REMINDER TO PARENTS - SECURITY CAMERA All doors at WMS will be locked during normal school hours, 8:00 a.m. - 3:16 p.m. The only access to the building is through the “camera monitored” office entrance on Washington Street. To gain entrance, visitors must push the button on the wall (to the right of the main doors), identify yourself and one of the secretaries will “buzz” you in (unlock the left-hand door so you can open it). Thank you for your cooperation and understanding. HURRICANE HARVEY COLLECTION Washington Middle School’s fundraising efforts have paid off! As a school, we were able to collect over $300 in monetary donations and gift cards along with an abundance of school supplies for staff and students at Humble Middle School (Texas) which was affected by Hurricane Harvey. A printing company out of Green Bay has also donated the shipping costs for us which has allowed all of our donations to go directly to the school. Ms. Ashlyn Thornton, a 7th grade teacher there, has been our contact person and has told us they are grateful for our efforts and appreciate all of our help and support. THANK YOU to all of our WMS families for helping us in this huge undertaking.

SAFETY NOTICE TO PARENTS & STUDENTS Washington Street is a busy street when school is dismissing. Therefore, for the safety of our children, we are asking the following from parents and students:

Students who walk must cross Washington Street at the crosswalks.

Students who ride bikes must walk their bikes while on school grounds.

Parents picking up their children at the end of the school day must park inside the fenced in area of the playground and wait for their students to meet them or walk to the office to pick them up.

FREE VACCINES Oconto County Public Health will visit Washington Middle School on Friday, October 6 to offer FREE flu shots as well as Hepatitis A, HPV and Meningitis vaccines to all students in 6th, 7th & 8th grade. If your child did not bring the consent form home for the FREE vaccines, we have extras in the school office. The county has agreed to take the consent forms past the deadline.

Stephanie S. Landreman, Principal Anthony J. Logue, Assistant Principal Washington Middle School September 15, 2017

Web address: https://ofpanthers.com/schools/washington-middle-school

FORWARD EXAM RESULTS Attention Parents: Last spring students at WMS took a computerized state test called the “Forward Exam.” The results from test will be mailed home at the end of next week. Please look the results over to view your child’s progress. UWGB GIRLS’ BASKETBALL CLINIC Peterson Ford (Toby & Mike Peterson) will be sponsoring a free girls’ basketball clinic. This clinic will feature the coaching staff and players from the UW-Green Bay Women’s Basketball Team led by Head Coach Kevin Borseth. This clinic will be held at the Oconto Falls High School Field House on Sunday, October 1. Check-in begins at 10:30 a.m. and the clinic will run from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. This FREE clinic is open to the first 100 applicants from local schools - girls in 4th to 8th grade. You must be pre-registered to attend. All participants will receive proper instruction on Stretching, Strength Training, and Warmup Drills, Etiquette, Sportsmanship, Ball Handling, Shooting, Games and more. To register please contact Tim Peterson at 920-362-5161 or stop by Peterson Ford, Main Street, Oconto Falls.

TUITION WAIVER/OPEN ENROLLMENT Parents, you do not have to pull your children from our schools even when you move.

Moving can be a stressful time for children especially when they are faced with changing schools in the middle of the year. Parents planning to move from the district can apply to have their children continue to be enrolled in the Oconto Falls School District. When the move takes place, parents should complete a Tuition Waiver form which allows the student to complete the school year in our district.

Note: If the move takes place before February, parents must complete an Open Enrollment Application during the open enrollment window (February - April 2018) for the following school year. If the move takes place after April 30, parents can file a Tuition Waiver which allows their student to complete the current school year. They would then need to complete an Open Enrollment Application during the following February “open enrollment” period.

Parents can contact Debbie Woods at the District Office (848-4471) for the forms and an explanation of the process.

September 20 Two-Hour Early Release

Friday Notes Page 4 Friday Notes

ART PALETTE Fresco Geckos (Art Club) will meet once a month after school to experiment with different art mediums and meet

local artists. Fresco Geckos usually meet in the art room or the cafeteria from 3:20-5:20 p.m. Applications will be accepted until Monday, September 18 and forms are available outside the art room. Parents and relatives are welcome to volunteer to be a guest artist or chaperone for Fresco Geckos. Please contact Mrs. Knoerzer, Fresco Gecko Advisor (920-848-4463) if you are interested. Future meeting dates: September 21, October 12, November 16, and December 14. Note: You do not have to be in art class to join Fresco Geckos.

