West Middle School e-Bulletin

• Monday, September 7 . . . . . . . . . . . . No School - Labor Day
• Tuesday, September 8 . . . . . . . . . . . .8th Grade Chromebook Distribution
• Wednesday, September 9 . . . . . . . . . 7th grade Chromebook Distribution
• Wednesday, September 9 . . . . . . . . . Picture Day (during ELA class)
• Thursday, September 10 . . . . . . . . . . 6th Grade Chromebook Distribution
• Thursday, September 17 . . . . . . . . . .Open House (Curriculum Night) 6:00-7:35 pm Parents only

All students received a school ID and will receive a green lanyard early next week (the shipment was delayed). Students will need to use their IDs to swipe for lunch if they are getting a school lunch or breakfast. Please help us out by double checking that your student has their lanyard and ID with them each day when they come to school. Thank you

We are preparing to introduce our PBIS program in PrimeTime and student grade level meetings. This year, we are continuing with PBIS Rewards! Students will earn points for demonstrating leadership and positive behavior in class, lunch, and passing periods.

The minor system will still be in place, assigned through the PBIS Rewards system. When students display negative behavior, staff will provide corrective feedback by re-teaching school expectations (see attached behavior matrix). Staff may also assign minors based on observed behavior.

IMPORTANT: Parents and guardians will be notified either verbally or in writing each time a minor is assigned. These updates serve to communicate behavior with home and keep you informed if a situation arises requiring a minor to be assigned. It’s okay if one or two minors are assigned during the quarter; the minor system acts as a warning and correction tool. While receiving notifications may be initially upsetting, please understand that mistakes are part of growing up, and the minors help students learn from them. The home notifications are meant to foster a partnership between families and the school to support your students.

If you get prompted for an order code, use AA46 and your student ID number. Example AA46-123456

Parents/Guardians are invited to attend our Curriculum Night (Open House) on Thursday, September 17th from 6 pm - 7:25 pm. This is an opportunity for you to meet your student’s teachers. During each class period, teachers will be prepared to present information about their classes, content, and other pertinent information. Students will be given a handout on the day of Curriculum Night that has their class schedule on it, along with the times for the shortened classes. You may also take a screenshot of your student's schedule from Parent Portal. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Chromebook distribution will begin next week. Students are expected to have a device at school each day and the school is unable to provide a loaner if students forget or families choose not to participate in the Chromebook program.

Students are welcome to bring their own devices, and should see Mrs. Bone about connecting to the Wi-Fi.

If you want to register to reserve a Chromebook for your student, please follow the directions listed here. The Chromebook Take Home Participation Agreement (online in Mistar Parent Connection) and all payments (RevTrak) must be completed by today.

The distribution schedule will be as follows:

6th Grade - Thursday, 9/10

7th Grade - Wednesday, 9/9

8th Grade - Tuesday, 9/8

Breakfast is available in the cafeteria from 7:45–8:10 a.m. Students will need to finish eating in the cafeteria before heading to class at 8:10. If your child plans to have breakfast at school, please plan to drop them off with enough time to eat.

Even though West Middle is offering free breakfast and lunch for students during the 26-27 school year from funding from the Michigan School Meals Program, there are still items available for purchase in the cafeteria. If you would like to load money on your students' account, follow the steps below:

1) Log into ParentConnection in MiStar

2) Go to the Cafeteria Section

3) Click on the link for Online Cafeteria Payments

We’re pleased to announce that West Middle School will be using SmartPass again for the 26-27 school year. This is a digital hall pass and monitoring system. It’s a smarter, safer way for students to move around the school. Instead of paper slips, students request passes on their devices or on a classroom kiosk, and teachers approve them. This reduces classroom disruptions and provides staff with real-time data on hall traffic. For parents, this means added peace of mind. It’s quick, easy, and keeps the focus on learning. For more details on SmartPass, please see the link to their SmartPass Academy.

Every student enrolled in the Plymouth-Canton Community Schools in grades 6-8 will take two core subject tests called Measures of Academic ProgressTM (MAP). These tests will run during the week of September 21 and 28, 2026. Our teachers will be administering the Reading and Mathematics Core Subject MAP online tests to determine your child's instructional level and to measure academic growth throughout the school year, and from year to year. MAP tests are unique in that they adapt to be appropriate for your child's level of learning. As a result, each student has the same opportunity to succeed and maintain a positive attitude toward testing.

