WBMS Friday Notes
11-13-20
Reflections from Ms. Williams
WBMS Parents and Guardians –
COVID-19 Case Reporting and Investigation/Notification Process
This week I want to share the process we use to address a positive COVID case in our school community. While each case has its own set of circumstances, the process I will outline is the basic process we follow. First and foremost, we focus each day on prevention measures to keep our community safe and the meticulous documentation needed for confident contact tracing.
In the event someone who was present at school has in fact tested positive, district and school staff immediately work together to investigate and determine who has potentially been in close contact with that individual and might therefore need to quarantine, and we also notify others who may have had limited contact but not enough to require a mandatory quarantine. Simultaneously, our custodial staff deep cleans any area of the school the person may have been – classrooms, bathrooms, cafeteria, etc. Our district health care professionals interview the student or staff member who tested positive, as well as staff members who teach the student. School administrators work with staff to gather seating charts (classroom, bus, and cafeteria) and attendance records as well as review video as necessary to identify other individuals who may have been at risk for exposure. Once we complete our investigation, our healthcare professionals work with the Fulton County Department of Health to determination who may need to quarantine and who else needs to be informed that they were potentially exposed but are at low-risk.
Anyone identified as high-risk will be called by our administrators and will receive an email; anyone identified as low-risk will receive an email. Additionally, I will send a general community email to all parents and staff members to be transparent about the case. Our cluster nurse and the Fulton County Department of Health let me know when the individual who tested positive is clear to return to our building.
As we continue to navigate these challenging waters, it is critical that all members of the school community follow FCS and CDC guidelines related to COVID-19. Wear masks, wash hands, socially distance, and monitor your own health and the health of those you care for. If your child is exhibiting symptoms that might indicate a COVID infection, please keep them home and consult your health care provider to determine next steps. It is crucial parents/guardians report positive COVID test results of students, as well as instances where students have been directly exposed to individuals who have tested positive. This is done through the reporting portal that can be found on our school website. The failure to report these incidences puts all members of the school community at risk, so reporting through the portal as soon as possible and keeping the student home until all information has been collected and a district representative has contacted you is critical.
By working together, we can continue to provide a safe and healthy school environment!
In collaboration -
Rebecca Williams
Principal, Webb Bridge Middle School
Dates to Remember
Nov. 23-27... Thanksgiving Holidays (schools closed)
Dec. 9...Picture Day for Remote Learning Students (details to follow)
Dec. 9...Makeup Picture Day for F2F students
Dec. 18... Last Day of First Semester
Dec. 21-Jan. 1... Winter Break (schools closed)
Jan. 4...Teacher Workday (no school for students)
First Semester Exam Schedule-EXAMS ARE FOR 8TH GRADE ONLY & High School Classes
Monday 12/14— ELA
Tuesday 12/15— Science & Band/Orchestra
Wednesday 12/16— Social Studies & Reading/World Language
Thursday 12/17— Math
Friday 12/18—Make-Ups
A special note from the School Governance Council
Saying thank you! How much do you and your student appreciate the teachers, administration and staff at WBMS this year — with unprecedented demands in these challenging times!? In the spirit of Thanksgiving -- students and parents are invited to express gratitude! A special bin marked “Thanksgiving notes” has been placed outside the school into which you can drop thank you notes. Remote notes can go to Beckettl@fultonschools.org so they can be printed and distributed to individuals at WBMS. The bin will be outside the school until Wednesday November 18th.
Pictures for F2F Students!
YOUR PHOTOS ARE READY!
Good news! JostensPIX was recently at your school to photograph picture day,
and your student's photos are now available for viewing and ordering!
You will need to create an account and your student's Infinite Campus ID to order.
Click on the button below to get started.
VIEW AND ORDER PHOTOS HERE
https://shop.jostenspix.com
PHOTOS NOT APPEARING IN YOUR GALLERY?
FIND YOUR STUDENT USING EVENT CODE: FE74620
DID YOU KNOW?
- You can personalize your photos with a variety of backgrounds and
text - Photos are shipped directly to your home
- High-res digital downloads are available
- If you have more than one child, you can order together and pay
once
Picture Day for Remote Students on Wednesday Dec. 9 -details to follow
November is Kindness Month at WBMS!
Webb Bridge partnered with Jordyn’s Summer Shirt Project this past month. Thank you to our wonderful staff, students and families for purchasing Be Kind To Everyone apparel to support Jordyn, Kindness Month, and our school’s Community Cupboard. The Summer Shirt Project gave our Community Cupboard 20% of our total sales. Thank you to everyone who supported the mission! We will be receiving $500 to support our Community Cupboard. Be Kind to Everyone!
New Bus Procedure
In the past, parents have been able to send a request to their school asking for their child to ride a bus home with another student. Under this example, the parent requests to place their child on a bus that does not serve the student’s residence. In an elementary school setting, the phrase “play date” is sometimes used but this could apply under several circumstances: sleepovers, an unusual one-day aftercare issue, and after school group study at a student’s home.
