Winfield Middle School Parent Blog
May 2, 2016
DO NOT COUNT THE DAYS,
but
MAKE THE DAYS COUNT!
The word for month of MAY:
Confidence -
The assurance that you will complete the task before you.
A Brief Note for Parents:
There are many sites on the internet that offer endless tips on what to do, how to be a good parent and how to raise your child.
“...As long as it’s KG”
Staff throughout the Middle School made an extra special effort last week to contribute to the Special Day of Honor for our Administrative Assistant, Mrs. Kristen Gross. We couldn't do it without her. Mrs. Gross, thanks for everything.
BRAIN BREAK in MATH CLASS
Ask Ms. Gracey how this kinesthetic activity worked as a brain break. After just a few days, students adjusted well to the new block schedule; they now think the regular hours just “fly by!”
Learning Standards? Academic Standards? Content Standards? These terms are all various ways to describe one central concept: what a student should know, be able to do, or be capable of performing by the time they a certain grade level. In Missouri, our standards are created by “work groups of Missouri parents and educators,” then developed by the Missouri State Department of Education, and finally approved by the Missouri State Legislature in Jefferson City. I am happy to note that the Missouri Legislature recently approved an updated version of the Missouri Learning Standards. I thought you might enjoy seeing them. Here are links to the final approved standards.
What do teachers do all day? How do they determine what to teach?
Where do they get all their plans?
Typically, teachers spend years training, learning content, laws, rules and methods for managing, reporting, recording and leading a classroom. They consider their audience, their content and their resources to plan activities that will lead to interesting, engaging and stimulating learning activities for their students.
Question #1 - What do we want students to learn? (See the link above to Missouri Learning Standards) *
What curriculum exists for us to work from or into?
Question #2 - How do we know if students know it?
Grades, progress reports, rubrics, tests, self-reported grades, handouts, coloring and decorating sheets, essays, problems, the aha moment??? How do we know if students know what we taught them?
How are we doing according to our Progress Report Grades?
Over 36% of our assigned grades are A’s. Our students work hard at understanding content. Our next step is to determine how we can connect the grades with learning, achievement and progress.
Here’s one way:
How are we doing according to eValuate?
Cycle A
Cycle B
Seeing more Green and Yellow demonstrates increases in the individual student performance.
And another View
According to eValuate, we have seen some growth.
Interestingly, we will wait again for the MAP results.
How are we doing according to our MAP Testing Results?
According to the state scores, we are still looking for the keys to finding that elusive goal called “success.”
Great Attendance so far this month
As a building, we are scored on components like attendance, discipline, MAP scores, and parent contacts.
Red Card and Black Card statuses are incentives used to benefit students who meet our expectations.
Watching the community support sending students to school renews our hope for future success.
Thank you!
MONDAY - Teacher Appreciation Week - May 2
- Track Team and Individual Pictures at the HIGH SCHOOL after school
WEDNESDAY - May 4
- APRIL HENRY AUTHOR VISIT IN ST. PETERS- Get those 6th graders home early for MAP testing to begin the next morning
- Early Release
THURSDAY - May 5
- DAY #1 of MAP testing
- How can the community prepare for these tests? http://www.goodluckexams.com/what-to-do-on-the-day-of-an-exam/
FRIDAY - May 6
- MAP - Day 2
Upcoming
5/4 Spencer Library - (Meet the Author - April Henry - Get home and in Bed Early, 6th Graders!)
Early Release
End of the Year
Expectations for SY 16-17
Summer School
Summer Academy
Summer Planning
End of the Year Planning
5/5 MAP Testing - Middle School
5/6 MAP Testing - Middle School
5/10 MAP Testing - Middle School
5/11 MAP Testing - Middle School
5/12 Six Flags - Leadership Students
5/13 SEMI Student Dance - Students MUST BE in attendance on this day to attend.
5/16 Field Day - ALL Middle School students - Pink & Purple Assembly, Expectations
5/17 Final Ac Lab Challenge - Dunk Tank - eValuate - Locker Clean Out; Survey Day
BOE Meeting - 6:30 Central Office
5/18 Chris’s Cakes for students with Regular Attendance and Student of the Month
5/19 Last Day, Half Day, 8th Grade BBQ & Walk-Out (8th grade graduation)
National Junior Honor Society
No event is complete without a few refreshments!
The candle lighting portion of the NJHS Induction Ceremony reminded us of the connection of the ongoing FLAME that burns within each of us, waiting to be kindled into a bright beacon of hope and inspiration.
Conclusion
This week we hosted the Induction Ceremony for the National Junior Honor Society. The payoff is huge. At Winfield Middle School, the students were inducted into the NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY on Friday at a candle lighting ceremony. Membership into this exclusive group is based on Character, Citizenship, Scholarship, Leadership and Service. These new inductees, along with the current members work with staff sponsor, Ms. Hines at improving and growing our culture and climate at the Winfield Middle School. They raise money, host events, perform generous acts of service and carry themselves with honor here at WMS.
As one of our favorite and most prestigious groups at the Middle School, we take pride in our program and look forward to great growth from these very fine young students.
Humbly honored,
Tom McCracken
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