Bruin Bulletin

Hello Bruin Families!

The first month of school has flown by, but it has been very successful! The students have acclimated to the block schedule well, and the teachers are using the additional time to provide engaging instruction and opportunities for students to collaborate and dig deeper into the content. In my conversations with the students, they tell me that they like having more time to complete assignments during time with the teachers and they like focusing on two contents each day instead of four. We will continue to gather feedback on block scheduling throughout this year.

We added three new sports this year: baseball and girls and boys soccer. Baseball and girls soccer start their season this week, as does football and cheer. All of our sports schedules and locations are on our website. I encourage everyone to come out and support our students athletes!

The school only does one big fundraiser each year, and this year's fundraiser starts September 28. Please ask your child about it and help support WBM so we can provide extra activities and opportunities for our students. More information is listed below.

This is Hispanic Awareness Month. We celebrate by bringing recognition, understanding, and appreciate of the significant contributions made by Hispanic and Latino Americans. October is also Anti-Bullying month. We want WBM to be a bully-free zone and to help students learn to be kind and considerate citizens. We will host some activities in October to raise awareness about bullying and to teach students how to resolve conflicts with others in a productive way.

Thanks so much!

Dr. Beth Pallister

Principal

In celebration of Global Diversity Awareness Month, join us as we bring diverse Chesapeake Public Schools' families together on October 5, 2023, at Deep Creek High School at 6:00 p.m. This event will feature ethnic food, performances, and activities as well as school and community resources. Use the link below to register for the event.

En celebración del Mes Mundial de Concientización sobre la Diversidad, únase a nosotros para reunir a diversas familias de las Escuelas Públicas de Chesapeake. Este evento contará con comida étnica, espectáculos, y actividades, así como recursos escolares y comunitarios.

Multicultural Family Fun Night

Our MEGA BLAST Fall Fundraiser kicks off September 28! This is a simple and easy fundraiser with no products to sell or deliver and students can win some really nice prizes and incentive events for participating.

This fundraiser takes less than 5 minutes to complete using your phone, tablet or laptop. When you register and send 10 emails to adult friends and family, your student automatically wins a four-foot, light-up universal charging cord, a pair of Ear Blinkers (super fun), a pack of Sour Punch Straws, a Mega Blast band for additional candy/incentives and 500 Tuition Reward points for college. If they enter 20 or more emails they will be in a drawing to win a PULSE speaker for their room.

If you want to start early and load your 10 emails before we start, you can. Simply go to this link and click the register tab at the bottom of the page.

www.themegablast.com/join/Bruins

There are also additional incentives at the end, including the Rick Smith Jr. card throwing show sponsored by Dude Perfect. Rick currently has over 2 million followers on You Tube and is a student favorite. There are also additional prizes and events including the Video Game Truck party and the Kona Ice Truck Party. This should be a lot of fun!

You can invite friends/family to join our efforts by sending an email or sharing your student’s link. You may also personally donate.

We are raising money for student incentives throughout the school year.

We thank you for your continued support of our school.

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.

Join us for our annual craft show on Saturday, October 28 from 9-3. If you would like to purchase a table, they are $50.00. Please contact Angelique Chapman at 757-638-7920 or WBMScraftshow@gmail.com for more information.

Our annual Costume Dance will be October 20 from 5:30-7:30. We are seeking parent chaperones and volunteers for set-up and tear-down. If you are willing to help for even a portion of the time, please contact Mrs. Linda Therrien at linda.therrien@cpschools.com.

Thank you for your help!

Our PTSA is an amazing organization that supports our students and teachers through service and supplies. Please help this year by joining and helping with their various events. Dues are $8.00. The PTSA will have tables with membership information and spirit wear at Bruin Boot Camp and Open House. Stop-by and meet these lovely people.

You can also join and purchase spirit wear at the online store here.

