Wallace Elementary (WE) are going places!

Exciting! Enrichment Clusters Arrive at Wallace

2011-01-25T18:25:00.000-08:00

In support of RISD's 2020 Vision, Wallace began Enrichment Clusters last week. It was amazing the way it all came together, with help of the Schoolwide Enrichment Team, PTA, and the superb staff at Wallace Elementary!
In December, teachers choose 3 topics they would be willing to teach a six weeks course about for 1.5 hours each Friday afternoon. The SEM team got together and chose 36 topics, ranging from "Ooey, Gooey Science," "Tool Time," "Step Up and Sing" to "Healthy Snacks for Hunger Attacks." A catalog was published and students in grades 1-6 were able to choose 5 titles based on their personal interests. Classes were formed and students were notified via assignment slip Friday morning. The PTA donated many of the supplies that helped make Enrichment Clusters a reality at Wallace. After many hours of planning and anticipation, Friday afternoon finally arrived! I was welcomed into each and every cluster classroom with smiles and echoes of excitement. Students brought me samples to taste from "Sabroso y Delicioso", greeted me with cheers from "We've Got Spirit, Can You Hear It?" and researched native birds in Dallas area before planning birdhouses to build. The students thoroughly enjoyed the experience and parents who volunteered as "helping hands" that afternoon said they had never heard the entire school so quiet.
I don't know about the students and teachers, but I can't wait until Friday afternoon for Day 2 of Enrichment Clusters!

Wedding Bells

2011-01-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

Exciting news from the Evans' household in the month of December! Not only was it a marvelous month at Wallace with all of the engaging holiday activities and spending time with my family during the holiday break but I got married!
My husband is Chris Yarger, a retired Army master sergeant, who I have known as a friend for 37 years. He and I enjoy doing the same things...spending time with our families, cooking, traveling. We had a small, intimate ceremony overlooking White Rock Lake on December 29, 2010. I will continue to be "Ms. Evans" at school this year but will change my name next school year to "Mrs. Yarger."
What a blessed way to begin the new year!

2011-01-25T17:44:00.000-08:00

Turkey Trot
The annual Wallace Turkey Trot was the best we have ever had! The Beta Club did a fabulous job of organizing the annual event by keeping a daily tally of each homeroom's collection, boxing the non-perishable goods, and leading the neighborhood parade. Each homeroom has a friendly competition with the classroom collecting the most cans getting to lead the parade. The students also had the challenge of gathering the goal of 2,500 cans so that I would fulfill their wish by wearing a turkey suit in the Turkey Trot parade! Many families in the Wallace neighborhood set cans on their doorstep so Beta Club members could collect them during the parade route and add to the school's collection. The grand total at the end of the day was over 5,200 cans! All food was donated to The Network of Community Ministries...how wonderful that we more than doubled our goal!
I believe it is such an important life lesson for children to participate in a spirit of giving back to their community. Again, one of the many reasons I love my job at Wallace, neighborhood school in Lake Highlands...the perfect place to be!

Falling Into October

2010-11-07T16:47:00.000-08:00

October was a busy month! Here are some of the happenings around Wallace last month, along with some photos to share!

Students who had shown outstanding behavior for the first six weeks were invited to attend Fun Friday. We had an assembly with music, slide show, and teachers competing in "Minute to Win It" games for the students in the audience! Students also had an extra recess (with popsicles, of course!). We will hold Fun Friday every six weeks to reward students who consistently exhibit STARS expectations: S-Safety First; T-Treat everyone with respect, A-Attitude is everything, R-Responsible for your own actions, S-Strive for your personal best!

FAIR DAY-Students and teachers had a school holiday on Monday, October 11 and received a free ticket to the State Fair of Texas. I went and enjoyed a corny dog and cotton candy!
LHAEC PTA toured Wallace for their annual Preschool PTA Tour. I'm sure they agreed "Wallace is the perfect place to be!" after seeing the school, staff, and students,
The annual Wallace Family Picnic had a huge turn out!! It was great to see so many families enjoying visiting with other families and watching our 3rd and 4th grade students perform a PE routine. The LHHS Wilcat Wranglers also came and performed (which was special for me since my youngest daughter , Katy, was a captain a few years ago!)
Ms. Jackman got engaged! I was fortunate to be in on the big surprise with her fiancee, Travis. He propsed to her and her students from last year and this year helped with the celebration. It was truly joyful! Congratulations, Ms. Jackman!

The Reflections Art Contest had over 180 entries this year! I was so proud of the students who created visual artwork around the theme "XXX" We had over 30 entiries going on to the next level of competition. Go Wallace!
The PTA had a delicious Soup Luncheon for the staff this month. We are SO fortunate to have such a supportive PTA who spoils our staff!

Kindergarten Halloween Costume Parade was precious. Also, all Wallace teachers were great sports and dressed as their favorite book characters! Who said we can't have fun and learn at the same time?

The annual Pumpkin Parade had a large amount of very creative entries this year!

