News You Can Use
Week of March 18
What's happening this week?
Monday, March 18
🐲Dungeons & Dragons Club after school in the library
Tuesday, March 19
⭐ Student Council meeting at 2:30 in the Mac Lab🍎After School Program - Kahoot tournament with prizes in room 115
Wednesday, March 20 (early release day, 12:50)
🍎After School Program (students MUST be registered) - activities at the Rec
Thursday, March 21
🍎After School Program - movie in room 115. Snacks provided.
Friday, March 22
ATTENTION ALL WMHS CLUBS! Pictures of all high school and middle school clubs will be taken for the yearbooks in the library during Achievement/Advisory. If your club has a t-shirt or sweatshirt, please wear it on this day!
Monthly Assembly - 1:40 to 2:00. All WMHS students are required to attend. If a student must be dismissed, then an email needs to be sent to cstade@wiscassetschools.org stating a reason.
East/West Conference Math Meet at UMF
Coach Clark shares with us that on 3/14 (Pi Day), the WMHS Math team competed in the final meet of the season against Carrabec, Forest Hills, Rangeley, Richmond, Temple and Valley Middle/High Schools. There was complete silence during the individual rounds, and laughter during the team rounds when students worked together to solve problems. No, we did not win. But this is our first year, and despite struggles everyone had a lot of fun. Particularly impressive was how the students worked together during the team rounds, asking each other for help and checking each other's answers. The meet ended with a tasty lunch served by the UMF cafeteria, followed by a Dunkin stop on the way home.
Math Team will begin the fall so be sure to calculate your intentions of joining!
Henry Putnam took Bronze in Cabinet Making at SkillsUSA in Bangor. Well Done!!
WMHS's Co-Ed Volleyball Club goes to their first tournament!
Buckfield Jr/Sr High hosts an annual volleyball tournament for schools East/West Conference in March as a way for students to get to know each other and to enjoy a game that none of the E/W schools offer as a varsity sport. The Bates College Girls Volleyball team volunteers their time to officiate.
Thank you Julie Jones for volunteering as our coach, and thank you to Gabby Dotson for starting a new athletic program at WMHS!
Outing Club
The Middle and High School Outing Clubs went ice skating and swimming!
12 students spent a rainy Sunday afternoon skating at the Ice Vault and then splashed around the WCC pool. For most, it was their first time on ice skates! One student asked if we could do things like that during the school day - he may be on to something...
Upcoming Trips!
April - after school hikes to Hidden Valley Nature Center and other local trails, and Horseback riding
May 17-19 - Camping, hiking, and whitewater rafting at Adventure Bound in Caratunk (just south of The Forks). This is for high school only.
May/June - sea kayaking day trip
Outing Club meetings happen weekly after school.
"Most Improved" Students went to a Maine Celtics game
Principles of Democracy class visits the State House
Mr. Cotta took his POD classes to State House to observe the House of Representatives. While there, they were introduced by Representative Polewarczyk and the students received a standing ovation, had their picture taken in the Senate Chamber, and toured the Hall of Flags. The students looked their best and represented Wiscasset with class and dignity.
Did you know that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for teens in the United States? Certainly a tough statistic to hear. We all talk to our teens about the dangers of drunk driving and the importance of wearing seat belts. But there is another traffic safety issue we must make our children aware of so they can stay safe behind the wheel: distracted driving.
In 2020, 38,680 people were killed in car crashes and an estimated 2.2 million were injured in motor vehicle crashes in the United States. Sadly, our youngest and most inexperienced drivers are often the most at risk.
Distracted driving comes in many forms. It can include electronic distractions, like navigation systems and cell phones, or more conventional distractions, like interacting with passengers and eating. Unfortunately, texting is the most dangerous of all distractions because it involves manual, visual and cognitive distraction simultaneously. Sending or reading a text takes your eyes off the road for 4.6 seconds. At 55 mph, that’s like driving the length of an entire football field, blindfolded.
Student safety is our No.1 priority at WMHS, and we are committed to including appropriate driver education in our curriculum so we have invited Choices Matter, a highway safety program to speak to all high school students on Thursday, March 21 at 11:00am. Please encourage your child to be attendance that day and to not be dismissed for that portion of the school day.
As you talk with your teen about the responsibilities of driving, please encourage them to pay attention to the road at all times. Remind them that “One Text or Call Could Wreck It All.”
WMHS's Game of Life
Throughout the month of March, students have many chances to participate in a number of college and career activities in order to receive tickets that can be entered into a raffle drawing where students can win items for a dorm room or study space at home. All events are sponsored by our MELMAC Education Foundation grant.
This week’s MELMAC Game of Life activity is a BINGO game that students complete throughout the week. Sheets will be distributed by advisors and homeroom teachers today. Complete a row and earn 1 ticket or do a complete sheet for 5 tickets. These tickets can be entered in the raffle for Amazon gift card and various prize bundles. Have fun and learn a little more about your teachers this week.
