The Wilson Word, Volume 21 Issue 2

VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 2 | WINTER 2014

The Wilson Word A publication of The Wilson School, Founded 1913

IN THIS ISSUE: Head of School 2 Cover Story 4 Primary Grades 6 Art 8 Cardboard Challenge 10

Parent Perspective 16 Robotics 11 Alumni Reflections 12 Parents Association 17 18 Alumni News 14 Community News 19 Giving at Wilson 14 “Wall” of Fame Fundraising Events 15 Calendar 20

Message from the Head of School | Achieving Our Mission

By Head of School, Thad Falkner ach and every day Wilson faculty and administration put great attention to how we are living Wilson’s mission to prepare students for success in an ever-changing world. Periodically, we take a step back to take a broader view on how we are doing, collectively, in meeting all of our areas of focus. I would like to share with you some of the key highlights from an update we recently provided our board of trustees. I can truly say that I have never been more proud of what we are accomplishing for our students. I hope that you, too, can see this in your interactions with our school.

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THIRD GRADE DAY OF CLASSES IN FOREST PARK

Our Exceptional Faculty This year, several members of our faculty are participating in a graduate level writing course at Washington University.

Once completed, 70% of our grade-level faculty will have had this training. More than one fourth of our faculty are presenting in their areas of expertise in professional communities outside the walls of Wilson. And, we continue to invest in professional development with half of our faculty attending local, regional or national conferences this year.

Balance of Classic and Innovative Curriculum and Teaching Methods As you may have seen recently in the news, Wilson is leading the way in our use of technology in support of encouraging collaboration and creativity. Our flexible scheduling in technology and library is fostering more indepth, project-based learning. The new outdoor classroom has inspired engaging lessons such as cataloging the school’s ecosystem. The third grade class took their love for learning in the outdoors to even greater heights with a full day of classes in Forest Park.

MADAME, MR. MCGINNIS, MS. SIGNOR AND MRS. TIPTON DELIVERED A PRESENTATION ON THEIR CROSS-CURRICULAR PROGRAM, “THROUGH THEIR EYES,” AT THE SHELDON ART GALLERIES IN ST. LOUIS. 2

Creativity through the Arts This year we look forward to hosting author, illustrator and zookeeper, Carolyn Mueller, as our visiting author. Among other children’s books, she is the author of “Happy Birthday St. Louis” in honor of the 250th anniversary. Michele KatzReichlin will be our expert artist in-residence. Michele works in ceramics and her work is based on Japaneseinspired sculptural forms. Complementing the Art of Asia theme, the fifth and sixth grade musical, “The Stonecutter,” was performed in our innovation room and incorporated a

variety of media and cultural elements. A recent addition to our program, we held the second annual Global Cardboard Challenge. The event was a great success with students and their families sharing in a “day of creative play” with children all over the world.

Building Character and Social Responsibility For those of you who haven’t already been to a student assembly this year, our MYMAGO (Make Your Mark a Good One) theme is Courage. In addition to the assemblies and usual ways we incorporate the theme in our curriculum, our students created a larger than life thistle comprised of messages on their interpretations of courage. The piece hangs prominently in our main hall and serves as a reminder every day of the many ways we can show this positive character trait.

we recognize the incredible benefits of this practice for our students.

I could fill this entire newsletter with these and many more anecdotes on how our mission is coming to life at Wilson. Instead, I would encourage you to come and see for yourselves. Our community is our strength. We simply would not be able to fulfill our mission or provide these opportunities for our children without you. Thank you!

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season,

Celebrating Our Differences Our longstanding traditions of honoring family traditions and our cultural heritage continues with the VIP, Good Buddy and Family Time Capsule activities in the early childhood and primary grades. This year, we have the exciting partnership with the St. Louis Mosaic Project and are developing a collaboration with a school in Nanjing, China.

