Words from West
NOVEMBER - 2021
MINDFUL MINUTE
Happy November West Middle School Families,
Each morning students and staff are invited to engage in a mindful minute. This month we are focused on gratitude. Emerging research shows that gratitude may help with overall wellbeing, improve physical health, prevent burn out, and help build relationships.
Mindful lessons are in full swing. So far students receiving mindful lessons learned about focused bodies, mindful listening, mindful seeing, and identifying emotions. Mindful lessons occur during 2nd and 3rd hour for select classrooms.
We also have many students who have taken advantage of our Break Buckets. These are toolboxes that the student uses when a break is needed. Most of the time the break is about 5 minutes in length. This gives students an opportunity to reset before rejoining class.
When students feel more comfortable taking a break with a person. They have the opportunity to take a mindful break in WMS’s Mindful Room with me. In the room students have the option to receive a mindful lessons, color, move, or problem solve with me. 90 percent of students have reflected that taking a mindful break has helped them.
Please ask your students about their experience with Mindfulness at West Middle School and please reach out with any questions.
Jennifer Casper
M-STEP SCORES
M-Step Scores are available for pick up until Friday, November 12th, in the Main Office. The office is open during school hours, as well as during Parent-Teacher Conferences.
Any M-Step scores still in the office at 11am on Friday, November 12th, will be sent home with your student on Tuesday, November 16th. Thank you for your understanding.
LUNCH RECESS
- Please be sure your child is dressed appropriately for each day's weather
- All students will be going outside for the first part of their 30 minute lunch
FOOD DRIVE
- WMS will host a non-perishable FOOD DRIVE starting Monday, November 15th until Friday, December 10th.
- All food may be brought to room 118.
HELP WANTED - WE NEED YOU!
Employment Opportunities: https://www.applitrack.com/gcaps/onlineapp/default.aspx?choosedistrict=true&applitrackclient=729
CALENDAR UPDATES
November 5th - Marking Period 1 Report Cards are LIVE on JUPITER - (no paper copies)
November 9th - Full Day of School, Parent Teacher Conferences (Details Below)
November 10th - Half Day of School, Dismissal at 11:29 a.m., Parent Teacher Conferences
November 11th - Half Day of School, Dismissal at 11:29 a.m., Parent Teacher Conferences
November 12th - Half Day of School, Dismissal at 11:29 a.m.
November 22nd - 7pm - Board Meeting
November 24th - Half Day of School, Dismissal at 11:29 a.m., Thanksgiving Recess
November 25th - 26th - No School, Thanksgiving Break
November 29th - School Resumes
November 30th - 7pm, 8th grade Winter Band Concert at the High School
December 1st - Late Start (School begins at 10:25am and doors open at 10:15am.)
December 7th - 7pm, 6th & 7th grade Winter Band Concert at WMS
PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES
Please use this link to reserve your preferred times for ALL of your students at WMS: https://www.myconferencetime.com/gbwms
Tuesday, November 9th:
- Full-day of school for students
- 5pm-8pm - Conferences (F2F)
Wednesday, November 10th:
- Half-day of school for students - 11:29 a.m. dismissal
- 12:30pm - 2pm - Conferences (F2F)
- 2pm - 3:30pm - Conferences (Virtual)
- Half-day of school for students - 11:29 a.m. dismissal
- 5pm- 8pm - Conferences (Virtual)
Friday, November 12th:
- Half-day of school for students - 11:29 a.m. dismissal
*** LOST AND FOUND items will be on display in front of the office all next week and during Parent Teacher Conferences. Please look to see if you child has lost any items - our bin is overlfowing!
AFTER SCHOOL TUTORING
AFTER SCHOOL DETENTION
A NOTE FROM OUR SCHOOL NURSE
Food Allergy Awareness
There are about 5.9 million kids living with food allergies, 1 in 13 kids under the age of 18, which is about 2 in every classroom. The holiday season from now through the new year poses threats to kids trying to manage food allergies. We would like to increase awareness about food allergies by reminding students and parents of the following:
- Food allergies are very serious. It is not a joking matter.