MS and HS Students interested in playing a spring sport?
🏃🏃♀️ Track & Field
Baseball⚾
🥎 Softball
Look for a sign up sheet on the bulletin board outside of Ms. Hubert's office.
Register your child in Arbiter Registration - click here for the registration link
Practices will begin the week of March 25
WMHS's After School Program
Is your child going to the Rec Wednesday afternoons?
If yes, awesome! Or if you would like them to so they have an opportunity to participate in structured activities, then they MUST be registered in Arbiter in the WMHS After School Program to be at the Wiscasset Community Center from 1:00-3:00 on Wednesdays. Whether or not they have a membership, the must be registered. The 1:00-3:00 time is considered "school time" as the Wiscasset School Department has a partnership with the WCC to provide programming during Early Release Days, and that programming is the After School Program, funded by the WSD.
In addition to the Wednesday After School Program at WCC from 1:00-3:00, the After School Program is also providing field trips and other activities for WMHS students to do after school, with transportation home provided.
Beginning this week, there will be After School Activities, including a Homework Club, at WMHS.
Students - stay tuned for more information.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Elly Thomas, WMHS After School Program Coordinator at ethomas@wiscassetschools.org, or Sarah Hubert, WMHS Interim Principal/Athletic Director at shubert@wiscassetschools.org
Full day Wednesdays - April 3, May 1 & 15, June 5 - at WMHS
By WMHS attending school all day on these Wednesdays, we are able to make up the two days when we lost power due to the transforming blowing up behind the school, and not have to make the days up in June. Students are expected to attend school for the full day on these Wednesdays and the bell schedule will be the same as any full day of school.
🚗 Drivers' Education Course and Scholarships 🛻
Are you 15 years of age or older and want your State of Maine permit to prepare for your driving exam? We offer driver education courses to help build strong, safe, and confident drivers. Students are awarded an instructional permit upon successful completion of the course with a grade of 80 percent or better. Total hours of instruction is 40; 30 in the classroom and 10 are driving. Full payment of $535 is required at the time of registration.
Merrymeeting Adult Education is offering a Drivers Education course at WMHS beginning May 1 and ending May 22 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 4:45 to 7:45pm, and is providing WMHS with two $535 scholarships.
Please pick up a scholarship application in the Guidance Office. The application includes these questions:
1. Please describe your financial need for this scholarship explaining your current financial situation and how you will benefit from this scholarship.
2. Please explain your reasons for taking Driver's Education at this time?
Some additional Information (and more provided on the application):
Attendance is very important in the Driver's Education program. You will incur additional costs for missed classes and driving appointments. This scholarship does not cover these additional fees.
Parents/Guardians are required to attend the last 30 minutes of the first class, and do a ride-along with their child which will be scheduled with the instructor. Please review Merrymeeting Adult Education's website for a complete list of expectations: https://merrymeeting.maineadulted.org/home/driver-education/
If a student withdraws from the course, $75 is withheld from the refund to cover program costs. Please bring your birth certificate or passport to the first class and a pen to every class.
Note: You should only sign up for this class if you are sure you can make all the dates. There is a fee for make-up classes.
When you need to dismiss your child from school...
please send an email to Cristina Stade at cstade@wiscassetschools.org
This provides us with written documentation.
You can also send a written note to school with your child that they can give Cristina in the morning.
THANK YOU for helping us with communication and assuring that we are aware of where your child is throughout the school day.
Everyday in school matters!
Breakfast in the Cafeteria!
Breakfast is available when all students arrive to school.
Students who are driving themselves to school, should arrive in time to eat before class begins at 7:50. Students who arrive on buses are allowed time to eat breakfast before going to class.
Attention Parents/Guardians of Seniors - Yearbook
All pictures, bio forms and student recognition ads (personal message to your graduating senior) will need to be received by April 1, 2024 to be included in the High School yearbook. There will be a separate yearbook for the Middle School.
High School Yearbooks are $45.00. Order forms are available in the front office or in the Mac Lab (Room 105).
If you have any questions, please email Deb Pooler at dpooler@wiscassetschools.org
Parents/Guardians - are you receiving school-wide emails and phone calls?
If not...
Please provide any updates to your contact information. If you are not receiving communication from Wiscasset Middle High School through email, or from Wiscasset School Department through phone calls and emails, please fill this form out to ensure that we have your correct information. If you do receive WMHS and WSD phone and email communications and have not made any recent changes, you do not need to complete this form.
Thank you!
Upcoming Dates to Remember
Friday, March 22 - Monthly Assembly beginning at 1:40
April 15-19 - vacation week
April 27 - Boosters' Adult Dance and Silent Auction fundraiser at WCC
Full Day Wednesdays for WMHS students ONLY - April 3, May 1, May 15, and June 5
May 3 & 4 - Willy Wonka Junior musical production at WES
May 11 - PROM at Boothbay Playhouse
May 27 - no school, Memorial Day observed
June 6 - HS graduation
June 7 - 8th grade Promotion