Center Stage
April 10, 2026
Dear Families,
I hope you all had a wonderful week. The weather is finally starting to look up in the weeks ahead, and I think we are all ready for some sunshine. The month of April is already flying by, and before we know it, vacation will be here!
I’d like to share a few updates and reminders regarding technology use at school. Beginning next week, students will no longer be allowed to use their computers during indoor recess time. We have worked with teachers to provide alternative options that promote student interaction and engagement, such as games and other hands-on activities. If you have any gently used games or Legos at home that you are no longer using, please consider donating them to WCS as we would love to add them to our classroom resources.
Additionally, beginning after vacation, we will implement a “no tech day” every other week. These dates are listed below. The only exception will be for students who have Digital Literacy on those days, as technology is an essential part of that class. We are excited to begin scaling back technology use and encouraging more face-to-face interaction and creativity.
We would greatly appreciate your support in reinforcing expectations for appropriate technology use at home. Students should only be using their Chromebooks for school-directed purposes and should not be playing games outside of the educational platforms provided through their Clever accounts. Creating a designated charging space outside of bedrooms can help support this expectation.
If misuse of technology is observed at school, the following steps will be taken:
- 1st Offense: Warning (and the classroom teacher may hold the Chromebook until the end of the period)
- 2nd Offense: Parent contact via Email
- 3rd Offense: Referral to administration; the Chromebook will be removed for two days, and the student will complete paper-and-pencil work.
We appreciate your partnership in helping students develop responsible technology habits.
Additionally, while we understand that many students benefit from using fidgets during the school day, we are asking that all toys and fidgets remain at home, as they have increasingly become a distraction. Each classroom is equipped with a set of school-provided fidgets for student use. If your child requires a specific item, please reach out to me directly so we can establish appropriate expectations. Any non-approved items brought from home will be asked to be stored in backpacks or lockers.
Thank you, as always, for your continued support. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
B.J. Martin
Our sixth grade science students have been learning about how human activities are impacting Earth’s environment. We have been focusing on learning how the addition of greenhouse gases increases the temperature of Earth’s atmosphere. Students are shown here completing a lab designed to measure the various levels of carbon dioxide within a contained space and their influence on rising temperatures.
