Waverly Park Elementary School

06/01/2026

✨ Curious learners become confident thinkers! At Waverly Park, we encourage students to question, connect, create, and grow. Thank you, Mrs. Olivares, for highlighting what critical thinking looks like in our classrooms. 🐯💙💛

Q&A Part 14:

How do we look for giftedness in kindergarten?

Our next post is from our awesome teacher, Candace Olivares!! She is the great G/T teacher at Luella Merrett Elementary School, Western Hills Elementary School, and Waverly Park Elementary School.

Question:

How do I know if a student is thinking critically?

Answer:

"In a GT elementary classroom, you know a student is thinking critically when their thinking becomes visible through their words and actions, they don’t just give answers, but explain their reasoning using evidence, ask thoughtful questions, and build on or revise their ideas. You’ll see them applying Depth and Complexity by identifying patterns, important details, and multiple perspectives, and using thinking routines to articulate how and why they think the way they do. Strong critical thinkers make connections across ideas, transfer their thinking to new situations, and show curiosity by wondering about what isn’t known yet. They engage in productive struggle, reflect on their thinking, and are willing to change their ideas based on new understanding. Overall, critical thinking is happening when students are doing the cognitive heavy lifting by analyzing, questioning, connecting, and explaining rather than simply completing the task."

-Mrs. Olivares

Thank you, Mrs. Olivares! If you have any more questions, send them our way at [email protected]!

05/25/2026

🇺🇸 Waverly Park Tigers Remember & Honor 🇺🇸

Today, we pause to honor the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Because of their courage, dedication, and service, we are able to learn, grow, and dream freely every day.

At Waverly Park Elementary, we remember our heroes with grateful hearts and teach our Tigers the importance of courage, kindness, and honoring those who came before us. ❤️🤍💙

Wishing all of our Tiger families a safe and meaningful Memorial Day.

05/23/2026

Some people leave footprints on a school… and some leave pieces of their heart. 💙💛

As this chapter closes, we want to honor a group of incredible women who have dedicated years of love, patience, guidance, and compassion to the students and families of Waverly Park.

Mrs. Dorsett, Mrs. Arseneau-Hughes, Dr. Kempf, Ms. Covin, and Mrs. Jennings — thank you for pouring your hearts into generations of children, for celebrating victories big and small, for comforting students during hard moments, and for helping shape our Tigers into who they are today.

You have been teachers, counselors, listeners, encouragers, safe places, and role models. The impact you leave behind cannot be measured in lessons taught, but in the lives forever changed because of your kindness and dedication.

While it is hard to imagine Waverly Park without you, we are so excited for each of you as you begin your next chapter. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. 🐯

Thank you for the memories, the laughter, the love, and the countless ways you made our school feel like home. You will be deeply missed and forever appreciated. 💐

05/23/2026

Waverly Park Tigers, what an amazing school year it has been! 💙💛

None of this would be possible without the incredible teamwork of our teachers, staff, students, and parents. Together, we encourage our students to dream big, work hard, and believe in themselves — and our staff leads by example every single day.

Today we want to give a huge congratulations to two of our very own Tigers, Mrs. Peikert, our Data Analyst, and Mr. Erik, our Head Custodian, on their graduation accomplishments! 🎓✨

Your hard work, dedication, and perseverance inspire all of us and show our students that learning and growing never stop. We are so proud of you both!

Integrity, Respect, Hard Work — That’s the Waverly Park Tiger Way! 🐯

05/16/2026

What an unforgettable day for our 5th graders! 💙💛

Thank you to all of our amazing 5th grade parents for helping make this celebration so special. We could not have done it without your love, support, and helping hands.

A huge shoutout to two of our incredible students, Mr. Montoya and Mr. Mendoza, who participated in the Lemonade Day program! 🍋 Through their lemonade stand, along with support from the Benbrook Chamber of Commerce and everyone who stopped by to support them, they raised enough funds to surprise their classmates with an EPIC foam party during water rotations!

Thank you to Dad’s Spare Time for helping create such a fun memory for our 5th graders before they head off to middle school. The smiles, laughter, and memories made today will last a lifetime! 🎉🫧

05/14/2026

💙💛 Today during Career Day, we paused for a very special moment at Waverly Park Elementary. 💙💛

Our students lined the halls to cheer on the Western Hills High School Seniors during their Senior Graduation Walk. 🎓✨

For many of these seniors, these were the same halls they once walked as little Waverly Park Tigers. Today, they returned one last time before walking across the graduation stage.

There were smiles, cheers, happy tears, and so much pride as our younger students looked up to the graduates and saw what is possible through hard work, perseverance, and believing in their dreams.

Moments like these remind us that every small step in elementary school can lead to something incredible. Once a Tiger, always a Tiger. 🐯💫

Congratulations to the Class of 2026! Your Waverly Park family is so proud of you. 🎓💙💛

05/14/2026

✨ Career Day 2026 at Waverly Park Elementary was a HUGE success! ✨

Today our Tigers had the opportunity to dream big, ask questions, and learn from amazing community members representing so many different careers — from cybersecurity and aviation to emergency services, technology, and more! 💙💛🐯

Thank you to every presenter, volunteer, teacher, and staff member who helped inspire our students to believe that their dreams can come true. The future is bright at Waverly Park! 🌟

05/14/2026

✨ What an incredible night at Deafinately Art! 💙💛

A huge THANK YOU to all of our Waverly Park families, Deaf Ed team, PTA, staff, students, vendors, and community partners who helped make this event such a success! From the amazing student artwork and performances to the fun activities, booths, and sweet treats — the night was filled with creativity, learning, and community. 🎨🧏‍♂️🐯

We loved seeing our students shine and watching families come together to celebrate the beauty of communication, art, and inclusion. Thank you for showing up and supporting our Tigers all the way to the very end of the school year! 💫

05/12/2026

🐯 Waverly Park Families, don’t forget to join us tomorrow, May 12, for our final family event of the year! Join us behind the school in the gym for an evening filled with student artwork, vendors, a taco truck, snow cones, desserts, games, and more! 🎨🌮🍧

This is also the final opportunity for Attendance Restoration, so don’t miss out! We can’t wait to see all our Tiger families there! 💙💛

05/12/2026

🐯💙 Wow! A HUGE thank you to all the moms who joined us this morning for Muffins with Moms!

You showed up all the way to the very last drop, and we loved seeing so many happy faces together this morning. Thank you for your patience, smiles, and support that make our Waverly Park family so special.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures — so if you snapped any photos, please share them in the comments! 🧁☕💕 ❤️