Milwood Weekly Newsletter Master

Dear Families,

As we continue through the school year, our shared mission remains clear: to reach every student and drive academic success for all. You are an essential partner in this journey. Please continue to encourage your child to be in class on time, prepared to learn, submit assignments on time, and regularly review their grades. By doing this, you reinforce the daily habits that set them up for long-term success.

With the end of the first nine-week marking period approaching, parent-teacher conferences are right around the corner. We warmly invite you to take this opportunity to connect with your child’s teachers. Conferences are a wonderful chance to discuss daily academic progress, celebrate growth, review your student's spring M-STEP results, and explore how they are adapting socially within our school community.

Working together, we can ensure every student receives the support they need to thrive. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Dear Families,

As we work together to keep our school a safe, welcoming, and supportive environment for every student, we want to ask for your partnership in discussing an important topic with your child.

At school, safety and peace of mind are top priorities. Recently, we have noticed an increase in students discussing topics such as weapons, violence, or school safety incidents—sometimes when recalling a dream or sharing news they heard elsewhere.

While we know these conversations are rarely meant with harm, language of this nature is not appropriate at school. When topics like guns or violence are brought up, even in passing or as a story:

• Words can easily be overheard or misheard by nearby students or staff.

• Stories can quickly change as they move from person to person.

• Rumors can spread fast, creating unnecessary fear, anxiety, and distress across our school community.

We ask that you help us reinforce two key messages at home:

1. If you see something or hear something, tell an adult immediately. We always encourage our students to report potential safety concerns directly to a teacher, counselor, administrator, or trusted staff member so we can investigate and address them right away.

2. Refrain from repeating rumors or unverified statements. Sharing dramatic or untrue claims—even accidentally—can cause panic and disrupt learning for everyone. We want our students focused on reporting facts to adults rather than discussing alarming topics among peers.

We also understand that students may be experiencing heightened anxiety and worry surrounding these topics. We encourage you to keep an eye on how your child is feeling, and please reach out to us if you feel they need additional support from our counseling or administrative team.

Thank you for having this gentle but clear conversation with your middle schooler. Your ongoing support and partnership are vital in keeping our school community safe, calm, and focused on learning.

🦺To prioritize student safety, drop-off and pick-up location is located at the front circle loop off Konkle Street (see aerial view below- also see safety message and 2nd picture below).

• Car Riders: Drop-off and dismissal pick-up will occur exclusively in the Konkle Street circle loop.

• Buses Only: Please do not use the staff parking entrance. Also note that the back lane (near basketball courts) is strictly reserved for buses only!

IMPORTANT SAFETY MESSAGE!!!

***To keep our students safe and ensure traffic flows efficiently, please keep the following drop-off guidelines in mind:

• Maintain a Single Line: Please do not form a second lane in the drop-off loop. Double lanes create a serious safety hazard for children walking across traffic.

• Pull All the Way Forward: Drive as far forward around the loop as possible before stopping to let your student out.

Following these steps keeps the line moving quickly and, most importantly, keeps our school grounds safe for everyone. Thank you for your cooperation and support!

If your student qualifies for tutoring, notification has been sent via email, phone call, or paper copy. Please inform their teachers as soon as possible if your student will be attending. Qualifying students must commit to attending two days a week from 2:20 PM to 3:30 PM and must have arranged transportation home promptly at 3:30 PM. Thank you for supporting our Milwood students!

Monday, October 26th:

• Dance Field Trip: 9:15am - 11:15am
• Boys Basketball Tryouts Cont. 2:30pm- 4:30pm

Tuesday, October 27th:

• Boys Basketball: 2:30pm- 4:30pm
• GSA Club: 2:30pm- 3:30pm- Room 919

Wednesday, October 28th:

• Choir Rehearsal: 9:00am - 2:00pm
• Author's Visit: 8:45am - 10:00am
• Boys Basketball: 2:30pm- 4:30pm
• Game Club: 2:30pm - 3:30pm- Room 219
• Middle and High School Choral Fall Fest - 7:00pm @ Chenery Auditorium

Thursday, October 29th:

• Boys Basketball: 2:30pm- 4:30pm

Friday, October 30th: Have a fantastic Friday!

• Half Day for students in the AM
• Teacher Records in the PM

Saying "I can't" makes it feel easy to quit. Adding one simple word—yet—changes how you think:

• "I don't get this... yet."

• "I'm not good at this... yet."

That tiny word turns a struggle into progress. It reminds you that brainpower grows with practice, and making mistakes is just part of getting better.

Strong school-family partnerships rely on clear, consistent expectations to keep our students safe and focused on learning. We appreciate your support at home in reinforcing these core behavioral guidelines:

• Stay in designated areas: Remain in authorized zones throughout the school day.

• No hands-on horseplay: Physical roughhousing, pushing, or grabbing is strictly prohibited.

• Hands-off policy: "We were just playing" is not an acceptable excuse for physical contact.

• Be on time: Arrive to class on time, ready to learn.

