WMS Weekly Warrior

September 16, 2024

Good Afternoon, Woodbury Middle School,

We hope you are enjoying this beautiful late summer weather. Last week, we shared that WMS is partnering up with Goodwin University in a program called Manufacturers in Motion. Each WMS student had an opportunity to participate in the Mobile Learning Lab and watch a presentation on manufacturing in Connecticut. What's more, students had hands-on experience with 3D printing, virtual welding, and other manufacturing operations in Goodwin's mobile lab. This active involvement is a key part of our partnership with Goodwin University, and we look forward to more such engaging lessons.

We welcome Jamie Odell as the new athletic director at Woodbury Middle School. She replaces Mr. Chris McGrath, who served in this role for over 20 years. WMS thanks Mr. McGrath for his many years of dedicated service as the athletic director. His leadership, passion for sports, and commitment to the students have impacted the whole school community. If you have any questions regarding athletics, please direct them to Ms. Odell at WMSAD@ctreg14.org.

Picture day is on Thursday, September 26th. The order form is listed below, and a hard copy will be sent home with students this Friday, September 20th. Please look for the order forms in your student backpacks.

The results of the Smarter Balanced (SBA) English language arts and mathematics assessments from the 2023-2024 school year were mailed out last Friday. Our sixth-grade students also received their NGSS scores from the previous school year. Please remember that these scores are just one measure of your student’s academic achievement and growth. It's important to consider them alongside their classroom performance, teacher feedback, and progress on benchmark testing throughout the year.

Starting this week, on Tuesday, new Chromebooks will be given out to students. To receive a Chromebook, students must complete the new PowerSchool registration, which includes agreeing to the district's Acceptable Use Policy (AUP). Families who have not completed this process have been notified by the district's Central Office. Students with unpaid fees due to damaged Chromebooks will receive their old or repaired Chromebooks. Additionally, students must return their chargers.

Please contact the office if you have any questions about returning old Chromebooks or obtaining a new one.

Have a great week,

WMS Admin

Bill Nemec, Principal

Suzi Greene, Assistant Principal

Please make sure to review the Woodbury Middle School Student Handbook with your student regarding cell phones. Some of you may be aware that the state has issued recommendations on cell phone usage in schools. I have included the proposed language from the state below. Click the picture to access the entire document from the state.

• Middle School − The policy for middle school students should also focus on removing cell phones from the school day or classroom. Developmentally, this age group is particularly vulnerable to the negative effects of excessive personal technology use and has a difficult time controlling their impulses. Concurrently, middle school students experience increased autonomy and independence during the school day, which can lead to increased opportunity for cell phone misuse. − Possession of cell phones in this age group is likely to be viewed as a rite of passage into adulthood, so communication and application of policies that restrict use must be developed in consideration of the specific challenges of middle school students.