Westland Middle School

Weekly Update April 7 - April 11

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Mrs. Walker's Message: April 7, 2025

Good Evening, Westland Families,

This is Mrs. Walker, and here is the Westland Weekly Update for April 7, 2025. In this week's newsletter, you will find the following information:

Spring MCAP Testing Schedule
Westland Highlights
International Night
SGA's Spring Fling
National Assistant Principal Week
Student Service Learning Opportunities
MCPS Boundary Study (Upcoming Public Information Meetings)
B-CC HS News (Events & Updates)
Westland MS News
WMS Resources
Mental Health and Safety Resources
MCPS Community Resources and Events
PTSA Membership Information

It’s been a wonderful week celebrating both our amazing staff and students! We thank our WMS paraeducators as 4/2/25 was National Paraeducators Day. Congratulations to our February Students of the Month! Your teachers recognize and celebrate your hard work, positive attitude, and consistent demonstration of MYP learner profile traits such as being principled, caring, reflective, and open-minded members of our school community. We are also proud to recognize Mrs. Prokos for being named the 2025 MCPS Autism Ally Outstanding General Educator, which is an incredible honor! Our talented students put on an incredible performance during the Talent Show.

A huge thank you to our performers, WMS staff, Ms. Gover, Ms. Licare, and Ms. Alison Goradia, our PTSA Music Liaison, for coordinating such a memorable event.

We want to provide a reminder of upcoming testing this week. MCAP testing will take place April 8-11. Please see the information below for details.

As a reminder, spring break will be April 14–21. Because schools are closed, our newsletter will pause for one week. There will be no weekly message on Sunday, April 13th, but we’ll resume on Sunday, April 20th.

Our weekly messages will also be shared on the WMS website. Events with QR codes or links will be accessible when you are viewing the newsletter from your smartphones or tablets. That concludes our message for this week. We look forward to a great week because we are #BetterTogetherWMS. Have a wonderful evening!

Sincerely,

Mrs. Nicole Walker

Principal, WMS

Spring MCAP Testing Schedule (ELA & Math)

Spring MCAP Testing will take place on April 8, 9, 10, &11. All students will be taking the MCAP tests. Reminders will be shared with students and families as we approach testing. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Ryan Bibeault at Ryan_P_Bibeault@mcpsmd.org

Westland MS Highlights

Congratulations to our February Students of the Month! Your teachers celebrate you for consistently demonstrating MYP learner profile traits such as being principled, caring, reflective, and open-minded members of our school community.

What an amazing Talent Show! A big thank you to our incredibly talented students for sharing their gifts, and to Ms. Gover, Ms. Licare, Ms. Alison Goradia, and our PTSA Music Liaison for coordinating such a fantastic event.

Congratulations to Mrs. Prokos on being named the 2025 MCPS Autism Ally Outstanding General Educator!

SGA's Spring Fling (4/25/25)

International Night (4/30/25)

National Assistant Principal Week: Thank You Mrs. Beckett and Mr. Bibeault!

Criteria Based Programs: Freshman Year 101

MoCo Bridged’s first event, Criteria Based Programs: Freshman Year 101! This event is an opportunity for current 8th graders (rising freshmen) as well as other interested middle school students to learn more about criteria-based programs.

The event will specifically be geared for the transition between middle and high school, and students will be able to engage in conversations with high-achieving upperclassmen in the programs to learn more about academics, extracurriculars, and balance. We will also be covering topics such as time management and day-to-day student life.

This virtual webinar will be held via Zoom on Friday, April 11th from 6:00-7:30 PM. Once you RSVP, you will receive an email with the details for the virtual meeting. We look forward to seeing you there!

Sign-Up Here!: Criteria Based Programs: Freshman Year 101

MCPS Boundary Study (Upcoming Public Information Meetings)

Student Service Learning Opportunities (March -April 2025)

B-CC News (Events and Updates)

Fall 2025 Athletic Tryouts Information

Future Barons,

Please note the following: Fall of 2025 tryouts will begin August 13, 2025

Registration will be on ParentVue in early July. Students must be registered and must have a current physical. Physical form

Please reach out to Michael_R_Krawczel@mcpsmd.org with any questions.

Check our website for info: https://baronathletics.net

This info will be the same no matter which MCPS high school you will attend. Whitman's AD is William Toth, Walter Johnson's AD is Larry Hurd, and Einstein's AD is Tina Fitzpatrick.

Westland MS News

2025 Sustainability Contest

The Division of Sustainability and Compliance holds an annual poster contest to increase awareness about the importance of environmental sustainability, energy conservation, waste reduction, and responsible recycling. Students and staff are invited to participate in the contest, and then to vote online to determine the winning entries in the spring. The deadline is April 4th!

Complete the Sustainability Contest Entry Form to enter.

Read about Contest Guidelines.

