Willink Principal's Newsletter
Willink Titans CARE
Principal's Message
August 14, 2020
Hello Willink Families,
Believe it or not, the first day of school is less than 4 weeks away! Many students and parents are anxiously awaiting schedules and other information that, under normal circumstances, would be coming out next week. Given the current situation and the deluge of information all of you are receiving, we are trying to be very conscious of holding off on sending families anything from the building that is likely to change. As you can imagine, the recent decision for families to send students back to school in-person or virtual has created some new and unique scheduling tasks for us to accomplish. While I can’t give you a specific date, trust that students schedules and additional information will be shared as soon as possible.
That being said, I wanted to send this newsletter out today with information that IS ready to share. Please read on for some valuable updates and advice from Willink Middle School and the Webster Central School District.
Most of all, I hope all of our Willink Titans and our families are staying healthy and looking forward to the school year. I know I am!
Take care!
Brian Powers
Principal
Health and Safety
COVID Testing and Contact Tracing
Cleaning, Masking, and Distancing
Instructional Models
CLICK HERE for a link to these meetings and the slideshow.
The first step for students right now is to practice wearing their masks. Most students (and most of us adults) have not experienced wearing a mask for hours on end. I would highly suggest using these next 4 weeks to practice masking as they will need to be worn throughout the school day. There will be structured exceptions such as when students are seated, eating, and socially distanced in the cafeteria. A little practice will go a long way!
WHO TO CONTACT
For families that are returning to Willink:
PLEASE NOTE THAT OUR SCHOOL COUNSELING ALIGNMENT HAS CHANGED. SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE NOW ASSIGNED TO STUDENTS BASED ON HOUSE RATHER THAN LAST NAME.
See below for administrative and counselor contact information.
WEB - Where Everyone Belongs
6th Grade families - look for an additional email today with details on WEB orientation.
Lockers and Backpacks
Students will be assigned lockers though we will ask that they are used primarily for coats and for students who bring lunch to school with them. We will be encouraging a stop before homeroom, at lunch if needed, and at the end of the day. But don't' worry - this is new to all of us. We will work with all of our students to make this new routine work!
Lockers for Physical Education class will not be assigned this year. Students will not be required to change for PE class.
The purpose for these changes is to help maintain one way traffic flow and social distancing in the hallways during passing time. It will also be extremely helpful for students and our cleaning crew in the event that schools are required to close again. For this reason, we also thank you in advance for refraining from decorating lockers (inside or outside) and limiting what is stored inside.
A frequently asked question that has come my way is about the size limits of backpacks. We will not have any dimensional requirements this year.
CHROMEBOOKS
One Webster Equity, Diversity Catching F.I.R.E. in Webster
Equity and diversity are catching F.I.R.E. in the Webster community!
Families Igniting Racial Equity (F.I.R.E.) is a vibrant, parent-led organization whose mission is to build a racially- and economically-just community. Spearheaded by the school district, the group includes members from throughout our community -- parents, concerned family members, and allies passionate about One Webster!
Watch district social media for upcoming meeting notices. For further information on being a part of this growing organization, please contact Terry McCarthy, Webster CSD Director of Humanities, at terrance_mccarthy@webstercsd.org or (585) 216-0080.
Together we can help Webster blaze a trail in creating a more equitable and inclusive community!
F.I.R.E Meeting Dates:
- September 15, 2020
- October 20, 2020
- November 17, 2020
- December 15, 2020
- January 19, 2021
- February 23, 2021
- March 16, 2021
- April 20, 2021
- May 11, 2021
- June 15, 2021
WATER BOTTLES
I would also highly recommend finding a sharpie and writing the student first and last name on the bottle. As you can imagine, our wonderful middle school students can often misplace these important items and many look alike. (The Willink Principal has also been known to lose a water bottle as well - so I'm speaking from experience!)
Fall Sports Registration On Hold
This past Friday July 24th was supposed to be the date for Athletes to begin to register through Family ID for Fall sports. Now that the season is on pause until September 21st, registration on Family ID is also on pause. We will reopen Family ID when we have decisions on the Fall and the rest of the seasons.
Thank you
Steve LaMonica
Director of Physical Education and Athletics
Webster Thomas High School
SAVE THE DATES!
- Wednesday, August 26th: 6th Grade Virtual WEB Orientation (Look for an email with details)
- Thursday, August 27th and Friday, August 28th: 6h grade self guided building tours (sign up to follow)
- Wednesday, September 9th @ 6pm: Willink Virtual Open House (more details to follow)
- Thursday, September 10th: The First Day of School!