Knightly News

Dear Wilson Knights and Families,

I want to share important details about the upcoming CAASPP State Testing in English and Math.

Testing Dates:

• Tuesday, April 29th – English Computer Adaptive Test

• Wednesday, April 30th – English Performance Task

• Tuesday, May 6th – Math Computer Adaptive Test

• Wednesday, May 7th – Math Performance Task

These state tests are important for our school, as they help measure student progress and guide instructional planning. Test results also play a role in determining advanced and elective course placement at Wilson and high school.

What to Expect on the Tests:

• Computer Adaptive Tests (CAT): These adjust the difficulty level of each question based on how well a student answers, providing an accurate picture of strengths and areas for growth.

• Performance Tasks (PT): These involve real-world problem-solving, comprehension, and writing, including an essay in the English test.

Testing Schedule & Expectations:

• All students will report to their Period 4 class at 8:30 AM on each testing day.

• We will follow a special bell schedule with shorter class periods after testing (see link below).

• If extra time is needed, students will be called to the library or designated classrooms to complete their tests.

How to Prepare for Success:

1. Be on time – Testing starts first thing in the morning, and late arrivals will disrupt the process. Parents: You need to bring your children to school on time.

2. Bring your fully charged Chromebook and charger each day.

3. Phones must be off and stored in backpacks, which will be placed at the back of the classroom during testing.

4. Get a good night’s sleep before each test and eat breakfast in the morning.

5. Take your time, read carefully, and stay focused – the tests are untimed, and we want you to do your best!

Wilson Knights, I know you are capable of great things, and I believe in each of you. Let’s show our strength and commitment by giving our best effort on these tests. Together, let’s CRUSH THE CAASPP!

If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. Let’s make this a successful testing season!

Dr. Alen Akhverdyan

Principal
Wilson Middle School

Our students of the month received a beautiful certificate, medal, bumper sticker for the car, candy, and other goodies. They were invited to participate in a long snack event where they will have a special lunch with the principal. We also took pictures of our students which we will include in our Wilson yearbook and community newsletter.

To participate in athletics at Wilson, students must maintain strong grades, attendance, and citizenship. Suspensions and ongoing behavior issues may result in removal from the team or temporary suspension from games and/or practices.

All student-athletes must meet the following requirements. Failure to do so may lead to limited playing time, restrictions from matches, or removal from the team. Reduction of playing time and team removal are at the coach’s discretion with administrative approval.

Expectations for Student-Athletes:

• Must have no U’s in Citizenship.

• Must have no more than one F and maintain a minimum 2.0 GPA.

• Must demonstrate respectful behavior in all classes. This includes not being sent out of class for misbehavior, suspended, involved in major disciplinary issues, failing to complete schoolwork, or engaging in cheating.

• Must be present for at least four periods of school to participate in a game.

• Must attend all practices unless sick.

• Problematic behavior will result in one warning before removal from the team.

Sportsmanship & Conduct Expectations:

In the Glendale Unified School District (GUSD), good sportsmanship and responsibility are integral to interscholastic competition. To promote respect, teamwork, and fairness, all coaches, student-athletes, and fans must demonstrate:

• Respect, fairness, and civility toward all participants.

• Honesty and responsibility before, during, and after all athletic events.

• Enthusiastic support for their team while recognizing the achievements of opponents.

When competing in or attending a GUSD athletic event, all student-athletes, coaches, and fans must refrain from:

• Unruly, disruptive, or disrespectful behavior.

• Use of foul or abusive language or obscene gestures.

• Interfering with the progress of an event.

• Verbal or physical harassment of participants, coaches, referees, or fans.

These or any other negative behaviors will not be tolerated and may result in removal from the competition site. We encourage all attendees to remain positive and respectful in their interactions with athletes, coaches, referees, and families.

Attendance at Athletic Events:

• Students may ONLY attend home games. Attendance at away games is not permitted.

• High school students and students from other middle schools are not allowed to attend Wilson’s home games.

Dear Wilson Middle School Parents/Guardians of current Grade 6 students:

California State law requires all students entering 7th grade to provide proof of the following immunizations before attending school:

• Whooping cough booster (Tdap) vaccine

• Two doses of the Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine

There is no conditional enrollment for these vaccines. Students will not be allowed to start 7th grade, including summer school, without proof of these immunizations or a valid medical exemption submitted through the CAIR-ME system.

Please schedule an appointment with your child’s doctor as soon as possible to ensure they receive any missing vaccines. If your child does not have health insurance, the Tdap booster is available at the Comprehensive Community Health Centers:

Comprehensive Community Health Centers

If your child has already received the required vaccines, please provide the school site with a copy of their immunization record immediately so it can be updated.

Important Exemption Information

• Personal belief exemptions (PBEs) filed before January 1, 2016, are no longer valid for students enrolling in 7th grade.

• Personal belief exemptions and medical exemptions not submitted through CAIR-ME will NOT be accepted.

What You Need to Do

• Schedule an appointment for your child to receive any missing immunizations.

• Submit a copy of your child’s immunization record to the Wilson Middle School office as soon as possible.

• Ensure all immunization requirements are met before your child begins 7th grade.

Students entering 7th grade next year who do not meet the immunization requirements will NOT be able to attend Wilson Middle School, including summer school.

Parents/Guardians may drop off immunization records at the Wilson office. Please schedule your child’s appointments as soon as possible to avoid any delays in their enrollment.

To start 7th grade at Wilson Middle School (for the 2025-2026 school year, including summer school), your child must be up to date on all required immunizations. Students without updated vaccinations will not be allowed to begin 7th grade.

Do not wait—make an appointment with your doctor or visit a clinic to get your child’s immunizations done as soon as possible.

For your convenience, a mobile clinic will be available at the District Office on the following dates:

May 5, 2025

May 19, 2025

Jun 2, 2025

Jun 16, 2025

Please act now by scheduling an appointment with your doctor or visiting a clinic. Students who are not up to date on immunizations will not be allowed to start school.

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.