WMS Family Message 12-15-19

This week we learned that Emmett Boggs, 8th Grade, was both the local and district winner in the annual Veterans of Foreign Wars “Patriots Pen” Essay Contest. The topic of the essay was “What Makes America Great.” Emmett will now go on to compete at the state level. We are very proud of his accomplishment!

This is our last week before a well-deserved two-week break. Students have a busy week ahead of them with two assessments this week and a final Extravaganza on Friday, which is essentially a pep rally to spread some community joy prior to the break. Our SCA does a wonderful job sponsoring this event. 

Please note that in keeping with the ACPS Homework Policy (Policy IKB) students should not have homework over breaks, so they can spend time with family and friends and get refreshed. If you have concerns about students being assigned homework over breaks please reach out to Mr. Walton or Dr. Jones-Lewis. 

PTO Information

We had a small PTO meeting on Tuesday night, but there were lots of good questions. One question that came up was about grading in ACPS. ACPS is investigating Standards-Based Grading/Reporting for the secondary schools and this is an ongoing process. We will be sure to keep you updated on any community events around this topic. You can read news story about one that was held this summer. https://www.dailyprogress.com/news/local/albemarle-school-division-rethinking-how-it-grades-students/article_bcc42328-e1cd-504d-a598-c504392d1d2d.html

We are asking our caring adults who are interested in helping or leading PTO events to please complete this survey: PTO Volunteer Survey

WMS Peer Tutoring is Up and Running

WMS offers an in-school peer-tutoring program during WIN. There are two google forms posted on Schoology--one to sign up to be a peer tutor and one to work with a peer tutor.  Students may sign up to do both. Registering is simple:

1. Students log in to Schoology and select the Walton Wildcats Primary page.
2. There, students will open the "Clubs and Activities" folder.
3. Inside that, students can click on the "Request to Work with a Peer Tutor" link if they want help.
4. Or, students can click on the "Sign Up to be a Peer Tutor" link to offer to help someone else.

There are options for weekly sessions, study groups, meetings just before a test/quiz, organizational help with notes or binders, and locker cleanouts. 

Please encourage your child to log in to Schoology and sign up--either to help others or to receive help.

WMS Counseling Newsletter

Our Counseling Office produces a monthly newsletter that contains wonderful information for parents. This month’s issue includes information about our new Calm Room, high school transition for 8th graders, our SCA sponsored Winter Extravaganza pep rally, and our holiday program for Families in Crisis. Read the issue here: WMS Counseling Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 4. 

Nominate a Teacher for the Golden Apple-Due January 27, 2020

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Golden Apple Awards. The program, which began in 2001, honors outstanding teachers in public and private schools in Albemarle County and Charlottesville City. Sponsored by Better Living Building Supply and Cabinetry, the program recognizes educators, from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade, for their outstanding classroom performance and influence on the success of their students.

 Honorees are selected for a Golden Apple based upon demonstrated excellence in the classroom, innovative instructional strategies and techniques, and involvement in their local community. Students, parents, educators, and other members of the community may submit nominations. Previous Golden Apple recipients are eligible for a second award providing that three years have elapsed since they received their award. You can find a list of previous WMS Golden Apple Recipients here: WMS Golden Apple Winners 

Nomination forms are available at individual schools or online at www.k12albemarle.org. The deadline for school principals to receive nominations from students, parents, school staff, and community members is January 27, 2020.

Attention 8th Grade Families-Academy and Murray Open Houses

It is hard to believe, but we are already in the transition planning season. As 8th graders move into this time of year we encourage them to explore various options available in ACPS including our academies and charter high school. The links below take you to the admissions info for each school and Open House dates are noted. Applications for all Academies and Murray High School open on November 26, 2019 and are due on January 24, 2020. 

