In the Middle
Whitnall Middle School Family Newsletter
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March 18, 2022

Hello WMS Families,

We hope everyone has a wonderful spring break. During the first week we return, the students will engage in WI Forward assessment practice as they prepare for the The WI Forward Exam. Our WSD testing window will be April 4 thru April 14. This state assessment is an opportunity to gauge how well they are performing in relation to the Wisconsin Academic Standards. The standards outline what students should know and be able to do in order to be college and career ready. 

Students in grades 6-8 will take the ELA tests on April 4 and 5, and the math test on April 7. Additionally, students in 8th grade will take the science test on April 11 and the social studies test on April 13. Make-ups will be conducted throughout the testing window.

Please note that April 1st is the end of progress period 3. Now that we are well into second semester, please take the opportunity to talk with your child about their progress. Grades can be viewed, either through Infinite Campus or within your child's Canvas modules.

Sincerely,

Chris D'Acquisto, Principal WMS
Ryan Relich, Assistant Principal WMS
Upcoming Dates
March 21 - 25 - No School Spring Break
March 28 - School Resumes
April 4 - 14 - Forward Testing
April 13 - PTO Meeting
April 13 - PTO Eat & Earn Panera
April 15 - No School
April 18 - No School
Forward Testing
The WI Forward Exam testing window for Whitnall Middle School will be April 4 thru April 14. This state assessment is an opportunity for students to show what they know. Students in grades 6-8 will take the ELA tests on April 4 and 5, and the math test on April 7. Additionally, students in 8th grade will take the science test on April 11 and the social studies test on April 13. Make-ups will be conducted throughout the testing window.
Athletics
Track will start April 4th for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls and boys. You will need to be registered and have a current physical on file to participate. Any questions, please see Ms Sobush in guidance. Register Here!
Yearbooks
There's still time to order your 2022 yearbook!  Just go to vipis.com to find our school's unique page or click the link below.

Ordering deadline: April 1st, 2022

Click here to order: Vipis.com

On this page families can order photos and contact our customer support team.
Parent Drop-Off Lane
If you transport your child to the middle school, please remember that you're expected to utilize the parent drop off lane. This is for the safety of our students and to avoid vehicle accidents. Recently observed practices parents need to cease are:
  • Bypassing the parent drop off line and pulling into the thru lane of the parent drop off area and parking to drop off your student. Parents that have just dropped off their student utilizing the appropriate curb lane need to access this thru lane should they have to go north on 116th street.
  • Bypassing the parent drop off line / lane and pulling to the curb of 116th street to drop off your student. This disrupts and blocks the southbound traffic flow on 116th.
  • Pulling into the parking lot and dropping off your student. This disrupts bus traffic that is consistent between 7:20am - 7:40am
Please reference the following diagram and adhere to the green routes. The red lines indicate prohibited areas for stopping to drop off your student. Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Infinite Campus and Fees
School fees, chromebook insurance fees (optional), and athletic fees are all accessible through your infinite campus portal. Please be sure to check that your account is current, as fees are required to be paid before students can participate in activities. This is also a good time to review your account and be sure all your information is up to date. If you have any questions regarding fees you can contact Julie Sobush at 414-525-8661 or [email protected]. If you need assistance with your infinite campus account you can contact Kay Larson at 414-525-8526 or [email protected].
School 'Stuff'

Student Absences: .
Please report your students absence to the school by 8:00 a.m. You may use the Absence Reporting Form or call the attendance line at 414-525-8650. .
No call and no note will result in the absence being recorded as truancy. If a student has a medical/dental appointment, we encourage you to provide an excuse from the provider.

Appointments/Planned Absences
If your student has an appointment, special event, leaving early, etc. Please contact the office prior to the event so we can have your student waiting for you in the office. You may use the Absence Reporting Form or call the attendance line at 414-525-8650. . If the student will be gone more than two days, please utilize the Planned Absence Form
Infinite Campus is continuing to be used for progress reporting, attendance, and district messaging. 

The Whitnall website provides online tutorials that can help families better understand how to navigate our online platforms. Please see the links below for more information:
1. Canvas

PTO
Artist in Residence:  This year’s WMS Artist in Residence is local artist Katherine Cannistra. 
 
The WMS art project will be a guided experience creating a collaborative wall-hung sculpture for the school.  Over the course of 5 days the students will participate in forming, inking, and attaching individualized pieces of aluminum to a substructure created specifically for display in the school.  

We are still accepting donations for this event and you can send them through our Venmo account at @wmspto5300. If you do not have a Venmo account and would like to donate, please contact us at [email protected]. We appreciate your support!

Eat and Earn: Next month’s Eat and Earn will be April 13th at Panera Bread located at 4901 South Moorland Road, New Berlin. 


Ongoing Easy to Do Fundraising Opportunities
Please help support WMS PTO’s fundraising efforts by participating in one or both of the following programs below.
AmazonSmile:
Go to smile.amazon.com and select “Whitnall Middle School PTO” as your charity. Sign-in to smile.amazon.com each time you shop and AmazonSmile will donate .05% of eligible purchases.to the WMS PTO.
Box Tops for Education:
Use the Box Tops app on your phone to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add cash to WMS PTO’s earnings online. For more information please go to: https://www.boxtops4education.com/
If you discover a traditional Box Tops clip on a product, you can still clip it and send it to school. Every valid Box Tops clip is still worth 10¢
Questions? Contact us at [email protected].
 Find us on Facebook and Instagram at Whitnall Middle School PTO and/or follow us on Twitter @WhitnallMSPTO.
WMS Leadership
Please use the following information to determine whom to contact for different questions. If you have any questions on how to direct you call/questions please contact Ms. Dawn Jones, WMS Secretary at 414-525-8660.

Chris D'Acquisto Principal
414-525-8652

Ryan Relich Assistant Principal
414-525-8663

Building Daily Operations and Events/Teaching and Learning
Primary Contact: Chris D'Acquisto Email

Student Attendance and Behavior
Primary Contact: Mr. Ryan Relich Email

School Counselor
Haley Evanoff
414-525-8654

School Psychologist
Nicole Lussier
414-525-8795

School Social Worker
Courtney Fleishmann
414-525-8655
Whitnall Employment Opportunities
Noon Hour Supervisors
Did you know that you can find employment opportunities at Whitnall through WECAN and daily substitute opportunities through Teachers On Call? Consider taking a look at what's available!
 (Athletic Coach, Custodian, Food Service, Kitchen Worker, Noon Hour Supervisor, Paraprofessional)
 (Educators and Paraprofessionals)
 (Educators/DPI Licensed Positions)
Whitnall Middle School | 414.525.8660 | [email protected] | https://www.whitnall.com/schools/middle/