WMS Parent Thanksgiving Thoughts 2015

This issue of the Winfield Middle School Parents’ Blog will cover the next two weeks. Keep watching, though, for additional emails, daily announcements and facebook updates through the Thanksgiving Week, including the upcoming Presidential Proclamation.

Happy Thanksgiving - 2015

ASSIGNMENT: Try to list three things you are thankful for EVERY day, at the same time in the same way, 

either writing them down or telling another person or some other habitiual way. 

A book I am reading, The Happiness Advantage, claims remembering just three positive features, incidents or good things works wonders for our outlook. 

Pink, Purple or throw-back currency.  Students at WMS collect and trade them for bling, school supplies and fun trinkets of appriciation from PBiS.

Teachers have unique opportunities and responsibilities...

Watching students and teachers interact all day allows us the privilege of seeing  students grow up right before our eyes. They arrive in this building playing with toys, but leave the building three years later, nearly ready for car keys. We would not trade our students for any others!

Welcome to the middle school.

Do not confuse compassion for weakness!

Is there a thing such as too mean?  

Can you be too nice?  

How about not smiling until Thanksgiving?  

These questions are often asked by teachers, parents and others adults trying to guide students into a healthy and productive future. This light reading offers an articulate perspective on how to reach and influence students who cross our paths, along with implications for reaching students in any setting.

Some view it this way.

How about a ride in this ride to Pizza Hut?

“The trouble is you are not trouble!”

Watching our district improve behaviorally, academically and socially provides us with encouragement, enthusiasm and renewed passion about our jobs day in and day out. As we develop interventions for ALL learners (and not just those who are struggling) we think about what works and what does not. We think about being in a classroom, and consider how we like to be treated. We then articulate and implement a broad range of initiatives  to reach students at all levels of ability and serve their needs. If we find we don’t have the tricks, we look into current research scholarship and develop what will work. Thinkers such as Hattie, Marzano, etc, as well as sources as accessible as Pinterest, are filled with ideas of effective, kid-tested interventions. We spend a lot of time looking at data, numbers, strengths, areas of growth and potential development.

All the 7th graders are invited to take a day off school.  Would you pay $10 to attend a show, have a lunch and hang out with your firends all day?  I would!

Jeans Days for Teachers

Our seventh grade teachers are assembling a grade level field trip to The St. Louis Repertory Theater during a school day, December 16th. For $10, students will travel to Webster Groves, attend a tour back stage, share a meal, watch the play that is tied to their curriculum and ride back in time to get them on the regular bus home that same day! Teachers are even supporting the cause, paying $8 and contributing to students possibly needed a bit of support. This contribution allows teachers  to wear jeans everyday from November 30th to December 4th.

Thanks PBiS for organizing this Warrio Way Store. 

It seems like a good way to reach another group of students.

Monday 11/23

Teachers had all grades entered into the system yesterday. Today the grades were emailed to parents and guardians.

Basketball against Montgomery City

Boys travel there

Girls host them here

Tuesday 11/24

Lincoln County Counselor’s Meeting @ Central Office

Basketball against Wright City

Boys travel there

Girls host them here

Wednesday 11/25 & Sunday 11/29

The Middle School Boys will have Basketball practice during Thanksgiving Break. #boom   #nextlevel  See the Coach for details!

Rollin' on out to the Pizza Hut!

Monday 11/30

Basketball against Warrenton

Boys travel there

Girls host them here

Tuesday December 1st  (Can you believe we are here, already?)

8th Grade Basketball against Wentzville - here

Wednesday 12/2

Early Release Day

Our teachers will participate in an Active Shooter Training as presented by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department

Thursday 12/3

Lincoln County DART (Drug and Alcohol Reduction Team) is administering an area wide survey to 6th, 9th and 12th graders through the County. They will be at Winfield Middle School on 12/3 to survey the 6th graders during Ac Lab. Parents may opt out in writing or by emailing mismith@pfh.org with their student’s name and the words “OPT OUT” in the body of the email.

Basketball against Montgomery City

Boys travel there

Girls host them here

Friday 12/4

Winfield Middle School is a great place to work. Students seem to enjoy being here. Discipline is at an all time low. Attendance, having room for growth and achievement, is poised to soar as well. Ask your students what the “real trouble” is at the middle school. See if they listened to our talk.

Again, this blog will cover the upcoming Presidential Proclamation, Thanksgiving and carry us into December.

Have a safe holiday.

Tom McCracken

Next Level Lessons in Middle School

Respect others,

Respect your surroundings,

Respect yourself...

