West Middle School e-Bulletin

5/12 - Wear Green to support mental health awareness

5/15 - NJHS applications are due

5/17 - P-CCS K-12 Art Show @ Salem HS

5/21 - Choir Concert @ 7 pm

5/22 - Kona Ice @ West MS

5/22 - Track Meet vs. Discovery @ Liberty MS

5/28 - Band Concert @ 7 pm

5/29 - 6th Grade Field Trip to Penn Theater

6/6 - 7th Grade Bowling Trip & 8th Grade Cedar Point Trip

6/10 - 8th grade recognition ceremony (1/2 day with 11:30 am dismissal; 8th graders dismissed after ceremony)

6/11 - PBIS 4th Quarter Reward (1/2 day with 11:30 am dismissal)

On behalf of the entire staff, thank you for putting together such a spectacular Teacher Appreciation Week! Each day was filled with thoughtful surprises that truly made our teachers feel seen, valued, and celebrated.

Thank you to all the parents who put in countless hours of work, donated and contributed in any way—your kindness and support mean the world to us. A special shout out to Kristi Hollingsworth, Chelsea Luick, Julie Weaver, and Kristen Forbing Schlott. We feel incredibly lucky to be part of such a generous and caring school community!

Congratulations to all our Bulldogs of the Week

Maryam Abdelmagid

Kate Barbour

Ali Badreldin

Kate Barbour

Ethan Bersano

Christian Cook

Brady Coram

Greyson Crumpton

John Dunkleberger

Hayden Harris

Augustin Kowatch

Nikou Krolicki

Jacob Lanier

Nicolas Rushlow

Avalynn Seror

Abigail Soronen

MacKenzie Stearns

Goldie Thayer

Elia Valdez

McKenna Vickers

Bentley Wilkin

Mr. Menzer

Ms. Priest

Please be sure to stop by the office for your treat and certificate.

Get ready to smile because we're keeping the wonderful tradition alive of having a photo slideshow at the 8th-grade celebration! To make this happen, we'd love for you to share a few photos with us. Think of it as a little trip down memory lane! 😊

Here's what we're looking for:

1. Blast from the Past! We'd love a photo of your amazing 8th grader from their 6th-grade year. If you don't have one from 6th grade handy, any photo from when they were a bit younger will work perfectly!

2. Right Here, Right Now! Please send us a current photo of your 8th grader. Let their personality shine! ✨

3. Bonus Fun! (Totally Optional) If you have a special photo you'd like to share, we'd be happy to include it! This could be from a school sports event, a school dance, the awesome Washington DC trip, or even just a great picture with a group of friends. It's all about capturing those memorable moments! 📸

When you save the photo files, please make sure to name them using your student's first and last name. This will help us keep everything organized. For example, if your student's name is Alex Johnson, the files should be named "AlexJohnson1.jpg", "AlexJohnson2.png", and so on.

We're so excited to see all the fantastic photos and make this year's celebration video extra special! Thanks so much for your help! 😊

May is officially Mental Health Awareness Month, a time dedicated to raising awareness about mental health, reducing stigma, and promoting mental well-being. Join the Student Voice in Action committee in wearing green on Monday, May 12, to support Mental Health Awareness. Students in grades 6-12 will also be encouraged to wear green on May 12.

For additional information on mental health resources and support, visit the websites of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Child Mind Institute.

Information on how to access PSAT scores:

• Students “own” their data and results. The College Board provides all students with the opportunity to set up an online account to access their scores in the reporting portal. Student scores will be available individually in the reporting portal long before the school will be provided with scores for the cohort, as a whole. For various technical reasons, we have found that creating this account at home makes for a much more successful experience. For instructions on how to set up a College Board account click here. To see a video demonstration, click here.

• Once students have created College Board accounts they can choose to create a Khan Academy account and to link the accounts for access to FREE online official SAT practice. For information on how to link College Board and Khan Academy accounts click here; or watch a video here

The 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, June 10, 2025. This is a change from a previous newsletter communication that indicated it was Wednesday, June 11, 2025. The WMS Class of 2025 will partake in the traditional juice and doughnut breakfast from 8:15 to 8:45 AM. Eighth grade students will then get organized for the Eighth Grade Recognition Ceremony which will take place in the West Gymnasium from 9:00 to 10:30 AM. Eighth grade students may leave with parents at the conclusion of the ceremony. Due to limited space, we ask that each student try and limit their guests to 2 persons. There are no tickets for this event.

Then, the final 1/2 day of school will be the PBIS 4th quarter reward.

Each year, one of the highlights of our 8th Grade Recognition Ceremony is hearing from our student speakers. This is a special opportunity for a few students to reflect on their middle school experience and address their classmates, families, and staff.

