6th Grade - (815) 337-3257 & (815) 337-3258 - Rrivera@d200.mchenry.k12.il.us
7th Grade - (815) 337-3259 - TSchubring@d200.mchenry.k12.il.us
8th Grade - (815) 337-3261 - MWesley@d200.mchenry.k12.il.us
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ISSUE: 6 |
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December 20, 2007 |
WEBMASTER'S NOTE: Any reference to "sign-up forms" stated anywhere in the Backwood's News refers to forms located in the printed copy of this newsletter and not to the electronic copy you are now reading. Forms found in the hard printed copy can be filled out and sent to Northwood or you can volunteer by calling the office at 338-4900 or sending an email to this website. It will be forwarded to the appropriate person. When sending an email, please state "volunteer" in the subject line. You may email by clicking HERE.
FROM THE DESK OF THE PRINCIPAL.....
As we approach the next two weeks and the enjoyment of Winter Break, I would like to thank all parents for their continued support this first four months of the school year. We have had some great success and are continuing to find ways to make improvements for our students and Northwood Middle School as a whole. With that in mind I would like to remind everyone that taking time over the next few weeks of break to relax, enjoy family and friends and rejuvenate your engines for the return to school on January 7th is so important. From January 7th through the end of February we will be working very diligently in all classes, during blitz study halls and after school continuing to prepare our students for the upcoming ISAT tests, which will be given during the first two weeks of March. Having refueled your engines in preparation for this important stretch run is vital to all of our student's success. In this edition of the Warhawk Times you will find many important topics discussed and information about some important upcoming events. Please take some time to read through it. Don't forget that the NWMS office and school will be closed throughout the winter break. Other than a few wrestling practices taking place in early January there are no events going on at Northwood during the winter break I would like to extend a Merry Christmas to all of our Northwood families. May you have a safe and Happy Holiday Season.
Educationally Your
Jake Wakitsch
CERFIFIED STAFF BIO......
In this edition the staff bio section focuses on the some of our 6th grade staff.....
Melanie Stock
Position: 6th Grade Language Arts & Reading
Resides: Woodstock, Illinois
# Years in Education: 8 years
Spouses Name: Jason
Pets: Boxer named Delia
Graduated From / Degrees:
NIU - Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Ed.
Concordia - Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction
Favorite Sports Teams & Players: Cubs - Derek Lee & mark DeRosa; Packers - Brett Favre
Interesting Tidbits: My high school graduating class had a total of 21 people.
Joanne Sotiroff
Position: 6th Grade Resource Teacher
Resides: Round Lake, Illinois
# Years in Education: 14
Spouse's Name: George
Children: Dan, Amanda Ryan, Brandon and Kara
Pets: 4 yr. old Boxer and Yellow Lab named Dakoda and a 1 yr old Cockapoo named Halas
Graduated From / Degrees:
Illinois State University - Bachelor's Degree in Special Education
Favorite Sports Teams & Players: I have no favorite sports teams, but I have enjoyed watching our own children compete at St. Mary's and Woodstock High School.
Interesting Tidbits: I did 8 weeks of student teaaching in Northern England as part of a semester of studying special education in Europe. During one of my weekend excursions in England we were caught in a flash flood while caving with a member of my hpst family.
Robert Rivera
Position: 6th Grade Social Studies
Resides: Crystal Lake, Illinois
# Years in Education: 18 years
Spouses Name: Jeanine Rvera
Children: Mark Rivera (Freshman at U of I)
Pets: Pepper - Mixed breed Dingo looking dog
Graduated From / Degrees:
Florida Atlantic University - Bachelor's Degree in History
Favorite Sports Teams & Players: Bears, Cubs and Bulls
Interesting Tidbits: I enjoy watching sports and hiking and I served in the Marine Corps for 4 years.
PTO Corner
The PTO needs you to get involved. Currently we are still seeking people to fill our open President and Secretary positions, as well as people to get involved through joining or helping with certain committees and events. Therefore, we are going to be holding a PTO meeting to discuss upcoming events, and recruit people to help keep the NWMS PTO up and running. Please join us: When: Thursday, January 17, 2008 Time: 7:00pm Location: NWMS Library
After School Blitz Study Hall for Band & Chorus Students
This is a reminder for parents of band and chorus students who were selected to be a part of our after-school Blitz study hall program and that returned the assigned permission slip. Classes will meet on Mondays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 in the library starting the Monday we return (January 7th) through February 28th You should have received a letter detailing approximate drop-off times if you enrolled your child in this class this week. If you did not receive that letter and you believe that your child should have been enrolled in that class please contact Mr. Wakitsch at the school.
Suggestions Needed for Woodstock North Mascot and Colors
District 200 wants everyoneâÄôs help in choosing a mascot and school colors for Woodstock North High School. Any parent, student, employee or community member who has an idea may submit their suggestion by filling out a special form which can be picked up at school or the District Office or may be downloaded from the district website at www.woodstockschools.org, Suggestion forms will also be at the Public Library, the City of Woodstock, and several other locations within the community. All entries are due by Fri., Jan. 18, 2008 and must also contain a brief explanation of the rationale behind the suggestion. A committee comprised of approximately 20 parents, students, staff and community members has been formed to review all of the entries and narrow down the suggestions to three to four top choices. Students who will attend Woodstock North next year will then make the final choice by voting on the one they prefer.
