Woodbrook Elementary School PTO

I mean, we already knew this, but so wonderful to see him recognized. Congratulations, Mr. Hunter! We’re so thankful for you and all you do!

If you're anything like me, you may want to pull the covers over your head and pretend like you don't need to think about a school calendar yet, but it's here, folks. Time to get organized!

Lucky for you....CCS has made it very easy this year. See printable Woodbrook calendar below and read the email from CCS to find out how to easily subscribe to all the calendars you want automatically uploaded onto your mobile calendar. BOOM!!! 🎤 (that's a mic dropping)

Mark your calendars, WBE Lions! We're excited to see everyone back at Woodbrook soon. Paws Up!!!

Jennifer Silverstein, mom to a WBE fourth grader in our amazing Lifeskills class, is hosting a meet up for all current and incoming Woodbrook Lifeskills students. Her hope is that finding some additional support with other families and helping the incoming families better understand what to expect would be very helpful for everyone. Thank you for hosting, Jennifer!

Our Cross Country Fall 2024 Season timeline has been set!

Registration will open August 5th and close August 21st (NO LATE REGISTRATION WILL BE ACCEPTED).

Pup Running school clubs can begin holding their after school practices the week of August 26th.

Meet schedule will be:
Wednesdays - September 11, 18, and 25th, Northview Church beginning at 5:30 pm

We are still recruiting for coaches and practice helpers. If you have a sincere interest in advancing the abilities of our youth, please reach out to Maria at [email protected]

Attention all incoming kindergarten parents!!! This a great opportunity for you to meet other parents and your kiddos to meet their classmates. Please send to anyone who is not on Facebook or has not followed our page yet! 💙💛. Welcome to Woodbrook!!!!

Woodbrook is in need of some coaches (at least two, preferably four) to lead our fall 2024 cross country team. Please visit the website http://www.puprunning.org/ for more information on the club and contact Maria Gottlieb, Pups Running Director, if interested in coaching: [email protected]. This is a great way to support a healthy lifelong habit at your school!

Coaches do not need to have a running background, but need a current CCS background check on file. They must be available for after school practices (at least one a week, no more than two a week) and available for our meets. Pup Running handles coaches training, registration, t-shirts, ribbons, and meet organization.

Meets held Wednesdays - September 11, 18, 25 beginning at 5:30 pm, Northview Church of Carmel

Registration will open as soon as we have our coaching roster filled ... or the first day of school (August 5th).

Registration will run August 5th - August 21st.

First day of practice can begin August 26th and run through September 26th.

Don't worry....you still have five weeks to get organized and get them to bed before 11 pm! We just wanted to give you a heads up on some dates coming at the end of the month and early August. Exact times TBD. Have a great rest of the summer!

Great info here if you’re interested in learning more!

We were blown away, though not surprised, by the tremendous interest in our Parent Night on Digital Safety last month. Keeping kids safe online is a group effort and we look forward to future opportunities to work with families to share concerns and best practices. The session was recorded and is now available for viewing on the CCS YouTube page: https://youtu.be/iwt0tazNwi4

Have a safe and fun summer, Woodbrook Lions! We will post more details about back to school events later this summer. 🌼🌸

Who knows what they’ll find in there??? Maybe a few of their favorite things. Last chance….Remind your kids to check the lost and found tomorrow. Maybe they’ll need a garbage bag. 🤷🏼‍♀️

End of Year Lost & Found 📦 - "My Favorite Things" Parody So, that's where all my spoons went 🥄🥄🥄 for being here! We’re Kim and Penn Holderness of The Holderness Family....

Thank you to everyone who purchased the student art fundraiser during last week’s fundraiser. All proceeds will be given to Mr. B to purchase more art supplies. If you preordered during the virtual sale, the art work is available in the school vestibule for pick up. Thank you! 🎨

Thank you Woodbrook community for fully funding this year’s scholarship! The race was close, but one car came out on top. Congrats to Miss Hovanec’s class for having the highest amount of donations! The scholarship was renamed by her class “Together We Roar,” which sums up Woodbrook perfectly! 😃

Four days to go!!!

