Wildcats News
West Middle School
Principal - Scott Cole / Assistant Principal - Rachelle Wiersma / Dean of Students - Zach Davis
December 2019 / January 2020
Newsletter Translation Instructions
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If you prefer to read the newsletter in a language other than English, please scroll to the bottom of this newsletter to select your preferred language. Simply select the "Translate" button on the lower right, select your language from the drop-down menu, and click "Close." The entire newsletter will then be translated into the language you have selected. Over 100 languages are available for selection.Boletín Informativo: Ahora Disponible en más de 100 Idiomas
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Upcoming Events
12/2 SPED to Tyson Events Center 9-11:45 A.M.
12/10 WMS Band Concert @ WHS 6:30 P.M.
12/12 7th gr. TAG to Morningside College 9:00 A.M.-2:00 P.M.
12/13 PBIS Assembly 1:45 P.M.
12/17 Jazz Choir Caroling (in the community)
12/20 1:45 P.M. Early Dismissal
12/23-1/3 NO SCHOOL - Winter Break
1/6 Classes resume @ 7:45 A.M.
1/14 Pizza with Parents Informational Meeting @ WMS 5-6:00 P.M. (all WMS parents and students welcome)
1/16 End of 2nd Quarter / 1st Semester
1/17 NO SCHOOL - Teacher Workday
1/23 Strong Foundations Honor Band (6th grade) / Concert @ EHS 6:00 P.M.
1/24 Career Academy Tours (8th grade)
1/30 NWIA Honors Orchestra @ Northwestern College
Pizza with Parents Informational Meeting
Note from the Principal...
December is here and will be going quickly. We have many things going on in the three weeks before Christmas break. Please look at the calendar of events within the newsletter to assist with dates and times for these activities.
We will be taking the second round of assessments towards reaching our building goals this month. December 3rd and 4th is our Lit assessment, December 9th – 12th is our Math assessment. We are looking for 10% growth throughout the year on both of these goals. This will give us valuable data as to how we are doing. You can assist us at home by making sure your student gets a good night’s sleep prior and is at school on time during the testing dates.
We are continuing on our IB journey as well this month. In the newsletter, you will see the two learner profiles we will be working on in all classes this month. The profiles are Inquirers and Knowledgeable. Please ask your student(s) about these. We will be working on a couple each month until students have been exposed to all ten profiles.
With the holidays approaching, we ask that parents/guardians stay in contact with us concerning student attendance. Attendance needs to know right away in the morning if your student is going to be absent for the day. We also need to know if your student is leaving before the break begins. We are out of school December 20th at 1:45 and return Monday, January 6th, at regular time.
Have a great Holiday season!
Scott Cole 279-6813
IB Update
West Middle's IB Learner Profile focus for December will be INQUIRERS and KNOWLEDGEABLE. Teachers will be discussing, modeling and practicing these learner traits within their content lesson in the month of December. We would encourage parents to ask their children about the different ways learners can demonstrate inquiry and knowledge as life-long learners.
As IB learners, we strive to be INQUIRERS. We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquire and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.
As IB learners, we strive to be KNOWLEDGEABLE. We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.
How can parents encourage these traits at home?
- Visit the library and allow your child to explore topics they are learning at school, or other topics of interest. Allow your child to develop their natural curiosity.
- Model inquiry in everyday life. Show your child what you do when you do not know the answers or solutions to life situations.
- Show your child how they can actively enjoy learning new things!
- Encourage your child to read books.
- Discuss currents events, watch the news or read the newspaper with your child.
- Talk about the local or global significance of current events and how it may affect individuals, communities, regions or the world.
Strong Foundations Honor Band
Congratulations to the students selected for the 6th Grade Strong Foundations Honor Band! These talented students will be performing on January 23, 2020, at East High School at 6:00 P.M.
Christhel Bracamonte, Lillian Hansen, Max Kuehl, Reygan Mann, Jeovanni Ramirez-Hansen, Jozefinah Ramirez-Hansen, Juniper Roach
8th grade Highlights - Social Studies...