• Murray High School-Jan 16, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Outpatient Counseling Services Available in School Through Elk Hill

Elk Hill, one of our providers for Therapeutic Day Treatment, is now offering Outpatient Counseling Services in school for students. Outpatient Services provide therapy and counseling to children and adolescents who have mental, behavioral, or emotional symptoms that impair daily life activities. Elk Hill accepts Medicaid and other insurance plans for Outpatient Services. If you are looking for counseling services for your child and are interested in having them participate please contact Patricia Joseph, Elk Hill Counselor, at pjoseph@k12albemarle.org.  

This Week:

Monday, December 16-GOLD DAY

Tuesday, December 17-BLUE DAY

• ELA Mid-Year Assessment (MAP Testing Schedule) 

Wednesday, December 18-GOLD DAY

Thursday, December 19-BLUE DAY

• Math Mid-Year Assessment/MAP Tests (MAP Testing Schedule)

Friday, December 20-GOLD DAY

• Winter Extravaganza (End of the Day WIN Schedule)

Upcoming Dates:

December 21-January 5-Winter Break-No School

January 6-Return from Winter Break

January 10-Laptop Inventory in Advisory

January 14-Civics and Science SOL Test (Regular Schedule for 6th and 7th Grade, 8th Testing-1st and 2nd Block)

January 17-Early Dismissal-End of 2nd Quarter (Middle Schools Dismiss at 1:05 p.m.)

January 20-Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday-No School

January 21-Teacher Work Day-No School

WMS Family Message 12-08-19

Greetings, Walton Families:

This is the time of year where students are excited for the upcoming break and it can be easy for them to get distracted from their academic mission. I think it is always useful to remind them of exactly how much time we have until break (I do this with my own 7th graders and 4th grader at home). We have 10 school days until the Winter Break, which is just over 5% of the school year. While that doesn’t sound like a lot on the surface 5% is significant. It is the difference between paying sales tax or not and in terms kids understand, would you rather have $95 or $100. We encourage students to go for the full 100%!

Care and Share Drive-Please Donate Non-Perishable Food-Monetary Donations Accepted

For over 20 years WMS has conducted our Care and Share Food Drive during the first two weeks of December. Families in need are identified and invited to receive a food basket. The basket is made up of what we collect from students (non-perishable food items), as well as, other items we buy with the profits from this year’s Care and Share dance, which was held this past Friday.  Food is picked up by parents during the last week of school before Winter Break along with items collected for Toy Lift and Holidays with Heart. The past few years we’ve given out over 30 food baskets. We will kick off the Care and Share Drive this year with a special episode of WLHW coming this week. We will begin collecting non-perishable food items from our students and staff once we return from the Fall Break. We appreciate any donations of food or funds that contribute to this worthy cause that directly impacts members of our school community. If you are interested in donating funds checks may be made payable to Walton Middle School with Care and Share in the memo line.

PTO Meeting-December 10 at 5:30 p.m. 

There will be a short PTO meeting at 5:30 p.m. on December 10. The main goal of this meeting will be for parents to share areas they would like more information about for future community meetings and in the Family Messages. Additionally, parents will have the opportunity to sign up for leadership and volunteer positions for events like Teacher Appreciation Week. Please note that this is the same night as the Art and Writing Expo and the Band Concert so you may already be at WMS early and you can stay and enjoy those events. 

Celebrating Art and Writing-December 10 at 6:00 p.m. 

All students had the chance to write a poem or short story inspired by a piece of artwork at the Fralin Art Museum. Ms. Tree Williams, our Art Teacher, has had her art students working on artistic responses to the works they viewed at the museum. Their art work, writing, and a copy of the inspirational image will be displayed the evening of December 10 at 6:00 p.m. prior to the Chorus concert. We invite all families to attend. Refreshments will be served. 

Concert Season is Here!

