WRMS Weekly Update

Spring Break Travel: If you are traveling on Spring Break, please reach out to Mrs. Penn deborah.penn@wwrsd.org or Mrs. Galow kenia.galow@wwrsd.org related to required quarantine guidelines.

According to the COVID-19 Regional Risk Matrix, Bergen County is an “orange/high risk” region, which requires public schools to follow specific protocols. Below is important information from the Department of Health that all staff, parents, and students must adhere to effective immediately.

Students and staff must stay home and notify the school nurse if they have:

• Tested positive (viral test) for COVID-19 or are awaiting results because of symptoms or a close contact

• Exhibit COVID-19 symptoms: Daily COVID-19 Home Screening Checklist for Students

• Potential exposure to COVID-19:

• Close contact with a person with COVID-19 in the past 14 days. (Close contact is defined as someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.)

• Travelled to an area with high levels of COVID-19 transmission in the past 14 days:

• NJ travel advisory list

• International travel advisory

If someone in a student or staff member’s household exhibits symptoms, students/siblings/staff member must also stay home from school until the symptomatic individual receives a negative test result. If the symptomatic individual tests positive, the students/siblings/staff member will need to self-quarantine and must contact the school nurse for further instructions.

Updated Out of State Requirements:

• The State of NJ has updated their travel restrictions and quarantine requirements. This webpage has the updated information.

• Receiving Travelers

• Families receiving guests from an area on the NJ travel advisory list are not required to quarantine their children.

• Students only have to quarantine if someone in the house, resident or guest, becomes symptomatic and tests positive.

• However, as a precaution, parents may choose to proactively self-quarantine their children.

• Anyone who proactively chooses to self-quarantine must notify their school immediately.

If you have any questions on these protocols, please contact your school nurse directly as they are the most knowledgeable on our staff to answer your health and safety questions.

If the local health department calls, please answer the call and provide any requested information to help slow the spread of COVID-19 in our schools and community.

Each day your student is in-person, please make sure they bring each of the following with them:

• 2 masks (1 on + a back-up)
• A fully charged, school-issued chromebook & charger
• Headphones
• Refillable water bottles
• Tissue packs
• Individual hand sanitizer
• Other materials according to their teachers

Thank you to everyone who completed the Next Phase Commitment Form! We are still waiting on a few, so please submit them ASAP. Anyone who doesn't complete the form will be scheduled for their current status (hybrid = in-person; all remote = all remote).

The daily in-person instruction at the Middle School starts on Monday, April 12th!

What is SEL Day?

"Social and emotional learning (SEL) is the process through which all young people and adults acquire and apply the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to develop healthy identities, manage emotions and achieve personal and collective goals, feel and show empathy for others, establish and maintain supportive relationships, and make responsible and caring decisions." International SEL Day celebrates the importance of SEL development and the integration of SEL in the classroom.

On Friday, 3/26, we will follow an early dismissal schedule, so all classes will meet prior to lunch. To support the value of SEL, teachers will integrate at least one SEL activity into each class period.

In the afternoon, students will log into their WIN classes and then engage in their rewards for their excellent efforts in helping other children with blood cancer through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society!

SIXTH and SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS:

1:45 p.m. - 3:04 p.m.: Students will log into WIN. Students won a movie! Teachers may stream a movie or students will have the option of logging off and choosing one of their own movies as a reward for the Helping Hands Club's Leukemia & Lymphoma Fundraiser.

EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS:

1:45 p.m. - 2:20 p.m.: The Guidance Department will facilitate a program about the ways students can incorporate SEL practices into a successful High School transition (Zoom link forthcoming).

2:26 - 3:04 p.m.: Students will have a "FREE Period" as a reward for the Helping Hands Club Leukemia & Lymphoma Fundraiser

The Helping Hands Club would like to thank everyone who participated in the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Fundraiser. With your support, we were able to exceed our goals and earn $1,130.00! The sixth grade team raised the most money, bringing in $510, the seventh grade team raised $420.00 and the eighth grade team raised $200.00! We are so proud of our students, along with their friends and families, who supported this great cause!

Congratulations to all of our students' who submitted to the district's WWRSD has heART contest. We were truly inspired by their images of hearts and what it means to “have heart”. Congratulations especially to Lisa Johnson and Julianna Molnar on their winning pieces! Here is the slideshow with all the winners.

If your student missed his/her picture for the yearbook or needs a retake, Group 1 and remote students are scheduled for the Wednesday following break, 4/7 (Group 2 students and remote students had their this past Thursday).

