West Middle School e-Bulletin

• Tuesday, 3/3/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7th Grade Band Festival @ Salem
• Wednesday, 3/4/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Teacher Professional Development - NO SCHOOL
• Thursday, 3/5/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Buddy's Pizza Fundraiser
• Thursday, 3/5/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Informational Meeting for next year's 8th Grade Trip
• Thursday, 3/5/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Orchestra Concert @ Logan Auditorium
• Tuesday, 3/10/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yearbook Group Picture Day
• Tuesday, 3/10/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8th Grade Band Festival @ Salem
• Wednesday, 3/11/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NWEA Math Test - Day 1 (see alternate schedule)
• Thursday, 3/12/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NWEA Math Test - Day 2 (see alternate schedule)
• Monday, 3/16/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7th Grade Field Trip to Zekelman Holocaust Center
• Tuesday, 3/17/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .NWEA ELA Test - Day 1 (see alternate schedule)
• Wednesday, 3/18/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . NWEA ELA Test - Day 2 (see alternate schedule)
• Wednesday, 3/18/26 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P-CEP Activity and Athletic Extravaganza 6-7:30 pm

Congratulations to the following students/staff for earning Bulldog of the Week!

Nevada Bausley

Emily Beam

Selena Chavez

Avery Geiser

Bryson Howton

DeJerr Knight-Grant

Madison Kvalevog

Congratulations to all of the students who showcased their unique talents at the annual West Middle school Talent Show this past Wednesday. It's so nice to experience their talents and see their confidence as they take the stage. We know the future holds big things for these talented students. Way to go!

Thank you to our two staff advisors, Ms. Hedge and Ms. Grady, for all their work behind the scenes to make this event happen for students.

Huge thanks to our guest parent speaker, Mrs. Schmidt, for bringing the traditions and spirit of Brazil to our 6th graders! Students took a deep dive into daily life and celebrations, making real-world connections to our Social Studies units.

NJHS and Student Council are working together to host a hygiene drive next week to support members of our community. Please help by bringing in hygiene items for the boxes in the office hallway.

On March 2, 2026, students and families will receive important information regarding course registration for the 2026-2027 school year. We encourage you to review this information with your child and discuss their course selections for the upcoming year.

To support students in this process, Mr. Bechtel and Mrs. Blanchette will visit 6th-grade social studies classes on March 12 and 13 to assist students in entering their course requests into MiStar Student Connection.

Please take time between March 2 and your child's designated entry date (March 11 - Mr. Meyer's classes or March 12 - Mr. Watson's classes) to discuss their selections and ensure they feel confident in their choices. Thank you for your partnership in this process. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

On March 2, 2026, students and families will receive important information regarding course registration for the 2026-2027 school year. We encourage you to review this information with your child and discuss their course selections for the upcoming year.

To support students in this process, Mr. Bechtel and Mrs. Blanchette will visit 7th-grade social studies classes on March 10 and 11 to assist students in entering their course requests into MiStar Student Connection.

Please take time between March 2 and your child's designated entry date (March 17 - Mr. Foley's or March 18 - Mr. Windes'/Meyer's classes) to discuss their selections and ensure they feel confident in their choices. Thank you for your partnership in this process. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

To support 8th grade students in this course registration process, Mr. Bechtel and Mrs. Blancette will visit 8th-grade social studies classes on February 24 (Mrs. Van Eeuwen's classes) and February 25 (Mr. Watson's and Mr. Windes' classes) to support students and review their course requests/alternates in MiStar Student Connection.

Please take time between the P-CEP Curriculum Night and February 28 to discuss with your child their selections and ensure they feel confident in their choices. We want to ensure they have a smooth transition to high school so we're here to help.

Other helpful Information:

Familiarize yourself with the P-CEP website and look for information to be loaded on the CLASS PAGE for the Class of 2030 (updated after Curriculum Night)

• Use the 2026-27 Course Catalog to choose Elective Courses and Alternates
• Make sure to have alternates

• Complete the Course Selection Planning Guide

• For your own planning purposes, complete the course worksheet as it will guide you step by step. The 4 Year Plan will help as you move through high school

MiStar Directions

• Course selections must be added in MiStar by February 28th.

