Whittier Wire

• September 3: Fall athletics practices begin
• School Picture Day: TBD but coming soon
• September 17: State testing begins
• October 11: Staff Workshop Day - No school for students
• October 14: Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day
• November 10: Tri-Town Family 5K (tentative date)

Click here for the RSU 16 District Calendar

The 2024-25 school year is underway, and we are very pleased with the positive start. Open House was packed and we went through a lot of ice cream; it was great to see so much family interest and involvement. Staff was well-prepared to welcome students Wednesday through Friday, and students seemed eager to connect and get into their school routines. Everyone went home tired on Friday and ready for the three-day weekend.

As of now, we have 145 8th grade students and 121 7th graders. There are still a few transfers to complete before we have solid numbers. The 8th grade class continues to be amongst the largest classes in Whittier's 25-year history. They added a few students from last year's total.

On Wednesday and Thursday morning, Dean of Students Kelly Adams and I met with each class to talk about our hopes for this year and remind them that Whittier Middle School will be whatever they make it this year. We challenged them to be connected, be goal-focused, be here, and be themselves. Middle school can be a challenging time with lots of change and growth, and we need to work together to create an environment of care and support.

Students were excellent in the assemblies. They actively listened and asked great questions. When the staff met after school on Wednesday, teachers praised the students and their behavior. We are very excited about our first few days of school and look forward to the year ahead...after some extra rest during the long weekend!

Welcome back to the new school year. Regular school attendance is an important part of middle school and we are off to a great start. Did you know that data shows students who miss 2 to 4 days in the month of September are 5 times more likely to be chronically absent over the course of the school year than those who missed fewer than 2 days in September? Chronic absenteeism is when a student misses 10% or more of school days, which is an average of missing 2 days a month.

Getting back into the habit of daily attendance matters more than ever as we recover from the pandemic. Going to school is an opportunity for your student to:

• Build routines that help reduce stress.

• Connect to their friends and teachers.

• Engage in learning.

Attendance at the middle school level is vital. Middle school attendance is a better indicator of passing high school classes than test scores. We want to ensure we’re doing everything possible to help your student succeed at school.

We recognize there will be times when absences are unavoidable, especially with illnesses going around. Please know we support you in keeping your student home when they are sick, we just ask that you call our administrative assistant, Maureen Mooney, at (207) 998-3462 to excuse the absence by making us aware of the reason for the absence as well as the expected date of return.

I would like to remind student and parents that kiddos need to utilize the crosswalks, not to walk in-between vehicles when walking out to the parking lot. Please place bikes in the bike rack and please wear a helmet, if you need one, we can help to secure one.

----------------------------

If you drop off your child at school in the morning, please drop them off in the inner circle of the driveway. The outer circle is for the buses. Buses are usually done dropping off students by 7:30. If you arrive between 7:30 and 7:40, you are probably safe to use the bus loop area, especially if traffic is backed up.

After school, our goal is to get the buses on the road as soon as possible. They have second runs at the elementary schools. For pick up, please park in the student lot (across from the track). Students are dismissed at 2:10 and will walk up the sidewalk and meet you there. You are welcome to arrange to meet your child at the school door after 2:20.

The halls of Whittier are happily buzzing with another school year before us; we are off to a fabulous start. For those of you who are new to Whittier, I am Julie Martin, the school counselor. As a school counselor, I promote academic, career, and social and emotional well being. I am passionate about meeting the various needs of middle school students and hearing your perspective is an integral part of that process. I greatly value your insights. Please reach out to me by either email at jmartin@rsu16.com or by calling 998-3462 ext.126. This year I will be asking all caregivers to fill out a referral form if they would like their child to meet with me. The information that you share on this form is confidential and will help guide my work with your child. The link is right here: School Counseling Referral Form and it can always be found under my name in my email or on the school website. Thank you and have a wonderful long weekend.

We will be starting the vision screening for 7th graders in the coming weeks. Please notify the nurses' office if you do not want the screening to be done. All students who do not pass the first screening will be re-screened at a later date. Once the second screening is completed, the nurse will send written notification to parents of those who did not pass the second screening.