Personal and Physical Wellbeing As you may have read in the fall edition of The Wilson Word, our running program now encompasses children in senior kindergarten through sixth grade. This is a unique place to be and we are thankful for the participation and leadership of all of our faculty who help support these programs. We also continue with our mindfulness program in every grade. As early adopters in this area of emphasis,

THE THISTLE OF COURAGE

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Cover Story | Senior Choir Performs Japanese Folktale or this year’s annual musical, the fifth and sixth grade students performed a four-part show featuring a production of “The Stonecutter,” a Japanese folktale also found in Chinese traditions and other countries. The story of the stonecutter is a reflective piece on being content with what you have. Tesaku, the main character, is a poor man who is satisfied with his life chiseling rock until one day he is tempted by powers beyond his own. Ultimately, through a series of experiences, he realizes his true happiness with the simple life from which he came.

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Wilson’s music teacher, Ms. Donaldson, enhanced the cultural experience of the musical by incorporating two student demonstrations of Japanese childrens’ games, “Stew Pot” and “Ocharaca,” before the performance. The evening culminated with a girls chorus rendition of the famous Japanese folk song, “Orange Blossom,” featuring three solos.

As is the tradition at Wilson, the musical was entirely student-driven. Preparations started in August when the children were introduced to the music. The accompaniment included a variety of instruments and was arranged for the elementary level using the Orff-Schulwerk philosophy.

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On parallel tracks, all of the other elements of the preparation transpired across a variety of disciplines. In art, the students created their costumes, which consisted of hand-embroidered obis, and props including cherry blossoms, sunrays and clouds. In language arts, the students wrote original Haiku, which were beautifully narrated throughout the performance and displayed in stunning backdrops they created in technology. Even the playbills and posters were student designed.

A truly collaborative team effort, many of Wilson’s faculty participated in supporting the students. Mrs. Donaldson was assisted by Mrs. Shay, school secretary, and Dr. Zinkl, science teacher, in the overall production. Art teachers, Mrs. Signor and Mrs. Tipton, along with Mr. Jerry, the custodian, created the mountain set. Mrs. Panneri, technology coordinator, helped bring the production to life in the innovation room.

The final production was a magical experience, capturing the imaginations of the audience at all ages.

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Building the Foundation for Success in the Primary Years Second Grade team Miguel Figueras and Maureen Zeman have been teaching second grade together at Wilson for 12 years, with a combined total of 59 years of teaching experience. start from working as a whole group, to a small group, to individual working time.” he Wilson primary grades, including first, second and third, focus on building organized, independent learners prepared for the challenges of the upper grades. The teachers at the primary level establish solid academic habits which help students throughout their Wilson career and beyond.

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First Grade team Penny Lyles and Lauren Cappell have been teaching first grade together at Wilson for two years, with a combined total of 33 years of teaching experience.

First grade teachers, Mrs. Cappell and Mrs. Lyles, introduce a more structured environment, helping students adapt and adjust to their new routine. “First grade students have to keep up with their own supplies and materials,” says Mrs. Lyles. “They need to stay organized. It’s a big step.” The first grade teachers create opportunities for more independent work. Mrs. Cappell describes the process as gradual. “We 6

The responsibility increases in second grade, when students receive their own desks, lockers, assignment notebooks and lengthier homework assignments. Mrs. Zeman and Mr. Figueras emphasize completing coursework in a timely manner, so that the class follows rigorous curriculum. Among the strong academics, the teaching partners make sure to include a bit of whimsy in their lessons. Says Mrs. Zeman, “I think we have enough fun, childlike things, like our imaginary pet cat, Elvis, and more grown up things, like assignment notebooks. We realize that they’re still children, but it’s also time to be serious students.”

Ms. Cady and Mrs. Goldschmidt continue teaching organizational skills, including independent research projects. “As the year progresses, they become more independent,” observes Ms. Cady. Research projects spanning one to two months prepare students for even more in-depth work that occurs in the upper grades.

Fundamental organizational skills and academic basics are incorporated with hands-on projects and presentations.

