Whittier Wire
December 4, 2022
How Are We Doing?
One of our staff goals this year is to decrease the amount of chronic absenteeism from approximately 40% last year to 20% this year. Chronically absent means that the student has missed more than 10% of school days. Last check, we had reached 60 school days, and 22% of our students had missed more than 6 days.
While we want to keep working toward better student attendance, we also want students to stay home when they are sick. RSU 16 District Nurse Dotty Bagley shared the following letter last week through email:
Dear Students, Staff, and Families:
In RSU 16 there are currently increasing numbers of upper respiratory viruses like Influenza, COVID-19, and RSV (respiratory syncytial viral). There are also widespread cases of enteroviruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea at the start of the illness and then may progress to symptoms of an upper respiratory illness. All are spread easily from one person to another.
So what can we do to prevent ourselves from getting sick? Simply get back to the basics that we have been taught:
1. Every morning use the PreScreening Tool for School Attendance developed by the State of Maine CDC to help staff and families recognize the symptoms of illness. If a staff member or a student is feeling ill, STAY HOME for 24 hours until you can discern in what directions those symptoms might be heading.
2. If symptoms of an upper respiratory illness are present (a scratchy, sore throat, a runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, fever of 100.4 or greater) or there is vomiting or diarrhea, STAY HOME and TEST FOR COVID-19! Staff members and students should test serially every 24-36 hours for as long as they are experiencing symptoms because some of the omicron variants are not easily detected during the first days of illness. If you do not have access to home tests for COVID-19, please call your school nurse and we will arrange to get a supply of free home tests to you.
3. Wash your hands or sanitize your hands frequently throughout each day. Pay particular attention to washing prior to eating!
4. Commit to the proper way to cough and sneeze! Why We Do It In Our Sleeves is a wonderfully funny teaching video for all ages that demonstrates the proper way to prevent viruses from becoming airborne during episodes of coughing and sneezing.
If someone in your household is ill, do not hesitate to reach out to me or your school nurse for advice!
If an RSU 16 staff member or student is positive for COVID, call the school nurse or district nurse. Students and staff in RSU 16 who were positive and are able to return to school or work on Day 6 should wear a mask for days 6-10. After the 5-day isolation, with 2 sequential negative tests 48 hours apart, masks may be removed before day 10.
The RSU 16 nursing team is ready and willing to assist all of our staff, students and their families!
Dotty Bagley, RN
District Nurse
(207) 705-4960
When your child is sick and needs to be at home, please be sure to call in their absence with Maureen Mooney (998-3462), so we can excuse them. If they are well enough to do school work while home, encourage them to check Google Classroom online to see if there are assignments they can complete. They can also reach out to their teachers through email if they have questions.
When students are healthy enough to be in school, please send them in. If you ever need help getting your child to school, reach out to Dean of Students Kelly Adams (kadams@rsu16.org) or me. We will do our best to assist you. Chronic absenteeism is something we want to continue to address, but we recognize that it is often due to sickness and beyond our control.
Movember
Chorus & Band Concert
All are welcome to join us for the WMS Band and Chorus concert on Wednesday, December 14 at 7pm in the auditorium. This year we are back to one combined concert, and the students have worked so hard in their ensembles! All concerts are free, general admission and open to the public.
Students in the ensembles should plan to arrive by their “call times” (the time musicians gather for their performance), which have been made clear by Mrs Williams and Mrs. Edwards. Attire is dark bottoms and solid-colored tops, unless students are opting for dresses. While our concerts are not formal events, we encourage students to strive for a slightly more professional look than the normal school day.
Can’t wait to see you there for some joyful music making! Please contact Mrs. Edwards (jedwards@rsu16.org) or Mr. Williams (lwilliams@rsu16.org) with any questions.
Report Cards: Trimester 1 Honor Roll
Report cards went home with students on Friday. If we have a second address listed for students, a copy of the report card was mailed to that address. If your child's report card didn't make it home, please email me, and I can send you a digital copy.
We have two types of honor rolls at Whittier. The Academic Honor Roll recognizes students who have achieved at least a 3.0 on every graded academic standard. If the student received a 4.0 for more than half of their academic standards, they achieve High Honors.
The Habits of Work Honor Roll recognizes students who have achieved at least a 3.0 on every Habits of Work (HOW) standard. If the student received a 4.0 for more than half of their HOW standards, they achieve HOW High Honors.
