School is now closed March 12 until futher notice with Distance Learning.
The team at WNS is constantly monitoring the Coronavirus (COVID-19) situation as it relates to our location and beyond. This webpage serves as a gathering place for all communications sent within our school community, as well as additional resources for parents and community members. This is a quickly evolving situation so please check back often for updates.
Family Fun Activities
Fun activities and options for families to do together at home.
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Common Sense Media’s List of Free Online Activities
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Common Sense Media’s Open Wide School
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L.A. County Library Access From Home – Digital Library Card
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Amazon Offers Free Audiobooks for Kids through Audible
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PBS SoCal and KCET Offer Broadcast Programming and Accompanying Digital Resources
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No-sew DIY Face Masks
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Mo Willems Drawing Lessons
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Coloring Sheets
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YouTube Art Lessons
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Children’s Authors Doing Read-Alouds
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50 Free Online Workout Resources
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Google’s Virtual Tours
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Travel and Leisure Virtual Tours
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L.A. Times Animal Webcams
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NASA At Home
Financial Support
Resources for families and small businesses from the local, State and Federal governments.
Public Health Updates & Resources
Resources from our local, State and National governments and health agencies.
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Schedule COVID-19 Testing
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Information for COVID-19 Testing in LA
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“Stay at Home” Order Details
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Childcare Finder for Essential Workforce Members
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Just For Kids: A Comic Exploring The New Coronavirus
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How to Talk to Kids About Coronavirus
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How to Prepare Your Home/Family
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Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
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World Health Organization
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LA County residents can also call 2-1-1
Physical/Mental Health and Wellness
Resources to help families stay physically and mentally healthy and well.
WNS Updates
Click below on the date of the email to view the contents.
April 29: WNS Updates
April 2: Important Financial Information 20-21 School Year
April 1: Important Updates
- Our Lower and Middle School Student Councils are holding ZOOM meetings and planning fun events for our students, including a Middle School Virtual Dance.
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We are moving forward with our Film Festival, albeit virtually (but that’s what film is in the first place), and we have some other special student fun virtual events in the works (particularly for our 8th graders!) that we can share more about after Spring Break.
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It is now our plan to hold a Virtual Gala and Celebration of our wonderful community on Saturday, May 16.
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We are also looking at holding some Zoom coffees with our parents at different grade levels, as we did very successfully today with the ECC.
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And I, the optimist, still hold out hope that come June, while we may not be able to have school, we can hopefully hold Graduation for our 8th grade students and their parents, and livestream it to the rest of our school community.
March 23: Message to WNS Students
March 22: Update from the Head of School
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Community Gathering
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Family Group meetings
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Student Council meetings
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ACE classes and lunchtime play-dates hosted by ACE staff
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Tutoring support for students who need a little more help
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Parent support and connections
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This is what you have been doing the last three days. Top-notch WNS instruction will be provided on a daily basis, with an increasing emphasis on synchronous instruction for our elementary and middle school students. Continue to look for emails from your teachers and division heads for more details on the instructional plans for these next two weeks.
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April 2: Second Trimester Progress Reports will be posted in OnCampus. Check your email for access details.
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We will resume normal weekly communications, including a Monday Video Message from the Head of School and the Friday E-News.
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Our Tier Two program is optional and provides additional online activities for our students in their “non-school” hours. Think of it as similar to ACE and ACE Plus, just virtual and available for everyone!
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Virtual “Play Dates” – WNS ACE Staff will be hosting Virtual Play Dates for Kindergarten-5th Grade students starting Wednesday, March 25. Virtual Play Dates are a supervised time for students to “hang out,” interact and each lunch/snack with their friends with one of the ACE staff. Please look for an email from your Division Head for the links to join the Zoom meetings!
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Asynchronous activities recorded by the ACE team for students to engage in after their school day will be provided.
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Look for the Distance ACE Program e-blast coming soon with lots of resources for families! This will include the Virtual Play Date sign-ups, links to the asynchronous activities, and more!
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More information regarding the ACE Plus Spring session is coming this week.
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This is spring break week and we know we are all not traveling. While academic studies may be on pause, students may still be looking for optional fun and engaging activities. WNS is putting together some incredible extra programming options (Tier Two) for those families. Your ACE/TA Staff is working on some fun stuff – be on the lookout for more details about this next week. PS-8 attendance and regular participation is not required during this week…it’s all about the fun!
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April 13: No Tier One or Tier Two Programs. Our faculty will use this day to finalize preparations for the continued Distance Learning ahead. I encourage our families to do the same. Start to shift from spring break mentality to back-to-school distance learning work time.