After only two weeks of school, second grade performs “The Doorbell Rang.” “With ‘The Doorbell Rang,’ the students know that second grade is going to be great,

and we are going to start things off by doing something fabulous.”

“Student of the Week” and “Scientists of the Week” are highlights of the first grade experience. Students and their families take a turn sharing family traditions and science projects with the class. Long-term research projects begin in first grade, starting with a field trip to the zoo and a presentation to the entire student body on a selected animal.

Each year, third grade students eagerly look forward to returning from spring break to experience the Wagons West unit. Whether making a four-patch quilt square with Mrs. Faught, playing Oregon Trail, churning butter or playing with an antique toy from Mrs. Goldschmidt’s personal collection, the children are immersed in the westward expansion theme. The unit also informs the classic component of the third grade curriculum as students write diary entries from the perspective of a frontiersmen and read historical fiction novels.

The emphasis in first through third grade on advanced curriculum and independent projects takes place within the warm, nurturing Wilson environment. Mrs. Cappell feels that Wilson has a sense of community and togetherness. “When you know the students and what makes them happy and excited, you can really reach them.”

Third Grade team Mara Goldschmidt and Carolyn Cady have been teaching third grade together at Wilson for three years, with a combined total of 39 years of teaching experience.

“In our environment, it’s cool to learn. We are set up for the kids to have a great education and succeed,” says Mr. Figueras. Mrs. Lyles agrees. “Wilson School will make you proud.”

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Wilson Students are Inspired by the Art of Asia

ach year, Wilson students explore a new theme in art. For the 2014-15 academic year, the theme is “The Art of Asia,” focusing on the work of six artists; Hokusai, Ai Weiwei, Selina Lin, Hyewon, Maya Lin, and I.M. Pei. Each of these fascinating individuals has a very distinct style and background. They are from Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea and the United States.

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PRE-KINDERGARTEN

Since August, our younger students have been working on projects based on books utilizing techniques of Asian culture. These include making kimono patterns, Hokusai “The Great Wave” inspired paintings and drawings, and printmaking. In the future, they will explore brush painting, paper making and Chinese calligraphy. “It’s very exciting to see how exposing the children to such a variety of artistic interpretations around specific themes and cultures inspires their creativity,” explains Ms. Signor, early childhood art teacher.

In the upper grades, art teacher, Mrs. Tipton is building on the foundation of their early childhood experiences and exploring an approach called “Teaching for Artistic Behavior.” In this model, students participate in a short lesson where she introduces an artist or technique and then everyone breaks into “studios” around the room to work in a medium of the child’s choosing. “There are guidelines at each studio, however, within this framework, students are able to be entrepreneurial in how they choose to explore each concept,” explains Mrs. Tipton. “From drawing, to painting, to fiber, to printmaking and sculpture, there is something for everyone and the students really love it.”

Through January, you can see Wilson student work on display in several stores throughout the City of Clayton. Visit our website at wilsonschool.com for a list of stores to be posted soon.

SIXTH GRADE

JUNIOR KINDERGARTEN

SENIOR KINDERGARTEN

1ST GRADE

2ND GRADE

3RD GRADE

FOURTH GRADE

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Wilson’s 2014 Global Cardboard Challenge

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hat happens when you give The Wilson School’s families two hours and a room full of cardboard, tape and odds and ends?

At this year’s Global Cardboard Challenge, on October 11th, The Wilson School gym was transformed into a magical world of robots and super heroes, Viking ships and villages, pet homes, arcades and even a hockey arena…just to name a few!

For the second year, Wilson joined more than 120,000 participants from all over the world in 43 countries in the Cardboard Challenge Global Day of Play, organized by The Imagination Foundation. In addition to the openended activities with cardboard, students worked with a local non-profit, KidSmart, to create positive messages for backpacks that will be delivered to students-in-need in the St. Louis area. They raised money for KidSmart through a snack sale, the proceeds of which were matched by TR,i Architects, a corporate sponsor for Wilson’s event and designers of the school’s one-of-a-kind innovation room. The students also made bookmarks for the Students Rebuild Literacy Challenge, benefitting Save the Children’s Literacy Boost program in Latin America (Peru), Africa (Mali) and Asia (Nepal).

