West Middleton Update 19-20
~Building a Compassionate, Collaborative Community For All~
A few quick updates from Mrs. Krych for September 2019
For those of you who are new to West Middleton, this is my fourth year as the principal. I live in Madison with my partner Dave and our our three kids, Kai (8th grader at Sennett Middle School), Bodhi (6th grader at Badger Rock Middle School) and Magnolia (4th grader at Elvehjem Elementary School). We have an adorable dog, Cowboy and a spunky cat, Cosmo to round out our family. We love to hang out on State Street, at the Memorial Union or at our neighborhood parks. I love behing outside, hiking in the woods, seeing live music, cooking (when I have time, not because I HAVE to, which, let's be honest, is most of the time) and reading.
West Middleton is a beautiful community of committed educators and families who truly work together to provide the best possible educational experience for our students. As part of our commitment to strong family communication, we will send out a monthly school wide newsletter along with grade level curriculum updates and parent updates for our Bridges Math program. Teachers will also be communicating with you about thing that are happening in their classroom in various ways (email, paper newsletter, communication apps such as Bloomz or SeeSaw, etc.). Every teacher has their own style and personality, and with that comes variations in certain practices. We work hard to calibrate around the important things, such as curriculum, standards, and behavioral expectations but there will always be differences between classrooms. Please know that each teacher and each classroom has it's own unique experiences that will help your child to learn, grow and become their best self.
One of my goals over the last two years was to increase parent communication and parent input. It's not enough for us to send out information to you, we want to know what you think and feel, what you and your child/chidren need and any suggestions you might have. There are several different opportunities for you to become involved in our school community through volunteering or participating on committees. If this is something you are interseted in, please check out the detailed information in the sections below. If you are wondering about something or have concerns, please reach out to your child's teacher. If there is something you would like to share with me, please feel free to email me at kkrych@mcpasd.k12.wi.us. We encourage open communication and one of our collective commitments as a staff is that we believe parents are our partners in education, that they have their child's best interests at heart.
Thank you for entrusting us with your beautiful children. We are extremely lucky to get to do the work we do each and every day.
With Gratitude,
Ms. Katrina Krych
Picture Day - Friday, September 13th
Front Office Procedures
Safety is of the utmost importance at West Middleton Elementary School. In a few weeks, you will be receiving a letter from us explaining our different safety drills and procedures that we will practice with our students. During our August professional development days, our staff spent two hours reviewing procedures and practicing drills on our own, in order to be prepared to review and practice drills with our students.
Another aspect of our safety program is our procedures and practices in our main office. After a recent review, there are a few pieces that we need to tighten up in order to create the safest environment possible and we need the help of all families and visitors. When families come in to drop off items for their student or classroom (snacks, a student's lunch, gym shoes, etc.), we will hold the item and bring it down to the classroom. Parents/guardians will not be able to walk to classrooms to drop off items. Along with it being a safety precaution, this also helps to reduce the number of disruptions to the learning environment. Unless you are a regular visitor of West Middleton and Mrs. Herman knows you well, she will ask to see an ID when checking in to visit the school. If you would like to visit your child's classroom, please contact the teacher ahead of time to arrange a visit (more information on this procedure is in our family handbook).
Grade Level Play Dates - Coming Soon!!
Something new this fall! After the success of our kindergarten play dates, parents in other grades have asked for something similar - a time when all the students from that grade can get together to play! It is a chance for parents to meet the new friends that their kids have been talking about this year and to meet the parents of the students in your child's class. There will be colored name tags for each classroom so you can easily locate the parents and students in your child's class. All playdates will be held on the West Middleton playground at the following times:
1st Grade: Tuesday September 10th 5:30-6:30pm
2nd Grade: Thursday September 12th 5:30-6:30pm
3rd Grade: Tuesday September 17th 5:30-6:30pm
4th Grade: Thursday September 19th 5:30-6:30pm
Please plan to come down the driveway between the main building and annex building back to the playground where there will be a spot for nametags.
PBIS
We have taken time this week to teach expectations (The Wolverine Way) in the classroom, lunchroom, playground, hallways and cubbies, and the bathroom. Teachers went to these areas to model to students and look for noticings on what it should look like and sound like. Our expectations are: I can be responsible, I can be respectful, I can be safe, and I can be a learner. Attached is a blank matrix for you to use at home if you would like to continue to use the same language that we do at school.
On Friday, we had an all-school assembly where we celebrated our learning of the expectations! We also learned our affirmation that we will say as a school on Tuesday mornings. This month's affirmation is called I am Somebody. Our focus for the month of September will be on respect. We will be teaching what respect looks like and sounds like to be a West Middleton Wolverine. We will also have our first Den in September where we are focusing on Respect. We are so happy that all of our students are here and look forward to all of the great learning that will be happening this year!
Social/Emotional Learning Update
We want your child to be as successful as possible at school. Success in school is not just about reading and math. It is also about knowing how to learn and how to get along with others. We will be using the Second Step program in your child’s classroom to teach these critical skills. In every classroom during September, students will focus on our skills for learning. Students are gaining skills to help themselves learn, including how to focus their attention, listen carefully, use self-talk to stay on task, and be assertive when asking for help with schoolwork.Volunteering in Schools
Do you LOVE spending time with kids?
