Did You Know?
This week is National Teacher Appreciation Week! Due to our current circumstances, students are not able to stop by the classroom of a teacher to say thank you as they might during a typical year on Teacher Appreciation week. I encourage students and/or families to send a quick email message of support to a teacher(s) or school staff member(s) if you can find time to do so this week.
Join us for a West Book Club on Zoom! The book club is open to all grades 6-8. We will be reading two titles: Milo on Wheels by Elizabeth Gordon and Call of the Wild by Jack London. Both titles are available through MackinVia. Students may participate in one or both meetings. Reading and attending the Call of the Wild meeting will count for Honors Reading. For more information and meeting dates, please visit the Media Center Canvas Course or contact Lisa Scott.
Minnesota State History Day Results Congratulations to all students who participated in the first ever virtual Minnesota State History Day! All State participants represented Wayzata West well and demonstrated that hard work really does pay off!
Reminders An Important Message from the Principals WMS Families,
We hope this edition of the WMS Newsletter finds you well. Recently, Governor Walz shared some important but disappointing news that on-site school would not resume this spring. With Distance Learning occurring through the end of the school year, we wanted to reach out with answers to a few common questions.
Canvas Notifications Canvas has many notifications available to parents for courses which their children are enrolled. Notification preferences allow users to select how and when they want to be notified when various events occur within a course. The options are: Right Away, Daily Summary, Weekly Summary, Never. Each user is responsible for setting their own notification preferences in their Canvas account. In addition to these overall preferences, you can also enable individual course notifications! Overall Canvas Notification preferences:
Student Stars Given the unusual circumstances over the last month, we have not had an opportunity to celebrate our third quarter student star recipients. These students have been nominated for making outstanding efforts to learn, leading by example, demonstrating grit and determination. Our student stars exhibit good citizenship and positive attitudes toward adults and other students.
Hennepin County Library offering e-cards! You can now apply for a Hennepin County Library e-card to get access to all of the great online resources our Hennepin County Libraries have to offer (ebooks, audiobooks, databases, etc.)! Applications are quick and easy for those who do not have a current library card. Anyone who needs help with an existing library card can go to the Ask Us page. With a library card, students can access online tutoring from 1:00-11:00 p.m. Families who have used this tutoring in the past have found it very helpful.
Distance Learning Resources Feel free to reach out to your teachers or our school support staff with questions. Also, feel free to review the Wayzata Distance Learning Plan and the COVID-19 Response Plan webpages for more information. Media Center Canvas Course Please have your student enroll in the Media Center Canvas Course for updates and for resources for ebooks, research, book talks and more!
West Metro History Day Regional Contest Congratulations to all West 7th graders who participated in the first ever "virtual" West Metro History Day Regional Contest! Way to go West!
Be BOLD Be West! Looking for some help with establishing positive expectations for Distance Learning at home? This modified BOLD Matrix highlights the language from our school-wide expectations that apply to Distance Learning. Feel free to bookmark or print and post in your student's workspace at home to provide reminders about Being BOLD!
Videos for eBook Resources We have two videos available:
Also, if you or your student does not have a library card number for Hennepin County Library, they are taking phone applications from 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. They will mail physical cards to people but will also give the card number over the phone so that people can start accessing online content right away.
Order Your Yearbook We have reopened the yearbook store for families to order a yearbook if they have not done so already until May 15 or when they sell out. If you are not sure if you ordered a book already email Jodi Spohnholtz at Jodi.Spohnholtz@wazyataschools.org and she will be able to verify for you before you place an order. We have about 100 books available for purchase on a first-come-first-serve basis. The cost is $30 and you can order online. If you need a scholarship please reach out to Peter Binnie at Peter.Binnie@wayzataschools.org or Amy Kondziolka at Amy.Kondziolka@wayzataschools.org.
Tech Support Information for Distance Learning If you need support for distance learning, visit the Technology Help Desk Portal, email helpdesk@wayzataschools.org or call 763-745-5100. Additional information about iPad insurance claims, repair facilities, broadband internet access, and more can be found on our Distance Learning webpage.
Bold Ambassador Food Drive & Opportunity to Help The Bold Ambassadors' annual food drive unfortunately had to end early due to our school closure. Thank you to all who made donations last week. For those who either still hoped to contribute or are looking for ways to help our community's families in need during the COVID-19 crisis, a contribution to Interfaith Outreach could go a long way.
PTA News Please visit the PTA page to get meeting dates, minutes, and sign up to be a volunteer, sign up for the directory and more. Show your Trojan Pride with Wayzata Spirit Wear! New vendor and home or store delivery! The PTA is offering West students and their families the chance to purchase some great Wayzata Spirit Wear through our online store. A portion of all purchases are donated to our school PTA! 24-7 Active has a retail store at 848 Lake Street East in Wayzata. Stop by and try on sizes, order in store or select free in store pickup. We have two ordering sessions. These are target dates for fall and holiday ordering. The online store will be available for ordering all school year long! Delivery date is approximately three weeks from your order date. Order online and ship to your home or choose free in store pickup. Please note: All orders placed online are custom made to order and are non-returnable. For questions, please contact Robyn Bjella. You may also contact 24-7 Active directly or call 612-991-0952.
Volunteer Needs The PTA sponsors events and programs throughout the year that need volunteers. Fill out our Volunteer Sign Up Form to find programs that best fit your interests and schedule.
Around the District Wayzata Education Fund’s Thank a Teacher Program We have the best teachers and staff around, and never has it been clearer than during these unprecedented times. Whether they’ve helped make a difference in person or virtually this year, show your appreciation by participating in our Thank a Teacher program. From May 4 to June 3, any donation you make to the Wayzata Education Fund honoring a teacher or staff will come with a certificate of appreciation from your student. Additionally, if you donate $25 or more, they will also receive a bundlet from Nothing Bundt Cakes Minnetonka. Say thank you and support a good cause at the same time! Certificates will be sent via email. Bundlets will be delivered at a later date when it is deemed safe to do so, and when teachers and staff are back on school property. What can I do to protect myself and others?
We've had so many great Ask Ali questions in our inbox – thanks to all who have submitted! Ali, along with her network of local experts, has been working hard to answer these questions. Responses are posted every Monday on her blog at partnersinpreventionmn.org/askali. Parents, you've got to check out the responses to these questions! There are some interesting ones that have been asked; chances are you might be wondering some of these things.
Community Ed New Online Classes We welcome you to our online classrooms! Our online classes ensure that you are able to gain valuable information, stay on track with your fitness routine, learn new skills, and connect with others during the next month. Our buildings may be closed, but lifelong learning never stops. We are offering a variety of online classes for adult and youth. You can find all the online options on our registration site.
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