MEMO
To: Michael Green
From: Jake Hall
Date: March 1, 2016
Re: Woodland Middle School Report
As we head into spring, our new semester at WMS is “growing along” with new family engagement events, opportunities to build trust, meaningful course offerings and well-managed interim state assessments! Students and staff are enjoying their updated schedules and new courses and we are appreciating more familiarity in school routines. Further information is provided on the topics below:
Families + Students + WMS Staff = Awesome (PRIDE Night)
We had a wonderful PRIDE Night on Thursday, 2.25.16! It was great to see the new WMS campus completely full with families experiencing their students’ educational experiences. I am proud to work in the proud, caring community of Woodland with such a genuine, hard-working staff. Thank you to 100s of WMS families for coming to PRIDE Night and for everything they do for students to support them at school and at home! We will continue to work together closely.
I’d like to mention that we had 100% of WMS staff involved in preparing for and contributing to PRIDE Night. This kind of commitment shows our community what I get to see every day from WMS staff. In the midst of all kinds of changes, WMS staff continues to find meaningful ways to improve our school for all students. WMS staff make the difference every day, cultivating academic and behavioral growth!
Building Success Together
PRIDE Night highlighted one of the keys to a high performing school: an effective partnership between students, families and staff. One of our building priorities and expectations is that we do all we can to keep “short accounts” between WMS staff and families. We do this by taking extra time to meet in person with families or have “voice-to-voice” phone calls as much as possible. We are committed to building success together within the whole WMS learning community because we value our partnership with families greatly! At every opportunity I encourage families to talk with us if they have any concerns, questions or compliments. Then we make the most of the opportunity to build trust, listen, learn, and dialogue about solutions together.
New WMS Course Offering -- Horticulture
A Middle School with a “greenhouse” and horticulture refrigerators and equipment? Why not? That’s what we have at the new WMS!! Since last August Shar Brown has been working with Mary Ellen Vetter at WHS to build a Horticulture class at WMS. I am pleased to report that the new WMS Horticulture class is up and running and full of students getting their fingers into the soil and turning their thumbs a little more green. If you ever have a chance, I encourage you to come see it in action and talk with the students as they are cultivating.
Interim State Assessments
I would like to take this opportunity to report that WMS Teachers have been extremely flexible and worked diligently to implement and maximize Interim State Assessments! Also, thank you to Angela Campbell, Steve Rippl, Sarah Hadaller and Asha Riley for tremendous coordination efforts along with the necessary meticulous record keeping and training of staff. Angela is taking the lead as the WMS Assessment Coordinator and she has worked many weekends and evenings to make sure the interim assessments are a success. I also appreciate the support we have received from Steve Ripple for technology needs, Sarah Hadaller for coordination and communication with Central Office, and Asha Riley for going the extra mile to make sure we are supported and in line with state guidelines and opportunities for students. It takes a village to maximize a state assessment and I’m grateful for the teamwork in our village!