woodward middle school newsletter

DECEMBER
2015
WOODWARD MIDDLE SCHOOL
NEWSLETTER
FROM THE PRINCIPAL
community involvement and service
Bainbridge Island is a great place to live and work. I have had the pleasure of working my entire here.
I’d personally like to thank each of you for your generous support of public schools on Bainbridge Island.
This is an amazing community that continues to provide above and beyond for our schools even in the
midst of challenging financial times. It is a wonderful feeling to be part of a school community that puts
the needs of students first.
I am excited that our students have been involved in two recent activities that have given back to our
community and beyond. Our Builder’s Club partnered with Kiwanis again in collecting funds for UNICEF
on Halloween. They raised over $ 900 to fund Tetanus vaccines as part of Project Eliminate. Our
Natural Helpers are planning to adopt a couple of families through YWCA during the holiday season. It
is encouraging to see students wanting to give to others and truly make a difference in our world.
Madame Knell continues to promote our composting program at Woodward. Each year our 8 th grade
students also spend Earth Day picking up trash all around the island as they participate in a national
event. Our ASB is always considering projects that can help out our community.
The Bainbridge School Foundation has continued to provide professional development and teacher grants
for our school. Donations for our school band program on Fill the Tuba night were over $2300. Our PTO
Fundraiser raised over $ 30,000 and we are about to distribute $4000 in teacher grants through PTO.
BSF Grants for 2015-2016 included a subscription to an online Vocabulary resource, support for our
joint robotics club with Commodore, and support for our after school homework lab. We also received a
grant from Windermere for our before school homework club.
I am constantly impressed by the willingness of the community to rally around the needs of our schools
and give of their time and resources. I am impressed that our students are finding ways to give back
and share their blessings with others. I thank each of you for being a part of this community and
sacrificing your time and energy to make this a great place to live, work and receive a quality education.
I would like to wish each of our Woodward families a happy holiday and a bright New Year. May the
weeks ahead be filled with peace and time with family.
Mike Florian
Principal
UPCOMING
EVENTS
WRESTLING INFO
MEETING
Dec.8 3:15 PM
GIRLS BASKETBALL
INFO MEETING
December 9 3:15
WINTER BAND
CONCERT
Dec. 16 6:30 PM
WINTER BREAK
Dec. 21 thru
Jan. 3
SCHOOL
RESUMES
Jan. 4
PTO NEWS
Happy Holidays!
A big thank you to Bainbridge Youth Services for speaking at our November General PTO
Meeting. If you missed the meeting, please take time to visit their website and learn all about
the services they offer students and parents! What a wonderful resource we have right here!
This can be a challenging time for students and parents and to have skilled, knowledgeable
professionals so close is amazing!
With the holiday season upon us, we realize that many extra things are on the calendar so we will
NOT have a General PTO Meeting in December. Our speaker on January 13th, 2016 (9:30 am)
will be our own Principal, Mr. Florian, who will discuss what to expect from the Student Led
Conferences coming up in January. You will see how important this exercise is for your student
and you will be amazed at how much they put into their portfolios and presentations. This will be
a great opportunity for you to learn first-hand what the SLC’s are all about and how you can
support your student as they prepare for their presentations about their academic year.
In December, the PTO Board will be reviewing and awarding teacher grants and we will have an
update on those at our January meeting as well.
Visit the PTO website for updates on meetings, activities and other information! We have a link
right on the home page of the Woodward website!
Thank you, parents, for your tremendous and continued support of our wonderful school and
amazing staff!
May you have a joyous, wonderful holiday season with your family and friends!
Lisa White
WMS PTO President
PLAN AHEAD FOR STUDENT LED C0NFERENCES
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
January 27, 2016
January 28, 2016
January 29, 2016
1:00 PM-3:00 PM
3:00 PM–7:00 PM
8:00 AM– 12:00 PM
EIGHTH GRADE BANQUET NEWS
Please mark your calendars for the 58th Annual 8th Grade Banquet, to be held Saturday, June 4th, 2016 from 6 to
10 pm at Woodward Middle School.
WHAT IS THE 8TH GRADE BANQUET?
The 8th Grade Banquet celebrates the culmination of your child’s first eight years of education, and is held in lieu of a
graduation ceremony. It gives our 8th graders a chance to celebrate together before they transition to high school and
officially become the Class of 2019. Each year a team of parents transforms the WMS Commons into a new world, with
a top-secret theme that is only revealed to the students as they arrive. After being wowed by the efforts of their
party planning parents, the 8th graders enjoy a fun and memorable evening with dinner, dancing and entertainment.
Historically, this event is so popular that attendance has been nearly 100%. Our goal is to have every student attend,
and every parent help out. The 8th Grade Banquet is presented by the WMS PTO, but is funded solely through prepaid
ticket sales and donations. If you have any questions or need more information please contact Emily Teran (948-7049)
or Ann Sherry (484-2805).
HOW CAN I BUY TICKETS?
Thanks to all parents who have already purchased tickets! We also want to send a very warm Thank You to the parents
who donated to this event while purchasing tickets. It is really helpful for our hardworking volunteers to know the
number of attendees so that they can firm up their budget and plan appropriately. Ticket sale information will be made
shortly.
Scholarships are available through the Counselor’s office. For more information, please contact Patti Beer or Susan
Irish, WMS counselors.
HOW CAN I HELP?
If you signed up to volunteer for the Banquet at registration, thank you! We will contact you between now and February.
If not, we need your help! It takes A LOT of volunteer effort to make this event a success, and we promise to make it
fun. We look forward to working with you to make this a very memorable event for our kids!
Emily Teran [email protected]
Ann Sherry [email protected]
8th Grade Banquet Co-Chairs
What do we do?
 Projects that provide an opportunity to work together in service to school and community, locally and
globally
 Develop leadership potential
 Encourage positive social change
When do we meet?
 Thursday mornings at 8AM, in Madame Knell's classroom, #205
Meetings will be announced during morning announcements and via e-mail. If students are interested they
should ask Madame Knell to add their e-mail address to the list serve.
CLASSROOM GEOGRAPHY BEE
On Friday, December 4th, all Woodward students will be taking a test to see who qualifies to compete in the schoolwide Geography Bee. Every year, Woodward students get a chance to participate in this contest sponsored by the
National Geographic Association. The top five scorers in each grade will then compete to answer a variety of questions
related to national and world geography. The school winner will then move on to the regional competition. Students can
get an idea of questions by going on the National Geographic website and completing the daily quiz. http://
www.nationalgeographic.com/geobee/quiz/today/
HOLIDAY OBSERVANCES
As the holiday season approaches, parents and students often ask for clarification regarding the issues of holiday
observances and our district’s policies/procedures.
Board Policy:
No religious belief or non-belief should be promoted by the school district or its employees, and none should be
disparaged. Instead, the school district should encourage all students and staff members to appreciate and be
knowledgeable about each other's religious and cultural views. The school district should utilize its opportunity to
foster understanding and mutual respect among students and parents, whether it involves race, culture, economic
background, or religious beliefs.
Policy = http://www.bainbridge.wednet.edu/?q=node/478
HINTS FOR HOMEWORK
Help your child make homework go like clockwork with these strategies:
Think it through: Have her make a list of homework to be done. Suggest she number the tasks from toughest to
easiest and start with the hard stuff. This strategy will help her finish on a high note.
Think about time: Ask your child to consider different time slots he can use to get work done. For instance, maybe
your student could set aside a weekend morning or Sunday night. Some middle schoolers have time during school hours
to tackle homework.
Think positive: Help your middle grader see homework as a chance to prove their independence by getting their work
done on time and doing it by themselves. This is their chance to show what they know. And a thumbs up for finishing!
STUDENTS OF THE MONTH
DECEMBER 2015
The Student of the Month Program recognizes students for meritorious conduct, academic accomplishments and other positive
qualities. The program is sponsored by Kiwanis Service Club of Bainbridge Island, the Bainbridge Review, and the administration
and staff of Woodward Middle School.
8TH GRADE STUDENTS OF THE MONTH: Reuben Allen and Chloe Lavigne
7TH GRADE STUDENTS OF THE MONTH: Ben Chapman and Elise Woods
8th Grade: Natalie hammel, Christopher Longridge, Matthew McCann, Madeline Sherry, Peyton
Teran, Loc Vo, Cole Walker, and Jude Wenker
7th Grade: Peyton Benner, Minyoung Cho, Aiden Dalton, Daniel DeFoe, Willy Diaz, Kieran Griffin,
Quinn Liebling, Alexander Massa, Eliza Montgomery, Julia Nordgren, Elle Perry, Luke Shields,
Claire Walters, Max Westphal, and Jack Young
ANNUAL SAFETY AND
INCLEMENT WEATHER
Fall 2015
SAFETY:

