WMS Friday Family Message 10-28-16

Good Evening, Walton Families,

We had a fun week celebrating Red Ribbon Week and enjoying Spirit Week as our Boys and Girls Basketball teams finished their regular season. Students and staff enjoyed wearing hats on Monday, being wacky and tacky on Tuesday, twinning on Wednesday, and participating in a Red Out on Thursday. Additionally, the students were victorious against the faculty in the annual Student/Faculty game. Congrats, students on a hard fought win!

End of Nine Weeks and Teacher Workday

This Thursday, October 27, marked the end of the first marking period. Please remember that paper report cards are not sent home, but are available through the Parent Portal (http://sis.k12albemarle.org/public). Grades will be posted to the Parent Portal on November 1, 2016. If you have any questions about your child’s progress and performance please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers via email, phone, or by scheduling a conference.

Come to the Book Fair!

The Scholastic Book Fair coming and we hope you will keep these dates open: Wednesday, November 9th until Monday, November 14th, 2016. Besides bringing affordable and appropriate books to our school, a goal of our Book Fair is to provide more books for our school library.

Here’s how the Book Fair works: During the week, each child visits the Book Fair with his class and makes his or her purchases. You and your family are invited to come during any of our open hours from 9:00-4:00.  (Be sure to check in at the office when you arrive). We have books for all ages, including adults!

You may also visit our online book fair and books will be delivered to Walton. Please share the link with friends and family. Books make great holiday gifts! P.S. For your convenience, our Book Fair accepts credit cards!

http://www.scholastic.com/bf/waltonmiddleschool

8th Grade Students:

If you are interested in health and medical sciences, environmental studies, or math, engineering, and science, you may want to consider attending one of the high school academies next year. Directors from each program will visit 8th grade students on Thursday, November 3rd from 3:00 - 4:00 to provide detailed information about the programs and to answer your questions. Applications will be available starting on November 28th and they are due on January 27th. Ms. Crawford will provide further information as it is available.

Open House Dates:

ESA – Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 5:30-7  and   Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 5:30-7

HMSA – Thursday, Nov. 17 from 5-6:30  and  Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 6-7

MESA – Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 5-7  and  Thursday, Dec. 8 from 5-7

PTO Update

We are in the process of building our Parent Teacher Organization. The next PTO Meeting will be held November 3, 2016 at 6 p.m. in the WMS Library. We welcome your support and hope to see you on November 3.

Bond Referendum

This November 8, the ballot in Albemarle County will include not just candidates for President of the United States and for Congress, but also a question on whether the county should issue $35 million in general obligation bonds to finance improvements at 25 of 26 school facilities. Schools in all three of the county’s feeder patterns are involved.

To learn more about the Bond Referendum please visit: http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=br

SchoolsNEXT Competition Team Forming

WMS is partnering with local architect and parent, Bill Bradley, to create a team to participate in the SchoolsNEXT competition sponsored by the Association for Learning Environments. “The competition challenges students from across the globe to think creatively as they plan and design tomorrow’s 21st century learning environments to enhance innovative ways of teaching and learning, be healthy, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community.” (http://learningscapes.a4le.org/schoolsnext.html ). The second team meeting is Thursday, November 3 from 4:05 p.m.-5:45 p.m. in the amphitheater. For more information contact Natalie Capps at ncapps@k12albemarle.org.

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, October 31: SPIRIT DAY: Costume Day! (No masks and must meet dress code)

Tuesday, November 1: Parks and Recreation Girls Basketball Tournament @ Burley 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2: Parks and Recreation Boys Basketball Tournament @ Burley 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 5: Vendor Fair at WMS from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Supporting WMS

Families in Crisis Holiday Assistance

Monday, November 7: Professional Development Day-No Students

Tuesday, November 8: Conference Trade-Off Day-No Students

Friday, November 11: Activity Period Schedule

Have a Great Week!

The WMS Administrative Team

Josh Walton, Principal

Sherica Jones-Lewis, Assistant Principal

WMS Weekly Family Message 10-23-16

End of Nine Weeks and Teacher Workday

This Thursday, October 27, marks the end of the first marking period. Please remember that paper report cards are not send home, but are available through the Parent Portal (http://sis.k12albemarle.org/public). Grades will be posted to the Parent Portal on November 1, 2016. Please remember that this Friday, October 28, is a Teacher Workday and that there is no school for students on this day. If you have any questions about your child’s progress and performance please do not hesitate to reach out to teachers via email, phone, or by scheduling a conference.

