Winfield Middle School Parent Blog
Second Day of Spring, 2016
Who is Flat Stanley?
The ELA teachers at Winfield Middle School are hosting a Flat Stanley Event to begin over the SPRING BREAK. Students and staff at Winfield Middle School are welcome and even encouraged to play along. Three categories make up the project:
- Geographic setting - How far from home does your Flat Stanley travel over the Spring Break?
- Appearance - How does Flat Stanley look in his Winfield Gear? The best decorated Flat Stanley will win!
- Character development: Describe Flat Stanley’s character traits. What does he enjoy the most? What does he dislike? What sorts of things does he think about? What does he like to talk about with others? How do others respond to him?
ELA classes will host the preliminary elimination brackets for the Flat Stanley Competition. The best responses from each ELA class in each grade will be entered into the finals. The Flat Stanleys that make it to hese final rounds have a chance to win big after we return from Spring Break and all entries have been received.
Does anybody know who Earl Nightingale was?
Where we let our mind go during our free time determines the direction in which we will develop, grow and eventually remain.
Think good, be good.
Wherever we focus, think about, or worry about will become us.
Middle School News
Summer School - Summer School at Winfield School District will be from June 1st to June 28th. Middle School classes will be located at the High School. Grades, attendance and behavior are the criteria we use to determine the need for an invitation to the program. The start and end times will be similar to prior years.
Assembly - Details below
Fourth Quarter - Finish strong has become the mantra for many campaigns, projects and themes with other organizations such as livestrong. As usual, the Middle School has a lot going on at the end of our year. Trips, tests, projects and Events might distract us, but we also see them as rewards, motivation and adventures. Planning a trip, building goal-oriented expectations for behavior, efforts, grades and attendance become part of our preparation for life. We do things in preparation for the future. We would like to encourage all our students to finish strong and leave the school year with good memories and high expectations for next year. 
Friday
- Winfield Middle School hosted another one of its landmark AC LAB CHALLENGES. An enthusiastic game of HOT POTATO kept everyone looking to keep the potatoes out of their circle when the music stopped. Mr. Ross transferred the Traveling Trophy to Ms. Fisher during a lively and energetic battle. Some 8th graders were out of the building that day visiting the High School in preparation for next year. Similarly, the 6th graders had a couple dozen 5th graders shadowing them as well. See our facebook page for a few candid shots of the morning. We closed with an introduction to FLAT STANLEY. Where might you go over spring break? Take Flat Stanley with you…
- Academics - It’s not all fun and games! Today, we had an outside professional consultant pay us a visit in preparation for our MAP test. She toured, visiteding with our staff, and made notes and comments, Going forward, she will be part of a team building a plan for improving our achievement levels throughout the district.
- At the end of the day on Friday, we set up the bleachers and prepared for the GLOW VOLLEYBALL fundraiser. Six teams competed for prizes, praises and all the glory, as well as nice parting gifts and their entry fee returned, all to support student programs right here at WMS!
Sunday
- Winfield Primary is hosting an Easter Egg hunt at 11:00 am.
Monday - First Day of Spring - Fruit trees are blooming everywhere. Dogwoods, redbuds and white bass??? Can’t wait!
Tuesday
- Food Bank Tour/ Picnic - NJHS
Wednesday
- This will be the last day before the break to receive a pizza or cookie snack for perfect attendance. We will look at the data to see if there was any effect on our Attendance Rate results.
- During the fourth quarter there will be a concerted effort for those students hovering around the +/-88% attendance mark. These students might likely reach the goal and put us over the top. It is that group that will make the difference for all of us. Our benchmark is set at 90%/90%. (90% of our students attending 90% of the time.) That’s not asking too much is it? Last year we only earned 75% of our Attendance Credit from the State of Missouri because we missed our goal. We could pick up easy building points just by showing up and playing along!
Thursday (like a FRIDAY)
- Students who scored well on their March eValuate tests might be in for something???
- We will likely have a little music playing.. Any #TBT mixes are eligible for the play list.
- OUR FIRST TRACK MEET OF THE SEASON is held on this day, as we travel to Montgomery County for a 4:00 start time. Departure from WMS slated for 2:00 pm.
Friday - Day 1 of Spring Break 2016
See everyone back on April 4th!
- Get your Flat Stanley packed, set up and ready to go!
SPRING BREAK & Upcoming
- Preferred Family Health is sponsoring a Spring Break Day Camp at the Middle School Gym from 3-5. See the flyer for details Monday through Thursday.
- Our Track Meet from 4-7 on Thursday, March 31st is at home. Field workers would be put to good use, I’m sure!
- With way too many connections to the area to ignore, we welcome Sgt. Chris Bosley of the St Charles Cyber Crime Task Force. Sgt. Bosley will present to the parents and community of Winfield in our very own Middle School gym. Celebrity Status right here at 6:30 pm!
- Early Release, April 4th, when we return.
From the gorgeous magnolia tree at Central Office to the sink or float battle on Pi Day, the diversity and variety we find at school is all intended to entice young learners into finding something of interest. By increasing their interest level, they increase engagement and participate in their world to the fullest extent.
Happiness isn’t based on the outside, but the inside!
What makes me successful? The success of others around me!
- Give a special shout to Hanna for getting 88 digits of pi under her belt! Also, a day of SINK OR FLOAT, artistic displays and plenty of pie. Nice work Math Department!
- One of my favorite parts of my job is reading the student recognitions at the Board Meetings. Members who sit on the Board appreciate the prose and subtle nuances staff members share about the students they have nominated. Parents are beaming while the students are turning RED. Staff write formal but lighthearted notes of approbation based on many hours in the presence of these pupils. One staff member asked if we could add extra nominees. I replied with an enthusiastic, “YES!”
Conclusion
In this season of SPRING TIME I remember that nothing is ever permanent or automatic. We each travel through seasons, learning what we can and getting the most from each experience. Those who learn from other people's mistakes are often spared the extremes of life. Those who make the mistakes themselves learn more deeply! Getting to have conversations with teachers about what it means to be a teacher reminds me of my passages through stress, discomfort and uncertainty. At Winfield, we do our best to reach into, serve, and provide for our community a foundation upon which students can grow! Our students truly are the future. We don't know what they will grow through or go through but we want them to be as equipped as possible to face what comes their way.
A question asked of me in an interview long ago comes to mind. “Mr McCracken, what would you rather teach? Calculus or basic math?” My flippant response of “People, stuff!” did nothing to impress my interviewer, but it did set the stage for my future. Yet, that single question and answer helped me articulate what I thought was most valuable. I realized my goal wasn't this group of children or that group of children but all people. Regardless of their season of life, anyone could become my new audience. Here is where I am growing the most! I might not be able to teach those with more wisdom or understanding but I would like to help create an environment where learning, change and development are the norm and those “aha’ moments happen daily for everyone. I teaching and lead my peers, most of whom are talented, equipped and specially trained in their area of expertise well beyond my limited education-- either formally or from the streets! I used to think I could actually be the teacher! I am realizing I can only support their learning. Each of us, regardless of our situation in life,must be responsible for our own learning.
WHAT ARE YOU LEARNING?
Ancora Imparo,
Yet, I still learn
Humbly,
Tom McCracken
Anybody know where this picture was taken?