We hope you are able to join us for several concerts this week. Please see the schedule below:

• WMS Chorus-Tuesday, December 10 at 6:30 p.m. in WMS Cafeteria
• WMS Orchestra (with BMS and MoHS Orchestra)-Thursday, December 12 at 7:00 p.m. in MoHS Auditorium
• WMS Band-Friday, December 13 at 6:30 p.m. in WMS Cafeteria

WMS Peer Tutoring is Up and Running

WMS offers an in-school peer-tutoring program during WIN. There are two google forms posted on Schoology--one to sign up to be a peer tutor and one to work with a peer tutor.  Students may sign up to do both. Registering is simple:

1. Students log in to Schoology and select the Walton Wildcats Primary page.
2. There, students will open the "Clubs and Activities" folder.
3. Inside that, students can click on the "Request to Work with a Peer Tutor" link if they want help.
4. Or, students can click on the "Sign Up to be a Peer Tutor" link to offer to help someone else.

There are options for weekly sessions, study groups, meetings just before a test/quiz, organizational help with notes or binders, and locker cleanouts. 

Please encourage your child to log in to Schoology and sign up--either to help others or to receive help.

New Issue of WMS Counseling Newsletter

Our Counseling Office produces a monthly newsletter that contains wonderful information for parents. This month’s issue includes information about our new Calm Room, high school transition for 8th graders, our SCA sponsored Winter Extravaganza pep rally, and our holiday program for Families in Crisis. Read the issue here: WMS Counseling Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 4. 

Nominate a Teacher for the Golden Apple-Due January 27, 2020

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Golden Apple Awards. The program, which began in 2001, honors outstanding teachers in public and private schools in Albemarle County and Charlottesville City. Sponsored by Better Living Building Supply and Cabinetry, the program recognizes educators, from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade, for their outstanding classroom performance and influence on the success of their students.

 Honorees are selected for a Golden Apple based upon demonstrated excellence in the classroom, innovative instructional strategies and techniques, and involvement in their local community. Students, parents, educators, and other members of the community may submit nominations. Previous Golden Apple recipients are eligible for a second award providing that three years have elapsed since they received their award. You can find a list of previous WMS Golden Apple Recipients here: WMS Golden Apple Winners 

Nomination forms are available at individual schools or online at www.k12albemarle.org. The deadline for school principals to receive nominations from students, parents, school staff, and community members is January 27, 2020.

Attention 8th Grade Families-Academy and Murray Open Houses

It is hard to believe, but we are already in the transition planning season. As 8th graders move into this time of year we encourage them to explore various options available in ACPS including our academies and charter high school. The links below take you to the admissions info for each school and Open House dates are noted. Applications for all Academies and Murray High School open on November 26, 2019 and are due on January 24, 2020. 

• Murray High School-Info Sessions: Dec 9,  7:00-8:00 p.m., Jan 16, 10:00-11:00 a.m.

Outpatient Counseling Services Available in School Through Elk Hill

Elk Hill, one of our providers for Therapeutic Day Treatment, is now offering Outpatient Counseling Services in school for students. Outpatient Services provide therapy and counseling to children and adolescents who have mental, behavioral, or emotional symptoms that impair daily life activities. Elk Hill accepts Medicaid and other insurance plans for Outpatient Services. If you are looking for counseling services for your child and are interested in having them participate please contact Patricia Joseph, Elk Hill Counselor, at pjoseph@k12albemarle.org.  

This Week:

Monday, December 9-BLUE DAY

Tuesday, December 10-GOLD DAY

• A Christmas Carol at Blackfriar’s Theater (6th Grade)
• PTO Meeting-5:30 p.m. 
• Artists Eye Expo-6:00 p.m. 
• Chorus/Guitar Concert-6:30 p.m. 

Wednesday, December 11-BLUE DAY

• Orchestra Winter Concert DRESS REHEARSAL at MoHS 4:00-7:00 p.m. 

Thursday, December 12-GOLD DAY

• Orchestra Winter Concert at MoHS 7:00 p.m. 

