This week:

Candy grams on sale for 1$. This is a fundraiser and the candy grams will be distributed on Valentine's Day, Feb 14th.

Wednesday, February 1st: No School for Students

Thursday, Feb 2nd:

Hot chocolate fundraiser before school $1

Model UN meets during lunch/recess

Dance tickets go on sale today $5 (thru Feb 10th)*** see below for criteria

Friday, Jan 3rd:

PTO Bagel fundraiser before school**to volunteer at this event see link below

Upcoming:

February 6th to March 24th: WIDA testing for ELL students (4 tests)

February 6th: look for letters emailed home regarding advanced math testing for current 6th and 7th grade students* details below

February 6th: House photos: students wear their house shirts

February 6-10: Counselor Appreciation Week

February 10th: NJHS applications due (see below for details)

School dance on February 10th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. Students with five or less tardies and no office referrals from January 10th-February 3rd will be eligible to buy a ticket. Please encourage your student to get to class on time and to be kind and respectful at all times.

Ticket sales will take place: February 2-February 10

Students must have a lanyard/ID to purchase a ticket.

The theme is Valentines and preferred dress is semi-formal.

Mark your calendars: Frozen Jr is our BIG musical for the year. Our 6th graders will travel to the high school on March 3rd at 10am to watch a preview.

Tickets will be on sale soon for March 3rd and 4th performances.

March 22nd: National Junior Honor Society Induction (more info to come shortly)

June 2nd: Fun day (all grades) more information to come soon

April 12th: PSAT more details coming soon

Also, mark your calendars as we are fortunate to have Funding the Future coming to WBMS on April 28th for 8th graders. More information soon!

8th Grade Dates:

Upcoming March 16th: 9th grade parent night at WBHS 7pm

Upcoming March 16th: WBHS counselors visit with 8th graders

March 20-21 WBHS counselors pick up schedule requests

May: Field Trip to Holocaust Memorial Center: May 17 and May 19 (details and permission slips coming after spring break)

June 5th: Cedar Point trip (more information about costs and times coming soon)

June 9th: 8th grade dance (evening event)

June 13th: 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony details coming soon

STEAM (must have the tag or designation)

ALL STEAM STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO TAKE STEAM: Design and Modeling

PRIOR TO CHOOSING OTHER STEAM CLASSES

The STEAM electives are for students who have met the STEAM program requirements. If you would like to have your student tested for STEAM, please register here: click here for links to STEAM testing

STEAM 1: Designing and Modeling - Semester Course

Students discover the design process and develop an understanding of the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. They are then challenged and empowered to use and apply what they’ve learned throughout the unit to design a therapeutic toy for a child who has cerebral palsy. Required to take this STEAM class prior to going on to all other STEAM classes.

Computer Science for Innovators and Maker (CSIM) - Semester Course: This course will allow students to discover computer science concepts and skills by creating personally relevant, tangible, and shareable projects. Throughout the unit, students will learn about programming for the physical world by blending hardware design and software development. They will design and develop a physical computing device, interactive art installation, or wearable, and plan and develop code for microcontrollers that bring their physical designs to life. Prerequisite in order to take STEAM App Creator.

STEAM 2: App Creator -Semester Course: This unit will expose students to computer science by computationally analyzing and developing solutions to authentic problems through mobile app development, and will convey the positive impact of the application of computer science to other disciplines and to society. Students will customize their experience by choosing a problem that interests them from the areas of health, environment, emergency preparedness, education, community service, and school culture. Because problems in the real world involve more than one discipline, the unit will introduce students to biomedical science concepts as they work on solutions for the specific problems they choose to tackle. Must take STEAM: Design and Modeling and Computer Science for Innovators and Maker (CSIM) prior to taking this class

STEAM 3: Medical Detectives - Semester Course: In the Medical Detectives unit, students play the role of real-life medical detectives as they collect and analyze medical data to diagnose disease. They solve medical mysteries through projects and lab scenarios, measure and interpret vital signs, analyze a sheep brain, investigate disease outbreaks, and explore how a breakdown within the human body can lead to dysfunction. Must take STEAM: Design and Modeling as a prerequisite.

Every semester we are pleased to recognize students who are excelling in their classes at WBMS. Our plan is to recognize students as Honor Roll and Principal's List following the criteria below:

Honor Roll: All As, Bs, G (pass)

Principal's List: All As, and Gs (pass)

You may have seen some recent news reports regarding the use of the CHATGPT site for writing essays, assessments, etc. This site supports a form of cheating that we want to avoid therefore the district has blocked this site from district devices.