Meeting these expectations has been a significant challenge for a number of our students. Please be assured that we reinforce these guidelines daily during morning announcements and address them individually as needed. At Milwood, student safety and academic achievement are our top priorities. Consequently, a continued refusal to follow these expectations will lead to progressive disciplinary action. We ask for your partnership in speaking with your student about the importance of adhering to these standards.

Being on time to class is critical for effective instruction and student achievement. When a student arrives late, it disrupts the learning environment for both themselves and their peers.

Students are provided a five-minute passing period between classes, which is ample time to reach their next destination. To support a focused and productive classroom environment, students are expected to arrive on time. Late arrivals will result in recorded tardies and escalating administrative interventions as outlined below:

• 5 Tardies: One lunch detention and the creation of a personalized tardy intervention plan.

• 8 Tardies: Placement on the "No Pass List" (students are restricted from creating MINGA passes and must be escorted to the restroom).

• 10 Tardies: One after-school detention and placement on the "No Access List" (restriction from attending extracurricular activities, including athletic events and dances).

• 12 Tardies: Secondary administrative phone call to parent/guardian.

• 15 Tardies: Mandatory parent/guardian conference with administration to establish a plan for student success.

Thank you for your partnership in prioritizing timely attendance and supporting our instructional time.

Lunchtime is a great opportunity for students to socialize and relax. To keep our cafeteria safe, clean, and enjoyable for everyone, please remind your students of these key expectations:

• Stay Seated: Remain in your seat unless getting condiments, throwing away trash, or directed by lunchroom staff.

• Leaving the Cafeteria: Students are required to go directly to the cafeteria at their designated lunch time. Students are not allowed to leave the cafeteria without a staff escort. Restrooms are located just outside of the cafeteria doors and are opened for use as soon as all students receive their lunch.

• Clean Up: Clean your area and throw away all trash. Keep all food and drinks inside the cafeteria.

• Keep Hands to Yourself: Keep your hands and feet to yourself. "We were just playing" is not an excuse to touch others.

• Volume: Keep conversations at a conversational level—screaming is not acceptable.

We strive to make lunchtime a safe, welcoming, and enjoyable environment where students can socialize with their peers. Our staff reviews cafeteria expectations with students daily to ensure everyone understands how to maintain this standard.

If a student or students are unable to meet these clear schoolwide guidelines, they will be asked to eat their lunch in the Student Center. We kindly ask for your support in reminding your child about the importance of following these daily expectations so all students can enjoy a positive break during the day.

To help the morning arrival process move quickly and prevent unnecessary delays, please be ready to remove specific items from your backpack before walking through the detectors.

Common everyday items that will set off the detector should not be brought to school or, if necessary, taken out of your bag ahead of time and held in your hands.

• Metal water bottles (e.g., Hydro Flasks, Stanleys, Yeti cups)

• 3-ring binders with metal rings or spines

• iPads, laptops, and large electronics (SHOULD NOT BE BROUGHT TO SCHOOL!)

• Large metal pencil cases or umbrellas

How to prepare before you reach the front doors:

1. Unzip your bag while waiting in line.

2. Pull out your metal water bottle, binder, or umbrella

3. Walk through the scanner carrying those items out in front of you

Taking a few seconds to organize your bag before you reach the entrance ensures a smooth, quick start to everyone’s day. Thank you for your cooperation in keeping our school safe and running efficiently!

This film was created by 6th grade students in Ms. Findling's Class. The category of this film project is: Technology Innovation. They research an innovative technology, write a script, record the script, find visuals that match the script and learn the Adobe Premiere workflow by putting the audio and visuals together.

Mrs. Kirby’s 6th grade Graphic Design students experimented with interactive drawing tools like Drawize, Quick, Draw!, and AutoDraw.

Our Athletic Directors along with a few of our students are collaborating to highlight and celebrate the outstanding achievements of our student-athletes.

Practices Schedule: Monday - Thursday- 2:30- 4:30. Fridays: 2:30-4:00

Practices Schedule: Monday - Thursday- 2:30- 4:30. Fridays: 2:30-4:00

Athletic Ticket Pricing

Joining a club is a fantastic way to discover new interests, build skills, and make new friends!

WMU Math Department:

The WMU Math Department invites you to the Kalamazoo Math Carnival, an event with a range of fun and engaging activities meant to appeal to students in grades K-8 and their families and caregivers. Parents, older siblings, younger siblings, other family members, and caregivers are invited. (It is not a drop-off event!)

The carnival will be held at Sangren Hall on the WMU campus on Saturday November 21 from 3 to 5 pm. Onsite parking for the event is available outside of Sangren Hall and free of charge. Free snacks will be provided!

The school menu can be accessed via the Nutrislice app or website. Please search for "Milwood Middle School" to view daily menus.

Additionally, please note that all students are eligible for free breakfast and lunch. To ensure the continuation of this program, we kindly ask that all families complete the free and reduced lunch application form.