Through the Cardboard Challenge at Wilson, students and their families celebrate the joy of creativity that connects them to people all over the world.

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Robotics

“World Class,� investigating how we gather knowledge and skills in the 21st century. The team taught adults about the ways that kids need and want to learn.

To prepare for the competition, the team used NXT robots from Lego and programmed them to accomplish specific and complex tasks while using math, science and creativity skills to determine how people can learn better. During the November 23 competition, the Wilson team scored 95 points and placed second in their division.

The team felt great about their accomplishments at the tournament and will continue to meet until the end of the year.

ince the second week of school, the Wilson Wolves Robotics Team, consisting of students in fourth through sixth grades, have been preparing for the FIRST Lego League (FLL) competition.

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Each year, the team tackles a challenge provided by the League. The challenge is related to a specific real world problem and is the theme for the robot game, the project and the core values of the challenge. This year, along with over 265,000 children from 80 countries, the team took on

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Relections | Wilson Alumnus Steve Shepley teve Shepley attended Wilson in the 1960s for prekindergarten through second grade, and has since stayed close to his elementary alma mater through the years. Dedicating much volunteer time to Wilson, Shepley served two terms on the board of trustees. His latest Wilson endeavor includes leading the newly formed alumni committee, which is planning a Wilson reunion for this spring.

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Q: What are your memories of Wilson?

A: My memories are those of a calm, nurturing environment where the teachers really cared about the students. It was a loving place. I have wonderful memories of Mrs. Breckner, who was head of school. She was an enthusiastic, takecharge lady and she knew all of the students. I clearly remember her stepping in one day to teach our class when the teacher was out sick. She made me feel important. She was one example of an administrator getting to know her students, even though she must have had a lot to do, like running the school! And who can forget the morning ritual of orange juice and crackers!

Q: What’s Wilson like today, compared with when you were in school?

A: There’s that certain feel when you walk into the building!

You get the impression that there’s a dynamic of “we are about you.” We want you to succeed. We want you to learn to read, to have fun and make friends and do things that challenge you. This close-knit atmosphere is much like it was when I went here. It’s a unique feeling.

Q: Why have you chosen to stay involved with Wilson?

A: I have great memories of the school as a young boy. I believe in our mission. I think our school is on a great path with wonderful teachers and great, exciting technology, among other things. Now, I really care about the school and its future. Our committee will energize our alumni outreach.

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Q: What do you hope to accomplish with the alumni committee?

A: Our committee is charged with organizing our alumni base and getting our alumni engaged. Let’s get them back to Wilson! They can renew childhood friendships. I look to them as Wilson ambassadors who can help with our marketing and recruitment and tell the Wilson story. There is much good news!

Q: How has Wilson impacted your life?

A: Wilson equipped me with social skills, a love of reading, and self confidence. It helped shape my personality. The school instilled in me the importance of good manners and how to be polite. I can still remember Mrs. Breckner emphasizing being considerate of others. Speaking in a group, for example, was part of my experience. Wilson helped me feel more comfortable in my own skin. I know I was valued, appreciated and loved.

Q: Tell us about your career.

A: After working for Enterprise for 23 years in sales and administrative roles, I then worked for Edward Jones for three years as a financial advisor. I now work with three partners in running a professional transportation and personal concierge service called Rent A Relative, LLC. Q: How did Wilson help you achieve success in your career?

A: At Wilson, I learned good manners, to tell the truth, the importance of listening, and playing fair with my classmates.

Reflections | Wilson Alumnus Nick Watt fter spending three years in Russia, Nick Watt moved back to his hometown of St. Louis. Walking around the DeMun neighborhood, he stopped by Wilson and toured the renovated facility. Impressed with the updates, Nick joined the alumni committee, hoping to bring others back to see the improvements for themselves.