November 16th, 2015

Winfield Middle School is filled with learning opportunities, over and over again!

Even a brief review of the events of last week reveals the frequency and diversity of the exposure our students have to encounter something new. The Veterans’ Assembly, Breakdownstl, and the basketball tournaments provided a backdrop for students to consider new horizons on many fronts.

For instance…

The Veterans’ Assembly, held in the middle school gym, hosted over two hundred veterans and a thousand students and staff. An event like this is created to honor and show gratitude to the Veterans in attendance, those currently serving and those who have gone ahead of us. Students singing, creating and sitting quietly and attentively is all the Veterans expect. Veterans appreciate the student offerings, knowing each contribution comes from the heart and personally expresses gratitude and thankfulness directly related to a Veteran’s sacrifice. From my very limited perspective, seeing the faces of Veterans and students alike radiating pride, joy, and warmth confirms in my heart that our message was felt. We are proud to host this annual event at Winfield Middle School.

And the next day…

A local organization called www.breakdownstl.org presented their message of nobility, new beginnings and commiment to the high school students first, but then also to the Middle School students. Seventh and eighth graders traveled by bus over to the high school, loaded up in their gym, and then sat attentively while this troupe presented in song, dance, drama and speech. Student-sensitive topics such as safety, choices, peer pressure and fresh starts were discussed with enough outspoken frankness to maintain interest and enough earnestness to convey importance. Our students loved it. After the assembly, we sent the seventh graders back to school for lunch and the eighth graders had a unique opportunity to connect with the cast, mingling, visiting, sharing and then culminating in an impromptu “dance off” that morphed into a beneficial opportunity for students to talk about things with true peers.

And finally…

Basketball Tournaments in the middle school often lead to discouragement and disappointment. This year however, our teams have noticed the results of playing as a team, working the plays, taking shots, and earning fouls for additional opportunities to score. Games scheduled on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays made the school nights a bit challenging, but students understood that the academic challenges were as taxing as the physical challenges. Lessons in winning are as valuable as lessons in losing and this week we had both. The final outcomes left our athletes with memories that may last their lifetimes!  Those memories and lessons are the reason we set up the extra curricular activities.

Accreditation

We have achieved full accreditation this year based on the scores below.

District and Building Data

Here are some numbers and figures we discuss with our Board of Education. They show an upswing from the prior year, but we still have a great distance  to go. Please stand with us in raising achievement levels, improving behavior and getting students to school EVERY SINGLE DAY. Success is a goal that takes all of us to truly realize our fullest potential.

On January 20th, 1961, John F Kennedy said, “Ask not what your school can do for you, but what you can do for your school.”  (school = country)

I have a similar approach in my mind and heart as I review this data above. I can only ask what I can do to support improving these scores.

Can I work harder or smarter?  

Am I focusing on the wrong things?

Should I focus my energies on something more productive?  

Am I too soft on my evaluations?  

Should I tell people what to do more?  

Should I micro-manage more?  

I ask myself these types of questions every time I see this data and reflect on the final outcome. I know I am only one person, but being part of a team is one of my highest values. I can really only find success if those around me have also found success.

Any time at WMS

Being part of this staff team at Winfield Middle School brings me a sense of pride and honor. Watching this group of teachers work so hard at building relationships, giving extra chances, teaching students first, content second and walking alongside our students stirs my heart. Successes and breakthroughs happen every day. Please feel welcome to stop by for a visit at any time. We appreciate the unannounced visits since they allow us to truly shine and demonstrate our authentic activities. We may be busy but we will work to host all our visitors

Monday - 11/16

7th grade basketball to Silex

Tuesday - 11/17

Top Fundraisers earned their Limo to Lunch Ride

• 2 shifts begin at 10:30
• 20+ sales and 25+ sales (25+ get to take a friend)  
• Permission slips ARE REQUIRED

Board of Education Meeting at 6:30

Boys basketball at Orchard Farm

Wednesday - 11/18

Early Release

Girls to host Orchard Farm

Thursday - 11/19

Basketball v Silex tonight

Friday - 11/20

End of Progress Report grading period - all assignments should be turned previous to this day

Wednesday - 11/25 - 11/27

Thanksgiving Break

Upcoming

Teachers participate in Active Shooter Training - Early Release - 12/02/15

Veterans Day, 2015, Guest Authors

Two Guest Authors in RED Included in This

Winfield Middle School Parent Blog

November 9th, 2015

PBiS 1st Quarter Data - Updated With October Data

Below is an unsolicited post from a guest blogger, delivered to Mr. McCracken and reproduced here for your contemplation.

