SMS Weekly Update
4.5.24
Message from the Principal
We had a great week back with our students. Please take a look at our upcoming events.
April 8th- first day of 4th quarter
April 9th- PSAT for 8th graders only, virtual learning day for 6th and 7th graders
April 11th- MSTEP Testing begins for all grades
April 12th- 8th grade Stevenson Legacy applications due to Counseling Office
April 15th- quarter 3 reports cards available to view on Parent Connect
April 16th- MSTEP Testing continues for all grades
Solar Eclipse on Monday
Message from our Superintendent
As the April 8 solar eclipse approaches, we want to ensure the safety of our students and community members and provide you with some important information about how it will impact our school day.
NOTE: Wayne-Westland Community Schools will have a full school day for all students on Monday, April 8, 2024.
Communicate:
Ensure students follow safety guidelines and do not look at the sun. This is especially important during school dismissal, as students may be tempted to look at the sun while traveling home.
How to Watch Safely:
Watching a solar eclipse can be an extraordinary experience, but we must take precautions to ensure safety. Without proper eye protection, you can cause severe eye damage, including permanent blindness. Using specially designed solar viewing glasses or eclipse viewers is crucial to observing the eclipse safely. Even if very dark, regular sunglasses are unsafe for viewing the Sun. Viewers must wear glasses that meet the ISO 12312-2 international standard for filters when directly viewing the sun. Viewing any part of the bright Sun through a camera lens, binoculars, or a telescope without a special-purpose solar filter secured over the front of the optics will instantly cause severe eye injury.
Observation Tips:
Find a safe and unobstructed location to view the eclipse. If using a telescope or binoculars, use solar filters.
Helpful Resources:
Safety tips from NASA
Solar Eclipse Eye Safety
How to Build a Pinhole Projector
PSAT Day
PSAT testing for 8th grade is Tuesday, April 9, 2024. 6th and 7th graders will be remote for the day.
PSAT 8 Testing for 8th-Grade Students:
Only 8th-grade students are required to report in person for PSAT 8 testing. Please ensure your child is present on this day. Students need to report to school by 7:50 AM. Students will be dismissed at 12:00 PM.
Student Perception Survey for 6th and 7th-Grade Students:
Students in the 6th and 7th grades will not be attending school in person on this day. Instead, they will complete the Student Perception Survey, which will be posted on their 1st hour Teacher's Google Classrooms on April 9, 2024.
Support and Assistance:
If students have any questions or need assistance regarding the Student Perception Survey, please contact the main office at 734-419-2350.
Attendance and Survey Completion:
Attendance for 6th and 7th-grade students will be recorded through Google Classroom upon completion of the Student Perception Survey.
Middle school students across the state take the following assessments:
Grade 6: M-Step-English Language Arts and mathematics
Grade 7: M-Step-English Language Arts and mathematics
Grade 8: PSAT 8-English Language Arts and mathematics, M-Step- Science and Social Studies
Please read through the attachment (below) for all important testing information.
Donations Needed
Perfect Attendance
Congratulations to our incredible students who had perfect attendance for the month of March. Keep up the great work!
Family Meetings Were Today
We are so proud of each of our students because they ALL met their goals for the month of March. Check out each grade level's successes in the presentations attached.
Grade Level Focus Areas for April
April's focus areas for each grade level
Here is the focus area for each grade level for the month of April. We are so proud of all of our students in all grade levels for meeting their March goals. We know that they can do it again!!
RAPS Party for Quarter 3
Our next RAPS party is scheduled for Friday, April 26th.
Culture and Diversity Festival
Culture and Diversity Festival- April 25, 2024
Join us for an exciting evening filled with food from around the world, vibrant cultural attire, dance performances, and valuable resources for both students and families!
International Food Tasting: Indulge your taste buds in a global culinary journey with delicious dishes from various cultures, prepared by our wonderful Career Tech chefs and students.
Cultural Attire Encouraged: Embrace the beauty of cultural diversity by wearing attire that represents your heritage or showcases a culture you admire.
Dance Performances: Experience the richness of different cultures through variety dance performances.