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Q: What are your memories of Wilson?

A: I remember the teachers the most, like Ms. Unanue, Mrs. Goldschmidt and Mrs. Gray. I remember listening to baseball in Mrs. Goldfeder’s room and Monsieur Maurice who created his own French text book and cooked us crepes.

Q: How has Wilson changed?

A: The new gym is incredible and the innovation room is really high tech and very impressive.

Q: Tell us about your journey after graduating from Wilson.

A: I went to John Burroughs School where I discovered Russian authors. I found the country to be endlessly interesting and mysterious. I wanted to learn more about it so I majored in Russian studies, as well as math at Lawrence University in Wisconsin. Following college, I moved to Russia, teaching English at Kurgan Sate University in Siberia. It was a small city and very different from anything I’d experienced. After four months, I moved to St. Petersburg and taught English. Living there was exciting and a lot of fun. I got my master’s in Energy Politics at European University in St. Petersburg, then started a journal, EnerPo, about that topic.

Q: What was it like living in St. Petersburg?

A: St. Petersburg is a beautiful city. I lived right in the center and it was really nice to be a part of this historical place, which was the capital of the Russian Empire. People are very culturally focused. There are museums and monuments everywhere. I had a very good experience there.

Q: What are your future career plans?

A: I want to continue in energy studies, specifically learning more about oil and gas. I would love to continue travelling to Russia.

Q: How has Wilson impacted your life?

A: I can’t remember life before Wilson. It was a great environment with caring teachers. You could learn about a lot of different things, so you could find out what you were good at doing. I got pretty into math in sixth grade. I enjoyed solving word problems and I realized that I could do it and that I was good at it. I ended up majoring in math in college.

When I lived in Russia, I was able to represent my country well because I had a good education.

“It is a great environment with caring teachers.”

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Alumni News

riends who have attended Wilson now have a place to gather online. Join our Alumni Facebook Group to learn about what’s happening at Wilson now and to reminisce about your favorite Wilson memories.

Stay tuned to learn about an all alumni reunion in the spring!

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Giving at Wilson

fter Thanksgiving, we can take advantage of shopping deals on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The following day, Giving Tuesday, is a global day dedicated to giving back. Please consider making The Wilson School a recipient of your generosity on Giving Tuesday with a donation to the Annual Fund or Excellence Fund.

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Annual Fund gifts bridge the gap between tuition and the true cost of providing each student the extraordinary opportunities of a Wilson education. Annual Fund dollars are flexible and available immediately, so your generosity can be put to good use right now, addressing real needs and having a real impact.

Gifts to the Excellence Fund support faculty professional development, innovative programming, the library’s print collection and a Speaker Series.

Make your Annual Giving donation today!

Want to get involved in the Alumni Society?

Email us at:

emacanufo@wilsonschool.com

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Fundraising Events T

hank you to all those who participated in this fall’s Trivia Night, helping us raise over $4,000 for the Wilson endowment.

A growing endowment helps Wilson build the foundation for long-term stability and success, allowing us to enhance our educational program, increase tuition assistance, support faculty compensation and provide a financial cushion that can help offset the rising costs of education. Learn more about supporting our endowment by visiting our giving pages on wilsonschool.com/giving.

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ion uct A e e t l Thistl 15 v a S Annua 21, 20 Hotel 32nd bruary easons Fe our S The he F T t a

PROM NIGHT 2015

The Wilson School Thistle Auction

The 32nd Annual Thistle Auction, the school’s premier social and fundraising event, will take place on February 21, 2015 at the Four Seasons St. Louis. This year’s “Prom Night” auction promises to be an exciting event! Here’s how you can help make this a night to remember: Auction Program Messages (formerly known as advertising) – A personalized message is a terrific way to both recognize your child and support Wilson.

Donate an Item – Suggested donations include gift cards to favorite restaurants or vendors, a week(end) at a vacation home, tickets to a sporting event or local performance venue, professional services or personal talents or hobbies.