This 6th grader does a wonderful job articulating the phrase, “Hurt people, hurt people;” a reminder that some people hurt others because they themselves are hurting.

Student Author: Pennies and Dimes

Dear Mr. McCracken,

On Monday, my sister asked if a dime costs more why is a penny bigger?” That night I couldn’t sleep a wink because I was thinking about a lesson that I could use that phrase on. Here it is, “Say a bully is the penny, and a dime is the victim. The penny is bigger and stronger while the dime is smaller. A bully approaches you and instantly picks on you and you decide to stay calm and ignore it. The bully is still picking on you, he's in your face, calling you names and you show no offense to anything that he says. Eventually the bully will stop, and when he does, he's still bigger but he knows he's only won the battle, not the war. The second that the bully stops is when you've won the war and the bully knows it. So after you've won the war, he is still bigger but he feels less worth it. Now the bully feels like he's only worth one penny. But on the other hand, the dime is happy, he's still smaller but he feels like a hero. He knows he's won so he feels like 10 cents. That is my student lesson today, I hope you've enjoyed it.

Student EW

Winfield Middle School

PBiS

Still keeping tabs on our PBiS data, a full month shows a slight increase. The fresh perspective of the Warrior Way Store and the Spirit Sticks are a big hit with social or relational capital and The Mix Bucks and McCracken Money seem to be effective motivators. We purposely keep the students guessing on who might really be winning to maintain the excitement. Students gather the tickets and redeem (spend) them in the Warrior Way Store, held in the library periodically. Pink or Purple is catching on at the Middle School.

Daylight Savings Time

It does take a few days to adjust to the time change. Even the “additional” hour seems like a benefit but the body does have to adjust. Here are some pointers to review for fun. Maybe I should have sent them out last week?  

Monday - 11/9

Ms. Mix is at a Counselor's Conference Monday and Tuesday.

Basketball just about every night this week, both boys and girls, 7th and 8th grade!

See Brackets for Tourney Play  -   

Elsberry 8th Grade Tournament   

Monday -      Girls at 4:00 - Boys at 5:15

Wednesday- Girls at 6:30 - Boys at 7:45

Thursday - TBD

Winfield 7th Grade Tournament

Tuesday -  Girls at 6:30 - Boys at 7:45

Wednesday- Girls at 6:30 - Boys at 7:45

Thursday -  Girls at 4:00 - Boys at 5:15

Tuesday - 11/10

Fundraiser Orders delivered to the Middle School at the end of the school day to the cafeteria.

Wednesday - 11/11

Veterans Day - A bit different this year. Breakfast first followed by pictures and then the ceremony.

8:00 AM Breakfast at the Middle School - guests expected - registration requested.

Student Author: Tribute

The people before you are risk takers

They are freedom fighters

They spend parts of their career watching the borders

With their bravery and courage

We’ve learned to value freedom,

Something we shall never forget

Is the protection you gave us.

Matthew Bates

8th Grade Winfield Middle School

Thursday - 11/12

AGENDA: www.breakdownstl.org

7th and 8th graders and their teachers will attend a Safe Choices presentation at the High School. There is an opt out sheet. We have published it on the web and parents may access via this link.

Friday - 11/13

Saturday - 11/14

Opening Day in Missouri

Upcoming

11/17 Limousine Rides for the top 30 fundraisers. They will head to Pizza Hut in Troy for lunch that day. We have so many, it will take two trips to get everybody there and back! Well done. Thanks for supporting our school with your purchases.

11/17  Board of Education Meeting at 6:30pm

11/18 Junior Achievement will briefly be spotlighted during the November 18th Professional Development  time with teachers and staff. Teachers will then receive additional training  in using a new assessment tool called “eValuate.” This program has garnered support among educators across the country with its unequaled track record of helping students strengthen their skills. Here’s a link, if you would like to know more.  

11/19 - ELA and Social Studies may meet for collaboration.

Professional Development

Why do some people start another project before they finish the one they are working on? How can others stay with a single project to its conclusion? To gain another perspective, similar to a personality test, we heard about an analysis of individual work modes called a Kolbe Index.

Concluding Remarks

Watching this staff work together, helping the students learn respect, academics, responsibility and how safety is more than just a nice term, inspires and motivates us in the front office to do our very best. We strive to articulate goals, reach those benchmarks and then celebrate those successes, all while maintaining a positive and happy attitude. Last week, we discussed at lunch how being happy was not the goal. We theorized being happy was our frame of mind or state of being along the way to our goals.