During the testing week, your child will spend about two and a half hours completing each of these two tests. Each school year, students in grades 6-8 will take the MAP tests in the fall and again in the spring. The results will be used to help students set academic goals, help teachers inform instruction, and help the school to align resources to support student learning. Following each testing period, you will receive a report showing your child's growth. We are truly excited to utilize this to focus on every child's individual growth and achievement. For more information on resources for parents, download the Parent Toolkit at http://www.nwea.org.

In addition, please note the following testing information for your West student

• As students begin NWEA testing, please remind them that it is an adaptive assessment. This means the difficulty of the questions changes based on how they answer. Students may only feel confident about roughly half of the questions - and that is completely normal and expected!

  The goal is not for students to get every question correct. The assessment is designed to find the level that best matches what they know and are ready to learn. Please encourage your student to do their best and not worry if some questions feel difficult.

• If your West Middle School child is participating in the 1:1 Chromebook program, they will be using their Chromebook for the MAP testing. As such, having a full charge on the device when they comes to school is expected.

• Finally, the standard pre-test message to parents applies here – 1) Make sure that your student eats a healthy breakfast on the day of the testing; 2) Make sure that your child gets enough sleep on the night prior to the testing; and 3) Engage in some conversation about the upcoming test and what the results will mean for your student.

As always, if you have questions regarding this information, please feel free to contact me via

e-mail (cheri.steckel@pccsk12.com) or phone (734.416.7599).

The front (north) drop-off loop is the only area designed for the drop-off and pick-up of students by private vehicles. There is no drop-off or pick-up by personal vehicles allowed on the south side of the building (bus loop) for safety reasons.

The drop-off system works most efficiently if drivers pull ahead as far as they can in the loop before dropping off their child along the curb. There is a natural tendency to drop off by the flag pole [close to the entrance]; however, this limits the area along the curb for cars to drop off. This can cause the vehicles to back up towards Ann Arbor Trail and increase the time required to drop off students and the congestion in the lot.

Please remember to pull as far forward toward the drop-off sign (the white balloons) before letting students out on the right side of the car only.

Please do not turn left when leaving the lot after drop-off or pick-up, as this considerably slows the flow of traffic.

At dismissal time, it is recommended that parents utilize the entire curb area while waiting to pick up their child. We encourage people to pull forward to fill the spaces that open up as parents pull away after picking up their child. Please do not wait in one spot leaving spaces along the curb in front of you. Thank you for your cooperation.

Please leave extra early during these first weeks of school as our families learn the ins and outs of our drop-off and pick-up procedures. Thank you!

Middle school students attending an athletic event at a P-CEP outdoor stadium must arrive with a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must remain at the event and supervise the student for the entire event. Students may not be dropped off or left unattended. Unaccompanied middle school students will not be admitted. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe, well-supervised, and family-friendly environment.

Thank you for your partnership and support.

As we get ready for a great school year, we want to make sure families have easy access to the information and resources you need to support your student. Our West Middle School Parent Handbook is a one-stop resource with important information about our school, our systems, and what you can expect throughout the year.

Inside the handbook, you’ll find information about:

• Staying Connected – Important ways to receive school updates and communicate with us
• MiStar Parent Connection – Accessing grades, attendance, schedules, and other student information
• Canvas – Understanding how students access assignments and course information
• West Library – Library resources, expectations, and how students can access materials
• Health Information – Important health guidelines, forms, medications, and resources for families
• PBIS at West – How we recognize and support positive student behavior
• SmartPass – How students use our digital hall pass system
• Middle School Grading – Understanding our grading practices and expectations
• MTSS – How we provide academic, behavioral, and social-emotional support for all students
• Student Behavioral Expectations – Our expectations for students and how we work together to create a safe, respectful learning environment

We encourage all families to take a few minutes to look through the handbook. There is a standing link at the end of every Friday newsletter.

The Back to School Check-in process, a requirement for returning Kindergarten through 12th-grade P-CCS families, allows you to easily update medical, demographic, and contact information in MiStar Parent Connection. This will open in MiStar on August 12, 2026. PLEASE HAVE THIS COMPLETED BEFORE YOU COME TO WALK YOUR SCHEDULE DAY ON AUGUST 20, 2026. Once logged into MiStar Parent Connection, you will look for the ‘Back to School Check-in’ link in the top right of the home screen and follow the prompts. This process must be completed for all students.

