WMS Friday Forecast

Adolescence can be a challenging time… both for parents and for kids! As parents, we typically see our teens turn towards more self-centered behaviors. This really is a normal stage for kids and is totally survivable by parents. Helping your child develop empathy is well worth the time and effort.

Recently I was talking with a parent about their child and how they are only focusing on their own feelings and emotions, not those of their family or friends. The parent was struggling with how to help their child show empathy towards others. This is certainly a struggle my wife and I face with our own teens. Why aren’t you considering other people's feelings before you … (insert activity here) text, say something, post something, criticize your sibling…

So I did some searching and found several good resources, but this article is the one I liked the best. For Families: 5 Tips for Cultivating Empathy gives 5 great ideas to help develop empathy with your child:

• Empathize with your child and model empathy for others.

• Make caring for others a priority and set high ethical expectations.

• Provide opportunities for children to practice empathy.

• Expand your child's circle of concern.

• Help children develop self-control and manage feelings effectively.

The article also gives some practical tips on things you can do to help build this important skill. Raising strong kids is tough! But with work, our kids will grow up strong and understanding the feelings of others.

Tim

Believe it or not, high school is quickly approaching for your 8th grader. In anticipation of next year, counselors and administrative staff from St. Charles East and St. Charles North high schools will be visiting Wredling on Monday, December 17th during 1st period to introduce themselves to your student. The purpose of this meeting is to introduce students to their counselor and to discuss course planning for Freshman year. During morning classes on Thursday, January 24 and Friday, January 25, 2019, students will be assigned a time to meet with their counselor where they will make their final course selections.

In addition to their visit to WMS, the high schools have also communicated the dates for their Future Saints and North Star Nights. They are scheduled as follows:

• St. Charles East Future Saints Night: Wednesday, January 9, 2019
• St. Charles North Future North Stars Night: Thursday, January 10, 2019

The purpose of these evenings is to provide information regarding the curriculum offered at the high school, as well as introduce students to the various activities/clubs/sports available to the class of 2024. If you have any questions about these evenings, please don’t hesitate to contact the high schools or access their school websites for more information.

East HS
Last Name Begins / Counselor

A - Cha / Mr. Mark Pereda
Chi - For / Mr. James Hawkins
Fos - Klo / Mrs. Katie Perkins

Klu - Mil / Mr. Jeff Bialeschke

Mim - Reg / Mrs. Jamie Swenson

Reh - So / Mrs. Kari Batka

Sp - Z / Ms. Maura Kenney

North HS
Last Name Begins/ Counselor

A- Cor / Mr. Matt Kirby

Cos - Hah / Ms. Megan Gow

Hai - Li / Ms. Laurie Moffitt

Lj - O / Ms. Amy Collins

P - Spi / Mr. Larry Nothnagel

Spj - Z / Mrs. Nicolette Karl

They will receive the form below on Monday. We are providing access to a copy of this form for you to replace those that will not make it home or are wrinkled beyond belief inside a backpack!

Students are NOT to take their coats, hats, gloves, and backpacks to 8th-period Explore/PE, APS, Foreign Language classes! Students must go to their lockers after the 8th-period bell, get their ‘stuff’ and THEN exit the building.

Busses do not leave until 10 minutes after the bell rings so there is time for students to go from their 8th-period classroom to their locker and then exit to catch their bus.

Please remind your student of this expectation.

Does your student have LRC fines for ID’s and/or overdue books? NOW through Friday, January 11th you can "pay off" LRC fines and help Lazarus House at the same time!. Just bring in one, or more of THE ITEMS LISTED BELOW from Lazarus House's urgent needs list.

• Sugar-free drink mix packets (must be sugar-free)
  

• Coffee Creamer

• Styrofoam bowls

• Paper Towels

• Liquid Hand Soap

• Disinfectant Wipes

Each item FROM THE LIST ABOVE is worth up to $2 in fines removed from your account. Present your donation to one of the LRC staff and they will credit your account accordingly. This is a great way to help others while clearing the fines from your account at the same time!