Come One, Come All to the New Colonies!
In history class, the 8th graders recently created colonial recruitment posters to get Europeans to consider moving across the Atlantic Ocean to join one of the 13 colonies. Now we are studying the buildup to the revolutionary war and will really focus on the propaganda the Sons of Liberty used to get support to rebel against King and Crown.
Ask your student if their poster would convince people to move to the Colonies.
8th grade Highlights - ELA (English/Language Arts)...
Edgar
Ms. Poeckes’ ELA 8 classes have been studying the horror genre during the second quarter.
Allan
They read three stories by Edgar Allan Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart, The Raven, and The Cask of Amontillado.
Poe
They studied several parts of these short stories such as: mood, tone, exposition, plot, and theme.
Students were able to pick their favorite story and illustrate a scene with a direct quote from the story.
The students did extraordinary scenes with many interesting details.
The pictures are all hanging in room 809. Come check them out.
ISU Campus Trip
Beardshear Hall
Reiman Gardens
Free Tutoring @ WMS
Free Tutoring at West Middle
Room 332 / Mrs. Moerman
7:00-7:35 A.M. Mon.-Fri.
1:45-2:30 P.M. Monday
2:45-3:30 P.M. Tues.-Fri.
More Tutoring Available
Media Center / Assorted Teachers
2:45-4:15 P.M. Tuesday-Thursday
All students are welcome. A free activities bus will be available for students to ride to the feeder elementary closest to their home at 4:30 P.M.
Hy-Vee Receipts
$CHOOL BUCK$ PROGRAM RULES 2019-2020
All receipts must be from the Sioux City or South Sioux City Hy-Vee’s or the Hy-Vee Mainstreet Store.
Receipts must be dated August 1, 2019 – April 26, 2020.
Please Note: No fuel, postal, money order, Western Union, lottery, Quest, Mid American or gift card receipts will be accepted. If any of these receipts are found in any of the bundles the entire bundle amount might not be counted and will not go towards our school total. Please pay for these items separate from your grocery order. Pharmacy receipts DO count so save those. Please ask the whole family to save their receipts...grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, we'll take them all! The PBIS team at West Middle thanks you.
Box Tops for Education
Box Tops for Education has gone online! The app is super easy. Download the app. Then answer a few, short questions. Make sure to select West Middle School. You can use our zip code, 51103, to find the school. Then, when you go to the store and see the box top picture on the top of an item you bought, upload the receipt in the app by taking a picture. If you use Ibotta, Shopkicks, Checkout 51, or similar apps, the process is the same.
Ask any friends, neighbors, or coworkers you have to do this for West Middle School if they do not have any kids at home. The app is free. People buy items all the time that have Box Tops on them. Let's capture some of this money to give back to West Middle.
Box Tops for Education (continued)
The West Middle PBIS team is the receiver of the money. This team uses the money to fund monthly breakfasts for the PBIS students of the month and their families. The money is also used for weekly drawings of prizes for WEST cards. Students earn WEST cards a variety of ways. The money is also used for supplies for different games that are played at the PBIS assemblies. In other words, the more money raised through Box Tops and Hy-Vee receipts the more we can do for our students. Thanks for doing this for your children. Thanks for spreading the word to your friends, coworkers, and extended families. We truly appreciate your help.
Health / Fitness Tip: Play a Video Game...Really?
Who says video games aren't good for us? Ever think about a Wii Fit? Do you already have one of those in your home? If so, just like the online workout videos, a Nintendo Wii Fit is a fun and convenient way to stay fit during winter and have fun at the same time. This gaming device provides virtual workouts to direct the user through a number of exercises including strength training, aerobics and more. It can be adjusted to fit your personal goals from cardiovascular improvement and disease prevention to muscle building and weight loss. So if you have a Wii Fit at home, why not dig it out and have some family fun on those cold winter days? **Suggestion adapted from pinnaclehealth.org/wellness-library
PBIS Winners
The following students have been recognized this school year for their positive behaviors. Keep up the good work!!!