Friday, December 13-BLUE DAY

• Band Concert-6:30 p.m
• 
  

Upcoming Dates:

December 17-ELA Mid-Year Assessment (MAP Testing Schedule) 

December 19-Math Mid-Year Assessment/MAP Tests (MAP Testing Schedule)

December 20- Winter Extravaganza (End of the Day WIN Schedule)

December 21-January 5-Winter Break-No School

January 6-Return from Winter Break

January 10-Laptop Inventory in Advisory

January 14-Civics and Science SOL Test (Regular Schedule for 6th and 7th Grade, 8th Testing-1st and 2nd Block)

January 17-Early Dismissal-End of 2nd Quarter (Middle Schools Dismiss at 1:05 p.m.)

January 20-Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday-No School

January 21-Teacher Work Day-No School

Josh Walton, Principal

Sherica Jones-Lewis, Assistant Principal

WMS Family Message 12-01-19

Greetings, Walton Families:

I hope you all had a break filled with gratitude and re-creation. Breaks are essential to maintaining healthy balance for our students and for our staff, though we know they do create disruptions in schedules. Another thing that can create disruptions in schedules are unexpected cancelations or delays of school, but unfortunately they are a reality this time of year. If you are not already signed up for electronic notifications you can learn more at the Closings and Delays page for ACPS.

Care and Share Drive-Please Donate Non-Perishable Food-Monetary Donations Accepted

For over 20 years WMS has conducted our Care and Share Food Drive during the first two weeks of December. Families in need are identified and invited to receive a food basket. The basket is made up of what we collect from students (non-perishable food items), as well as, other items we buy with the profits from this year’s Care and Share dance, which was held this past Friday.  Food is picked up by parents during the last week of school before Winter Break along with items collected for Toy Lift and Holidays with Heart. The past few years we’ve given out over 30 food baskets. We will kick off the Care and Share Drive this year with a special episode of WLHW coming this week. We will begin collecting non-perishable food items from our students and staff once we return from the Fall Break. We appreciate any donations of food or funds that contribute to this worthy cause that directly impacts members of our school community. If you are interested in donating funds checks may be made payable to Walton Middle School with Care and Share in the memo line.

MoHS Curriculum Expo-December 4

Monticello High School will host its annual Curriculum Fair on Wednesday, December 4th and will run from 6:00 pm until 7:00 pm. This is the first of our transition events for current 8th grade students and MoHS looks forward to meeting any prospective Mustangs and helping them learn more about class options. On March 24th MoHS will also host incoming ninth graders for a half day visit to Monticello High School.  Students will have an opportunity to tour the building, meet some faculty and current students, and eat lunch in the cafeteria. 

Celebrating Art and Writing-December 10 at 6:00 p.m. 

All students had the chance to write a poem or short story inspired by a piece of artwork at the Fralin Art Museum. Ms. Tree Williams, our Art Teacher, has had her art students working on artistic responses to the works they viewed at the museum. Their art work, writing, and a copy of the inspirational image will be displayed the evening of December 10 at 6:00 p.m. prior to the Chorus concert. We invite all families to attend. Refreshments will be served. 

PTO Meeting-December 10 at 5:30 p.m. 

There will be a short PTO meeting at 5:30 p.m. on December 10. More details will be sent in next week’s Family Message, but the main goal of this meeting will be for parents to share areas they would like more information about for future community meetings and in the Family Messages. Please note that this is the same night as the Art and Writing Expo and the Band Concert so you may already be at WMS early and you can stay and enjoy those events. 

WMS Peer Tutoring is Up and Running

WMS offers an in-school peer-tutoring program during WIN. There are two google forms posted on Schoology--one to sign up to be a peer tutor and one to work with a peer tutor.  Students may sign up to do both. Registering is simple:

1. Students log in to Schoology and select the Walton Wildcats Primary page.
2. There, students will open the "Clubs and Activities" folder.
3. Inside that, students can click on the "Request to Work with a Peer Tutor" link if they want help.
4. Or, students can click on the "Sign Up to be a Peer Tutor" link to offer to help someone else. 

