WRMS Weekly Update 11/17/24

Hello West Rocks!

What an amazing week for the Panthers! 

We reached our fundraising goal and had a great day on Friday at the 2024 Sport-a-Thon! Shout out to Dr. Sara Golding for her work organizing this fundraiser and experience! A few images are above but check out more photos and videos on our Instagram page! (@wrms_ct)

We had our first “Take 10” session of the year during an extended homeroom. "Take 10" is our initiative where each staff member works closely with a small group of ten students, meeting regularly to build positive connections, support personal growth, and foster a sense of belonging within our school community. Nearly all staff members across the building, from teachers to administration, support staff, and security guards, have a group of 10 students. That staff member introduced themselves to families this week. Please feel free to reach out to that person at any point in the year. Our next meeting is this Wednesday, November 20! Please ask your student about how it went.

Please read through the end of this update and there are more great things happening! 

Have a great Sunday,
Adam Reynolds
Principal, West Rocks Middle School

PS. Just a reminder that this Thursday, November 21 is a 2-hour early dismissal for students (12:50 pm). Please continue to check the Norwalk Public Schools website (here) and our school calendar for important dates and events (here).

FALL CLEAN-UP

Thank you to everyone that came out on Saturday for our annual Fall Clean-up! Students were able to earn 3 hours of service for raking, trimming, picking up trash…and helping! Community service is important for middle school students because it fosters empathy, social responsibility, and real-world problem-solving skills while helping them connect with their communities.

INTRAMURAL SPORTS

Football
Congratulations to our travel football team for their win over Nathan Hale on Wednesday giving them the City-Wide Football Championship! It was a hard-fought game, and our students came out on top! The team had a great season, only losing one game! Thank you to Coach Voytek! 
 
Hockey
The travel hockey team suffered a tough defeat in the championship game against Roton on Wednesday. The team had a great season overall and improved both on the court and as a team. Thank you to Coach Cammarota! 
 
Good luck to the 8th graders on both teams next year. 

SCHOLASTIC BOOK FAIR

It’s Book Fair Time!
The WRMS Library will run its Fall Book Fair from Monday, 12/2 to Friday, 12/6. All students will have the opportunity to visit the Book Fair during their ELA classes that week. 

The easiest way for your students to purchase is to create an eWallet account for your child, please sign up through the Fair's homepage HERE. 

Questions? Contact Sandra Mackowski (mackowskis@norwalkps.org). 

EVERYTHING YEARBOOK

Baby Pictures
It's Baby Photo Time for 8th Grade Students! The yearbook staff is hard at work on the 2025 yearbook. We are ready for you to submit your Baby Photo to be included in the yearbook. Baby photos must be submitted using the form (link below).

PLEASE name your image file using LASTNAMEFIRSTNAME before you upload your image. This will make it much easier for us to get your name right with the baby photo.

Please understand that we cannot accept pictures after the deadline due to printing deadlines. DEADLINE TO SUBMIT YOUR PHOTO IS DECEMBER 20th, 2024. LINK to form to submit

Buying a Yearbook! It’s time to order the 2025 yearbook! The yearbook is on sale right now! Don’t miss out on all the memories. 

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productBrowse/1037145/West-Rocks-Middle-School/2025-Yearbook/2024073104235294363/CATALOG_SHOP/ 
 
Celebrate your graduating student with a yearbook ad! The yearbook ads for graduates are on sale right! Let your student know you are proud of their accomplishments with a yearbook ad. 

https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/ybAdDesigner/1037145/WEST-ROCKS-MIDDLE-SCHOOL/2024082214153279092/CATALOG_SHOP/

VPA - VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

We are excited to announce that our VPA students in Grades 7 and 8 can attend a field trip to see "Hairspray the Musical" at the White Plains Performing Arts Center on Wednesday, December 18th, at 11:00 AM. This is a wonderful opportunity for our students to experience live theater and engage with the themes of the show.

Students will leave at 9:00 AM. We will return at approximately 3:00 PM. Please note that students will need to arrange their own transportation home, as we will arrive after the buses have dismissed.

Lunch: Students will need to bring a bag lunch for the day. The cost per student is $80, which includes the ticket and transportation by bus. Space is limited, so please confirm your child's participation as soon as possible by completing this permission slip. Questions can be directed to Dr. Golding (goldings@norwalkps.org).

WINTER DONATION DRIVE

Our Holiday Donation Drive begins this week. Our goal is to support families with non-perishable food and winter wear before leaving for the December break. Donations will be collected in homeroom. The homeroom that collects the most items will be treated to a special breakfast.

MOVEMBER MOVEMENT (NO SHAVE NOVEMBER)

Just like we focused on raising breast cancer awareness with our pink-out campaign in October, staff and students are participating in Movember or No Shave November this month. A number of staff members are growing facial hair, and we are selling fake mustaches for a $1. Proceeds will go to the American Cancer Society. 

No-Shave November is important because it raises awareness and funds for cancer research and support by encouraging people to embrace their hair, which many cancer patients lose during treatment. It also fosters conversations about health, community solidarity, and the impact of charitable efforts in fighting cancer. Be on the lookout for a picture next month! 

PTA UPDATE AND UPCOMING EVENTS

Thank you to everyone that attended this month’s PTA meeting on Wednesday night! There was a lot of information to review as the 24-25 school year started with a bang!
 
Thank you to everyone that supported the PTA by going to the Banc House last week.
 
It’s not too late to become a PTA Member! Sign up here: https://westrocks.ptboard.com/formvw?store=5118&form=1 
 
The next meeting is on Wednesday, January 8, 2025.

Order your spirit wear here: https://westrocks.ptboard.com/formvw/store?store=5118 
All orders will be delivered to your child’s homeroom teacher’s mailbox within 72 hours.
 
PTA Website: westrocks.ptboard.com
PTA Email: westrockspta@gmail.com

 Social Media Links:
 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/westrockspta 
 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/westrockspta/

Upcoming Dates
November 18 Donation Drive starts
November 20 Extended homeroom for TAKE 10 and gratitude cards from the PTA
November 21 2-hour early dismissal for students (12:50)
November 27 2-hour early dismissal for holiday (12:50)
November 28 Thanksgiving! No school
November 29 No school
December 2 Scholastic Book Fair begins

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/