Originally delivered on 10/14/2022 10:02 pm

SUBJECT: REVISED: Wharton DLA Newsletter 10.14.22

October 14, 2022
From the Principal's Desk

Dear Wharton Families,

We had a busy week at Wharton. Our campus hosted Emmy-award-winning journalist and author, Maria Hinojosa, who spoke to our 8th graders about her new book, Once I Was You. We are grateful to the Houston Public Library for making this visit possible. 

Wharton was also visited by educators from all over Texas who were in town for the Texas Association for Bilingual Education conference. Everyone was blown away by our extraordinary teachers and students. The participants were amazed at the level of student engagement, participation, organization, lessons, and so much more! 

Note that HISD has updated its attendance policy. Please read it and learn what steps to take if your child will be absent. Regular attendance is very important for student success. 

I look forward to seeing all of you at Coffee with the Principal and the Fall Festival next week. 

Have a wonderful weekend,

Jennifer Day
Principal

Events & Programs

October 17-21
Bullying Prevention Week
Wharton will be raising awareness and bringing attention to bullying and social isolation. See the activities that your students may participate in and join us in wearing orange for Unity Day (see below). 

October 19
Unity Day at Wharton
Wear orange to support Unity Day, the signature event of PACER’s National Bullying Prevention Center for National Bullying Prevention Month. Wearing orange is a representation of the supportive, universal message that our society wants to prevent bullying, and is united for kindness, acceptance, and inclusion. See the Bullying Prevention Guide for Parents >>

October 19, 8:45 AM
Coffee with the Principal
Join Principal Day, Wharton leadership, and PTO reps at the Wharton cafeteria for the latest updates.

October 21, 5 PM - 8 PM
2022 Wharton Fall Festival
Get ready to have a blast at this year's Fall Festival! We need volunteers! Sign up for a 30-minute shift. Need tickets? You can still purchase online.

October Sunshine Cart

Thank you to the parents and guardians who supported our Spooky Sunshine Cart with time or money! Not only did we thank our teachers today but the WDLA lounge is stocked with goodies for the next month! We could not have done it without your help! 

Thank you to Wharton families: DeSalvo, Beebe, Garcia, Nath, Oramas, Rodriguez, Schillaci, Garmendia, Moorhead, Zambrano-Welch, Wright, Khan, Zaidi, Silva, Church, Gonzalez, Mejia, Varona, Hanford, Gallego, LeFevre, Hickman, Wegmann, Pargas, Miles,  Masllorens, Dalton, Rojas, La Rotta, Rosales, Rouault, Guerra, Parraga, Hajikhani, Soto, Nazareth, Cancino, and Easton. 


And a big shout out to Team Flawless Hair and Makeup for sponsoring the Pumpkin pan dulce and delicious coffee! We’ll see you at our next cart on November 1. 

Interested in learning more about teacher appreciation and hospitality efforts? Or sponsoring a cart? Reach out to us at hospitality@whartonpto.org

Prelude Music Foundation at Wharton!

We are very excited to have a new music program for our PreK students! The Prelude Music Foundation will have an in-school residency at Wharton this school year. It is a great program that will enhance the work we do in the classroom, and it perfectly aligns with our IB goals. It will support the cognitive, social, physical, and emotional development of each child, and integrates literacy and math.   

The Prelude Music teacher will come to each PreK class every Wednesday for 30 minutes. They provide a book and digital resources to be used at home. We will send the book after the first class.

We are grateful for the funding from the Prelude Foundation and Wharton PTO that made this year-long residency possible!

Here is a Parent Orientation video from the Prelude Foundation: Parent Orientation (Watch a short version in Spanish)

For questions, contact Ms. Ana Hernandez-Carter.

Nurse's Notes

👓 1st-grade vision/hearing/acanthosis nigricans screenings will be on Monday, Oct 17. If your child wears glasses, please remind them to bring them to school. If they fail the first screening, I test them again in 3-4 weeks and then send a referral home.

🦠 Take a quick look at the levels of COVID in Harris county. COVID Levels are low now. 

🎃 Read this article about Halloween safety. Please think about children with food allergies. Here are some ideas for non-food treats:

  • Glow sticks, bracelets, or necklaces
  • Pencils, pens, crayons or markers
  • Bubbles
  • Halloween erasers or pencil toppers
  • Mini Slinkies
  • Whistles, kazoos, or noisemakers
  • Bouncy balls
  • Finger puppets or novelty toys
  • Coins
  • Spider rings
  • Vampire fangs
  • Mini notepads
  • Playing cards
  • Bookmarks
  • Stickers
  • Stencils

Nurse Dana

Safety Captain's Corner

The Safer Walks committee met last night with representatives from TIRZ, Abie Kamin’s office, HISD board, Yolanda Jones’ office, North Montrose civic association, East Montrose civic association, multiple parents, and community members. The Montrose TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) has multiple projects projected for this area. Please also review the presentation. There is a lot still to do to make the area safer for the community!

Wharton PTO News

🏕️ Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Wharton Family Campout last weekend! We hope you and your children had fun with other families. Take a look at our photo album and feel free to upload your photos.

Friday, October 21
5 PM - 8 PM

Can you spare 30 minutes during the festival? Help us make it a success! Sign up for a volunteering shift here >>

Last day to buy All You Can Play wristbands. Wristband sales will close at 11 p.m. today. Buy yours now >>

Tickets will continue to be sold online and at the event.

Thank You To Our Sponsors!

