Bruin Bulletin

As we step into February, we embrace the spirit of reflection and appreciation. This month marks the celebration of Black History Month, a time to honor the countless contributions and resilience of Black individuals throughout history. Our students will engage in various educational activities, assemblies, and discussions to deepen their understanding of this rich heritage and its significance in shaping our society. Please see the calendar below for our Spirit Day celebrations.

Additionally, February also brings Counselor Appreciation Week, a time to recognize the invaluable role our counselors play in supporting the academic, social, and personal well-being of our students. Their dedication to providing guidance, encouragement, and support is truly commendable, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment to our school community.

I encourage you to join us in celebrating these important observances by engaging in conversations with your children about the significance of Black History Month and taking a moment to express gratitude to our hardworking counselors.

Parents, we need your help. We need chaperones for the Valentine's Day dance. If you are able to help, please see the information below to volunteer. We also need your help to ensure that students are in school. I must emphasize the importance of consistent school attendance. Chronic absenteeism, defined as missing 10% or more of school days for any reason, can have a profound impact on a student's academic progress and overall well-being. Please prioritize your child's attendance and support them in being present and engaged in their learning journey.

Please take a few minutes to read about all the upcoming events at WBM. There are lots of ways for you and your student to get involved and be part of our school community. We can't do it without you!

Dr. Beth Pallister

Principal

Chesapeake Council PTA recognized three of our students for their award winning submissions for the Reflections contest. Suroshee Sarker won first place in Art and will go on to the state competition, and James Stevens (Photography) and Courtney Fuss (Literature) were recognized for an honorable mention.

The WBMS PTSA is still seeking donations and chaperones for the Valentine’s Day Dance on Friday, February 9. If you would like to donate or chaperone, please use this link.

Western Branch Middle offers study hall on Wednesdays from 3:00-4:00. Study Hall is monitored and taught by WBM teachers. Take advantage of this great opportunity! Students must have transportation home. Study Hall date are: .

Pre-Register here

Teen Summit: Reaching the Peake. Students in grades 6-12 and their families are invited to the 2nd Annual Teen Summit at Great Bridge High School on February 24, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Students, staff and community members will be there to present on various topic affecting teens today. Register to attend here.

The event will be held at Great Bridge High School on Saturday, February 24, 2024 from 11:00 a.m.- 2:00 p.m. Students in grades 6-12, along with their parents, are invited to this event. Attendees will have the option to choose three 30-minute sessions on various topics that our teen students deal with on a regular basis. Additionally, you will have the opportunity to connect with resources throughout the community. Lunch will be served.

Session Topics include:

Time Management

How to Be a Leader

Introversion & Social Anxiety

How to Survive in High School

Peer Pressure

How to Make Your College Application Stand Out

Stress Management

Healthy Eating for Athletes

Providing the Teen Perspective

Managing Your Money

SAVE THE DATES!!! We officially have a cast for our production of Disney's "LIttle Mermaid, Jr." The shows will be March 7-9, 2024!

Learn about how FACE can help you and your student by watching this short video.

Check out the many resources at Peake Parent University! Chesapeake Public Schools Peake Parent University is an opportunity for parents of current and future CPS students to engage in educational opportunities that will enhance academic progress of students and will empower parents to become partners in their student’s educational journey.

We are excited to support our spring sports teams! Visit this calendar for game dates.

Ticket sales are cashless this year!! Please buy your ticket online at GoFan, or we can take credit or debit at the door. We encourage the purchase of annual season passes since it's very cost effective.

Athletic event passes can be purchased using the GoFan website. Passes available for purchase include:

Student Annual Pass – $20

The Student Annual Athletic Pass provides admittance to any VHSL or CMSL regular season games in Chesapeake, including CMSL tournament games. The $20.00 price includes the service fee for GoFan. Students will redeem their passes using their smartphones at each eligible athletic contest.

Adult Annual Pass – $50

The Adult Annual Athletic Pass provides admittance to any VHSL or CMSL regular season games in Chesapeake, including CMSL tournament games. The $50.00 price includes the service fee for GoFan. Guests will redeem their passes using their smartphones at each eligible athletic contest.

If you have any questions about sports, please reach out to our athletic director: Ray Hines.

The Chesapeake Virtual Academy (CVA) application for the 2024-2025 academic year opened on January 8, 2024. The application will be available on the CVA webpage! All students interested in enrolling in CVA, including current CVA students, must apply annually. Completed applications must be submitted by 4:00 p.m. on March 5, 2024.

For more information on Chesapeake Virtual Academy, visit the CVA webpage.

