Congratulations to Middle School English teacher Katie Hopper who is being honored by the Maryland Humanities for her work on a yearly project known as Letters About Literature. She is the recipient of the 2019 Maryland Letters About Literature Christine D. Sarbanes Teacher of the Year Award! Ms. Hopper has encouraged her students to participate in this program for many years, and many have been selected for the student award program each year. This year is the first time Ms. Hopper has had three students recognized. Congratulations, dragons!

Wednesday we shared the news with our Middle School students during our Community time post-Chapel. Their love and appreciation for her were evident in their wild applause! Please join us in congratulating our fabulous Ms. Hopper!

On April 5, Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah spoke with our Elementary grades students. Emmanuel is a Ghanaian man born with a severely deformed right leg. Against incalculable odds, he has overcome his disability and is opening minds, hearts, and doors while affecting social and political change throughout his country. While Emmanuel’s message is vital—people with disabilities are valuable contributors to any society—his method is inspirational. Emmanuel began his quest with a bicycle ride, over 600 kilometers across Ghana with one leg, and he continues to spread his vision with grit and resolve. Emmanuel has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey show, been to the White House, starred in a documentary about his life’s journey, and written books about his experiences.

Two years ago, Mrs. Poland’s second-graders were enthralled with the book, Emmanuel’s Dream, an inspiring true story about Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah. The students corresponded with Emmanuel via letters and face time and wanted so badly to meet this incredible person. They held a lemonade stand and raised funds for Emmanuel’s Education Foundation that works on the behalf of the disabled in Africa. A dream came true with Emmanuel’s visit.

The purpose of the dress code is to encourage neatness, a sense of appropriate attire, and school pride. This past summer, the WES administration updated the dress code for the 2019-2020 school year in order to simplify and streamline the dress code. Knowing that many families purchase uniform items several months prior to the next school year, the new policy is being announced now and will go into effect next school year (2019-2020). Flynn and O’Hara is our supplier of school uniform items. You may order online or visit their store in Maryland at Loehmann’s Plaza at 5210 Randolph Road, Rockville, MD 20852, 301-838-8958, or in Virginia at Fair City Mall, 9650 Main Street, Fairfax, VA 22031. Some uniform items can be purchased from Lands’ End or from the store of your choice (i.e. polo shirts, white shirts, shorts, pants, skorts, skirts, and navy blue jumpers). Please visit our school store, the Dragon’s Den, to purchase sportswear, WES sweatshirts, and WES ties. Also, the Used Uniform Shop, located on the second floor, is an excellent source for this year’s uniform needs at a deep discount. The key updates include the following:

Grades 1-5

• For daily wear, students may only wear a navy blazer, navy sweater, or a WES sweatshirt as an optional secondary layer; sweaters in any color besides navy will no longer be allowed.

Grades 6-8

• For daily wear, all students will wear a white or blue oxford cloth shirt; students may no longer wear a polo shirt for daily wear.
• For daily wear, all students will wear WES sweatshirts for an optional secondary layer; sweaters of any type will not be allowed. As a reminder, students may also choose to wear the dress uniform blazer daily.

Click HERE for details for Grades 1-5 and Grades 6-8.