West Middleton Update
~Building a Compassionate, Collaborative Community For All~
A few quick updates from Mrs. Krych for December
I hope you are all taking time to enjoy the magic of the season. Things can get very crazy this time of year so it's important to slow down and focus on what's really important - each other. The Winter Tea was a perfect occasion to do just that. What a magical event. Thank you to everyone who made the event possible. It is a true example of what a strong community we are.
As many of you know, West Middleton is one of the schools that is growing at a fast rate. District level administrators and the Facilities Planning Committee are working on long term solutions that will be taken to a referendum in the fall of 2018. In the meantime, I have been working with district level administrators, staff and parents to brainstorm possible short term solutions if our enrollment numbers continue to grow. Ultimately, we will make the best possible decision for our students with the options that we have. I will continue to share information and decisions along the way. There are a few pieces of information that I realize may not have shared as publically as they should have regarding our practices for this school year. The district has continued to support keeping class sizes as low as possible at West Middleton and the average class size is 20 students. In addition, due to our increased numbers, we are only able to have one grade level at a time in the cafeteria. We have kept the same staffing in the cafeteria and on the playground as we had last year, but we only have one grade level to supervise instead of two. This has essentially doubled our staff to student ratio in the cafeteria and on the playground. Even though we are needing to use every available space due to increased enrollment, there have been some extremely positive side effects for all students. I appreciate your advocacy for West Middleton and for our students. We've got a pretty amazing school community!!
Our first day of winter break is Thursday, December 21st. We return to school on Tuesday, January 2nd. I hope you all enjoy the time with your families. Wishing you the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!
With Gratitude,
Mrs. Krych
West Middleton is on Social Media!!
Farm to School
On Friday, December 1st, we tried raw parsnip sticks as part of our third Farm to School Taste Test. Crossroads Community Farm in Cross Plains provided the parsnips. Parsnips can be eaten raw, roasted, fried, and boiled, and they are often added to soups and stews. Ask your student how they liked parsnips! Our next Taste Test will take place on Friday, January 19th
Updates from the PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) Team
Our Tier 2/Tier 3 PBIS team has been reviewing data on a weekly basis in order to identify students who might be struggling with behavioral expectations. The goal is to provide them with supports and interventions before issues become a crisis. Interventions are designed to re-teach and reinforce our behavioral expectations, as well as teach new coping and self regulation skills. The first intervention that we implement with students who may need extra supports in this area is Check In Check Out (CICO). Students check in and out with a CICO mentor each morning and afternoon. The CICO mentor develops a relationship with the student and provides them with positive reinforcement, encouragement and additional opportunities for reflection. They also check in on skills the student can focus on during the day to improve interactions, participation, and learning. During the day, the teachers provide feedback on the student's behavior and also reinforce strategies that the student is using effectively. Students use a daily progress report to track their progress in demonstrating The Wolverine Way (Be Responsible, Be Respectful, Be Safe, & Be A Learner). CICO is a research based intervention that is very effective in improving student behavior. We have seen huge successes and many of our students have graduated from CICO and no longer need the supports.
A subset of the West Middleton staff attended the district training for PBIS Tier II in mid November. The focus of this day centered around Social Academic Intervention Groups (SAIG.) Three SAIG groups targeting development of specific social and academic skills are expected to start in December. The three areas of focus for the SAIG groups are academic behavior skills, pro-social skills and problem solving skills (emotional management). We are excited to be able to offer more opportunities for students to learn and practice positive behavioral skills.