A Special Week

I’d like to think that everything that we do with our students is worthwhile at some level, but when we can create and provide experiences that stick with students and become a part of them as people it is truly special. This past week our students had some pretty incredible opportunities to do just that.

On Tuesday our entire building took part in a half-day Olweus Classroom meeting with a focus on gratitude. We discussed the many people in our own lives that do incredible things to support and care for us, and we talked about how we can show gratitude to others. It doesn’t take a lot of money or time, it’s simply letting people know how appreciative we are for what they do for us whether it is a bus driver, our parents, a friend, or someone we’ve never met holding a door open for us. It’s about being more in touch with the world around us and appreciating the power of doing positive things for others.

Our classroom meetings became even more meaningful as our entire building had the opportunity to show gratitude to those that sacrifice so much for all of us; veterans and active military. Students were able to ask questions and talk to veterans from various eras about their experiences while serving our country. In addition to that students wrote letters to active servicemen and women as part of Operation Gratitude. The thoughtfulness, heartfelt appreciation and genuine gratitude that students expressed in their letters was incredible. As a result of this experience I think our entire building has a much greater appreciation for veterans, our active military and all of the sacrifices that they have and continue to make for us. 

Matt Bellace firing up our kids

On Thursday we had a whole-building assembly to hear Matt Bellace. Dr. Bellace is a comedian who has a Ph.D. in clinical neuropsychology (the study of the brain and behavior), and is the author of the book, "A Better High". Dr. Bellace’s message is a positive, science-based and seriously entertaining approach to substance abuse prevention with a focus on getting high naturally. He had 700+ students and nearly 100 staff members listening, laughing and thinking for just over an hour. If you’ve ever been in a gym with over 700 middle students you know how impressive that is! As entertaining as it was, it was as equally powerful in its message.

700 focused students

In the days following those experiences I have had many students approach me in the cafeteria, hallways and classrooms at the end of last week to talk about how great the week was. Each of those kids had their own perspective on what made it so special, but all of them shared a personal connection to one or both of those events on Tuesday and Thursday. If just one of our students were inspired this week to show more gratitude in their lives or find natural highs and make healthy choices then it was worth the time and effort to make those events happen.

In life the most meaningful things stay with us; the rest we let go of. A lot of the “stuff” we teach our students is going to be lost when the year ends and we go our separate ways. But I don’t think many of our students (or adults for that matter) will forget the words and experiences of our veterans or thoughtfulness that went into the letters we wrote to active service members as part of Operation Gratitude. And I don’t think anyone in the gym on Thursday will forget experiencing the power of laughter firsthand and how incredible that makes you feel. Most importantly, I hope that all of our students recognize and don’t forget that they have other options besides drugs and alcohol to get high and feel good about themselves. In the end, these are the reasons we got into this profession in the first place; helping to shape young people into caring and successful adults.  

When it is all said and done this past week was way more than just another week. If you haven’t had the chance to talk to your student(s) about it I encourage you to do so. Hopefully there will be a lot of thinking, reflecting and growth that comes out of these experiences.

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

@Sdunhamwgms

Rolling into October

And just like that we are five weeks into the school year! Our fall modified sports seasons are starting to wind down, most of our clubs and activities have had initial meetings and are underway, and rehearsals for our annual musical that takes place in November are in full swing. If you are a middle school student and not getting involved in activities after school then you’re not trying very hard. Please continue to encourage your kids to get involved! Sign-ups for Winter 1 and 2 modified sports seasons are now taking place in our Health Office and this link is an overview of the different clubs and activities that take place at different times throughout the year. Please contact me directly if you need some help getting your middle school student involved and engaged with something outside of the classroom. It's that important!

Progress Reports and Report Cards

The first progress report of the year is now available for viewing on SchoolTool. This is a terrific opportunity to log on with your child so that together you can monitor their academic progress, set goals and adjust habits early in the school year. Once you log into Schooltool click on the Grades tab, select Progress Report Grades and make sure you are looking at Marking Period 1. Progress reports and report cards will no longer be printed and sent home with students. We will send an email notification that grades and comments have been finalized for viewing every five weeks. The dates for progress reports and report cards can be viewed through this link. If you need a SchoolTool password or have any questions related to Schooltool please contact our Guidance Department at 487-4622. 