The Bells Are Ringing At Northwood
Tis the season for bells to be ringing and Northwood Middle School will be getting in the spirit as well, but in a little different light and not until after the New Year. In an effort to increase instructional minutes, decrease student tardies to class, and decrease unstructured time spent in the hallways by students, which usually results in behavior problems, Northwood Middle School has installed bells within the building. We will begin using these bells upon our return from winter break. The administration will be meeting with each grade level on Monday, January 7th to share with them the idea and purpose behind the bells and clarify the expectations regarding the bells and getting to class on time. In working with the team leaders we have decided that the first week we will run as a trial period giving students an opportunity to get used to the bell system and the expectations associated with them. We also decided to try to continue with our current grade level policies regarding tardies during this trial period. At the end of that first week we will meet again and decide if changes need to be made and if we need to restructure the discipline procedures for multiple tardies to class and possibly create a building wide procedure that includes disciplinary action by the office at some level vs. just being handles at the team level. We may find a need for this or we may find that we have enough of a process in place at each grade level that it is not necessary to make adjustments, we will have to wait and see how the first week goes. However, if we do decide to make changes to the tardy policy and consequences we will notify students and parents of these changes before implementation. The staff and administration are very excited about the addition of this new bell system as we believe it will greatly decrease unstructured time, tardies to class, and problems in the hallways.
6th Grade Parent Meeting Regarding Laptops and Timber Lee Field Trip
The 6th grade team will be hosting important parent meetings to discuss the new 6th grade laptops that will be handed out to each student after break, as well as important information about their Timber Lee field trip on Tuesday, January 8th from 4:00-5:00pm or from 7:00-8:00pm. Parents are highly encouraged to attend one of these two sessions. Sixth graders will not be allowed to take home their new laptops without a parent attending a meeting and signing off on the required permission form. Should you have any questions please feel free to contact Mr. Rivera (6th grade team leader).
Snowflakes Are Falling and SNOWFLAKE Is Meeting at NWMS
There will be a Snowflake meeting on January 28th from 3:30 - 4:30 at Northwood. Also, we have tentatively scheduled a joint meeting with both Creekside/Northwood Snowflake groups for Friday February 1st at Creekside from 4 - 8pm. More details and confirmation will come home in January
Market Day Pick Up
This is just a reminder for that the next Market Day pick up is Monday January 28th.
Yearbooks For Sale
Yearbooks are for sale in the Library. For $17 you can keep a full color memory of this year at Northwood Middle. Have a picture of every one of your friends. Keep your favorite teacherâÄôs picture as an inspiration. Don't be left flat-footed. Purchase your yearbook in the Library today. Your homeroom teacher will deliver yearbooks on Olympic Day and you will have the chance to sign yearbooks with all your classmates and teachers. Don't be left out in the cold. Yearbooks are being sold right now in the Library. Buy yours today with cash or a check payable to Northwood Middle School.
Yearbook Recognition Ads for 8th Graders
This year we would like to honor our graduating 8th grade class in a special way. That is why the Yearbook Club has decided to sell recognition ads that will be printed inside the yearbook. A recognition ad is a site in which a parent, friend, teacher, coach, club, or organization congratulates a student on an accomplishment - graduation, honor roll, athletic achievement, etc. The cost is only $2.00. Limit your message to 30 words or less. Please include whom the ad is from as well. If you are interested in placing an ad, return the form below with your check payable to Northwood Middle School by January 31, 2008. Need further information contact Sue Totz, Yearbook Advisor at 815-338-4900, extension 225.
Susie Vanderlip â"Teen & Family Issues" Program Coming to Woodstock Please see the attached flyer (located on the back page of this issue) regarding a program featuring Susie Vanderlip (Author of 52 Ways to Protect Your Teen) that deals with Teen and Family Issues that is coming to Woodstock on February 5th !
Challenge Corps Students Earn Award The Northwood Middle School Challenge Corps Students recently earned the Teamwork award at the Robotics Regional competition on December 1st. They also had the 3rd highest performance score at the obstacles table with several differently designed robots. Congratulations to all of these students and Mrs. Carlson for their hard work and dedication! You have made Northwood very proud.
Congratulations to the Pommies Congratulations to the Northwood Middle School Pommies for their two second place finishes at the City of Energy Dance Classic 2007 that was held last month. The teams took second in both the Team Dance Youth Seniors Open Pom and the Team Dance Youth Seniors Kick categories Congratulations to all of the Pommies and their coaches, Mrs. Malo and Mrs. Nordbrock.
District Art Show I would like to remind all families that the District 200 art show is on display at the Woodstock Public Library through January 7th.
Winter Dance The Winter Dance is Friday February 1st. The theme is Glow Show (black light, lava lamps, lots of lights!) Tickets will be on sale from January 28th until February 1st for $4 and that cost will include a glow in the dark necklace.
8th Grade Study Island (ISAT Prep) Upon our return from Winter Break the 8th graders at NWMS will be starting an online program called Study Island in the areas or Reading and Math to help them better prepare for the ISAT tests in early March. This program is aligned with Illinois Learning Standards and allows the students to work at their level and improve upon areas of difficulty they might have, as well as help them get to the next level. Each 8th grade student will be assigned a user name and password and use this program at school with teacher support and guidance. However, since it is a web based program they can also use this program at home or anywhere they have internet access by simply visiting the website and putting in their user name and password. NWMS will have a direct link to the site on our buildings home page to make it easier for students to access this great program from home.
HOMEWORK HOTLINE NUMERS & TEAM LEADERS
6th Grade - (815) 337-3257 & (815) 337-3258 - Rrivera@d200.mchenry.k12.il.us
7th Grade - (815) 337-3259 - TSchubring@d200.mchenry.k12.il.us
8th Grade - (815) 337-3261 - MWesley@d200.mchenry.k12.il.us