Congratulations to the WBMS winners of the AMC!

Our most prestigious math event took place in Honors Algebra and Honors Geometry classes this week. In the American Mathematics Competition, students are challenged to solve 25 difficult problems in 40 minutes. We would like to recognize the top scorers.

First Place

DANIELLA ALDABBAGH

Second Place

Sabrina Mathews

Alexandra Moga

Tyler Strand

Third Place

CHARLOTTE HARTLEY

TERUKI IWAO

SHAWNT KHATCHADOURIAN

GRAHAM KUBIAK

QUENTIN LAURENT

SHANTIA NAGHIZADEH

ANTHONY PAWLETY

DOMINIC PETERSON

Hello WBMS Students,

Are you still looking for the perfect RAP book for Q3?

You might consider borrowing an eBook on the SORA program. Most of the Q3 books are available on to the SORA.

SORA is a great way to sample reading a book... if you don't like it, "turn it" back in... and check out another one. Then, if you would like the paperbound book, go to the library to get it. Please be mindful of other SORA users & return a book if you're not actually going to read it. (Some books have limited check outs and you'll have to place those on hold until they are digitally checked back in by WBMS users)

The login is simple. Click on the SORA icon, on the iCenter webpage or the RAP Canvas page.

Anthony Casteman, nominated by Mr. Deierlein - Anthony is a very positive energy in the classroom and is very respectful and friendly at all times. He is constantly volunteering to help out where he is needed. He is a hard worker behind-the-scenes making things happen for other kids on stage. He always says "hello" and has a smile when he arrives.

Aidan Scheidt, nominated by Mrs. Welc - Aidan is a wonderful student and helper! He is a model sixth grader, and has consistently turned in very high quality work. He is a leader to his peers, helps include others, is helpful and willing to support others when they need help, and always tries his best. I am so glad to have him in class this year!

Caleb Elam, nominated by Mrs. Losey - Caleb goes above and beyond to help his classmates and teachers. His patience and empathy for others is unlike anyone I have ever seen. He is such a hard worker and always striving to be the best version of himself. I could not be more proud of Caleb and the young man he has become.

Some of our swim athletes participated in the state swim meet this past weekend

Below is a photo of the athletes who participated with a team celebration breakfast this morning!

Introducing your 2023 State Team: Keira Pratt Delaney Brager Jessica Conkey Alexa Swikoski Isla Bogosian Piper Smith Adriana Nunez Winnie Washington

Highlights:

Piper Smith is the State Champion (1st place) in the 50 Fly with a school record!

Great swim Keira Pratt! 6th place in the 100 back with a season best time of 1:09.56

Capping off a fantastic meet for the lakers, the 400 freestyle relay team of Piper Smith, Alexa Swikoski, Keira Pratt and Jessica Conkey added another STATE CHAMPION title to their collection with a NEW SCHOOL RECORD time of 4:00.52

Congratulations Piper Smith! 2nd place in the 100 breaststroke with a season best time of 1:13.25 beating her own SCHOOL RECORD

STATE CHAMPS!! The 200 free relay team of Jessica Conkey, Delaney Brager, Keira Pratt, and Piper Smith brought home another W for #teamWB and set a NEW SCHOOL RECORD with a time of 1:47.41

Congratulations STATE CHAMPION Jessica Conkey, 57.14 in the 100 free!

Great swims from the Medley Relay team of Delaney Brager, Isla Bogosian, Adriana Nunez and Winnie Washington!

PBIS Incentives (Positive Behavior Intervention Strategies)

Our next reward will be our school dance on February 10th from 6-8 p.m. Students with five or less tardies from January 10th-February 3rd will be eligible to buy a ticket. Please encourage your student to get to class on time and to be kind and respectful at all times.

We will also be handing out raffle tickets for students walking in the hallway. At every lunch, we will be raffling off some really cool WBMS swag. We love catching kids doing the right thing!

For current 6th and 7th grade students who are excelling in math and wish to be considered for a math challenge in the upcoming school year may apply to take the Advanced math assessment

The timeline is:

• Letters updated (send Feb. 6th) - emailed to parents
• Nomination form (Open Feb. 6th - 28th) parent to complete nomination form and return
• Testing at the middle school will take place on March 8th for those who are registered
  
• Results week of April 10th (parents notified of results)

For students interested in WBMS National Junior Honor Society:

The National Junior Honor Society is an international student organization that consists of chapters in middle schools across the country, other US territories and around the world. The National Junior Honor Society (NJHS) elevates a school's commitment to the values of scholarship, service, leadership, character, and citizenship and helps middle-level students develop the knowledge and skills to become well-rounded student leaders in their school, community, and beyond.

