Warhawk Wise
September/October Issue
Relationships ~ Engagement ~ Growth
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Parent Teacher Conferences
Thursday, Oct 17, 2019, 01:00 PM
Wilson Middle School, 11th Street, Manitowoc, WI, USA
NO SCHOOL: Oct. 24th & 25th
Who's the New Associate Principal?
Educational Philosophy:
I believe all students can learn at high levels. It is through building positive relationships, working collaboratively, and being innovative, we will provide an engaging and supportive learning environment for all.
Experience:
After graduating from Silver Lake College in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Early Childhood, Elementary Education (grades 1-6), and Adaptive Special Education, I started my educational career in the Manitowoc Public School District. I have been teaching in the district for the past 17 years. During that time, I received a master’s degree in Educational Technology and I will complete my second master’s degree in Educational Leadership and Policy in 2020. Being a lifelong learner is important to my own personal growth, furthermore, it allows me to better support others.
Hobbies: I enjoy spending time with my family and friends. In addition, I love being outdoors: biking, hiking, fishing, and relaxing on the beach. When I have time, I love taking photographs or painting. I appreciate when I have a chance to be creative.
Warhawk Way
Creating Community & Connections
Wilson staff worked together to set common expectations school-wide, focusing on being kind and working hard. These expectations will provide a safe, positive, and collaborative learning environment for all at Wilson Middle School.
Setting Expectations:
Teachers will be teaching all students the expectations found in the Warhawk Way and reinforcing them in all settings. Expectations are found in the chart below.
Co-Curricular Opportunities for Students
Why?
Research shows that when students are involved in at least one extracurricular activity outside of the school day, they are more likely to demonstrate an increase in:
Academic achievement
School engagement & attendance
Graduation rates
Social Behaviors
What?
Wilson Middle School will be offering additional co-curriculars after school each quarter this year. We are currently obtaining student feedback on what type of activities/clubs they are interested in. Examples include: chess club, book club, drawing club, etc. Once that information is collected, teachers will determine the most popular co-curricular options, offering them for 9-weeks at a time. We will communicate these offerings through our website, Facebook page, and school announcements. Please keep an eye out!
Who?
Co-curricular offerings will be open to all students grades 6-8th.
Middle School Enrichment
Meeting the enrichment needs of students can be accomplished in a wide variety of ways. In MPSD middle schools, we will use the following classroom-based approaches:
IDENTIFY: Classroom teachers collaborate around common assessments, plus STAR and FORWARD data.
PERSONALIZE: Classroom teachers collaborate to design personalized instruction carried out in the classroom setting.
ASSESS: Classroom teachers assess student mastery of the standard or target and give feedback.
LEARNING FOR ALL:
Enrichment will also be provided during our Learning for All time in 7th grade and during an elective block for 8th grade. Core teachers will provide opportunities for deeper study and application of course content for students. See examples by department below.
Math:
- Compacting the curriculum and closely monitoring longitudinal results for students who demonstrate readiness
A goal of reaching Algebra 1 by 8th grade
Students meeting qualifications, will be placed in compacted math beginning in 7th grade
ELA:
- All MPSD middle school ELA teachers will be using the Calkins Units of Study
- Personalized learning by allowing a high degree of student choice in their reading and writing
- Teachers will confer with students on a regular basis
- Teachers can provide appropriate enrichments for select students during Learning for All (7th grade) and academic electives (8th grade), such as Speech, Debate, Forensics, Creative Writing, Classics book study.
Social Studies:
Teachers have developed multiple interdisciplinary projects over the last few years that can be used with all students, allowing for both enrichment and intervention
Teachers can provide appropriate enrichments for select students during Learning for All (7th grade) and academic electives (8th grade), such as Model UN, Current Events, National History Day, Project Citizen
Science:
The project and lab based nature of middle school Science provides a plethora of in-class opportunities for personalized learning
Teachers can provide appropriate enrichments for select students during Learning for All (7th grade) and academic electives (8th grade), such as STE(A)M Lab, Design-Your-Own Experiments, Citizen Science
Advisory
When?
Each morning, students will start their day with 20 minutes of Advisory. Each day has a theme:
Mindset Monday (growth mindset)
Topic Tuesday (character education)
Wellness Wednesday (physical & emotional wellness)
Take-A-Look Thursday (organization, homework, grades, etc.)
Fun Friday (collaborative games/activities)
Why?
Advisory is an opportunity for teachers and students to build a community within their classroom, building positive relationships and developing the social/emotional well-being of the whole child.
What?
During advisory, students will participate in a variety of activities to enhance the following:
Communication skills
Team building
Empathy
Compassion
Personal & academic goal setting
Leadership opportunities (WEB leaders)
Awareness of social emotional needs
Organizational skills
Social skills