Westside Middle School
October 5, 2018
Parent Teacher Conferences
We hope to see you at fall Parent Teacher Conferences. Teachers will be located in the gyms and cafeteria. Maps and report cards can be picked up when you come in through the PAC entrance.
Monday October 15th and Tuesday October 16th
4:00-8:00pm
Community Club Meeting
Thursday, Oct 11, 2018, 06:30 PM
Westside Middle School Library
No School
Gallup Student Poll
On Tuesday October 16th, all students will participate in the Gallup Student Poll.
The 24 core items in the Gallup Student Poll measure several dimensions of student success, including engagement with school, hope for the future, entrepreneurial aspiration and career/financial literacy.
The Gallup Student Poll helps educators in providing a more focused education. One that:
• builds engagement
• creates hope for the future
• fosters talent
• prepares students to participate meaningfully in our nation’s economy by finding —or creating — a good job one day.
Smile - Picture Retake Day
Students Visiting Local Businesses
To WMS students and parents,
We have received repeated complaints about student behavior at the businesses surrounding Westside Middle School after dismissal and on weekends. These issues have become serious enough to warrant additional security.
Whether you are in our building or not, your behavior reflects our school and our district. We often partner with these businesses for events, donations, and sponsorships for our students and staff. When our students are disruptive and behave inappropriately, the partnerships and much-needed services provided by these businesses are in jeopardy. In addition, when these actions take place on private property, those businesses have full rights to call police, who may issue citations or even arrest those responsible.
Parents, please talk to your children about showing respect and following rules when visiting neighboring businesses before and after school. Students, we ask you to help us maintain our great relationships with our community. As always, if you see or hear something you feel is cause for alarm, you are encouraged to reach out to a trusted adult, call 911, or use our Safe Schools hotline at 402-390-2118.
Thank you for your help!
Yellow Ribbon Program
On Tuesday, October 23rd 7th grade grade students will have a presentation on the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program. Teams 7A and 7B will have the presentation in the 7A team area, while teams 7C and 7D will have the presentation in the PAC. The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program is a nation-wide program designed to help students and communities recognize warning signs of suicide, what suicide is and is not, and give students a way to ask for help. Here is some more information on the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program:
It is not uncommon for teens to think about suicide. Every year 1 in 5 teens seriously considers suicide and youth will most often seek help from their peers. It is imperative that youth are provided the tools to recognize other youth who may be at risk for suicide and the knowledge of how to respond if they are concerned. Studies have shown that youth peer training is an effective practice for education for youth. Designated a National Best Practice program, Yellow Ribbon utilizes a unique community-based model that increases the competence and confidence of youth to recognize and respond to suicidal individuals. Modified to be age and culturally appropriate, the curriculum follows the recognized safe messaging prevention practices.
We recognize that this may be a difficult for some students. Our counselors are prepared to help individual students process this presentation if it is needed. Sometimes the students for whom the topic is the most difficult are the most in need of hearing it. With that in mind, if you and your student believe it would in their best interest to not be in the presentation, please contact your student’s assigned counselor.
WMS Book Fair
Reading for pleasure inside and outside of school has real and long-lasting benefits. It unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps kids discover who they are. Here’s what you can do to help kids develop stronger reading skills and a love for reading:
· Set the example. Let your kids see you read.
· Have a collection of books in the home. Update this collection routinely to keep pace with changing tastes and reading skills.
· Support our school’s Book Fair. Allow your kids to choose their own books to read.
Our Scholastic Book Fair is a reading event that brings to school the books kids want to read. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to visit our Book Fair and be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits.
Book Fair dates: October 9-18
Shopping hours: 7:45-3:45 in the library daily
AND
During parent/teacher conferences in the PAC hallway from 4-8 p.m. on Monday, October 15th and Tuesday, October 16th. If you are unable to attend the Fair in person, we invite you to visit our online Book Fair at. Our online Fair is available from October 3-October 18: http://www.scholastic.com/bf/westsidemiddleschool1
We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school.
Attendance
Note from the Nurse
Any student with a chronic health condition (such as asthma, diabetes, or a seizure disorder) requires a health action plan updated annually. Please turn in this documentation if you have yet to do so. If your student has changes in health or updates to immunizations, please keep us informed and send documentation to school.
We want to ensure the safety and health of your student and provide the care that he or she may need. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me anytime. Phone (402) 408-8652 Fax (402) 390- 6454
The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon
News From the Athletic Director
National Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society chapter of Westside Middle School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and character. Students in the second semester of seventh or eighth grade are eligible for membership.
Those students who meet the scholarship criterion of a 3.8 on the 4.0 scale are invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service. This will be sent out late January-early February. A history of leadership experiences and participation in school or community service is also required. Examples of leadership may happen within the school building (student council) or outside of the classroom (team captains, scouting honors, etc.). Service to the community is considered volunteering in a capacity that does not benefit the student (getting paid for a service or merely helping an extended family member) services considered would be volunteering at a non-profit organization (Film Streams, the zoo, Do Space, among many others). Service learning is not considered volunteering for a team activity to raise money for team expenses (car washes for a soccer team, selling concessions for a concert the student might participate in at a later time.) A student should have at least 5 hours of service learning when filling out the application.
Once again the Student Activity Information Form will be sent out in late January-early February.
Westside Middle School
Website: http://wms.westside66.org
Location: 8601 Arbor Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-390-6464
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WMS66/