Eagle Eye - January 2025

Dear Windom Middle School Families,

Happy New Year! As we welcome 2024, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible work our Windom Eagles in grades 5 through 8 have been doing. Their dedication and positive energy make our school a special place to learn and grow. At Windom Middle School, we believe that character development is just as important as academic growth. Throughout the year, we’ve encouraged our 5th–8th graders to demonstrate kindness, responsibility, and perseverance in their daily interactions. These traits not only strengthen our school community but also help our students grow into thoughtful and resilient individuals. Let’s continue to support them in making positive gains in their character development as we move into the new year.

This school year, we’ve been emphasizing reading growth across all grade levels, and we are excited to continue this focus in the new year. In January, students will take the STAR Reading and Math tests, which are critical tools for us to understand their progress and guide our instruction to better meet their needs. Please encourage your student to give their best effort on these tests, as they play an important role in shaping their learning journey.

As we move through the month, we want to remind families that January 17 marks the end of the second quarter. Students will have an early release at 12:35 PM that day. Additionally, there will be no school on January 20 as staff members participate in professional development.

With winter weather upon us, please note that if Windom Schools has an E-learning day due to inclement weather, students in grades 5 through 8 will not have Chromebooks. Instead, they will complete hard copies of tasks for each class. Teachers have communicated these plans clearly with students, and all necessary information is located in each student’s binder. Please take a moment to review this with your student to ensure they are prepared.

Thank you for your ongoing partnership in supporting your child’s education. Together, we can make 2024 a year of continued growth and success for all of our students.

Wishing you and your family a Happy New Year!

Warm regards,

Dane Nielsen
Principal, Windom Middle School

I hope this message finds you well and in the midst of some relaxing and rejuvenating time with friends and family during the holidays. We had a very busy month of December and as we flip the calendar to 2025, the end of the semester is upon us. Student academic success is our number one priority and we will continue to work with all students to find success, regardless of the many diverse obstacles students may face.

For some students, consistent attendance is a barrier to achievement. I do want to take a moment and acknowledge the work done by our Attendance Coordinator Mr. Taylor - our consistent attendance rates are higher and it is absolutely having an impact on classroom achievement. We are in conversation with schools across the state that are involved in the pilot program created by the MN legislature during the 2024 session. The positive relationships and belonging our students feel have a consistent and positive impact on attendance. Thanks for being great partners in your students academic success through your positive and engaged communication.

I do have a New Year's One Word - not a resolution - but one word I want to challenge our students with. That one word is Empathy. Empathy is a noun, and is defined as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. How students treat one another plays a major role in the experience faced at school. Student to student, student to teacher and teacher to student communication makes up the core of our interpersonal relationships. During interactions, a basic level of human respect is expected, and a mature young adult has the ability to see experiences through the lens of another. There are times where we can be better - and it starts with each individual doing their part. An opportunity to choose to be either positive or negative is presented each time a mouth opens to speak or a message is typed to send. It is a choice. As we start 2025, I am not concerned with why someone chooses negative. What I'd like to concern our thoughts with is what we are doing - and the what needs to be positive concerning our communications and reflecting a bit of human mutual respect grounded in empathy. I believe all students can practice empathy as they, for the most part, have a large amount of shared experiences as Windom students. While we cannot empathize with all aspects of each others lives, we can empathize with sharing this space as a Windom Schools Community. There isn't a person I encounter that wants negativity - be the positivity that comes into someones day and have respect for the thoughts and feelings of another due to the shared empathy we have for one another.

Have a very nice start to 2025, we hope for a solid close to semester 1 and a strong start to the second half of the school year!

Bryan Joyce

High School Principal

Our Windom Nursing Department consists of District Nurse Jessica Matt & Elementary Nurse Jacki Larson. Both Nurse Jessica & Nurse Jacki care deeply for the well being of students and they have put together a great resource website for your use. You can click on the image to view the site. In the winter months we typically have an increased frequency of sickness, please communicate illnesses to the office and make sure to help your student stay healthy at home.

Here are some helpful reminders to stay healthy in the cold & flu season:

• Get plenty of sleep and have a consistent bed time
• Practice good hygiene - good hand washing and regular (daily) bathing as well as appropriate coughing and sneezing etiquette (into elbow/sleeve)
• Do not share utensils or other items that may contain OPG's (other people's germs)
• Get regular exercise
• Eat a regular healthy diet including 3 meals a day - ensure meals are high in nutrients and low in sugars/artificial ingredients
• Drink plenty of water - at least 6-8 cups/day

Should Windom Schools cancel school and utilize student E-Learning, HS students will have course materials to complete electronically and this content will be available in Infinite Campus and/or Schoology. Students who do not have internet available at home can complete coursework for E-Learning within 48 hours of returning to school. Middle school students will have materials sent home to complete and return when school resumes.

Reminder - if your student will be absent, please let our office know by calling 507-831-6910 or by emailing attendancemshs@isd177.com. We now have an office cell phone that you can text/call - the number for the office cell is 507-221-3511. All absences require a notice within 48 hours, at that point the absence becomes unexcused.

Email: bjoyce@isd177.com, dnielsen@isd177.com

Website: https://windomasdmn.sites.thrillshare.com/
Location: 1400 17th St. PO Box 177 Windom, MN 56101
Phone: (507) 831-6910, (507) 221-3511
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WindomAreaSchoolDistrict/
X: @Windom_Eagles