Financial Donations – Monetary contributions are also greatly appreciated and will be used to underwrite exciting items for the live or silent auction. Please consider a gift to the Joy Liss Fund, which underwrites the cost of staff and faculty to attend the auction.

Sign-Up Party – Consider hosting a sign-up party. Signup parties are a wonderful way to get to know other Wilson parents during a fun event.

Attend! Save the date and plan to attend this fun and celebratory event. Look for your invitation to arrive in early January. Thank you for all of your support.

Auction Co-Chairs Devon Fischer devonfischer@gmail.com Helene Urvoaz helene.urvoaz@gmail.com

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Parent Perspective

At the start of the year, Mrs. Simpson pulled together a team of 15 fifth and sixth grade boys and girls, whose expertise ranged from brand new to elite team players, to participate in the Rossman Invitational Soccer Tournament.

Before the first game, the Wilson players, none of whom had ever played together as a team, made a pact to help the least experienced player score a goal, a feat difficult for even the most seasoned players. During each of the games played, you could hear the more advanced Wilson soccer players gently coaching and encouraging the others, helping to bring out their best. This alone was enough to make all of the parent spectators proud.

By Fifth Grade Parent, Mary Tricamo-Park hen we moved to St. Louis a couple of years ago, we chose Wilson because the emphasis on preparing children for success wherever they are, whatever they do, resonated strongly with our family’s values. This fall, I had the wonderful opportunity to experience first-hand the difference this shared vision can make as our students took on a challenge in a way that was uniquely “Wilson.”

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During the last of the seven games they played, you could hear the increased chatter among the players positioning one of the novice players for an opportunity to score. And score he did!

The sheer joy of that moment was overwhelming for the player as well as for all of the parents watching this incredible team accomplishment. He cheered and we cried. For all of us, this was a priceless illustration of what a school community can achieve when we are oriented around a shared vision.

Parents’ Association News

By PA President, Molly Gray

FUN AT COSMIC BOWL!

ike most of you, reading together is a special time of day in the Gray household. Tonight, my SK daughter asked to read some of our beloved Thanksgiving books. Together we read about the meaning of Thanksgiving as well as gratitude. Kate remembers well last year’s MYMAGO theme of gratitude and without any prompting, she declared she is thankful to go to a “great school like Wilson!” Simply put, but a propos nevertheless.

Our PA sponsored event, Cosmic Bowl proved, once again, how much fun we have together. I can’t think of a time when I have seen so many children smiling and laughing in one room. There were so many parents who pitched in and helped to make it such a favorite event. Sincere thanks to each of you for making it such a memorable evening. Wilson day at the Rams gave us another chance for fun as we watched them beat the Seattle Seahawks!

We are thankful to be a part of such a warm, nurturing and challenging school environment. It is easy to feel this appreciation when you walk into the building and classrooms.

It’s palpable. Our faculty and staff lead our children each and every day down the wonderful path of learning and we are forever thankful to them for their hard work.

We treated our faculty and staff to multiple delicious breakfasts and executed a PERFEKT Octoberfest-themed luncheon to convey our thanks. We held our annual parent association meeting to explain and promote various events and ways for you to become involved. It was a proud moment to share the room with so many of you willing to participate and help.

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As your parent association president, I would like to thank you, the parents of Wilson School, for all you do for our community. It seems that each time we ask for help from the parent community, people not only raise their hands but do so enthusiastically. Since the beginning of the year, the Wilson parents have assisted in the following ways: we hosted FIVE morning coffees for fellow parents to visit and catch up. We sold some seriously cute and fun Wilson wear at the beginning of the school year and then again for the holidays. We rallied the school to stock up on wrapping paper through the Innisbrook program, and encouraged families to drop off any unused books for our spring used book sale.

We also held another successful Scholastic Book Fair where our children could shop and purchase a beloved book, all benefiting our school.

Finally, we reintroduced a new fundraiser, the gift card program which proved to be wildly successful. I am pleased to report we sold $12,005 worth of cards, totaling the raised monies to $733.72.