There are options for weekly sessions, study groups, meetings just before a test/quiz, organizational help with notes or binders, and locker cleanouts.

Please encourage your child to log in to Schoology and sign up--either to help others or to receive help.

New Issue of WMS Counseling Newsletter

Our Counseling Office produces a monthly newsletter that contains wonderful information for parents. This month’s issue includes information about our new Calm Room, high school transition for 8th graders, our SCA sponsored Winter Extravaganza pep rally, and our holiday program for Families in Crisis. Read the issue here: WMS Counseling Newsletter, Volume 2, Issue 4. 

Nominate a Teacher for the Golden Apple-Due January 27, 2020

Nominations are now open for the 2020 Golden Apple Awards. The program, which began in 2001, honors outstanding teachers in public and private schools in Albemarle County and Charlottesville City. Sponsored by Better Living Building Supply and Cabinetry, the program recognizes educators, from pre-kindergarten through the 12th grade, for their outstanding classroom performance and influence on the success of their students.

 Honorees are selected for a Golden Apple based upon demonstrated excellence in the classroom, innovative instructional strategies and techniques, and involvement in their local community. Students, parents, educators, and other members of the community may submit nominations. Previous Golden Apple recipients are eligible for a second award providing that three years have elapsed since they received their award. You can find a list of previous WMS Golden Apple Recipients here: WMS Golden Apple Winners 

Nomination forms are available at individual schools or online at www.k12albemarle.org. The deadline for school principals to receive nominations from students, parents, school staff, and community members is January 27, 2020.

Attention 8th Grade Families-Academy and Murray Open Houses

It is hard to believe, but we are already in the transition planning season. As 8th graders move into this time of year we encourage them to explore various options available in ACPS including our academies and charter high school. The links below take you to the admissions info for each school and Open House dates are noted. Applications for all Academies and Murray High School open on November 26, 2019 and are due on January 24, 2020. 

• Murray High School-Info Sessions: Dec 9,  7:00-8:00 p.m., Jan 16, 10:00-11:00 a.m.
  Math, Engineering, Sciences Academy (AHS)-Open Houses: Dec. 5, 5:00-7:00 p.m. 
• Environmental Studies Academy (WAHS)-​Open House: Dec. 4, 5:30-7:00 p.m.
  HMSA Open House was held in November as advertised in the Family Message. 

Outpatient Counseling Services Available in School Through Elk Hill

Elk Hill, one of our providers for Therapeutic Day Treatment, is now offering Outpatient Counseling Services in school for students. Outpatient Services provide therapy and counseling to children and adolescents who have mental, behavioral, or emotional symptoms that impair daily life activities. Elk Hill accepts Medicaid and other insurance plans for Outpatient Services. If you are looking for counseling services for your child and are interested in having them participate please contact Patricia Joseph, Elk Hill Counselor, at pjoseph@k12albemarle.org.  

This Week:

Monday, December 2-GOLD DAY

Tuesday, December 3-BLUE DAY

Wednesday, December 4-GOLD DAY

Thursday, December 5-BLUE DAY

Friday, December 6-GOLD DAY

Upcoming Dates:

December 10

• A Christmas Carol at Blackfriar’s Theater (6th Grade)
• PTO Meeting-5:30 p.m. 
• Artists Eye Expo-6:00 p.m. 
• Chorus/Guitar Concert-6:30 p.m. 

December 11

• Orchestra Winter Concert DRESS REHEARSAL at MoHS 4-7:00 p.m. 

December 12

• Orchestra Winter Concert at MoHS 7:00 p.m. 

December 13

• Band Concert-6:30 p.m

December 17-ELA Mid-Year Assessment (MAP Testing Schedule) 

December 19-Math Mid-Year Assessment/MAP Tests (MAP Testing Schedule)

December 20- Winter Extravaganza (End of the Day WIN Schedule)

December 21-January 5-Winter Break-No School

January 6-Return from Winter Break