Saturday, March 25, 2017

Welcome Back to WMS, Spring 2017

Middle School Schedule for March 27th - 31st
You’ve seen the “soft opening” of the first ever
Now get ready for the Grand Opening of the Summer Journey Registration Window
We will host an assembly on Monday, March 27th, first thing to let all those invited know about the details… Early Signups will be honored as well! What will you do this Summer? Have fun AND learn at the same time? We will! Come join us! You’ll also EARN a crisp Ben Franklin for PERFECT attendance and we’ll have breakfast, lunch and transportation!
NOTE: There is still time to take a vacation after the regular school year and before the Summer Journey begins!
Spring Break, Equinox
Equi - nox  = Equal night and day times when the sun is directly over the equator, splitting the northern and southern hemisphere.
Did anyone try and balance an egg?
I wonder who took this shot from the middle of the road???
Thursday presented a gorgeous sunrise!
For the week of March 27th - 31st
Monday - March 27th
  • Summer School Kick off for 6th and 7th graders ONLY
    • Traditional Summer School and Summer Academy available for 8th graders
  • Track Practice continuing
Tuesday - March 28th
  • 5th Grade Step Up Day
    • We are working on a plan to maximize our learning as well as set the minds at ease of the incoming 5th graders
  • Photographer here taking PERSONALITY PORTRAITS this AM
These order forms are available in the office AND online at:
Use Password:  WINFIELDMS
Please send receipt to photographer.
  • Bright Futures Meeting
Wednesday - March 29th
  • Bus Evacuation Practice in the gravel lot in the AM as students practice these seldom used but necessary emergency procedures
  • 5th Grade Step up Day
Thursday - March 30th
  • Chess Club - Mr. Utlaut’s room
Friday - March 31st
  • City Museum with Book Club
The Mathletes hosted some delicious fun while celebrating Einstein's Birthday!
Q. How big is a Quadrillion?
This day was filled with mathematical explorations, and trying to really understand how the distance around a circle is ALWAYS 3.14 times the diameter. Food, life size measuring, tongues, and technology helped students wrap their heads around the concept of pi!  Did you know pi goes well beyond the 3.14… that we all know. In fact there is NO END to how far it goes on. One mathematician use a bank of 100 computers to figure out pi to 2,000,000,000,000,000 places! (Quadrillion) WOW! Cool.
Upcoming/Ongoing
Middle School Track
How about that track team with over 50 middle school students involved!?
The tradition continues here at Winfield Middle School with students breaking records, practicing, and growing into fine competitors as they face competitors from all over the Conference. Nice work, to all the coaches, players and parents doing the many things  necessary to organize and lead these scholar athletes to their #nextlevel.
“Honey, does this dress make me look fat?”
Reflecting: Speaking of next level…
One of the best things about serving as your Principal is the variety of challenges and puzzles we get to solve, every single day! On a typical school day,  every district employee  might be asked to wear an expansive number of hats, from leader, to manager, to disciplinarian, to nurse, to sounding board, to friend, to parent, to teacher or even custodian or food service worker. It is this diversity that piques our interest, drives our motivation and keeps us striving to make it as good as we can get it. Never satisfied with “good enough,” we push ourselves and EVERYONE in the community to grow, get better and improve their serve. Paying closer attention to detail, reaching for personal records and striving to master objectives in content, relationships and athletics as never before.
This is the Middle School. This is maturity, growing up and getting to the next level. I picked up a book, ALATEEN - a day at a time over the break and opened it to a random page, where the topic suggested the need for a “personal willingness to change from within.” Immediately, I was reminded of how sometimes, even our children face obstacles and distractions that we NEVER would have considered possible just 10 or 15 years ago. With the advancement of Social Media, students learning cyber manners, not saying or typing whatever they think is a necessary skill. However, finally getting an understanding of how discussions happen is an even more important skill to master! We are preparing them for a future that does not exist, yet!
Also forefront in the text was an overarching theme of growth;  we can and do get better, but it takes work, time and effort on our part. Students today face many more obstacles, cyber issues and socially motivated choices. Gone are the days when a student faced simple choices; now, with everyone connected, the choices are continuous and digitally recorded!
As a young man, I had to learn how to master the deflection, especially to the questions like those above that posed limited constructive responses. In the same way, students today need to learn not to say, or write things if the reader will struggle reading them. We try and suggest students THINK, before they post. Is it TRUE, HELPFUL, INSPIRING, NECESSARY, OR KIND? If it is NOT, do not send or post it, PLEASE!
Together, with all of us maintaining the same message of compassion for and understanding of the diversity around us, we will continue on our path of success and growth. Well done Winfield. Keep up the positive comments and encouraging attitudes as we wrap up the 2016-17 school year. We are not done yet!
Honored,
Tom McCracken


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