Wilson Middle School Newsletter

November

• Nov 2nd Daylight Savings (change clocks back 1 hour)
• Nov 4th Booster Club Meeting 6:00-7:00 p.m. in Cafeteria
• Nov 10th No School
• Nov 11th VETERANS DAY/NO SCHOOL
• Nov 26-28th THANKSGIVING BREAK/NO SCHOOL

Upcoming events in December

• Dec 1st Classes resume
• Dec 1-19th Northwest Harvest canned food drive
• Dec 9th - Booster Club Meeting 6:00 p.m. in the cafeteria
• Dec 10th - Early Release Wednesday at 11:15 a.m.
• Dec 10th - Choir and Orchestra Concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Main gym
• Dec 11th - Band concert at 6:30 p.m. in the Main gym
• Dec 22 - Jan 2nd Christmas Break
• Jan 5th - Classes resume

Mr. S. Peterson (Math Teacher)– US Air Force 1987-1991, Worked as ground support for medical transport & Served in Desert Storm for 6 months. Stationed in South Korea, Germany and California.

Mr. E. Garza (Security Officer) - Served in the US Army 1994-1997. Worked as a Quarter Master and Chemical Equipment repair, 63J

Mr. D Murphy (Resource Paraeducator) - Served in the USAF from 1967-1987 world wide in 27 countries and all 7 continents, including Antarctica. Retired as LtCol from USAF.

What an amazing day!

Our Color Run was a huge success, and it wouldn’t have been possible without every single one of you!

To our incredible students — your energy, enthusiasm, and school spirit made this event truly unforgettable.

A big shoutout to our teachers, staff, and volunteers, especially our Leadership Students, Mrs. Van der Heyden, and Mrs. Noriega, for planning, organizing, and ensuring everything ran smoothly. And of course, thank you to Mr. Mundell for keeping the hype going!

We’re thrilled to share that ASB raised over $22,700.00!

Fantastic job, Cavaliers!

KIND

Showing compassion, friendliness and consideration towards others

"Wilson ASB will be hosting a canned food drive for Northwest Harvest from December 1st through the 19th. Bring in your canned food donations to your CAVS class. Please help us make the holiday season a little brighter for many families in our community. The Cavs class with the most donations will earn a donut and cocoa party!!"

"Thank you to all of our Wilson families that made the MOD Pizza fundraiser a success by attending on Saturday, October 4! MOD Pizza made $1,454.04 and our 20% for the PBIS store was $290.81! Our community support is amazing and Wilson appreciates you taking the time :)

Gratefully,

Anna Conrad

PBIS Coordinator

Wilson Middle School"

The Seal of Biliteracy will be given mid November. This is an exam testing 8th grade students' proficiency in reading and writing in English and Spanish. Students are able to earn high school credits, depending on how they perform.

Please contact the Wilson Counseling Department for how to sign up.

"GEAR UP has a full month of opportunities for students! On November 5 and 19, students who have already been approved will attend the Roots to Wings after-school college exploration field trips. On November 7, students can join our Career Interest Lunch & Learn Workshop to explore future career paths. We’ll wrap up the month on November 21 with a Crafting/Self-Care Lunch & Learn Workshop focused on stress relief and creativity.

For questions, contact Mr. Mendoza at mendoza.isai@ysd7.org"

CHECKING OUT A STUDENT: When you know your student has an appointment or needs to be picked up early, we ask that you send a note or call in the morning with the time they will be picked up. Your student will need to turn in the note to the office and will receive a pass to be released with the time you indicate. We will not be calling classrooms, as this

interrupts instruction.

If you have any questions, please call our attendance secretary at 573-2410.

We’re pleased to share an update on the GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) Grant in partnership with the University of Washington and the U.S. Department of Education. The RISE UP (Rural Initiative in STEM Education) Grant, which added Yakima School District as a partner in October 2023, has now expanded to serve an additional student cohort, the Class of 2032! (current 6th graders)

What It Is:

The GEAR UP program focuses on helping students improve academic performance, graduate from high school, and prepare for college. It also aims to increase both student and family knowledge about postsecondary options, preparation steps, and financial planning.

Beginning October 1, 2025, the Class of 2032 across all four YSD middle schools will be included in this program expansion for a total of seven years.

