
Hawk Nation
May 2020
The official monthly newsletter of Horning Middle School
Contact Us
Main Office
Principal: Mr. Robert Blessington 262-970-3305Principal Secretary: Jodi Aylsworth 262-970-3305
Assistant Principal (House B & Dual Language): Bryan M. Lyday : 262-970-3311
Dean of Students (House A & FLIGHT): Ms. Susan Inkmann 262-970-3450
Attendance/Associate Principal Secretary: Pamela Craig 262-970-3317
Attendance Line: 1-866-490-7371 or 262-970-3316
Athletic/ Activities Director: Ms. Susan Inkmann: 262-970-3450
School Resource Officer
Officer James Wolbert, 262-970-3304
Student Services
Counselors
Mrs. Angie Jackson (House A & FLIGHT), 262-970-3327
Ms. Natalie Ramirez (House B & Dual Language), 262-970-3326
Student Services Secretary: Sue Miller, 262-970-3303
Social Worker: Angie Krueger, 262-970-1699
School Psychologist: Jeff Ludowissi 262-970-1093
Health Room: Olivia Trejo 262-970-3315
Email: rblessin@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/horningms
Location: Horning Middle School, Wolf Road, Waukesha, WI, United States
Phone: 262-970-3305
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks/
Twitter: @HorningMiddle
Mark your Calendar
Friday, May 1-Tuesday, June 9-Virtual learning continues
Monday, May 25-No school
Tuesday, June 9-Last Day of School. Have a wonderful Summer!
Virtual Learning-Now a 4 day week
Dear School District of Waukesha Middle School Families and Students,
Starting the week of April 27th we are moving to a 4 day instructional week in the School District of Waukesha.
What does this mean for students and families?
Students are not required to report/check-in on Friday for attendance purposes
Teachers will continue to communicate new learning experiences Monday through Thursday
Students have the opportunity to manage class workload
Consistency across the district to accommodate the needs of students and families with a common weekly schedule
For the remaining Fridays this school year will be reserved for the following:
Opportunity for students to complete and/or make up previously assigned tasks and projects
Teachers will maintain scheduled office hours
Opportunity for individual check in with students by appointment
Schedule small group instruction as needed
Horning Construction Update
Music Fundraiser Pick-up Plan
Student Materials Pick-Up
Student Materials Pickup
We hope this message finds you and your family safe and in good spirits. Please know we miss the children very much!
We have tentatively targeted the first week in June for our student materials pickup (see Tentative Pickup Schedule at the end of this article). Since Horning is under construction, student belongings pick up will be facilitated in the Banting circle drive for safety reasons. We are in the process of coordinating with the Banting principal, Ms Garcia-Velez to confirm our plans.
When you come to pick up your student’s belongings,please come with a piece of paper with your child’s last name and house on the paper. Please have this on the passenger side window so we can quickly identify your pick up needs. To help spread out our students/parents/ guardians for pickup, please come during the below time frames based on your student’s house. If the designated time for your family does not work for your family we totally understand! Please contact Ms Aylsworth at jaylsworth@waukesha.k12.wi.us to tell her when you are planning to come.. We will have to pull out your child’s things from their house container to have it ready for you. You can come throughout our pick-up window, but we would like everyone to try to come during their time slot to assist with more efficient lines for all students/parents/guardians.
When you arrive, you will show your sign with your name. We will then bring out all materials from your child’s hallway locker, gym locker, music locker, and any identified projects. School property items to return: If you have items to return, we will ask that you set them outside your passenger car door, on the sidewalk, in a bag. Please have the materials labeled best as possible so we can return them to the appropriate location. Items to drop off would be: library books, ELA classroom books, sheet music, borrowed classroom items (calculators), sport uniforms, etc.
● Hallway lockers: If your student had items in their locker, those items have been transferred into a plastic bag and labeled with the student’s name by staff members. Only perishable items and loose papers were thrown away that were found in student lockers. (Even though they aren’t supposed to, we know that some students have some items in friends lockers. If your student chose to share lockers with another student, please contact your student’s friend to receive those items.)
● Gym lockers: If your student had items in their gym locker, those items were transferred into a plastic bag. There were locks that were found on lockers that were not assigned to anyone. We have no way of figuring out whose belongings that are. Gym shirts and locks were collected. We will wash them and have them in the Phy-ed department. You will be able to look through them if you would like to see if you can find your child’s shirt when we are able to return to school.
● Medications: Our district nurse will be helping us coordinate the return of prescription medications Please look for further communication towards the beginning of June.
● Art pieces: Ms. Camacho is in the process of contacting students with artwork that is still at Horning. Any art pieces located in our art room will also be returned to you to the best of our ability
● Yearbooks will be mailed directly from the photography company
More details will be sent via School Messenger at the end of May.
Meal Pick Up: Update
Summer School Updates
Avid iMovie
Part of the AVID elective class is to grow leaders and one of the ways we have done that is through class challenges, collaboration, and partnerships with Banting, Blessings in a Backpack, our 6th graders in Mrs. Mitchell's class, and Veterans. Here are some highlights from our leadership opportunities this school year. Enjoy seeing some of our 6th & 8th graders. Also, there is a cameo appearance by Mr. Blessington around 4:45, too! Enjoy!
