Knightly News

Award Categories

• Honorary Service Award (HSA): To recognize an individual or organization for outstanding service to children and youth in our community and school and for going above and beyond what is asked of them.
• Continuing Service Award: To recognize an individual or organization for ongoing or longtime service to children and youth, providing support year after year.
• Very Special Person Award: To recognize an individual or organization for their service to the Wilson PTA and school community.
• Outstanding Teacher Award: To recognize a teacher for outstanding service to children and youth through PTA, school, or the community.
• Golden Oak Service Award: The most prestigious of the Honorary Service Awards - to recognize an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the welfare of children and youth in a school or community.

Reminder: Wear Your Class Shirts or Hoodies for Group Photos!

Attention Wilson Knights! Our yearbook group photo days have been rescheduled to Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and Thursday, January 30, 2025.

On Wednesday 01/29, photos will be taken for Wind Ensemble, Mixed Choir, ADV Strings, Stage Crew, ASB, ADV Art, Concert Band 7/8, ADV Drama 7/8, and 8th grade Japanese (FLAG).

On Thursday 01/30, photos will be taken for ADV Choir, Gen Yes, Jr. Orchestra, Guitar 7/8, 8th grade Armenian (FLAG), and ADV Culinary.

Be sure to wear your class shirts or hoodies. Don’t forget to bring your best smile and show off your school spirit!

We were able to successfully reschedule the games we missed last week due to the fires. We have rescheduled those away games to Thursday, February 20th at Toll Middle School. Check out the flyer below for all the updates.

We also had an amazing pep rally for our student athletes. Check out the highlights in the video below.

To participate in athletics at Wilson, students must maintain their grades, attendance, and citizenship at school. Suspensions and ongoing behavior issues may be cause to remove the student from the team or suspend the student from games and/or practices during the season.

All student-athletes must meet the following requirements, otherwise, the athlete may be given

limited playing time, be restricted from playing in a match, or be removed from the team. Reduction

of playing time and removal from the team are at the Coach’s discretion with administrative approval.

Expectations are as follows:

• Student Athlete must have NO U’s in Citizenship
• Student Athlete must have no more than 1 F and must maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA
• Student-athletes must demonstrate respectful behavior in all classes. This means they should
• not be sent out of class for misbehavior, suspended, involved in major behavioral issues,
• neglecting their schoolwork, or engaging in cheating
• Student Athlete must be present for at least four periods of school to participate in a game
• Student Athlete must attend all practices unless sick
• Problematic behavior will result in one warning before removal from the team

In the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD), good sportsmanship and responsibility are integral components of interscholastic competition. In order for good sportsmanship and teamwork/respect among players to prevail, all coaches, student-athletes and fans must display respect, fairness, civility, honesty, and responsibility before, during, and after all athletic contests.

We encourage fans to enthusiastically support their team, recognize outstanding performance of opponents, and always exhibit good sportsmanship in their words and actions. When competing in or attending a GUSD athletic event, student-athletes, coaches and fans are required to refrain from the following:

• Behavior that is unruly, disruptive, and disrespectful
• Use of foul or abusive language, or obscene gestures
• Interference with the progress of an event
• Verbal or physical harassment of participants, coaches, referees, or fans

The above or other negative behaviors will not be tolerated and are grounds for removal from the site of the competition. Please remember to be positive and calm in all interactions with all athletes, coaches, referees, and families at all times when attending athletic competitions. Furthermore, student-athletes are held to certain expectations of responsibility and academic success.

Students who want to support their home team may ONLY attend HOME games. We do not allow students to attend AWAY games. We do not allow high school students or students from other middle schools to attend our home games.

Dear Grade 8 Wilson Students and Families,

If your student is interested in attending Clark Magnet High School, please review the links below for details about their upcoming parent information events, registration process, and information about the lottery process for Clark. These resources include important dates, links, and timelines to help you stay informed and prepared.

Dear 8th Grade Students and Families,

We are excited to share an important opportunity for all current 8th grade families to learn more about the transition to high school and the incredible programs awaiting your students at Glendale High School!

Mark your calendars and plan to attend:

• Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025

• Time: 6:00 PM

• Location: Glendale High School Auditorium

During this meeting, you will:

• Meet Dr. Lynette Ohanian, Glendale High School's principal.

• Learn about Glendale High School's Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways.

