From the Office of Mrs. Kennedy
Be your best.
Do your best.
Grow even better.
At WMS, our student voices matter. When students feel their ideas are valued, they will be more engaged, take initiative, increase risk-taking in academic situations, be empowered in their learning, and feel pride in their school.
Our WMS Building Leadership Team recently met with some WMS Demons for a student panel. If we don't listen to our students, how will we understand their perspective and continue to be our best, do our best, and grow even better?
The focus of our student panel last week was Friday School. The conversation ranged from what is helpful to what would motivate students to not have to go to Friday School.
WMS will use the feedback students shared to help us improve Friday School.
Ms. Wilcox
Favorite Place: Cannon Beach, OR - not too hot but you still get to enjoy the beach and sand!
Favorite Food: Chicken strips (I think of myself as a chicken strip connoisseur)
Favorite color: I love black! It goes with everything
Favorite song/book: Favorite song has to be "Going Away to College by Blink 182" and my favorite book is either Lord of the Flies or Harry Potter
What do you love about WMS?: I love the heart this school has! The students and staff are so amazing. I have so many great memories throughout this building.
What do you love about middle schoolers?: Middle schoolers are, in my biased opinion, the best age. They aren't too cool so they still can talk to their teachers, but they are still more responsible than in elementary school.
New Year, Cleaner Lockers
Whatcha You Reading Wednesdays!
From Mrs. Nissley
Sometimes it is brought to my attention that a lot of the great programs our middle school students choose to participate in are unknown to our community. This month, I am sharing about WMS Big Champs. Big Champs is an amazing group of 8th-grade students who are assigned a third-grade class at Lincoln. The Big Champs visit their class once a month, starting in November. They interact with their “little champs” during structured and unstructured time.
When arriving at Lincoln, the Big Champs greet their assigned class and eat lunch with them. This gives them the opportunity to get to know their little champs on a more personal level. After lunch, they interact with their little champs by playing group games with them, such as tag, kickball, basketball, etc. When the third graders come in from recess, the Big Champs teach them a different life lesson in the classroom through discussion and activities they present and facilitate. Some of these lessons include interpersonal skills, conflict resolution, building relationships, and positive decision-making.
At the end of the school year, the Big Champs, and the students they have been working with, meet at Whipkey park for a picnic and group games. It’s a fun way to end the year and celebrate the relationships that were built.
What I love most about this program is the leadership skills, the relationships that are formed, the positive role modeling, and the fact that both groups are able to have a lot of fun together. I am very proud of the WMS students who choose to be a part of this program and who put their time and effort into learning the lessons, being prepared, and interacting with younger students in such an incredibly positive way.
If your child is missing an item, I ask you to encourage your student to look in the Lost and Found for it. Who knows, maybe your student will find his/her missing item and another!!!
In two weeks, we will be donating the items left behind to the Attic.
Thanks for your help!
From the Desk of Mr. Swanson
I have had many discussions with students lately about choices. We can make four types of choices when faced with any situation. The first type of choice is the impulsive one. This is the choice made without using any forethought before choosing. I always think of Dug, the dog, from the movie Up. I often find myself distracted like Dug looking for the squirrel. My dogs are very much like this as well. My border collie/corgi mix thinks he is the biggest baddest hunter in the world. At the sight of a deer, he is on the run and is very difficult to call back. Sometimes, when our emotions are high, it can be hard to be called back from an impulsive choice.
The second choice is to not make a choice. This is always an option. As Kid President says, “If you choose nothing, you will be nothing." There is some truth to this axiom. If we refuse to make choices, those choices are made for us by life or others. When we refuse to steer our ships, we shouldn’t be surprised when we go off the course we’d like our lives to follow.
The third choice is to be a follower. Following others can sometimes be a positive choice. When a sports captain leads a team to achievement, the teammates would be best served following along. When a military leader gives a mission, following along is required. When parents give directions, following them is in the child's best interest.
The last choice (my personal favorite) is the thoughtful choice. It takes more energy to make thoughtful decisions. These require you to think before you act. The decision requires weighing out the pros and cons. How will this choice affect the individual and others involved? When making this decision, if the cost outweighs the benefit, the individual should not continue on that course. As our students and each of us proceed on this journey, we take the time and make an effort to be thoughtful in our decisions. The impact of a small decision can be much greater than we could imagine.
About Us...
Email: wms@glendiveschools.org
Website: https://www.glendiveschools.com/o/wms
Location: 505 North Meade Avenue, Glendive, MT, USA
Phone: 406.3772356
Facebook: facebook.com/wmsglendive