Students interested in applying should prepare a 2–3 minute speech and be ready to present it to the staff selection committee on Tuesday, May 20 during lunch/recess. The chosen students will then work with staff to revise and rehearse their speech in preparation for the recognition ceremony.

To apply, students must submit their interest form to the box in the main office by Friday, May 16 at 8:10 AM (before 1st hour). Audition times will be shared after forms are received.

We look forward to hearing from our future speakers!

Permission slip for 6th grade field trip is due on 5/14. Students received this in classes last week, but it's linked below if you need it.

During the month of May, West Middle School will be holding a fundraiser for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS). LLS's work is focused in three areas: research toward treatments and cures, patient education, and support and advocacy for families fighting these diseases. Our last LLS fundraiser a couple years ago generated over $7,000, this year we hope to reach $10,000. Primetime classrooms will compete to see which can raise the most money, with fame, recognition, and a pizza lunch for the winning classroom.

Plymouth-Canton Community Schools K-12 Art Show is at Salem High School. All entrants will receive a certificate of recognition, and local celebrity judges, professional jurors, and district art teachers will be on hand to select pieces for special recognition. Please make plans to attend this celebration of the arts in P-CCS!

Saturday, May 17, 2025 11:30 – 3:30 p.m. at Salem High School

Award show for juried works will be at 3:30 p.m.

Applications for new and returning NJHS members will be emailed to students on April 15th. All applications are due on May 15th at 11:59 pm. Returning members must complete the application AND submit their completed Volunteer/Tutoring Logs with all 15 hours to Mrs. Bazzi or Mrs. Davies. New members must submit an application and identify 5 hours of volunteer work as part of the application. The expectation is that students will be completing the application.

Yearbook printing has started! you can still purchase a yearbook at www.yearbookforever.com Deadline to purchase a yearbook will be in May so please reserve your student's copy today!

Summer Chromebook Retention Program - Letter to Families (2025)

Below are important highlights from the link above.

• The Summer Chromebook Retention Program is open to only students in grades 6 through 11 currently participating in the Chromebook take-home program who are returning to P-CCS for the 2025/26 school year.
• Families interested in the program must register their student(s) no later than Friday, May 23 at 11:59PM Eastern Time.
• Families who prepay next school year’s non-refundable insurance premium DO NOT need to pay this insurance premium again during the 2025/26 school year.
  
• The program is highly encouraged for students who may be participating in summer school or students who simply want to keep their Chromebook into the next school year.
• Families can register for the Summer Chromebook Retention Program at http://links.pccsk12.com/summercbsignup.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and there is a 5K Walk/Run for Mental Health. All proceeds go toward supporting mental health programs, including Fit Kids—a physical activity curriculum designed for students in grades K–8. West Middle School and Discovery Middle School are recipients of funding for programs in our buildings. Kids 12 and under are free, and can offer you a coupon code to use MI4MH for $5 off!

P-CEP's National Merit Scholarship winners include: Canton High School senior Shourik Das, who intends to pursue a career in medicine; Canton High School senior Hannah Thomas, who intends to pursue a career in neurology, Salem High School senior Dhruv V. Hegde, who intends to pursue a career in mechanical engineering and Salem High School senior Rohit Mahesh, who intends to pursue a career in engineering.

All four students received a $2,500 scholarship underwritten by Merit Scholarship funds. Winners are chosen by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, and were evaluated by their academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test, contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official. Additional rounds of scholarship winners will be announced later this year.

• A variety of weekly classes, workshops, and week-long youth summer camps run through August. Join us for arts, athletics, science, and more! Upcoming adult golf, cooking, karate and yoga classes also start soon, so register today.

• P-CEP Athletics camps and clinics return this summer for rising 3rd-12th graders. Hosted by high school coaching staff and players, some begin in late May before the end of the school year. Don't miss out!

• Safety Town for incoming kindergarteners will take place in June and July. The five-day camp teaches safety concepts in a fun-filled environment, with hands-on activities and special guest speakers. Limited availability for those in Young 5's and 1st grade in the fall.

West Middle School

Principal: Mrs. Cheri Steckel

Assistant Principal: Mr. Patrick Calzone

Dean of Student Support: Ms. Jennifer Haynes

Counselor A-K: Mr. Josh Bechtel Counselor L-Z: Mrs. Stacy Brooks

General Office: Mrs. Tracy Visnaw, Mrs. Lisa McGee, Mrs. Lisa Campbell

Staff Directory: CLICK HERE

Website: https://www.pccsk12.com/our-schools/middle-schools/west

Location: 44401 West Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth 48170

Phone: 734-416-7550