• Attend the Activities Extravaganza Wednesday, March 18th - 6:00 - 7:30 pm

• Attend Walk the Park to familiarize your student with the campus which will occur on April 25, 2026. More information to come!

2026 WEST BOYS AND GIRLS WRESTLING SIGN UP.

If you're looking for a sport that builds real strength, confidence and toughness - both on and off the mat - wrestling might be for you. No experience needed, just a willingness to work hard, challenge yourself and be part of a team that pushes each other to get better. Practice begins March 9th. Students must have a current physical on file in the office by 3/9/26 to participate. Please contact Mr. Wells or Mr. Vassel christopher.vassel@pccsk12.com

2026 WEST BOYS AND GIRLS SWIM SIGN UP. Practices will be held daily at the Salem High School pool from 4:45-6 pm. Swim season begins Monday, March 9th, and students must have current physicals on file in the office by 3/9/2026 to participate. If you have any questions, please see or contact Mr. Wells - brett.wells@pccsk12.com or Mrs. Van Eeuwen - amy.vaneeuwen@pccsk12.com.

We are looking for a parent volunteer with video editing experience to help create our annual 8th grade video. This keepsake is a special way to celebrate our students and their time at West Middle School. If you are willing to help, we would love to hear from you! Please complete the brief form if you're interested or would like more information. Thank you for supporting our 8th graders!

Spring NWEA MAP testing will begin on Wednesday, March 11. To minimize the loss of instructional time, all West Middle School teachers will administer the assessment during a designated block from 8:15–9:35 a.m., using an adjusted bell schedule (please see below).

The Reading and Mathematics MAP assessments measure your child’s instructional level and academic growth over time. MAP tests are adaptive, meaning the questions adjust based on student responses. This allows each student to work at an appropriate level and demonstrate what they know.

We use the results to help students set academic goals, guide instructional planning, support course placement decisions, and align resources to best meet student needs. After the testing window closes, you will receive a report outlining your child’s growth. For additional information and parent resources, you may visit NWEA’s website and access the Parent Toolkit at www.nwea.org.

What to Expect at West:

• Students will take the Mathematics assessment from 8:15–9:35 a.m. on Wednesday, March 11 & Thursday, March 12 and the Reading assessment from 8:15 - 9:35 a.m. on Tuesday, March 17 & Wednesday, March 18.

• Teachers will remind students of their specific testing dates in advance.

• Students participating in the 1:1 Chromebook program will use their school-issued or personal Chromebook. Please ensure devices are fully charged each morning of testing.

As always, your support at home makes a difference. Please help by:

1. Making sure your child eats a healthy breakfast.

2. Ensuring they get a good night’s sleep.

3. Talking with them about doing their best and setting goals.

4. Arriving to school on time, as testing begins promptly at 8:15 am.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at cheri.steckel@pccsk12.com or 734-416-7599.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership this year. As we begin to wrap up the school year, we value the opportunity to hear directly from our students about their experiences at West Middle School. Their voices help guide our work and ensure we continue growing in ways that best support them.

As part of this process, we will be administering our End-of-Year Student Survey during Primetime on March 9 and March 10.

During this time, students will be asked to reflect on their experiences this year, including their mindsets, sense of belonging, and approaches to learning. The survey should take no more than 20 minutes to complete.

We encourage all students to participate, as their feedback provides valuable insight into what is working well and where we can grow as a school community. If a student does not feel they have enough information to answer a question, they may skip that item. All responses will remain completely confidential. We are continuing to partner with a third-party vendor to administer the survey.

If you would like your child to opt out of participating, please email your child’s counselor by Thursday, March 5, 2026.

Thank you again for partnering with us.

On Thursday, March 5th, Buddy's Pizza (15075 Beck Rd.) is donating back 20% of Dine-In, Takeout, Delivery & Pick up orders to support West Middle School!

On behalf of West Middle School you’re invited to join us and eat out, not only in support of the organization, but to show one of your Plymouth restaurants some love too.

We ask that you RSVP below (even if you’re not completely sure) so Buddy's Pizza knows roughly how many orders to expect & so you have access to all the event details.

