

Monday 'Minders
June 10, 2024
Message from the Principal, Mrs. Blevins
“You are my witnesses - now it’s your job to tell my story so others will know what happened.” With these words, Holocaust survivor Tova Friedman, urged eighth grade students to remember what happened to millions of innocent people in World War II. On June 5th, WWMS students were captivated by her firsthand account of her experiences during the war. Tova was only six and a half when she was liberated from the death camp Auschwitz, yet she remembers many details because her mother told her everything, no matter how bad, as it was happening.
Tova grew up in a small town in Poland. The Jewish population before World War II was 30,000, which included 5,000 children. By the end of the war, only 300 people had survived, and Tova was one of only four children to survive. Today she is the only one left. Miraculously, Tova was able to stay with her mother through the ghettos and concentration camps, which included being hidden in a dark ceiling alcove for months. She was reunited with her father a year and a half after the war. Tova credits her survival partly to her mother teaching her ways to avoid being shot and also just pure luck that on the day she arrived at Auschwitz, one of the crematoria was not functioning.
In addition to recounting the numerous atrocities committed by the Nazis, she also informed students that many Nazi scientists and doctors carefully planned the Final Solution, Hitler’s plan to rid Europe of Jews and other “undesirables.” She spoke of Dr. Mengele’s horrific experiments on twins, which shocked the entire audience. She cautioned students to always stand up to bullies and speak up for those who are taken advantage of. “Do what you can to help others,” she urged. She also reminded students that “even when you encounter difficult things in life, remember to have hope and that you will always recover.”
Many students and teachers, clearly moved by her talk, approached Tova with tears in their eyes and thanked her for sharing such a painful story. She urged students to share her story with their families and to never forget what happened. As the number of survivors diminishes, and the amount of people who deny the Holocaust increases, her message is more important and necessary today than ever before. Thank you to Mrs. Hurwitz for coordinating our visit from Ms. Friedman to educate our students.
Below are some of the students’ takeaways from this powerful and important experience:
- The main ideas were to let the good win over the bad side of you, and how we must remember the Holocaust to prevent a similar event. It was sort of surreal to hear her speak; when I hear of the Holocaust I tend to think of it as a story--not a real event. But seeing evidence from that time in person answering questions really made me think that that horrible event actually happened. It was also weird to think I may be one of the last people to ever hear about the Holocaust and that I had the responsibility of sharing her story.
- It was an amazing experience and incredibly enlightening to be able to hear her story. I think what surprised me a lot was that she was so young when all this happened. Most of the time kids that young can't handle all of that. Some main ideas that were expressed include choosing between good and bad. We all have the privilege to make choices and it is up to us to leave the world a better place.
- The main ideas were that we can choose to either start another Holocaust or prevent it from ever happening again. Hearing from a Holocaust survivor was a unique opportunity since not many of them are left and we might be the last people to ever hear from a witness of this event.
- It was sad and surprising to hear about her experiences but ultimately it encourages me to be a better person.
- The Holocaust, while I know it DID happen, always felt like it was eons ago. It made everything more real.
- Some ideas that were expressed were that we have to choose to be good or bad, and that we leave a mark when we die and during our life.
- Some main ideas are making the world a better place, and accepting each other no matter your religion, or what you look like. It was very cool to listen to a Holocaust survivor because since they are getting older, the generations in the future will not be able to hear from them like we did. So it is really special because we get to hear her story from her perspective and hear what she had gone through during that time.
- It was such a unique thing to hear from someone who lived through a period of time that we learn about today. So many people and websites spread false information and lies, but we were able to hear from someone who knew exactly what happened, someone who was actually there.
If you are interested, here's a link to Ms. Friedman's book, The Daughter of Auschwitz.
Follow her on TikTok @tovafriedman
Message from Vice Principal Mendiratta
Feedback Requested
Dear Parents,
As we approach the end of the school year, we would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude for your continued support and partnership in providing the best possible education for your children. We value your input and believe that your feedback is crucial in helping us enhance our educational programs and overall school experience.
To that end, we kindly request your participation in our annual end-of-year reflection. Your responses will assist us in evaluating our performance and identifying areas where we can make improvements. We highly appreciate your time and honest feedback. Please be assured that your responses will remain confidential.