College & Career Resources: Explore opportunities for higher education and career advancement with guidance from our WWCSD staff and representatives from colleges, universities, and career services.
School of Choice Information: Discover educational options tailored to your needs and aspirations, with information on different schools and programs available in our district.
Live Entertainment: Enjoy live music, performances, and interactive activities for all.
Summer Programs: Learn about enriching summer programs and activities for students.
Resources for Families: Find valuable resources and support services for ML families, including health, education, childcare, and community assistance programs.
Save the date and don't miss this incredible opportunity to celebrate diversity!
Multicultural Calendar 2023-2034
Here is a multicultural calendar for this school year featuring a diverse array of holidays, traditions, awareness, recognitions and celebrations.
Stevenson Library Update
Basketball Tournament
Wayne-Westland Community Schools is hosting a 3v3 basketball tournament for grades 4-12 on May 11 at John Glenn High School! Please see the attached flyer for details.
- $25 per player
- Coed teams
- 4 players per team
- Half-court game format
- 3 game minimum
- Must be enrolled in Wayne-Westland Community Schools
Single Player PAY Here: https://wwcsd.revtrak.net/district-payments/#/v/4th-and-5th-grade-3v3-basketball-tournament-student-registration
Team (4) PAY Here: https://wwcsd.revtrak.net/district-payments/#/v/4th-and-5th-grade-3v3-basketball-tournament-team-registration
REGISTER Your Student Here: https://forms.gle/6BF8ZNWVcd2v9ao46
More Information: https://www.wwcsd.net/soaring-stripes-3v3-basketball-tournament/
Stevenson Legacy Application
Any 8th grade students who are interested in applying for the Stevenson Legacy Award must pick up their application in the counseling office. All applications must be turned in to the counseling office by 4/12/24 to be considered.
RAPS Weekly Focus for April
From the Classrooms
Mrs. Fournier and Ms. Littlefield both were awarded funds from the WW Foundation Grant Organization to use towards initiatives supporting reading literacy and hands on experiences through field trips. Congratulations to both of them for providing more high quality learning opportunities for our students.
Drawing & Painting
In Ms. Cosgrove’s Drawing and Painting class, students were able to use old fashioned calligraphy pens to try their hand at lettering. Students learned about the Medieval Illuminated Manuscripts and are creating their own project using a favorite quote or song lyric. Today they got to try out the quills for the first time. They were surprised how messy it used to be to write.
Pop Cupcake Making
Students from Miss Eiwen's class made cupcakes out of pop. How cool is that!?!
Multiplication March Madness
Mrs. Doman was invited into Ms. Ennis’ 6th grade math class to take on the champions of the multiplication facts brackets for March Madness. Spoiler alert- Stevenson students know their multiplications and they know them very quickly! Great job to Scarlett and Summer!
Read 180 Pizza Party
Ms. Griffith's ELA Foundations classes participated in a Read 180 March is Reading Month competition. During the month of March, students worked to complete stories on Read 180 at scores of 75% or higher. Every 75% or higher they received earned them a point, and every 100% gave them a bonus point! The student with the most points in each hour received a prize and certificate, and today Ms. Griffith's 3rd hour, who collected 93 points as a group, got to have a Pizza Party! Congratulations to Ms. Griffith's 3rd hour class, 3rd hour winners Leonidas Caiafas, Jacob Clendennin, and Jameer Amando, and to all of her hardworking students!
8th Grade ELA
Mr Wagner's ELA class worked in their reading groups and read multiple chapters, creating vocab flashcards and creating their own review questions.
Michigan Science Center
Mrs. Evanko's kids had a blast learning at the Michigan Science Center.
Digital Divas
Our Digital Divas went on a field trip today to Eastern Michigan University. Check these pics out!
8th Grade Dance Information and Agreement Form
Please view the attached pdf to read the expectations and agreement that needs to be signed for your child to attend the 8th grade dance in May. Thank you!
5th Grade Transition Night
Do you know any families with a 5th grade student? Feel free to share this information so they don't miss the events at each middle school to welcome the incoming families!