Grade 7 Academic High Honors
Sophia Aube, Sydney Beauparlant, Blake Brown, Hailey Caron, Richard Christopher, Fiona Connolly, Cole Gagnon, Shay-Lynne Giroux, Jacob Jamo, Leksi Langevin, Alyssa Mason, Mia Mastrogiacomo, Lillian McAlister, Bella Pelletier, Emily Stanford, Alicia Starbird
Grade 7 Academic Honor Roll
Ava Banaitis, Connor Bishopp, Maddison Bosse, Kaydence Bowie, Grace Brawn, Emily Bustamante, Reagan Cooper, Zinnia Cyr, Colby Dolley, Colby Gagnon, Ella Jacobs, Isaac Lizotte, Deleayni MacEachen, Adalyn Martin, Lila Martin, Aliyah Morgan, Grayson Noyes, Junior Olverson, Savannah Poulin, Scarlett Quimi, Wyatt Scribner, Arabella Smith, Nicholas Smith, Nathaniel Stowe, Camden Welch, Anna Winslow, Avria Yerxa
Grade 7 Habits of Work High Honors
Blake Brown, Richard Christopher, Bella Hartman, Jacob Jamo, Leksi Langevin, Lila Martin, Alyssa Mason, Mia Mastrogiacomo, Aliyah Morgan, Emily Stanford, Alicia Starbird, Avria Yerxa
Grade 7 Habits of Work Honor Roll
Sydney Beauparlant, Maddison Bosse, Raelle Brooks, Emily Bustamante, Hailey Caron, Colby Dolley, Cole Gagnon, Molly Grenier, Isaac Lizotte, Lillian McAlister, Grayson Noyes, Bella Pelletier, Avannah Poulin, Scarlett Quimi, Xavion Rodriguez, Tatiana Salley, Arabella Smith, Camden Welch, Anna Winslow
Grade 8 Academic High Honors
Gabriella Cooper, David Crump, Liam Davis, Charlotte Grenier, Davis Hill, Juno Levy, Kloey Magofna, Kaiah McGarry, Brooklin Pratt, Payton Rose, Olivia Snowman, Molly Stowell, Keiralyn Tapley, Mataeya Washington
Grade 8 Academic Honor Roll
Tucker Bailey, Aiden Bean, Garrett Beaucage, Dallas Billings, Payton Blake, Adelyn Bryant, Graceyn Camire, Samuel Chadbourne, Kaleb Christner, Samuel Clark, Dylan Cobb, Benjamin Comeau, Abigail Coughlin, Eli Culleton, Cameron Cunningham, Brayden D’Auteuil, Benjamin Drake, Kianna Dulworth, Delilah Farrington, Owen Gendron, Gavin Gilbert, Addison Gravel, Macey Harris, Gavin Hart, Ian Hawkes, Noah Hussey, Nicholas Jamo, Thomas Juergens, Alexis Keene, Gabrielle Lenahan, Landen Levesque, Karlee Lothrop, Gage McBean, Madelyn Mitchell, Elianna Morello, Alexianna Morse, Isaac Mullen, Phoebe Paradis, Irelyn Smith, Paige Tetreault, Jayce Thompson, Gavin Vadeboncoeur, Lucas Verrill, Regan Wakem, William Wallingford
Grade 8 Habits of Work High Honors
Dylan Cobb, Gabriella Cooper, David Crump, Liam Davis, Charlotte Grenier, Davis Hill, Alexis Keene, Juno Levy, Kaiah McGarry, Madelyn Mitchell, Alexianna Morse, Brooklin Pratt, Payton Rose, Mataeya Washington
Grade 8 Habits of Work Honor Roll
Garrett Beaucage, Dallas Billings, Payton Blake, Nathan Bragdon, Graceyn Camire, Kaleb Christner, Leighton Clark, Benjamin Comeau, Eli Culleton, Cameron Cunningham, Madeline Ellis, David Farrell, Taylor Farrell, Delilah Farrington, Addison Gravel, Macey Harris, Gavin Hart, Kaylynne Henson, Noah Hussey, Nicholas Jamo, Thomas Juergens, Gabrielle Lenahan, Landon Levesque, Skye Loring-Dymond, Elianna Morello, Isaac Mullen, Phoebe Paradis, Isabella Patenaude, Eliot Rioux, Evelyn Robertson, Irelyn Smith, Olivia Snowman, Molly Stowell, Keiralyn Tapley, Jayce Thompson, Lucas Verrill, Regan Wakem, Shawn West
Whittier Drama Club
Calling all student performers, set designers, costume and backstage assistants - you are invited to join this year’s Whittier Drama Club starting this Tuesday, Dec. 6, after school from 2:20 to 4:00 pm. The location will be announced in the morning.
Ms. Fanus and Mrs. Gilbert will be heading the club this year which will meet once a week after school on Tuesdays through the time of the play audition at the end of January. Once the play is cast, rehearsals will begin and students may be asked to stay after school more often, especially closer to the time of the playdate in April. Come one, Come All!
Planet Green
Afterwards, students stopped by the Smiling Hill Farm, a local, sustainably managed farm and agricultural business.
Grade 8: Wellness Class
Dear Parents/Guardians,
I am writing to inform you of an upcoming unit that is going to be taught in 8th grade wellness within the next few weeks. The unit is called “Best Practices in STD/HIV and Pregnancy Prevention”, with the main emphasis on abstinence.The curriculum was co-authored by Maine Family Planning and the Maine Department of Education. This curriculum has been used in hundreds of classes across Maine to teach teens about healthy sexuality. This unit contains a variety of interactive methods that give teens the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to make sexually responsible decisions.
The unit will focus on helping each student gain the knowledge and communication skills to prevent pregnancy and the transmission of STIs and HIV/AIDS. Abstinence will be given as the safest and 100% most effective choice for the student, but accurate information about other protection methods will also be provided. There will also be lessons on “red flags” of unhealthy relationships, as well as the importance of consent in sexual situations.
If you do NOT want your child to participate in any or all of this unit, please let me know as soon as possible.
Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Kimberly D. Yorkey
998-3426, ex.t 329
Ms. Adler: Grade 7 Writing
Dismissal
The flow of traffic in the afternoon works much better when families meet students in the student parking lot rather than the staff parking lot. If you are able to help us with this, we would truly appreciate it.
As an alternative, students are welcome to wait inside until after the buses leave (at approximately 2:17). If you plan to meet them between 2:25 and 2:30, you could pull right up to the curb.
Mr. King: Middle School Athletics
Indoor Track
If your child has interest in indoor track, that season will begin after basketball season is finished in January. Students can do both!
Basketball
Whittier Basketball is underway for the season. This week, we only have a game on Monday vs Tripp.
Boys 8th & 7th HM vs Tripp
Girls 8th & 7th @ Tripp Middle School (depart at 2:20)
Our gym is tight. While grateful for our facility, the bleachers fill up quickly. Please help others find seats by sharing space. We would like to avoid the filling of the doorway.
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