Click HERE to watch the movie!
Waukesha Public Library Pick-Up Service
Homeless? Experiencing a Housing Crisis? You Have Rights:
Blessings in a Backpack
AVID Scholars Share What They are Grateful for...
If you would like to create a Gratitude One Pager, you can find instructions here.
Horning Virtual Learning 2020 (Repeat)
Starting March 18th-20th, all house teams will be reaching out to their students to get them set up through WebEx and an understanding of the workflow. The first three days will serve to iron out the kinks of the virtual platform. We will also work with families to set up a plan for students who do not have internet access. This will be completed by Advisory teachers with the support of elective and Physical Education teachers.
Starting March 30th, all teachers will be active with students. At this time, staff and students should be focusing their lessons based on learning targets.
Staff to Student Live/Virtual Contact
By 8:00 a.m. each weekday morning starting on March 30th, house and elective teachers will communicate the agenda and student expectations for the day
Students will continue to follow the A/B schedule as normal for elective and Physical Education classes
Staff are required to offer “Office Hours” for students questions:
Advisory/Literacy/Social Studies/Math/Science: 9 -11 (House time)
Physical Education and Electives: 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Direct instruction opportunities through group chats, live video demonstration (use WebEx Teams), recorded video, etc… will be done during “Office Hours”or as communicated by individual teacher
Small group and individual support will be offered.
Virtual School hours: 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. (Office Staff, Administration, Student Services)
Daily attendance will be taken by 3:00 p.m. Currently students should check in with their advisor. Elective and Physical Education teachers will take attendance daily as well. Students should follow the A/B schedule to determine what classes they need to check in on, and on which days. This may impact some Elective and Physical Education classes only. Students should follow a schedule in Infinite Campus.
House Teams
Teachers will communicate with each other to make sure students have a balance of assignments and are not repeating the same or similar assignment.
Lessons/Assignments
Formative and Summative assignments are both options for checking a student's understanding and use of a skill. Grades will be entered into Infinite Campus for traditional students, or My LC for the FLIGHT Academy
We understand as we create lessons and assignments, that in many cases, it may take students more time to learn and complete the assignment than when they are face to face, especially at first.
Information from Student Services
Student Services Access: Our Student Services team members are available (by phone, webex, and/or email) to students, families, and staff throughout the day during normal school hours (7:30 a.m.- 3:30p.m.). We ask that you please be patient and remember that we may not always be able to respond or answer immediately as we may be working with another person, in a meeting, etc. Please also know that if you reach out after normal hours, we may not respond until the next work day. To set up a meeting please fill out this google form or reach out to us individually.
Contact Information:
Angie Jackson, School Counselor, Houses 6A, 7A, 8A and Flight:
262-970-3327 ajackson@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Natalie Ramirez, School Counselor, Houses 6B, 6DL, 7DL, 7B, & 8B:
262-970-3326 nramirez@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Angie Krueger, School Social Worker:
262-970-1699 akrueger@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Jeff Ludowissi, School Psychologist:
262-970-1093 jludowissi@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Student Confidentiality: We will do our best to maintain confidentiality as we always have. Any phone calls, emails, or video conferencing will be done with respect to confidentiality on our end of the communication. We encourage students and families to do the same. Mandated reporting rules still apply, and we may need to share information that is shared with us in order to follow this obligation.
Student Safety: If your child is expressing intent to harm themselves or others, or you have other immediate concerns, please use the following guidance:
During the school day hours
Parents, please get a hold of your student services member via telephone. If you can’t reach them, please contact the Waukesha County Crisis number (262-548-7666) or 211
Call 911 if the threat is urgent and immediate
Outside of the school day
Call the City of Waukesha Police Department non-emergency number at (262) 524-3831 for a wellness check. The police can visit the home of the student whose safety is in question to see if they are okay and follow up accordingly.
Student Services Access During Virtual Learning (Repeat)
Student Services Access: Our Student Services team members are available (by phone, webex, and/or email) to students, families, and staff throughout the day during normal school hours (7:30 a.m.- 3:30p.m.). We ask that you please be patient and remember that we may not always be able to respond or answer immediately as we may be working with another person, in a meeting, etc. Please also know that if you reach out after normal hours, we may not respond until the next work day. To set up a meeting please fill out this google form or reach out to us individually.
Contact Information:
Angie Jackson, School Counselor, Houses 6A, 7A, 8A and Flight:
262-970-3327 ajackson@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Natalie Ramirez, School Counselor, Houses 6B, 6DL, 7DL, 7B, & 8B:
262-970-3326 nramirez@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Angie Krueger, School Social Worker:
262-970-1699 akrueger@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Jeff Ludowissi, School Psychologist:
262-970-1093 jludowissi@waukesha.k12.wi.us
Student Confidentiality: We will do our best to maintain confidentiality as we always have. Any phone calls, emails, or video conferencing will be done with respect to confidentiality on our end of the communication. We encourage students and families to do the same. Mandated reporting rules still apply, and we may need to share information that is shared with us in order to follow this obligation.