Peer Nomination Survey

This Tuesday students will be completing a Peer Support Nomination Survey. Each fall since 2010, we have asked students to voluntarily make their school counselors aware of classmate(s) who may be victims of bullying. This Peer Support Nomination is a vital piece of bullying prevention at our school. We conduct the peer support nomination in the fall to reach students in need of support early, making help available to them throughout the school year. A letter was sent home last week with more details.

SchoolsNEXT Competition Team Forming

WMS is partenering with local architect and parent, Bill Bradley, to create a team to participate in the SchoolsNEXT competition sponsored by the Association for Learning Environments. “The competition challenges students from across the globe to think creatively as they plan and design tomorrow’s 21st century learning environments to enhance innovative ways of teaching and learning, be healthy, conserve resources, be environmentally responsive and engage the surrounding community.” (http://learningscapes.a4le.org/schoolsnext.html ). The first team meeting is Monday, October 24 from 4:05 p.m.-5:15 p.m. with a parent meeting from 5:15 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. For more information contact Natalie Capps at ncapps@k12albemarle.org.

8th Grade Students:

If you are interested in health and medical sciences, environmental studies, or math, engineering, and science, you may want to consider attending one of the high school academies next year. Directors from each program will visit 8th grade students on Thursday, November 3rd from 3:00 - 4:00 to provide detailed information about the programs and to answer your questions. Applications will be available starting on November 28th and they are due on January 27th. Ms. Crawford will provide further information as it is available.

Open House Dates:

ESA – Tuesday, Nov. 15 from 5:30-7  and   Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 5:30-7

HMSA – Thursday, Nov. 17 from 5-6:30  and  Wednesday, Dec. 7 from 6-7

MESA – Wednesday, Nov. 9 from 5-7  and  Thursday, Dec. 8 from 5-7

Spirit Week and Red Ribbon Week

This year the SCA is sponsoring with our school nurse, Daniela Marden, and our counseling staff to celebrate Red Ribbon Week in conjunction with Spirit week as we lead up to the Student/Faculty Basketball Game on Thursday, October 27. Red Ribbon Week aims to make students aware of the dangerous of drugs and alcohol abuse. Visit http://redribbon.org/ for more information. Spirit Days are outlined on the calendar below.

PTO Update

We are in the process of building our Parent Teacher Organization. The next PTO Meeting will be held November 3, 2016 at 6 p.m. in the WMS Library. We welcome your support and hope to see you on November 3.

Boxtops for Education

Please continue to collect and bring in Box Tops.  They are an easy 10 cent donation that costs you nothing extra.  The first post due date is November 1.  You don’t even have to make them pretty.  There is a basket in the front office window for these.  Walton appreciates your diligence in sending these in.

Labels for Education

Otherwise known as Campbell Soup Labels has discontinued their program for schools.  Please do not send those labels in any longer.

Bond Referendum

This November 8, the ballot in Albemarle County will include not just candidates for President of the United States and for Congress, but also a question on whether the county should issue $35 million in general obligation bonds to finance improvements at 25 of 26 school facilities. Schools in all three of the county’s feeder patterns are involved.

To help ensure that voters are well-informed on the referendum before they cast their ballots, local government and the school division will be conducting a community information program.

The program will not advocate for or against the referendum, but will provide factual information about the projects and their impact on schools and taxpayers.

There are two more community forums hosted by the League of Women Voters in October:

• Tuesday, October 11 | Monticello High School | 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 26 | Albemarle High School | 6 p.m.

To learn more about the Bond Referendum please visit: http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=br

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, October 24: SPIRIT DAY: Hat Day!

SchoolsNEXT Meeting 4:05 p.m.-5:30 p.m. (Parent meeting at 5:15 p.m.)

Tuesday, October 25: SPIRIT DAY: Wacky Tacky Day!

Wednesday, October 26: SPIRIT DAY: Twin Day!

Community Forum on Bond Referendum at Albemarle High 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 27: SPIRIT DAY: Wear Red Day!

End of First Nine Weeks

Tuskegee Airman Performance at Paramount with 7th Grade Social Studies

Student-Faculty Basketball Game

Parks and Recreation Girls Basketball Game @ Jouett MS 5:00 p.m.

Friday, October 28: Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

Monday, October 31: SPIRIT DAY: Costume Day!

