Willink Principal's Newsletter
Willink Titans CARE
Principal's Message
February 16, 2018
Dear Willink Families,
February Break has arrived! Students are thrilled with having next week off. Students have been sharing their plans for next week with each other and whether staying home or traveling, they are excited. I hope you have a chance next week to do something fun as a family and enjoy watching the Olympics together.
I know that the tragedy the occurred in Florida on Wednesday is on everyone's mind. As Superintendent Gumina shared yesterday, our primary focus is student safety. We are doing everything possible to keep your children safe at school. One tool that helps us do this is the SAFE-SCHOOL helpline. You can report something by calling 1-800-4-1-VOICE (1-800-418-6423), extension 359, texting the word “TIPS” to 66746 or visiting safeschoolhelpline.com. This is a completely anonymous service used by Webster CSD that allows you to provide us with health and safety concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also tell our children that when they read something, hear something, or observe something that sets off that inner voice of concern for their own safety or the safety of others, reach out to a trusted adult. I encourage parents to do the same. If you missed Superintendent Gumina's email, I have copied it below.
We had our second PBIS assembly of the year today and it was a huge success! Over 100 students participated in "Wheel of Fortune" and a great time was had by all. You can see pictures and videos on our Twitter feed or on our homepage.
The week we come back is Spirit Week. There is a theme each day and a pep rally Friday afternoon. This all leads up to our charity basketball game Friday night. Please see the flyers below for more details related to each day's theme and information about the game.
Have a fantastic vacation!
Jim
An Important Letter From Superintendent Gumina
Dear Webster CSD Families,
As parents, I know all of us in the One Webster community join together in sympathy, compassion, and sadness with the families of Parkland, Florida, forever changed by the unthinkable tragedy that occurred yesterday afternoon at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. I write to you as a father who sends his daughter to school every day in the same district where I was educated, taught, and now am superintendent. I am also an educator who views your children as if they were my own. I know my colleagues share this sentiment.
Every day, you trust all of us at Webster CSD to compassionately connect and joyfully engage with your children, to care for their needs, and most importantly, to keep them safe. When something like this happens to threaten our children’s safety, all of us take a step back to mindfully consider the ways we are working together to keep our children safe. I can only reassure you that our district has safety protocols, systems, and drills in place that we regularly practice with our administrators, teachers, staff members, and your children. It pains me to think that we live in an era where our children implicitly understand the meaning of the word lockdown, but we must continue to be prepared.
You are a critical partner in managing our children’s safety. I mentioned that you trust us to compassionately connect each day with your children. That is a personal goal of mine, and one that is helped by having a strong, multi-tiered system of support in all 11 schools with counselors and social workers available to care for the whole child that enters our classrooms every day. Yes, we educate children, but we also care for our children’s mental health and the many challenges faced by today’s young people. We are committed to working with all of our families who may be experiencing crises during their time with our district.
I cannot stress this enough: IF YOU SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING! You are able to partner with your district by reaching out to the Safe School Helpline, 1-800-4-1-VOICE (1-800-418-6423), extension 359, texting the word “TIPS” to 66746 or visiting safeschoolhelpline.com. This is a completely anonymous service used by Webster CSD that allows you to provide us with health and safety concerns 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We also tell our children that when they read something, hear something, or observe something that sets off that inner voice of concern for their own safety or the safety of others, reach out to a trusted adult. I encourage parents to do the same.
I know these events can be challenging to talk about with our children. The district recommends the information provided by the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) as a way to help in your family’s discussions. Please visit http://www.nasponline.org/resources-and-publications/resources/school-safety-and-crisis/talking-to-children-about-violence-tips-for-parents-and-teachers.
Thank you for your support as we continue to work together, making our children’s safety the district’s highest priority. Thank you for sharing them with us every day.
Sincerely,
Carmen Gumina
Superintendent of Schools
Upcoming Events: See the calendar on the website for times/details
February 19th - 23rd: Recess ~ No School
February 26th: 5th Grade Orientation
February 26th-March 2nd: Willink Spirit Week
March 2nd: Spry-Willink Charity Basketball Game
Assistant Principals' Recognition
Willink In Action!
Students enjoying the Wheel of Fortune at the PBISA Assembly!
Charity Game Spirit Week 2018
February 26 - March 2, 2018
Student/Parent Portal
2017-2018 Willink Middle School Yearbook
*Watch the Willink Morning Show on Titan TV