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April 14-17: Resume Tier One and Tier Two Programs
March 18: Distance Learning Day One
March 17: Message to Students
March 16: Distance Learning Update

8:00am-9:30am
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9:30am-10:30am
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10:30am-12:00pm
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K-O
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12:30pm-2:00pm
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2:00pm-3:30pm
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Create a discrete online learning center for live (synchronous) learning that is in a common space in the house, not in bedrooms.
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Parents who are also working at home should set up a clear area where you’re doing your work so it is clear as possible to young children that you are “at work.”
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Create a home schedule in concert with the school’s schedule that includes time for play, exercise, and stress relief. Common Sense Media has provided some wonderful resources for these ideas.
March 15: Coronavirus Update
K-8 Families: Please drive into the 5401 backlot like morning drop-off, but one lane only. There will be cones with staff attendants lined up. Please give them the name and grade level of your child(ren) AND the name and grade level of any other student for whom you might be picking up. These bags will include books, learning materials and Chromebooks with chargers for 3rd – 5th students. All books, folders and learning materials in middle school students’ lockers will be gathered and bagged as well. The bag of supplies will be brought out to your car by a staff member wearing gloves and a smile! We still ask that you stagger your pickup time by student last name to help with the flow of traffic:
8:00am-9:30am
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9:30am-10:30am
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F-J
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10:30am-12:00pm
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K-0
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12:30pm-2:00pm
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2:00pm-3:30pm
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- Create a discrete online learning center for live (synchronous) learning that is in a common space in the house, not in bedrooms.
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Parents who are also working at home should set up a clear area where you’re doing your work so it is clear to young children that you are “at work.” The recommendation was also made that parents “dress” in a way that makes it clear to their young children that mommy or daddy is “at work,” and not ignoring them.
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Create a home schedule in concert with the school’s schedule that includes time for play, exercise, and stress relief. Common Sense Media has provided some wonderful resources for these ideas.
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March 15-April 3: Distance Learning program
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2nd Trimester Progress Reports will be posted on March 27
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Conferences will be postponed until after Spring Break
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April 4-13: Spring Break (Tier Two programs will be supplied as options for students at all grade levels).
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April 14 and going forward: We all hope we will be back in session and resuming normal, everyday school activities. No one can predict right now what the near future will hold. We will be prepared for either resuming classes on campus or Distance Learning after Spring Break.
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Internet Access & Tech Support- email Brad Wright (bwright@wns-la.org)
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Canceling Freshlunches: You need to go to the Freshlunches website tonight and cancel!
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Some of our parents must go to work and need child care support and may have difficulty finding it. Please contact me if this is the case (bzacuto@wns-la.org).
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I know that these can be trying times financially for some of our families. Email me directly and let me know if there is something we can do to help with financial distress from temporary loss of income (bzacuto@wns-la.org).
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Some families and/or children may be dealing with stress or worry at a significant level. Please know you can reach out to either of our two wonderful School Psychologists for help or referrals (efisher@wns-la.org, kbielkevicius@wns-la.org).
March 13: Coronavirus Update
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Enhanced Hygiene: Washing hands frequently, avoiding hand to hand contact with others, sneezing/coughing into a facial tissue (or elbow), and using hand sanitizer after being in a public place. I would also remind parents to be mindful of using hand sanitizer after handling money and credit cards, and do not share your cell phone with others.
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Social Distancing & Social Gathering Guidance: Based on guidance from the LA County and California State Health Departments, WHO, and the CDC, we know more now about how COVID-19 spreads, and it is mostly by close contact with people expelling droplets through coughing/sneezing, or by hands that have been to the mouth or nose and then to surfaces, or another person’s hand or face. The capacity to manage social distancing and social hygiene is highest in adults and lowest in young children. This fact coupled with the fact that children can carry COVID-19 and have very mild symptoms is why schools and after school activities are closing. Some parents are choosing to keep their families close during these first few days, which is fine. Everyone should avoid large groups and big social gatherings. The State of California has mandated no gatherings over 250 people; that’s still a very large group of people we don’t know. Common sense guidance for adults is to keep social clusters to a reasonable number where you can maintain social distancing and avoid contact with people who may be sick. The number of children who should gather for activities or play dates should get smaller with age. We don’t recommend older children gathering in groups larger than 4-8, and our young children, who have the least capacity for managing personal space and hygiene, in groups larger than 2-4 for play or babysitting. Use the outdoors as much as possible for social gatherings. Please monitor any gatherings with young kids carefully with enough adults to ensure that all involved are feeling well and maintaining appropriate social spacing. Wash hands often! Things can change in a moment these days and we will update when they do.
