Wynnewood Elementary

Get your Valentine's Day order in!!

Due to the inclement weather coming in Tuesday afternoon through early morning Wednesday, Wynnewood Public Schools will be going virtual both Tuesday and Wednesday. Stay safe and we look forward to seeing our kids back in class on Thursday.

Good afternoon! The upcoming weather could be an issue for us safely transporting our students home Tuesday after school and transporting them to school Wednesday morning. I just want to give our parents a heads up in case we have to have virtual days on Tuesday and Wednesday. If we have to go virtual, we’ll let you know by 7pm tomorrow. I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

**Long Message Alert–Please Bear with Me** Hello, Everyone! Over the last week or so, you probably have heard about the upcoming virtual days from your child’s building administration. We know that these kinds of changes in our regular schedule can be problematic for many of our parents. In light of that, I would like to provide you with an explanation as to why this is happening. An explanation won’t solve the problems, but hopefully it will give you some understanding of why we are doing what we are doing. Whether it’s our businesses, our jobs, or our personal lives, our world continues to change. Keeping up with those changes can be difficult. It has always been difficult for school districts to provide important and necessary training and professional development to their staff. In Oklahoma we are allotted 5 days for professional development. Because of various yearly mandated trainings from the State Department of Education, we are lucky to have 2 days available to train our staff on any new instructional programs, tools, or instructional practices, so in the past we did the best we could with the time we had available, but historically, there hasn’t been nearly enough time to provide our teachers with the training they need to continually improve the academic performance of our students, and no one is more frustrated with that fact than them. For most of an educator’s career, learning how to use new technology and new instructional practices has been baptism by fire. They deserve better and our kids deserve better. The COVID pandemic was awful. It forced school districts to offer virtual education as a learning option for its students, which had to be planned and implemented over the course of a few months with little to no training. Nationwide, virtual learning is a work in progress. The silver lining with virtual learning is our ability to make calendar changes without affecting end of year programs and ceremonies such as graduation. If we miss a week because of inclement weather, we don’t have to add days to the end of our calendar to make those days up. If a family is going through a traumatic event that requires their child or children to miss an extended period of time, virtual learning is an option that may allow them to continue their education without being counted as absent. In rare cases, it also allows the district to provide necessary training to its teachers and staff so that we can improve the work we are doing in our classrooms and buildings. This year the district has obligated itself to the implementation of PLCs (Professional Learning Communities). In a nutshell, PLCs are a way to provide teachers with the opportunity to work together collaboratively in small groups by grade level or subject area to analyze and discuss student assessment data in order to take actionable steps to improve the academic growth of their students. This is an involved initiative with many layers and many moving parts, and it is not something that can be properly implemented in a day or two. In order for the trainers to work individually with each PLC team, we need a full day at the elementary school and a full day at the high school, which is why we are alternating virtual days. In order to complete the training, we will also be having alternating virtual days on February 21st and 22nd as well as March 27th and 28th. If there were any other way to do this that wouldn’t affect our calendar, we would do it. I sincerely apologize for the inconveniences and problems that these virtual learning days might cause our Wynnewood families. While we work to get better, we appreciate your patience and understanding. It doesn’t go unnoticed. Sincerely, Tim Simpson Superintendent

From our tribe to yours, we want to wish everyone Happy Holidays and a safe, peaceful New Year. We know that as happy and joyous the holiday season can be, it can also be a struggle and a source of sadness for many. For those dealing with physical and/or emotional challenges this year, we hope the season lands gently on your hearts and souls. We love and care for our community and look forward to serving you to the best of our abilities in 2023 and every year beyond. Please know that you are never alone and that we are here for you. My cell phone number is 440-935-8134. We have some cold weather coming up. Call me or text me if you need anything. On behalf of Wynnewood Public Schools and its Board of Education with warm and kind regards, Tim Simpson Superintendent

As a result of our playoff football run, we moved the professional development training that we originally scheduled for November 18th. The new date for our training is Wednesday, Jan 4th. This will be a virtual day for our students. All staff will report to work and teachers will participate in necessary professional development. Please email your child's teacher if you have any questions about the assignment for that day. . We understand that the 4th is the Wednesday we would be coming back from Winter Break, so we have asked teachers to keep that in mind and make sure that assignments are reasonable. Our kids need the upcoming break as much as our staff does. Thank you for your support and consideration, and please reach out to your building's principal if you have any questions prior to January 4th.

The Savage Invitational is today. Come out to support all the home and visiting teams. Here are the brackets. All games for the Wynnewood Savage Invitational will be live streamed on our YouTube Channel. You can find our channel by following this link! https://www.youtube.com/@wynnewoodbasketball4329

Good afternoon! This message is to inform our parents and guardians that Friday, November 18, will be a virtual day for our students. All staff will report to work and teachers will participate in necessary professional development. Please email your child's teacher if you have any questions or if your child is struggling with the assignment. We understand that the 18th is the Friday before Thanksgiving Break, so we have asked teachers to keep that in mind and make sure that assignments are reasonable. Our kids need the upcoming break as much as our staff does. Thank you for your support and consideration, and please reach out to your building's principal if you have any questions prior to November 18th.

