WFBMS FAMILY NEWS

After our first full week of school, we are getting into the swing of things and as our year progresses, more and more opportunities for your learners to get involved with activities will present themselves. I am heartened to see the amount of participation in cross country with learners running around the block every day after school and look forward to cheering our runners on at the Geoff Farnsworth Memorial Cross Country Meet this Thursday, September 19th. Our girls basketball season is also about to kick off this Tuesday, September 17th with a contest between our 8th graders and Brown Deer, which should be a great game.

Middle school has a variety of activities for learners to participate in, be it a sport, a theater production, or a club. I encourage all learners to find something that interests them and get involved and explore the opportunities that exist for them. One such opportunity is our 6th Grade Social, coming up on September 27th. It is a great chance for sixth graders to come together, get to know one another, and engage in fun activities. I’m looking forward to engaging with our newest middle school learners then.

Best,

Geoff Pontus

• 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 on 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 looking for donations and 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!

A list of FAQs is available here. Email the WFBMS PTO at wfbmiddleschoolpto@gmail.com with additional questions.

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!

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 Fall Open Music Parents Association (MPA) meeting will take place on September 23rd in the HS band room at 7pm. This is for all MPA members and prospective members. All are welcome! Please join us! 100% of your membership fee goes directly to the music departments at all WFB schools. We fund grants for summer camps, new instrument purchases, sound equipment, guest clinicians, senior scholarships, music stands, sheet music, travel stipends and much more! Join here:

https://wfb-music-parents-association.square.site/

The MPA needs help at the concessions stand this fall. Bring your middle school student and learn the ropes! Meet new people and rock out with us during the high school games and matches. Sign up here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090948ACA62BAA8-50402978-fall#/

The Department of Health Services has updated immunization requirements for school-aged children. These requirements for school-age children will go into effect at the beginning of the 2024–2025 school year. If your family is interested in signing a waiver, please contact your healthcare provider or the district nurse.

Changes include:

• Meningococcal (MenACWY-containing) vaccine has been added as a requirement for students entering seventh grade, and a booster dose for eligible students entering 12th grade.
• If a child has had chickenpox, a parent report of chickenpox disease is no longer acceptable for exemption from the varicella (chickenpox) vaccine requirement. Children must have a diagnosis of chickenpox from a qualified health care provider (M.D., D.O., N.P., or P.A.) to be exempt from this requirement, however existing exemption options still apply.

The Wisconsin Department of Health Services website includes additional information. We encourage you to contact your healthcare provider if you have specific questions, or to schedule an appointment for a vaccine.

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

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/