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Wildwood Elementary School Back-to-School Guide 2023-24
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Updated August 16, 2023

Dear Wildwood Families,

Welcome to the 2023-24 school year!  Wildwood Elementary School is a joyful family and we will be here to support each other and provide an excellent education for your child.

This welcome packet has links to find important information to get the school off to a great start!  You’ll find information about school supplies, how to find out your child’s teacher, and other important information.  

Wildwood has been a busy place this summer. We’ve been planning and preparing for the school year and working together to make sure all of our learners are supported.

We have an opportunity to get to know students both socially and academically before school starts. We will be having Assessment Days on Tuesday, Sept 5th and Wednesday, Sept 6th. School for all Wildwood students starts Thursday, Sept 7th.

New Staff at Wildwood Elementary School

Grade K                                                        

Justine Hawkinson

Grade 2

Caitlin Stockton

STEM

Samantha Panek

Media

Deb Kipp

Paraprofessionals

Alicia Peterson
Monica Still

School Counselor

Kim Schoenfield-Weber

Gifted and Talented

Kathryn Marget

Assessment Day Plan

Appointment information will be shared with families in mid-August and you will be able to sign up for a 40-minute appointment. Teachers will use the assessment time to meet with individual students and get to know students personally as readers and mathematicians. Families will have an opportunity to share information and goals for their children.

Childcare for Assessment Days

We will offer free child care on our assessment days which are Sept. 5 and Sept. 6 from 8 am-4 pm. You may choose care for a single day or both days. Our Wildwood paraprofessionals will be supervising students. Students will need to bring their own bag lunch for the day. The sign-up will be coming out in mid-August.

Our Mission at Wildwood Elementary School

The mission of Wildwood Elementary School, the joyful Zephyr family dedicated to building the foundational pathway of learner agency and personal excellence, is to ensure that each student has intrinsic passion for life and learning with compassion for oneself and others, through a vital system distinguished by:

Student and Family Handbook

Please click here for our Student and Family 2023-24 Handbook. All students and Parents/Guardians must annually verify that they have read and understand the General Information and School Policies and the Summaries of District Policies contained in the Mahtomedi Public Schools Student and Family Handbook. Verification of the handbook must be submitted by students and families by September 5, 2023. Click here to Access Your ParentVUE and StudentVUE Account to Submit Verification 

Back-to-School Guides

The Back-to-School Guides are available via the links below. The guides contain information about school supplies, open house events, nutrition, transportation, and helpful information to prepare for the 2023-24 school year.


Back to School Checklist

School Hours

Please note the start and end times for our school.  School begins at 9:15 AM and ends at 3:35 PM.  Busing information is available via the district website www.mahtomedi.k12.mn.us.  If you have any questions regarding transportation, please contact them at 651-407-2431.

Morning Drop-off Procedure
Starting at 9:00 AM, staff members will be in the drop-off lane area to open your child’s door and welcome them into the school. You, the parent, do not need to leave your vehicle! Students cannot enter the building before 9:00 AM unsupervised, please do not drop off your child before 9:00 AM.

(Pre-k families will be parking in the recess lot and entering through the preschool doors.)

Doors for students entering and exiting 

Main Door: This door is for students who are dropped off and first-grade students who ride the bus and any bus riders that eat breakfast.

East Door (by Kindergarten): This door is for Kindergarten and second-grade students who ride the bus. We will have staff outside to support students.

Afternoon Pick-up Procedure
Starting at 3:35 PM, staff members will be in the pick-up lane area to locate and assist your child in your vehicle. As you arrive, please have your student’s name tent on the front dashboard so it is easily seen by the supervising staff. (Each Wildwood student will receive the name tents at the open house or at your child’s assessment day.)
 Note: Please do not park in the parking lot and walk between the cars to pick up your child. This disrupts the flow and safety of the pick-up process.

