West Salem Elementary School

10/31/2026

10/31/2026

Several of our West Salem Cardinals took flight on field trips this week! Today, we’re spotlighting our fourth graders as they explored the wonders of Dixie Caverns. From observing unique cave formations to learning how caves form, our Cardinals had an exciting opportunity to connect classroom learning with the world around them.

This experience connects with Virginia Grade 4 Science Standards of Learning, including Earth’s resources and processes—such as how water shapes Earth’s surface—and scientific and engineering practices, as students observe, ask questions, and make sense of what they see. It also offered a memorable chance to build curiosity and appreciate Virginia’s natural features.

Keep the curiosity going at home by asking your Cardinal:

What was the most surprising thing you saw in the cave?
How do you think the cave formations were made?
Where do you think the water in a cave comes from?
What would you want to investigate if you could go back?
How might a cave be different from the place where we live?

Way to explore, fourth-grade Cardinals! 🦇🎃🌎

10/30/2026

HALFWAY THROUGH! We’re at the halfway point of our Raise Craze. If you haven’t already, please register! We know that we can reach our goals if we can get our entire school on board!

https://my.raisecraze.com/app2/join/A4K6M7UN/registration

Also! Don’t forget to check off those AOKs within your account! We want every student to be recognized regardless of their ability to raise money!

10/29/2026

Did you know that sending 1-4 more emails to friends and family can boost donations by nearly 50%? Reach out to friends and family today to help us reach our goal! Text and Social Sharing are also supported!

10/29/2026

The following is a message from our WSES PTA of West Salem Elementary School, Salem, VA

❤️🐦 WSES PTA KINDNESS CRAZE: Let’s Keep the Kindness Growing!

Our Cardinals have raised $6,080 toward our $15,000 goal—over 40% of the way there! There’s still plenty of time to participate before the fundraiser ends November 7.

Our next milestone is $7,500—the halfway mark! Every donation and act of kindness helps us move forward.

Getting started is easy:

Register at https://raisecraze.com/join.

Enter school code 184-600 and your student’s name.

Select at least 3 Acts of Kindness.

Add 5–10 supporter email addresses so Raise Craze can send invitations, reminders, and thank-you notes.

💵 Prefer to donate another way? The PTA also accepts cash donations and checks made payable to WSES PTA.

🏆 Check out our leaderboard at https://my.raisecraze.com/leaderboard/for/a4k6m7un/
and cheer on our Cardinals!

Thank you for helping our Cardinals spread kindness while supporting West Salem! ❤️

10/28/2026

Our WSES Cardinals are learning together every day! From growing as writers and readers to exploring the world around us as scientists and curious thinkers, our students are discovering something new each day.

10/28/2026

Our Cardinals are quite the mathematicians! 🧮📚 They’re discussing mathematical concepts, explaining their thinking, and challenging themselves and one another to stretch their learning. We love seeing them work together, share ideas, and build confidence as problem-solvers! 💡

Family challenge: Ask your child to share a math strategy they used at school, then try a quick math challenge together at home—estimate how many steps it takes to walk from one room to another, count items in the pantry, or solve a real-life problem while cooking. 🏠🔢

10/27/2026

❤️🐦 11 DAYS TO GO, CARDINALS! Let’s finish our WSES PTA Kindness Craze STRONG!

Our students and families have already:
❤️ Raised $5,690 toward our $15,000 goal—about 38%!
❤️ Registered 40 students
❤️ Completed 73 Acts of Kindness!

We have $9,310 to go, and our PTA of West Salem Elementary School, Salem, VA would love more Cardinals to join the fun!

👏 A shout-out to our current fundraising leaders:
• Mrs. Robertson’s second-grade class: $1,260
• Mrs. McEachern’s kindergarten class: $705
• Ms. Sowder’s first-grade class: $605

There is still time to make a difference! Register your student, choose at least three Acts of Kindness, and invite friends and family to support our school.

👉 Register: https://raisecraze.com/join
🏫 School code: 184-600

After entering your student’s name and choosing their Acts of Kindness, add 5–10 supporter email addresses. Raise Craze handles the invitations, reminders, and thank-you notes.

Already signed up? Keep recording those kind acts and sharing your fundraising page! A thoughtful note, a helping hand, or an invitation to play can make someone’s day.

Let’s grow our participation, spread more kindness, and work together toward $15,000! Please share this post to help us reach more WSES families. ❤️

10/27/2026

We’ve seen KINDNESS TAKE OVER West Salem Elementary

HOW INSPIRING! If you haven’t registered your student - please do! We’re able to put the focus on kindness and paying it forward and we’d love for everyone to be a part of it.

10/25/2026

📚❤️ LEARNING TOGETHER AT WEST SALEM! ❤️📚

🏡 Little Moments. BIG Learning. Stronger Together!

We are excited to introduce Learning Together at West Salem, a new series designed to help our families support learning at home!

Each week, we'll share simple, fun, and meaningful activities to help our students grow as readers, writers, mathematicians, and thinkers! 🌟

We know that families are a child's first and most important teachers, and some of the BEST learning happens during everyday moments!

📖 THIS WEEK'S FAMILY LEARNING TIP: READ, TALK, CONNECT!

Did you know that just a few minutes of reading and conversation each day can help strengthen your child's vocabulary, comprehension, and love of reading?

❤️ Try this tonight!

📚 Read a book together for 10 minutes. Your child can read to you, you can read to your child, or you can take turns!

💬 After reading, ask:

⭐ What was your favorite part, and why?

⭐ What is something new you learned?

⭐ What do you think might happen next?

✨ BONUS: Let your child ask YOU a question about the book!

Remember, it's not about having all the answers. It's about spending time together, asking questions, and making learning fun!

💚 At West Salem, we believe that when schools and families learn together, our students thrive!

Stay tuned for more simple ways to make BIG learning happen at home!