Don't miss out on a chance to have your official record of this school year in pictures! Yearbooks are ordered based upon the number that are pre-ordered and paid for by students. Only a few extra copies are ordered when the final order is placed.

To purchase a yearbook, please see Lucy Johnson in the Main Office. You can pay the $25 cost in one of the following ways:

• With a check - made payable to Wredling
• With $25 cash - bring to the main office
  

Again, please see Lucy Johnson directly to make this purchase.

Our WMS Student Council is selling Wredling Socks! Take a look at this Google Form to order some socks for your RedHawk. Great for holiday gifts or a New Year treat!

The School Store is selling Wredling lanyards in a rainbow of colors for $4.00 each. We also have WMS sling bags for $10.00 each. These may be just the thing you are looking for to add to your RedHawk's stocking. School Store items are available from Lucy Johnson in the main office.

Want a challenge? Participate in D303 Solo and Ensemble Night on Friday, February 22nd at North High School from 4-9 pm. Students in Orchestra, Band, Hawk Chorus or Treble Ensemble who are interested in forming an ensemble should see their director for information and music by winter break. Students taking private lessons are encouraged to perform a solo. Students interested in performing at this event need to register by winter break, no exceptions! Interested students should see their directors ASAP for more details.

Dear Parents:

In the past few years, we have seen some significant increases in issues related to cell phone and social media use in our schools. I found this article on a website called “Wait Until 8th”. The website share stories and encourages parents to wait until at least 8th grade to allow their kids to use social media or have a smartphone. As a school, we have seen the harm that comes from kids on social media and using their phones in ways that even their parents don’t expect.

With the holidays coming, many of you may be considering buying your child a cell phone. Frankly, I would discourage it. We have found that 99% of our middle school kids are not ready for the responsibility, or how to react when things go wrong in social media. And even our parents are not sure how to monitor what their kids are doing on social media.

If you want your eyes opened, I would suggest you read this article. Titled, “Middle School Misfortunes Then and Now, One Teacher’s Take,” it explains how social media has changed the social-emotional landscape in our schools and in the lives of our students.

I have been in middle schools for about 24 years. In my career, I have never seen anything like the damaging power of social media on young people. And this is coming from a strong technology advocate. Certainly, technology can have some strong points, but it also must be used at the right age. At the elementary and middle school levels, kids are not emotionally prepared for what may happen. The longer you keep your kids off social media and off smartphones, I think you will find the happier they will be. (I get that they may be mad in the short run, but that is what being a grown-up is all about.)

The easiest solution… blame me and tell your kids you are going to “Wait Until 8th!”

Thank you-

Tim Loversky, Principal

Wredling Middle School

Basketball Tryouts for our WMS Girls Team will be held right after winter break. They will be held after school from 3:40 pm - 5:30 pm on each of these dates:

• Monday, Jan 7
  
• Tuesday, Jan. 8
  
• Wednesday, Jan. 9
  

For girls who make the team, HERE is the schedule for the season.

Join us on January 24 to learn strategies to assist and respond to your child when they are feeling anxious. A representative from Riverview Counseling, along with D303 staff will offer insight on how to help your child deal with anxiety.

SIGN UP USING THE GOOGLE FORM BELOW

Faculty from the Psychology Department at Northern Illinois University will present practical information from their research and their work as part of a U.S. Department of Education training grant “Project Prevent and Address Bullying.” Thompson Middle School is partnering with NIU on this grant project, bringing resources that will be shared throughout the district. The faculty will present helpful knowledge, tips, and resources parents can use when navigating bullying situations.

La interpretación en español estará disponible durante la presentación.

SIGN UP USING THE GOOGLE FORM BELOW!

With Monday's snow day this week, the district has updated the D303 calendar. Four more 'Emergency Days' remain this school year and right now the last day of school is Tuesday, June 4, 2019. Click the calendar below for the downloadable version in both English.

Here is the downloadable version in Spanish.

Contact us on Twitter @ WredlingD303

#WredlingLearns

Website: Wredling.d303.org
Location: 1200 Dunham Road, St. Charles, IL, USA
Phone: 331-228-3700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Wredling-Middle-School-537757163011275/
Twitter: @WredlingD030