The Eye of the Tiger
Weekly update for 2/22/21
Welcome
Happy Monday Tigers and Tiger Families! Fingers crossed for a full week in the building! We like snow, but we don't like disrupting teaching and learning. We thank our teachers and students for adapting to the asynchronous days.
- KINDNESS UPDATE: Due to the weather last week, we have decided to EXTEND kindness week. We are asking that you continue to call out kindness on our Facebook using our hashtag: #WGMSKindnessCallOut. Please also be encouraged to nominate Kindness Ambassadors (you can nominate both students and staff members); please help us to recognize our Tiger team members for the kindness they show others.
- DEADLINE REMINDER: Please complete the 2021 Summer instructional Program Family Survey by Wednesday evening, 2/24. The results will help inform decisions for this summer. We want to hear your voices! Teachers will be calling to remind families; if you have already completed it, you can proactively reach out to your child's TSA (homeroom teacher) to let him or her know, or you can use that time to check in about other things.
- WGMS FAMILY FESTIVAL NIGHT: Please mark your calendars for our virtual family festival night on March 4th from 4:30-5:30. We'll be celebrating students, offering opportunities to get to know teachers and administration, and we'll end the night with a grand prize drawing. See the Save the Date at the end of this newsletter.
WGMS Black History Month Celebration
Please view our WGMS Black History Month Celebration video below. Our teachers and staff share some of their heroes and greatest inspirations. This video will be shared with our students during TSA time this week.
Instruction: The True Eye of the Tiger
Last week, in our newsletter, we shared that our school-wide instructional focus this year is metacognition.This week we focus on the six metacognitive skills that help students become active readers. Over the next few weeks, we will focus on each strategy in depth and offer ways to improve each skill (and in turn, improve reading abilities!).
- Visualizing - skilled readers create images in their minds as they are reading to help them better understand a concept or "see" a story
- Making Connections - skilled readers connect what they are reading to their own experiences and prior knowledge (schema) to aid in comprehension
- Asking Questions - skilled readers ask questions as they read; these questions can be informal and reflective or they can be written down as a form of annotation (students should be encouraged to go back and find answers)
- Making Inferences - skilled readers look "between the lines" to find clues left by the author to help build understanding
- Determining Importance - skilled readers know why they are reading and they look for critical information to help them build their knowledge or gain deeper understanding
- Synthesizing - skilled readers practice retelling, recalling, or recreating information to think deeper about the things that they are reading
To support your child's reading at home:
- Help seat goals for reading.
- Ask your child to describe, using imagery, what they are "seeing" while reading.
- Ask your child how they connect to what they're reading (what have they experienced or learned about that is related?).
- Ask your child what they're still wondering after reading.
- Ask your child to find words they're unsure of and encourage them to use clues in the passage to determine meaning.
- Ask your child to retell or recall what they've read.
Check back next week for tips to improve visualization skills (including some family fun!).
Computer Tips and Tricks
Department Spotlight: CTE
Ms. Sprow
Mrs. Sprow has been an asset to the WGMS community for two years now. She works tirelessly to provide students with the tools needed to be successful.
What inspired you to become a CTE teacher?
I wanted to become a CTE teacher after realizing that a lot of young people graduate with no clue about what they would like to do for a career. They end up in jobs they don't like or paying a lot of money for college and find they don't really want to work in the area of their major. I wanted to help them figure out and start working on a path to their "Dream Job" earlier in life.
Why are CTE classes so important for students?
CTE is necessary because it helps young people find direction and focus their attention on preparing and making choices for success in life after high school.
Share one fun fact about you.
My Mom and Grandmom have also been educators at Walker-Grant Middle School and my great uncle wrote the school song!
We love our CTE teachers!
Mrs. Woolfolk
Mrs. Woolfolk has been benefitting the students at WGMS for two years. Her creativity and her dedication to preparing students for the future are evident in her teaching.
What inspired you to become a CTE teacher?
My former high school business teachers inspired me to become a CTE teacher.
Why are CTE classes so important for students?
A career and technology-based education will help students to be more than just an average student. Career and technology education can give students what is needed to succeed for life: technical skills, academic skills, and employability skills. Regardless of whether students are headed for college or the workforce, this type of education will help them prepare for the future.
Share one fun fact about you.
I love to sing!