Important Dates

December 7th
o Wheeler Workers
December 19th Online Reading Practice for Grades 2-5
o Holiday Celebrations
December 19th Our school is using the Reading Plus program to help your
o End of 2nd Grading student become a better reader. Reading Plus helps students
Period develop the skills they need to be proficient readers and
December 20th 29th lifelong learners. Through regular Reading Plus practice,
reading will become easier, comprehension will increase, and
o No School
your student will make meaningful connections between what
January 1st 2nd they are reading and what they are learning. To learn more
o No School about Reading Plus, visit www.readingplus.com.
January 4th
o Wheeler Workers Your student can complete Reading Plus assignments outside
January 11th of school on a computer or tablet that has Internet access.
o Report Cards Assignments in each program can be completed in any order,
Distributed but please remind your student that reading lessons
January 11th (SeeReader) are the most important assignments. The
program will keep track of assignments completed each week
o PTA General Body
as well as your student's progress toward the overall lesson
Meeting / STEAM Night goals. Weekly assignments reset every Sunday night at 11:59
January 15th p.m., so students can work on completing weekly assignments
o No School over the weekend. Encourage your student to do additional
January 26th work in Reading Plus if he or she completes the weekly
o Wonder Woman assignment.
Luncheon
Please contact your childs Reading Teacher if you need help
or have any questions.

How to Log In:

Step 1 - Go to login.readingplus.com
Step 2 - Press the Student Login button
Step 3 - Enter Site Code: rpwheeler
Step 4 - Type Username: (Childs School Username)
Step 5 - Type Password: (Childs School Password)
 A Message from the Principal

Dear Parenting Friends,

Fall is in full swing at Wheeler Elementary School! Thanks to our amazing PTA we have
celebrated Fall with a fantastic Harvest Party for our students, the Fall Festival with our
families and a Walk-for-Wheeler event that raised over $10,000 for our school! We have
also kicked of the school year with a great turnout for our Grand Guest and Superman
luncheons! Many community members have dedicated time to supporting the school
during our monthly Wheeler Workers events and many Watch D.O.G.S. have been in the
house! Our students had some fun during Red Ribbon Week with a daily theme that
reinforced their commitment to remaining drug-free. Many more events to come before
our Winter Break! This week our students are recognizing Veterans Day by writing letters
and drawing pictures for deployed troops, veterans, first responders, and wounded
warriors. The letters and pictures will be included in care packages for service men and
women. We also enjoyed seeing so many families at our Holiday Luncheon!

Fall also brought the release of state test scores and although the state did not recognize
any schools with distinctions, the achievement of Wheeler students continues to rise. We
are very proud of the success of our Wheeler students and committed to continuous
improvement of our academic programming. We celebrate our status as a high performing
school, but as educational professionals, we continue to learn and grow. Professional
Learning has been a focus at Wheeler with two groups of teachers attending national
conferences on the New Art and Science of Teaching and Multi-Tiered Support Systems.
We have a team of teachers working with the University of Kentucky and JCPS to learn how
to implement Deeper Learning strategies in our classrooms. This work support the
districts Vision 2020 of each student progressing toward mastery of both academic
standards and the development of capacities and dispositions necessary for success in
college, career, community, and life. We continue to partner with the Bellarmine Literacy
Project with twelve of our primary teachers and our Goal Clarity Coach learning and
implementing a balanced literacy approach in our classrooms. We have several teachers
pursuing National Board Certification and all certified staff members are working on an
individualized Professional Growth Plan. Learning is not just for our students at Wheeler!
We truly are a Community of Learners!

Thank you for your continued support of our learning community! Your partnership is
crucial to our continued success. Your involvement ranges from supporting your
child/children at home with reading goals and homework to any time you have available to
get involved with our school. Want to know how to get more involved in our school?
Contact our PTA at wheelerpta@hotmail.com. We look forward to the remainder of an
amazing year of learning at Wheeler Elementary School!