Phew! We have accomplished so much in such short time and I think we can all say we had some fun in the meantime.

Thank you to each and every one of you for helping our school so eagerly. It does not go unnoticed or unappreciated.

Rather, your time, talent and efforts are just what make us so grateful to be a part of Wilson. My daughter just attested to this tonight.

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Community News and Notes

The Wilson School

Friday, December 12th

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ark your calendars and tell your friends about these upcoming Wilson community special events.

Barnes & Noble Book Fair Friday, December 12th All day Shop at Barnes & Noble at Ladue Crossing on this special day and a percentage of your purchases will benefit The Wilson School. Sponsored by the Wilson Parents’ Association (PA), there is a full schedule of fun activities, including story time with Mr. Hinkebein. Download the flier on wilsonschool.com for more information.

Barnes & Noble Ladue Crossing (No School for Progress Report Writing)

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-Student artwork on display -Thomas the Tank Engine Story Time at 10:00 AM -5th Grade Gift Wrapping from 4:00 - 6:00 PM -Tattoos and Crafts from 4:00-6:00 PM -Story Time with Mr. Hinkebein at 5:30 PM -Elf on the Shelf Story Time at 7:00 PM (kids can wear their pajamas)

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Visit BN.COM/bookfairs to support us online from 12/12/14 to 12/17/14 by entering Bookfair ID 11455425 at checkout.

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A percentage of your Barnes & Noble purchases will benefit The Wilson School.

The Wilson School Speaker Series Presents: Dr. Jacqueline Langley Understanding 0 - 5 Year-Olds from the Inside Out: How to foster emotional and intellectual strength in the youngest members of our community February 10th, 7:00 p.m.

Through describing how 0 to 5 year olds think, feel and communicate at each of these ages from the inside out, Dr. Jacqueline Langley will help all who attend to enter the internal world of our youngest citizens. Through this lens Jacqueline will describe how children at each of these ages stir feelings in us that will guide how we communicate and reach them, helping them to move from one age to the next.

At each stage and age the children and adults need to accomplish specific tasks to foster optimal emotional and physical strength and cognitive development. Jacqueline will describe these tasks giving specific examples of common concerns and difficulties child care workers and parents encounter when helping these children on their journey.

Jacqueline will talk about how these challenges, if faced, can enhance the child’s growing emotional strength.

To reserve your spot today, e-mail speakerseries@wilsonschool.com.

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Dr. Jacqueline Langley is a doctoral level clinical psychologist and child, adolescent and adult psychoanalyst who has been treating adults, children, adolescents and parents in her private practice for over 30 years.

Wilson “Wall” of Fame s seen here in some of our most popular Facebook posts, the Wilson community had a wonderful fall full of fun experiences. If you haven’t already, visit our Facebook page to get a daily glimpse of life at Wilson and share with your friends and family.

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Calendar of Events

Visit Us Online:

Families can check the MyWilson portal for more dates and details and public events are posted on the school website.

my.wilsonschool.com www.wilsonschool.com

Dec. 3

Used Book Drop Day

Dec. 10

Parent Coffee & Assembly

Dec. 11

Wilson Night at the Blues

Dec. 12

No School - Progress Reports

Dec. 12

Barnes & Noble Book Fair

Dec. 19

Noon Dismissal

Dec. 20 - Jan. 4

Winter Break

Jan. 5

School Resumes

Jan. 14

Used Book Drop Day

Jan. 19

No School - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Jan. 23

Dad’s & Special Dudes’ Day

Jan. 28

Parent Coffee & Assembly

Feb. 10

Speaker Series - Dr. Jacqueline Langley

Feb. 12

Valentine’s Day Celebrations

Feb. 13

No School - Prof. Day

Feb. 16

No School - President’s Day

Feb. 21

32nd Annual Thistle Auction

Feb. 25

Parent Coffee & Assembly

Feb. 27

Re-enrollment Contracts Due

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