Do you have a special talent you could share?
Do you have some extra time and are wondering where you could spend it?
**If you answered yes to any of these questions - please join us for a volunteer meeting and training with our principal, Mrs. Krych.
Tuesday September 24th at 5:30 p.m. OR Wednesday September 25th at 8:15 a.m. in the Cafeteria at West Middleton. The meeting should take no more than 45 minutes.
When you become a volunteer, your work takes on special significance -- though you
are not part of the staff, you share the same responsibilities of keeping students safe.
School volunteers may be parents or community members. Volunteers can be utilized in
a variety of situations in schools, ranging from one time only to monthly, weekly or daily
commitments. They may provide tutorial help, monitor lunchrooms, staff libraries and
supervise playgrounds. We LOVE our volunteers and couldn't do this work without them.
Parent Action Team - Be a Part of our Mission & Vision Work at West Middleton
Are you interested in helping West Middleton achieve our mission of becoming a compassionate, collaborative community that supports learning for ALL?
We are looking for parents who represent our diverse school community to join our Parent Action Team!
Parent Action Team
A group of parents and staff who are committed to helping West Middleton achieve our vision by working on school-wide efforts to ensure that all families feel welcome and included and all students can achieve at high levels.
We meet every 4-6 weeks from 6-7:30pm. Meetings this year will likely be on Tuesdays, but specific dates for this year are to be determined. Dinner, childcare and transportation is provided.
Previous work of this group includes:
Generating ideas for making family events inclusive of all
Guidance on scheduling of parent-teacher conferences
Funding for all students and families to participate in school events
Enhancing home-school communication
Having fun getting to know a group of caring, committed adults!
If you are interested in joining Parent Action Team, please email Jenni Vondrak at jvondrak@mcpasd.k12.wi.us or 608-829-9364. We will find a time to have a quick meeting with Ms. Krych to discuss your participation!
After School Positions at West Middleton
We would like to begin after school programming as soon as possible this year. We are in need of adults who would be willing to share their passion with our students by running an after
school activity from 2:50-4:00 pm two days per week for about 6 weeks. Our students will have fun learning anything that you love - piano, arts and crafts, soccer, basketball, legos, board games, yoga - the possibilities are endless! If you are interested or have a neighbor or family member who might be interested, please email our After School Coordinator, Jada Thompson at jthompson@mcpasd.k12.wi.us.
We do also have 2 2- hour/week After School Support Positions available to be part of this program as well for anyone looking for additional income.
Please email our After School Coordinator, Jada Thompson at jthompson@mcpasd.k12.wi.us if you are interested in a paid position.
Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year from the Health Office!
We hope you had a healthy summer! While the thought of your child being sick is far from your mind, the following disctrict guidelines are listed for your review, along with some tips to help you and your child stay healthy.
Illness Guidelines
Middleton Cross Plains School District requires children should stay home until no fever (100.0 oral) has been present for 24 hours without medication. A child should remain home when illness such as a sore throat, coughing, vomiting, diarrhea, or nausea will prevent them from functioning in class. It is best practice to keep your child home until food is tolerated. Many times a child cannot concentrate on classroom activities and may expose children to their illness.
Staying Healthy
- Hand washing is the most effective way to kill germs, prevent their spread and keep from getting sick. Wash often with soap and water for 20 seconds, the time it takes to sing the Happy Birthday song. https://www.cdc.gov/handwashing/index.html
- If soap and water is not available, use hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your elbow when you cough or sneeze, throw the tissue away, and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer.
- Make sure your child has a regular bedtime and is getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep impairs the immune system’s ability to fight infection.
- Make sure your child is well nourished, hydrated and has breakfast every morning. Eat plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables, to keep the immune system healthy.
- Make sure your child dresses appropriately for the weather.
Clothing
Children may have accidents or spills, we will try to provide a change of clothing, when possible. Please remember to return any clothing provided for your child after laundering. If your child is prone to accidents please provide them with a change of clothing.
We wish you and your child a healthy and happy school year!
Sonya Waldorf RN, BSN
Julie Richards, Health Assistant
New Staff Introductions
Third Friday Count
September 20th is the 3rd Friday this year. It is extremely important that all students are in attendance as the third Friday count impacts our state funding. Please do everything possible to have your child in school.
Check out our West Middleton FaceBook Page
West Middleton PTO Sponsored Fall Dance
Friday, Sep 27, 2019, 05:00 PM
West Middleton Elementary School, Mineral Point Road, Verona, WI, USA
I AM SOMEBODY
And finally, if you haven't checked out our newest video on FaceBook, here is the schoolwide affirmation we worked on the last month of school last year!! You can have your kids recite this at home before bed. (If you go to our FB page, you can see and hear the video.)
I am somebody
I am capable and loveable
I am teachable, and therefore I can LEARN
I can do anything when I try.
I’ll be the best I can be.
Each day.
Each day.
Each day.
I will not waste time
Because it’s too valuable.
And I am too precious and bright.
I am somebody.
I am somebody.
I am somebody!
By: Andreal Davis