Cohorts at Wilson now

• Class of 2032 – Begins October 1, 2025 (all four middle schools)
• Class of 2031 – Continues from the grant received in 2023 (all four middle schools)

A combination of the services listed below will be offered:

• Educational workshops and academic support (e.g., tutoring)

• College and educational field trips

• Career exploration activities and career counseling

• Financial aid and scholarship assistance

• STEM programming, mentoring, and summer programs

• GEAR UP Family Nights to engage parents and families

Thank you for your continued support as we expand this valuable program for our students. We look forward to the incredible opportunities this grant will bring to our district. In the meantime, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact Noemi Barbosa, UW GEAR UP Site Coordinator at (509) 571-8119 or Isai Mendoza UW GEAR UP Academic Counselor at (509)475-1196.

All student cell phones, earbuds, and electronic devices are to be turned off and stored in student's backpacks once students arrive on campus 7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Wilson Middle School staff will not be responsible for lost or stolen cell phones or electronic devices. If the student is caught with their phone out, the phone will be taken to the office and the student will pick it up at the end of the day. If the incident happens again the parents will be asked to come and pick up the cell phone.

If students need to reach parents for any reason they can use the phone in the office.

“Harassment, intimidation or bullying” means any intentional electronic, written, verbal, or physical act, including but not limited to those shown to be motivated by race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, mental or physical disability or other distinguishing characteristics, when such an act: Physically or emotionally harms a student or damages the student’s property; or has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s education; or is so severe, persistent, or pervasive that it creates an intimidating or threatening educational environment; or has the effect of substantially disrupting the orderly operation of the school.

Bullying:

Not friends/imbalance of power, Repeated over time, Intentional, Physical/emotional harm, Unequal emotional reaction, Seeking control/possession, No remorse – blames target, No effort to solve problem.

Other Conflicts:

Between friends/equals/peers, spontaneous/occasional, accidental/not planned, no serious, lasting harm, equal emotional reaction, not for domination/control, often a sense of remorse, may try to solve problem.

If you see someone being bullied, tell someone you trust. You can report bullying to any school staff member, School Compliance Officer, or the District Compliance Officer. Reports can be filed anonymously. Each school office has incident reporting forms. Incident reporting forms are also available under the Reporting section of this webpage.

Who is considered eligible for homeless assistance and services?

Any child or youth who lacks a fixed, regular and adequate night-time residence is considered homeless and McKinney-Vento eligible for assistance and services. This includes temporarily sharing housing with others, living in bus or train stations, hotels, campgrounds, or similar settings.

If you have a child who may qualify for assistance and would like more information, please contact our office at 509.573.7142, vela.javier@ysd7.org

Additional information on education for homeless youth is available on the National Center for Homeless Education website.

Website: https://www.ysd7.org/Domain/232
Location: 902 South 44th Avenue, Yakima, WA, USA
Phone: (509)573-2400

2025-2026 NONDISCRIMINATION STATEMENT

Nondiscrimination Statement: “Yakima School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, ethnicity, immigration or citizenship status, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, gender identity, homelessness, honorably-discharged veteran or military status, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, neurodivergence, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employees have been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator: Christina Larsen, Deputy Superintendent, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7032, larsen.christina@ysd7.org. Title IX Coordinator: Omar Santoy, Executive Director of Student Services, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7260, santoy.omar@ysd7.org. Deputy Title IX Coordinators: Erin Thomas, Director of Student Services, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7261, thomas.erin@ysd7.org; Shawn Orminski, Assistant Director of Student Services, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7263, orminski.shawn@ysd7.org; Kim Newell, Director of Human Resources, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7068, newell.kimberlee@ysd7.org; Christopher Miller, Director of Human Resources, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7066, miller.christopher@ysd7.org. Section 504/ADA Coordinator (Students): Shawn Orminski, Assistant Director of Student Services, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7263, orminski.shawn@ysd7.org; ADA Coordinator (Non-Students): Christopher Miller, Director of Human Resources, 104 N. 4th Ave., Yakima, WA 98902, (509) 573-7066, miller.christopher@ysd7.org. Title IX inquiries may also be directed toward the U.S. Department of Education, Offi ce for Civil Rights (OCR): https://www2.ed.gov/about/offi ces/list/ocr/index.html. For information about our nondiscrimination Operational Procedures (OP), please refer to OP 3210 “Discrimination of Students Prohibited” and OP 5010 “Nondiscrimination and Affi rmative Action.” Concerns or complaints may be directed to the Civil Rights Compliance Coordinator listed above. Individuals with disabilities who require assistance or special arrangements to attend a program or activity sponsored by the Yakima School District should contact the appropriate Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Coordinator 24 hours in advance of the event to inquire about reasonable accommodation. Deaf, deaf-blind, hard of hearing, and/or speech impaired individuals may access Washington Relay Services by calling 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.”