic Book Fair at Wharton DLA
Support our Scholastic Book Fair! Students may shop during school hours. Parents are invited to shop with their students during one of our evening dates:

  • Monday, November 7, 5:45 PM – 7 PM
  • Thursday, November 10, 4 PM – 7 PM

Cash and e-wallet accepted. Credit cards will be accepted from parents and buyers 18 and older. Proceeds will benefit Wharton DLA.

Make it easier for your students to make purchases and avoid them having to carry cash by creating a Scholastic e-wallet account

It's simple to sign up, makes it a breeze for the kids to pay during their school shopping sessions, and never expires.

You can create the e-wallet through November 11.

See a video tutorial: eWallet: Intro

November 7-14
Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
Donate much-needed items to help the women and children supported by the Houston Area Women’s Center. See more details in the Middle School section below.

November 8
4th Grade Election Day Bake Sale
Support our 4th graders as they raise funds for their end-of-year activities. Sales start at 7 AM. Pizza sales during lunch times, $2 per slice.

November 10, 6 PM
Middle School Parent Meeting

November 11, 6 PM
Wharton Dad's Club Meeting
Join us at Johnny McElroy's at 1223 Waugh Dr. Houston, TX 77019.

School Pictures

The Fall Individual School Pictures have been delivered to classroom teachers to send home with students who ordered/pre-paid. If you did not order pictures during the first take on October 7, you are welcome to order for Re-Take Fall Picture Day on Friday, November 18. Order online at inter-state.com and enter the online order code 71132VB.

Important Reminders

Lost and Found: With the cool season approaching, our lost and found collection has started to overflow. We ask parents to remind students to check the designated area in the main foyer for items they might have misplaced or lost. The last day to check our current lost and found collection will be Thursday, November 17. All unclaimed items will be donated to a non-profit organization on Friday, November 18.

We strongly suggest that parents label all their student’s sweaters, pull-overs, jackets, etc., with their names. This will allow us to identify the owner and return items to them if found.

Absences: We have been receiving notes about absences that do not have a student name or the reason for the absence. Please ensure that notes about absences contain the following information:

  • Student's first and last name 
  • Teacher
  • Dates absent
  • Doctor's note or reason for absence 

Absences will be excused based on HISD guidelines

Lunch Drop-Off: Parents may not drop off lunch for students during the school day. Our office staff cannot leave their posts to deliver lunches to students' classrooms. If your student forgets their lunch, we will make sure they are served a hot meal in the cafeteria on that day. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding.

GT & IB at Wharton

Kindergarten Universal Testing
HISD screens kindergarten students who were not previously identified as gifted and talented in what is called Universal Testing. This process begins the week of November 14, 2022. An Abilities Test and an Achievement Test are administered universally to all kindergarten students for Gifted and Talented (G/T) identification. The Abilities Test and the Achievement Test have been scheduled for November 14 – December 2, 2022. 

Please read the following letter for full details: English | Spanish.

HISD Magnet Tours & School Choice Fairs

Wharton DLA Magnet tours will be held on the following Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

  • November 17 
  • December 1 
  • December 8 
  • December 15 
  • January 12 
  • January 19 
  • January 26 

School Choice Fairs will be held on the following dates from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.

  • November 12 - Austin High School
  • December 10 - Worthing High School
  • January 21 - Heights High School
  • January 28 - Westside High School
Nurse's Notes

✅ Please remind your children to practice social distancing, good handwashing, and cough/sneeze etiquette. We are seeing a lot of flu, strep throat, and a couple of cases of hand, foot and mouth disease. The spread of these viruses can be slowed down if we go back to being vigilant about having clean hands and protecting our personal space.

✅ See to Succeed program consents are due November 7. The field trip will be the week of January 24-27 (the exact day will be announced a week or two before). Please contact me ASAP if your child needs glasses.

✅ COVID testing on Friday, November 18: Please sign up your child for optional COVID testing. Ms. Barbara Banks is the contact person for the COVID testing at our school (Barbara.banks@houstonisd.org). Fulgent’s team will be on our campus at 9:00 am on that Friday. We will be making an announcement for the students who are on our list to come to the community room by grade. Please notify your child that they will be tested. See below for more information.

