WGO - ES Archive: October 16

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Issue #10: October 16, 2025

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From the Principal

Ms. Michelle Alzamora

Dear Families,

As technology continues to shape how we live, learn, and connect, children today are growing up in an entirely new digital landscape. While devices and online tools offer incredible opportunities for creativity, connection, and learning, they also introduce new challenges related to attention, social connection, and wellbeing.

Recent research, including The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt, Stolen Focus by Johann Hari, and Glow Kids by Dr. Nicholas Kardaras, highlights that an increase in unstructured, unsupervised screen time correlates with higher rates of anxiety, distraction, and decreased face-to-face interaction among children and teens. These findings do not suggest that technology is inherently harmful, but rather that children thrive when adults help them use technology intentionally, purposefully, and in balance with offline experiences.

Here are a few strategies to help guide healthy digital habits at home:

Co-view and co-play whenever possible. Watch, play, or explore together so you can talk about what your child is seeing, learning, and feeling online.
Set boundaries that protect rest and relationships. Aim for device-free bedrooms, mealtimes, and family gatherings. Research consistently shows that consistent sleep and shared meals support emotional regulation and learning.
Encourage offline exploration. Unstructured play, outdoor activity, and time with friends and family help strengthen creativity, focus, and resilience, skills that cannot be learned from a screen.
Delay social media and personal devices when possible. Many experts, including those featured in The Anxious Generation, advocate waiting until 8th grade or later before introducing social media or smartphones.
Model mindful use. Children notice how adults use technology. Narrate your own digital decisions, such as “I’m putting my phone away so I can focus on you,” to make healthy habits visible.
Use trusted resources. Common Sense Media offers up-to-date reviews, family discussion guides, and screen-time recommendations by age.

As a community, our goal is not to eliminate technology but to teach children to use it thoughtfully, creatively, and safely. When we work together at school and at home, we can help children develop digital habits that protect their wellbeing and allow them to stay curious, balanced, and connected.

Warm regards,
The ES Admin Team

Spirit Week Begins After Fall Break

Get ready for a blast! Spirit Week kicks off the moment we return from Fall Break, and we can’t wait to see our students show their school spirit. Each day will feature a fun theme and opportunities for students to express creativity, connect with classmates, and celebrate our school community.

This year’s Spirit Week is sponsored by our Elementary Student Council, who worked hard to choose themes that bring joy, laughter, and a sense of community to our school. A full list of Spirit Week themes and dress-up days is shared below so families can plan ahead. It’s always one of the most joyful weeks of the year!

Grade 5 Stray Impressions Auction

The Grade 5 Stray Impressions auction is now live! Students created expressive cat artworks inspired by artist & illustrator Emma Carlisle, while also supporting The Basboos Project, a local initiative that helps care for stray cats through TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return). Proceeds from the auction will go directly to Basboos as well as Al Rahmeh Association for Animals.

Auction is open now and closes on October 27 at 4:00 PM!

Please visit the auction site to view the artwork and place your bids.

The artwork is currently displayed in the atrium and will be available for viewing during Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Your support empowers our students as young artists and changemakers, while helping to improve the lives of vulnerable animals.

Elementary Students Complete Hearing Checks

Hearing is one of our most important senses, and with constant exposure to noise from traffic, headphones, and technology, our ears are working harder than ever. Protecting hearing is essential for lifelong well-being.

This week, in partnership with hearingTec, a leading provider of advanced hearing solutions, all our elementary students took part in annual hearing screenings using the latest technology. This yearly initiative supports our students’ health and learning by helping us identify any potential hearing concerns early, ensuring that every child can thrive in the classroom.

Learn more about hearingTec: https://hearingtec.com/en/about-us/.

From the Counseling Department

Welcome to all our new students and families!
It has been a joy getting to know your children over these first two weeks of school and to see them settling into their new spaces and building connections.

We’d also love to share with you a video that was shown at our Back to School Morning Meeting. In it, last year’s leaving students offer words of wisdom and advice for our newest scorpions... and there’s even a special cameo from our beloved ES mascot, Wadi! This video gives you a glimpse of the spirit of ACS, and we hope that before long, your family will feel right at home here too.

Wadi - Back to School Video