WMS Newsletter - September 25, 2024

Dear Woodward Families,

Lots is happening in this first month of school! The Woodward track team, with over 100 students, has already had 2 meets and is doing fantastic! This week classrooms elected ASB representatives and some of our morning clubs have started up, including our Homework Club at 8:00 am Monday through Friday. PTO will hold their first meeting tonight at 6:00 pm in the Woodward Library - more information follows in this newsletter. Please join us if you can!  

In an effort to keep you up to date on all things Woodward, I encourage you to sign up on ParentSquare where you will receive all our communication in the way you prefer - text, email, app, or all 3. BISD uses ParentSquare to communicate with families and staff, including district and school newsletters (like the one you are reading), school delays/closures, and classroom/team specific information from teachers and coaches. It's your one-stop information source! Be sure and register your account by following the instructions outlined here. For a detailed video click on this: BISD ParentSquare Video Overview

Thank you and as always, please feel free to call us at Woodward if you have any questions!

Sincerely,

WMS Principal

Dear Woodward Families,

We're excited to start this year building community and fun! 

Please join us tonight for our first PTO meeting of the year:

Wednesday, September 25th from 6:00 – 7:00 pm in the Woodward Library. (Enter through the south Commons entrance - flagpole entrance.) If you're not able to make it in person, join us virtually. We'll be introducing our board, meeting you all, and talking about goals for the year, including our proposed budget and fundraising for the year. Here is the proposed budget.

If you have any questions, please reach out to me at: Woodward.President@bainbridgeptos.org. See you soon!

PTO President

Woodward PTO’s annual giving campaign, Fallapalooza, is a One-and-Done fundraiser that will launch in early October and culminate with a whole school celebration for students - The Great Woodward Hangout!

When: Friday, October 25th - after-school until 5:30pm

Who: Woodward Students and Chaperones

Where: Right at school! Easy Peasy!

What: Snacks, games, sports, karaoke, and potentially an inflatable obstacle course! Above all, it's a chance for all Woodward students to come as they are and hangout with their friends!

Why: The PTO’s annual giving campaign is an opportunity to raise much needed funds to support the school and students all year long. Funds are used to pay for teacher grants, staff development, special speakers, sports equipment, extracurricular clubs, student celebrations and more!

If you have any questions, please reach out to Woodward.Fallapalooza@bainbridgeptos.org.

Fallapalooza Co-Chairs

IMPORTANT NOTE: Parents if you plan to chaperone on October 25th, please make sure you are a cleared and current volunteer. Here is the link to become a BISD Volunteer. To check on your volunteer status, contact Kate Carr at kcarr@bisd303.org.

Each Monday, during 4th period, your student participates in Seminar. Woodward Seminar is one piece of our social emotional learning (SEL) education that aligns with the BISD Improvement Plan under the Health, Well-Being & Safety goals and priorities. The benefits of SEL are well-researched, with evidence demonstrating that an education that promotes SEL yields positive results for students, adults, and school communities. When students have supportive relationships and opportunities to develop and practice social, emotional, and cognitive skills across many different contexts, academic learning and performance accelerates (CASEL.org). For more information on SEL, please visit the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning at casel.org.

Throughout the year, we will highlight lesson themes that will take place during our Monday Seminar. As parents, we encourage you to ask your student what they discussed and learned so you can continue the conversation at home. Following are topics and themes that will be covered in September.

In September, the focus of Seminar is helping students find connections within their 4th period Seminar class. This will be done with icebreaker activities and connection games. Seminar lessons will also include information about how to be a Woodward Wildcat: attendance procedures, how to use the library, how to access your counselor and get academic support and how to get involved through WMS clubs and sports.  

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have regarding Woodward Seminar.

Patti Beer - 7th Grade Counselor, pbeer@bisd303.org, 206-780-4507

Sue Constan - 8th Grade Counselor, sconstan@bisd303.org, 206-780-4506

Tomorrow, September 26th, is the last day to order ASB WIldcat Spirit Wear. Support Woodward ASB by ordering a T-Shirt, Crewneck Sweatshirt or Hoodie Sweatshirt in Gray or White with Green Lettering. Details here.

Jostens' was here last week taking student photos on September 19th. Within one week, you should have an email with a link to your student's photos. On the attached flyer, check out the FAQS on how to order from Jostens'.

If your student missed picture day, make-ups are on October 17th.

The window to purchase Chromebook Insurance is now open. It closes on October 8, 2024.

We strongly recommend purchasing Chromebook insurance, as the cost is $35 and it covers the device for one year. By contrast, the cost to replace a broken Chromebook is $428, and if the screen cracks, it can be over $150 to repair. 

As a reminder, the insurance only covers situations of accidental damage and theft, specifically:

PLEASE NOTE: Insurance DOES NOT cover the loss of the Chromebook or loss of the power cord. In the case of a loss, you will be required to pay the full $428 fine.

To purchase insurance, please visit the Worth Ave. Group. When enrolling, you will be asked to enter your student’s “Other ID. This ID can be found on the Skyward Family Access portal. After you log in, click the "Student Info" button on the left menu and look for the number in the “Other ID” field. It is generally a seven-digit number that begins with 0.

25: PTO Meeting @ 6:00 pm WMS Library

15: Back-To-School Parent/Guardian Night @ 6:30-8:00 pm

17: Picture Make-Up/Retake Day

18: Spirit Assembly

25: Fallapalooza - 3:30-5:30 @ WMS

29: Fall Band Concert - 7:00 pm WMS Commons