Wayne-Westland Community Schools

 

Staff Connections

 

Winter 2016

WM Staff "Stepped Up" for Students

The staff at Wayne Memorial High School "stepped up" for their students. Staff members offered to wear tutus for a day if students and other staff members made donations to the Zebra Step Team. This effort raised over $250. The proceeds will be used to help purchase new uniforms for the Step Team. Step Team members made the tutus for the staff members to wear.

Wayne-Westland Administrators and Teachers Look to Blended Learning Instructional Models

A team of teachers and administrators has been looking at models of ‘Blended Learning’ in classrooms to evaluate this as a means of strengthening student learning opportunities. It allows for student control over their learning, and teachers are able to individualize learning for their students. The use of technology makes individual and small group instruction easier to facilitate.

 

Students that use Blended Learning have real-time access to web-based content and receive immediate feedback about their learning. Providing students with personal devices like Chromebooks or laptops and seamless connectivity allows them to work individually and collaboratively while they learn. Because students use technology in the classroom, they can learn at their own pace. Teachers get immediate results of student learning and are able to develop unique learning paths for each student.

 

Reports from teachers who are utilizing Blended Learning are promising. Students say they are more connected to their learning and are seeing value in their effort. Teachers are stating that their ability to reach individual student need is simplified. Wayne-Westland Community Schools is only scratching the surface of Blended Learning.  As we look to the future, our challenge will be to make this possible for every student.

Welcome to

Staff Connections.

This newsletter is for the employees of Wayne-Westland Community Schools and will be published three times a year. It features the successes and good news of our staff. If you or a colleague have good news to share, please contact Jenny Johnson at johnsonje@wwcs.k12.mi.us or 734-419-2001.

Dream Big for WWCS

It is not too late to be a part of the Strategic Planning process. Dreaming and thinking big doesn’t cost anything! Do you have the courage to dream?  Do you have the courage to pursue big dreams?  Are you willing to help Wayne-Westland Community Schools define its future by dreaming big about what we want for our students?

 

Wayne-Westland Community Schools is developing a strategic plan that will guide our direction over the next five to ten years.  It is an opportunity to dream big; an opportunity to envision what ‘could be’ and what ‘will be’ in the future.  We have the opportunity to stretch our thinking beyond fixing the old and repairing the broken.  We have the opportunity to challenge ourselves to look at what we want so we can create plans for attaining that dream.

 

Share your dreams.

 

Wayne-Westland Community Schools is building a strategic plan that will be the stimulus for continued innovation and excellence in our district, both now and into the future.

 

Do you have an idea for the future of Wayne-Westland Community Schools?  Submit your idea in the Dream Big Box.

New Staff - Kathleen Said

Kathleen Said is the new Director of Elementary Special  Education. Before coming to Wayne-Westland Community Schools, Kate was the Supervisor of Special Services for Walled Lake Consolidated Schools and an Associate Professor of Language and Learning Disabilities at Madonna University.  She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech-Language Pathology/Psychology from Eastern Michigan University; A Master of Arts degree in Speech-Language Pathology/ Teacher Certification from Eastern Michigan University; an Education Specialist degree in School Administration/Leadership from Oakland University; and a certificate in Supervisor of Special Education from Grand Valley State University.

 

If you see Kate, please extend a welcome to our district!

Wellness Website

Have you checked out the Wayne-Westland Wellness website located behind the Staff Door? The Wayne-Westland Wellness Committee has created the site to share information, resources and support for all Wayne-Westland employees in the journey to health and wellness.

 

The Wellness Committee is currently sponsoring a Walking Challenge and Winter Weight Loss Challenge. Winners will be announced soon.

 

Cathy Sayre was the winner of the Healthy Recipe Contest in December with her recipe for Spinach and Strawberry Salad. There were many other submissions and all of the recipes are available online.

 

Check out all of the helpful information on the Wellness website today!

Points of Pride

Your new Points of Pride stickers are on the way. Please attach them to the back of your ID badge. The information on the sticker can be talking points with parents and community members when they want to know about Wayne-Westland Community Schools. We have found that the majority of families who choose to attend Wayne-Westland Community Schools do so because of a personal contact they have with a district staff member or parent. We hope you can help us spread the word about all our district has to offer.

NOVEMBER 2015:

Family Resource Center/ Beaumont Oakwood Healthcare Clinic

The Family Resource Center is located at Adams Upper Elementary School and serves all families in Wayne-Westland. They provide referrals to a variety of services including tutoring, counseling, housing, food, clothing, parenting classes and more. If you know a student or family who might need assistance, please contact Amanda Dybus at 734-419-2709.

 

TAG

The District offers self-contained Talented and Gifted classrooms for K-6 grade students at Walker-Winter Elementary School and Marshall Upper Elementary School. Students in TAG classes will have opportunities to be exposed to curriculum and enrichment activities that meet their individual academic needs. Parents can nominate a student by filling out the Nomination form.

 

For information on the TAG program call the Instruction Department at 734-419-2082.

 

Champions Program

We are proud to announce that both Wayne Memorial and John Glenn High Schools have a Champions program. This mentoring program pairs a staff member with a student. They set an academic goal for the student. If the student meets their goal by the end of the semester, they are awarded $200. This program provides over 1,000 high school students the opportunity to excel academically and also form relationships with an adult mentor. Both Champions programs are financially supported by WWCS alumni and business leaders.

 

January 2016:

Kindergarten Round-Up

We are looking for the Class of 2029. Please spread the word that Kindergarten Round-Up will take place at 1 p.m. on March 22 at all of our elementary schools. This program is for incoming kindergarten students and their parents. They can meet the staff, tour the school, register and all K-4 students get a free backpack and t-shirt. You can find more information here.

 

Intra-County School of Choice

WWCS is a school of choice district that accepts applications for K-12 students who reside outside of the Wayne-Westland attendance area but in Wayne County.  The application window is open from April-  August.  More information can be found here.

 

Universal Breakfast

All K-8 students receive a free breakfast served in their classroom each morning. In addition, high school students involved in sports and extra curricular programs are offered an after-school meal at no cost to them. This is another way Wayne-Westland Community Schools nurtures the whole child.

Champions of John Glenn and Wayne Memorial

Our high schools are full of "Champions". The mentoring program, which began six years ago at Wayne Memorial High School, pairs a high school student with a staff member. The student works to achieve a customized academic goal for the semester. If they achieve the goal, they are awarded $200 at an award banquet. The Champions of John Glenn program began in Fall 2015.

 

Thank you to the following mentors who have made a positive difference in the lives of the students they mentored:

John Glenn High School

Wayne Memorial High School

CONGRATULATIONS

Kamara Busby, an elementary teacher in the district, recently wrote an article for the Fall 2015 issue Michigan Council for Social Studies titles “Where’s the Treasure? A treasure map for families”  www.mcssmi.org and it was placed on the front page of their recent journal. She is an intervention specialist at David Hicks Elementary School.

PARTNERSHIP FOR SUCCESS

Superintendent Michele Harmala recently wrote an article, Connect: Partnership for Success, that was featured in MASA Reader, Winter 2016. The article celebrates the teamwork and partnership that makes WWCS so successful. You can find the article on page 14.

FOLLOW US!

Did you know WWCS is on social media and that we have a free app available through the App Store and Google Play? Check us out on Twitter, Youtube and Facebook.

SUPERINTENDENT'S SCOOP

Want to keep up with everything happening in the district? Check out the monthly issue of Superintendent’s Scoop emailed right to you. It has information to keep you up-to-date with the Wayne-Westland Community School District.