WRMS Weekly Update
September 27, 2019
Helping Parents Be Successful Partners
Club and Activity Fair
All students who participate in our Morning Fitness and/or Morning Sports Club need to submit a current physical and health history update in advance of the first session. Please review the letter from our health department with more information and links to the necessary forms.
Please visit our website for more information about each of our clubs and activities.
National Walk & Bike to School Day
Why Walk or Bike??
There’s a feeling of joy and independence —a sense of adventure—that doesn’t fade. When walking or biking, parents and children get to appreciate things they don’t notice while driving—listening to the sounds of the neighborhood, seeing friends and neighbors and feeling connected with their community. Parents, children and friends can enjoy one another’s company without the usual distractions.
Walking and bicycling events celebrate these experiences and help make them possible for others. They bring schools and communities together for a common purpose. Most of all, they are fun!
Healthier Habits
Walking and bicycling to school enables children to incorporate the regular physical activity they need each day while also forming healthy habits that can last a lifetime. Regular physical activity helps children build strong bones, muscles and joints, and it decreases the risk of obesity. In contrast, insufficient physical activity can contribute to chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and stroke.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommends that children and adolescents get one hour or more of physical activity each day. Research suggests that physically active kids are more likely to become healthy, physically active adults, underscoring the importance of developing the habit of regular physical activity early.
Cleaner Environment
When families decide to lace up their sneakers or strap on their bike helmets to get to school instead of riding in a car, they help reduce the amount of air pollutants emitted by automobiles.
Vehicles emit a variety of air pollutants, resulting in increases in ground-level ozone, nitrogen oxides and particulate matter such as particles of dust, soot, smoke, dirt and liquid droplets. To learn more about the health risks of pollution, visit https://www.epa.gov/urban-air-toxics.
Nurse's Update
Please remember that students should remain home if any of the following symptoms are present:
Excessive runny nose, coughing, or sneezing
Fever of 100 degrees or above – students may return to school only after being fever free for at least 24 hours without the use of antipyretics (i.e., Advil, Motrin, or Tylenol)
Nausea, vomiting and/or diarrhea
Skin rashes of a questionable or unknown origin
Sores on the skin, especially if moist, draining or encrusted
Students should be symptom-free for 24 hours prior to returning to school. Please see our District Medical Handbook for more information.
Literacy Update
Based upon parental feedback we wanted to ensure that parents have the ability to remain partners in developing their child's literacy. To that end, we've launched a new website highlighting key elements and answering many of the questions you may have about our literacy model, Reading and Writing Workshop. Key points that you'll be able to find, include:
- Descriptions of reading levels, including information that reading level Z not only indicates how complex a text may be to read, but may also indicate that it contains mature themes.
- The link to our Destiny database, which is in the process of being updated, helps students and parents search the wide variety of titles available in each of our classrooms. Each title will have a brief summary and reading/interest level. Additionally, the "Explore!" section identifies the various themes that are present within each title. You can search by keyword, subject, sublocation and more (ie: civil rights, relationships, science, violence, fantasy, drugs, etc.)
- If you find your research reveals any titles you are not comfortable with, or your student comes home with a text you are not comfortable with, please email and notify us right away so we can prevent your child from selecting it in the future or make an immediate change.
As always, should you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to your child's Language Arts teacher, the Humanities Department Assistant Principal Barry Albert (barry.albert@wwrsd.org), or myself!
PSO Information
Look for an email from Toolkit (formerly My School Anywhere) to setup your Middle School account and pay your dues. Future purchases for swag, activities, and more can be made through this site. You can also sign up to volunteer through this program.
Any Meadow Farms fundraising should have your home address on it. This year all orders will be delivered directly to your home.
Swag orders should be available online next week, stay tuned!
Please visit Box Tops to sign up for e-box tops, no clipping necessary!!
Save the date for our annual Fall Festival, October 23rd (10/24 rain date)!
Food Services
Students should bring lunch, money for lunch (checks should be written out to "Westwood Regional Board of Education"), or have money prepaid on their id card for the first day of school.
In addition to lunch, we will also be serving breakfast this year.
Please click here to visit the Food Services link on the district's website for more information about meal prepayment options, and monthly menus and prices. Also, the Free & Reduced Lunch Application packet for the 2019-2020 school year, which you can print out and complete or apply online through the Genesis Parent Portal.
Roadwork & Drop-off & Pick-off Notifications
Please see the included notifications from PSE&G regarding the pipe replacement work in Westwood and Washington.
Please review the notification from WWPD regarding drop-off and pick-up at WRMS.
Community Flyers
Save the date for the Community Center's Halloween Party during Teen Night on November 1st!
Save the Date!
- 9/30 & 10/1 - No School
- 10/2 - National Walk & Bike to School Day
- 10/2 - Title 1 Parent Meeting (invitation only), 6:15 PM
- 10/2 - Helping Parents Be Successful Partners, 7:00 PM
- 10/7 - Week of Respect - Stay Tuned for More Information!
- 10/9 - No School
- 10/16 - Dating Abuse & Healthy Relationships Parent Program, 7:00 PM, Jr./Sr. High School
- 10/17 - Board of Education Meeting, 7:30 PM, Jr./Sr. High School
- 10/22 - Ryan's Story Assembly for Students
- 10/22 - Ryan's Story Assembly for Parents, 7:00 PM, Jr./Sr. High School
- 10/23 - Fall Festival, 2:45, Berkeley Field (10/24 rain date)
- 10/28 - Spirit Week!
- 10/30 - PSO Meeting, 9:00 AM
Wednesday is an "A" day!