WFBMS FAMILY NEWS

As we start the year, learners at the middle school engage in universal screener assessments as part of our Multi Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), which is a proactive system that seeks to provide learners with the support they need to be successful at school. The STAR assessment, which measures learner proficiency in math and reading is likely very familiar to families by now, as it has been used for several years to measure progress in both areas and drive decisions for providing interventions. One assessment that may not be as familiar is the Devereux Student Strengths Assessment (DESSA), which is targeted at supporting our social and emotional learning.

Starting next week, learners will engage in the DESSA through self assessment. Our student services team will review the data and identify learners who could benefit from extra support in the realm of social emotional learning (SEL). Those supports may be small groups or individual resources to help learners meaningfully engage in their day to day learning. We are excited to add this component to our social emotional learning after successfully implementing Character Strong, which is our universal SEL resource, as it is another tool to promote our value of safety and well-being at the middle school.

For more information regarding the DESSA as well as the eight areas of focus, please visit the parent portal on the DESSA website.

Best,

Geoff Pontus

Principal

• Friday, September 27, 7 - 9 PM 6th Grade ONLY The Mane Event- An Evening of Fun for 6th Grade Lions (see the details below)

Hello, 7th Grade Families!

The camp chaperone / volunteer sign-up is now live! Please complete this form to indicate interest no later than 9/30/24.

We are looking for daytime and overnight chaperones. I know you might be wondering, “Can I do both?” Yes, you can! Just indicate your interest on the form.

Please note that all interested volunteers will be required to go through the district volunteer application process. You can learn more here. If you are already an active district volunteer and have gone through the application / background check process for the year, there is no need to do so again. Human Resources will assist with confirmation of this.

Thank you for your interest. Please reach out to the middle school at 414-963-6800 with any questions you may have. Also, if you have not done so already, please sign up for camp. We like all 7th graders to attend and are happy to provide any assistance we can to make this a great experience for each child.

On Friday, September 27th, the PTO is hosting a 6th Grade Social from 7:00 to 9:00. To promote positive behaviors and engagement at the event, the following expectations will be shared with sixth grade learners next week in the days leading up to the event:

• Be Respectful

• Voice level 1-2

• Follow directions the first time

• Use appropriate language

• Meaningfully engage in the activities provided

• Be Responsible

• Be where you belong

• Keep all areas of the school clean

• Act with integrity

• Follow the rules of the games

We look forward to a successful social, providing another opportunity for the sixth graders to get engaged in our school community.

Aviation Club will have a quick informational meeting for students on Friday, September 27th right after school in Mr. Reynolds classroom. We will discuss what the aviation club has done in previous years, plans for this year, and begin forming teams for the rocket launch that occurs in May. Any questions please email christine.mcbride@wfbschools.com

School picture day will be held on September 10th . Afterwards, you’ll be able to select your image for your yearbook and purchase any portraits, and all orders will be delivered to your home. To view and order photos from Picture Day click on the link and fill in the information needed: https://www.vipis.com/group/a2f4125e/whitefish-bay-middle-school . Or, you can search for them at vipis.com shortly after photos are taken. If you need further assistance, contact VIP at support@vipis.com.

Join us this Friday, September 27th from 7-9pm at Whitefish Bay Middle School for The Mane Event: An Evening of Fun for 6th Graders, hosted by the WFBMS PTO. We are still looking for parent volunteers to make the night a success! Please Click Here to sign up.

The Mane Event is an opportunity for all WFBMS 6th graders to hang out with friends, play games, and have fun! The Mane Event is only for 6th grade students. It’s $5 at the door to get in, cash only please. Refreshments and snacks, such as pizza slices, chips, candy, and bottled water, will be available for purchase for $2.00 per item, cash only.

There will be games to play, music to dance to, and a prize drawing at the end of the night! You could win a gift card to a bunch of fun places including Fitzy’s, Starbucks, Winkie’s, and many other cool spots! Please note, all student attendees do have to stay until the event ends at 9:00pm, unless an adult is picking you up early. Once you leave the building, you will not be allowed back in. This is for safety to ensure we’re keeping track of all the students in the building. It will be fun; you don’t want to leave early and miss the prize drawing! A list of FAQs is available here.

A huge THANK YOU to Marcy Moreland of Extraordinary Spaces for being an event sponsor and helping to make the evening even more fun for our 6th Graders!

Also a big THANK YOU to Chris Feiereisen of Creator Collaborative for coming to our event and hosting the 6th graders in group dances and games! We are so excited to welcome Chris to the Mane Event for a night of fun!

Email the WFBMS PTO at wfbmiddleschoolpto@gmail.com with additional questions.

Hello Elementary and Middle School Families,

We would like to thank you for your continued support as we work together to ensure our students understand the expectations for our home football games this fall of 2024. After our first two football games of the season, we noticed a large number of students congregating on the softball field outside of the football stadium during the game. We have had elementary and middle school administrators monitor the softball field outside of the football game stadium to encourage safety among students while students were observed climbing on equipment, climbing the fences, playing tackle football, and leaving significant amounts of trash on the field. We have also enlisted the help of the Whitefish Bay Police Department at our home games to help ensure the safety of all students, staff, and community members within the stadium.

While it is important for our students to be safe, the softball field is an area that is too difficult to supervise apart from the supervision within the football stadium. The softball field is not a place for students to congregate during a football game and the area will not be supervised moving forward, as our administrators will be providing supervision inside the football stadium. We ask that you please ensure your children stay within the supervised areas of the football stadium.

Within our Focus Plan, one of our sets of values is “Safety and Well-being” where we “strive for a safe and welcoming environment that fosters individual and collective welfare.” We want to remind our school community that we all share the responsibility to model and reinforce the safe, respectful behaviors we expect from our children. We also want to be sure to support our High School football team during their games through positive and encouraging cheering for them from the bleachers.

Best regards,

Mr. Geoff Pontus, Middle School Principal

Mr. Chad Nelson, Richards School Principal

Ms. Jayne Heffron, Cumberland School Principal

Dr. Jamie Foeckler, Superintendent

The Whitefish Bay School District is engaging in a Long-Range Facilities Planning project. We are seeking community members to serve on the Facilities Advisory Committee to help guide us through this process. Members of the committee will attend bi-monthly meetings between January and August 2025. Please click the link provided to apply. If you have additional questions, please contact Dr. Jamie Foeckler, Superintendent, at jamie.foeckler@wfbschools.com or 414-963-3921.
Click here to learn more or apply for the Committee.

Curious about what is discussed at School Board Meetings? Linked below, you'll find key takeaways from recent School Board Meetings.

September 4 Board Meeting Takeaways

September 18 Board Meeting Takeaways

Website: https://www.wfbschools.com/schools/middle/
Location: 1144 East Henry Clay Street, Whitefish Bay, WI, USA
Phone: 414-963-6800
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WFBSchools/