Westland Resources

Communication at Westland MS

Westland strives to make clear community a priority. We will continue to prioritize communication and share about Westland through multiple venues. Please expect the following from us:

Weekly Sunday night phone call @ 6:00 pm from administration with detailed information on activities and upcoming happenings at Westland.
Weekly Smore newsletter from administration with detailed information on activities and upcoming events at WMS.
Staff members may be utilizing Remind or Parent Square, as our texting communication app.
All updates and links will be found on the Westland Middle School Website.

We are continuing our work to be more “green” and share as much information as possible with parents electronically. We will notify you with Remind or Parent Square updates when we add or update with new information. But, if you cannot find what you need in this newsletter or on our webpage, please contact the main office and we will be happy to help you!

Mental Health and Safety Resources

Montgomery County Crisis Hotlines:

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Dial or Text 988 (for more information click HERE)
Maryland Crisis Hotline - 301-738-2255
Montgomery County Crisis Center - 240-777-4000
Youth Crisis Hotline of Montgomery County - 301-738-9697

Safety and Security Concerns:

Safe Schools Maryland Hotline - 833-MD-B-Safe (833-632-7233)
Safe Schools Maryland Online Report - Click HERE
MCPS Department of Systemwide Emergency Management - 240-740-3066
Cyber Tipline - 1-800-843-5678

MCPS "STRONGER STUDENT" - Student Mental Health and Wellness APP

National Association of School Psychologists:

Supporting Marginalized Students in Stressful Times: Tips for Caregivers

Bus Transportation Information for 2024-2025

We have provided the bus stop information for the school year. Please click on the link for pick-up times and drop-off times.

MCPS and Community Resources and Events

Working Together to Create a Safe and Welcoming School Community (From MCPS)

As we begin the second half of the school year, we want to remind students and their families of the many resources available to support everyone. These resources also reflect our shared commitment to fostering a safe, respectful and inclusive school community.

Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse
MCPS is committed to fostering civic engagement and civil discourse among our students. These are essential skills and strategies that empower young people to navigate a diverse world with respect and confidence.

The MCPS Civic Engagement and Civil Discourse Google Site provides centralized resources for staff and is easily accessible via the MCPS Resources tab in Google Chrome. The website provides resources to support creating an environment where students can participate productively, engage safely, and experience uniform rule application across the district.
Strategies concerning political engagement, including guidelines for students.

Supporting Our Diverse Community
Our diversity is a huge strength for us, and it’s our duty to ensure every individual feels valued and supported. Please keep the following resources in mind:

Addressing Hate-Bias and Antiracism
MCPS tiered protocols are critical for addressing hate and bias incidents, ensuring we respond thoughtfully and effectively when these situations arise.

Procedures for reporting and responding to hate-bias incidents.

Cafeteria News & Secondary School Meals Information

Starting on the first day of school, full breakfasts will cost $1.30, full lunches will cost $2.80, and various ala carte items will be available ranging from $1 to $2.

When students go through the meal line, they will enter their student ID numbers to access their lunch accounts. Funds can be added to student lunch accounts using MySchoolBucks or payments can be made directly to our cafeteria using cash or a check. We will share a link to the monthly menu and specific ala carte offerings during the third week of August, 2023.

No student will be denied a meal if funds are not available on their account. In the event that a lunch account has insufficient funds, the student will still receive the meal and the price will be recorded as a credit which can be repaid at a later date.

It is important to complete the Free and Reduced Meals (FARMS) form if you have previously, or believe you will qualify for free or reduced meals. If your family qualifies for any level of FARMS support, all meals are free. Apply online at www.MySchoolApps.com

Parent Vue

ParentVUE and StudentVUE is a valuable resource for educators, parents and students. It creates a bridge of communication to relay important information such as homework, tests, upcoming events and grades. It is important for students and parents to check regularly to keep track of assignments and grades. However, grades may take longer to post depending on the assignment. Please be patient with teachers as some assignments may take as long as two weeks to grade.

If you need assistance with setting up your account, please email us. Information is also available on the MCPS website.

Parent/Guardian ParentVUE Support Guide (Annual Verification Instructions on page 24!)

Technology Information and Support for Parents in MCPS

Immunizations

The Maryland Department of Health released updated school vaccine requirements for the 2024-2025 school year.

Families of incoming kindergarten students, new students, and 7th and 8th graders may need additional vaccines to start the school year.

Not sure if your student is up to date? Contact your child’s health care provider or access their immunization records online. Students 18 years old and younger eligible for the Vaccines for Children program may obtain free vaccines through the county’s Immunization Program.

Summer Opportunities

MONTGOMERY CAN CODE

Through a partnership with MCPS, Montgomery College, Apple, and the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, MCPS rising 6-8th grade middle school students can enjoy a free, fun half-day week-long summer camp, offered in-person at the three Montgomery College campuses, the new East County Education Center and as well as virtual camps to learn Apple Swift coding. Swift is an easy-to-understand programming language used by professional developers to create software applications.

REGISTRATION OPENS ON APRIL 25TH!!!

Westland PTSA Events & Membership Information

Address Change?

If you are moving over the summer please let our counseling office secretary, Mrs. Montano Rivas know at Alva_B_MontanoRivas2@mcpsmd.org