Word on the Wirt

What a fantastic start to the school year it has been! Our students are quickly adapting to the high standards of our $81 million house, and we couldn't be prouder. Join us for Back-to-School Night on September 26th as we celebrate our first successful month of school! This event is essential for staying connected with our school community, and we have some special surprises in store. Don’t miss the chance to engage with your child’s teachers, see our new state of the art building, and learn more about the exciting things happening at William Wirt Middle School. I can't wait to see all of you! As always, please contact me directly with any questions at rhonda.simley@pgcps.org.

William Wirt Middle School is a PBIS School. Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a process that WWMS uses to instill attendance, behavior, and grades allow for a positive school experience for all students and staff. Please make sure you get your child/children to school on time. The first mod class begins at 8:44 AM, so students should be seated by 8:40 am. Students are acknowledged and rewarded for displaying positive behavior. Students need 19 Dojo points to participate in the first quarter incentive.

Did you know that our students have access to tutoring support 24/7? With Pear Deck Tutor, students can connect with highly qualified tutors for personalized 1:1 support anytime, anywhere. This resource, available via Clever for ALL PGCPS students, is a testament to our commitment to providing comprehensive support for our students' academic success. Click here to find additional information (including a tutorial) about Pear Deck Tutor. It is beneficial to you, your students, and their families to take advantage of this opportunity to receive additional support in mathematics and any subject area.

~Principal Simley

Access to our building has changed. You will now need to approach from Kenilworth Avenue, as the entrances from 62nd Street and 63rd Avenue are no longer available.

To get WWMS:

1. Turn right onto Kenilworth Avenue from Riverdale Road.
2. From Kenilworth, take another right onto Sarvis Avenue.
3. Then, make the first right onto 60th Avenue, which will lead you directly to William Wirt.

Please note: the road around the building is one-way. You must enter from the Kenilworth Avenue side.

September 26, 2024 - Back to School Night, 5:30 - 8:00

September 27, 2024 - 3-hour Early Dismissal for Students

October 7, 2024 - Schools closed for students; Parent-Teacher Conference Day

October 14, 2024 - Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration 5:30 - 7:30

October 18, 2024 - School closed for students; Professional Development for Teachers

November 1, 2024 - 3-hour Early Dismissal for Students

November 5, 2024 - Election Day; Schools and Offices Closed

November 27-29, 2024 - Thanksgiving Break; Schools and Offices Closed

December 20, 2024 - 3-hour Early Dismissal for Students

Good day Parents and Guardians of William Wirt Middle School Community,

I am your new assigned school nurse this year. My parents, siblings, and I migrated to the US when I was a child entering fifth grade. Therefore, I am able to relate to most of you who are currently undergoing the same transition to a new homeland. I have had the pleasure to interact with some of your children in the health room under varying circumstances. I would like to take this chance to assure you that I am fully committed to providing excellent service to the William Wirt MS families and faculty members.

With this being said, I must share with you that it is the beginning of a new school year. And with the end of Summer we enter into Fall season. The weather generally gets cooler during the Fall. And when the trees shed their leaves it can cause some individuals to experience sneezing, stuffy nose, colds, and itchy water eyes, similar to the beginning of Spring.

So here are a few health tips from your school nurse.

• Please make sure that your children are dressed appropriately for the cool weather, in either a sweater or a light jacket.
• The flu season is about to begin and COVID is also on the rise again. Please have your students wear a mask if coughing, or sneezing. And please do not send them to school if they are sick with fever, strong coughing, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, or severe stomach pain.
  
• Next, please assist me to keep your children healthy in school by enrolling your child or children in HAZEL health. The program is free to all students who attend Prince George’s County Public Schools. The primary objective of this program is to reduce excessive absences. Once your child is enrolled the nurse can allow your child or children to have a video visit with the doctor in school, or you the parent can have the student visit with the doctor on the computer, tablet, or phone from home. Monday to Friday from 7am to 7 pm. And did I mention that there is NO OUT of POCKET COST to the families. And the program is available whether the student is insured or uninsured. New things can be scary but let's give it a try, so please click on the link to enroll now.