NOTE: In order to receive text notifications from West Middle School, your phone number must be listed as 'cellular'. Text notifications may include inclement weather information, transportation updates, and general reminders.

If students are not in class, they cannot learn. Please check out the Middle School Attendance Policy Absences will be categorized as documented, verified, or unverified. It is important that you get documentation for all absences that qualify as documented absences, and report verified absences to the school.

Students may be considered truant under the following circumstances:

• Absence from school and unverified for more than five consecutive days.

• Absence from school for any reason, verified or unverified, for 10 or more days within a 30-day period.

• Absence from school for any reason, verified or unverified, for a total of 30 or more days within a school year.

WMS students have access to school-issued devices, so cell phones, smartwatches, Bluetooth headphones, and other personal electronic devices are not permitted during the school day unless specifically directed by a staff member to be used for educational purposes.

Michigan recently passed Senate Bill 495 and House Bill 4141, requiring school districts to limit personal electronic device use during instructional time, with limited exceptions.

Additionally, headphones must be wired. Bluetooth and wireless headphones/earbuds are not permitted.

Our goal is to keep students present, engaged, and focused on learning. If a student needs to contact a family member during the school day, they may do so through the main office (734-416-7550). We ask that families and students use the main office when communicating messages from home or school.

• Cell phones and all mobile devices shall be TURNED OFF upon entering the building until dismissal at 3:09 pm.

• Cell phones and all mobile devices shall be kept in a student’s locker – not in clothing pockets or in pencil cases.

• Cell phones, and all mobile devices, are not allowed to be used in locker rooms or restrooms at any time.

• In rare cases, cell phones may be used in a classroom when directed by the teacher and for academic purposes only.

• If a student needs to make an emergency call during the day, they should come to the office to place a call.

If your student needs to take any medications during the school day, you will need to bring those to the main office in the original container with a medication form signed by your student’s doctor. Here is a link to the Medication Form if you need it:

https://resources.finalsite.net/images/v1737737729/pccsk12com/yy6qtppk8785ez3ueazo/parentmedicationauthorizationform.pdf

You may purchase your 26-67 yearbook online by visiting www.yearbookforever.com. You are able to engrave the cover with your student’s name and order extra add-ons for your student. Yearbooks are available for $35 from 8/14/26 thru 10/1/26; $38 from 10/2/26 thru 1/14/27; and $40 1/15/27 thru 5/30/27.

Important Note: When entering your child's information in the "Homeroom Teacher" box, please type your student's FIRST HOUR teacher's name. This is VERY important! If your student takes a class at the high school in the morning, type "Bechtel" in the spot.

West Middle School uses a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) to ensure that all students have access to the support they need to be successful. MTSS provides different levels of support based on individual student needs, beginning with Tier I supports that are available to all students.

At West, we have identified several universal Tier I supports that teachers can provide to any student when needed. Students do not need to have a 504 Plan or IEP to access these supports.

Universal supports include:

• Access to teacher notes
• Visually accessible directions
• Check for understanding
• Extra time on assessments (up to 50%)
• Extra time for assignments (up to 24 hours)
• Preferential seating
• Access to reading support tools, including Google Read & Write

If your child is struggling or needs additional support, please reach out to your child's teacher so we can partner with you to identify the supports that will best help your student be successful.

Attention all West Students and their families!

West Middle School has an E-Commerce Spirit wear store! All you have to do is click THIS LINK and it will take you to our very own website designed to meet all of our West Middle School spirit wear needs. From T-shirts to Jackets, bibs to blankets, and everything in between. Shop at your leisure, pay online via your credit or debit cards, and have your exclusive order shipped directly to your house! All the convenience of Amazon, with West flair! Additionally, you can shop knowing that 10% of your order will be returned directly back to West and invested in your child!

Order Now and start summer with the West Middle School Swag that will have you representing our school in style all summer long!

West Middle School

Principal: Mrs. Cheri Steckel

Assistant Principal: Mr. Patrick Calzone

Dean of Student Support: Ms. Jennifer Jacobs

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

General Office: Mrs. Tracy Visnaw, Mrs. Joyce Bauder, 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