Hybrid students will be called down in small groups to have their pictures taken. All remote students are welcome to come in either day and at any time within the 11am - 2pm window. If your student will miss all or a portion of class, please have them notify the relative teacher.

If you would like to buy a photo package, here is a link to the picture form. Students getting a retake will need to bring their package with them.

We are excited to announce that we will have a boys and girls Track and Field team this year! Registration is now open on Family ID. This is a doc that has instructions and useful resources to assist families in the registration and medical clearance process. Practice starts Monday, April 12th. Students must have medical clearance and registration on Family ID prior to practicing.

We will share information about a preseason meeting with the coaches shortly, but registration is open to families now. Middle school track events include short and long distance running, relay races, long and high jump, plus shot put and discus. There really is something for everyone! Mr. Attanasio has sent an email to all students with this information as well.

March is National Nutrition Month! Please join Pomptonian Food Service for another fun and

educational edition of the Nutrition News with award-winning pediatrician, author and keynote speaker, Dr. Jill Garripoli Pedalino. Dr. Jill and Pomptonian’s Corporate Dietitian, Toni Bowman, will be discussing the Dietary Guidelines and celebrating National Nutrition Month.

Friendly reminder that all lunches must be pre-ordered through our online system PaySchools Central. We cannot accept phone calls or messages. Thank you!

With the change to our in-person learning schedule on Monday, April 12th, the new schedule starting that week will be as follows:

• Daily in-person students will pick up lunches on Mondays & Wednesdays.
• Full Remote students will pick up meals on Tuesdays & Thursdays.
• Students who attend the extended day will continue to receive hot meals daily.

Please visit our Food Services website for more information.

Please see the flyer from the High School's Project Graduation Committee for their Egg My Yard fundraiser. Orders are due today!

With our virtual environment and an increase in social media use among our students, attention to appropriate online use and safety is more important than ever. We welcome Mr. John Halligan, who lost his son to suicide after being bullied online, for a valuable parent presentation on Wednesday, April 7th. Please see his flyer for more information and to register.

Our 2020-2021 yearbook is now available to order! You must order it in advance to secure a copy. Orders close April 30th! Here is the flyer with more information.

New this year - 8th grade ads! Please see the flyer for more information on how to create and order your ad. Ads are due by April 2nd!

Screenings: Our nurses, Mrs. Penn and Mrs. Galow, are continuing with their annual screenings. If you had a physical completed since May of 2020, please send it in and this will replace our need to conduct the exam.

Email to: deborah.penn@wwrsd.org or kenia.galow@wwrsd.org

Fax to: 201-664-4865

Or have your student hand-deliver it to the nurse

Water Bottles: Also, please encourage your student to bring in their refillable water bottle with them to school each day. Our water fountain bubblers for direct drinking are turned off for safety, but the refill stations are still operational. Thank you!

If you need help with your school-issued chromebook, please have your student email tech.help@wwrsd.org from their school account.

The Guidance Counselors are available every day to meet with students regardless of whether they are scheduled for in-person or remote learning. In an effort to maintain current safety guidelines, students are strongly encouraged to request meetings with their counselors by emailing them. Counselors will contact the student as soon as possible to schedule an online or in-person meeting. Counselors will continue to see students on an emergency basis, as well.

If your student is having difficulty, be is academic, technological, social emotional or more, please reach out to us! Our trained staff is here to support them whether we are in-person or remote!

Counselors:

• 6th Grade - Ms. Fabrocini (caitlin.fabrocini@wwrsd.org)

• 7th Grade - Mrs. Androulakis (christie.androulakis@wwrsd.org)

• 8th Grade - Mrs. Sparno (jenny.sparno@wwrsd.org)

Nurses:

• District Head and Middle School Nurse - Mrs. Penn (deborah.penn@wwrsd.org)
• Part-time nurse and RN - Mrs. Galow (kenia.galow@wwrsd.org)

Assistant Principals:

• 6th Grade - Mr. Corso (michael.corso@wwrsd.org)

• 7th Grade - Mr. Albert (barry.albert@wwrsd.org)

• 8th Grade - Mr. Attanasio (michael.attanasio@wwrsd.org)

We have a number of students who are missing one or two classes during the course of a remote day. Please be proactive in communicating with Mrs. McDonough and your student's assistant principal (below) if this is a planned absence or technical issues. Our assistant principals will be reviewing each student's attendance to ensure students are attending class when they should be, and discipline may be assigned accordingly.

