Weekly Update 2/10/24
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Sandra Mackowski
Hello West Rocks!
Our school wide IXL Math Competition is in full effect! Check out the image above to see our school’s math practice this past week. On Wednesday, all students were provided time during our WIN period to work on their assigned IXL math lessons and every student has been assigned 5 lessons per week as part of their math grade in PowerSchool. We will post a specific leaderboard with the class breakdown this week. YOU CAN HELP! Please support our initiative to have students spend more time learning and practicing math on IXL.
Congratulations to the members of our band that played in our East Side Concert this week at Norwalk High School! Mrs. Jean and the grades 7-8 bands represented! It looked like West Rocks had more students than all other schools combined!
Congratulations to the members of our orchestra for their concert on Thursday night! Mr. Ullman had the orchestra play pieces that demonstrated their hard work so far this year. Keep it up!
Our Winter Dance was a success! Students in grades 6-8 had a great time last night at our dance sponsored by the PTA. Thank you to all of the parents and families that helped support the event!
Have a great weekend,
Adam Reynolds
Principal, West Rocks Middle School
PS. A full week of February break is back! There is no school February 19-23, 2024. Please refer to the district calendar for all holidays, vacations, early dismissals, and other special schedules. https://www.norwalkps.org/about/district-overview/official-district-calendar
EVENTS AND GROUPS
Drama Club – Beauty and the Beast Jr.
The West Rocks Drama Club is selling ads to be placed in the production's playbill. If you would like to place an ad or know a local business that would like to support the group, please use this form. Ad sales have been extended until Feb. 16th. Tickets for Beauty and the Beast will go on sale online this week. Stay tuned!
Kindness Week from the Student Council
The West Rocks Student Council is sponsoring Kindness Week to coincide with Random Acts of Kindness Week. Students can write a kind message to friends or teachers at lunch Monday-Wednesday. Notes will be sorted and delivered to homerooms on Friday. There is no charge because after all, it does not cost anything to be kind. For more information on Random Acts of Kindness Week, please visit here.
Black History Month
February is Black History Month! We are organizing a school wide celebration on February 29 and will also participate in the district wide event on that night @ Brien McMahon High School. Students and staff meet with Mrs. Jean each morning to organize and plan. Students will also participate in door decorating in homeroom starting this Wednesday. Homerooms will celebrate a person in black history that contributed to the arts. Each morning, we continue to celebrate pioneers, heroes, and significant figures in Black History on Panther News.
Valentine Flower Fundraiser
Purchase a special Valentine gift for a friend. We are selling red, white, or pink carnations to support our Cheerleaders. Flowers will be sold at lunch on Wednesday, Feb. 14th. Flowers are $3 each or 2 for $5.
Panther Provisions – OPEN THIS WEEK!
Our school store, Panther Provisions, will be open this week on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Students can turn in PAWS cards for school spirit wear, school supplies, locker accessories, or can turn in cards to participate in a special PAWS event on Friday at the end of the day.
WRMS Boys and Girls Travel Basketball
Both our travel teams will compete in the Intramural Championship game! Congrats to both the boys and girls teams for a great season…so far! Be on the lookout for the date, time, and location of the 2024 Basketball Intramural Championship games. The games will be in the evening.
ACADEMICS, PROGRAMS, AND CAMPAIGNS
IXL Competition! Math practice 5 days a week!
Students are assigned lessons or “my path” aligned to their NWEA scores by their math teachers. Each student is responsible for successfully completing a minimum of 5 lessons each week. This is included in their overall grade for the quarter. Successful completion means earning 75% or better on the lesson.
Students can complete more than what is required to earn a pizza party and other fun events for their individual math class! We will continue to dedicate time during WIN each week for this initiative.
Please support the school and your student by asking if they have completed their IXL math lesson each day - there is an app for cell phones as well as access on their Chromebook! Ask them to show you. Students will log into Classlink, then click the IXL icon - or show you on their cell phone after downloading the app. Students also have a hard copy of their own “IXL Tracker” in their math notebooks.
Early Dismissals – no later than 1:45 pm
Students that are dismissed early for appointments, family obligations…etc. need to be picked up no later than 1:45 pm to the greatest extent possible. We understand there are sometimes extenuating circumstances that requires a pickup after that time.
We transition to the final period after that time and run into regular school dismissal. Also, please send in a note with your student in the morning so we can give them a pass to come to the office at the appropriate time.
Chronic Absenteeism
ATTENDANCE MATTERS! Students need to be in school every day. The State of Connecticut considers a student chronically absent if they have been absent 10% of the time – this counts both excused and unexcused absences. If your student has been absent 6-8 days, they are considered chronically absent by the district and state.
Attendance letters were sent home last week indicating if your student has been out 6 days or more.
Please contact your child’s counselor for more information.
- Grade 6 Mr. Amaya (amayab@norwalkps.org)
- Grade 7 Ms. DiCerbo (dicerboj@norwalkps.org)
- Grade 8 Ms. Simone (simonem@norwalkps.org)
PTA UPDATE AND UPCOMING DATES
Our next virtual PTA meeting will be this Tuesday, Feb 13 @ 6:30 pm
Order your West Rocks Spirit Wear!
Questions? Contact the PTA directly via email: westrockspta@gmail.com
For more information, see the PTA website: https://westrocks.ptboard.com/
Upcoming Dates
February 13 Student Council meets during WIN; PTA meeting @ 6:30 pm
February 14 Valentine’s Day flower sale; Extended homeroom for Black History door decorating
February 19-23 NO SCHOOL - February break
February 26 Q2 PAWS Awards Grade 6 @ 8:30 am
February 27 Q2 PAWS Awards Grade 7 @ 8:30 am; East Side Orchestra
February 28 Q2 PAWS Awards Grade 8 @ 8:30 am
February 29 Black History Month Celebrations! WRMS and NPS
March 1 National School Nutrition Month – “healthy plate” in homerooms
March 2 WRMS Indoor Clean-up 9am-12pm
Follow West Rocks on Instagram: wrms_ct
Follow West Rocks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/West-Rocks-Middle-School-100076430403630/