Question du Jour - Question of the Day?

Winfield Middle Staff Blog

December 5, 2016

Grades coming out this week.

The last set before the semester. Talk with teachers about any issues now to get them cleared up before the end of the Semester.

eValuate Results and the “Question” du jour

2016

Same time in 2015

At the Middle School, we have added a single new intervention to help our students with their test taking procedures, question reading skills and confidence. A QUESTION OF THE DAY, we call it Question du Jour prompts students to understand, read and answer with assurance.

After only a few short weeks of reviewing the actual questions, we begin to see the fruit of our labor!

In the top Green Chart, we see solid growth throughout so much of the chart. As compared to last year in the Red Chart, it is substantially different.

For instance, when I went into a classroom and tried to answer the Question du Jour, I got it wrong! It wasn’t because I did not understand the word “redundancy” but because I DID NOT KNOW WHAT THE QUESTION WAS ASKING! I “read” the question and assumed I knew what it was asking but I missed the mark. The question was looking for the reader to identify two positive answers but I identified one negative. Yes, I had identified something, but it was not what they were asking! This gentle reminder verifies our simple yet effective intervention of the Question du Jour.

Attendance:

   

The Cold and Flu Season strikes with authority!

We are still above last year but it is tough to battle the seasonal trends.

We are bring back the Attendance Challenge with a Vengeance. We started on December 1st with the AC LAB classes. Once a class gets days of perfect attendance, we offer them a class-wide prize. We also reset the contest and move to the following class period for another round.

Families can help by planning vacations during days off, sending students to school unless they have a fever and not letting them stay home because of stress.

Pepsi with the Principal

**

Schedule for December 5th - 9th  

Monday

• 7th Grade Basketball at Orchard Farm, Girls then Boys

Wednesday

• Early Release
• Pepsi with the Principal**

Thursday

• Basketball against Clopton
• Girls travel there
• Boys at home

Friday

• Basketball against Louisiana
• Girls travel there
• Boys at home
• Items for Giving Tree due to Mrs. Hines in the Library
• Breakfast Reveal for Secret Santa Students and Staff before school in the library

Upcoming/Ongoing

• The NJHS Giving Tree for Lincoln County Adopt-a-Family is up in our library
• This year we also added the Camp Avery Boys and Girls Club

Saturday, December 10

Schedule for December 12th - 16th  

Monday

• 8th Grade Girls and Boys vs Frontier Middle School at home
• Book Fair

Tuesday

• Book Fair in the Library

Wednesday

• Dec 14th - High School/Middle School Choir Concert
• Book Fair in the Library

Thursday

• 8th Grade Basketball travel to South Middle School
• Girls then Boys
• Book Fair in the Library

Friday

• The Warrior Way Store will be open during lunch
• Book Fair

Schedule for December 19th - 21st  

Monday

• Dec 19th - Middle School Band Concert - Book Fair open late
• Toys for Tots AC LAB Challenge hosted by the Winfield Fire Department
• Santa to “Pick up” toys on December 19th during AC LAB
• Blizzard Bum - Wear comfy clothes

Tuesday

• Winter White Out - Wear all white

Wednesday

• Early Release / End of Quarter 2
• Ac Lab Challenge
• Christmas Craze - Ugly Sweater / Christmas-y Attire

Bullet Points:

• We are aligning many of our SPIRIT DAYS with the high school, allowing traveling teachers, our teachers and our students all the opportunity to celebrate together and develop connections with each other.
• Our Daily Announcements contain highlights for upcoming and ongoing events as well. Please ensure you are on Mrs. Gross’ “list.”  
• Frequent highlights include:
• Attendance from the prior day.
• Quote of the day
• Sports schedules
• Upcoming special events

Thank you, for EVERYTHING. I am honored to look out the back door and see the best skies. It is a reminder of our progress, growth and advancement as we strive together to make Winfield great again.

Tom McCracken

PS  (I am looking forward to sporting my new “Ugly Sweater!”  See you at the Winfield Lights?)