Badger Middle School Newsletter

Hello Badger Middle School Students and Families,

Quarter one is officially over, and we have a lot to celebrate! We celebrated our students involved in fall sports and clubs and got to see performances from our students at our Q1 Assembly last Friday. Some students even earned the opportunity to pie a staff member (like the principal- see photo) by consistently demonstrating respectful, responsible, safe and ready behaviors.

We look forward to more opportunities like this. There are several upcoming opportunities to engage in Badger Events. Our PTO has an event on Thursday- see flyer below- as well as upcoming concerts and other events.

Check the school calendar for upcoming opportunities to support our students.

Finally, I hope you all have a safe and happy Thanksgiving Break! The O'Connors are sticking around town and having family from out of state in this year.

Thank you so much for the continued support and feel free to reach out to me any time.

Sincerely,

Patrick O'Connor

Principal

Badger Middle School

(262) 335-5456

Your child's 2024/25 First Quarter Report Card is now available via your Skyward Family Access account. You may view your child's report card by logging into Skyward Family Access with your username and password. Click on “Report Cards, Assessment & Student Access” to access the report card, “BGR 2024-25 Q1 Progress Report”.. Please note: If you have forgotten your login or password, it can be obtained through the “Forgot your Login/Password?” link below the login window in Skyward Family Access. Questions about assignments and grades in courses can be directed specifically to that teacher. Other inquiries can be directed to Mrs. Kramer in the Counseling Office.

Congrats to our most recent Students of the Week.

Students are selected based on their contributions to the school, excellence in the classroom, and their positive impact on others. Each week, 6 staff members are chosen at random to nominate a student who shows these qualities.

With great students like these in our hallways, the future is looking bright!

Staff of the Week are nominated by students or staff. See the most recent staff of the week below.

We are proud of our hardworking, caring staff!

There is no school in the West Bend School District November 27th, 28th, and 29th.

The full school district calendar can be found here.

Badger Pride kicked off an exciting first assembly! The event celebrated our students' achievements with club and sports recognitions, followed by a lively game of teachers vs. staff musical chairs that had everyone cheering. We even had a special performance by the WB Dance team! Students who showed they were following the WBSD Way—being safe, respectful, responsible, and ready to learn—earned the chance to pie some brave staff members! We also took a meaningful moment to honor our veterans. We were truly grateful to receive an inspiring message from one of our very own Badger veterans, Mrs. Moldenhauer.

Here's a Preview of upcoming Second Step Lessons:

11/20/2024

Grade 7

Lesson 7: Advice on Roadblocks

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will put their knowledge about overcoming roadblocks into action by giving advice to a sixth-grader who is struggling to learn something new.

Question: Tell your child about a time you had to try something new to overcome a roadblock, such as asking someone for help or looking at a problem with a different viewpoint. Tell your child what eventually helped you overcome that roadblock.

Grade 8 - Pause on Second Step Lessons

On November 13th, November 20th, and a date in January ALL 8th graders will participate in the DPI required Academic and Career Planning lessons. The lessons will take place during the 30-minute time that is typically allotted for Second Step lessons. If your child has opted out of Second Step lessons, they are still required to attend their resource on November 13th, November 20th, and the date in January to fulfill the DPI required lesson.

11/27/2024

No School - Thanksgiving Break

12/4/24

Bullying Unit - Recognizing Bullying & Harassment

In this unit, students learn how to recognize bullying and harassment, stand up safely to bullying, and respond appropriately to harassment. This unit’s content helps students develop empathy, understand the impact of bullying and harassment on individuals and their communities, and examine social and environmental factors that contribute to negative behaviors as well as identify solutions for preventing those behaviors.

Grade 7 - What is Harassment?

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to recognize harassment and tell how it’s different from bullying.

Question: Talk to your child about an example of harassment you heard about, or—if you’re comfortable—something you experienced. Ask your child how this is different from bullying.

Grade 8 - Understanding Bullying

Summary: This week’s lesson will help your child examine common beliefs about bullying and harassment. They will begin to gain a perspective on how their opinions compare to those of others.

Question: Ask your child what they think enables bullying and harassment. Encourage a conversation about why bullying and harassment still happens.

12/11/24

Grade 7 - What is Sexual Harassment?

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn how to recognize the difference between sexual harassment and flirting so they can make informed decisions about how to respond.

Question: Remind your child that it's important that they tell you if they experience sexual harassment. If you feel comfortable doing so, share an example of sexual harassment you or another person has experienced and how you or the other person dealt with it.

Grade 8 - Social Factors that Contribute to Bullying

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will consider other people’s attitudes and beliefs about bullying and harassment, as well as their own.

Question: Share your thoughts and feelings around bullying and harassment with your child. Find out where you and your child agree and disagree and have a respectful discussion.

12/18/24

Grade 7 - The Effects of Sexual Harassment

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will learn about the effects of sexual harassment, and how to identify support resources available at school.

Question: Help your child brainstorm a list of trusted adults at school who can help if they, or a peer, experiences sexual harassment. Remind them to report any incidents of harassment to you as soon as they can.

Grade 8 - Environmental Factors that Contribute to Bullying

Summary: In this week’s lesson, your child will identify environmental factors (the physical space and rules of an area) that contribute to bullying and harassment, and explore how they contribute to bullying and harassment in their school.

Question: Ask your child what environmental factors are. Share your observations about environmental factors that you’ve witnessed in the world outside of school.

Though thus far, Newsletters have been sent every other week, the Badger Middle School Newsletter will be sent as needed to keep you updated- not necessarily bi-weekly. Any pressing information will be sent via Skyward Messenger to your email. Please reach out to any school staff anytime.

Daily announcements that are read over the loudspeaker in the morning can be found here.

This link will be placed at the bottom of the newsletter from now on for easy access.

Mission: We will be respectful of ourselves and each other, work together to develop integrity, persevere in the face of difficulty, and strive for excellence.

Website: http://west-bend.k12.wi.us/BMS/
Location: 727 S. 6th Ave., West Bend, WI, USA 53095
Phone: 262-335-5455
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BadgerMiddleSchool/