- Reactions can be life threatening
- Preventing exposure is crucial
- Don’t share food, forks, knives, spoons, or straws with friends
- Wash hands before and after eating. Some people with food allergies can get sick even if they are touched by something that has a tiny bit of food on it
- If a friend with allergies is sick, tell an adult right away. This will make sure that your friend gets help and gets the medicine they need to feel better
- Food allergies can make the holidays even scarier. Please remember not to bring anything with nuts into the classroom
Attention! GCHD COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic Tuesday for 5 & Up at GBHS!
The Genesee County Health Department will be hosting a walk-in COVID-19 vaccination clinic at Grand Blanc High School (EAST campus cafeteria) from 3:30 pm to 7 pm on Tuesday, November 9th.
The clinic will have all COVID-19 vaccine brands and doses on hand:
- Pfizer vaccine for ages 5-11
- Pfizer vaccine for ages 12-17 (dose 1 or 2 as appropriate)
- Pfizer vaccine for ages 18 and up (including doses 1, 2, & 3 or booster as appropriate)
- Moderna vaccine for ages 8 and up (including doses 1, 2, & 3 or booster as appropriate)
- Johnson & Johnson for ages 18 and up (and booster as appropriate)
This clinic is for ALL eligible students, staff, and family members. Those receiving their 1st dose can automatically expect to receive their 2nd dose at a follow-up GCHD clinic at GBHS (WEST campus cafeteria) on Tuesday, November 30th.
Paperwork necessary for vaccination is available to be printed ahead of time at https://www.gchd.us/vaccinescheduler/. If you are receiving a 2nd, 3rd, or booster dose, please bring your vaccination card if possible.
If your student has been vaccinated, please email or drop off a copy of their vaccination card to their building office at your earliest convenience to help with our contact tracing efforts. If a student is vaccinated, they are not required to quarantine if they are exposed at school. Our number of positive cases and isolations/quarantines in the district is again on the rise. We encourage the school community to take advantage of this convenient opportunity right here in the community for vaccination. If you are not able to attend this clinic, the GCHD will also be at several other schools next week and hosts walk-in community clinics on an ongoing basis. Those locations are also available at https://www.gchd.us/vaccinescheduler/.
COVID-19 VACCINATION RECORDS
- If you have chosen to have your student vaccinated against Covid-19 and would like the school to have a record of it, please bring a copy of the student's vaccination card to the Main Office OR scan and email a copy of the card to our office at pwoollco@gbcs.org.
- Please understand that we are NOT requiring this vaccination, but offering you the opportunity to have it documented for school records/potential contact tracing situations.
7-DAY ANTIGEN TESTING INFORMATION
Our team will be facilitating antigen testing in the mornings before school days at the High School, McGrath, and East Middle School. This service is free and is only for asymptomatic Grand Blanc students and staff exposed at school with masks. If the exposure took place outside of school, the individual will have to complete a 10-day quarantine or have a negative PCR test at another facility on day 7.
The requirements/options of quarantine are provided to each student, with a return date, when they are notified of exposure. Do not show up at a testing location with symptoms. Sick students should remain at home.
Going forward, only test results from the morning of will be accepted for that school day. If the student misses a day of testing, they are not permitted to attend that day. There will not be on-site testing in the buildings during the school day. Buildings will still accept a negative test result from a certified testing location if you need to go at a different time of the day for some reason. At-home tests will not be accepted. Details on how to participate in voluntary testing as well as a consent form will be provided to those exposed and eligible upon notification of their exposure.
Grand Blanc West Middle School
West Middle School Main Office:
Monday - Friday 8:00AM - 4:00PM
Website: https://www.gbcs.org/Domain/19
Location: 1515 Reid Road, Grand Blanc, MI, USA
Phone: 810-591-7309
Facebook: facebook.com/gbwms
Important Phone Numbers
Athletics/Main Office 591-7309
Counseling Office 591-7335
Counselor (A-K) 591-7338
Counselor (L-Z) 591-7339