We invite our current 7th and 8th students with a 3.6 cumulative grade point average (all of your middle school grades), excellent citizenship/behavior and a desire to give back through community service, to apply to WBMS NJHS. If you applied and were accepted last year, you do not need to apply again.

Please use this link to apply: WBMS NJHS Application 2023 by Friday, February 10, 2023. If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. McCormick (patricia.mccormick@wbsd.org) or Mrs. Scheloske (joanne.scheloske@wbsd.org) for assistance.

"WBSD has partnered with Parent Guidance.org to give parents free access to resources and helpful information. We have shared this information with our families. We hope that it will be useful for some of you as well!

ParentGuidance.org is an online service by licensed therapists that provides trusted and specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers to mental health questions.

As we near winter break, the WBMS staff wants to make sure all of our families have access to the resources they may need. This is the Oakland County Community Resource Guide, which includes resources about topics including Abuse & Protective Services; Food Pantries, Clothing & Household; Healthcare Services; Housing Assistance; and Parenting & Pregnancy Resources.

211 (United Way) offers resources/connections for family support as well. Parents/adults can call, text, or email. Here is the link to the 211 website, which is searchable by topic. Additionally, see these 211 flyers in English, Spanish, and Arabic.

Finally, here are some resources for Food Pantry/Supplies near WB/Oakland County.

We understand that during this time, some of our students cannot eat before noon. We are making adjustments to the lunch/recess schedule for students observing this holiday. If your student has any questions or concerns, please have them see Mrs. McDowell or Mrs. Graff in the auditeria at lunch.

1. Please drop off your student if you are in the drop off loop quickly. If you need to have a conversation, or lengthier interaction we ask that you park in the lot

2.Cars and individual vehicles should stay out of the bus lane/loops for the safety of our students and staff

3. We do have staff who are present in the morning and afternoon who help with directing traffic and helping students cross the buser streets. Please keep aware of those staff and students who are in the loops, sidewalks and parking lot so we keep everyone safe.

In one of our toughest and most competitive try outs, all 105 students tried their best. These are the students who made one of the teams. Congratulations Lady Lakers!

Noora Alotaibi

Julieta Amoroz Cardenas

Joyce Ayar

Ingrid Bergman

Makaelah Burney

Callista Callaway

Lexi Davis

Monisola Fagbamila

Casey Forstner

ElainaGappy

Julia Gavrilenko

Clara Gjekaj

Vonessa Gonzales

Hannah Harvey

Chloe Hopkins-Butler

Leah Horobet

Joslyn Jarjis

Hannah Maisner

Sabrina Mathew

Ava Newmark

Alexa Olmos

Bianca Palazzolo

Mackenzie Perkins

Jaelynn Randolph

Natalie Rebtoy

Marlise Seay

Gabrielle Shockley

Lyla Wold

Angelina Yaksich

Laureen Zoma

Julia Bailey

Delaney Brager

Feni Diop

Manya Goldstein

Taylor Hunter

Kylah Kareem

Madi Mendez

Payton O'Malley

Faith Shammas

Audrina Spencer

Ava Tait

Brynn Walker

Myka Williams

Braylynne Young

Brilynne Young

Karsyn Knox

Khadija Altamimi

Ariella Ferguson

Brooklyn Forbers

Mia Gioia

Vanessa Husband

Sasha Jackson

Elysse Love

Nevaeh Marzette

Nisha Nagappa

Amaya Nicholas

Peyton Peterson

Avery Robrahn

Mollie Shelters

Jamie Smith

Jordan Young

Nutrition Services serves nutritious meals to students daily in all buildings. A school lunch includes an entrée, grain, fruit, vegetable, and milk. A la carte milk prices are $0.50 for students and adults.

Middle School Breakfast: $1.50 Middle School Lunch: $2.95

See below for a list of prices for all alacarte (snack) items

We love our parent volunteers and would like to extend that invitation again to any parent interested:

If you are interested in coming into the building to volunteer, we have a variety of areas to offer you the opportunity to participate in.

If you would like to begin the process of volunteering at the middle school please click on this link and complete the google form.

Once you have completed the form, you will be emailed the required forms to complete. Once those forms are completed and processed you will be contacted to arrange the date(s) and times to volunteer.

We look forward to having parents, and guardians in the building to support the educational process.

