WMS Weekly Warrior

January 27, 2025

Good Afternoon Woodbury Middle School,

We hope everyone enjoyed their break. As we enter the final stretch of the school year, things will pick up pace with just eight weeks left. This week, we’ll prepare for the Smarter Balance Assessment (SBA), which all students will begin next week and continue through May 13th, with the Next Generation Science Standards Assessment for 8th graders. Those students who demonstrate the two VOL attributes of Take Initiative and Perseverance during our SBA practice weeks will earn an Ice Cream social on Monday, 4-28. These assessments provide valuable information for our school community.

The SBA measures progress in English Language Arts and Math, helping to identify student strengths and areas needing support. Teachers use the results to guide instruction and personalize learning. Aligned with college and career readiness standards, the assessment prepares students for success after high school.

The SBA is a valuable tool for student growth, teacher guidance, and school improvement. Encourage your student to understand the importance of the test and to put forth their best effort, as student engagement is crucial for success.

Our eighth-grade students enjoyed their trip to Boston just before the break. They visited the battle grounds of Lexington, the Freedom Trail, Quincy Market, and the Museum of Science. Everyone had a great time on the trip. Thank you to our staff for organizing this experience for our eighth-grade students.

Also, before the break, the WMS Drama club performed two nights of the Disney musical Frozen Jr. The student actors and the stage crew provided an incredible performance for a packed crowd each night. A special thank you to Director Ms. Manogue, Music Director Mr. Snyder, and Tech Director Mr. Michael for making this experience a success for our students.

We are excited to open up our Softball and Baseball season this week with games on Tuesday and Thursday at home. Track will host Oxford on Thursday at the Nonnewaug Track. The weather looks good, and the athletes are excited to get started. The coaches and the athletes appreciate your support.

Please remind your student, that it is their responsibility to bring all necessary items to school, including sporting equipment, instruments, Chromebooks, lunch, and any other essentials. Our office staff often finds themselves answering the door to accept belongings that were forgotten after the school day has begun. We want to emphasize the importance of our Warrior Way attribute of Responsibility, which we encourage all students to develop. We appreciate your support in helping them build this important skill.

It’s that time of year when the staff begins looking at placement for next year's math programs. The linked letter describes the placement process. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions regarding your student's math placement.

Have a great week,

WMS Admin

Bill Nemec, Principal

Aimee Shuhart, Interim Assistant Principal

Please make sure to review the Woodbury Middle School Student Handbook with your student regarding cell phones. Some of you may be aware that the state has issued recommendations on cell phone usage in schools. I have included the proposed language from the state below. Click the picture to access the entire document from the state.

• Middle School − The policy for middle school students should also focus on removing cell phones from the school day or classroom. Developmentally, this age group is particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of excessive personal technology use and has a difficult time controlling their impulses. Concurrently, middle school students experience increased autonomy and independence during the school day, which can lead to increased opportunity for cell phone misuse. − Possession of cell phones in this age group is likely to be viewed as a rite of passage into adulthood, so communication and application of policies that restrict use must be developed in consideration of the specific challenges of middle school students.