FROM THE LMC - Students, if you can’t put a book down, this is for YOU! The LMC is once again sponsoring a team of student readers for the statewide “Battle of the Books” (B.O.B.) competition. B.O.B. is an event where teams of students read titles from a list of award winning books and compete in February to see which school can answer the most questions about the books. The six final members of the team are the students who have read the most titles and pass the pretest with the best score. Students who want a chance to represent Washington Middle School should stop in the LMC for more information and get a booklist to begin reading! This is a fun challenge for students in all grades who love to read!

BUS DRIVERS NEEDED Moms, dads, grandparents, shift workers...Oconto Falls School District is looking for regular and part time bus drivers. Interested applicants must have a good driving record and no criminal record. Training is available. Call Kay Oninski, OFSD Transportation Supervisor, at 920-848-4460.

LION’S CLUB - EYEGLASSES DONATIONS The Lion’s Club has placed a collection box by the office for anyone wanting to donate “no longer needed” eyeglasses and hearing aids to be given to the less fortunate in our community and beyond. The box will be available throughout the year and will be located just outside the office doors. 6TH GRADE FUNDRAISER The sixth grade students will be fundraising to be able to participate in a variety of educational experiences this year. The fundraising company is called Believe Kids Fundraising. There are prizes for the top sellers with the highest seller winning a mini Ipad. This fundraiser ends on September 25. Please make all checks payable to Washington Middle School.

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COUNSELOR’S CORNER - Beginning of the School Year Mrs. Schneider, Washington Middle School Counselor

Welcome! I would like to welcome everyone back for another exciting, successful school year! Middle School is a great adventure! As the 7th and 8th graders know, students have a little more freedom, a little more independence, and yes, more FUN!!! During these middle school years, your child will grow and change in many ways physically, emotionally, and socially.

Throughout the school year, I will have many interesting and helpful suggestions in the Counselor’s Corner. Students, there will be many tips and suggestions to help you succeed in middle school, and in your future as well. Parents, through the Counselor’s Corner, I will keep you informed about what your child will be learning in Guidance classes, as well as information about upcoming assemblies and programs on topics that include, but are not limited to - Study Skills and Organizational Habits, Career Education, Wellness, Bully Prevention, Character, Drug and Alcohol Prevention, and Sexual Harassment. Even though middle school is a time for students to take on more responsibilities and increased independence, your child still needs your support and guidance during these years!!! Please look for the Family Activity Sheet students will bring home when they have Guidance class. I look forward to working with you and your child. Together, we can guide them on a path full of opportunities and success! If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me at 920-848-4463, ext. 2.

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WMS CUSTODIAL APPRECIATION DAY Washington Middle School celebrated Custodial Appreciation on Wednesday, September 13. We thank Mr. Bristol, Mrs. Marquardt, and Mr. Nygren, for their commitment and dedication in helping to make our school a better place for kids. Anytime is a good time to let them know they are appreciated! PICTURE DAY School pictures were taken by MK Photography this past Thursday, September 14. Order envelopes will come home within two weeks that will show two poses. Parents wishing to place an order for pictures will then choose the pose and picture packet size that best suits their needs, place the payment in the envelope and return it to Washington Middle School. If your student missed picture day, a retake day will be scheduled as soon as the first group has been processed. We will keep you posted. FAMILY - SUPER SITTER TRAINING - October 21 NWTC will be holding a Family-Super Sitter Training at the Oconto Falls Regional Learning Center. The babysitting class will touch on physical safety and security during childcare and the important roles of friendship, companionship, understanding and patience when caring for others. The training will be held Saturday, October 21, 2017 from 9:00 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Because this class runs over “lunchtime,” you are encouraged to bring a lunch for yourself this day. The cost for the training is $34.25. Pre-registration is required. Contact NWTC - Oconto Falls (848-6982) if you have you questions. Registration forms are in the school office.

ABSENCE PROCEDURE …..Pre-Excused Absences: According to Wis. Stat. 118.15/16 parents may excuse their children for any reason if a written note from parent/guardian is received PRIOR to the absence. Therefore, if a child will not be in school, parents/guardians will be required to submit a handwritten excuse in advance. The student will bring the note to the office and receive a specific form to take to his/her teachers notifying them of the impending absence.