Please take a few moments to complete the following form. Thank you for your cooperation.
✍🏻 CURRENT 6TH AND 7TH GRADERS: ✍🏻
See Two Opportunities Below
WWMS News Network Application for 2024-25
Are you looking for a way to stay connected, be in the know, and make a real impact in our school community? Look no further than the Woodrow Wilson News Network! We're a dynamic team dedicated to keeping everyone informed and engaged with the latest school news, events, and updates. Whether you're a budding journalist, an aspiring broadcaster, or just someone who loves to be in the loop, this club has something for you. Join us to sharpen your communication skills, collaborate with your peers, and ensure that our school is connected and informed.
The Announcements Club meets as a homeroom and records announcements to be aired during the week.
In order to be considered for this club next year, you need to fill out this Google Form by FRIDAY, JUNE 14th.
Questions? Email kristine.fortino@edison.k12.nj.us AND donna.magliulo@edison.k12.nj.us
Wingman Application for 2024-25
- Applicant MUST currently be in Grade 6 or 7.
- Applicants will be vetted (reviewed and approved) by Wingman Leadership. This will include a review of grades AND behavior to ensure applicant’s qualities match the standards we have set for the program.
- PAST EXPERIENCE AND/OR TRAINED IN THE WINGMAN PROGRAM DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY PLACE YOU IN THE PROGRAM.
- COMPLETED APPLICATIONS are DUE by Friday, June 14th........NO EXCEPTIONS
Click below or HERE for the APPLICATION.
Message from the Vice Principals
Mrs. Mendiratta and Mr. Zecchino
As we approach the second half of the school year, we would like to provide a friendly reminder regarding our school's dress code.
Our dress code is thoughtfully designed to foster a positive, professional, and inclusive learning environment for all students. Your collaboration is essential in upholding the standards that contribute to a respectful atmosphere. Please take a moment to consider and adhere to the following guidelines:
Appropriate Attire:
All students are expected to wear clothing suitable for an educational setting, avoiding items that are overly revealing, inappropriate, or offensive.
Outerwear and Hats:
No hats or outerwear, including winter coats, raincoats, or heavy jackets, may be worn or carried during the school day. These items should be kept in the students locker.
Tops:
Shirts, blouses, and tops should cover the midriff area.
Bottoms:
Pants, shorts, skirts, and dresses should be of a reasonable length and fit.
Logos and Graphics:
We encourage clothing choices that promote a positive and inclusive atmosphere. Please refrain from wearing clothing with offensive, inappropriate, or disruptive images, logos, or messages.
Footwear:
For the safety and well-being of everyone, we request students to wear closed-toe shoes with appropriate soles. Flip-flops and slides are discouraged, contributing to the overall safety of our school community.
For further details, we have attached our district's Dress Code Policy and Student Handbook for your reference.
Your adherence to these guidelines ensures that our school remains a place of professionalism, respect, and positive growth. We appreciate your cooperation and commitment to maintaining a conducive learning environment.
We look forward to continuing a successful educational journey together throughout the remainder of the academic year.
🏡 Message from Guidance 📦
If you are moving or going to private school and not attending Edison Schools next school year, please let Mrs. Campione in Guidance know so the proper paperwork can be completed.
FBLA Art Competition
The WWMS FBLA Art Competition was held over Spring Break (March 29) in honor of Youth Art Month, where many submissions from students were received. Later, a voting link was sent out where the top 2 winners were chosen.
The 1st place winner was Pranati Tanuku, with the digital drawing of a woman in a red dress.
The 2nd place winner was Akshaya Guruprasad, with a sketch of a skeleton.
7th Grade News
Students in pre-algebra are currently wrapping up their unit on exponential properties, scientific notation and applications of scientific notation. Students were able to discover how to express very small and very large numbers utilizing scientific notation. We are now moving into a geometry unit focusing on angles and equations for the remainder of the year. Students will be working on hands-on activities using protractors to classify and evaluate angles.
In the English classes, students have been studying the components of a feature article, researching a topic of their choice, and then writing their own article. Additionally, students have been working on many fun and educational activities ranging from studying Greek mythology, to reading and writing poetry, to creating story books with their own short stories.
