Student Material Pick-up/Drop-off We are working on plans to coordinate students getting their belongings (items left in hallway and PE lockers, etc) from the school and dropping off school materials (media center books, instruments, textbooks etc) before the end of the school year Thank you for your patience and understanding as we work to develop a plan that is safe, orderly and responsive to the most current guidelines from the state. We have set tentative dates of May 27-29 for this process to take place, and will send out a separate communication in the next week or so with information about how this will work Please note that our plans may need to be adjusted if new guidelines are issued from the Governor, Minnesota Department of Health, and others.
Grading During Distance Learning Recently, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) asked schools to consider their current grading practices, and make any adjustments they feel are necessary in response to the varied impact distance learning may have on students and families.
Aligned with MDE guidance, the following message will be applied to transcripts and report cards for the 2019-20 school year: Grades that are documented during the time period of March 16 through June 30 of 2020 reflect the distance learning period resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. Future use of these grades for academic placement, admission, acceleration, or remediation is discouraged and should only be used with caution after balancing the information against student performance in other grading periods.
While the majority of our existing middle school grading practices are responsive to the MDE guidelines, a few adjustments to our practices for Quarter 4 are outlined below:
A score of 0 points on an incomplete/unattempted assessment has a disproportionate impact on a student's grade in the course. In a face-to-face school setting, teachers work hard to support students with the completion of projects/assessments through a variety of interventions. Due to the unique challenges of Distance Learning, a "minimum % recorded" for assessments will be established to ensure that 0's and other significantly low marks don't have a disproportionate impact on a student's grade. 50% (for example, "5/10" on a 10 point quiz) will be entered in place of any score that is less than 50%, with the actual score entered as a Skyward comment for that assessment. While 50% is still a "U" mark, the negative impact of the single assessment score on the overall grade is less extreme. Note: These items may still be marked "missing" if they have not been turned in, and should still be turned in to improve the assigned score. This adjustment will only apply to 4th quarter assessments.
Personal Management marks will not be provided for Semester 2/Quarter 4. Much of the evidence gathered to provide this feedback is based on an in-person school setting.
Teachers will continue to utilize professional judgement, as they do in a typical learning environment, to ensure their grading practices account for the wide variety of circumstances Distance Learning has created for students and families. They will continue to be flexible by accepting late work, offering retakes, and working to identify appropriate supports for students who are struggling. If your student is falling behind, don't hesitate to reach out to a teacher so that they can work with you on a plan for your student to finish the year in their course.
Did You Know? Media Center Construction Update
Last Chance to Order Your Yearbook The yearbook store for families to order a yearbook will be closing on Friday, May 15! If you are not sure if you ordered a book already email Jodi Spohnholtz and she will be able to verify for you before you place an order. The cost is $30 and you can order online. If you need a scholarship please reach out to Peter Binnie or Amy Kondziolka.
Moving this Summer? Please contact Kim Gessner in Student Services if your family is moving over the summer or if you are enrolling your student in another district for the 2020-2021 school year.
Bike Left at WMS If your student is missing a bike, please check to see if you recognize this bike and please pick it up at your earliest convenience. The grounds crew is ready to mow and trim.
Reminders 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.
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.
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. PTA Meeting – Thursday, May 14 at Noon Please attend this final PTA meeting of the year via Zoom if you are available. We will wrap up this year and make plans for the 2020-21 school year. Meeting ID: 870 8923 6494
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. Financial assistance is available or call 763-745-5200 for more information. Stay Creative While You Stay At Home! We’re excited to welcome everyone to the Summer of Creativity and hope you’ll join us for this historic, one-time-only event! Learn more on the Global Finals website.
Calendar School Events District Events School Board Meetings |