Student Safety: If your child is expressing intent to harm themselves or others, or you have other immediate concerns, please use the following guidance:
During the school day hours
Parents, please get a hold of your student services member via telephone. If you can’t reach them, please contact the Waukesha County Crisis number (262-548-7666) or 211
Call 911 if the threat is urgent and immediate
Outside of the school day
Call the City of Waukesha Police Department non-emergency number at (262) 524-3831 for a wellness check. The police can visit the home of the student whose safety is in question to see if they are okay and follow up accordingly.
Free Audible Resource
"As all of us around the world confront this difficult new period, we recognize the importance—and the challenge—of staying relaxed and entertained, especially for kids at home who are missing the stimulation of the classroom. From the beginning, Audible has served as an antidote to loneliness and even isolation, as a way to hear words that inspire and transport and for many – words that teach and entertain in deeply intimate ways.
With all of us experiencing varying degrees of social distancing and school closures, we have created something that we hope makes our customers’ lives a little easier. At stories.audible.com, you will find hundreds of our titles available completely free. The collection has been handpicked by our editors and is a mix of stories to entertain, engage, and inform young people, ages 0–18.
These stories offer a screen-free option that we hope may help break up the day for families with students home from school.
There are selections for our listeners in English, Spanish, German, French, Japanese and Italian.
To access the free titles, just visit stories.audible.com from any web browser.
The experience is completely free – no log-ins, credit cards, or passwords required. Just click, stream and listen.
We wish you and your loved ones good health, and we hope that listening to a good story will offer some respite during these unsettling times."
-All of us at Audible
Library Catalog - Destiny
If you need more directions, try watching the tutorial video linked below or contact Jenny Odau, your library media specialist, in the library.
Tutorial Video: https://youtu.be/4CY3QgXstM0
Academic and Career Planning (ACP) Reminder! New Information!
Hello families,
As we head into the end of the school year, we wanted to update you regarding the Academic and Career Planning process.
Students will be wrapping up some of the following activities throughout the third and fourth quarter:
Continued community building: Establishing supportive, trusting, and inclusive relationships with mentors and classmates
School-based: Unique lessons designed by individual schools
High Schools: Test taking reinforcement of ACT (Method Test Prep), job seeking skills and activities, college research, time management, growth mindset, financing plans post high school, and conferencing with their mentor teacher
Middle Schools: Exploring interests, skills, careers, learning styles, and high school courses as they relate to career interests
We encourage families to review your student’s Xello account together; this can be a great way to start a conversation and may be essential in the shaping of your student’s future academic, career, and personal goals.
As we head into the summer, here are some suggested college/career readiness activities that would be beneficial to students:
Talk to your students about their career interests, ask questions, share details of your career journey. Use these questions as a guide.
Take your student to work so he/she gets a better understanding of what your career entails.
Job shadow a relative or friend in a pathway of interest for your student.
Plan a college tour- don’t forget about Carroll, UW-Waukesha, or WCTC. It is best to call admissions and make an appointment if you would like a guided tour.
Consider enrolling your student in pre-college summer programs offered at local colleges such as: UW-Milwaukee, UW-Waukesha, Carroll, and WCTC.
Prepare for the ACT using Method Test Prep (all 9-11 grade students have access to this via Xello) and additional resources can be found at the high school or Waukesha Public Library.
If your student will be a senior next year, it would be beneficial to start the application process (essays, resume, application) for colleges and begin to look for scholarship opportunities-some can be found on the Xello website.
Sharing Xello Portal:
Student logs into Xello website (using school email login information)
In the upper right corner, click on “face” icon/profile
Click “Share my Profile”
In the top right, click the blue Share button
Swipe Share toggle from off to on
Copy the link and paste into an email, send to parent and ACP advisor
Please contact your student’s student services representative with questions.
Communication Reminders
Horning Website: https://sdw.waukesha.k12.wi.us/horningms
Twitter/FacebookAs part of our communication efforts, we are encouraging that parents sign up for Twitter, www.twitter.com.
We will utilize the twitter handle @HorningMiddle to disseminate useful information about Horning (i.e. school news, testing, school events, etc). The best part is, once you have signed up to follow the updates, you receive these messages instantly to your Twitter page as well as your cell phone (standard text rates apply) if you have it set up in that manner.
If you do not wish to sign up, you can still view the profile and any updates by going to the site listed here and bookmarking it: twitter.com/HorningMiddle. Our Twitter feed is linked up to the Horning Facebook page as well so you can follow any tweets there.
You can like or follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks/. By “liking” this page, important information and updates will come directly to your newsfeed. Thank you for staying connected! I hope you will find these new communication updates useful.
Hawk Nation: Please note that the family/parent newsletter will come out monthly during the school year.
Connect With Us!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HorningMSHawks/
Twitter: @HorningMiddle