Please return all medical forms that were given to students, in their packet, on the first day of school. The standing order permission form is included in the packet that allows us to provide medicine to students that may need it during the school day. This form needs to be signed every year by the guardian in order to receive medicine in the nurses' office.

Students will soon have the opportunity to sign up for Chorus and/or Concert Band, which are both offered as classes during the day. On Friday, Mrs. Edwards and Mr. Williams spoke to the students about their opportunities to participate in music ensembles. All presented information can be found in this Whittier Introduction to Chorus & Band slide deck.

Any Chorus questions can be directed to Mrs. Edwards (jedwards@rsu16.org) and any Band questions can be directed to Mr. Williams (lwilliams@rsu16.org). Thanks for supporting music in your student's life!

Students in 8th grade Gifted and Talented Education (GaTE) will begin being pulled for classes on Tuesday, 9/3.

Seventh grade students who have participated in GaTE or Enrichment classes in the past are invited to take part in a 3-week Introductory Enrichment unit beginning on Tuesday. Students and their families will be notified and the schedule will be shared in the morning announcements.

Formal identification of 7th grade students for the middle school GaTE program will take place after the fall state testing. Permission forms will be sent home beforehand to families.

Students interested in this year’s GaTE Art program will be asked to submit a portfolio with original samples of their artwork. More information will be shared in the weeks ahead. The Identification meeting will occur later this fall.

GaTE and Enrichment classes are held on Tuesdays and Fridays at Whittier. If you have any questions, please email Ell Fanus, efanus@rsu16.org

Practices begin on Tuesday!

Boys Soccer: M/T/TH/FR 2:30-4:00 (lower field) Wednesdays (1:30-3:00). There will be a parent meeting at 4:00 on Thursday at the practice field.

Girls Soccer: 2:30-4:00 Day 1 (middle school soccer field). After Tuesday, practices for 7th grade 3:00-4:30, 8th grade 2:30-4:30. Wednesdays all will practice 1:30-3:00.

Field Hockey: 3:00-4:30 (lower field) There are no practices on Wednesdays. Field hockey players should wait in the cafeteria until it is time for their practice to begin.

Cross Country: 2:30-4:00 (in front of Whittier MS)

Thank you to those who attended the parent meeting on August 15. We discussed some of the differences between middle school athletics and recreation programs.

• For Soccer and Field Hockey, we maintain a spectator side and a team side. Please sit on the spectator side.
• Encourage your child to be prepared for games, so that you may enjoy the game!
• If you have concerns, please encourage your child to talk with the coach or athletic director first. If the situation is not resolved, please reach out to the coach. We ask that you do not approach the coach directly on game day to discuss team or player issues, reach out to schedule a time to meet away from kids. I would always encourage your child to be present.
• Please avoid telling the coach or AD "don't tell my child I'm calling. They don't know" moments.
• Send an extra snack with your child for the bus ride.
• You may sign your child out but not others unless permission through the office has been sought.
• No pets at the fields please.
• Send your child with a water bottle.
• Practices Monday - Friday
• No school means no practice or game.
  
  

What they will need:

• Cleats for FH and Soccer
• Blue socks and white socks for game days
• A FH stick for FH
• Running shoes for Cross Country
• A water bottle
• A great attitude, be coachable

Games:

Monday September 9

8/7th boys Soccer HM vs GNG 3:30/4:45

8/7th girls soccer @ GNG 3:30/4:45

Wednesday September 11

8th/7th Boys Soccer @ Saint Dom's 3:30/4:45

Girls Soccer Hm vs SD (1 game) 3:30

Thursday September 12

Cross Country HM (Minot Community Park)

MS FH Home vs Fryeburg 4:00

*Team Photos are on September 11

Email: svincent@rsu16.org
Website: https://www.rsu16.org/bwms
Location: 1457 Maine Street, Poland, ME, USA
Phone: (207) 998-3462