Willow Creek Newsletter
September 4th, 2020
Hello Wildcat Family,
We hope you had a great first couple days of school! This newsletter will be coming out weekly and will include updates along with communication that will help make distance learning more successful for you and your family.
Have a great weekend,,
Andrew Kappel
Principal
Willow Creek Middle School.
Schedule for the week
Second Step
We want your child to be successful in school and that means supporting and encouraging their whole development. While excelling in academic classes is important, students also need skills to take on learning challenges, make good decisions, handle strong emotions, and get along with others.
This week, we’ll begin Second Step® Middle School, a research-based social-emotional learning program designed to improve students’ social-emotional skills, such as emotion management, impulse control, problem-solving, and empathy. Second Step skills and concepts are designed to help students both in and out of school. These include:
Mindsets and Goals: Students learn how to develop a growth mindset and apply research-based goal-setting strategies to their social and academic lives.
Recognizing Bullying and Harassment: Students learn how to recognize bullying and harassment, stand up safely to bullying, and respond appropriately to harassment.
Thoughts, Emotions, and Decisions: Students learn how to recognize strong emotions and unhelpful thoughts, and apply strategies to manage their emotions and reduce stress.
Managing Relationships and Social Conflict: Students learn strategies for developing and maintaining healthy relationships, perspective-taking, and dealing with conflict.
The Week of September 8th Second Step Lessons:
6th Grade - Starting Middle School
Summary
This week’s lesson will introduce your child to the Second Step Middle School Program. Your child will identify challenges they might face when starting middle school and identify resources in their school where they can get help.
Question
Tell your child about something that made you nervous when you started middle school. Ask what makes them nervous and who they can go to for help at school.
7th Grade - Helping New Students
Summary
In this week’s lesson, your child will help brainstorm ways to support new students.
Question
Ask your child what feelings they had when they started middle school. Did they get support from other students? Ask your child how they can support students who are new to their school.
8th Grade: Welcome!
Summary
This week’s lesson will show your child how the Second Step Middle School Program can help them navigate physical, social, and emotional changes in adolescence.
Question
Have a conversation with your child about what you felt was the most difficult part of being an adolescent. Ask your child about any changes they’ve noticed in friends and what they think about these changes.
If you have any questions about Second Step® Middle School, please don’t hesitate to contact Mr. Craig Schneider for more information. Thank you for your support as we work to build a safe and supportive school community.
iPad pickup / Tech issues
If you were unable to pick up your students' iPad this past week and are in need of a device, please call the main office at (507) 328-5900 to arrange for a pickup time. This way we can ensure the device is ready for pickup as well.
Additionally, if you are experiencing tech issues we are here to help. If you are experiencing an issue with a student password or missing Google Classroom course we can also handle these via email, and often faster. Thank you so much for your patience with this as we get up and running.
One issue we have seen is that some devices are not showing the camera feature on Google Classroom. If this is the case, please have your student uninstall Google Classroom and reinstall it. We are finding that many devices did not update the app over the summer.
Below you will also see the directions for iPad setup if you need to reset a device.
Attendance
Parents will receive a phone call notifying them if their student was absent at 5pm if an absence occurs that day.
To report a student absence due to illness, appointment, or other reason, families can either utilize the Skyward reporting system or call our attendance line at (507) 328-5910. To report an absence on Skyward, follow the directions below. If your student is ill, please give a description of the symptoms.
District Return to Learn Plan and other important documents
Block Scheduling for Distance Learning
The District will implement a later DL start time for secondary students of 8:25 AM - 3:10 PM, with a 45-minute lunch period. A later start time while in DL will offer benefits for our students. Given current transportation scenarios, we will not be able to continue a later start time if the District goes to in-person learning.
Student Handbook
Music Classes
Free and Reduced Lunch Application
Important Dates
September
- 7 No School
October
- 15-16 No School
- 16 District Decision regarding Return to Learn next phase
Follow us on Social Media
About us
Email: AnKappel@rochester.k12.mn.us
Website: https://wcms.rochesterschools.org/
Location: 2425 11th Avenue Southeast, Rochester, MN 55904, USA
Phone: (507) 328-5900
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/WillowCreekMiddle/
Twitter: @WCreekwildcats
Contact us
Administration
Andrew Kappel - Principal
Denise Long - Assistant Principal
Craig Schneider - Assistant Principal
Counselors
Jessica Olson - Grade 6 Counselor
Tracy Lund - Grade 7 Counselor
Dawn Johnson - Grade 8 Counselor
School Social Workers