March 28th, 2022

Dear Wolftrap Families,

I hope this message finds you and your family doing well. We are looking forward to Spring Break next week, and some time to celebrate Spring.

HONORING OUR MILITARY FAMILIES: You will see more details below about the Month of the Military Child Spirit Week coming up in April. We are honored to take this time at Wolftrap to recognize and show our appreciation for our Military families and the children that attend Wolftrap. See details below and THANK YOU for your service to us all.

INFORMATION ABOUT KILMER MIDDLE SCHOOL: If your student will be attending Kilmer next year, you should have received information about the Shifting Gears program and summer open house. There will be an additional Open-House on Thursday, April 21 from 4:30-6:30 for all rising seventh grade families to visit Kilmer, take a tour, meet teachers, and have some fun with some yard games and food. Our sixth graders will also be visiting on April 20^th, during the school day.

Shifting Gears is a transition program that will be offered this summer for ALL rising 7th grade students at Kilmer Middle School. At Shifting Gears, students will get to meet students from other elementary schools, become comfortable with Kilmer’s campus, and learn what it’s like to be a middle school student. Through fun activities and informative lessons, the program will focus on helping students with the transition to middle school and alleviate concerns students may have. There are six Shifting Gears sessions available this summer. Students can only attend one session. Registration will open on June 1st on Kilmer’s website. Further information will be shared at that time. Our KMS Cougar’s Connect Transition Website will also provide rising seventh grade students virtual information to support the transition to middle school.

ESSER update: Last fall, FCPS received $188.8 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER III) funding to help safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools and address the impacts of COVID-19 on students. For more information on the ESSER III grant, please watch this video and visit the FCPS website.  I have been highlighting how we are using funds at Wolftrap in each Connection newsletter. Last newsletter, I mentioned that we are welcoming a therapy dog to Wolftrap, and Blackjack’s first visit was this week, under the guidance of his owner and handler (and Wolftrap parent), Mr. Matt Michelini. I’ve posted his sweet face here, so that you can all have a moment of Zen when you look at him.

For more details on our ESSER III plan, please see our plan posted on our Wolftrap website.

Please have a safe and wonderful break!

Warmly,

Dr. Maggie Grove
Principal

What does a fish say when it runs into a wall? DAM.

While the end of the year is in sight, it's no time to hit the proverbial wall! The PTA board & volunteers are running full speed ahead to the end of the year and exciting upcoming events. And what's the MOST exciting event on the horizon? Yes, that's right, it's the April 14th PTA meeting! Please join us at 8:45 am on Google Meet or call 1 304-518-5132 (PIN: 982317921).

The meeting agenda will be posted here 48 hours prior to the meeting. Please also review the minutes from the last meeting.

Wolftrap's 2021-2022 Yearbook is now on sale through April 11!  Sales are through MySchoolBucks this year.  For those new to the platform, you will have to create an account, which will link to your student(s) and let you access the Wolftrap School Store to place an order.

April 11 is an absolute deadline, and we cannot take orders past that date. We will distribute yearbooks once we receive them, at the end of the school year.  Place your order today!

Raffle ticket pre-order is open! Six tickets for $5. Raffle tickets are the currency of the 5k Event. They are used for Raffle basket entry, Slime Your Faculty entry, cake walk and food and beverage purchases. You will be able to place your tickets in the drawing for the basket(s) or for activities and food. Raffle is open to ALL, not just to registered runners and walkers. 

Pre-order closes on April 17th. Pre-ordered tickets can be picked up at Packet Pickup, April 22nd, and on the morning of the event.

Order today here!

Following a couple of years off, we are once again holding the Basket Raffle on the day of the 5K and Fun Run on Sunday April 24th! We are seeking donations to be raffled off in the baskets.  

For convenience, each grade level has been assigned a donation theme and a corresponding Amazon Wish List for each grade has been created. Purchases from the list will be sent directly to the 5k & Fun Run Event Committee Lead. See the list here.

While there is a wish list for each grade, you are welcome to purchase new items for any theme. If you have a great donation item and you prefer to drop it off, donation drop offs will start March 14th at Wolftrap front office. Donations will be accepted until Friday, April 15, 2022.

Got extra large baskets taking up room in your house? The 5k Raffle Basket team is looking for donations. Drop off at the front office starting March 14th.

Email the 5k team at wolftrap5k@gmail.com for any additional coordination.

Nicer weather is upon us, which means students will have more regular opportunities to eat lunch in the tent.

We need volunteers to assist our staff with supervising lunch and cleaning tables in the tent.

Sign up here to volunteer today, and note that students don't eat outside when it is freezing, raining, or high winds.

As we enter our 4th quarter of school, we are starting to actively plan for next year's PTA programs and events. Our PTA runs 100% on parent volunteers from our Wolftrap community, and we are looking for leaders who are willing to run the following programs so we can ensure they return to our school next year. 

Directory - putting together our school's printed directory 

Edison Expo - running our annual STEAM fair event

After-School Programs - We need at least 1-2 more parents to volunteer on this committee. Planning for Fall After-School Programs begins this June, and this program cannot return without additional support. Please reach out if this one interests you!

If you are interested or would like more information, please reach out to president@wolftrappta.org.

BIG THANKS to all the students, staff and families who participated in the virtual talent show this year. 

Everyone who contributed did an amazing job to help put together a really FUN experience for our community! Overall we showcased 58 acts including: 76 students, 14 Wolftrap Staff members and a 6th grade showcase with more student participants than ever before. Between the two broadcasted performances, the show was viewed 428 times (WOW!) and we cannot wait to see how many kids turn in their scavenger hunt forms!

We could not be more proud of our Wolftrap community and are grateful for the outpouring of support for this virtual version of our traditional show. Thank you Wolftrap and an EXTRA SPECIAL thanks and kudos for all the hard work by the Talent Show Committee: Courtney McCreesh, Ola Chang, Debbie Rhoda-Choate, Wendy Rosner and Mona Goudarzi. 

Encourage your child to walk or bike to school on Wednesdays. Help your child’s grade compete for the Golden Sneaker Award and enjoy a cup of coffee courtesy of Caffe Amouri!