Westside Middle School
January 8, 2019
Welcome back! I hope everyone enjoyed a happy and restful semester break. As the semester comes to an end, I want to thank you for the support you have shown your students and our staff. As a school, we continue to work towards making WMS the best school it can be and your support is vital.
Report cards will be emailed at the end of the week.
MAPs Test Results will be emailed early next week.
Remember No School Monday, January 21, 2019 - Martin Luther King Day
9th Grade Information Session
Youth Frontiers
Tuesday 1/15 - 7C
Wednesday 1/16 - 7D
Thursday 1/17 - 7A
Friday 1/18 - 7B
Honors and Student Academic Recognition
WMS believes in recognizing and honoring our students for their dedication, hard work, and accomplishments. Below you will see the different ways our students are recognized this year.
National Junior Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society chapter of Westside Middle School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Students in the second semester of seventh grade or grade eight are eligible for membership. Those students who meet the scholarship criterion of a 3.8 on a 4.0 scale are invited to apply for this honor. Formal invitations will be mailed home late January. National Junior Honor Society induction ceremony will happen later this spring.
Rotary Honor Roll
Every year, WMS partners with the Rotary Club of Omaha in recognizing the top 5% of 8th grade students in the Metro area. The objective of the 8th Grade Rotary Honor Roll is to honor outstanding achievement in each of these four categories: Leadership, Character, Scholarship and Presence. As a Rotary Honor Roll recipient, students will have the opportunity to have their names on a plaque permanently displayed at our school and attend a luncheon with other Metro area recipients. Every 8th grade student is eligible to apply and the process will begin later this spring.
Academic Honors Night
The last recognition event is our Academic Honors Night in May. We will be recognizing both 7th and 8th grade students who have achieved the President’s Award for Educational Excellence and the President’s Award for Educational Achievement. Students can earn this recognition through their grade point average, standardized achievement test, or adult faculty recommendations. Additional recognitions will be students participating in our academic competitions either as an individual or as a team member.
Review of Expectations
Cell Phones and Earbuds:
Cell Phones should be put away in lockers from 8:00am - 3:15pm. Your phone can be confiscated by any adult that sees it and turned into the main office.
Earbuds should not be worn in the hallways at any time. They should only be worn in class if given specific directions by your teacher.
Before School:
- Our building opens at 7:00am
- Students need to enter through the PAC doors
- Students may eat breakfast and socialize in the Cafeteria, or socialize and be on their computers in the gym.
- Students will be dismissed to their lockers at 7:50
After School Expectations:
- All Students must exit the building by 3:30, unless with a teacher, school activity or in the Library.
- Once students leave the building they may not re-enter. If it is necessary they must go through the main door and check in.
- At 3:40 all students will be asked to move to the front of the building either outside or inside the doors.
Dress Code Expectations:
- Clothing should not be too revealing or show underwear (no midriffs, spaghetti straps, sagging)
- No blankets, pajamas, slippers are to be worn
- Headwear should not be worn, including hats, bandannas, scarves and hoods worn over head (exceptions are made for clothing required by religious beliefs or disabilities)
- No Clothing or jewelry that is gang related (including paisley bandanas)
- Heavy coats and jackets need to be placed in lockers and should not be worn during the school day.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Hello parents and those with a passion for engineering!
UNL Engineering Outreach, Lincoln Children’s Museum, and several industry partners are sponsoring the second annual Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day on Saturday, Feb. 23.
Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day
Saturday, Feb. 23, 2019; Nebraska Innovation Campus – 2021 Transformation Dr.
Event is geared for girls grades 3-12, but all are welcome. Registration is required. Register here today!
Questions can be directed to Sally Wei at swei2@unl.edu.
News From the Athletic Director
At the end of the boys’ basketball season we recognized the efforts of our interscholastic teams. Coaches were very complimentary of the improvement and dedication the athletes displayed this season. As part of the event, each student received a certificate of participation and each team had an individual who earned the WMS Ultimate Warrior Award. The recipients were: Ty Keifer, Caleb Pass, Lance Buscher, Dominic Vincentini, Kyler Seaman, and Broc Regner. Thank you to all players, parents, and coaches for a great season.
Girls basketball and wrestling seasons take place during the months of January, February, and March. Girls basketball teams were determined through try-outs before winter break. Wrestling practice started before break, but it is not too late to join the wrestling team. If you have questions about girls basketball or wrestling, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or one of the coaches below.
- Girls’ Basketball. Lance Mosier, Head Coach
- Intramural Girls’ Basketball, Liddy Mahacek and Megan Albers, Co-Coaches
- 7th/8th grade Wrestling, Andrew Mantzaris, Head Coach
Please encourage your son or daughter to participate in athletics at WMS. We provide a variety of opportunities regardless of skill level.
Do not hesitate to contact me with questions and/or concerns regarding WMS Athletics.
Dan Carlson
Athletic Director
From The school Nurse
Students requiring exclusion from or modification of PE are required to have a note from a physician outlining these restrictions.
Students are to be fever- free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school after an illness. Students should also be free from vomiting for 24 hours before returning to school.
It is not too late to get your flu shot! A common myth is that the flu shot can cause someone to contract the flu. This is false. For further study about the myths surrounding the u shot, visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s website:
http://www.cdc.gov/u/about/qa/mis- conceptions.htm
Remember that the most effective way of reducing the spread of illness is washing hands with soap and water. Using alcohol-based hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol also helps reduce the spread of illness. As always, feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.
Nurse’s Office: (402) 408-8652
WCS Snow Day Information
Nebraska Winters can get pretty tough at times. When snow accumulates and the bitter wind blows, Westside Community Schools share with parents a concern for the safety of their children. Here are a few guidelines that should help us work together to assure the safety of students, no matter how bad the weather.
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If bad weather forces the closing of school, you will receive an AlertNow phone message from the District the night before or the morning of the closing. We will also ask local radio and television stations to make the announcement. Information regarding school closings will also be available on the Information Line, 390-2299.
If schools are open during inclement weather, parents should decide whether or not their children will attend school.
When extreme weather conditions develop during school hours, it is our policy not to dismiss students. Many children do not have adult supervision at home during the day and are safer at school.
Parents may pick their children up during the school day if they feel it is necessary.
Because of transportation requirements, there may be times when other school districts close while District 66 Schools remain open.
School personnel will remain in the buildings as long as children are present.
Cold Weather Care for your Mac Book
- Before turning on your computer, allow it to sit out and reach room temperature (between 50 and 95 Fahrenheit). Powering on the computer while the ambient temperature is outside of this range can cause damage to the computer.
- Do not leave your computer in the car or any place where it might be exposed to extreme temperatures for extended periods of time (more than a few hours).
- Keep your computer sleeve/case zipped up to help prevent snow and rain from getting inside, but be aware that the bag is not waterproof.
Please call the WMS Tech Support Department with any additional questions or concerns about your computer. Tech Support Office: (402) 408-8606
Westside Middle School
Website: http://wms.westside66.org
Location: 8601 Arbor Street, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-390-6464
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WMS66/