Wake Forest iSTEM Magnet Elementary School

Today is a special opportunity to support one of our incredible WFiSMES teachers in the America’s Favorite Teacher competition! Every vote today counts double, making an even bigger impact.

https://americasfavteacher.org/2026/rachel-appling

If selected, our school will receive an unforgettable visit from Bill Nye the Science Guy AND a donation to help bring new books into our library—an exciting win for all of our students!

We encourage you to take a moment to vote and share the link with friends and family. Your support helps celebrate great teaching and brings amazing opportunities to our school community.

Thank you for always showing up for our students and staff! 💙📚

Wake Forest 𝒊STEM Magnet Elementary School PTA

Is Rachel Appling America's Favorite Teacher? I love seeing the students excitement when they begin to understand something new, and hearing the creative ways they solve things.

Last week, we had so much fun taking our 4th graders to the North Carolina Zoo to conclude their unit on animal defense mechanisms and habitats! While the weather postponed our initial trip, the day turned out to be beautiful; rather than a kick-off activity, it became a wonderful concluding event. Students finally got to see the animals they had researched and observe them in their habitats. Their smiling, excited faces as they shared their knowledge with chaperones and classmates were truly magical.

We are so grateful for the grant that allowed us to provide our students with this opportunity. Seeing the faces of our students as they climbed onto the buses and their excitement as they entered the zoo are the reasons we work so hard to organize these trips. Without grants like this, I would not be able to give our students these invaluable experiences.

NC Culture Terence Everitt for NC

Listen, I’m going to be real with you: The WFES Foundation Garden Party at The Corner next Thursday sounds... exhausting.

You have to eat delicious food, sip on beverages, and—worst of all...You may have to make eye contact and small talk with the parents and teachers you usually hide from behind your tinted windows and sunglasses in the carpool lane.. Honestly? You should probably just stay home. 🛋️

🚩 Reasons to Skip (According to Me):
The Silent Auction: It’s a total headache. I’ll go ahead and take one for the team and bid on everything myself so you don't have to deal with the stress of winning. Plus, I heard there's an amazing Galaxy Fun Park basket, and honestly? It’s dangerous. My kids need that trampoline time to burn off enough energy so I can finally hear my own thoughts. It’s the least I can do.

The Morning After: Sure, Friday is a Teacher Workday, but do you really want to sleep in? Isn’t the adrenaline of racing to the carpool lane at 9:00 AM the only thing that makes you feel alive? 🏎️💨

Actually... please don't listen to me. The school needs your support, and I suppose I can share the auction bidding wars with you. Bring a friend (to help you outbid me) and let’s celebrate!

📅 Thursday, March 19 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
📍 The Corner, 102 North Ave. WF

Garden Party Ticket 2026 | wfes Please join us at The Corner on Thursday, March 19th from 6-8 for our 4th annual Foundation event. Date: Thursday, March 19thTime: 6pm to 8pmAddress: 102 North Ave, Wake Forest, NC 27587 Each person coming will need to purchase an admission ticket. This purchase will serve as your electronic ticket....

You won't want to miss this one! Join us for the WFES Foundation Garden Party at The Corner! It’s the perfect night to catch up with the Wake Forest community over food, beverages, and a great silent auction.

The Ultimate Perk: Friday is a Teacher Workday, so you can officially ghost your alarm clock. No racing to the carpool lane before the gates close! 💤

Bring a Friend: The more the merrier—grab a fellow parent, neighbor, or friend, and come on out!

📅 Thursday, March 19 | 6:00 – 8:00 PM
📍 The Corner, 102 North Ave. WF

The WFES Foundation Garden Party is coming up on Thursday, March 19 from 6-8 at The Corner in WF. The evening will include a delicious light meal and dessert catered by WARM Cafe', assorted beverages, Silent Auction, Wine Pull and more! Tickets are $25 per person and may be purchased at our website: www.wakeforestesfoundation.org

Don't miss this student art on display!

We had a special group of visitors from Wake Forest iSTEM Elementary yesterday explore the Community Schools Art Showcase. The students were excited to see their peers' artwork displayed in a gallery!

The Community Schools Art Showcase is on display now through Monday, April 6 and is available for viewing M-F 9am-12pm, 1pm-5pm.

Do not forget to save the date for the reception on Saturday, March 14 10am-2pm where in addition to the visual art, there will be live performances by additional schools and arts activities for all ages while supplies last.

For more information, please visit wakeforestrencen.org/tickets-events/art-exhibits.

We’re looking for dynamic student-parent duos to be featured in our upcoming WFiSMES spotlight video! 🌟

We want to hear from you - what makes our school community special? It’s casual, fun, and a great way to celebrate our community.

🔹Who: One student and at least one parent/guardian.
🔹What: A 15–20 minute filmed interview. We’ll provide the questions in advance—no acting or memorization required!
🔹When: Filming will take place on Thursday, February 26 - times can be flexible!
🔹Where: On Campus at WFiSMES.

Ready to share your voice? Fill out our quick interest form here:
👉

School Spotlight Video Interest Form: Parent-Student Interview Express your interest in being featured in our upcoming school spotlight video! We are seeking parent-student duos for a brief, casual interview about your family's unique experience at our school.

Please consider donating to the GoFundMe set up to support Mrs. Belinda during this incredibly difficult time. She works tirelessly and truly cares about our teachers and students. If you’ve walked our halls, you have seen her hard work and dedication firsthand.

Now, it is our turn to take care of her.

Even a small donation or a share helps ease the burden of funeral costs and unexpected expenses.

Donate to WFE Community Care for Ms. Belinda & Her Family, organized by Nicole Furman Ms. Belinda, our beloved custodian at Wake Forest Elementary School, rec… Nicole Furman needs your support for WFE Community Care for Ms. Belinda & Her Family

🎶 Our 4th graders had an incredible time listening the the North Carolina Symphony last week! We're so proud of how engaged they were as they listened to the “What Makes, Music, Music?" concert.

A huge thank you to DNCR’s Learning Happens Here Field Trip Fund for making this amazing opportunity possible for our class. We are incredibly grateful for their support in bringing this educational and enriching experience to life!

A big thank you to author John Patrick Green for visiting our 3rd–5th grade students and sharing his latest book, InvestiGATORS: Agents of S.U.I.T. Wild Ghost Chase! 🐊📚 His stories about writing comics as a student really connected with our young readers and inspired many future creators.

We are grateful to Page 158 Books and their New Kids on the Books Foundation for providing copies of the book for our media center and classroom libraries—our students can’t wait to dive in! 💚