Another amazing author visit in the books! This one was Natalie Lloyd and she came to talk to our upper grades and sign copies of her books. We're so thankful for these opportunities!

The race is on for the scholarship fundraiser! Send money in with your child this week to help his or her class win!!!

The Art Show Fundraiser is this Thursday! You can purchase your child's framed artwork virtually now and pick up at the event OR you can buy it there in person. If you do purchase ahead of time and cannot attend Thursday night, the art will be sent home with your child afterward. Happy Art Collecting! 🧑‍🎨🎨

Virtual Art Show: https://artomestore.com/collections/woodbrookelementaryschool46033

Happy Mother's Day to all our Woodbrook moms!

The scholarship fundraiser starts on Monday! It is easy...send in money with your student or scan the Venmo QR code to donate (don't forget to note your child's teacher in the memo). Thank you!

Okay, I know we like to brag on here about how amazing our school is (because it's true), BUT I mean, come on, have you met our specials teachers??? They truly are the best and each of them goes above and beyond everyday. Have you seen these troopers at carpool....rain or shine or sleet or snow, they're out there greeting our children with a high five and sending our kids home with a smile!

For the last day of Teacher Appreciation Week, we have to give a well deserved shout out to this incredible crew. Thank you for all you do. We see you and you're appreciated. 🥰. To our three gentlemen specials' teachers, thank you for being strong male educator role models for our boys in a field that is predominantly female driven.

I know we have forgot some important things about this wonderful group so please comment below with anything we missed! And, we know this is a long post, but short notes are not enough for this award winning crew.

Mr. Z (PE) - Everyone knows Mr. Z! Not only does he teach our children everyday about sportsmanship and class while participating in athletics, but over the last 20 years, he also has raised more than $280,000 for the American Heart Association through the Kids Heart Challenge (aka Jump Rope for Heart). He was even featured on the news for leading our school to these staggering numbers. And let's not forget Field Day that he puts on EVERY SINGLE YEAR. Let's be real, you know that has to get old, but he still does it and our children LOVE it!!!! And the start of the day is not complete without seeing Mr. Z and his cup of coffee directing traffic and keeping our kids safe when they come to school.

Mr. B (Art) - Mr. Barajas is our newest Specials team member and we could not be more excited to have him at Woodbrook! We knew we won the lottery when we got him. In his short time at Woodbrook, not only has Mr. B taught our children to love and appreciate art of all kinds, but he has also taught them how to love their own art and be proud of what they've created. He started a school fundraiser featuring your children's art, he started the school's Art Club AND he brought back and leads the Fifth Grade Student Council! At school carpool drop off, he is there from day one greeting your kids with a cool artsy t-shirt, a high five and a smile (and sometimes a big floppy hand)! He makes art more than cool and we are so thankful to have snagged him!!!!!

Mrs. Vahle (Media Specialist) - "Awwwww, the Vahles!" Those are literally the words we hear when this husband and wife team come up in conversation. Mrs. Vahle is half of this dynamic duo and we could not love her sweet, caring demeanor anymore. It is a known fact that the ability to read well is foundational to a successful education and learning to love to read is crucial in this success. Mrs. Vahle's love of reading is evident in all she does. She will find the perfect book for your child. She will encourage your child and build them up to be a stronger reader. She will do everything she can to get a book in your child's hand. And, most importantly, she will instill the love of reading in your child. If you have not volunteered in the library and have a chance to do that, DO IT...it's amazing to see this lady in action with children! Oh, and don't forget that in her "spare time," she heads up Broadcast with Mrs. Dunlap, brings in amazing authors/illustrators, leads the Book Fair with the PTO and just got our school the coolest book vending machine (and every student got one free book)!