As daylight shortens, please remember to wear lighter clothing or carry a flashlight when walking in
the dark. Walk on sidewalks whenever possible.

When riding bicycles, especially in the dark, make certain the reflectors on the bike are working,
use handlebar lights or headlamps, and wear reflector vests or clothing. Ride in bike lanes whenever
possible.

Students should always walk with at least one other person.

Parents and students should share plans regarding where they will be, how they will go there, and
the timeframe.

Take some time to review your Family Emergency Plans related to all events, accident, natural
disaster, or inclement weather.
INCLEMENT WEATHER:

The district will use information in the Emergency Communications Bulletin 2015-2016 on our
website and Listserv (when power is available), and our voice notification system to communicate
relevant and important information during inclement weather or other emergencies.

Remember to dress for the weather: warm and/or rain clothing are appropriate during the late fall
and winter months.
SAFETY FIRST!!!
During the winter, the roads adjacent to Woodward are dark and congested prior to the opening of
school in the morning. We would like to encourage all parents who drive their students to school to drop
their children off in the school parking lot. If your child walks, please remind them to wear light
colored clothing and to use the crosswalks. If your child bikes to school, please tell him/her to be
aware of safety issues.
In addition, please remind your students who walk from the Sakai bus drop-off to stay on the path
the entire way to school...not on the street and not through the Woodward parking lot...stay on the
path!
TELEPHONE MESSAGES FOR
STUDENTS
Because of the number of students enrolled, the volume of calls received, and the fact that messages and
notes being delivered to students interrupt the educational process for all concerned, we request that parents
limit messages to only those of vital concern. Our policy is to take messages from family members and only for
emergencies.
Thank you for your cooperation on this matter.
WILDLY WONDERFUL WILDCATS
During the school year, the PTO sponsors a reward program for Woodward students. When teachers and any
Woodward staff observe positive behaviors, they may give Wild and Wonderful Wildcat notices to the student. The
student then brings the slip home for a parent to sign and when the slip is returned to school, he/she becomes eligible
for a prize drawing.
The rewards are usually awarded at the end of the month.
Circle of Friends
Woodward students are encouraged to participate as a peer friend to provide inclusion for students with disabilities.
This service will include committing to share one lunch time a week with their disabled friend. There will always be
adult supervision, the students will be with another nondisabled peer (friends could join together!), and students will
have had a training session prior to meeting their new friend for the first time.
Parents please know that your child will soon have a wonderful opportunity to establish understanding and acceptance
of differences in a meaningful way and support our WMS Improvement Plan for a Caring and Supportive Environment
for all.
For questions: Contact Susan Irish [email protected] or 780-4508.