  • Haunted House: Shipley Do-Nuts, FC5120
  • Confetti Egg Booth: S. R Towing Unlimited by Familia Reyes
  • Photo Booth: Javier Ortiz Catering
  • Silly String Fun: The Poetsch Family
  • Spin Art: The DeSalvo Family
  • Hair Painting Bar: The Blaker Family
  • Face Painting Booth: Claudias Oramas and Hugo Ovalle
  • Holiday Walker/DJ: The Trade Entertainment
  • Bean Bag Toss: Jennafer Watson
  • Donut Pull: Sequera Mejia
  • Fishbowl Toss: Melton Family
  • Football Toss: Garmendia Family
  • Food Sponsor: Today’s Vision
  • Food Sponsor: PREMIUM
  • Food Sponsor: Team Fuentes-Hussey
  • General Sponsor: Frost Bank

There's still time to sponsor or become a market vendor and get your name out in front of hundreds of local families while supporting educational programs!

Donate to Wharton’s IB Program
Tomorrow is the last day for our classroom contest! We’re expanding the reward—the top 3 classrooms with the most families donating to ¡Juntos! will earn an ice cream party. 

Thank you to the 88 families who have helped us raise more than $32,000! We still haven’t reached the $50,000 needed annually to sustain our IB program, so please consider donating. Any amount helps!

Donate Today!

Classrooms currently in the lead:

  1. Ms. Brewer (4th)
  2. Mr. Fernandez (1st)
  3. Mr. Sandoval (2nd)
  4. Ms. Rodriguez (3rd)
  5. Ms. Gonzalez (1st)
Wharton Middle School

Sign Up to Support Fall Festival
Middle School students are asked to volunteer for the Fall Festival, next Friday, Oct. 21. Not only is the Fall Festival a fun event for Wharton students and families, it also helps raise money to support PTO's many initiatives. 

PTO is offering to donate $500 per 20 student volunteer hours, given to the MS Student Council. These funds will be used to support the end-of-year field trip and other MS initiatives. 

Why MS Students Should Volunteer

  • It's fun!
  • You're contributing to your community.
  • You'll earn community service hours. 
  • You'll support MS Student Council -- and Wharton as a whole. 

Use this link to sign up, and e-mail MS advocate Justine Waitkus so we can keep track of hours. 

Save the Date - MS Dance Scheduled for Nov. 4

Mark your calendars: Wharton's MS is scheduled to hold a Day of the Dead-themed dance on Friday, Nov. 4, in the school gym.

All Wharton sixth, seventh and eighth-grade students are encouraged to attend. 

Want to help these kids pull off their first dance of the year?
The MS Student Council needs parent and student volunteers to help with this event. 

Any interested student and parent dance committee volunteers are asked to email MS advocate Phaedra Friend, and attend a fall dance planning meeting scheduled for 4:00-5:00 on Wednesday, Oct. 19, in Ms. Valle's classroom. 

Tickets will be sold for $10 up to Nov. 1, and then $15 after that – more information to come. 

Sixth Grade Field Trip - What You Need to Know

Expanding our students' hands-on perspective on science and its application in the world, Wharton's sixth-grade class is scheduled to attend a field trip to the Houston Museum of Natural Science on Monday, Nov. 14. 

Setup Your Students for Success

STUDENTS:

Dress Code: Wear Wharton T-shirt or red polo and blue jeans (no holes, rips, or tears), with comfortable closed-toe shoes 

NO backpacks (small, crossbody bags are allowed)

Refuel: Pack disposable sack lunch and disposable water bottle

Prior: Only the permission slip is required to attend the field trip, but we are asking for a $20 donation (turn in cash to Mrs. Smith or pay online

5 More Chaperones Needed

We need five more chaperones to support this experience. Info for adult volunteers is as follows:

CHAPERONES:

Timing: The field trip is from 8:30-3:30 (we need adult chaperones on time and with us for the duration of the field trip)

Requirements: MUST BE VIPS APPROVED!!!

Transportation: You will need to ride the bus to HMNS and back

Refuel: Pack your lunch and drink

We will try to place you with your child, but it's not guaranteed

Prior: Please download the GooseChase app for our scavenger hunt!

If you have questions or would like to chaperone this field trip, email Mrs. Smith here: Olivia.Smith@houstonisd.org

Important Reminders

VIPS Registration: As we start bringing back field trips and increasing opportunities for guardians to be on campus, we would like to remind parents and guardians to complete the VIPS (Volunteers in Public Schools) registration through HISD. This certification is required for anyone accompanying students on field trips or volunteering at any HISD campus.

Early Pick-Up: Please remember that if you need to pick up your child early, you must do so by 3:10 PM at the latest. 

ID for VisitorsAll campus visitors must present an ID at the front office. Please remember to bring yours when visiting the school.

Lost and Found: Please stop by the school foyer to check the lost and found. We have many unclaimed items.

Community Announcements

Home Depot Kids Workshops -November 5
Thank you to the Wharton families who came out to The Home Depot last Saturday. Let's get a group of Wharton students to the next one! November 5 at 9 a.m. at the new Home Depot Lower Heights (2777 Katy Freeway). If interested, register here (under In-Store Kids Workshops) >> 

Looking Ahead
Wednesday, October 19
Wear Orange for Unity Day
8:45a Coffee with the Principal | Café con la Directora
Friday, October 21
2022 Fall Festival | Festival de Otoño
Monday, November 21
Thanksgiving Break
Tuesday, November 22
Thanksgiving Break
Wednesday, November 23
Thanksgiving Break
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