The Weekly Staff PACK Pages
March 3, 2023
A Message from Administration
Wakefield Middle School Intent Form
All staff members should complete the intent form linked here. Please be sure to note if you are retiring this year, resigning, or returning to work at our school next year. If you are planning on returning, please note your grade level & subject area teaching preference (if applicable). This will help our planning for the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete this form by Friday, March 10th.
March 6th Staff Meeting
There is a brief staff meeting on Monday, March 6th. It will last less than one hour. Teachers will present on various topics. The meeting will include the following:
- Mr. Sexton, BT 3 Presentation (5-10 minutes)
- Ms. Macsuga, Curriculum Compacting Units (10 minutes)
- Ms. Webb, Lighten the Linguistic Load: Supports and Scaffolds for Multilingual Learners (30 minutes)
March 7th PD & Staff Luncheon
Originally, on March 7th, we planned a whole staff professional development. However, Dr. Janeen Perry- Campbell just wants to meet with the Equity Team & School Improvement Team from 9:30-11, to plan for a future staff development. The PTSA will provide lunch for the entire staff beginning at 11:30. If you are not on the Equity team or School Improvement Team, feel free to catch up on grading, planning, or use this time for meetings with parents regarding retention letters.
State-wide Tornado Drill
There is a state-wide tornado drill on Wednesday, March 8th at 9:30am. We will need staff support monitoring the hallways during the drill. Tornado safe areas are in the interior hallways away from windows.
National School Social Work Week
March 5-11th is National School Social Work Week! Let's take time this week to celebrate Ms. Hemphill. We are grateful for her dedication to students, staff and families at WMS.
Announcements
BIMAS
March 6th opens up the window to begin your BIMAS screenings. Core 2 teachers have until March 27th to complete the screenings.
Retention Information
WCPSS Board of Education policy 3420 and 3420 R&P requirement to inform families by mid-term of the 3rd quarter of any student who is at risk on not being promoted. Counselors will send retention letters out. Teams can provide a list of students to counselors. A parent conference must be scheduled for any student receiving a retention letter. A tier plan should also be created and implemented.
Per policy, promotion for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade requires that students must pass Language Arts, Mathematics, either Social Studies or Science, and 50% of their remaining courses.
PTSA Teacher Grants
Thank you for your interest in applying for a grant from WMS’s PTSA! We are so fortunate to have dedicated teachers and staff, like you, with new ideas, methods and innovative programs to enrich our students’ experience.
Our Goal
The PTSA Teacher & Staff Grant program was created to enable all personnel to implement and maintain enriching learning environments as well as increase individual personal opportunities for professional development.
The Process:
3 Easy Steps
Through a collaborative effort with WMS administration, teachers and parents, we have developed a grant application process.NOTE: teachers and staff may ask for individual grants or partner with other teachers/grade level teams for joint requests.
This process is as follows:
1) Review the WMS PTSA Grant Criteria and complete the Grant Application form.
2) Share completed Grant Application with the WMS Principal for review, approval and signature.
3) Submit your signed Grant Application by emailing it to the WMS PTSA President at WakefieldMS.PTSA.president@gmail.com
Substitute Teacher Recruitment
Please take few moments to brainstorm and add local organizations that our WMS team should contact for possible substitute teacher support. If you have a contact name and phone/email, please add. The Google Form is linked here.
Culinary Club
Culinary Club (Spring Session) will begin February 1st. We will take applications through January 17th.
Spring Schedule:
March 8th
March 22nd
April 12th
April 26th
May 3rd
*May 17th
3:30 - 5:00
Student Ambassadors School Newspaper
Staff, our Student Ambassadors published their first Newspaper edition this week! Check out the Wakefield Weekly when you have a chance.
They would like to start a section called "Spotlight on Students" and we are looking to you to nominate students to feature. We are looking for kids with any sort of brag-able trait- hard worker/best effort, excelling, overcoming obstacles, contribute to their community, will tryout in the school play, are a great teammate on a WMS sports team-- whatever! Every student shines in some way, and you know them best. Please nominate your student on this form. If chosen to be featured, one of our writers will schedule a time to interview them for the piece. Thank you!
IA Professional Development
Special Education Services is hosting an IA Empowerment professional learning event on Apr. 21 for all Instructional Assistants who support students with special education needs. (April 21 is a professional learning day.) The event will focus on special education principles, behavior management strategies, and role-specific instructional strategies to enhance student learning. RSVP by Mar. 10.
Team Leaders Only:
The WCPSS Spotlight on Students program provides each school the opportunity to recognize a student in 3rd-12th grade who has demonstrated accomplishment personally and academically at a Wake County Board of Education meeting.
The purpose of this recognition is to shine the spotlight on students who have demonstrated perseverance and a commitment to meet their social and academic goals in spite of challenges they may face. We want to recognize the amazing attributes that our students demonstrate every day. This is not about overcoming COVID or quarantine -- it is about shining in the face of adversity and inspiring others to do the same.
Please work with your team members to choose ONE student on your team to nominate and include a summary (no more than 100 words) of the perseverance and a commitment they have met to achieve their social and academic goals in spite of challenges they may face.
Submissions will then be reviewed by the admin team and counselors.
Nominations are due by March 24, 2023. Please submit nominations HERE
Restorative Circles
The voluntary restorative circle on March 7th has been canceled due to the lack of participation.
Wakefield MS Newspaper
From Ms. Levey:
Teachers, I was wondering if you could put the link to the new Wakefield newspaper on your Canvas/Google classroom since we are looking for new writers and we are trying to get the newspaper more popular. Also, please ask if anyone would like to join our journalist team and if so please have them contact me, Mariah, or Ms. Levey @Carolina Leduc _ Student - WakefieldMS @Mariah Sanchez _ Student - WakefieldMS@Christina Levey _ Staff - WakefieldMS thank you so much for your support. Also, here is the link to the website LINK
Co-Editor in Chiefs Carolina Leduc and Mariah Sanchez
Staff Birthdays
Happy Birthday to the following staff member:
Ms. Dorsey 3/8/23
AIG Information
Upcoming Events
3/3 Interim Reports Go Home
3/5-3/11 National School Social Work Week
3/6 Staff Meeting
3/7 Teacher Workday (No School for Students)
3/7 Professional Development from 9:30-11
3/8 Tornado Drill
3/13 School Improvement Team Meeting at 3:45
3/20 Leadership Team Meeting at 3:45
3/24 Early Release Day (School Dismisses at 1:15)
3/27 Department Meetings at 3:45
3/31-4/1 Spring Break
4/11 School Improvement Team Meeting at 3:45
4/17 BAC Meeting at 6:00pm Location: TBD