Westside Middle School

January 5, 2025

Important Dates

2nd Semester begins on Monday, January 6th

No School:

Monday January 20th for MLK Day
Tuesday January 21st for Teacher Professional Learning Day

1st Semester Grades and 2nd Semester Schedules

First semester grades will be finalized and stored this week. You will receive information on how to access their final semester grades on Powerschool.

Second semester schedules will be given to students on Monday, January 6th. All students will report to homeroom at the beginning of the day to receive their schedule. If there are any concerns with their schedule they will need to speak with their counselor. Schedule changes will not be made after Friday, January 10th.

8th Grade Field Trip

We are thrilled to share an exciting opportunity for our 8th graders! During the week of January 7-10, students will visit the Durham Museum to explore the exhibit, BEYOND COMBAT: WORLD WAR I THROUGH THE LENS OF “DOC” COOK. This exhibit serves as a meaningful follow-up to their recent reading of All Quiet on the Western Front.

Each team will attend the museum on a specific day, as outlined below:

Tuesday, January 7th: Team 8D
Wednesday, January 8th: Team 8A
Thursday, January 9th: Team 8B
Friday, January 10th: Team 8C

Students and their core teachers will depart by bus at 11:30 a.m., following lunch, and will return to school by 2:30 p.m. During the tour, a museum guide will provide insights about the exhibit and answer any questions.

Prior to the trip, students will review behavior expectations to ensure they represent themselves, our school, and our community positively.

We are excited for our 8th graders to experience this enriching field trip and deepen their understanding of World War I. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Friday 1/31 Dismissal Time Change

On Friday, January 31st, WMS will host the Battle of the Show Choirs. As a result we will dismiss at 2:44 (just like we do on Wednesdays) in order to accomodate the visiting schools arriving at 3:15. There will be no after school library and we ask that all students are off school grounds by 3:00. Please make sure you arrange rides for your student prior to Friday, January 31st.

*Buses will run their Wednesday after school schedule.

Click on the flyer to view the Amazon wish list!

Kleenex and Hand Sanitizer Needed

Its that time of the year.....kleenex and hand sanitizer is needed! If you are able and willing, we would love any kleenex and hand sanitizer donations! You can drop them off in the main office.

Lunch Concerns

We are seeing an increase of students buying extras (chips, juice, uncrustables) for other students during lunch. We prohibit this because parents are not expected to have their money spent on other students. We also do not want to students to feel pressured to purchase something when a peer asks them to. All students will receive a lunch if they want one! We encourage you to speak with your student to only purchase items for themselves!

National Junior Honor Society

National Junior Honor Society is an international student organization that's membership is based on outstanding scholarship, character, leadership, service, and citizenship.

Students cannot apply to NJHS until they receive an invitation second semester. However, to be eligible for membership students must meet the following criteria:

1) Have a 1st semester GPA of 3.8 or higher

2) Complete a minimum of 5 service hours before applying

Service activities are those that are done for or on behalf of others (not including immediate family members) for which no compensation (monetary or other) has been given.

3) Write a short essay (500 words or less) answering the prompt on the application
4) Teachers complete a rubric assessing students on their character, leadership, and scholarship

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Phillips, Mrs. Sherrill, Mrs. Hansen, or Ms. Rugg

Tell your student to be on the lookout in their email early next semester for the invitation to apply!

Caring for your iPad during Winter

With winter here, we would like to give you some tips on taking care of your device!

Careful Storage: Never leave iPad in your vehicle for over an hour in cold weather, even in a well-padded and insulated case. The device could freeze, causing parts to become damaged.

Let it Warm Up: Once you bring your iPad in from the cold, let it warm up to room temperature before booting. Do not use mug warmers, pocket warmers, or hair dryers to heat or keep a device warm. They are not designed for this purpose and can create problems as they will not heat or keep a laptop warm correctly. They could heat the wrong parts of a device or cause it to generate too much heat and melt internal components.

Keep it out of the cold: Protecting your laptop from excessive dampness or wetness from snow will keep your keyboard from freezing and other problems from developing.

So, what should you do if your iPad is left in the cold?

The first step is to let the device thaw. The device should be at room temperature before you power it on. If its in sleep mode, you should avoid even opening the iPad since that may automatically wake the it. Even once the device gets to room temperature, it may have condensation on it because of the temperature change. If your device looks wet, let it dry naturally and bring it to Tech Support. If you turn on your device when it is wet, it may short one or more electrical connections, which could cause the laptop to stop functioning.

Westside We-Side

WE-SIDE COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR

We are excited to announce the launch of our WE-SIDE Community Events Calendar. This calendar includes dates and times for local events and community offerings.

While we are not a partner, sponsor, or organizer of the listed events, we’d like to share them with you as part of our WE-SIDE initiative, which highlights opportunities available in the greater Omaha community.

Started in the summer of 2020, WE-SIDE stands for Welcoming Equity Support Inclusion Dignity Everyone. This initiative was created to foster a district community where everyone feels valued, connected, and respected. The initiative seeks to build a supportive environment that honors the dignity of every individual, creating a sense of belonging and unity within the Westside community.

The events are listed on the right-hand side of the WCS website homepage. Click on each event for specific logistical information. However, for details or inquiries regarding any of these events, please contact the official event organizers directly.

We are excited to share these opportunities with you and hope you find something new to explore with friends or family members

Community Club Information

Are you looking for an impactful way to support teachers, staff and students at WMS? If so, the WMS Community Club (WMS CC) needs YOU!

The Community Club’s meets from 3:30 – 4:30. For your convenience, the meeting is available via Zoom or in person at WMS.

WMS CC supports our teachers and staff by organizing fall and spring conference meals, providing gift cards for the monthly teacher recognition program and the teacher/staff end of year celebration. WMS CC celebrates our student body by providing refreshments at the academic awards night and organizing the 8th grade end of year dance.

2024 – 2025 Meetings

1/16 3:30 – 3:30 PM

2/20 3:30 – 3:30 PM

3/13 3:30 – 3:30 PM

4/14 3:30 – 3:30 PM

If you have questions and/or interested in attending, please contact susanclauser@gmail.com for the Zoom meeting or attend the first meeting on August 15th! We will gather in the main office at the Middle School and then move from there to our meeting space.