Link to google form: Click to begin the volunteer process

On March 3rd, all 6th graders will take a school bus to West Bloomfield High School at 10am

to view part of the middle school musical "Frozen Jr"

This is what we call a reverse field trip, meaning, all students will attend (no fees, no permission slips). If parents do not want their 6th graders to attend there will be an opt out process in February.

Route 3 cannot host any extra riders at this time.

If your student needs to ride a different bus home (or to a friend's house) a note must be dropped off in the main office before 1st hour, with a parent's signature. The note will be processed and can be picked up by the student during the day. The notes, authorized with a staff signature must be handed to the driver of the route. Students who do not have signed notes will not be allowed to ride a different bus.

Please mark your calendars! We will take professional photos of every house (pan to wear your house shirt) in the morning of Feb. 6th

Photos will be available for purchase/order soon.

We have a wonderful in school support team to assist students. Counselors, assigned by last name, are the best place to start. We also suggest reviewing with your students:

• Trusted Adults - Please encourage your students to utilize trusted adults in their schools. When we focus on relationship building, the culture of the school becomes one of inclusion and support where students feel comfortable confiding in trusted adults.

• OK2Say - Michigan Student Safety Program - Report anonymous tips on criminal activity, potential harm, or threats using OK2Say. Call 855-565-2729.

• Talk to Us - On our district website. This is a safe place to ask questions and report problems anonymously.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline - Provides 24/7 confidential support for those in distress and suicide prevention.

Mental Health Resources

WBSD has partnered with Parent Guidance.org to give parents free access to resources and helpful information. ParentGuidance.org is an online service by licensed therapists that provides trusted and specialized courses, professional support, and a safe community for parents to learn how to support their children and get answers to mental health questions.

If you know of someone experiencing grief or stress this season, please click here for tips and strategies.

As the weather is getting colder, parents are asking about our procedures for coats, and snow boots.

Coats that fit in a student's locker should stay there for the day (unless it is needed for recess). If a coat does not fit in the locker, students may hang coats on hooks in the Advisory classes during the school day.

Snow boots will be the house collaboration areas (we ordered plastic trays for the boots to be placed on).

We will continue to have an opportunity for students to go outside for recess as long as the students want to go out and the weather cooperates (for example, we will not offer the outside option during an ice storm)

If your student is waiting to be picked up in the car line please make sure they are appropriately dressed for the weather. We are asking that parents pick up those waiting in the car line ASAP due to the changing conditions of MIchigan's cold weather and no after school supervision for students waiting to be picked up.

Every month the Superintendent and the Board of Education will recognize one WBSD student for academic excellence. In addition, the student must be dedicated to their studies, clubs and organizations, and exhibit qualities of a role model. They will be presented with the Superintendent's Excellence Award at the regular board meeting for that month. The Superintendent's Excellence Award is meant to promote success in and out of the classroom. The student must be able to handle many different aspects of student life while maintaining excellence in the classroom. The student must be diligent and complete their assignments on time; show a strong effort to learn subjects to the best of their ability; prepare for class; and have good classroom participation. The student must demonstrate excellent behavior in and out of the classroom, is well mannered, and is respectful to both peers and teachers. This award is designed to nominate and select students who promote and take pride in WBSD and in themselves.

Students will be nominated by WBSD staff and administration each month. Each month the staff will be reminded of the nominations and sent a link to complete the nomination application. Each staff member can only nominate one (1) student per month.

A student cannot receive the award more than once within a year.

If your student will be ABSENT or LATE to school please call the Safeline at

248-865-4482

The line is open 24/7

Absences must be excused within 24 hours of the date

If your student must have access to, carry or take ANY prescribed OR over the counter medication while at school, a form attached below, completed and signed by a doctor, must be on file in the main office.

This includes, but is not limited to Tylenol, Tums, prescriptions, and Advil. Under no circumstances can a student be in possession of medication without the proper forms on file. Students possessing medication without the forms on file or distributing medication to other students will be subject to discipline following the district's Code of Conduct.

Nominate an 'Exceptional Educator'

WXYZ (Channel 7) seeks your help in recognizing some of the exceptional educators within WBSD. Nominate a difference-maker today! A winner will be chosen monthly and will receive a $1,000 donation for their respective school or program, along with a $100 gift card to Happy's Pizza. Discover more and nominate a teacher or administrator as an exceptional educator.

Amy Hughes, Principal

Jermaine Evans, Assistant Principal

Blaine McDowell, Dean of Student Services

Lisa Graff, Assistant Principal