Community in Unity Concert

featuring the WBMS 6th Grade Chorus, JMS 6th Grade Chorus, and the WBHS Choir

October 9 at 7 PM at Western Branch Middle School

Family Fun Night

featuring the WBMS 7th and 8th Grade Concert Choir and the choirs from Jolliff MS and WBHS

October 16 at 7 PM at Western Branch High School

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

Western Branch Middle School will offer Football, Cheerleading, Baseball, Softball, and now GIRLS Soccer, in the fall.

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.

We would like to restart the WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) program at Western Branch Middle.

WATCH D.O.G.S.® (Dads Of Great Students) is a family and community engagement educational initiative. WATCH D.O.G.S.® are fathers, grandfathers, uncles, and other father-figures who volunteer in the school and work with our students and teachers in a variety of ways (watching hallways, assisting in the cafeteria, interacting with students in classrooms). This program benefits our school as students gain positive male role models, the schools gain an extra set of eyes, ears, and hands, and the WATCH D.O.G.S.® gain a greater awareness of the challenges students face these days. Many schools report that the mere presence of a WATCH D.O.G® reduces reports of bullying.

We welcome volunteer time in any increment, and we would work with you to identify the ways in which you feel comfortable volunteering. See additional information about WATCH D.O.G.S.® here.

If you are interested in, or would like more information about, volunteering as a WATCH D.O.G®, please complete this no-obligation form. We will send you an invitation for a virtual meeting to be held October 4, at 5:30pm so you can learn all about it.

Thank you for considering helping in this way.

• 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.

All WBM English classes are participating in Library Orientation lessons. Students can log into their Destiny accounts from home and view a wide variety of ebooks.

Check out Destiny: Go to WBM Homepage

• Click “About Us”

• Click “Library”

• Scroll down to the “Follett Destiny Icon”

• Click “Western Branch Middle School”

• “Log In” in the upper right hand corner.

• Enter your ID number, password Log In

• User name is your assigned 7 digit number

• Students passwords: Birthday (2 digit day/3 letters month/2 digit year)!

Example: 05feb06!

• Click “Catalog”

• Click “Destiny Discover” to search for books, check out ebooks, place books on hold, view account history and much more.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. Waggoner

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.

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.

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.

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)

The PTSA would like to thank all the parents, teachers, staff and community members that join the PTA this academic school year. If you have not joined the PTSA, it’s not too late. Please go to the following link to join: This valued organization does so much to help our staff, students, and school community. Please join through this link. Membership dues are 8.00. Also, check out the spirit wear.

Upcoming Event Alert:

The PTSA will be raffling off one student GO FAN pass and one adult GO FAN pass for the 23-24 academic year starting next Monday. The raffle will run through October 30. If you would like to purchase a raffle, please go to Memberhub or the link provided above.

*Raffles will not be available online until Monday morning. Raffle tickets will emailed to you.

The PTSA is participating in the National PTA Reflection Contest. This year’s theme is “I am hopeful because…” Students are able to submit all entries through October 30. For more information, https://www.pta.org/home/programs/reflections or email us at our gmail account.

October Volunteer Opportunities:

1) The PTSA will be at the following home football games: October 3 and October 25.

If you would like to help, please email us at westernbranchmiddleptsa@gmail.com

2) The PTSA will begin meeting in October to start the planning for the Valentines Day Dance, Bruin Bash, and the Eight Grade Dance. If you would like to attend these meetings and would like to help, please email us so we can send you the meeting link and the information to where we will meet physically.

3)The PTSA is collecting items for the Teacher/Staff Apple Bar. We are asking for only store brought items. We are collecting items now until October 18. All donated items may be turned in to the security desk or to the office. Please ensure all items are bagged and labeled indicating that it is for the PTSA Apple Bar. Please use this link or the QR code below to donate.

4) The PTSA will also be at the Fall Craft Show October 28. If you would like to come and help recruit members or sell spirit wear, please let us know.

Lastly, we understand some members may not have begun receiving your one free Chick-fil-A weekly reward for joining the PTSA. We have contacted Chick-fil-A and they are working this issue. They are hoping to have this issue resolved this week. *Please note that the Chick-fil-A biscuits that is sold on Thursday’s is not part of the PTSA. This is the school’s fundraiser.