Also, if you would like to transition your child from all remote to hybrid or from hybrid to all remote, please email your student's assistant principal:

Grade 6: michael.corso@wwrsd.org

Grade 7: barry.albert@wwrsd.org

Grade 8: michael.attanasio@wwrsd.org

The Westwood Regional High School National Honor Society is pleased to provide free peer tutoring throughout the academic year. The National Honor Society (NHS) is a selective organization of students who have excelled academically and demonstrated consistent character, leadership and service within their school and community.

NHS students are seniors who can provide extra help in various subjects. This year, during our Hybrid schedule, NHS students are available to meet individually with a limited number of middle school students via Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, or phone call. Students who are having difficulty in a particular class, want to review before an assessment, or need help with a particular topic should reach out to their grade level Guidance Counselor for more information about how to get involved with the NHS Peer Tutoring program.

• 6th Grade - Ms. Fabrocini (caitlin.fabrocini@wwrsd.org)

• 7th Grade - Mrs. Androulakis (christie.androulakis@wwrsd.org)

• 8th Grade - Mrs. Sparno (jenny.sparno@wwrsd.org)

The Westwood Regional School District will open online Kindergarten registration for the 2021‑2022 school year on Tuesday, December 1, 2020. This is a pre-registration only; students will not be considered enrolled until parents/guardians submit the required documentation at an in-person registration appointment.

Be aware that your child must reside in the Borough of Westwood or Township of Washington and be five (5) years old on or before October 1, 2021 to enter Kindergarten next September.

For more information, click here. We look forward to welcoming your kindergartener!

WRMS Swag Sale!

New Swag Sale-Get your orders in by Sunday March 28th! Please follow this link (insert HERE) to order via the school “store”on the Membership Toolkit. Thank you to all of the artists who submitted designs. We would like to congratulate Gwyneth Gaub, Elle Pitagno and Sarah Ciocco for being selected as our top three designs! If you have questions about your Membership Toolkit account please reach out to the PSO at middleschoolPSO@wwrsd.org or follow the links on https://westwoodrmspso.membershiptoolkit.com/

Submit Your Box Tops and Make Money for Your School!

Did you know you can submit Box Tops electronically? In fact, although you can still hand in clipped Box Tops, the system has transitioned almost entirely to electronic submission. Download the Box Tops app, select Westwood Regional Middle School, and scan your store receipt within 14 days. The app will automatically find your Box Tops products and credit WRMS.

Shopping online or getting a digital receipt in store? You can still submit your Box Tops via the app or on the website, boxtops4education.com.

Need help? Read more at https://www.boxtops4education.com/emailgroceryreceipts or contact Sue Chevrier at chevsil@juno.com.

And don’t forget to click on the special bonus offers to earn even more money for our school!

Please find a Bergen County Mental Health resource document (updated 3/1/21) for your reference and support. You can also check out the resource page on www.BergenResourceNet.org regarding resources about inclusion, social consciousness and understanding, etc. Recently, they shared with us some Self-Care Strategies for Resilience as well.

Need help buying groceries? NJ SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) is New Jersey's food assistance program that can help you buy groceries. Learn more about NJ SNAP at www.njsnap.gov or see their flyer for more information.

Spring Middle School Afterschool Sports Programs: All WRMS students are welcome for flag football or multi-sports games. Please click here for more information and the link to register.

Please click here to access an online library of electronic flyers for our community partners.

Please mark your calendars for important upcoming events...

• 3/29 - 4/2 - No School
  
• 4/7 - Group 2 & remote picture retakes (weather permitting)
• 4/7 - Ryan's Story Parent Presentation, 7:00 PM
• 4/12 - Next Phase begins
• 4/21 - End of Marking Period 3
• 4/28 - Marking Period 3 grades available in Genesis
• 4/29 - Board of Education Meeting, 7:00 PM
• 4/30 - 8th Grade Yearbook ads due!

Upcoming schedule:

• Monday, 4/5: B Day, Group 1 in-person, periods 1-5, lunch, 6-7
• Tuesday, 4/6: A Day, Group 2 in-person, periods 1-5, lunch, 6-7
• Wednesday, 4/7: B Day, Group 1 in-person, periods 7-3, lunch, 2-1
  
• Thursday, 4/8: A Day, Group 2 in-person, periods 7-3, lunch, 2-1
• Friday, 4/9: B Day, Group 1 in-person, periods 7-3, lunch, 2-1

Email: shelley.laforgia@wwrsd.org
Website: http://www.wwrsd.org/westwoodrms
Location: 23 3rd Ave, Westwood, NJ, United States
Phone: 201-664-5560
Facebook: facebook.com/WRMiddleSchool
Twitter: @wrmscardinals