Tuesday, November 1: Parks and Recreation Girls Basketball Tournament @ Burley 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2: Parks and Recreation Boys Basketball Tournament @ Burley 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 5: Vendor Fair at WMS from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Supporting WMS

Families in Crisis Holiday Assistance

Monday, November 7: Professional Development Day-No Students

Tuesday, November 8: Conference Trade-Off Day-No Students

WMS Friday Family Message 10-14-16

It has been a fun and productive week at WMS. Our 8th Graders had an exciting day yesterday with a field trip to Washington D.C. yesterday. It was long trek with lots of walking, but based on the feedback the students really enjoyed it and learned a lot about our nation’s capital and the jewels of the National Mall, the Smithsonian Museums.

The 8th graders are not the only ones getting social studies field trips.Our 6th graders will be taking a trip to the Frontier Culture Museum on Monday. On October 27th 7th Graders will have the opportunity to see a play at the Paramount Theater about the Tuskegee Airmen.

Parent Conferences-October 18

Sign up for Walton October 18th Conferences:

http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0d4ca5ae2ca3fb6-parentteacher

PTO Update

We are in the process of building our Parent Teacher Organization. The next PTO Meeting will be held November 3, 2016 at 6 p.m. in the WMS Library. At last night’s PTO meeting items discussed included Positive PAWS at WMS, the WMS Strategic Improvement Plan, establishing a clear mission for the PTO, ideas for getting feedback from the community, developing a PTO meeting schedule that works, and the Bond Referendum. We welcome your support and hope to see you on November 3.

SchoolsNEXT Team Starting

WMS is partnering with local architect and parent, Bill Bradley, to start a team to compete in the SchoolsNEXT Design Competition. The Association for Learning Environments’ SchoolsNEXT Design Competition challenges teams of students across the globe to address a pressing need, problem, or challenge by formulating an educational response and designing an appropriate learning environment – classroom, laboratory or studio, school building or campus – in support of their idea. This team will be open to all students with an interest in architecture, design, photo/video production, building and modeling, 3-D computer design, or just critical thinking and collaboration. The first meeting will be held from 4:15-5:30 p.m. on Monday October 24 with a parent informational meeting to be held from 5:30-5:45 p.m. Interested students can see Ms. Capps for more information.

Bond Referendum

This November 8, the ballot in Albemarle County will include not just candidates for President of the United States and for Congress, but also a question on whether the county should issue $35 million in general obligation bonds to finance improvements at 25 of 26 school facilities. Schools in all three of the county’s feeder patterns are involved.

To help ensure that voters are well-informed on the referendum before they cast their ballots, local government and the school division will be conducting a community information program.

The program will not advocate for or against the referendum, but will provide factual information about the projects and their impact on schools and taxpayers.

There are two more community forums hosted by the League of Women Voters in October:

• Tuesday, October 11 | Monticello High School | 6 p.m.
• Wednesday, October 26 | Albemarle High School | 6 p.m.

To learn more about the Bond Referendum please visit: http://www.albemarle.org/department.asp?department=br

Upcoming Dates:

Monday, October 17: 6th Grade Field Trip to Frontier Culture Museum

Tuesday, October 18: Parent/Teacher Conferences 4:30-8:00 p.m.

Wednesday, October 19: Parks and Recreation Boys Basketball Game @ WMS 5:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 20: AVID Field Trip to UVA

Friday, October 21: Drama 7 and 8 Field Trip to Monticello High School

    Open Gym/Dance 4:00-6:00 p.m. 

Monday, October 24: First Meeting of SchoolsNext Team (See Above)

Wednesday, October 26: Community Forum on Bond Referendum at Albemarle High 6:00 p.m.

Thursday, October 27: End of First Nine Weeks

Tuskegee Airman Performance at Paramount with 7th Grade Social Studies

Student-Faculty Basketball Game

Parks and Recreation Girls Basketball Game @ Jouett MS 5:00 p.m.

Friday, October 28: Teacher Workday (No School for Students)

Tuesday, November 1: Parks and Recreation Girls Basketball Tournament @ Burley 5:00 p.m.

Wednesday, November 2: Parks and Recreation Boys Basketball Tournament @ Burley 5:00 p.m.

Saturday, November 5: Vendor Fair at WMS from 10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. Supporting WMS

Families in Crisis Holiday Assistance

Monday, November 7: Professional Development Day-No Students

Tuesday, November 8: Conference Trade-Off Day-No Students