On EPIC there are thousands of electronic books: Goosebumps, I Survived..., and Wings of Fire

This is a great resource that is completely free to all WBM students.

Whether you prefer reading on your own or listening to audiobooks, I think you will be impressed with the selection of titles.

What a fun way to spend "extra time" after completing class work!

1. Go to kids.getepic.com/students
2. Enter class code yyz8227
3. Then, click GUEST
4. Enjoy exploring all the great EPIC titles!

Did you know that all Chesapeake Public School students have access to Chesapeake Public Library electronic resources?

Click the link: https://chesapeakelibrary.org/cps-student-tools

Scroll Down and Select: Middle School Students

Click: Libby by Overdrive

Enter: CPS Student ID number

Enter 4 numbers for the Password: birthday 2 digit month and 2 digit day (example for birthday June 3: 0603)

Students can search all Chesapeake Public Library ebooks and check out up to 6 per month. The public library also offers free tutoring services and a wealth of resources for our students. Click the website to learn more. chesapeakelibrary.org

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Waggoner

If your child is absent, please send a note regarding the absence within 3 school days. The note should include the student name, date(s) of absence(s), and the reason for the absence. Notes should be submitted through ParentVue (preferred method) or the attendance office.

The WBMS PTSA is still seeking donations and chaperones for the Valentine’s Day Dance on Friday, February 9. If you would like to donate or chaperone, please use this link.

Please note all items must be store purchased and all adults and young adults must go through the Raptor system to be approved for chaperoning. * This is a function that is done at the school prior to the dance.

There will not be physical ticket given to students. We will have a roster that will indicate all paid entries. We will have plenty of dessert foods and candies available so please make sure your child eat “dinner” prior to coming to the dance.

Valentines Dance Tickets will be sold during all lunches starting Tuesday, January 30 and go through Monday, February 5. Please note that permissions must be signed by the parent prior to purchasing a ticket.

Upcoming Events in March: The Bruin Bash is Friday, March 15. Our basketball game is like no other. You do not want to miss this staple WBMS event. It will be amazing!

We are looking for a few volunteers to help during this event . Please keep an eye out for a sign genius that will come through email and it will be posted on social media around the last week of February.

Lastly, our Spring Fundraiser with Cherrydale will start right after the Bruin Bash!!! More information to follow.

As always, we appreciate all your support! If you have any questions or concerns, please contact at westernbranchmiddle@gmail.com

Thanks in advance for all of your support!

Starting tomorrow our Military Family Liason counselor will start holding her lunch bunches

Please help us welcome our new MFLC! She provides and invaluable service to our military connected families!

My name is Jocelyn Hawkins, and I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Military & Family Life Counselor at Western Branch Middle School. In my role, I work to support and strengthen the capacity of staff, families, programs, and systems to meet the needs of military children, adolescents, and their families.

MFLC’s provide non-medical, short term, situational, problem-solving counseling services to address issues that occur across the military lifestyle. I am here to help service members and their families cope with the normal reactions to the stressful/adverse situations created by deployment, reintegration and other military life challenges. With parental consent, MFLC’s provide support to children and adolescents up to age 18 in both individual and group settings. The service is free and confidential with the exception of the Department of Defense duty to warn and mandated reporting mandates.

For more information about how the MFLC program can support you and your family email Mrs. Hawkins at hawkinsj@MagellanFederal.com or call 757-759-2802.

During the month of February counselors will continue to meet with students to explore possible possible career choices. Seventh and eighth graders will start completing their academic and career plans.

LINKS TO VIDEOS WBM WBHS

Students will be selecting their elective choices for the 2024-2025 school year in StudentVue. Rising 6th, 7th, and 8th graders must complete their selections in StudentVue no later than February 14th.

Please discuss elective choices with your child and explain the importance of selecting carefully as once school begins in September schedule changes will be limited and at the discretion of administration. *Please be advised that students may be pulled from their elective to participate in a math or reading enrichment class depending upon how well they do on their reading and math SOL tests in May.

Rising 9th graders must have their selections completed by Feb. 14th.

Counseling Tip for the Month:

Goal Setting

Semester two is a good time to set goals for the rest of the school year. Please discuss goal setting with your child using the video link below. Encourage your child to set goals for any area they need improvement in. Goals should be obtainable and personal.

https://youtu.be/E8agsaXfHN4?si=k1-S4tzOv91cPhJ8

The Western Branch Middle School Counseling Department welcomes you!

