Western Sky Open House
Home of the Wildcats
Welcome to Western Sky Middle School
Dear Wildcat Families,
Welcome to the 2021-2022 school year! We hope your family is having a relaxing and enjoyable summer. We have planned for a year filled with exceptional learning opportunities for our students. Our knowledgeable staff is dedicated to ensuring a nurturing and challenging learning environment that supports students’ academic, emotional, and social development.
We are excited to have an In Person Open House to meet and greet all of our families this year. We know our families are anxiously awaiting their schedule, and team assignment. This information will be available at our Open House on July 29, 2021 from 4:00pm - 6:00pm. If you are unable to attend Open House, our front office will be able to assist you in getting your student's schedule, locks, and PE uniforms (if applicable) beginning July 30th. Teachers will be sending welcome information on Friday, July 30th.
The office opens to our families on July 26, 2021, although schedules will not be available prior to Open House. Office hours for the school year are 8:20am to 4:20pm, Monday through Friday. Please note an exception for Thursday, July 29, 2021; our office hours will be 10:00am to 2:00pm and Friday, July 30, 2021; our office hours will be 1:00pm to 4:20pm.
The first day of school is August 2, 2021. Students are able to begin arriving on campus at 8:20am and are to exit campus by 4:00pm. The school day begins promptly at 8:50am and ends at 3:50pm. All students are to be inside their homeroom classroom when the final 8:50am bell rings. Please do not allow your student to arrive on campus prior to 8:20am as the campus is closed and there is no supervision available. If you are interested in Extended Day for before or after school care, please contact our Community Education Department.
School lockers do not have built-in locks, and only school-approved locks provided through PTA can be used on our school lockers. We encourage our 8th grade students to reuse their lock from 6th grade. If a student has their lock, but needs the combination, they are able to get that information from the front office on the first day of school. Students who need a lock can purchase a school approved lock for $5.00 through PTA at Open House, or through the front office during the first week of school.
We are looking forward to an amazing year with our Wildcats!
Mrs. Garrett and Mrs. Shannon
Volunteers Needed
Open House - July 29, 2021
Open House is on Thursday, July 29, 2021 from 4:00pm to 6:00pm.
- Please view the Open House Flyer below so you know what to expect at Open House! We look forward to seeing our families and preparing for a successful school year!
- If you are unable to attend, our front office will be able to assist you with your needs on the first day of school.
PTA Open House Order Forms
Below please find the PTA order form for locks, PE uniforms, yearbooks, and more. There will be order forms available at Open House, or there is also a printable version attached for your convenience. Spirit wear will be available, and ranges from $10 - $20 each. Yard signs for our 8th Grade class will also be available for preorder with the order form below.
WSMS Supply Lists
Each grade level at Western Sky is split between two teams of teachers, Blue and Gold. Our suggested supply lists are separated by team, and that information will be available at Open House. If you choose to shop for supplies prior to Open House on July 29th, we suggest getting general items that students will need to be successful for the first week of school, then adding team specific items after Open House.
Be In The Know
Each Team will send out a Weekly Email Blast to keep families informed of team updates and the weekly agenda.
The Wildcat Weekly Update will have everything you need to know about school functions, opportunities, and upcoming events.
We utilize paperless communication, with the exception of forms that need to be filled out and returned. We use a Wildcat Weekly Happenings email blast, the WSMS school website, email, and ParentVUE to keep our families informed. Our school clubs start the week of August 23, 2021 and are held before school. Students will want to be sure to listen to morning announcements for more details. Sports tryouts will be shared on morning announcements and posted on our school website under athletics as information becomes available. All Wildcat events can be viewed on our website. www.lesd79.org
Wildcat PTA
Mark Your Calendar!
Please join us on Wednesday, August 17, 2021 at 6:00pm for a PTA meeting. Find out about opportunities to volunteer, be in the know about campus happenings, and meet our amazing board. Did you know that our PTA is looking for a Vice President? To find out more, contact Aimee Wickersham at wsmsptapresident@gmail.com
The meeting will take place in the Staff Lounge and we will also provide a virtual link.
We hope to see you there!
WSMS PTA
Food Service Update
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn. Litchfield Elementary School District #79 will be offering healthy meals to all students at no cost every school day in School Year 2021-2022. Your child(ren) will receive one free Breakfast and one free Lunch meal every school day regardless of your household’s income. Additional Breakfast and Lunch Meals may be purchased please see our website and menu for information.
Families are still encouraged to submit a school meal application for free or reduced-price meal benefits because this information may be used for other programs, such as Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT), Federal and State funding for your school, reduced registration fees for academic tests, free or discounted fees for athletic programs, discounted rates for internet service, and many more! Use this link to apply online, Family.TitanK12.com
Thank you,
Chef Ronald Beck
Steps for Communication
In order to communicate with our families in the most effective manner, please follow the steps below. If you have a question or concern regarding your child’s academic and/or behavior status, as a professional courtesy, please contact the teacher prior to contacting administration to discuss the concern.
Social Emotional Learning
We utilize the Conscious Discipline framework to support our students' social emotional learning. Conscious Discipline is based on a Brain State Model that empowers us to create a culture of learning based on safety, connection, and problem solving. Conscious Discipline utilizes a neurodevelopment model to help focus our attention on internal states first and behavior second. Addressing the internal state that precedes the behavior, individuals learn to self-regulate and develop strong executive skills for problem solving and goal achievement.
Conscious Discipline provides an effective metaphor for educational institutions. The School Family is built on a healthy family model with the goal of providing optimal development for all it’s members. The School Family builds connections that foster the following:
Impulse control through co-regulation skills
Cooperation and willingness to learn through a sense of belonging
Executive skills through modeling, scaffolding and direct teaching
Routines- how we teach behavior expectations in our classrooms and school
Rituals- expressions of unity
Classroom Structures- the ultimate goal of the School Family is to provide a learning environment where all members (adult and children) spend more time in an executive state than not.