Date: 3/25/2009To: Michael Green, SuperintendentFrom: Cari ThomsonRE: WMS Summary of Teaching and Learning - March
March has come and gone at Woodland Middle School!
The WMS staff participated in CRISS training and department level meetings for the three Mondays in March. The staff also published the new mission statement and will begin working in April on the tops 20 items that students learn in their class as well as yearly curricular calendar. This is to aid staff in cross curricular collaboration and articulation.
Woodland Middle School also spent the month of March transitioning students. The high school finished forecasting incoming freshman (current 8th graders) and WMS forecasted incoming 7th (current WIS 6th graders) and incoming 8th graders. Additionally, WMS hosted a parent night for incoming 7th graders on March 11. This event was well attended by parents and students. An overview of curriculum, athletics/activities, and middle school expectations were reviewed. Kelly Sloniker has done a great job coordinating these activities.
I sat in on a district directed professional development opportunity with the new math standards. I was very pleased to see the progress that WMS math teachers are making in outlining and mapping the standards and curricula for next year. Tim Brown has been asked to do a workshop this summer for a science, technology, and mathematics conference sponsored by ESD 123 and Debby Hunt has been asked by the state to range-find for the writing WASL.
I March I was, once again duct-taped to the cafeteria wall for "Pennies for Patients." If WMS students sell 1,000 tubs of cookie dough in April, I have agreed to dye my hair black (until the end of the year), wear my prom dress, and dance with Jeff Howell!