West Middle School e-Bulletin

Monday, 11/4 - First day of second marking period.

Tuesday, 11/5 - NO SCHOOL for students; teacher professional development

Wednesday, 11/6 - Bulldog Brawl after school until 5:30 pm

Wednesday, 11/6 - Girls Volleyball @ East Middle School @ 4:00 pm

Thursday, 11/7 - NJHS Induction Ceremony @ 6 pm

Thursday, 11/7 - Girls Volleyball @ Discovery Middle School @ 4:00 pm

Friday, 11/8 - Report Cards Viewable in MiStar Parent Connection at noon.

Our Choir and Band students performed in their first concert this past week. They did amazing! It was great to see all their hard work and talent come together. Special thanks to our Choir teacher, Mrs. Grady, and our Band teacher, Mr. Hawkins for all their hard work in preparing our students for their performances.

If you child has quarter classes, they are viewable in MiStar Parent Connection. Please log in and change the date to Monday, November 4th, to view 2nd quarter schedules.

We are noticing a lot of students arriving late to school. First hour begins at 8:15 am, but we are open for student drop off beginning at 7:45 am! Our new office is open and any student who is late school needs to check in with the main office before heading to class.

Please get your child to school on time if they are walkers or get dropped off. There are many benefits to arriving to school on time, including:

• Students have less anxiety and stress if they arrive early and do not have to rush.
• Classes already in progress are not disrupted as teachers welcome students who are late and try to get them caught up with what they missed in the lesson.
• Students have access to a few minutes of social time before class begins.
• Students develop good habits that continue as they enter high school.

Monday marks our first PBIS Reward Day. Each grade will have its own assembly in the gym.

1st Hour: 6th Grade

2nd Hour: 8th Grade

3rd Hour: 7th Grade

Students who demonstrated positive behavior in school during the first quarter have the opportunity to participate in the Pep Assembly. They'll need to have at least one green card to enter the gymnasium. Other green cards are able to be placed in buckets to participate in various games (steal the flag tag, tug of war, scooter races, dodgeball, and tower of shaving cream just to name a few!)

If students have had all three of their green cards taken, they will report to the cafeteria.

The Induction Ceremony for our new NJHS members will take place at 6:00pm on Thursday, November 7th in the gym. Only new members and our NJHS leadership team should attend, along with their important adults. We know that conferences for the high schools are also that night so we will aim to make the ceremony meaningful while also respecting your time. Students should bring a donation of a personal care item to the ceremony.

NJHS dues of $20 for all members should be turned in to Mrs. Bazzi or Mrs. Davies by Thursday, November 7th.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has received

multiple reports from healthcare providers and local health departments about increases

in diagnosed pneumonia in children. Pneumonia can result from infections with several

common viruses and bacteria that circulate during this time of year. Michigan normally

experiences increases in pediatric patients coming to emergency departments (ED) and

urgent care centers (UCC) with pneumonia in the late summer and early fall. There has

been a very large increase in patients 5-19 years of age presenting with pneumonia

from August 1, 2024 to October 16, 2024 compared to the same time period in 2023.

Michigan is also seeing an increase in ED and UCC visits with a diagnosis of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae.

Per the Michigan Chapter for American Academy of Pediatrics-symptoms of Mycoplasma Pneumoniae include cough, fever, nasal congestion, sore throat, diarrhea, vomiting, and fatigue. These symptoms can mimic those of a viral illness but tend to last significantly longer than most viral infections. Mycoplasma is commonly known to cause "walking pneumonia." Transmission occurs primarily through respiratory droplets produced by coughing and sneezing, with an incubation period of 2-3 weeks—much longer than the few days typical for respiratory viruses.

To help decrease the spread in classrooms and the school, please increase your vigilance

with your child and keep them home if not well. Seek guidance from your child’s

healthcare provider with the above symptoms or for prolonged cough / respiratory

illness. In addition, please report the exact symptoms and diagnosis to the school’s

attendance line.

Thank you.

Interested in playing Volleyball or Newcomb? The Student Council is hosting an epic event just for you! The Bulldog Brawl is a student Volleyball/Newcomb tournament for students in all grades. 6th graders will participate in a Newcomb tournament. 7th and 8th graders will participate in a Volleyball tournament as a mixed bracket. Students should have one team member fill out the Google form below to sign up! The event will be held from 3:20 pm to 5:30 pm on Wednesday, November 6th. Students who are not participating in the tournaments are also invited to come and cheer on their fellow friends and peers. The admission for all students is $5. Admission includes bottled water and a bag of chips. Additional food will be available for purchase in the cafeteria during the event. We also are excited to be offering Dominos Pizza for pre-order. Students will be sent an email next week with the pizza order information. The collaboration station will be open to all students with a movie playing and board games available to play. We will also need parent volunteers and donations to host this event. Parents who are interested in volunteering should fill the parent volunteer and donations form below. Parents who are interested in donating chips or bottled water should fill out the form below. We are so excited to host this new event! All Forms (Tournament Sign Up, Pizza Order, and Parent Volunteers) Are due Friday, 11/1/24. For more information, contact Corrie Hine at corrie.hine@pccsk12.com.