Leaving Wildwood
Families will be able to exit Wildwood via Stillwater Road/County Road 12 (the same road you entered) or via Jamaca Avenue if you live north of Wildwood. The Jamaca exit can be accessed by the loop road located on the west side of the playground. This exit will be available from 8:50-9:30 AM and 3:30-4:00 PM. Note: The Jamaca gate is only to be used for exiting Wildwood before and after school. It is not to be used to enter the campus nor to exit during school hours.

Communication

On Thursdays during the school year, you will receive the Wildwood Weekly E- News with timely school information, notifications, and announcements. All registered families are automatically signed up. Please make sure you read this to stay connected to what’s happening at Wildwood.

School Nutrition

Due to new state legislation, a complete breakfast and lunch meal will be provided at no cost for all students. If your child brings their own meals, please note that any additional a la carte items will be charged to their meal account. À la carte items are considered add-ons to a meal and will result in account charges. A la carte items include an additional entree, milk without a meal or additional milk, water, a second breadstick, chips, etc. For more information about nutritional pricing, click here.

Even though meals are free, students still must input their lunch personal identification number (PIN) when going through the line. You can find your child’s lunch PIN by accessing an existing School Cafe account or creating a free account if you do not yet have one. Lunch PINs are also visible in your ParentVUE or StudentVUE account. To see your child’s lunch PIN in ParentVUE, click on student information and click on additional information, scroll down to Lunch PIN. Please know that your child’s Perm ID is not their Lunch PIN. For new and Kindergarten students who do not have lunch PINs, please know that lunch numbers will be emailed to all families in August.

                                             

 How to see lunch numbers in School Cafe

One helpful way for elementary students to learn their lunch PIN is by printing a picture of the lunch pad or letting them see it on a device and letting them practice entering and memorizing their lunch number.

1. Enter your lunch number one key at a time

2. Press the GREEN key marked “ENTER”

3. The green light on top will stay on

4. If the pad beeps, ask the cashier for help

5. If you make a mistake, press the RED “CLEAR” key and start over

Help Us Keep the Lines Moving We want students to have as much time to eat as possible, and when students do not know their lunch number, it slows down the lines and reduces the time for students to enjoy lunch.

Educational Benefits at Mahtomedi Public Schools

Need help covering the cost of school-related expenses?

Fill out an Educational Benefits Application to learn if you are eligible for assistance with school-related activities. There are several ways educational benefits can support your family, including field trips, athletics, activities, scholarships for community education classes, college preparation and applications, and you may be eligible for potential discounts on utilities, and home technology. To find out if you qualify, fill out an Educational Benefits Form at www.schoolcafe.com/mahtomedips, sign in and click “apply” or complete the Application for Educational Benefits following the instructions. A new application must be submitted each year. Or use the pdf printable form and then return your completed Application for Educational Benefits to Mahtomedi District Office, Attn: Nutrition Services Department, 1520 Mahtomedi Avenue, Mahtomedi, MN 55115

Open House

Thursday, August 31st from 4:30 – 6:30 PM. We are staggering our times to help with congestion again. Families will join us by their last name. If families have 2 last names, they can choose a time that works best for them. If these times do not work, we will be flexible but this is our attempt to provide more one-on-one time with the teacher. A shuttle bus is available to shuttle from OHA to WW and WW to OHA. The bus times will run 4:15-6:50 PM. We will also have a stationary bus where students can experience what it is like to be on a bus. Students will bring their school supplies to the open house, if they forget they can bring them on their assessment day.

Food Trucks This Year at Open House

4:00- 4:30 pm New Family Welcome at Wildwood for OHA and Wildwood families new to our district

4:30 pm- Families with last name A-G

5:00 pm- Families with last name H-M

5:30 pm- Families with last name N-S

6:00 pm- Families with last name T-Z

ParentVUE 

ParentVUE is the web portal for parents in Synergy, Mahtomedi’s student information system. ParentVUE provides you with online access to information about your child’s academic experience. Elementary schools display student schedules, report cards, attendance, health information, and test history in ParentVUE.  