We hope you can make it, and please feel free to forward this invitation to your friends and family. Thanks in advance for your support!

Join us for the annual P-CEP Activities and Athletics Extravaganza on Wednesday, March 18, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This is your opportunity to learn about all of the exciting options for students at the Plymouth-Canton Educational Park. Students can meet coaches, advisors, teachers, and club members. Clubs and Activities information and representatives will be located in the Canton High School Cafeteria. Information about sports programs at each high school can be found:

• Canton Athletics - Canton High Gymnasium

• Plymouth Athletics - Plymouth Cafeteria

• Salem Athletics - Salem Cafeteria

A reminder that our tutoring time is meant to be a focused tutoring session for students who need extra help. Please remind your child to come prepared with something specific they need help with. This can be missing work, a study guide, questions from class, etc. Tutoring is NOT a social hour, and our tutors cannot effectively support students academically while also supervising those who are there simply to hang out. We appreciate your help in reinforcing this with your students.

P-CCS invites families, staff, students, and community members to participate in our 2026-2027 Annual Community Budget Survey. Each February, the Board of Education gathers feedback to help guide budget priorities for the upcoming school year. Your input plays an important role in shaping decisions that impact our students and schools.

Survey Timeline:

Closes: Sunday, March 8, 2026 at 11:59 p.m.

Survey results will be shared publicly and discussed at a Regular Board Meeting in March.

The survey will be available beginning February 20 at pccsk12.com. Direct link to the survey: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-WTOMpENwXMTGRLagTKdgzlnxrRRCBjik6pKuAINKBaieEw/viewform?usp=sharing&ouid=105088595067242082602

MDE invites parents to submit 15-30-second videos of their students recognizing and thanking a specific teacher for their impact. Cell phones easily capture videos. Please follow the directions on the flyer. Videos and parental consent must be submitted via the Teacher Appreciation Video Project Google Form. Videos will be accepted February 18 through April 15, 2026.

Submitted videos may be posted on the Teacher Appreciation Month webpage and MDE’s YouTube channel. The Office of Educator Excellence’s Facebook (@MIeducator) and X (formerly Twitter) social media pages will be promoting the videos throughout the month of May. If your child has great things to say about a teacher, use the instructions found on MDE’s website to submit a video today.

Kindergarten and Young 5s pre-enrollment is now open at Plymouth-Canton Community Schools! Our full-day programs provide a supportive, engaging environment where students grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

Young 5s is open to children who turn 5 between June 1 and December 1, and traditional kindergarten is open to children who turn 5 between December 2, 2025, and December 1, 2026.

Kindergarten Info Sessions: Join us to learn more about our programs, meet staff, and get your questions answered:

Thursday, March 5, 2026
2 PM — Plymouth Public Library (223 S Main St)
6 PM — Canton Public Library (1200 S Canton Center Rd)

Register: https://forms.gle/jc4vBTWBoW3got869

Kindergarten Orientation: Orientation will be held on Tuesday, May 12, at each elementary school. Pre-enrollment by May 6 is strongly encouraged. Learn more and enroll today at pccsk12.com/Enrollment.

Attention Parents or Guardians of 8th Graders! Now is the time to honor your 8th Grader with a special farewell message and picture in the Yearbook. Let them know how proud you are of them or wish them luck in High School next year. Go to www.yearbookforever.com and scroll down to the bottom of the website to “CREATE AN AD” to purchase yours today!

YEARBOOK: Be sure to reserve your copy of the 25-26 West Middle School Yearbook which will be distributed in June. Deadline to purchase is creeping up and will be here before you know it! To order, please visit www.yearbookforever.com

West Middle School

Principal: Mrs. Cheri Steckel

Assistant Principal: Mr. Patrick Calzone

Dean of Student Support: Ms. Jennifer Haynes

Counselor A-K: Mr. Josh Bechtel Counselor L-Z: Mrs. Amanda Blanchette

General Office: Mrs. Tracy Visnaw, Mrs. Lisa McGee, Mrs. Lisa Campbell

Staff Directory: CLICK HERE

Website: https://www.pccsk12.com/our-schools/middle-schools/west

Location: 44401 West Ann Arbor Trail, Plymouth 48170

Phone: 734-416-7550