• Explore the many extracurricular activities available to students.

• Hear from current students, parents, and teachers about their experiences at GHS.

Translation services will be available for families who speak Armenian and Spanish.

This is a valuable opportunity to discover how Glendale High School can support and inspire your students as they prepare for the next step in their academic journey. We strongly encourage all families to attend!

You can also schedule campus tours of Glendale High School. Click on the QR code in the flyer below and arrange a time to visit Glendale High School.

If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us or the Glendale High School team.

Students: Read at least 10 pages a day! Remember, if you read 10+ pages a day, that’s over 70+ pages a week, which adds up to 280+ pages a month. That means, you’re reading one novel a month, which is pretty amazing if you think about it.

Remember, great things and big things all have small and humble beginnings. Big achievements always start with small steps. Keep on reading your 10 plus pages a day!

Parents: Consider reading the same book as your child and then come together during dinner time to discuss the book. It's a great way to encourage reading and to spend some quality time with the family.

For Students:

• Teachers will be available to help support you with homework.
• No cell phones are allowed, even after school hours.
• After school Homework Club, Morning Homework Club, and ELL Scholars Circle are not hangout spots; they are intended for students who need assistance with their homework or who need a quiet place to start their homework.
• Please arrange for timely pickup by 4:00 PM if you choose to stay for after school Homework Club.
• Students joining us for morning Homework Club must stay in the library until at least 8:10am at which time they can be released to go on campus with everyone else.

For Parents/Guardians:

• Please check with your child to determine how long they plan to stay in Homework Club or ELL Scholars Circle. While help is available until 4:00 PM, most students typically stay for about 25-30 minutes. Confirm with your child when they plan to leave so you can arrange for timely pickup.

In order to participate in the school’s eighth grade Promotion Ceremony AND eighth grade activities which include awards ceremonies, theme park trips, and other activities, a student must:

1. Earn a minimum of 100 credits in grades 7 and 8 combined.

2. Receive NO more than two (2) Fs in the second semester of the eighth grade year on the semester report card.

3. Receive NO more than four (4) Unsatisfactory (U) citizenship grades during the eighth grade year on the semester report cards. NO more than two (2) Unsatisfactory (U) citizenship grades can be received in the second semester of the eighth grade year.

4. Receive NO more than two (2) suspensions in eighth grade and no more than one (1) suspension during second semester of eighth grade.

Please take some time to review these expectations with your child so that everyone is clear about our promotion policy. I will not be making any exceptions for anyone. We have also reviewed these expectations with all students during our Rules and Expectations Assembly. Counselors will continue to remind students about these expectations throughout the school year and this post will remain in this newsletter all school year under REPEAT NEWS.

Knights, we’re introducing a new way to recognize students and staff who demonstrate “The Wilson Way” virtues. Starting this month, we’ll replace PBIS points with Wilson Way Cards. Teachers and staff members will have a limited number of these cards to give out to students who exemplify our core values: Being Responsible, Reflective, and Kind.

How It Works

• Monthly Opportunity Drawing: Each month, Dr. Akhverdyan will hold a raffle where 25 students will be selected to choose a prize from the office, along with 5 staff members.

• Prizes Include:

• A bag of candy

• Gift cards

• Homework passes

• Treasure box items

• Drop-Off Locations: You can submit your Wilson Way Cards at various locations around the school:

• Library

• Four Corners blue box

• Main Office

• Directly to the principal or assistant principals, who will place them in the box for you.

Each month, the raffle starts fresh. If you aren’t picked, keep showing those Wilson Way virtues, and submit new cards to increase your chances in the next drawing!

Teacher Appreciation - Students Giving Back!

Students, teachers, and parents can also recognize teachers and staff by giving them Wilson Way Cards when they see our adults demonstrating "The Wilson Way." Write a comment on the back, and your teacher will be entered in a separate staff raffle box for their chance to win a reward. We’ll provide KORT time if you’d like to write a card for a teacher.

With these cards, we’re celebrating the positive contributions of everyone in our school community. Let's have fun with this and recognize all the amazing things that are happening at Wilson! Go Knights!

Cell phones must be in a backpack, deactivated (turned off - vibrate/silence is not considered off) and their use is strictly prohibited on campus. Any device that is on, activated, in use, or openly displayed, will be confiscated and held in the office. Guardians are urged not to telephone or send text messages to students and students are not to use the phone during the school day for any reason. Cell phones are not to be used for video/photo purposes on school grounds at any time.