Respectfully,

Penny Espinosa, Principal

 Congratulations to the
following students
for making the
Cheerleading Team
Box Top Update! Amari Bernard
We raised over $500 on our last Box Top Bonanza day! Isabelle Heick
Congratulations to Cassidy Yankey who won a $25 Visa card
for bringing in the most. Start collecting again!! Our next Box Maggie Kleier
Top Bonanza day will be Friday, Feb 23. You could be the next
Aila Kolehainen
lucky winner of a $25 Visa card!!!
Sydney Logan

PTA News Bayleigh Martin

Lily Moates
THANK YOU for your support and involvement in PTA this fall.
We had hundreds of grandparents join us for Grand Guest lunch. Mya Prinkleton
We have over 200 PTA Members and a room parent for every
classroom. Izzy Probus
The Wheeler Workers have a great group that helps teachers
with projects each month. Julia Terry
We had a great time with the Dads at Superman lunch.
Kassidy Thompson
We had lots of hard working volunteers at Picture Day and Book
Fair. Sadie Vincent
The students enjoyed the Harvest Party walk and all the candy
and goodies donated by families.
The Fall Festival was a great success with lots of families joining
us for a fun evening. Congratulations to the
The Walk for Wheeler 2017 raised over $10,000! following students
Our Wheeler families, students, teachers and staff are AMAZING! No
for making the
matter how you raised money for the Walk for Wheeler, we appreciate Pom Squad
your effort. No matter how much you gave, it added up to a fabulous
result for our school. Sidda Benedict
The Walk for Wheeler Drawings for Family Fun at House of Boom, Ashlyn Berry
Kentucky Science Center, iPod Shuffle, and iPad Mini took place on
Oct. 27th. The following students received prizes: Jaina Legg, Sydney Barbie Bland
Logan, Asher Smith, Laney Perkins, Alayna Powers, Jayden Ebling,
Brennan Stevenson, and Johnny Willen. Popcorn parties will be held for Campbell Brown
the top classes in each grade: Davidson, Boam, Scherer, Higgs, Masters Lily Collins
and Corsi.
Lilly-Claire Geoghegan
Well spend the money from Walk for Wheeler to help with student
learning and extracurricular activities. PTA Funds are primarily used Myla Higdon
to support classroom allowances and extras that arent included in the
basic school budget. Purchases range from books, to learning Kristen Mahin
technology, to science experiment materials and party supplies. The PTA
helps with expenses from the schools family and extra-curricular Kiana Marks
activities. Sophya Martinez
We couldnt do this without YOU. Thanks to each of you that Madison Morales
volunteers time to help at PTA and school events.
Lucy Probus
 Department of Pupil Personnel
Louisville, Kentucky 40232-4020
(502) 485-3338

Guide to Attendance & Absences

JCPS policy requires parents/guardians to notify the school office each day their child is ab-
sent, and submit a note explaining the reason for the absence when their child returns to
school. Any student who has been absent and/or tardy without valid excuse for three or
more days is considered a truant (KRS 159.150).

Absence Procedures Step-By-Step

1. Immediately report the absence to your childs school each day they are absent.
2. If your child is ill, a note from a parent or doctor will excuse their absence. Schools can
only accept parent notes for 10 days of illness during the course of a school year. If
your child has a documented chronic health condition please notify your childs school
counselor.
3. Submit the note excusing the absence(s) when your child returns to school. Notes must
be submitted within three days of your childs return to school, and may be sent in with
your child, faxed, hand-delivered, or emailed to your childs school Attendance Clerk.
Failure to submit written documentation, with a valid excuse of the absence, will result in an unexcused absence.

Acceptable Excuses Unacceptable Excuses

Student illness Missed the bus, transportation issues
Death or severe illness in students Parent appointment
immediate family Vacation, oversleeping, weather
Religious holidays and practices Babysitting, language interpretation