Mr. McCracken

Principal

Winfield Middle School

Newsworthy: Winfield Middle School Parents

Red Ribbon Wrap Up

Winfield Middle School Parent Blog

November 2, 2015

HEADLINE NEWS WORTHY INFORMATION:  SCHOOL WIDE DISCIPLINE MUCH IMPROVED

Winfield Middle School is striving to be that school.  Thanks to so many for such great growth.

PBiS Report

One component of education is behavior.  Teachers consider behavior and the time students are actually in class as important and necessary to establish routines, accountability and habits leading to present and future success. To measure and assess progress, we take data points frequently and regularly. The above chart provides some evidence of the current state at Winfield Middle School.  As we shared with our Board of Education, the purple bars in the figure above actually shows great improvement and success regarding student behavior.  Following the Warrior Way, building student social capital, Mix Bucks and McCracken Money could all be factors. Parental support, community involvement and extracurricular activities are also contributing factors. Regardless of the influence, we commend the students for their attitudes, behaviors and willingness to participate in their education by choosing to be in the right place at the right time with the right people doing the right thing.

Middle School Building Guests

We frequently host guests in the building taking tours, visiting, and checking on how we do things here. Comments vary, but guests’ observations are predominantly positive and encouraging. Substitutes remark about the attitudes of both staff and students. Others appreciate the orderliness and volume in the hallways. Even our PBiS representative from Jefferson City noted our Safety Survey Results and also that the PBIS Data reflected a definite positive trend. Again, thanks for working so hard to make us ‘that’ school, in “that” town, in “that” county! We are on that path but could not do it without everyone's support.

Meet some of our Middle School Staff:

Did you know this about Kenneth Higgins?

Or Courtney Harmon?

Practicing the photobomb during CRAZY DAY, Winfield Middle School Staff can’t help but smile at the mention of their students.  Even their best “straight face” shows smile in the eyes!  Well done, Ms. Harmon and Mr. Higgins.

Routines:

We intend to maintain routines for a few weeks before the Holidays.  Basketball season, Progress Reports, and even deer season are on the minds of many of us. Even so, let’s rally and focus on the future by focusing on the actions we complete today.  Healthy habits, procedures and follow-through are vital at this stage of the school year for strengthening student connections and adolescent development. Thanks for all you do.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE:

Monday - 11/2

PROGRESS REPORTS and BREAKDOWN STL Flyer being sent home with students today as well as emailing through the SIS Parent Portal.

Basketball practice continues.

Tuesday - 11/3

Election Day.  Be sure to take part in the political process.

Wednesday - 11/4 - Early Release -

Teachers participate in Professional Development.

Thursday - 11/5

Our first set of Basketball Games is tonight as we open against our county rival, Elsberry.  

Boys at home and Girls away!  Talk with the players and take in a game or two throughout our short but fun season.

Friday - 11/6

Our basketball team hosts Van Far is slated to host the 7th graders tonight.

Saturday - 11/7

Upcoming events and details are ALL available here on the district maintained EVENT CALENDAR!

Next Week:

11/11 Veterans Day - A bit different this year. Breakfast first followed by pictures and then the ceremony.

11/12 Breakdownstl.org for 7th and 8th graders in the AM. Here is an opt out sheet if you wish for your student to skip the event.

We have published it on the WEB and parents are allowed access via this link

Conclusion

Last Friday, the 30th, PBiS celebrated students and their efforts in academics, behavior and attendance all together hosting a special event.. Reaching this mark takes discipline, diligence and extra efforts.  Students reaching benchmarks were treated to a movie with some even earning a sno-cone.  Special thanks to the students for working so hard and the teachers for attending to all the details to make that happen and parents for supporting their efforts at home.

After the movie, students ate lunch. We spent the afternoon watching an exhibition basketball scrimmage among the 7th and 8th graders, with the AC LAB Challenge ending the school day.  Concluding the day’s activities was a COSTUME CELEBRATION.  Be sure and see our facebook site for some fun pics.

Some are reading a book titled The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor.  The book claims happiness is before success and if we wait for the right amount of success, we will never be happy.  As perpetual learners, we are wondering how this fits into the middle school setting. Does it mean we must be happy, regardless of our circumstances? Does it mean we put our heads in the sand and ignore problems?  Does it mean we build our success on happiness or build our happiness on success?  We are not quite sure of all the applications but we are having fun exploring happiness.

Honored and grateful,

Tom McCracken

Winfield Middle School Principal

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