The week of January 20th-24th is No Name Calling Week. Established in 2004, in schools across the country, No Name Calling Week was inspired by the young adult novel, The Misfits by the author, James Howe. The book tells the story of four best friends dealing with taunts based on their weight, height, intelligence, and sexual orientation/gender expression.
During this week, there will be a focus on awareness of how our words and actions affect others. Language and actions toward others can either uplift or harm, and students will be encouraged to engage in respectful interactions with their peers.
This week is also an opportunity to review the definitions of conflict and bullying, as well as review how harassment, intimidation, and bullying (HIB) are defined in the NJ State law.
A disagreement or clash between individuals or groups
May involve name calling, teasing, or physical actions
Can be resolved through communication and compromise, even though the situation may be hurtful
Repeated, intentional aggressive behavior meant to harm or intimidate a person or group.
Involves an imbalance of power (physical, social, or emotional)
Often students and parents use this term incorrectly, when they are really describing conflict.
Edison Township Public Schools and all schools in NJ follow the definition of bullying, determined in the NJ State HIB law as stated below:
Can be any written (covers social media and any electronic communication), verbal, or physical gesture or comment
Is motivated by a perceived characteristic (ex: race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, disability, etc.) **Must be present. Otherwise, it is conflict
Creates a hostile educational environment or interferes with the student’s education - this is more than hurt feelings
All students and parents are strongly encouraged to report any issues that arise so that they can be addressed in a timely and efficient manner.
Our spring sports are Boys' Baseball, Girls' Softball, and Boys' Volleyball.
Please see our website for more information and forms, which will need to be completed by the deadline.
English: In 7th grade ELA classes, students are focusing on building literary analysis skills through the exploration of short stories. Students are learning to identify key literary elements such as theme, characterization, and symbolism while practicing how to support their insights with textual evidence. As part of this unit, they are also honing their essay-writing skills by crafting well-structured literary analysis essays. These activities are designed to deepen their critical thinking and prepare them for more advanced literary study in the years ahead.
Science: In 7th grade science, students are exploring the essential question, "How do living things heal?" Students just finished learning about all the wonderful organelles in our cells and are transitioning into mitosis! Students will get to see cells divide firsthand under a microscope and watch as those organelles they learned about duplicate.
Social Studies: In 7th grade Social Studies, students are exploring the connections between the governments of Ancient Rome and Ancient Greece and the U.S. Constitution. Through engaging activities such as Socratic seminars, philosophical chairs, and student-led discussions, they are analyzing how principles from the ancient world have shaped modern democratic systems. These interactive discussions encourage students to think critically about topics like citizenship, governance, and the balance of power, helping them draw meaningful connections between history and contemporary society.
7th Grade Math: In 7th grade Math Prime classes, students are working on the Expressions Unit. They are working hard to simplify algebraic expressions by combining like terms and utilizing the distributive property. In addition, they are applying these concepts to Geometry applications by finding area and perimeter of figures. They will continue to problem-solve using algebraic thinking as they move from simplifying expressions to solving equations in the next month.
Choir: In 7th Grade Choir, students have begun working on a new song for the Spring Choral Concert, "Irish Blessing." Students will be using solfège and piano keyboards, which they have been learning about throughout the year so far, to assist them in learning this piece.
French: In 7th Grade French classes, students are completing their unit on housing. We have explored different types of houses in the French-speaking world and in France. Students can go shopping for houses on a French language version of Zillow. Students can describe their own houses by room, what's in and out of the house as well as descriptive adjectives. Finally students will be asking and answering questions about their houses and designing a Dream home anywhere in the French-speaking world.
7th Grade Teacher Spotlight: Ms. Juergensen
Besides teaching every day, Ms. Juergensen serves as one of the intramural cheer coaches, attends graduate school, and works with a college-level cheer team 2-3 times a week. She decided to use her Cricut® to personally make bows for each of the cheerleaders. The bows will eventually match the uniforms the girls will wear once they arrive. Ms. Juergensen was determined and excited to ensure the team looked the part for their halftime performances, showcasing the cheers they have been perfecting over the past few weeks. We are in awe of her dedication and exceptional time management in balancing all the exciting commitments she is a part of, and she never expects recognition for everything she does here at Woodrow.
We are already into the COLD and FLU Season...
A few friendly reminders...
Please DO NOT send your child to school if:
your child has had a fever within the last 24 hours. Students need to be fever-free for 24 hours without medication before returning to school.
your child has had diarrhea or vomiting within the last 24 hrs.
your child has a continuous cough.
CDC Preventative Actions to Stop the spread of Germs:
Cover coughs and sneezes Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Germs spread this way.
Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects
Stay home for 24 hrs after their fever is gone except to get Medical Care.
If your child will be absent, you should report the absence in the Parent Portal. If you are unable to get into the Parent Portal, you may call the attendance line at 732-452-2870, then press 1 for Attendance. Clearly state your child's name and homeroom, as well as the reason for being absent.
However, absences are not excused until a note from the parent, doctor, or medical facility is received. Students can bring these notes to the main office or email them to WWMSattendance@edison.k12.nj.us.