Early College
Wayne-Westland Early College provides students an opportunity to simultaneously complete the high school diploma and an associate degree at no cost to families. To learn more, visit www.wwcsd.net/earlycollege
Order Your Yearbook Today!
IRS Update
The Internal Revenue Service wants to share the following information with families.
Child Tax Credit (CTC): The CTC is a credit that may reduce your tax by as much as $2,000 for each child who qualifies you for the credit. To qualify, the child must be a U.S. citizen under age 17, have a Social Security number, be claimed as a dependent on the taxpayer's tax return, and more. Use the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool to determine eligibility: Does My Child/Dependent Qualify for the Child Tax Credit or the Credit for Other Dependents? For more information, please see: Child Tax Credit | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov)
Other Dependent Credit (ODC): The ODC is a credit that may reduce your tax by as much as $500 for each eligible dependent. The person is claimed as a dependent on your return; the person can’t be used by you to claim the CTC or Additional CTC; the person was a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or U.S. resident alien. Again, use the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool to determine eligibility: Does My Child/Dependent Qualify for the Child Tax Credit or the Credit for Other Dependents?
Note: The credit amount for family’s CTC or ODC may be reduced if their modified adjusted gross income (AGI) is more than $400,000 for married filing jointly filing status or $200,000 for all other filing statuses.
Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC): One refundable tax credit for moderate- and low-income families is the Earned Income Tax Credit. The IRS estimates there are millions of workers who qualify but don't claim the EITC - missing out on thousands of dollars every year. The EITC is as much as $3,995 when claiming one child, $6,604 when claiming two children, and $7,430 when claiming three or more children. Use the EITC Assistant to learn if you're eligible for the tax credit. For more detailed information, see Publication 596, Earned Income Credit.
Note: Adjusted gross income limits are used to qualify families for EITC.
Child and Dependent Care Credit: Taxpayers who paid someone to care for their child, spouse, or dependent so they can work, be a full-time student, or look for work may be able to reduce their tax by claiming the Child and Dependent Care Credit. The total expenses that you may use to calculate the credit may not be more than $3,000 (for one qualifying individual) or $6,000 (for two or more qualifying individuals). Use the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool: Am I Eligible to Claim the Child and Dependent Care Credit? For more information, please see: Publication 503, Child and Dependent Care Expenses or Topic no. 602, Child and dependent care credit | Internal Revenue Service (irs.gov).
Attendance Update
Regular attendance is crucial for your child's academic success. Please make every effort to ensure your child attends school on time every day and stays throughout the whole day. Consistent attendance throughout the school day allows your child to engage in learning and maximize their educational opportunities fully.
Illness: If your child is not feeling well and cannot attend school, please notify us immediately. Students who are ill should not attend school to prevent the spread of illness to others.
Excused Absences: We understand that there may be instances when your child needs to be absent due to illness, medical appointments, family emergencies, or other legitimate reasons. Please notify the school in advance whenever possible to classify the absence as excused.
Unexcused Absences: Unexcused absences negatively impact your child's education. Absences without valid reasons will be considered unexcused, and appropriate actions may be taken per district policy.
Timely reporting of absences helps us maintain accurate attendance records and ensures that your child's absence is properly documented. Absences must be reported within 24 hours.
There are two convenient methods for reporting your child's absence to facilitate efficient communication and accurate attendance records.
You can notify your child's school through the dedicated attendance line. Please leave a detailed message stating your child's name, grade, and reason for absence.
You can report absences directly through MiStar, our secure online portal for student information. MiStar provides a user-friendly interface that allows you to submit absences.
Thank you for your ongoing support in creating a positive and productive learning environment for all our students.
Family Resource Center Information
Mental Health Support
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
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If you ever have any questions or concerns, please reach out to one of us directly at domank@wwcsd.net (Student Last Names: Br-Me) or phillipsae@wwcsd.net (Student Last Names: A-Bo & Mi-Z).
Sincerely,
Mrs. Doman and Ms. Phillips
Last Names A-Bo & Mi-Z- Ms. Reinink, reininkk@wwcsd.net
Last Names Br-Me- Mrs. Shecter, shecterc@wwcsd.net