 

If you or someone in your family already created a ParentVUE account, but cannot remember the login information, go to the ParentVUE website (https://pvue6.region1.k12.mn.us/rt0832), tell the site you are a parent, and click the link for forgotten password. Enter the email address you used to create your account and the system will send your username and a link to reset your password.  When you reset your password, enter your first and last name as it appears in the email from ParentVUE.

If you have a question about ParentVUE, please visit the ParentVUE/StudentVUE help page or complete this form. The URL for ParentVUE and StudentVUE is https://pvue6.region1.k12.mn.us/rt0832. You can also download the ParentVUE and studentVUE apps for your iOS or Android smartphone or tablet.

Important Dates/Calendars

WW Digital Day Calendar

WW School Calendar

August

September

School Supplies
Click here for the Wildwood School Supply lists
All students can bring their supplies to Open House.

Transportation

If your child needs school transportation for this school year, you will receive a postcard at the end of August from our Transportation Services indicating their bus route number as well as pick up and drop off information. If you do not receive a postcard and your child will need school transportation, please call our transportation department at 651-407-2431 or email them at trans@isd832.net 

If you receive a route postcard and your child will no longer need school transportation, please call the transportation department at 651-407-2431 or email them at trans@isd832.net   

Technology/ Devices

All kindergarten through second-grade students at Wildwood Elementary will be issued an iPad. The device will stay at school each day unless there is a specific reason it needs to go home. If the iPad is brought home, please make sure you take good care of the device, keep it charged, and bring it back to school the next day so it is available for learning.

Volunteers/ Visitors

To ensure the safety of the buildings and students, we require criminal background checks for all adults who wish to volunteer. Information about the background check process and how to apply is available on our web page. More information on volunteer opportunities throughout the school year will be coming soon.


MPTO (Mahtomedi Elementary Parent Teacher Organization)

The MPTO works closely with the elementary schools to provide discretionary funds and books for classroom teachers and specialists, subsidize field trips and enrichment programs, hold teacher appreciation events and family fun nights, fund special requests for items such as an adaptive climbing wall at Wildwood and the Lü Systems at Wildwood and OHA, and much more. Funds are raised through events like the Fun Run and Spring Fling, book fairs, yearbooks, and other opportunities throughout the year. Visit mahtomedipto.com to sign up and learn more! View MPTO Fall Newsletter

Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation (MAEF)

Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation Welcomes the Class of 2036

The Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation, MAEF, is excited to Welcome the

Kindergarten Class of 2036 and their families! It is time to show your Zephyr Pride! Stop by the MAEF table in the cafeteria during the Wildwood Elementary Open House on Thursday, August 31, and pick up your free Class of 2036 sign!


Mahtomedi Area Educational Foundation Supporting and enriching learning experiences for ALL students at Mahtomedi Public Schools

Connect with MAEF via our website, Facebook, and Instagram to learn more about MAEF and the ways in which you can support Mahtomedi Public Schools!

Click here for the MAEF Back to School information.

Morning Drop-off Procedure
Starting at 9:00 AM, staff members will be in the drop-off lane area to open your child’s door and welcome them into the school. You, the parent, do not need to leave your vehicle! Students cannot enter the building before 9:00 AM unsupervised, please do not drop off your child before 9:00 AM.

Pre-k families will be parking in the recess lot and entering through the preschool doors.

Doors for students entering and exiting 

Main Door: This door is for students who are dropped off and first-grade students who ride the bus and any bus riders that eat breakfast.

East Door (by Kindergarten): This door is for Kindergarten and second-grade students who ride the bus. We will have staff outside to support students.

Afternoon Pick-up Procedure
Starting at 3:35 PM, staff members will be in the pick-up lane area to locate and assist your child in your vehicle. As you arrive, please have your student’s name tent on the front dashboard so it is easily seen by the supervising staff. (Each Wildwood student will receive the name tents at the open house or at your child’s assessment day.)
 Note: Please do not park in the parking lot and walk between the cars to pick up your child. This disrupts the flow and safety of the pick-up process.

Your joyful partner,

Mr. Scott Briske, Principal, Wildwood Elementary School