School counselors are certified/licensed educators who improve student success for ALL students by implementing a comprehensive school counseling program. School Counselors can help students by providing:

• individual student academic planning and goal setting
• school counseling classroom lessons based on student success standards
• short-term counseling to students
• referrals for long-term support
• collaboration with families/teachers/administrators/community for student success
• advocacy for students at individual education plan meetings and other student-focused meetings
• data analysis to identify student issues, needs and challenges

Your School Counselors

Mrs. Tonya Edmonds--7th grade counselor and Guidance Director

Ms. Khia Evans--6th grade counselor

Mr. Ray Hines--8th grade counselor

Technology now touches every part of everyone’s life in everything we do today. Indeed, technology use has become the norm for all of us and ensuring online safety has become essential for individuals of all ages. Therefore, not only do our children need to stay safe online but also families, and educators. An online program called Be Internet Awesome is designed for parents and educators to teach children the fundamentals of digital safety and citizenship. Through interactive lessons and curated resources, parents and educators are equipped with the knowledge and strategies to create positive conversations with children about online conduct. It provides resources for families and educators along with lessons for children. Be Internet Awesome will guide parents and educators to help students learn appropriate online behavior, recognize questionable content, and communicate responsibly online. In Bruin Country, we want all students, families, and educators to Be Internet Awesome. Click this link to have fun learning how to navigate the online world safely and responsibly.

At Western Branch Middle, we encourage and celebrate positive behavior from our students. We practice ROARing so our school is safe, successful, and respectful. Please help us start off the year strong by reviewing these expectations with your child. We will also review them at assemblies the first week of school.

• Introducing our new App! CPS is thrilled to announce our new mobile app for our district! With our new app, you can easily access school events, news updates, and even emergency notifications.

• Lots of student and school information is sent through ParentVue. ParentVUE is a secure web-based information management system that provides parents/guardians the ability to view their child’s assignments, grades, attendance and contact information.

Please follow this link to learn how to access ParentVue and to learn about the app.

Hatcher & Frey generously highlights teachers who do so much to inspire, education, and care for our students. Please take a minute to nominate a deserving WBM teacher through this link.

Cell phones can be a distraction and disruption to the learning environment.

Students may not possess, or carry on their person, cell phones, smart watches, or ear buds/headsets. Students must turn off and secure their cell phones and electronic devices in their lockers during the school day. Students will be provided CPS Chromebooks with which to complete instruction and communicate. Chesapeake Public Schools will not assume responsibility in any circumstance for loss, damage, theft, or unauthorized charges to any electronic devices. If a student is found with or using an electronic device during the school day, the student is subject to a disciplinary consequence. Please see the Student Handbook for additional information.

We are proud to show-off all the great things happening at our school!

The Western Branch Middle website is updated several times each week. Register for update notifications by visiting cpschools.com/wbm/subscribe. Also, please join

our WBMS social media accounts (Instagram: wbm_bruins). We will use these accounts to showcase our students, teachers, and programs.

Another resource to help stay informed is our PTSA. We have a supportive and active PTSA, so

whether you want to lead a committee or support your child through membership, we hope you connect with the PTSA. You can also follow them on Facebook.

We need parent volunteers for movie night! If you can volunteer, please call Mrs. Bell in the main office. We appreciate your help!

Please consider using School Bus Hub for live information about your child's bus.

School Bus Hub is a secure, online portal for parents. Once families create their free account, they can receive real time bus location information. This self service application is fully integrated with the VMax compass routing platform installed on our fleet of buses that allows parents and students to track their school buses.

If you are interested in getting your child’s (children’s) school bus location information, register for a School Bus Hub account. Families can access the School Bus Hub on a web browser using a desktop computer, tablets, smartphones or they can install an app on their smartphone.

See additional information here.

Chesapeake Public Schools has a standard dress code policy for all schools. Please review these standards with your child and ensure that your child is dressed accordingly. More information can be found here.

• Clothing must cover all undergarments; straps are okay

• Length of shirts must at least meet the top of pants; no crop tops

• Sleeveless tops must be connected by straps

• Bottom lengths must be at least mid-thigh high

• Ripped clothing must not have exposed skin above mid-thigh

• Headwear generally not permitted; exceptions have been added (approved by principal)

• Open toed shoes, sandals, slides and Crocs are now permitted; designated spaces require appropriate footwear (i.e., PE, science labs, Tech Ed classes, or wherever necessary)

Instagram @wbm_bruins

Website: https://cpschools.com/wbm/
Location: 4201 Hawksley Drive, Chesapeake
Phone: 757-638-7920
Twitter: @BranchMiddle

Link to Western Branch Middle School Handbook.

Link to Chesapeake Public Schools Handbook.