…..Unplanned Absences: If the absence is unexpected, parents/guardians should call the attendance answering machine and leave a message as soon as they realize their student is going to be absent. Our attendance answering machine can be reached 24 hours a day by calling 848-4463, ext. 1. The phone call helps us to account for our students on that particular day. …..Absence Excuse: The parent/guardian should write the entire excuse. The note should be dated and indicate the student’s name, the date(s) of the absence, the reason for the absence, and be signed by a parent/guardian. School officials reserve the right to contact parents at home or at work.

NWEA TESTING Students in Grade 6-8 are in the process of completing NWEA Testing - a computerized assessment that helps determine student strengths and weaknesses. The test results will assist teachers in providing a more individualized instructional program. A follow-up assessment will be in January and again in April 2018.

WMS FALL SPORTS We wish all of our students that are involved in Fall Sports the very best. The more active students are in school activities, the more enjoyable their overall educational experience. We encourage our parents and students to support our athletic program by attending the games. Coaches for this fall are as follows: Ms. Sherman - cross country; Miss Erdmann and Miss Kussow - girls’ volleyball; Mr. Boehmer, Mr. Dory, Mr. Bursa, and Mr. Marshall - football. Go Panthers!

HOMEWORK Daily assignments are posted to the web for students who are absent or who failed to write assignments in their agendas. It is also a resource for parents who might need clarification on an assignment.

INTERNATIONAL CLUB International Club will have its first meeting on Tuesday, September 19 after school (3:20 p.m.). We will be meeting in room 808. Any students attending should bring the registration form and the $5.00 fee to the first meeting unless they have already turned one in at the office. Our meeting will end at 5:20 p.m. Please arrange a ride home for your child or have your child sign up for late transportation ($1.00) at the office before 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday. We are excited to begin a new year!

…..Mrs. Loew and Mrs. Schroeder

Friday Notes

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FFA HAPPENINGS

FIRE Conference at FVTC in Appleton, WI - September 30, 2017 - This conference is FREE if you attend. (Our FFA Alumni pays half and the chapter pays the other half). You will get the opportunity to learn about FFA and to gain valuable leadership skills. Those attending will also receive a t-shirt, meal and snack.

World Dairy Expo - October 3, 2017 - Learn about the latest and greatest technologies in the Dairy industry, talk with industry representatives, tour dairy barns and more at the 2017 World Dairy Expo. This event is held at the World Dairy Expo Center in Madison, WI. If you are interested in going, please sign up early to ensure a spot. Students will depart the high school at 5:00 a.m. and return by approximately 5:30 p.m. The cost is approximately $10.00. Students will also need money for meals. Please pick up a permission slip from Mrs. Markhardt.

Highway Clean Up - October 7, 2017 - Please meet promptly at 8 a.m. at the old Hardees (corner of Hwy. 22 and Hwy B). Parents and family are welcome to help. This takes approximately 1 hour. Remember to dress for the weather – wear rubber boots, pants, jacket and gloves.

If you have any further questions or want to learn more about FFA or the agriculture department, visit http://www.ocontofallsagzone.org. OFFICE DEPOT, 5% BACK TO SCHOOLS When you shop at Office Depot, you can give them our school number at the checkout and Office Depot will donate 5% of all qualifying purchases to Washington Middle School in the form of a reward’s card that can be used to obtain free supplies. Our school’s ID number is 70110077. Office Depot will also look up our school if you forget the number. Just make sure they credit the Washington Middle School in Oconto Falls. WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL ACES WMS ACES activities are open to all students at WMS who are in good academic standing (i.e. not failing any of their classes). These activities give students the opportunity to have some fun and make new friends in a safe and supervised environment. Parents are also welcome to participate. Our first activity is a 7.5 acre corn maze in Little Suamico on Thursday, September 28. The cost for this activity is $11.00. Permission forms are available in the office and by the ACES bulletin board across from the band room. …..FUTURE ACTIVITY: WMS ACES will going to the Green Bay Fear Haunted House on October 26. More information will be available at a later date. ONLINE REGISTRATION Many thanks to all the parents that filled out their on-line registration this year. It was a successful first year with a few minor glitches. The savings in time, postage, and paper were noteworthy. The window for making major changes will close until next fall. Until then, please notify the school office when your family information needs updating. Note: Students who did not register on-line or fill out the paper copies of the forms, will not be allowed to leave the building on field trips until the forms are completed. For your child ’s well-being we need updated information. ENCORE SCHEDULING Washington Middle School Encore classes (i.e. Art, Tech Ed, PhyEd, Health, Agriscience, World Languages) meet every day for 36 days. We refer to an encore rotation as a “quint” because there are 5 rotations in the year. The rotation dates are as follows:

Encore 1 - September 5 - October 24 Encore 2 - October 25 - December 19 Encore 3 - December 20 - February 19 Encore 4 - February 20 - April 12 Encore 5 - April 13 - June 5

PRIDE CLASSES PRIDE stands for Positive Results In Daily Experiences. PRIDE classes meet on a 6 day rotation. During PRIDE time (8th hour) students get a number of different fun, educational opportunities. The first round of classes will end on October 24. Before that date a new list of classes will be made available to students so they can sign up for the 2nd round. BOOK FAIR During the week of November 7-10, EPAWS (our parent group) (along with the LMC) will sponsor another book fair in the LMC. This is an educational opportunity for students to find new books to read. It is also an opportunity for parents to come in and buy books for Christmas or birthdays.

“Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.” …..Groucho Marx

Friday Notes Page 5

Monday 18 MS Cross Country - AWAY - Bonduel Invite, Bus departs 2:30 Adult Basketball - Washington St. Gym - Mr. Wheeler

4:15 6:00-10:00

Tuesday 19 7th Grade Volleyball - AWAY - Shawano, Bus departs 3:15 8th Grade Volleyball - HOME - Shawano International Club Meeting - Room 808 - Mrs. Loew & Mrs. Schroeder Tae Kwon Do - Central St. Gym - Sherry Czarapata

4:15 4:15 3:25-5:25 5:30-8:30

Wednesday 20 Two Hour Early Release 1:16

Thursday 21 7th Grade Football - AWAY - Sturgeon Bay, Bus departs 2:30 8th Grade Football - no game MS Cross Country - AWAY - Pulaski Invite, Bus departs 2:45 7th Grade Volleyball - HOME - Clintonville 8th Grade Volleyball - AWAY - Clintonville, Bus departs 2:45 Fresco Gecko (Art Club) Meeting - Room 12 - Mrs. Knoerzer

4:30 4:15 4:15 4:15 3:30-5:30

Monday 25 6th Grade Fundraiser ends 6th Grade to Camp U-nah-li-ya MS Cross Country - AWAY - Shawano Middle School, Bus departs 2:45 Adult Basketball - Washington St. Gym - Mr. Wheeler

4:15 6:00-10:00

Tuesday 26 7th Grade Football - HOME - Greenville 8th Grade Football - AWAY - Greenville, Bus departs 2:15 7th Grade Volleyball - HOME - Freedom 8th Grade Volleyball - AWAY - Freedom, Bus departs 3:00 Tae Kwon Do - Central St. Gym - Sherry Czarapata

4:15 4:15 4:15 4:15 5:30-8:30

Thursday 28 7th Grade Volleyball - AWAY - Marinette, Bus departs 3:00 8th Grade Volleyball - AWAY - Marinette, Bus departs 3:00 ACES “Corn Maze” Activity - Little Suamico

4:30 5:30 3:30-6:30

Friday 29 High School Homecoming Friday Notes go home.

Mark Your Calendar

September

STUDENT/PARENT REMINDER As teachers plan annual field trips or other educational excursions, please take note that a student’s behavioral record, attitude, attendance, and work ethic are taken into account for participation in these activities. Office referrals, suspensions, and poor classroom/bus behavior will be factors contributing to a student not being eligible to attend these functions. RECYCLING CONTINUES - An update of items WMS is continuing with the recycling program that began eight years ago. We will be recycling plastic caps on personal care and cleaning supplies only (pump caps OK too), tape dispensers and empty tape rolls, Capri Sun/Kool-Aid pouches, cereal bags (including wax bag from inside the box), pop tops, cell phones, ink cartridges, and personal care items (shaving cream cans, toothbrushes, make-up, shampoo bottles, No aerosol cans please, etc.), cleaning supply containers & caps (laundry soap, window cleaner, Lysol, etc.). Contact Mrs. Nickels if you have questions. Note: We no longer take plastics like shopping bags, bread bags, candy wrappers, diaper packaging, Ziploc bags & containers or dairy containers).