Students violating this policy will receive consequences including before/after school detention, parent-administrator conferences, phone confiscation (parent will need to sign phone out), and for repeat offenders, the students cell phone will be kept in the principal's office during school hours.

We want time spent in school to be about real life social interactions, conversations, and play!

Wilson Parents: I need your help and support on this.

Parents, your partnership is crucial in fostering responsible social media use and managing screen time at home. At Wilson, we instill in our students the importance of the THINK acronym before engaging online.

THINK prompts reflection, which is one of our Wilson Way virtues: Is what they're posting TRUE? Is it HELPFUL? INSPIRING? NECESSARY? KIND? If not, it's best left unshared, sparing them from potential scrutiny and negativity.

In an era dominated by technology, finding balance between screen time and real-life engagement is paramount. Excessive social media and phone usage can exacerbate anxiety, cyberbullying, and academic challenges.

You, as parents, wield significant influence in guiding your children toward a healthy balance. Foster open dialogue about technology, establish boundaries that prioritize face-to-face interactions, physical activity, and quality family time. Together, we can nurture mindful digital citizenship and well-being among our students.

Let us please recommit to safe driving practices in and around our schools. Drop-off and pick-up at schools is never fun, can oftentimes be stressful, and traffic is usually an issue, but we really must slow it down to keep our students safe. Give yourself extra time in the morning, and drive safely.

Students will enter/exit through three locations: front of the school, auditorium gate, and Verdugo gate (behind the school).

Drive through lane: Students may be dropped off using the drive-through lane on Monterey Road. Do not drop off students in front of the auditorium, which will cause traffic to build up. Drive forward and use the drop off lane.

Do NOT enter the staff parking lot. Do NOT drop off students in the parking lot.

Attention Wilson Parents and Students: If students want to park and lock their bike or scooter in our designated bicycle racks on campus, they must register it with Dr. Akhverdyan and wear a helmet at all times while riding. Make sure your helmet is properly fitted, and wear it according to manufacturer directions. Helmets provide protection from potentially life-threatening head injuries.

We’ve noticed an alarming increase in unsafe riding behaviors among students using electric bikes and scooters, including excessive speeds, dangerous maneuvers, and riding without helmets. This is absolutely unacceptable and dangerous. I don’t ever want to call a parent to tell them their child has been involved in an accident.

Safety is our top priority. While we will contact parents directly when specific students are identified, we want to address this as a broader concern affecting many students.

Please ensure that all riders are adhering to safety guidelines, including wearing helmets at all times and following safe riding practices. Your cooperation is essential to keep our school community safe.

If you have a child who is riding their bike to school, please also talk to them about bicycle safety. Refer to the DMV page to learn more about bicycle safety by CLICKING HERE.

Students: Fill out the registration form below and turn it in to the main office.

• The cafeteria offers breakfast and lunch daily. All students can receive one FREE breakfast (before school or at snack) and one FREE lunch daily.
• No outside food deliveries.
• Students can bring their own snack/lunch to school.

Zero Tolerance for Hate Speech: Hate speech, defined as abusive or threatening language targeting individuals or groups based on characteristics such as race, religion, disability, gender, or sexuality, is strictly prohibited. This includes any behavior that disrupts the educational environment or causes psychological harm.

Disruption to the Learning Environment: Hate speech disrupts the educational experience by fostering a climate of fear and division. This not only affects the targeted individuals but also negatively impacts the overall sense of community and safety in the school for all students and staff.

Consequences and Intervention: Students found engaging in hate speech will receive counseling and education. Persistent or severe violations will lead to disciplinary actions, including suspension. Parents will be notified of such incidents.

Fostering a Supportive Community: Building a sense of community and togetherness is crucial for creating a safe and inclusive school environment. We will achieve this through classroom education, cultural celebrations, and providing information and education to all community members, ensuring that every student feels valued and supported.

Join the PTSA today to partner with Wilson teachers and staff in creating engaging and exciting opportunities for our students—your children!

This year, I need PTSA support to plan a formal 8th grade awards ceremony, student recognition lunches, lunch time activities, school dances, and more!

Wilson Middle School provides a supportive environment that fosters academic success, social responsibility, creativity, and reflective thinking in all students.