REPORTS TO THE BOARD

WMS Report

Date:      10/29/2009
To:          Michael Z. Green, Superintendent
From:     Cari Thomson, PhD
RE:          October Summary of Teaching and Learning

During the month of October WMS staff spent time on Monday mornings on department collaboration, Navigations 101, and student-led-conferences. 

On October 5, the Learning Improvement Day, Jamie Cato and Mark Ross, from Envictus, provided staff with on-line Navigations 101 training.  We looked through the site and now are able to help students navigate through career interest inventories, post-secondary opportunities, and financial aid packages.  Staff also updated their websites and worked on the school improvement plan. 

Several staff members viewed a webinar on October 19 sponsored by OSPI outlining some of the changes in the state's testing program.  The Measure of Student Progress (MSP) will have a later testing window than the WASL and there will be no extended response questions on the math, science, and reading portions.  The writing test will look similar to the WASL.  WMS also piloted the 7^th grade MSP prompts earlier this month. 

Once again, Woodland Middle School is encouraging students to sign up for the College Bound Scholarship Program sponsored by the HECC Board.  This gives low-income students a chance for free post-secondary opportunities.  More about this program can be found on the website www.hecb.wa.gov/collegbound.

October is coming to a close and so is WMS' fourth year of fall student-led conferences (SLCs).  Our time frame was extended due to several students sporting the flu.  Additionally, Kelso administrators came down to view our SLCs to explore implementation in their own district.

Woodland staff will have their first non-working day on November 11, Veteran's Day.