If this was the Jeopardy answer the question would be: 

What is the number of books every student should read outside of school during the year? 

Why 10? Well, the generally accepted rule of thumb is 20 books per year – for every student – every year. And that’s the minimum. If we read the equivalent of 10 books per year in school then that leaves the other 10 books for reading outside of school. We need to continue to increase the amount of time our students have with eyes on text. Reading and writing are the most critical aspect of student growth and learning in preparing them for their future. Our students need to make reading a habit and we need to support, encourage and model it for them.

A great way to help our children is to create a literature rich household. Sometimes the biggest obstacle to this is just finding some book titles that interest the young adult reader. Click here for some really good suggestions on books to include in your home library. Ten books in a school year - it’s non-negotiable and it is the most important thing we can do to set all of our students up for success. We need your help at supporting this and promoting reading as a part of every student’s daily life. This isn't rocket science -  it’s simple, but we have to do it!

Continued Success,
Steve Dunham
sdunham@westgenesee.org
@Sdunhamwgms

Open House Re-Cap

Packed hallways and limited parking = good problems

One of my favorite nights of the year is our Open House.This is an opportunity for parents to "check us out". As a parent myself, we (parents) are less interested in hearing about every "thing" that is taught and every "policy" that we have, and more interested in the belief that our kids are in good hands and being cared for. Parents want to know about us as people, our willingness and ability to connect with kids, our efforts at preparing students for their future, how we  communicate, our focus on higher level thinking, and important literacy skills of reading, writing and speaking that are embedded in all that we do. Open House, and anytime we connect with our parents, is our opportunity to show people that we are caring, supportive, flexible, committed professionals.

Unfortunately some of our parents were unable to attend and several had asked me for an overview of the evening. Below are some highlights of the welcome that I gave everyone in homeroom at the start of our Open House. 

"First of all, thank you for being here this evening. For those of you that are new to our building welcome to the WGMS family. We are excited to have you here! For those of you that are returning, welcome back. We have an incredible community here at West Genesee Middle School made up of a dedicated and talented faculty and staff as well as involved and supportive parents. Your presence this evening and your ongoing involvement with your child’s education is a testament to the commitment you have made to make education a priority. We thank you for that. The journey from a young child in elementary school to a young adult in high school is not an easy one and we certainly need your support in helping us to maximize the potential in all of our students as they make that challenging journey through the middle years."

PTA table was busy all night

"We are passionate about what we do here at WGMS, we care about your children, and we all want this to be the best year that they have ever had in school. A focus of ours is continuous improvement; trying to get better at everything that we do, constantly reflecting on our practices, listening to feedback and having a willingness to evolve and grow.  We ask the same of our students. We continually talk with students about the role that they play in doing the things necessary to be as successful as possible and we try to build a capacity in them to have a willingness to try new things and strive to get better. Together we need to continue to encourage them to get involved with sports, music, clubs, and other activities and to stay connected with other events like our dances, Family Fun Night, 3 on 3 Basketball tournaments, and everything else that we have to offer. We talk to them about the importance of connecting with other people, about putting down their phones once in awhile and looking up from their screens to connect with others. Speaking and listening are still essential skills." (link to clubs and activities: WGMS Clubs & Activities)

"You can expect us to support them, but also to push them to be their best; to not accept the minimum, to challenge them and encourage them to be extraordinary. Your role as parents and grandparents, aunts, uncles and older brothers and sisters is vitally important . Your involvement and commitment to making your child’s education a priority is crucial. We can’t do this alone, we have to do it together. We look forward to working and getting to know all of you throughout this school year. It’s going to be a great year, a wonderful evening, and it’s always a great day to be a Wildcat!! Thank you and enjoy your night."

Thank you again for the incredible turnout and a big thank you to our teachers and staff for being Champions for our kids!!

Continued Success,

Steve Dunham

sdunham@westgenesee.org

@Sdunhamwgms