Sunday, February 19, 2017

WMS Family Message 2-19-17

This week the Albemarle County Spelling Bee was held and our very own Grace Caramanis came in second place. Congrats to Grace! She will compete in the regional spelling bee on March 4 at Albemarle High School.

8th Grade High School Registration
Counselors are scheduling meetings with 8th graders and their families to complete course selection for high school registration in addition to developing a multi-year career and education plan. HIgh school registration must be completed by February 28. Please contact Karen Collier, Counseling Office Associate and Registrar, at (434) 977-6533 or kcollier@k12albemarle.org to schedule an appointment.

Hidden Figures Field Trip
We have organized a field trip for our entire school to see the Academy Award nominated film Hidden Figures on March 1st (6th Grade) and March 2nd (7th and 8th Grade) and the Violet Crown Cinema. The film portrays “The incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.” Students will enjoy the film and then have the opportunity to eat on the downtown mall. The cost of the trip is $7, which covers the film. Transportation is being covered. Permission slips have been sent home.

Bike Club
This Spring we will offer a Bike Club, which will provide the opportunity to ride as a group, learn basic bike maintenance, trail maintenance, and have fun on two wheels. Our goal is to provide a safe and fun after school activity for those who enjoy mountain biking. The club is free, bikes and helmets are provided, and we will meet once a week beginning in late April. Please email Tommy McElroy (tmcelroy@k12albemarle.org) with any questions. Students may sign up to receive further information about the club using the following link:https://goo.gl/forms/lwUiWs8hQqj03vJK2  

Interested students will meet with Mr. McElroy during 5th block soon to learn more and receive the appropriate paperwork for permission to participate. We are also asking if there are parents who want to help with the Bike Club to please email Mr. McElroy.

BOLT Program at MoHS
Monticello High School is partnering with Region 10 and the Virginia ABC to host a community meeting for middle schools students and their parents called BOLT (Being Outstanding Leaders Togethers Against Drugs and Alcohol). BOLT will be held on March 14 from 6-8 p.m. with dinner served from 6-6:30 p.m. The program features community and motivational speakers.

More information about the March BOLT program at MoHS can be found here: http://www.newsplex.com/content/news/Community-Counts-Region-Ten-BOLT-411344165.html

Upcoming Dates:
February 20: Inclement Weather Make-up Day: School in Session
February 23: Black History Month Celebration
March 1: Hidden Figures-6th Grade Field Trip
March 2: Hidden Figures-7th and 8th Grade Field Trip
March 4: Orchestra Retreat at MoHS
March 13: Career Fair for 7th Grade at UVA
March 14: BOLT Community Event at MoHS-6:00-8:00 p.m.
March 20: Tornado Drill
March 21: SOL Testing-8th Grade Writing (Direct Writing)
March 22: SOL Testing-8th Grade Writing (Multiple Choice)
March 24: Activity Period
March 31: Inclement Weather Make-up Day-School in Session
    End of the Third 9 Weeks
    Talent Show at 3:00 p.m.
April 2-April 9: Spring Break

Friday, February 10, 2017

WMS Family Message 2-10-17

This week we held our Science Fair with twelve different teams competing in either a demonstration or experiment category. We recognized five eighth graders with the Science Stamina Award for competing all three years of middle school. Those students were:
Caitlyn Banh
Caroline Landis
Serena Loomba
Mary Quick
Allison Shuren

Congratulations to our Science Fair Winners:
Honorable Mention-Bella Becerra and Ginny Hamner: Telemeres and Cancer (Demo)
Demonstration-Caroline Landis: Effects of Smoking on the Respiratory System
Experiment-Serena Loomba and Allison Shuren: Organic vs. Non-Organic Food
Best in Show-Kate Green: Effects of Palm Oil Production

Rising 7th and 8th Grade Course Registration:
Students in 6th and 7th grade will be working with their school counselors next Wednesday and Thursday to choose courses for the 2017-2018 school year. An email and letter will be sent home on Monday, February 13 with more information. After students complete registration a confirmation letter will be sent home outlining their selections. Students have until the end of February to finalize their selections.  

8th Grade High School Registration
Counselors are scheduling meetings with 8th graders and their families to complete course selection for high school registration in addition to developing a multi-year career and education plan. HIgh school registration must be completed by February 28. Please contact Karen Collier, Counseling Office Associate and Registrar, at (434) 977-6533 or kcollier@k12albemarle.org to schedule an appointment.

Hidden Figures Field Trip
We have organized a field trip for our entire school to see the Academy Award nominated film Hidden Figures on March 1st (6th Grade) and March 2nd (7th and 8th Grade) and the Violet Crown Cinema. The film portrays “The incredible untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson - brilliant African-American women working at NASA, who served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history: the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit.” Students will enjoy the film and then have the opportunity to eat on the downtown mall. The cost of the trip is $7, which covers the film. Transportation is being covered. Permission slips have been sent home.

