In the Middle
Volume 16, Issue 2
Principal's Points
Hopefully, the video above put a smile on your face. We need all of the laughter that can be mustered during these long winter months.
OMS/BCA are looking at some substantial changes. Our students will be assessed using the newly created Badger Exam. The assessment will take place during April and is 100% digital. That is a significant change from the past year's exam, the Wisconsin Knowledge and Concepts Exam (WKCE). To learn more about the Badger Exam, click the following link: Badger Exam
Our district's technology team met last week to discuss action plan and details of the 1:1 Chromebook rollout and other technology enhancements. Chromebooks have become very popular due to their entry level price point, portability, and powerful functionality. We will be sending more information about the rollout as it becomes available. Until then, you may be interested in reading Five Reasons Chromebooks Make Sense for Schools.
During the next two weeks, OMS/BCA will host their annual family nights. OMS's will take place on Tuesday, January 20th and will provide an opportunity for you to see our girls basketball teams in action, local businesses showcasing how they are asset for us, an awesome chili dinner, an informal talent show, and time to roam the halls. This should be a time to enjoy and celebrate progress to this point and to look ahead. All of our students will also be participating in a progress monitoring assessment in math and reading. The assessment is less than an hour in length and provides our faculty data to adjust their instruction to the needs of our students. This is the second of three progress monitoring checkpoints for this school year.
If you use social media, be sure to check the hashtag #gooconto. Hashtags are simply a way to search for information centered on a certain topic. We will continue to use this hashtag to highlight the creative effort and hard work that takes place in Oconto. Be sure to follow our @ocontobluedevil on Twitter and check out our Facebook page.
Happy New Year!
Mr. DeWitt
@adewitt2
Science
Bayshore Community Academy
Science Technology Engineering & Math (STEM)
BCA
BCA students have been working on two large projects during the past few months. All students have been learning about Earth’s geological history and time periods, along with the geoscience processes, including glaciers, plate tectonics, and weathering. The students are finishing up writing articles that will be bound into a magazine and will be available for checkout at Farnsworth Public Library. The students have been working with a new program on Google called Lucidpress and their results have been quite professional. Students will have the option to purchase a personal copy of the magazine. More information will be sent home in the future. We encourage you to check out their geology magazine once it is available.
In addition to geology, students have continued researching a student-selected topic related to the National History Day theme “Leadership and Legacy in History.” After writing a research paper with an annotated bibliography, the students have started working on different products. The students are creating exhibits, websites, documentaries, performances, and historical papers. On January 30th, the students will be judged at BCA to determine which students will go on to the regional contest at UWGB in March.
Finally, BCA students will be presenting various projects during a Project Presentation Night on January 27th from 5:00 to 7:00. We encourage everyone to attend and see the effort BCA students have put into their projects.
SCRIPS: Online Purchasing
We are so pleased that the online Scrip Program is all set to go for Bayshore Community Academy! Orders will be shipped every 2nd and 4th Monday of the month. The cards will then arrive by Thursday! There’s more information below about a raffle we are organizing with our first order to show our appreciation for everyone’s patience and support.
For more information: SCRIPS Online Ordering
Oconto Middle School Grade Level and Content Teams
5th Grade
As a whole, the 5th grade teachers are very pleased with the behavior and effort this
class is showing. There have been very few 5th graders in detention and we hope to keep it this way.
As the school year is progressing many students are running low on basic school
supplies. Please ask your child if their supplies need to be replenished. Also, many students have not brought in headphones or earbuds. Everyday more and more technology is being infused into the classroom making headphones/earbuds almost necessary. They will also be required for each student to take the Badger Exam(formally referred to as the Smarter Balanced Assessment) this spring.
6th Grade
The 6th graders attended a presentation from Jeremy Wusterbarth about Oconto’s water department, fresh and waste water. They viewed a camera descended into the aquifer via a 600 foot well in the city. They learned how their wastewater is treated and returned back into the ecosystem. They also learned of the importance of water towers. Later this month they will view a presentation from Wisconsin Public Service.
REMINDER: This is a good time of year to check with your child to see if any school supplies are in need of being restocked.
7th Grade
Seventh graders(Mrs. Vandermoss) are being introduced to MLA Style and the 5-paragraph essay while writing an essay on Where the Red Fern Grows. Students should continue reading at their instructional level on a nightly basis. Powerpoint presentations for quarter 2 are January 19-21. Please ask your child about this presentation!
Have you ever asked your child what he/she wants be when they are older? Eighth graders are doing a research paper on a career they may want to pursue. They are learning what it takes to get to this point from classes to take in high school to finding better job markets as well as the pros and cons of the job! More importantly, they are learning about MLA Style and the writing process to produce a quality paper and avoid plagiarism in the future. Please continue to have your child read on a nightly basis at his/her instructional level.
8th Grade
8th Grade Math: The students are solving systems of two linear equations in two variables graphically and algebraically.
Algebra: The algebra class has begun to write and graph exponential equations and functions to model, analyze, and solve real-world problems.
8th grade ski trip to Pine Mountain is February 3. Please turn in all permission forms and payment ASAP! This is an annual event that has been very exciting for the 8th graders. Please make sure your child is dressed properly for the cold weather.
Student Council
Quote from WASC: "There's something about you that people notice
right away. It is a light that beams outward and brightens everything it
touches. It's the light of a person who's doing good in the world by being
fully, richly, and beautifully alive” -M.H. Clark
Check out their website at www.wasc.org.
You are invited to attend our Chili Dinner at Family Night!
• Jan. 20 – 5-7 Family Night Chili Dinner; $5.00 for adults, $2.00 for children.
• Feb. 5 – 7:30 a.m. Morning Meeting
• Feb. 6 – 3:30-6:00 p.m. Dance for grades 5-8
Artists of the Month
7th Grade, Caleb Pirucki
5th Grade, Josie Mireles
5th Grade, Preston Pecor
6th Grade, Will Sherman
7th Grade, Katrina Salewsky
8th Grade, Morgan Durand
Free Dental Care
Monday, Feb 9, 2015, 12:00 AM
248 North Main Street, Oconto Falls, WI 54154, United States
Strengthening Families Program for Oconto County Families
For all of the details about this program, please click the following link: Strengthening Families Program
Friday, Feb 6, 2015, 05:30 PM
Washington Middle School, South Washington Street, Oconto Falls, WI, United States
Contact Us
Email: adam.dewitt@oconto.k12.wi.us
Website: http://www.oconto.k12.wi.us/
Location: 400 Michigan Avenue, Oconto, WI, United States
Phone: 920-834-7806
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ocontoschooldistrict?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
Twitter: @ocontobluedevil