JCPS Response to Unexcused Absences

1. The school clerk will notify parents upon the third unexcused absence.
2. Students with additional unexcused absences will be referred to school support staff.
3. A sixth unexcused absence results in the student being referred to JCPS Pupil Personnel.
4. Additional unexcused absences may result in a Final Truancy Notice and/or a referral to
Child Protective Services or Juvenile Court.
5. JCPS may file a criminal complaint against parents whose children accumulate
excessive unexcused absences.
www.jefferson.k12.ky.us
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer Offering Equal Educational Opportunities
 Wheeler Elementary School
2017-2018
Family Activity Dates
December
7th Wheeler Workers 9:15
20th-29th No School-Winter Break
January
1st No School-New Years Day
2nd No School-Teacher Professional Development Day
4th Wheeler Workers 9:15
11th PTA General Body Meeting 5:45/STEAM Night 6:00
15th No School-Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
26th Wonder Woman Luncheon
February
1st Wheeler Workers 9:15
6th Yearbook Group Photos
9th Classroom Friendship Celebrations 2:00-3:00
26th No School-Parent &Teacher Conference Day
March
1st Wheeler Workers 9:15
2nd Daddy/Daughter Dance
12th No School-Teacher Professional Development Day
16th Mother/Son Dance
20th Spring Pictures
April
2nd-6th No School-Spring Break
12th Wheeler Workers 9:15
10th Fifth Grade Cap and Gown and Pictures and Panoramic
19th Fitness/Literacy Night
16th-20th Book Fair
30th-May 4th Staff Appreciation Week
May
3rd Wheeler Workers 9:15
4th No School-Teacher Professional Development Day
7th-11th KPREP Testing Week (Tentative)
17th Field Day/ PTA General Body Meeting
18th Field Day Rain Date
21st Perfect Attendance Celebration 2:30
22nd No School-Election Day
23rd Fifth Grade Promotion
24th Last Student Day
 J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y
Equal Opportunity Policies
Equal Employment Opportunity
Employees/Applicants
The Jefferson County Public School District shall
not discriminate in recruitment or employment on
the basis of age, color, disability, marital or parental
status, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation,
gender identity, gender expression, veteran status,
religion, genetic information, or political affiliations or
beliefs. The District shall promote equal opportunities
through a vigorous affirmative action program as an
integral part of personnel policy and practice in the
employment, development, advancement, and treat-
ment of employees of the Jefferson County Public
Schools.
In the Event of Questions
Employees or applicants, report to immediate
superior, the appropriate personnel administrator,
the Compliance and Investigations Office, or the ap-
propriate enforcement agency if you believe you have
experienced harassment/discrimination.
Equal Educational Opportunity
Students/Parents or Guardians
No student shall be denied equal educational
opportunity by the board of education because of his
or her age, color, disability, marital or parental status,
national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, gender
identity, gender expression, veteran status, political
affiliations, or beliefs or religion.
Harassment/Discrimination of any type is not
permitted. A student has the right to attend school
free from harassment and should not be subjected
to discrimination for any reason. Schools will strive
to ensure that these rights are protected and that
appropriate consequences are provided to offenders.
In the Event of Questions
Students and parents/guardians, report to
principal, the Compliance and Investigations Office, or
the appropriate government agency if you believe you
have experienced harassment/discrimination.
Noncompliance with the above policy and proce-
dures may result in disciplinary action.
P U B L I C S C H O O L S
Discrimination Grievance Procedure
The Jefferson County Public Schools Discrimina-
tion Grievance Procedure is available at local schools,
on the Jefferson County Public Schools website at
www.jefferson.kyschools.us, or in the Compliance
and Investigations Office, C. B. Young Jr. Service
Center, 3001 Crittenden Drive, Louisville, KY 40209.
Contact Dr. Georgia Hampton, Compliance and Investiga-
tions director, at 485-3341, or call or write one of the
following enforcement agencies:
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
600 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Place, Suite 268
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 582-6082 | www.eeoc.gov
U.S. Department of Education,
Office for Civil Rights
Wanamaker Building, Suite 515
100 Penn Square East
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3323
(215) 656-8541 | www.ed.gov
Kentucky Commission on Human Rights
The Heyburn Building, Suite 1400
332 West Broadway
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 595-4024 | http://kchr.ky.gov
Louisville Metro Human Relations Commission
410 West Chestnut Street, Suite 300A
Louisville, KY 40202
(502) 574-3631 | www.louisvilleky.gov/HumanRelations
TM
www.jefferson.kyschools.us
Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer
Offering Equal Educational Opportunities