Bike Club
This Spring we will offer a Bike Club, which will provide the opportunity to ride as a group, learn basic bike maintenance, trail maintenance, and have fun on two wheels. Our goal is to provide a safe and fun after school activity for those who enjoy mountain biking. The club is free, bikes and helmets are provided, and we will meet once a week beginning in late April. Please email Tommy McElroy (tmcelroy@k12albemarle.org) with any questions. Students may sign up to receive further information about the club using the following link:https://goo.gl/forms/lwUiWs8hQqj03vJK2  

Interested students will meet with Mr. McElroy during 5th block soon to learn more and receive the appropriate paperwork for permission to participate. We are also asking if there are parents who want to help with the Bike Club to please email Mr. McElroy.

BOLT Program at MoHS
Monticello High School is partnering with Region 10 and the Virginia ABC to host a community meeting for middle schools students and their parents called BOLT (Being Outstanding Leaders Togethers Against Drugs and Alcohol). BOLT will be held on March 14 from 6-8 p.m. with dinner served from 6-6:30 p.m. The program features community and motivational speakers.

More information about the March BOLT program at MoHS can be found here: http://www.newsplex.com/content/news/Community-Counts-Region-Ten-BOLT-411344165.html

Upcoming Dates:
February 16: Division-level Spelling Bee-Wish Grace Caramanis Good Luck!
February 20: Inclement Weather Make-up Day: School in Session
February 23: Black History Month Celebration
March 1: Hidden Figures-6th Grade Field Trip
March 2: Hidden Figures-7th and 8th Grade Field Trip
March 4: Orchestra Retreat at MoHS
March 13: Career Fair for 7th Grade at UVA
March 14: BOLT Community Event at MoHS-6:00-8:00 p.m.
March 20: Tornado Drill
March 21: SOL Testing-8th Grade Writing (Direct Writing)
March 22: SOL Testing-8th Grade Writing (Multiple Choice)
March 24: Activity Period
March 31: Inclement Weather Make-up Day-School in Session
    End of the Third 9 Weeks
    Talent Show at 3:00 p.m.
April 2-April 9: Spring Break

Saturday, February 4, 2017

WMS Family Message 2-5-17

Happy Sunday, Walton Families:

This week we held our school-wide Spelling Bee and crowned Grace Caramanis champion. Serena Loomba was runner-up. Grace will represent WMS in the ACPS Spelling Bee on February 16.

WMS in the News
NBC 29 visited WMS on Friday to do a story on a fabulous sixth grader and all that ACPS has done to accommodate her needs. Our building services, transportation, and special education staff do not always get the recognition they deserve, but their efforts to serve our students and all of their unique needs are appreciated. http://bit.ly/2jQ2uPz

Science Fair
Our annual Science Fair will be held on February 9, 2017 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. in our cafeteria. This is always an exciting and fun event. We encourage all to come and experience it.  

8th Grade High School Registration
Counselors are scheduling meetings with 8th graders and their families to complete course selection for high school registration in addition to developing a multi-year career and education plan. HIgh school registration must be completed by February 28. Please contact Karen Collier, Counseling Office Associate and Registrar, at (434) 977-6533 or kcollier@k12albemarle.org to schedule an appointment.

Bike Club
This Spring we will offer a Bike Club, which will provide the opportunity to ride as a group, learn basic bike maintenance, trail maintenance, and have fun on two wheels. Our goal is to provide a safe and fun after school activity for those who enjoy mountain biking. The club is free, bikes and helmets are provided, and we will meet once a week beginning in late April. Please email Tommy McElroy (tmcelroy@k12albemarle.org) with any questions. Students may sign up to receive further information about the club using the following link:https://goo.gl/forms/lwUiWs8hQqj03vJK2  

Interested students will meet with Mr. McElroy during 5th block soon to learn more and receive the appropriate paperwork for permission to participate. We are also asking if there are parents who want to help with the Bike Club to please email Mr. McElroy.

BOLT Program at MoHS
Monticello High School is partnering with Region 10 and the Virginia ABC to host a community meeting for middle schools students and their parents called BOLT (Being Outstanding Leaders Togethers Against Drugs and Alcohol). BOLT will be held on March 14 from 6-8 p.m. with dinner served from 6-6:30 p.m. The program features community and motivational speakers.

More information about the March BOLT program at MoHS can be found here: http://www.newsplex.com/content/news/Community-Counts-Region-Ten-BOLT-411344165.html

Upcoming Dates:
February 9: Science Fair-6:00-8:00 p.m. in Cafeteria
February 10: Open Gym/Dance 4 p.m. to 6 p.m.
February 16: Division-level Spelling Bee
February 20: Inclement Weather Make-up Day: School in Session
March 4: Orchestra Retreat at MoHS
March 13: Career Fair for 7th Grade at UVA
March 14: BOLT Community Event at MoHS-6:00-8:00 p.m.

Have a great week!
Josh Walton, Principal
Sherica Jones-Lewis, Assistant Principal