In 7th grade science we are finishing up the year with our ecology unit! We are identifying how living things interact with other living things and also with the nonliving environment. We are determining how energy is transferred within ecosystems and exploring how climate change will have an effect on these systems!
In social studies, we are finishing up our world religions unit and making connections to the culture of the Ancient Civilizations at the time. We have been analyzing the similarities and differences of world cultures through a variety of activities. Moving forward we will complete our year with music, art and oral history to bridge the different cultures of the world and see how they express themselves and retell their ancestral histories.
7th Grade Students of the Marking Period:
For the third marking period, teachers selected students who embodied the WWMS core values which are:
Choose Kindness, Always Shine Bright, Lead with Integrity, Never Give Up, Reach for the Stars.
These students were awarded the Ultimate Challenger Award. To celebrate, they were treated to a celebratory breakfast in the cafeteria. The award recipients are as follows:
English
Ms. Connell’s Award Winner: Drishti Mittal
Mrs. Marois’ Award Winner: Altamish Hussain
Mr. Gesualdo’s Award Winner: Saahib Singh
Mrs. Caballero’s Award Winner: Aviral Pandey
Mr. Beaton’s Award Winner: Raghav Madala
Ms. Makowski’s Award Winner: Vinay Rajan
Ms. Patel’s Award Winner: Simaaya Chakraborty
Math
Mrs. Mechetti’s Award Winner: Kathleen Vito
Mr. Karatz’s Award Winner: Krisha Soni
Ms. Fortino’s Award Winner: Diya Rajput
Mr. Lecky’s Award Winner: Imaan Azim
Ms. Pichette’s Award Winner: Shreeja Dasgupta
Ms. Columbus’ Award Winner: Jean Arias Padilla
Science
Ms. Cameron’s Award Winner: Chaitanya Arora
Mr. McBrierty’s Award Winner: Olivia Chow
Mr. Monticciolo’s Award Winner: Anukta Tripathy
Ms. Islam’s Award Winner: Sienna Orlando
Social Studies
Mrs. Hurwitz’s Award Winner: Aarav Mamidi
Ms. Rhodes’ Award Winner: Joshia Flower RajaSingh
Ms. LaSala’s Award Winner: Mehar Joseph
Physical Education
Mr. Papernik’s Award Winner: Uttam Kalluri
Foreign Language and Electives
Mrs. Gavigan’s Award Winner: Janhvi Singh
Mrs. Ramirez-Echeverri’s Award Winner: Hiya Patel
Ms. Juergensen’s Award Winner: Rhea Shah
Mr. Boikess’ Award Winner: Rahee Lakhpati
Mrs. Molnar’s Award Winner: Jennifer Jones
Ms. Stine’s Award Winner: Lois Dadzie Bonney
Mr. Fossa’s Award Winner: Jashun Rajeshkannan
Attendance Notifications
If you are traveling for any reason and will miss school, Guidance and Attendance must be notified. Please send an email with the student's name and dates of travel to:
Summer Literacy Challenge 2024
Click the image below to be directed to the full program with all links.
Summer EBT & Updated DHL Meeting Date
STEM Academy Summer Camp
Upcoming Dates to Remember:
June
June 12: Chromebook Collection - 8th Grade
June 12: WWMS 50th Anniversary Celebration, 6-8 PM
June 13: Locker Cleanout Downstairs
June 13: Chromebook Collection - 6th and 7th Grades
June 13: Lock Collection - 8th Grade
June 14: Locker Cleanout Upstairs
June 14: 8th Grade Dance, 6-8 PM
June 17: 8th Grade Promotion Practice - Per. 1-2
June 17: Yearbook Distribution - 8th Grade
June 18: 8th Grade Breakfast/Awards Ceremony (students and staff only)
June 18: 8th Grade Promotion Practice - All Day
June 18: Yearbook Distribution - 6th and 7th Grades
June 18: Board of Education Meeting/Student Recognition at Edison HS, 7 PM
June 19: No School
June 20: 8th Grade Promotion Ceremonies, 9 AM and 11 AM
June 20: 1 PM Dismissal
June 21: 1 PM Dismissal - Last Day of School