WRMS Weekly Update 8/24/24

August 24, 2024 (Please download the Parent Square app to select your preferred language.)

Hello West Rocks!

The 2024-2025 school year officially begins Monday, August 26! Are you ready for a great year? We are!  

The staff of NPS kicked off this year with Convocation at BMHS on Wednesday morning. The theme was a “pep rally” and there was plenty of excitement! There was a competition between all schools to see which one had the most school spirit…and WEST ROCKS WON!  

We spent the rest of the week in workshops learning about ways to ensure our students are engaged academically and emotionally. 

Please continue to read below to find out more about how we plan to open school this week using the RULER Approach to social emotional learning, as well as other important events and information to open school. 

Enjoy the weekend,

Adam Reynolds
Principal, West Rocks Middle School

PS. There will be 2 weekly school communications through ParentSquare this year. The weekend post will be general information, updates, events, and more. Then, a member of our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Committee will send a separate post at the start of the week providing an update on our SEL focus for the week – emotional vocabulary from our Mood Meter, lessons, activities…etc.

EVENTS AND GROUPS

Opening of School 2024-2025

The first day of school is Monday, August 26. Homeroom starts at 8:15 am and students are dismissed at 2:50 pm. Bus routes are posted on the NPS Transportation website (link below). 

https://www.norwalkps.org/departments/transportation/nps-bus-route-information

Students will report directly to homeroom on the first day of school. Families need to check PowerSchool, so students know their homeroom when they report on Monday. We will have an extended homeroom where they will get a hard copy of their full schedule, participate in community building, get their locker assignments, and begin to review school wide expectations in the student handbook. 
This handbook contains information like the daily schedule (page 9), expectations, teachers, and the NPS Code of Conduct. A link to an electronic version of the handbook is below, and it is posted on our school website.

WRMS Student Handbook 24-25

We will have a grade level assembly for grade 8 and 7 on Monday to review expectations for the year, then grade 6 on Tuesday.

Drop off and Pick up

For families that plan to bring their student or pick up, please adhere to the following.

MORNING DROP OFF:The following groups use the parking lot in the back of the school by the Aiken Street doors.

Aiken Street doors (back of school): ALL grade 6 students, grade 7 students with homerooms on the first and second floors

Front of the school entrance on the left side/science wing: ALL grade 8 students, grade 7 students with homerooms on the lower level

Please be sure to follow the directions of the traffic officer and staff members to pull all the way through the lane to help traffic flow.Traffic is always slower the first week or so – thank you for your patience. 

AFTERNOON PICK UP: All students that are walking or being picked up will be dismissed through the back of the school through the Aiken Street doors.

ACADEMICS, PROGRAMS, AND CAMPAIGNS

PowerSchool – Student Schedules

Student schedules including homeroom number and teacher are now available in PowerSchool.  This can be viewed using the PowerSchool app or logging into the PowerSchool Parent or Student Portal. When you download the app, Norwalk’s district code is PRFS.
If you do not have access to PowerSchool, please contact the main office staff at West Rocks for your “access letter” which provides directions and the specific code for your account.

Social Emotional Engagement and Learning

We will begin this year with a focus on social emotional engagement and learning through the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence’s RULER Approach. The first two tools we will teach and use are the Schoolwide Charter and the Mood Meter. The foundation of this approach is that "all emotions matter." 

RULER is a strategy that enables all members of our community to Recognize, Understand, Label, Express, then ultimately Regulate emotions.

During homeroom and our assembly, we will open the first day with a review of both tools. Please check out an image of the mood meter here and watch a short, animated video we will watch as a school to introduce it. 

The schoolwide charter is an agreement on which emotions we want to feel. Our behavior and actions should enable everyone to feel this way. Check out an image of our charter.

Be on the lookout for weekly ParentSquare Posts containing vocabulary words, lessons, and more from members of our SEL committee at the start of the week.

Chromebook Distribution

As part of our commitment to providing students with the best possible learning tools, we will be issuing Chromebooks during the first week of school to all students for use both at school and at home. These devices are an integral part of our educational program, and we want to ensure they remain in good working condition throughout the school year.

Grade 8 will receive Chromebooks on Wednesday, August 28.
Grade 7 will receive Chromebooks on Thursday, August 29.
Grade 6 will receive Chromebooks on Friday, August 30.

Please review this Chromebook information document and complete the embedded MOU using the link below. As an accountability measure, each family must complete a Memo of Understanding (MOU) for their student’s computer use. This agreement includes computer care and responsible use. 

WRMS Chromebook Info and MOU

From the Nurse's Office

ATTENTION GRADE 7 FAMILIES: All grade 7 students are required to start school with an updated physical. If we do not have an updated physical on file, your student will not be able to attend school until the required exam is completed and the form is submitted. If your child needs to have a physical exam from their doctor, please schedule the exam as soon as possible and contact the nurse with that information. 

Any and all questions should be directed to our nurse Michelle Rybnick (rybnickm@norwalkps.org). You can also call the main office at West Rocks and our secretaries will direct your call. 

Summer Learning Assignments

The summer reading and math tasks will be checked for a grade this week. Please review the expectations with your student. WRMS Summer Learning Tasks 2024

Please direct questions to literacy coach Miss Rebecca Sabol (sabolr@norwalkps.org)

PTA UPDATE AND UPCOMING DATES

Membership is now open for the 2024-2025 school year! 
Fee is $10. First 50 people who sign up for the PTA will get a 90 minute jump pass for SkyZone. We are more than halfway to 50 already, so don’t delay in signing up! Join here: https://westrocks.ptboard.com/formvw?store=5118&form=1 

Help us stock the staff lounge to welcome back our staff! 
Donations marked “PTA” can be dropped off in the main office! Sign up to donate here: 
https://westrocks.ptboard.com/sgnvw?group=&signup=1eec927c-6212-4e4c-92a7-f9a68a65478d~s.9223370313382915328 

New Spirit Wear arriving soon! Stay tuned! 

Upcoming PTA Events:
9/18 - PTA Meeting 
9/19 - Sweet Ashley’s Giveback Night
9/25 - Panther Block Party Follow our new social media accounts!

Follow our new social media accounts!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westrockspta
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westrockspta/ 

Have a question or want to share an idea with the PTA? Contact us at WestRocksPTA@gmail.com. Or check out our website at WestRocks.PTBoard.com. 

Upcoming Dates
August 26 First Day of School!
Students report directly to homeroom.
August 27 Summer Learning Tasks due!
August 28 Chromebook distribution – grade 8
August 29 Chromebook distribution – grade 7
August 30 Chromebook distribution – grade 6 

Please utilize our calendar on our school website: https://wrms.norwalkps.org/

Follow West Rocks on Instagram: wrms_ct
Follow West Rocks on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/West-Rocks-Middle-School-100076430403630/