Words from West
January 2021
A MESSAGE FROM MS. BALBAUGH
You should have received a letter from Superintendent Garner today, outlining the approved return to school plan from last night's school board meeting. Secondary students will be returning to school on Wednesdays (A-K) and Thursdays (L-Z) only, beginning 1/27/21 and 1/28/21. According to Dr. Alward, "The board will work on gradually increasing this model based on progress with the vaccine, staffing, cases, etc. and are optimistic this will be the first step in getting our students back every day."
As we gear up for our F2F return, please have conversations with your student about the importance of properly wearing a mask, bringing their own labeled, bottle(s) of water to school, and the requirement to socially distance at all times. We have waited nearly 11 months to have students back in the building, we are ready and excited to see students fill the halls, we just need to do it safely and respectfully, at all times.
Thank you for your partnership,
Ms. Balbaugh
IMPORTANT DATES FOR JANUARY
January 4: Return to Remote Learning Schedule, Rotation Hours 4-6
January 18: MLK Day - No School, Building Closed
January 19: Student Pictures, 2:15-7:00PM, by appointment
January 20: Student Pictures, 2:15-7:00PM, by appointment
January 22: Last day of Semester One
January 25: Records Day - No School, Building Open
January 27: Return to Learn - Last Name A-K, Group A
January 28: Return to Learn - Last Name L-Z, Group B
ATTENDANCE MATTERS!
We are eager to see students, face to face, in class beginning Wednesday, January 27 (A-K) or Thursday, January 28 (L-Z)! Families, please be reminded that whether F2F or remotely, your student is expected to be present for every class each day. Students that do not report for a class will be marked absent. Additionally, it is important that students are logged into each class with their GBCS student account for attendance verification.
PLEASE NOTE:
Today, students were notified that all student screen images during remote learning, must be:
- School Picture
- School Name Only
- No icons/Avatar/etc.
If you know your child will be absent from school, please call the attendance desk at WMS. We ask that you be specific when reporting an illness. Thank you!
ATTENDANCE HOTLINE: (810) 591-8387
SCHOOL PICTURES
We are excited to announce that picture days are coming up soon! Please see the following information to make sure that picture day is a success!
When: January 19th and January 20th ~ 2:15pm - 7:00pm by appointment ONLY
Who: All 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students attending WMS and BVA students whose “home building” would be WMS. We are asking that students enter/exit on their own.
Where: WMS Cafeteria
Parking and Entering: Students will enter through the athletic entrance doors and exit through the main entrance. Please park in the front parking lot.
Sign-up: Please follow the link below to sign-up for a picture session.
All students that plan on having their pictures taken MUST sign-up for a time slot. Due to COVID precautions, all students will be required to self-screen at home for symptoms. We are unable to handle photo sessions outside of their assigned slot. All students must wear a mask for the duration of their visit, except when having their picture taken.
TWO WAYS TO ORDER PICTURES:
- ONLINE: http://mylifetouch.com Use Code: EVTXQSR2G
- PRINT YOUR OWN HARDCOPY: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1I8X-pvvtKEhp-XWI-r54kat-QZJeRsaz/view?usp=sharing
***6th Grade and New Students: If you are a 6th-grade student or a new student to West Middle School, we invite you to take a brief, self-paced tour, around the lower level of WMS immediately following your picture session. 6th grade and new students are allowed ONE adult guardian to accompany them (adult guardians will be required to complete a Covid screener, use hand sanitizer before entering, and everyone must wear a mask while in the building).
WMS "PARENT/GUARDIAN SERIES" COMING SOON!!
In preparation for our second semester F2F/Hybrid learning plan, we are excited to share with you information about our upcoming, “Parent/Guardian Series!” Each topic will be covered, remotely, from 6:30-7:30pm on Google Meet (Meet Code: WMSParentSeries). We look forward to you joining one, or all, of the sessions listed below:
- Tuesday, January 12th - Welcome “Back” to West Middle School with Diana Balbaugh and Ross Burdette
- Thursday, January 14th - Middle School Emotions, Creating Structure at Home, and Special Services with Mia Barnett, Jennifer Kent-Bryant, and Dana Turnbow
- Tuesday, January 19th - Need to Know: Middle School Technology and Safety with Deb Chapman and Elizabeth Lemerond
F2F LEARNING - ARE YOU READY?
