Weekly Update 4/6/24
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WRMS Staff
Hello West Rocks!
We kicked off our campaign to support Autism Awareness and Acceptance on Friday! Students and staff wore blue, and we had an advisory lesson during an extended homeroom. A special thank you to Special Education teacher Ms. Gardella for creating the lesson and co-teaching along with another teacher Mrs. Major! We will continue to use opportunities throughout the month to teach empathy and acceptance and wear blue on Fridays. It was great to hear some students leaving their homerooms saying, “Yeah, Autism is like a superpower!”
We had a very successful Movie Night! Thank you to our family and staff volunteers! We had about 80 students that enjoyed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! Thank you to Dr. Walters for organizing.
Thank you to those families who completed the Family Panorama Survey. The survey window has been extended! Please take a few minutes to complete it. This is valuable information we use to plan.
PARENT SEL NIGHT THIS THURSDAY, April 11! 6:30-8:00pm at West Rocks! We will provide dinner! We want you to attend – students are welcome and are eligible to earn service hours! West Rocks is becoming a RULER School. The RULER Approach was created by the Yale University Child Study Center and is in schools across the country. On Thursday night, we will introduce concepts from the program and ask for your input on how it is implemented in the fall! Be on the lookout for an RSVP form so we can order an appropriate amount of food.
Students took the reading portion of the NWEA map test last week. They will take the math portion on Monday and Tuesday. As we told them, this test is very important – not only to show growth over the course of the year, but it is used in placement for next year’s classes. This includes 8th graders going to high school as well as our 6th and 7th graders for summer academy and gifted and talented. Students should come prepared with a charged Chromebook each morning.
Have a great rest of the weekend,
Adam Reynolds
Principal, West Rocks Middle School
PS. There is no school on Wednesday in observance of Eid al-Fitr. We will have a Eid al-Fitr Recognition during Panther News on Tuesday! Continue to use our district calendar for updated information…and spring break is coming! https://www.norwalkps.org/about/district-overview/official-district-calendar
EVENTS AND GROUPS
Solar Eclipse – Monday, April 8, 2024
This Monday, April 8, there will be a solar eclipse in the afternoon. The total solar eclipse is scheduled to occur between 3:00-3:30pm.
During our last period at around 2:35pm, we will have a Special Panther News Broadcast for all students. We will have a brief lesson on what a solar eclipse is and inform all students of the safety risks associated with looking at the eclipse without the proper precautions.
The district has provided ALL students with glasses to keep. We will distribute those at the end of the lesson, so students can wear them between 3:00-3:30pm - during dismissal, on the bus, on their way home…etc. It is very exciting! After Monday, the next solar eclipse over the continental US will be 2045.
Solar Eclipse Celestial Event! DURING THE SCHOOL DAY! ALL GRADES INVITED!
- Where: Verizon Innovative Learning Lab - Room 188
- What: Utilizing our Class VR, you will be transported to various locations around the world to view Solar Eclipses in various stages. Learn all about and experience Solar Eclipses by participating in a special Virtual Reality Event in the Verizon Lab
- When: DURING THE SCHOOL DAY
- SIGN-UP BY CONTACTING DR. FOX (foxm@norwalkps.org) or seeing her in room 188 in the morning. Limited spots available – first come, first serve.
- Door Prize: Free Solar Eclipse Glasses to all attendees to watch the live event by themselves or with their families safely afterschool around 3:30 pm on 4/8/24 (weather dependent).
PROGRAMS AND CAMPAIGNS
Thursday, April 11 - FAMILY SEL NIGHT!
West Rocks is becoming a RULER School! The RULER Approach from the Yale Child Study Center is an evidence-based approach to social and emotional learning (SEL). Come learn and provide input on what social emotional learning will look and feel like at our school. There will be interactive tasks, opportunities for input, and dinner will be served!
From Nurse Michelle
Health Physicals - Please remember to turn in all physicals that are done to the health office. All current grade 6 students must have a physical before entering grade 7. This physical must be dated 7/1/23 or after. Students must have updated TDAP and Meningococcal vaccines. Please turn these forms in as soon as possible to ensure your student will be able to start school in August. The nurse has extra physical forms in the office if your doctor’s office does not have them. Contact Nurse Michelle with questions or for more information (rybnickm@norwalkps.org).
Maritime Family Night – FREE for WRMS!
SAVE THE DATE: Maritime will be hosting our annual Partner School Family Night on Thursday, May 9th from 5:30 - 8:00pm at The Maritime Aquarium at Norwalk. This will be an open-house type event free for students, teachers, and their families of only partner schools. More details will follow!
FIELD TRIPS
Grade 8 Field Trip - Boston on April 25-26
- Contact: Dr. Sara Golding (goldings@norwalkps.org)
Grade 7 Field Trip – Bronx Zoo on May 29
- Contact: Rebecca Sabol (sabolr@norwalkps.org)
- The 7th Grade will be attending a field trip to the Bronx Zoo on Wednesday May 29.
- Permission slips are due April 24.
- Please use this link to fill out the form online https://forms.gle/Sm4oC887qEooZVLK8.
- To view the letter please click HERE.
Grade 6 Field Trip – Museum of Natural History in NYC on June 5
- Contact: Dr. Dee Walters (waltersd@norwalkps.org
PTA UPDATE AND UPCOMING DATES
- PTA Spring Raffle runs 4/8 - 4/28. This is our biggest fundraiser of the year. Enter for your chance to win some amazing prizes either online or send your child in with cash/check to purchase at lunch. We are still looking for parent volunteers to help at lunch.
- Raffle Lunch Volunteers
- Save the date: Family Pizza Truck Event 5/4
- The 8th Grade Semi-Formal is on 5/17. Reach out to Daisy Sebastian or Yazmin Saldana if you'd like to help!!
- Interested in getting more involved? Consider nominating yourself or someone else for a PTA board position. Reach out to Daisy Sebastian at westrockspta@gmail.com with any questions.
- 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
Please continue to refer to the district’s calendar (https://www.norwalkps.org/about/district-overview/official-district-calendar)
April 8 Math NWEA map in homeroom
April 9 Eid al-Fitr Recognition on Panther News; Math NWEA map in homeroom
April 10 No School for Eid al-Fitr
April 11 SEL Parent Night 6:30-8:00pm in Cafeteria – DINNER WILL BE SERVED!
April 12 Wear Blue for Autism Awareness and Acceptance!
April 15-19 No School for Spring Break
Follow West Rocks on Instagram: wrms_ct
Follow West Rocks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/West-Rocks-Middle-School-100076430403630/