Mrs. Reed (Music) - Did anyone see the fourth and fifth grade choir performance last night???? Oh, and that was probably the sixth or seventh performance they have done just this year in different venues throughout Indianapolis. And that is extracurricular! She leads up ORFF too....also extracurricular. She also puts on a musical for every single grade one through five EVERY SINGLE YEAR. And they're different every year and always really good...I mean, actually really good. Not like how your kid says, "Watch me, mommy and daddy" and does something pitiful and you nod and smile, but really are cringing inside. These performances are actually good. The kids know their cues, they know their lines, they know their notes, they know their lyrics, they know their position, they know their choreography and it is all done by Mrs. Reed! And she makes it look effortless as she stands to the side in a beautiful dress mouthing the words and conducting. Don't forget, she is also teaching these students to read music, follow rhythms and love the musical arts daily in class! Your mind will be blown when you think of all she actually does in a year. I'm exhausted just writing about it.

Mr. Vahle (STEM) - The other half of the Vahles and one of the kindest souls you'll ever meet. Mr. Vahle used to be one of our fifth grade teachers here at WBE, and when he moved to be the STEM teacher, we knew we hit the jackpot! Now all students get to be near his warmth and intelligence. Not only does he teach our children one of the most important areas of study for this growing world (science, technology, engineering and math), he does it in a way that makes it fun for EVERYONE. In addition, he started The Robotics Club, a group of 12 fifth grade students that designed, coded and created competitive robots and earned their way to the Robotics State Championship at Lucas Oil Stadium this year. He also established a Girls in STEM initiative at WBE to create excitement for girls in a predominantly male driven profession. Oh, and have you heard his singing voice? He occasionally graces us with that and it will make you cry.

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR SPECIALS TEACHERS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR OUR CHILDREN EVERYDAY! YOU ARE MORE THAN LOVED!

If you DO NOT have a fifth grader, you get to ignore this post! YAY! If you do have a fifth grader, sorry, but read on mama and dada!

We still need volunteers to supply donations or their time at the Northview party and at Student Council's Fun-a-Palooza fundraiser next week. See the links below and sign up to help if you can. Thank you!

Northview Party (Wed 5/15): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0F4EAEAC2DA7F4C61-48679918-5thgrade #/

Student Council Fun-a-Palooza Fundraiser (Fri 5/17): https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C4FABA92DA7FB6-49564603-5thgrade #/

Teacher's Favorite Things: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NM6M-TGLTqUQMucjltTD3rxHl8CuW2Tyah3V4ifmlX8/edit =0

Reminders for Wednesday, 5/8! 😁

Reminders for tomorrow (Tuesday), parents! The link to shop the virtual art fundraiser is: https://artomestore.com/collections/woodbrookelementaryschool46033

Deep breaths parents....and maybe have a margarita (or even just nachos, but treat yourself) today! We've got a busy week coming up at WBE, but don't worry, we got you covered! Stay tuned on social media and we'll provide you with a daily reminder of what is happening the next day. We can do this together! Two and a half weeks left!

The PTO is looking for general volunteers for next year! By signing up for this, you are NOT committing to anything. It will just allow us to reach out when opportunities are available. Thank you for considering donating your time!

https://forms.gle/jtHtDNg8HeM9cQyv9

Yay! The Book Fair starts today! Now is a great time to stock up on books for summer reading. And, it's not a library book so if your child "accidentally" sprays it with a hose, buries it in mud or loses it at camp, you won't have to beg for forgiveness at the library. SCORE!

Please go to our Book Fair flyer link below for all the needed information and links (e-wallets, volunteer signups, class schedule, teacher wishlist ewallets, etc.). HAPPY READING!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kdrgIIiz3LVCCeEQs2FUwD-UYL_p68-phM6WY2wkDhA/edit

Teacher Appreciation Week is next week, 5/6-5/10! The PTO will be treating the teachers with something special everyday of the week, but we need your child's help on Tuesday and Thursday! Teacher's Favorite Things: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NM6M-TGLTqUQMucjltTD3rxHl8CuW2Tyah3V4ifmlX8/edit =0