Our goal at Wharton is to foster a caring, joyful, and challenging learning experience for every student, every day. That’s why beginning November 18, Wharton Academy will provide free COVID-19 testing to all students in partnership with the Houston Health Department. Testing is completely voluntary and requires parent/guardian consent first. You can be confident our school is safe, and now, free COVID-19 testing adds another layer of protection to our safety strategy.

Free testing puts our student’s health first, it allows us to maximize learning in school and promotes equity by ensuring every student has access to testing if they want it and if you, as their parent/guardian, provide consent.

  • Who will be tested? We will offer testing to everyone who consents - all students and staff - even if they don’t have symptoms of COVID-19.
  • How is the testing done? The COVID-19 testing is free, quick, and easy. Trained medical. professionals will conduct testing with a short, shallow nasal swab.
  • Where and when is the testing done? Our school’s testing site will be in a room or area large enough to accommodate an organized flow to testers in and out of the space. Testing will take place every two weeks. Test results will be available within 24-48 hours.
  • How can I be sure that my student’s information will be protected? Sharing of information about your student will only be done for public health purposes and in accordance with applicable law and policies protecting student privacy and the security of your student’s data.

We are asking you to:

We are extremely grateful to our families and staff who continue to show great flexibility and resilience as we work together to contain the spread of this virus.


Nurse Dana

Safety Captain's Corner

Drop-off volunteers are still needed for PK/K area. Thank you, parents, for having your children ready and on the RIGHT side of the car. Your support plus the changes in the traffic lights have made the drop-off line much more efficient. We continue to need parent volunteers on the Pre-K/K side who can stay from 8:20-8:30. When you drop your child off, just stay and help! Ask anyone in a red vest or a staff member for guidance.

Continue to be patient with your fellow parents and grandparents. We all should model good behavior for our children. Please stay off your phones while in the line; it is very dangerous for students and staff on the roadways. Please don’t walk in through the car entrances; use the walker gates.

Thank you again for funding my CPR instructor equipment with DONORSCHOOSE. I will be scheduling my instructor class soon and will keep you posted.

Wharton Middle School

Donate to Help Houston Area Women’s Center
Wharton’s Middle School Student Council is collecting much-needed items to help the women and children supported by the Houston Area Women’s Center (HAWC).

Hygiene Items Needed:

  • Adult-sized toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste
  • Deodorant
  • Sanitary pads and tampons
  • Diapers sized 4, 5, 6 (pull-ups)

Please drop off well-labeled donations at the school foyer between November 7-14.

HAWC is a local non-profit organization that provides a 24-hour hotline, counseling, hospital advocacy and support, and emergency shelter for women and their children escaping domestic and sexual violence.

In 2021 alone, HAWC provided emergency shelter to 1,238 women and children in the Houston area. The donations our school provides will go directly into the hands of families in need.

Wharton PTO News

Your PTO at Work
With the generous contributions and support of Wharton families, Wharton PTO is able to support our students, teachers, and staff in a variety of ways. Here is what we were up to in October.

Wharton Dad's Club T-Shirt Fundraiser
The Wharton Dad's Club works hard for our kids, helping at morning drop-off, building games, staffing the Fall Festival, and much more! Support their efforts and show your Wharton spirit by pre-order a Super Papá or Super Mamá tee!

Interested in joining Dad's Club? Fill out this form >>

Looking Ahead
Saturday, November 5
8:30a Wharton Garden Work Day
Monday, November 7
Scholastic Book Fair
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
Tuesday, November 8
Scholastic Book Fair
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
7:00a 4th Grade Election Day Bake Sale
Wednesday, November 9
Scholastic Book Fair
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
Thursday, November 10
Scholastic Book Fair
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
6:00p Middle School Parent Meeting
Friday, November 11
Scholastic Book Fair
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
6:00p Wharton Dad's Club Meeting
Saturday, November 12
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
Sunday, November 13
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
Monday, November 14
MS Student Council Toiletries & Diaper Drive
Wednesday, November 16
12:00a Spirit Night at The Burger Joint
12:00a Wharton Thanksgiving Luncheon (PK, 1st, 3rd & Middle School)
8:45a Coffee with the Principal
Thursday, November 17
12:00a Wharton Thanksgiving Luncheon (Kinder, 2nd 4th, & 5th Grade)
9:00a Wharton Magnet Tour
Friday, November 18
8:45a Fall Individual Picture Retake
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