6th grade: Jovanni Bautista, John Can, Mario Carreto Bedolla, Mya Comstock, Timnit Gebre, Carter Hammer, Evey Jackson, Tamorryie Jackson, Reygan Mann, Gilda Orellana-Campos, Hadli Ross, Amarie Stabler.
PBIS Winners
The following students have been recognized this school year for their positive behaviors. We appreciate their good example!
7th grade: Hannah Burge, Angelita Contreras, Savannah Elder, Zach Foland, Isabella Hayes, Kevin Huynh, Cael Kilberg, Ethan Moeller, Nghi Nguyen, Vanessa Ramirez, Lulu Vaul.
PBIS Winners
The following students have been recognized this school year for their positive behaviors. Way-to-Go! WooHoo!!
8th grade: Benji Behrens, Yesenia Cisneros, Travis Davis, Rosalia Garcia, Jose Gomez, Elise Mann, Eric Munoz, Binti Ukash, Fairuza Vallejo, Jimmie Ware, Erica Wayman.
Community Service Project - Donations Welcome!
In Business and Marketing, students are learning about helping the community through service learning projects. Students chose to help the homeless and are asking for your help. They will be collecting sample/hotel sized hygiene products, storage size Ziploc bags, and non-perishable protein foods (peanuts or beef jerky). The products will be used to put together blessing bags that will be delivered to local shelters. Donations may be sent with students or dropped off at the school. Thank you in advance for your help.
Community Service Project - Donations Welcome!
West Middle School Can Change Hunger! From now until December 19th, we will be collecting cans and pocket change for the Food Bank of Siouxland.
Students can make a difference by bringing spare coins to their advisory teacher. For every dollar collected, the Food Bank will be able to secure 13 pounds of food to help nourish people in our community. Homerooms that collect the highest dollar amount will earn weekly incentives.
Non-perishable food items such as cereal, canned soups, meats, fruits and vegetables; peanut butter and jelly; boxed pastas and spaghetti sauce (cans only as no glass jars can be accepted) can be brought to the library. If students have library fees for lost or missing books, now is their chance to pay them off with donations. For every canned/boxed food item donated, we will delete one dollar of existing book fees.
These simple donations change lives, give hope, and provide food for those in need. Together, we can change hunger!
Congratulations
These students participated in Unified Bowling.
to the West Middle
November 23, 2019
Bowling Team!
Council Bluffs, Iowa
Let's Talk
An engaged community makes our District stronger. That is why we have made it easy for you to connect with us whenever it is convenient for you. We encourage you to take advantage of Let’s Talk!, our 24/7 online submission site. Reach out with your ideas, questions, concerns, and praise. To make a submission, please visit http://www.siouxcityschools.org/lets-talk/.
Communication and Preparedness
Student and staff safety is of paramount importance in the Sioux City Community School District. For this reason, the District exercises a host of crisis prevention and planning tactics. Should an emergency occur, the school notifies you through our Blackboard phone system. In an emergency, the system calls every phone number associated with your child in order to reach you. The message will give you details about the emergency and provide directions on when/where to pick up your child if the normal school day is altered. Learn more about school safety.
Focus 2022 Strategic Plan
Non-Discrimination Statement
The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW.
The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. It is an unfair or discriminatory practice for any educational institution to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices.
Inquiries or grievances, including Section 504 grievances and grievances under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, may be directed to Jen Gomez, Director of Student Services & Equity Education at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, gomezj2@live.siouxcityschools.com. Please see District Board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.
West Middle School
Principal: Scott Cole
Website: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/west-middle/
Location: 3301 West 19th Street, Sioux City, IA, USA
Phone: 712-279-6813
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scwestmiddleschool/
Twitter: @wildcatswms