Click on the links below for student team sign-up and parent volunteer/donations. The pizza Form Releasing Next Week to Students

The cold weather has barely hit us, yet our lost and found is bursting at its seams! If your student is missing their sweatshirt, jacket, water bottle, or lunch bag, please have them stop by the lost and found located in the main hallway next to the showcases. We would love to get these items back to their owners! It's also an excellent time to double-check that your child's name is written on their lunch box, jacket, etc. These items will be donated on November 15th. Thank you!

USA Hockey field trip permission slips went home with students today. This trip is for grades 6-8. If the copy does not make it home, it's linked below and also on the picture. The cost of the field trip is $20 and covers transportation to and from the game, a boxed lunch, and admission to the game. The boxed lunch contains 1 slice of cheese pizza, a bag of chips, a small candy, and bottle of water. The preferred payment is by check made out to PCCS but the exact amount in cash is also accepted.

Please have your student turn in the permission slip & money to their prime-time teacher by Monday, November 25th.

The NTDP U18 team will take on the Muskegon. It's a "kids day game" so there will be a lot of extra activities in addition to the game. The USA Hockey Pro Shop and Concession stands will also be open throughout the game.

Last year, four of the five middle schools attended this event. There will be administrators and staff from all the schools, but we are still looking for some additional chaperones. Please mark the bottom of the permission slip if you are interested in chaperoning (approx. 5 parents/grade) and we will email those selected to complete the iChat information. We will not be able to accommodate everyone who wants to chaperone. Please be sure to write your email address on the permission slip if you are interested. Thanks so much!

Visit the DEI newsletter for more information and resources on Native American heritage: https://secure.smore.com/n/bp5uv

Community members can submit nominations through the simplified online form at https://tinyurl.com/cantonhalloffame from November 4 through November 29, 2024. Eligibility criteria include a five-year waiting period for athletes post-graduation and a minimum five-year coaching tenure for coaches.

The Canton High School Athletic Hall of Fame honors individuals and teams who have contributed to the school's athletic excellence through outstanding achievement, dedication, and character. For more information about the nomination process or ceremony details, please contact the Athletic Department at 734-416-2925 or tiffany.roberts@pccsk12.com.

CEBL for Winter 2025 (Community Education Basketball League) registration for grades 3 -12 boys and grades 3 - 6 girls are now taking place online. Season runs January-March. Spots fill quickly -- if a course goes to waitlist, please add your information. More teams will be formed as coaches are secured. To volunteer coach a team or to register, visit pccs.reg.eleyo.com/communityed.

P-CCS is hiring! Support your local schools and community by filling one of our many open positions. The district is in need of teachers, paraprofessionals, security officers, food and nutrition services workers, crossing guards and more. Full and part-time opportunities are available and can be viewed by clicking on this link: Jobs at P-CCS

P-CCS has a variety of Halal options integrated into its weekly menus. Halal chicken shawarma, beef burgers, deli turkey, turkey taco meat, chicken patties, chicken nuggets, and a variety of vegetarian options are available. Each P-CCS level has different menu offerings based on the age and taste preferences of its students. Please visit our P-CCS Food & Nutrition Page to find menus and select your school for availability or reach out to healthy.meals@pccsk12.com with any questions or feedback.

October is Principal Appreciation Month, and P-CCS would like to recognize the fine work of our great principals. These building leaders usually come to school before everyone arrives and leave well after students and staff leave. They are charged with leading a large group of teachers and support staff, making sure that students are learning and parents are informed. This is a huge job, but our principals do it all effectively and efficiently with a smile. We encourage you to join us by thanking all of our principals this month

West Middle School

Principal: Mrs. Cheri Steckel

Assistant Principal: Mr. Patrick Calzone

Dean of Student Support: Ms. Jennifer Haynes

Counselor A-K: Mr. Josh Bechtel Counselor L-Z: Mrs. Stacy Brooks

General Office: Mrs. Tracy Visnaw, Mrs. Lisa McGee, Mrs. Lisa Cambell

Staff Directory: CLICK HERE

Website: https://www.pccsk12.com/our-schools/middle-schools/west

Location: 44401 West Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth 48170

Phone: 734-416-7550