We have a group of approximately 53 students (35 girls and 16 boys) who have expressed interest in praying at school during Ramadan. Earlier this school year I met with a group of parents in preparation for this and asked for volunteers to assist in supervising students during prayer. I explained that we are not staffed to accommodate the supervision of prayer, but would welcome and appreciate parent participation to supervise. We also discussed students being authorized to pray during their lunch time since they will be fasting. We are not able to accommodate the varied times of prayer.

If you are a parent and you are available to assist with coordination and supervision of student prayer, please let me know asap. Without assistance, providing this opportunity is not feasible.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Evie Taylor, Principal

eataylor@seattleschools.org

Please take a few minutes to share with us about your feelings and experience with our school community. This information is anonymous. Your participation in the survey ensures that our middle school remains responsive and adaptive to the evolving needs of our diverse student body. Your insights provide valuable information that aids us in enhancing the overall educational experience and creating a safe, supportive, inclusive learning environment. Your Junior Husky experience matters.

Thank you,
Evie Taylor & Adrian Manriquez

Family College & Career Preparation Night is Tuesday, April 2nd from 5:30-7:00 in the Washington Middle School cafeteria. Seattle University admission counselors will be there to share how to prepare for your future in high school. There will be other resources as well. Food is from 5:30-6:00. Reach out to Nakiya Baker bakern3@seattleu.edu if you would like a translator or have any questions.

While the number of assessments and tests may seem overwhelming, please understand that these evaluations serve a crucial purpose in helping our faculty and staff provide the best possible support for your student's academic growth. The data collected allows us to measure progress, monitor IEP goals, justify additional resources through levy funding, and make informed recommendations for your student's future coursework. We have taken care to minimize time spent on assessments while prioritizing instructional time. Please feel free to reach out to Principal Taylor (eataylor@seattleschools.org) with any questions or concerns.

Has your student outgrown some clothing that is still in good shape? We are looking to replenish our supply of backup pants to have available. The most requested items are black leggings, sweats, athletic pants and shorts (slightly used or new—all sizes appreciated!) Items can be dropped off in the Nurse Office.

Did you know that Washington Middle School has a wellness center, convenient for your child’s medical care? The Wellness Center is open during the school year and available to all students. It provides students with health care and mental health counseling, regardless of a student’s insurance or ability to pay.

School-based health centers play a big part in the health, academic success, and graduation rates of students. These clinics send an important message to students that getting care is normal and healthy. And by bringing the services to where the students are, it allows sick children to get better so they can focus on learning.

Students in schools with these centers can be seen for standard preventive care — immunizations, asthma management, acne and eczema, women’s health care, treatment of common illnesses, sports physicals, and routine medical concerns such as headaches and cramps—in addition to mental health services.

The availability and convenience of these multidisciplinary clinics allows students to be diagnosed and treated quickly. If a student were to visit the clinic with a stomachache, for example, and the medical provider determined that the ache is a symptom of anxiety, the student could be referred to meet with the counselor.

Students can get great care at the Wellness Center. To access services, parents/guardian(s) need to complete a registration packet. Stop by the Wellness Center to get a registration packet or register online. Click here to access the Wellness Center Registration online consent forms:

https://washingtonms.seattleschools.org/resources/school-nurse/student-wellness-center/

Please call 206-326-3037 if you have any questions and/or to schedule an appointment for your child.

The band concert is at WMS on March 28th at 6:30 PM!

Hello from the WMS counselors! We are excited that spring is in the air.

Here are a few things that are going on in the counseling office lately.

• Open enrollment for the 2024/2025 school year began Feb. 1st. The high school choice forms that WMS students opted to compete are turned in. SPS will continue to accept completed choice forms until May 31st. Please have your student visit the counseling office with any questions.
• In partnership with SPS, we have been rolling out specific college and career readiness lessons in our advisory classes. Middle school students all over the district are participating in this same learning. These college and career lessons are building blocks that our students will be coming back to in their advisory classes though out the remainder of MS and into high school.
• The counseling team is visiting 5th grade classes! We will be visiting our 5th grade feeder schools for the next 4-6 weeks, welcoming future students, answering questions, and giving them info about what to expect for the 2024/2025 school year.