Thanks in advance for all your support!

Respectfully,

Western Branch Middle PTSA

The Western Branch Middle School Counseling Department welcomes you to the new school year!

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

On October 2nd, we will wear blue for World Day of Bullying Prevention.

Unity Day is Wednesday, October 18th.

Bullying impacts our students. Parents, please regularly check your child's chat messages and social media accounts. If they are saying or spreading unkind words to others please encourage them to spread kindness and respect instead. The only way to stop bullying is by being respectful to others with our words and actions. Let's work together to ensure that all of our students feel safe and welcomed at Western Branch Middle School.

Mental Health Tip-Calming Anxiety

With the new changes implemented this year some students are experiencing some anxiety. We all experience feelings of anxiety from time to time. Here are some things you can teach your child to do to ease their anxiety:

• *Imagine your favorite place - it’s like taking a mini vacation wherever you are

• *Think of your favorite things

• *Name animals alphabetically (alligator, bear, cow, dog, etc…)

• *Squeeze Something (play dough, clay, silly putty, your fists, a stress ball)

• *Get a Cold Drink of Water

• *54321 Grounding - go through each of your 5 senses (Look around for 5 things you see around you, pay attention to your body and think of 4 things that you can feel, Listen for sounds, 3 things you can hear, what are 2 things you can smell, say 1 one thing that you can taste).

• *Give yourself a hug - squeeze tight!

• *Remember the words to a song you love

• *Put your arms straight out in front of you, palms facing out.

1. *Put one hand over the other at the wrists and interlace your fingers.

2. *Swoop your hands and arms toward your body and then place your interlaced hands on your chest.

3. *Cross your feet at the ankles and put your tongue on the roof of your mouth.

4. *Stay still for one minute.

In addition to these please ensure your child is getting plenty of exercise, sleep, has a healthy diet, and disconnects from social media.

Mark Your Calendars

Progress Reports will be available in Parentvue on October 16th. The end of the 1st 9 weeks is November 6th. Report cards will be available in Parentvue on November 15th.

Bruin family, as we forge a path to another exciting school year, we want to remind all of our parents about the crucial tech tools at your disposal to support your child's academic journey. It's time to get off to a strong start, and staying connected is the key to success.

ParentVUE Access: Your Gateway to Success Link to ParentVUE Info
ParentVUE is your key to staying informed about your child's progress. By utilizing this invaluable resource, you can effortlessly keep track of your child's grades and academic performance. Remember, ParentVUE is the gradebook of record, making it crucial to check it regularly. We recommend checking in at least once a week to ensure you're up-to-date with your child's academic journey.

Canvas: Keeping an Eye on Assignments and Progress Link to Canvas Info
Parents, you can also actively monitor your child's coursework by creating an account to access their Canvas courses – our new learning management system (LMS). This feature allows you to track upcoming assignments and view completed work, providing invaluable insights into their academic journey.

Charged and Ready: Chromebook Maintenance
Finally, let's not forget the importance of keeping your child's Chromebook charged. A charged Chromebook ensures your child can access online resources, assignments, and class materials without interruptions. Encourage your child to charge the Chromebook each night, so your child can start the school day ready to learn.

Let's forge ahead together in technology to make this school year the best one yet!

Canvas 101 for Parents. Join us for a webinar on October 4, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. as we discuss our newest learning management system, Canvas. Parents will learn how to navigate their child’s course schedule, assignments, and upcoming events. We will also discuss the Canvas Parent app and how to gain access as a parent observer. Register here.

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.

Students will be required to store their book bags in their lockers this year. They may carry their Chromebook cases. Students may also use a drawstring bag for gym class. Students will need a lock for their hall locker and their gym locker.

When students arrive at the building, they should report to their homeroom. Their homeroom teachers will give them permission to go to other areas of the building.

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.

Link to Western Branch Middle School Handbook.

Link to Chesapeake Public Schools Handbook.

Instagram @wbm_bruins

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