Author: Alexandra Laoutas

Students commenced Arts In Our Schools Month with our second annual Arts Week! They competed in grade-level activities that included art scavenger hunts, chalk murals, spray paint relays, and cardboard architecture competitions. Music-filled lunches, bubble watercolor painting, and printmaking activities stamped creativity everywhere! It was a whirlwind of expression and excitement! 

The fourth-grade students at White City had a great time making the most of the beautiful weather as they took their reading activity outside to read their parts in the drama “Peter Meets Wendy.” Once the play was over, the students collaborated to summarize the story.

White City Elementary third-grade students have been very busy; Mrs. Reid’s and Pizzarello’s math classes were fully engrossed in learning to demonstrate geometric concepts through body signals. Mrs. Sharpe’s class is learning about plant absorption through the celery experiment. Ms. Thompson’s class is busy editing tasks using their newly acquired grammar and writing skills.  Ms. Drawdy’s class proudly shows off their trophy for having the highest proficiency rate on their ELA unit assessment.

In Coach Jones and Coach Smith’s PE classes, students practice their yoga positions and learn new ways to manage stress! They are also learning how to Double Dutch jump with the longer jump ropes! In Mr. Tobin’s Art class, fourth and fifth-grade students work on their Mexican-inspired sun art. Students explored lines, patterns, shapes, and colors. They are excited to share their work with the rest of their classes! In Mr. Deleon’s Media class, fifth-grade students read aloud to their groups about Hispanic individuals who made an impact in our society!

First graders at White City Elementary are making great strides in math, writing, phonics, and reading. It’s amazing to see how enthusiastic they are about learning! They enjoyed a shaving cream activity as a fun reward for their positive behavior.

Play with Purpose is in full swing at White City Elementary! It is the Kindergartener’s favorite part of the day as they get to learn through play. Purposeful Play seeks to ensure that enjoyable and meaningful play experiences are encouraged or created and promote & extend children’s learning and development towards meeting desired learning goals!

At White City Elementary, the SEL curriculum is a top priority on our campus! Learning ways to control our emotions, practicing skills to support our feelings, and building relationships, have cultivated our Wildcat school culture. Mrs. Steward loves leading our school and making the Wildcat campus a safe place that staff and students enjoy. #SELday #WearBlueDay

Mrs. Steward’s 1st-grade SEL group at White City Elementary works on how they can band together and keep the rainbow BRIGHT  by reading “How Crayons Saved the Rainbow” by Monica Sweeney. She is a favorite from the SEL Dept. library collection.

5th graders at WCE participated in a STEAM Design Challenge to create a solar oven prototype that could cook a “Moon Munchie” (aka s’more) using only the energy from the sun. Using what they learned throughout the school year on energy and the nature of science, students harnessed solar power to reach temperatures up to 118 degrees Fahrenheit! From designing their solar oven to collecting and analyzing data, and finally enjoying their s’mores, students proved that this STEAM Challenge was no match for them.

First Graders at White City Elementary started a unit on living things and learned about the parts of a plant. Each student planted a seed and will observe their seed over the next couple of weeks.  Hands on learning is so much fun!

Check out the Buddy Reading program between 4th graders and 1st graders at White City Elementary! Older Wildcats and younger Wildcats are paired together to practice reading fluency, sight words, and comprehension by taking turns reading to one another! Many buddies have also shared random acts of kindness with one another all year via notes, cards, and greetings across campus! Way to go, Wildcats!

White City Elementary had a successful virtual family night that included a prize wheel, the wave, and lots of smiles. WCE’s Social Emotional Learning committee collaborated with the SLPS SEL department to host the virtual event on Teams. Eighty participants attended the event to learn about Social Emotional Learning at WCE and how to reinforce skills at home. Thank you to our community partners, Chick-Fil-A, Applebee’s, Golden Corral, and Super Play USA, for sponsoring our giveaways.