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Health Care: Stay hydrated, get plenty of rest, and shore up your immune system. If you have a persistent cough and fever, see your doctor. COVID-19 testing is more readily available now, and we should all advocate to our doctors if we are concerned about symptoms or a clear exposure. If you are going into a doctor or for testing, let them know in advance your purpose for the visit so the health care providers can be properly protected.
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Maintaining our Mental Health: Anytime there is a significant event like this it can be particularly daunting to children. Many have had nearly all of their social connections ripped away: school, sports teams, after school activities, hanging out with friends. They are likely reading stress in their parents’ eyes and in the faces other adults who are significant in their lives. And they also may be watching/listening to too much news. We have posted several links that offer suggestions for parents on how to talk with your kids about coronavirus on our Coronavirus Resource Page. It is important to focus on the joyful things in your lives and find ways to play as a family together. Board games may make a big comeback! Perhaps use facetime to have kids and families link up for a game day. Watch some funny movies; read some good books; take a nature hike; plant a family garden. This is an opportunity to rediscover some of those things in life we may be moving too fast to enjoy. Finally, here is a link to a resource for managing stress from the LA County Department of Mental Health.
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Monday: Faculty and staff working to organize Distance Learning supplies for students. Parents can use this time helping their student(s) prep their work/learning spaces. No parents or students will be allowed on campus on Monday! Please look for a video message from me to you and your children Monday morning.
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Tuesday: All families are invited to campus to pick-up of student supplies (and books in lockers) between 8am-4pm by student last name:
8-10am
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10am-12pm
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H-M
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12-2pm
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N-S
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2-4pm
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Parking will be available in the 5401 back and front lot for K-8; ECC parents can enter into the ECC parking lot.
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ECC: Parents will gather their child’s things at the ECC.
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K-5: Parents (and students if they are with you) will go to your child’s homeroom (cubby side). Your child’s materials will be on a desk labeled with their name.
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6-8: Parents (and students if they are with you) will get your materials organized and labeled for you on tables in the MLC, and you may also get books and other items out of your locker.
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Additional details and instructions will be emailed to you by Kelly (ECC), Stacey (K-4) and Heidi (5-8) by Monday.
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If you are uneasy, unwell, unable to physically enter the buildings to pick up materials, you have the option to pick up via carline and have staff bring your child(ren)’s materials out to you. Please enter the carline in the back lot of 5401, and there will be someone there to get the name(s) of the student(s) for whom you are picking up supplies.
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If you are unable to physically come to campus on Tuesday, please email me (bzacuto@wns-la.org) and we will coordinate a plan to get you what you need.
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Families will need to have a computer, tablet, or other internet-connected device to use with their child. ECC-2 children will be best served by an iPad, for ECC students this is optional. 3rd-5th grade students will be assigned a chromebook and charger that can be picked up on Tuesday. 6th-8th grade students will be using their current chromebook. You will also need to have a home internet connection. The device should have a camera and built-in microphone for video conferencing and recording. If you do not have access to a suitable device or internet connection please contact WNS Technology Director Brad Wright: bwright@wns-la.org.
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Take some time Tuesday afternoon and evening to get acquainted with your materials, make sure devices are charged up, etc. Let Kelly, Stacey, or Heidi know if there are any issues or questions.
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Kelly, Stacey, and Heidi will send specific schedule information to their divisions and additional resources to guide you and your student.
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Wednesday: Distance Learning officially begins. Initial online connection and learning will take place. You will receive more details from your classroom teacher and division head. We will be delivering Distance Learning in two tiers: tier one is the academic program all students are expected to engage in daily. Tier two will be optional activities through links, suggestions, ideas, prompts and fun challenges that we encourage students to dabble in based on their interests.
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Thursday: Ongoing Distance Learning activities.
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Friday: Livestream message to all families/students at 9:00am from the Head of School & ongoing Distance Learning activities.
March 12: Coronavirus Update
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Monday: Faculty and staff working to organize Distance Learning supplies for students.
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Tuesday: System for pick-up of student supplies (and books in lockers) between 8am-4pm. This will be organized alphabetically so to manage the number of people on campus. We will also have strategies in place to support all families with this process which I will explain in tomorrow’s email.
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Wednesday: Initial online connection and learning will begin. Kelly, Stacey, and Heidi will send specific information to their divisions to guide you and your student.
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Thursday: Ongoing Distance Learning activities.
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Friday: Livestream message to all families/students from Head of School & ongoing Distance Learning activities.
March 11: School Closed Tomorrow, March 12
Event Changes & Cancelations
AS OF THE SCHOOL CLOSURE ON MARCH 12, ALL EVENTS HAVE BEEN CANCELED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE. Some events will be made virtual, and some rescheduled at a later date and you will be notified when that happens. If cirumstances change, we will update the dates here.