Due to COVID-19 and our efforts to manage bus ridership, assigned seating, and support case investigations, this practice is no longer permitted. Buses can only serve the students that are assigned to the bus.
Need to Report an Absence?
Extramural Basketball Tryouts (for 7th and 8th grade)
Boys – December 8, 9, 10
Girls – January 12, 14, 19
All documentation (including Dr’s physical) must be turned into Coach Sell in order to tryout.
Go to https://wbmsathletics.weebly.com/ for forms and details.
Jewish Club
Next Meeting We Are Planting Daffodils!
Tuesday November 17- Meet in the amphitheater after school. 4:15pm-5:30pm
To join please contact Mrs. Meddin at meddinmj@fultonschools.org
FCA
FCA will begin in October with the last Friday of the month, October 30th. We will do in person and virtual for those who are at home. Our leaders will be reaching out to the community to look for new members and new leaders to help them out. They have always done an excellent job! We will continue to add guest speakers as we are allowed to through county policy. This group is open to any one seeking fellowship and friendship!
Guitar Club and Advance Chamber Orchestra
WBMS Guitar Club: Meets on Wednesdays from 4:15-4:50 pm. Open to anyone interested in the guitar.
WBMS Advanced Chamber Orchestra: Meets on Mondays from 4:15-5:00 pm. Open to all WBMS Orchestra students by audition.
Contact Barket@fultonschools.org for more information
Academic Team
Students interested in joining Academic Team for the 2020-2021 school year should fill out bit.ly/WBMSAcademicTeam and join the club page on Teams with the code 6izszaw. The code can be entered by clicking the upper right hand corner “Join Team” from the page that shows students all of their teams. Everyone is welcome to join. Questions can be e-mailed to Brooke Wood at woodb@fultonschools.org or Christian Bernhardt at bernhardtc1@fultonschools.org.
Anime Club
Anime Club is for students who enjoy Japanese animation, manga, and culture, as well as video games and other animation styles. Email Mrs. Meddin at meddinmj@fultonschools.org for more information.
Anime Club...please fill out the Form Questionnaire.
Math Club
Fulton County Public Library Cards – Free for our students! The benefits of having a student FCPL card include access to OverDrive eBooks and audiobooks which may be linked to their school Sora account and eReadKids as well as registration options for Hoopla and two free online tutoring programs (with the full FCPL account). Our ELA teachers are sharing in a NearPod session the benefits of owning a Fulton County Public Library Card and how to get (or renew) cards. Hopefully, your students have an account and maybe even a card. If not, this is a great opportunity for our students to receive theirs by way of our Media Center; just use the form in this Sway to apply for an online account and submit for a full card account (Alpharetta library is partnering with us to provide full cards). If your child is under age 13, should you choose to have your child not receive a full library account with access to all levels of materials, an online opt-out form is provided here; please submit any opt-outs by October 20th as we will forward the request for full accounts to the public library soon. If you have questions about this program, please contact Nan Brown, our media specialist, at brownnt@fultonschools.org.
Fall Reading Challenges
Webb Bridge WON the Ga Tech Buzzer Readers competition in 2019; do YOU want to be part of a repeat? We had the highest number of pages read for all middle schools in metro Atlanta who participated, first place seventh grade class (Ms. Boltz), and first place seventh grade student (Sophia L). Log the pages you’re reading on the Form in this Sway to help us “score” a win again! Do you like to earn badges? Complete the Fulton County Public Library Fall Reading Challenge by reading and listening to books and completing other activities. (Need books or magazines to read? We have info on how to get those, too!)
WBMS Media Center – at curbside!
Students may now check out books from the WBMS Media Center – at curbside! Locate and hold titles in Destiny Discover, then watch for an email from the Media Center that your books are ready. Pickup times are between 7:45 a.m. and 4 p.m. on school days outside the media center (traffic circle just past front office entrance). Dial 470-254-8755 and we will bring books to you outside. Books may be returned any time to the secure book drop just outside the media center. Please contact Ms. Brown at brownnt@fultonschools.org with any questions.
WBMS SPIRIT STORE
The Spirit Wear store is OPEN again. Don't miss out on your chance to order the newest sweatshirts and tees and support WBMS. Hurry--all orders must be placed by November 20.
Announcing The Community Cupboard
Do you know a family in need at WBMS?
Please reach out to our counseling staff so we can find ways to help.
We are so happy to announce our new PTA and SGC initiative, the Community Cupboard. This will provide emergency necessities for families in our school experiencing hardship.
Please consider making a donation! Current needs can be found HERE. We also have an Amazon Wish List.
School Resources
Please Support Our Business Partners!!
(770) 751-1240
Fulton County Schools Resources:
• Universal Remote Learning Resources: https://www.fultonschools.org/universalremotelearning
• URL Parent Learning Support: https://www.fultonschools.org/parentlearningsupport
• FoodStop Distribution Points: https://www.fultonschools.org/foodstop
• Coronavirus Updates: https://www.fultonschools.org/coronavirus
• Community Resources: https://www.fultonschools.org/communityresources
• Code of Conduct: https://www.fultonschools.org/codeofconduct