Preparing for a return to school:
- Doors to the building open at 7:50am. Students are asked to stay in their vehicles until it is time to enter the building. Students getting breakfast will use the Athletic Entrance, all other students should use the Main Entrance and proceed directly to their first class.
- Check your emergency contacts in ParentVue. Make sure those contacts are people who are willing and able to pick up your student in a timely manner if they become sick at school or exhibit COVID symptoms.
- Students should have their own set of supplies to avoid having to share. When sharing is necessary, items will be sanitized between uses.
- It is recommended that students bring their own "personal-sized" hand sanitizer to school with them.
- Drinking fountains are closed, so a water bottle labeled with the student's name is recommended.
- Masks must be worn by all school staff, visitors, and by all students, on buses, inside school buildings, and anywhere on school grounds, including outside when individuals may be within six feet of each other. If students do not have a mask, a disposable one will be provided.
COUNSELING CORNER
WMS Families,
We are very excited for the upcoming return to face to face instruction. For the 2nd semester, we are pleased that Mr. Orr will be joining our counseling staff as a graduate level intern. He is finishing up his school counseling program at Oakland University.
The focus of the counseling department is to support our students in any area of life. We serve our students by helping them navigate their academics, social/emotional needs, providing mental health support and introducing them to career education. Our goal is to drive student success in all areas, by helping them develop their interpersonal awareness and problem-solving skills. To achieve this goal, we use a variety of interventions such as one-on-one meetings, facilitating groups, and the use of restorative practices. We also believe in servicing the whole family. Therefore, we have access to many different family services in the Genesee County. If you would like to contact your student's counselor, please note the information below.
Mr. Morey - Last Names A-K, 810-591-7338, dmorey@gbcs.org
Mr. Powell - Last Names L-Z, 810-591-7339, rpowell@gbcs.org
Mr. Orr (counseling intern) 810- 591-7335, torr@gbcs.org
Again, we are excited to be back with our students in the very near future! Please do not hesitate to reach out if you are interested in any of these services, and we look forward to reconnecting with your students soon. Our doors are always open!
WMS SPORTS
We are excited to announce that WMS athletics will resume starting the week of January 18! Both the wrestling and volleyball seasons are set to resume and if you are on either of these teams please look for a communication about practices resuming. If you are waiting for our competitive cheer and boys basketball teams to begin, please keep an eye out for more information. We anticipate finalizing plans for these seasons soon!
REMINDER! If you plan on participating in a sport at WMS this year, a yearly sports physical, completed by a physician, is required.
Link to MHSAA Physical Form:
https://www.mhsaa.com/portals/0/documents/health%20safety/physical2page.pdf
YEARBOOK
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOKS
Click the link below to order a 2020-2021 yearbook for your student! Yearbooks cost $40.
SUBMIT PICTURES FOR YEARBOOK
We are requesting pictures you may have of students that you are willing to share for the yearbook. Below is a link for submissions. Please understand not all pictures may fit in the yearbook layout. We will try our best to include as many pictures as possible.
TITLE I TALK
ACTIVATE YOUR PARENT PORTAL ACCOUNT
By launching the Parent Portal, a district takes the crucial step of involving parents in the mission of keeping students safe on school technology, especially after hours and weekends.
If our system detects issues like Cyberbullying, Depression, Drugs/Alcohol, etc. on your child's student account after hours, you will receive an email notification and be able to review the issue in your Parent Portal dashboard.
Below is what your journey will look like after you've received an email invitation from your school to create your Parent Portal account.
POSITIVITY PROJECT
Ask your student about the following P2 Character traits
- January 3-9: Optimism
- January 10-16: Prudence
- January 17-23: Perseverance
- January 24-31: OPM - Supporting others when they struggle
- January 31-February 6: Integrity
NEED A LIBRARY BOOK?
How do I get the book I want?
- https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc4hFkAoK8Z9c_zP7J4wl4RXxq_gZ3mcwO4blBoQyqp6HDTPg/viewform?usp=sf_link
- Requested books are available for pick up from 7:30a-3:30p
Is the Library open for me to come in?
- WMS will "pilot" the opportunity for our students to come into the building to check out a book. The library will be available from 10a - 3:30p with a limited number of students allowed in at one time.
Grand Blanc West Middle School
West Middle School Main Office:
Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 3:00PM
Main Number: 810-591-7309
Fax Number: 810-591-0182
Website: https://www.gbcs.org/Domain/19
Location: 1515 Reid Road, Grand Blanc, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-7309
Facebook: facebook.com/gbwms