Walnut Creek Weekly Newsletter

Dear Walnut Creek Learning Community,

Recently, several of you have reached out to me to share growing concerns regarding instances of cyberbullying and troubling social media activity within our student community. I want to address this head-on because nothing is more important than the emotional and physical wellbeing of our kids.

Navigating the digital landscape with our children is incredibly challenging. I am always reflecting on the best ways to support our kids and our community. I often read the latest research articles, listen to podcasts on the topic, and approach the topics of social media and access to cell phones with an open mind to gain new understandings and perspectives. I am the first to admit that I don't have all the answers on these constantly evolving issues. However, I want to strongly reiterate a research-backed recommendation: middle school students should have NO access to social media.

The documented harm that unrestricted online activity and social media access has on student mental health, self-esteem, and brain development is profound and clear. As parents, we do not let our children drink alcohol or vape because the physical health risks are glaringly obvious and undeniably dangerous. We must begin to view unrestricted internet and social media access through that exact same lens. The risks to their emotional wellbeing are just as well-known and just as critical.

As parents, if we learned that our children were going to a park where they were either getting beaten up or watching other kids getting beaten up on a daily basis, we would step in and tell our kids that they are not allowed back at that park because it is an unsafe place. Social Media apps such as TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. are the dangerous unsupervised parks where kids are being "beaten up" every single day. We must view the dangers of digital locations in the same way that we view the dangers of physical locations.

I ask that you please take time this week to review your child's online activity, check their devices, and have a transparent conversation with them about digital boundaries.

Thank you for your continued partnership. When we work together and hold the line on these tough issues, our kids are the ones who benefit the most.

Thank you,

Seth Taboh

Principal

Walnut Creek Middle School

NEW INFO In this week’s edition:

• WEB and Creek Connection Events - Mark Your Calendar!
• Summer Academic Engagement

WEB and Creek Connection Events - Mark Your Calendar - NEW INFO

As we look ahead to the new school year, please mark your calendars for two important kickoff events to get our students ready and excited to return to the building.

WEB Day (6th Grade Students Only)

Date: Monday, August 17th

Time: 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

This event is for ALL incoming 6th-grade students. Our WEB program is a crucial part of the transition into Walnut Creek Middle School. Because we are so highly focused on mentorship and building strong relationships from day one, this event is designed to help our newest students feel welcomed, supported, and confident navigating their new school environment.

Important note for 6th-grade parents: Students will be receiving their school Chromebooks at the conclusion of this event. Please plan to come inside the building at 3:00 PM for the Chromebook distribution. We will share more specific details as the date approaches!

Creek Connection / Registration Day (All Families)

Date: Tuesday, August 18th

Time: 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM

This event is for ALL Walnut Creek students and families. Creek Connection is your one-stop shop to get completely set up for the school year. During this time, students will:

• Receive class schedules and locker assignments

• Take school photos and receive student IDs

• Sign up for clubs and extra-curricular opportunities

• Learn about our sports offerings

• Purchase yearbooks and more!

  
  

We can't wait to see everyone and get this year started off right.

Summer Academic Engagement - NEW INFO

I want to thank all the parents who supported their child’s academic growth by encouraging them to complete at least one math and reading iReady lesson last week. As a school, we had 9% of our students complete and pass at least 1 iReady lesson last week. I’m confident that we can beat that percentage this week.

iReady is a great tool to help students practice and improve their skills in these core subjects. Remind your kids that they can absolutely reach their goals - but only if they put in the hard work that it takes to continuously improve. As I reviewed the students that worked on iReady this week - there was a very clear trend - the vast majority of students that completed a lesson this week are performing at or above grade level in both math and reading.

Parents, I can’t stress enough how beneficial the iReady lessons are for our students. They meet your student right where they are, and provide the needed instruction to help them grow. Like anything else, it takes practice and work to improve. I truly believe that all of our students can perform on grade level, but it takes work and practice to hit our greatest possible potential. Completing a lesson takes approximately 20 minutes, and completing just 1 lesson per week will help your student to show growth during the summer months.

I also want to thank you for participating in the fun and engaging activity provided by our Creek science teachers. I hope you and your children learned something new and had some fun doing it.

This week, we have another activity for you, created by the Walnut Creek Social Studies Department. You can find the link to the activity below.

Social Studies Summer Activity

I strongly encourage all parents to continue to support their children’s learning by having them complete at least one Math and Reading iReady lesson per week and participate in the weekly activities. These activities are designed to help reduce the summer slide, which is the loss of academic skills that can occur during the summer break. By engaging in these activities, your children will be better prepared for the next school year and beyond.

Thank you for your partnership in your child’s education.

2027 Washington DC Trip Information - Previously Communicated

Thank you to the families that joined us at our informational meeting last evening. Attached below are all of the documents and information that was shared at the informational meeting.

The registration for the trip is NOW OPEN. Please follow the instructions on the registration document (attached below) for directions on how to register for the 8th grade trip.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to Mr. Ossenmacher at RyanOssenmacher@wlcsd.org

Morning Announcement Script - Previously Communicated

Each morning, we start our school day with morning announcements. After we recite the pledge of allegiance, announce birthdays, and make other reminder announcements, Mr. Taboh reads a morning message to students. To see Mr. Taboh’s morning message, you can always check the document linked below which is updated weekly:

Mr. Taboh’s Morning Message Script - 25/26 School Year

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don’t hesitate to reach out!