​The Chickasaw Nation Impachi! (Let’s Eat) Meals for Kids Program is gearing up for Thanksgiving Break. Attached is a meal site flier for the Wynnewood area. This is a free nutritious food resource for all children/teen between the age of 1-18 and they do not have to be tribal affiliated. The children/teen must be present and consume meal onsite.​​

Dear Wynnewood Schools’ Families and Community Members, It is with profound sadness and heavy, broken hearts that the Wynnewood Public School District and its Board of Education extend its deep and sincere condolences to the family, friends, teachers, and anyone else with a connection to Hunter Armstrong. It has been a difficult day for our high school staff and students, but they leaned on each other with love and support as they tried to process this tragedy through a myriad of emotions. We would like to thank Rance and Michelle Rue of Jetty Counseling Services, Pastors Jarrod Kendall, Sheldon Williams, and John Russell, School Counselors Donna Maples and Brandi Ingram, and our Student Resource Officer Josh Moore for being by our side at 8:00am this morning to provide comfort and care to our students and staff. In the days and weeks ahead, students may have questions and concerns relating to Hunter’s death and will require support at home as well as our continued support at school as they work through their feelings and grief. Although we cannot predict how our students will react as they process their emotions, we can be sensitive and aware of their struggles as they come to terms with their feelings of loss. If you feel your child is having difficulty and may benefit from additional support, please contact either the high school office, the high school guidance counselor’s office or the superintendent’s office so that we can address your needs and the needs of your child. We are also supported by Jetty Counseling Services and can provide you with referrals as needed. As our school community and our community at large continue to cope with the loss of Hunter, we kindly invite all of you to participate in the healing process if the opportunity arises, and remember that we are here for you always, now and forever. Sincerely, Tim Simpson Superintendent

Parents and guardians there is a new place to fill out the free and reduced lunch application online located in the student records portal. Go to: www.wynnewood.k12.ok.us Click on: Gradebook (top right corner of page) Log into : Wen-gage Click on: Student Records Portal Click on : Lunch Room Application Fill in and Upload Application Click on: Green Checkmark in Top Left Corner

Wynnewood Public Schools is looking to hire 2 full time cook positions at the middle school. The job details are a follows: Hours. are 6a.m.-1p.m. M-F. Applicant must be willing to cook, clean, put up groceries, daily paperwork, be capable of lifting 50lb., and most of all, enjoy working with children. Interested applicants can contact Christina Deslaurier at cdeslaurier@wynnewood.k12.ok.us or 405-665-1111.

Wynnewood Public Schools is looking to hire 2 full time cook positions at the middle school. The job details are a follows: Hours. are 6a.m.-1p.m. M-F. Applicant must be willing to cook, clean, put up groceries, daily paperwork, be capable of lifting 50lb., and most of all enjoy working with children. Interested applicants can contact Christina Deslaurier at cdeslaurier@wynnewood.k12.ok.us or 405-665-1111

Title VI Public Meeting Date: September 14, 2022 Time: 3:30pm Location: Superintendent's Office Conference Room

If a parent/guardian completes a free or reduced-price meal application in July or August 2022 and that meal application is approved for free or reduced-price meals, they will be eligible for Summer 2022 P-EBT benefits retroactively when pick-up files are sent to DHS in October. This will only apply to Summer 2022 benefits. Check school website for information on how to apply.

Indian Ed Meeting canceled for August 24, 2022.

We want to send a big THANK YOU to Pastor Jarrod Kendall, his staff, and all the volunteers who provided an incredible lunch for our entire staff yesterday! Everyone in attendance also received note pads and pens as well as the opportunity to win several gift cards through a raffle. First Baptist Church has always been a steadfast and gracious supporter of our school district's staff and students, and we are eternally grateful for all that you do for us and our community.

Good Morning, WPS Families! Unfortunately, the USDA will not be subsidizing the cost of breakfast and lunch anymore. If you qualify and have not filled out the Free and Reduced Lunch Application, please do so as soon as possible. Online applications can be found on the Parent Portal or you can pick up an application at any school office, and once completed it can be returned to any school office. The cost for a student lunch is $2.55 and .40 cents for reduced students. Remember that breakfast is FREE for ALL students. If you have any questions, please contact one of our building principals or secretaries. I hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Community engagement and input is an important resource regarding the implementation of the District's ARP/ESSER III plan and budget. We are holding a community engagement meeting in the high school library at 6:30pm or immediately following the regular school board meeting on Thursday, April 14, 2022 to discuss and receive input regarding the District’s ARP/ESSER III plan and budget for the 2022-2023 school year.