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From the Desk of Ms. Julie M. Short,
Dear Parents:
Resources As your student begins the second semester of the school year please keep in mind that your support at home for your student is critical to their ongoing academic achievement. Stiern provides many resources for both parents and students to assist their achievement in all academic areas. We have after school tutoring, clubs, and sports as well as intervention programs for your students. We have numerous Parent Involvement activities and instructional programs for parents as well. This newsletter will outline some of those services for you. If you have access to the Internet, you can also utilize our School and District websites to locate additional information on all of the services we offer. Our school’s website address is http://schools.bcsd.com/stiern and our District’s website is http://bcsd.com. It is our hope here at Stiern that every child will be successful and look forward to school each and every day.
Academic Planning and Growth Our school updates the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) each year in the fall. School Site Council advises this process. This plan describes our schools academic history, our goals, and the action steps we will take to achieve those goals. We have five areas of focus which include, Reading/Language Arts, Mathematics, English Language Development for English Learners, Parent Involvement, and Safe School Learning Environment. Should you wish to review a copy of our SPSA, please contact Jan Smith at 631-5480 to request one. Thank you.
Parent Involvement We know that most of our Stiern students are working very hard to pay attention in class, complete class work and homework, and ask questions when they need assistance. We have many dedicated students and committed parents. This is a time of year where students tend to become more interested in social activities and less interested in school work. We need your help in continuing to support education as the number one priority with your student(s). Try to:
Our students will not learn if they do not put forth effort in their studies. Our students will not learn if they pay more attention to their peers than they do their parents and their teachers. Together we can meet their needs academically and help them achieve the success they require in order to later move on to high school and beyond. Thank you for your continuing efforts in partnering with our school. There is nothing better than seeing a student smile because they feel good about their achievements.
Thank you.
Dear Parents: Thank you for participating in November’s Parent Conferences. We may have broken a one day record with nearly 180 parents showing up for conferences on October 31st alone. I hope that the meetings with your child’s teachers were positive and productive. As always, we work toward building a solid relationship between school and home so that all students have the best opportunity for academic success. Please know that a conference with one of your student’s teachers does not need to be limited to once a year. You are welcome to contact the school and speak with your child’s teachers when you have a question or a concern about your child’s education.
Williams Uniform Complaint Procedures. The District investigates and resolves complaints that are formally filed through the Williams Uniform Complaint Process. The majority of the complaints come from two categories; insufficient textbooks and facilities. If you are interested in additional information regarding the Uniform Complaint Procedures, please go to the BCSD Webpage at www.bcsd.com. You can view Student Services and Board Policy.
Walk the campus with the Principal. This year has been such a positive time for our school in getting feedback and support from our parents at home. I wish to extend an invitation to our parents and community members to visit our wonderful school and take a tour of the campus with me. I want to share with you the excellent teachers and support staff Stiern employs and share with you many aspects of our school that often go unnoticed. Parents and community members play such a vital role in our schools ongoing success.
Special Community Meeting. Stiern will be hosting a community meeting November 9th from 6-7PM in the Library. We will be sharing with you next year’s instructional course offerings and answering any questions you may have about your student’s core classes. We also hope to receive some input from our parents on the core subjects being offered to your students. Refreshments will be provided.
As the winter holiday fast approaches, I want to wish you and your family a safe and happy holiday season. I am looking forward to seeing you here for our Winter Concert December 21st at 7:00PM in our Multi-purpose room. Our Band, directed by Mr. Milota will also be performing in the Downtown Christmas Parade December 1st. Thank you for your continued involvement with your child and your support of Walter Stiern Middle School. Respectfully, Julie Short
All students will discover that school can be challenging from time to time whether it be academically or socially. The Middle School years is a time of growth, adjustment, and sometimes rebellion. Preteens and teenagers are very capable of hiding their problems and not allowing their parents or teachers to know what is troubling them until the problem gets out of hand. Please look for the following warning signs so that you can help your student continue to be successful at school and at home:
All of these are warning signs that there may be a problem. Make sure you follow the ABC’s of Student Success. A- Ask for Help: Talk to your students teachers or school counselor. B- Be Involved: Get involved in school activities. Studies show that students do better when their parent/guardian is connected with school. Attend Parent/Teacher Conferences and Parent Classes offered at the school Join the Booster Club Help out in our school’s library or in the classrooms. Attend concerts and sporting events. C- Communicate: Make the time to talk to your student each day. They value your input and need you to be interested in what they are doing at school. They may resist at first but don’t give up. Every one of our students is an amazing individual and we value them. PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES This Year Parent/ Teacher Conferences will be held the week of October 31st thru November 4th. Each day is a minimum Day for students. During Conference Week students will be dismissed at 12:55PM. All after-school activities are cancelled for the week. Parent Conferences will be held from 1:05PM-2:45PM and Spanish translation will be provided upon request.
If you have not received a phone call from the school and a scheduled conference time, you may attend any day of the week between the hours of 1:05PM and 2:45PM. Because of time constraints, you may not be able to conference with all of your student’s teachers. Each teacher will have a conference sign-up sheet for you to put your name and contact information on should you wish to schedule a conference at a later date and time. We are looking forward to meeting with you and discussing how we can partner together to help your student have a more successful learning experience here at Walter Stiern. Thank you.
Dear Parents:
Welcome to another year of learning at Walter Stiern Middle School! This year we have added community relations/partnerships a focal point in our school goal for improving instruction and student achievement. I wish to thank you in advance for your continued efforts to work with us and help educate your child both academically and socially. Please take the time to review our District’s Parent/Student guide with your child. There are many importance pieces of information that will assist you in helping your child have a successful school year. I want to draw your attention to the section on Student/Parent/and School Responsibilities. We must all work together equally, in order for our students to have success and grow this school year. It can not be stressed enough how vital your positive support is in the academic and social development of your student(s). Our school-wide rules are: LEARN L Listen and follow directions.
E Everyone is to be in class and on time.
A All hands, feet and objects are to be kept to oneself.
R Respect yourself and others.
N No electronic devices, gum, food, seeds or candy of any kind.
All teachers have reviewed this with the students throughout the first week of school. We expect all students to follow these basic rules and allow the other students in class to learn. Disruptive behavior that interferes with other students’ learning efforts will not be tolerated. All rules fall under the following three areas: Safety, Responsibility, and Respectfulness. If you cannot state with certainty that a behavior is safe, responsible or respectful, it is not allowed. The same goes for being prepared to learn, participating in class, and socializing with friends.
Stiern offers many extracurricular activities throughout the school year for your student(s) to participate in. We have competitive sports teams for boys and girls as well as numerous clubs available after school each week. More information about these clubs and services will be given during our Back-To-School night here on Thursday September 15th beginning at 5:30PM in the Stiern Gymnasium. Our goal is to create an environment your child will be excited about being a part of each and every day. I look forward to seeing you at our Back-To-School Night here at Stiern on September 15th from 5:30-7:00PM.
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