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmPQvcHx9lg&authuser=0
  

  my.hazel.co/pgcps

• Last but not least. The parents who received a letter to get their child or children vaccinated prior to the Summer break, if they have not done so your child or children will not be able to attend school on Tuesday September 17, 2024. If your child reports to school without documentation of their vaccination, parents will be called to pick your children up.

Thank you/ Muchos Gracias,

Sharon Smith, RN

Parent volunteers are the heartbeat of our school’s success. If you can spare some time, we encourage you to complete the volunteer application. Even it's only an hour or two a month, your contribution helps create a stronger, thriving school community! Here is the application link.

Here are a few important reminders about attendance from our Mr. Diamante Calloway, our School Secretary in charge of attendance:

• Send a note with the reason for the absence upon returning to school. This will change the absence from Unexcused to Excused.
• Use this calendar as you make appointments and plan family trips.
• Perfect Attendance is honored with monthly Chick-fil-a celebrations.

The i-Ready Diagnostic is an online assessment tool used to understand your child's reading abilities. It helps teachers identify what skills your child has mastered and what areas they might need extra support in. The test adjusts to your child’s skill level by giving questions that range from easy to challenging, depending on how they answer.

Why is it important?

This diagnostic is not a traditional test; it’s designed to provide a personalized learning experience for each student. The results allow teachers to:

• Tailor instruction to meet your child’s specific reading needs.
• Monitor progress over time to ensure your child is growing as a reader.
• Provide resources and lessons that help your child continue improving.

What should you expect?

• The test is taken online and is not timed, so students can work at their own pace.
• It's not about getting a perfect score—students are expected to get some questions wrong. That helps the program determine the right level for them.
• After the test, teachers will review the results and use them to plan individualized instruction.

How can you help?

Encourage your child to do their best but remind them that it's okay not to know all the answers. The goal is to find the best way to help them grow as a reader.

The PSAT 8/9 is a standardized test designed for 8th and 9th graders to measure their skills in reading, writing, and math. It’s part of the College Board’s SAT Suite of Assessments, and it's specifically designed to give students early feedback on how well they are building the skills needed for success in high school and beyond.

Why is it important?

While the PSAT 8/9 is not a college admissions test, it serves several important purposes:

• Skill Development: It helps identify your child’s academic strengths and areas for improvement in key subjects like math, reading, and writing.
• Preparation for Future Tests: The PSAT 8/9 gives students a sense of what to expect on the PSAT/NMSQT (typically taken in 10th or 11th grade) and the SAT, which is often used for college admissions.
• Personalized Study Plans: After the test, students receive a detailed score report showing which areas need attention. This report can be used to help guide future study and growth.

What should you expect?

• Test Format: The test includes sections on reading, writing & language, and math. It’s mostly multiple-choice, with some math questions requiring written responses.
• Length: The test takes about 2 hours and 14 minutes, with short breaks in between sections.
• Scoring: Scores range from 240 to 1440, and the results provide insights into how students compare to others nationwide. However, this test is simply a tool for measuring growth and providing feedback—it’s not about passing or failing.

How can you help?

• Encourage Rest and Preparation: Make sure your child gets a good night's sleep and eats a healthy breakfast on test day.
• Offer Reassurance: Emphasize that this is a practice opportunity to identify their strengths and areas for growth. It’s okay if they don’t know all the answers.
• Review Results Together: After the test, review the score report with your child. Celebrate their strengths and discuss how to address areas needing improvement.

We are thrilled to announce that William Wirt Middle School now has a fully functioning library! In just the first three days of opening, our students checked out over 500 books. We celebrated the historic first checkout by 8th grader Josiah Royster and can’t wait to celebrate our 1,000th book checkout soon.

We encourage all students to explore the library and read often. The more they read, the stronger their skills become—and reading is a key to academic success and lifelong learning.