Whittier Wire
November 13, 2022
Food Drive Week
Whittier is hosting a food drive next week November 14-18. Please bring in unexpired, non-perishable items. The roundtable earning the most points by Friday, Nov 18th will claim the "W" from Mr. Jones Roundtable.
Foods most needed: Easy to heat food for kids (Spaghetti O’s, Easy Mac, etc), peanut butter crackers, granola bars, peanut butter, jelly, cereal. Also Thanksgiving items such as cranberry sauce, stuffing, gravy, instant mashed potatoes and canned pumpkin.
Tri-Town Family 5K
Big thanks to the volunteers and sponsors who made this event happen. I am so grateful for the kindness and generosity in our community. Special shoutout to the Whittier teaching staff for their many efforts in setting up the course, volunteering at the race, donating items, cleaning up, and encouraging our kids.
It was an absolute pleasure to see students and their families come across the finish line, many experiencing their first 5K event. Eighth grader Dylan Cobb was the first Mid-Knight to finish, in a speedy 23:33. Davis Hill was the first female Whittier student, leading the way with a 28:53 time.
We will have hundreds of photos to share on the Tri-Town Family 5K Facebook site later in the week. Credit to Tami Wight for the photo below.
Mrs. Yorkey: 8 Wellness Class
For current and future Wellness students: We will continue to do Workout Wednesdays outside unless it is too cold and/or icey out. Please make sure your child has appropriate clothing and footwear for the weather conditions.
Movember!
Movember is an international movement created in an effort to bring attention and support to men's health, specifically prostate cancer and mental health. Men are encouraged to grow mustaches to bring attention to these very real health concerns.
At Whittier, we have our own Movember traditions. Staff members will come to school on November 22nd with the best/worst mustaches they can manage. Students and staff can vote for the absolute best/worst by making donations of any amount in a cup designated for the competitor of their choice. All donations are forwarded to a local cancer organization. Last year, we sent the funds to the Dempsey Center. The "winning" staff member receives the championship belt. Donors earn a hat day. Everyone wins.
It may get ugly around here this month, but it's for a great cause.
Mrs. Lachapelle: Student Leader Conference
End of Trimester 1
The end of Trimester 1 is scheduled for Tuesday, November 22. When students return from Thanksgiving, their schedules will include a rotation of unified arts courses.
We will also do a grades check at that time. If students are not meeting the required expectations, they will be placed on academic probation until they are cleared by their teachers.
Academic probation indicates that the student is behind pace in a class or classes. When a student is on academic probation, your child may practice with his or her middle school sports team, but may not participate in, dress in uniform for or travel to any games or meets. This applies to extra-curricular performance activities such as school plays, math meets, and speech and debate competitions. Students have two weeks to get cleared before they are deemed ineligible to continue with their activity.
What if my child is not participating in an activity? It is still very important that your child works to meet standards and exits academic probation. Meeting standards keeps the student on academic pace. If the student is not meeting Habits of Work (HOW) standards, he or she should meet with the teacher and set a plan with check-ins.
These are the basic academic expectations to stay eligible for participation:
1. If a student is receiving at least a 2.5 in all academic standards grades, he or she is eligible to participate. However, please be aware that a 3 indicates the student is meeting the standard.
2. If a student has less than a 2.5 in any academic standard, but he or she has at least a 2.5 for his or her Habits of Work grade in that class, the student is eligible to participate. This indicates that the student is working toward meeting standards.
Superintendent Survey
Superintendent Kenneth Healey will be retiring on June 30, 2023 We thank him for his years of service. This survey is designed to gain staff and community input on the qualities, experiences, and skills sought in the next Superintendent of RSU 16. Survey responses are requested by November 15, 2022. Your thoughts and ideas are appreciated and valued.
Sincerely,
Mary Martin
RSU 16 Superintendent Search Committee Chair
Mr. King: Middle School Athletics
Basketball
There will be a practice schedule released each week for basketball in the Whittier Wire. Please be sure to check to confirm practice times.
Students did a good job following expectations about going home prior to practice this week. Thank you for your continued help with this.
Practice Schedule 11/14-11/18
Monday and Tuesday
7G. 3:45-5:15 MS
8G. 2:15-3:45 MS
7B. 4:00-5:30 MS
8B. 4:00-5:30 HS
Wednesday
7G. 4:30-6:00 HS
8G. 4:00-5:30 MS
7B. 1:30-3:00 HS
8B. 3:00-4:30 HS
Thursday
7G. 3:45-5:15 MS
8G. 2:15-3:45 MS
7B. 4:00-5:30 HS
8B. 5:15-6:45 MS
Friday
7G. 2:30-4:00 MS
8G. 2:30-4:00 HS
7B. 4:00-5:30 HS
8B. 4:00-5:30 MS
Bruce M. Whittier Middle School
Email: svincent@rsu16.org
Website: https://www.rsu16.org/bwms
Location: 1457 Maine Street, Poland, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 998-3462
Facebook: facebook.com/WhittierMidknights