Whew! It's hard to believe it's already November. I'll be sure to update you again soon! Until then~

Spectacular Time at Sky Ranch

2010-10-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Last week I was able to attend Sky Ranch with 54 of Wallace's wonderful fifth graders (not to mention , 9 cheerful chaperones!) The weather was absolutely perfect. The cabins were nestled around a lake and surrounded by winding trails through the woods. During the day we attended science classes about nature and at night we enjoyed a campfire under the stars and a scavenger hunt in the dark. One of our classes was "Forces of Nature" in which we had 3 teams: Ms. Nick's "Orbiting to Neptune Nick", Mrs. McCoy's "R U Crazy Science Strategies", and Ms. Evans', "Eating Energy Evans." We took an initial run on the zipline. The students on each team helped their team leaders compete on runs 2 & 3 to see how fast and slow they could travel. Below is a photo of the 3 team leaders, Ms. Nick, Ms. McCoy, and myself (not to mention, our fabulous photographer who is not pictured, Tracy Padgett a.k.a. "Puttin' Down the Proof Padgett!")

Skate Night

2010-09-19T15:13:00.000-07:00

It was SO much seeing so many students with their families, along with our fabulous teachers, at the annual White Rock Skate Night last week!! We had over 160 paid skaters and collected over 160 pairs of socks for the RISD Clothes Closet...what a success for the wonderful Wallace PTA. Every time we have an event that involves the families, I am reminded how blessed I am to be at Wallace Elementary. The friendly smiles and fun we share have built a strong Wallace community.

Here are some of our star teachers going places! Many thanks to them for waiting on me, the slowest skater of them all!!

Meet the Teacher

2010-09-05T19:59:00.000-07:00

We had a record crowd at the first Wallace PTA/Meet the Teacher Night! Parents browsed the hallways and saw various interactive bulletin boards, students' work displayed, and STARS expectation posters. Students were proud to show off their classrooms and were enthusiastic to introduce their parents to the teachers. There was definitely a sense of pride in the air.
The teachers have worked collaboratively to create a mission statement for Wallace Elementary for the 2010-11 school year. The mission statement defines what we feel would make the ideal school. It is one of the measures we will use to judge our success as a school. You will find it posted in the front hall of the school.

WALLACE ELEMENTARY IS:
· Safe, clean environment that promotes a healthy teachers and students
· Positive, friendly and respectful community
· Pride in Wallace
· Sense of community among students and staff
· Inclusive & diverse
· Parental involvement and support
· Student-centered classrooms where all students are engaged, motivated, well-behaved, challenged and held accountable
· Up-to-date technology
· Appropriate, differentiated instruction for all students
· Physical movement and activities and more recess time for all grades
· Encouraging student success and continuous growth
· Projects that include deeper thinking & extend learning
· Student ownership and responsibility
· Fun place to work for teachers and exciting place to learn for students
· Building strong relationships between staff members and between students
· Build relationships school wide
· Appropriate dress: teachers and students
· Positive feedback for teachers and students
· All teachers/staff are prepared, committed, “experts” in their subject area
· Good character, integrity, kindness, & manners
· Lead by example with continuous self reflection
· Professional attitude, flexible, & open to new ideas
· Collaborative teamwork & vertical teaming
· PBS/Consistency in procedures: bus, dismissal, cafeteria, hallways
· Positive feedback for teachers and students
· Timely, clear communication and support schoolwide
· Have access to supplies and resources needed and wanted
· Celebrate life everyday

Beginning of the Journey

2010-08-29T18:39:00.000-07:00

The beginning of the journey. The first week of school for the 2010-11 school year. WE...Going Places!! It was an incredible week at Wallace Elementary. Students arrived Monday morning in droves. 605 students to be exact. It's hard to believe when I began as principal 3 years ago, the enrollment at Wallace was 446 students. Evidently, the word is out that Wallace is "the perfect place to be!"

The staff worked over the past few weeks to prepare their classrooms to be inviting, lessons to be engaging, and gearing up to build relationships with their new students and their parents. From the Sno Cone Social when students met their teacher to the first day of school, there has been an excitement in the air and positive attitudes all around. I feel so lucky to be a part of such an awesome team!

Below is a picture of the bulletin board outside the library highlighting the staff and where WE are from. We have staff members that were born in Burma, Nigeria, Canada, Armenia, and Mexico. We look forward to seeing you Thursday, September 2, at the first PTA meeting/ Meet the Teacher night!

New Faces

2010-08-14T14:39:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe school will be starting in a little less than a week! Where did the summer go? I am excited to let you know of some new happenings around Wallace Elementary for the 2010-11 school year. We have added the following new staff members to our Wallace family:

Maggie Lamberth, 1st grade
Kelly Tegt, 2nd grade
Katy Matthews, 2nd grade
Leigh Clarkson, 3rd grade
Rebecca McPherson, 3rd grade
Ronda Wylie, 3rd grade
Rebecca Wall, 3rd grade
Lauren Hart, 4th grade
Ashley Nick, 5th grade
Diane Royer, ESL
Megan Simmons, bilingual pull-out
Derrick Johnson, Resource teacher
Patrick Unkenholz, Music
Jennifer Collier, Math Specialist

and last, but not least, Tanisha Williams, assistant principal!

Lots of new faces, lots of new ideas, and energy! They have been busy preparing their classrooms with awesome themes and decor. Please stop by to meet them and make them feel welcome as I have told them Wallace Elementary is "the perfect place to be!"