Willink Principal's Newsletter
Willink Titans CARE
Principal's Message
September 25, 2020
Hello Willink Families,
It’s essentially a summer weekend so I hope you can all enjoy the nice weather while we still have it! I want to thank you all again for partnering with us as a building and a district as we continue on with this new schedule.
The schedule creates new demands for learning and for teaching - and we are all still adjusting to what 5 days of school looks like in this new model. I’m proud of our scheduling team and our staff for reinventing how they teach. We're all amazed at how well our students are adjusting to all this change. As parents, we all need to give ourselves some credit as well - this is certainly not easy!
I’m resharing the Willink Q and A form for parents. Please feel free to use this as an additional way to reach out to me. Below are a few answers to questions that have come through so far.
And don’t forget - Student Pictures are Monday and Tuesday (and Wednesday for 100% Remote Students). Have a great weekend!
-Brian
Schedule Changes:
These particularly impact our 100% remote students but also hybrid. In short, we recognize that the student-teacher relationship is the foundation for learning and it is not our goal to have students switch teachers - but at times it will be unavoidable given the constraints of our schedule this year. As numbers shift, we will at times need to rebalance classes in order to maintain equitable student to teacher ratios across classes. Our teachers are working more closely together than ever before to help students move more seamlessly between classes when a schedule change is required.
Pikmykid App:
New for all of us and many great questions have come through. Let me answer two in hopes of clarifying:
1- We do not need you to update the “delegates for pickup” at the secondary level (but this IS required at the elementary schools).
2- Submitting your daily screening is the primary use at Willink. While you can submit attendance, I would ask that you call or email your house office for attendance reasons. This streamlines the process as we often will need to call you with questions about absences submitted through Pikmykid.
3 - School census information will be coming home with our Group 2 students today and Group 1 students on Monday. If you need to make any changes, please update, sign, and have your child drop off in the main office. If we do not have your information updated you may have connection problems with the app as well as miss important communications from the school.
4 - (Should be #1) THANK YOU! The number of students needing to be screened at school has gone down. We know taking on one more new technology is difficult right now.
Virtual Wednesdays:
One of the challenges for many families has been locating the link for google meet in different classes. Some classes use the calendar, others the class stream, some are in the banner. We recognize that a common location will be extremely helpful for students and parents trying to help. We hope to have this established in the near future but I will be asking all teachers to remind students of how to access their meeting links again before next Wednesday.
The Math Lab Is OPEN!
September 28 ~ Group 1 in person Monday and Thursday
September 29 ~ Group 2 in person Tuesday and Friday
September 30 ~ 100% Remote (Use the above link to order. You will receive a signup genius in a separate email).
FALL SPORTS
The Webster CSD has opted to move all fall Modified A & Modified B sports to the "Fall II" season; March 1 - May 1. While the future certainly remains ever changing, we hope that having a full season modified experience, although at a different time of the year, will allow students to continue to pursue their sport in a safe and organized way.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q - Could my son/daughter play JV or Varsity instead?
A - No, the APP timeline has passed and does not allow for new entrants.
Q - What about if the Winter season changes, athletes who have overlaps in seasons, and potential gym time conflicts?
A - We know there will be some additional and new challenges but moving to the Fall II season affords us a little more time to be planful and mitigate any potential issues. We don't control decisions made by NYS, NYSPHSAA or Section V regarding sport seasons.
IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
Willink Traffic Pattern 2020-21 (NEW!)
PAGING ALL OVERDUES!
Do you have WCSD library books at home from last school year?
Hybrid students can return overdue books on in-person learning days
Remote learners can return materials to any WCSD school building or bring them with you on your picture day.
-Willink Middle School has a return box by the main entrance for drop offs outside normal school hours.
Please note: If a student has changed buildings, (ex. incoming 6th or 9th graders) their overdue notices will be sent by the building they now attend, not the building the book was borrowed from.
Please remember - Safety First! We cannot allow pickup on Publisher's Parkway or at the Hockey Rink.
Student/Parent Portal
PTSA Membership Information
Memberships for 2020-21 are live! Help us continue to support Webster Central Schools families and staff through education, advocacy, and more. Building PTSA's receives $6 of adult memberships and $1 of student memberships so please consider designating Willink PTSA as your school of choice.
Calendars are FREE with membership purchase while supplies last. There are some great discounts to local businesses and monthly prize drawings. Distribution of discount cards and calendars will start on 9/19 for all members who join by 9/17 at 8PM, and continue every Saturday through 10/31 at Joe Obbie Farmers Market from 8:30AM - 1PM (near Old Navy in Towne Center).
Memberships and calendars will be available to purchase in person during those times.
Still need to get your membership? Visit www.websterptsa.org/JOIN Thank you!