Things coming up:

• Visits from feeder high schools in the Spring. More info to come!
• College and Career Week: April 1-5th

I’m new to Seattle Public Schools this year! I studied social work at University of Washington with a focus on children, youth and families. I have worked in a variety of capacities including substance use counseling, case management, psychotherapy, curriculum development, group facilitation and health education. As a school social worker, I work with both students and families to provide short-term mental health support for students, information on community resources, conflict mediation, and facilitate conversations around goal setting and behavior change. I also have a Master’s in Public Health in Behavior Change and Health Education. I work Mondays, Tuesdays and alternating Wednesdays at Washington Middle School and Thursdays and Fridays at Meany Middle School.

Hello, I am Ms. DeWolf, the SBIRT/Intervention and Prevention Specialist at Washington Middle this year. My position is funded through a grant from King County as part of the Best Starts for Kids levy and a Project AWARE grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

SBIRT stands for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral To services. Schools involved in SBIRT utilize the Check Yourself questionnaire (developed by King County Public Health in collaboration with Seattle Children’s Hospital) to comprehensively screen students for indicators of suicidal ideation, bullying, depression, anxiety, substance use, lack of school connection, relationship issues, and eating/body image concerns. Following the screening process, students are prioritized based on the severity of their concerns and provided with support to ensure ongoing assistance.

We're excited to cheer on our student-athletes this spring!

Track Meet:

• Date: Saturday, March 23rd @ 10:30 AM
• Location: Southwest Complex (SWAC), 2801 SW Thistle Street, Seattle, 98126
• Our WMS team competes against: Aki Kurose, Denny, Madison, Mercer, Meany

Boys Soccer:

• Date: Saturday, March 23rd @ 10:00 AM
• Location: Van Asselt Field, 2820 S Myrtle St, Seattle, WA 98108
• WMS takes on: Hamilton

Girls Volleyball:

• No Matches on March 23rd, but tryouts continue!
• Last Day of Tryouts: Monday, March 25th

Meet the Coaches!

WMS Boys Soccer:

• Head Coach: Abdulqadir Ahmed (asahmed@seattleschools.org)
• Assistant Coach: Zach Fleet
• Practices: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

WMS Track:

• Head Coach: Ryan Ritchie (rlritchie@seattleschools.org)
• Assistant Coach: Chad Pharis (cwpharis@seattleschools.org)
• Practices: Wednesdays, 2:45 PM - 4:15 PM & Fridays, 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

WMS Girls Volleyball:

• Head Coach: Hannah Lewis (halewis@seattleschools.org)
• Assistant Coach: Kelly Kirby (kekirby@seattleschools.org)
• Practices: Mondays & Thursdays, 4:00 PM - 5:15 PM

Overdue Books

Remember to turn in or renew any overdue books. If a book is lost or damaged, please make sure to pay your fine with cash/check in the main office or online at SchoolPay.com. You can also bring in a replacement copy instead of paying the fine.

One Piece Coloring Competition

There are coloring pages from the popular manga series One Piece in the library. Color one, put your name on the back, and give it to Ms. Harris by March 22nd. The last week of March, students will be voting on their favorite. Winners get a prize!

Global Reading Challenge

The Global Reading Challenge has begun! Teams meet during Advisory on Monday mornings. Our final competition against other south-end middle schools will be virtual and during the school day on April 25th.

Donations

Along with our Amazon Wishlist and Donors Choose projects, the library is always looking for donations.

• Books in good condition published within the past 10 years
• School/office supplies
• Comfort station items (unused hair ties, diverse skin tone bandaids, safety pins, etc.)
• Quick board games
• Playing cards and Uno
• Puzzles under 500 pieces

WMS is entering the hiring process for a permanent principal. Per Seattle Public Schools' own guidelines, a hiring committee will be formed including 3 parent or community representatives. However, the invitation for families to participate has not been robust, nor has the process been visible. This is an opportunity to raise your voice and hold SPS accountable to their own guidelines by involving representatives from the families of WMS in the process. Two action steps can be taken here:

• According to the guidelines, the PTSA and the BLT will be asked to suggest representatives to sit on the hiring committee. If you have an interest in participating in this committee, please contact info@wmsptsa.com.
• Remind SPS of their obligation to involve families in this process. Send this prewritten email to SPS leadership, and personalize it if you wish. It should take no more than one minute to do this.

Email: eataylor@seattleschools.org
Website: washingtonms.seattleschools.org
Location: 2101 South Jackson Street, Seattle, WA, USA
Phone: 206-252-2600