WMS Newsletter - March 19, 2025

Woodward Families,

We have new banners in our Commons Area! A big thank you for Addie Bogdan, WMS Parent Volunteer, for once again sharing her graphic design expertise with our school. For the past 4 months, Addie has been working with us to create banners that represent our school values plus expectations that coincide with our values. Our counselor, Sue Constan, has been instrumental in making this happen for Woodward. Be sure to look above the Attendance window next time you are visiting Woodward.

This week is exciting here! Both Choir and Band are at regional competitions, Cross Country and Volleyball start next week, and ASB is hosting their first fundraising dance on Friday, March 21st!  Please reach out if you have questions about any of these events.

Thank you for sending us your fantastic students!

All the best,

Jeannie Donoghue

WMS Principal

ASB is sponsoring this Friday's country themed dance after school from 3:30-5:30.

Tickets can be purchased online or at the attendance window during lunch time. The last day to purchase tickets is this Thursday (3/20).

Springs sports start next week!

Boys' and Girls' Cross Country will start on Monday 3/24. Practices on Mondays are from 3:45-4:45 at the covered shelter at Battle Point Park, across from the tennis courts. Practices Tuesday-Friday each week will be at the Woodward track from 3:45-4:45.

Girls' Volleyball tryouts will be on Tuesday 3/25, Wednesday 3/26, and Thursday 3/27 in the WMS gym.

All participants should have registration completed on Final Forms with a current physicals on file. You can upload physicals directly to your Final Forms profile or drop them off at the Attendance Office.

The Woodward PTO exists to

1) Strengthen and enrich the classroom experience of Woodward Middle School students

2) Foster a sense of community and cooperation among our parent, teacher, staff and student community by providing events and activities that bring people together in a social environment

3) Facilitate communication among our community members

4) Raise funds to support our mission.

                                                 

Interested in joining the team or have questions we can answer? Please reach out to us! woodward.president@bainbridgeptos.org

As many of you know, several buildings in the BISD are in need of seismic retrofits as well as updated emergency supplies to keep our staff and students safe in the event of an emergency. All of the schools in BISD have come together, with the help of the PTO Emergency Preparedness Team, to fund the purchase of shelf stable food and water in all schools, apply for grants, and create fundraisers to help make sure every school is equipped with these necessary supplies. But we are not quite there yet. This is where you can make a difference! 

We are collecting photos for the Baby/Childhood Photo Collage and the Memories Slideshow to help make the 8th Grade Banquet more personal. Please see details below for these two projects.

The photo collage will be displayed in the Woodward Commons glass case leading up to the banquet for students to guess who's who! Please submit one baby or childhood photo of your student, no larger than 4x6 and only of your child (no group photo shots). For a hard copy, print your child's first and last name on the back and drop it in the designated box at the Woodward Office. Please note this photo will not be returned. You can also submit a digital copy at the link below. Please make sure to indicate your child's name when asked for "your name". Deadline for submissions is Monday, March 31st. 

Every year we run a memories slideshow during the banquet for students to see a playback of their K-8 years. Volunteers need your help collecting hundreds of great moments. Please provide high-resolution images from grades K-8. Images that feature multiple students are preferred. Upload images to the link and make sure to include the names of all students featured in the photos. You can submit more than once if you have many to share!

Thank you to our sponsors who have committed their support to the banquet! We are grateful for their generosity and commitment to our kids.

Tickets for the banquet are $85. BUY TICKETS HERE. We hope to have every 8th grader attend and do not want cost to be a deterrent. For financial assistance, please contact Woodward Counselor, Sue Constan at sconstan@bisd303.org.

Please reach out to woodward.banquet@bainbridgeptos.com if your student has special needs of any kind. We want to ensure the event is something all students feel comfortable attending and can enjoy. We are here to accommodate them and make this night magical for all.

The Annual Back-to-school Check-in (ABC) process is now open. This annual process lets us know that your student(s) are returning to our schools for 2025-26 and allows parents/guardians to review annual information. 

The ABCs must be completed for all students attending BISD schools in 2025-26, including both new and returning students. Access the ABCs by logging into your Family Access account. It should take about 15 minutes (or less!) to complete. 

If you need assistance with the ABC process (such as translation, accessing technology, or other questions), please get in touch with the WMS Registrar, Ms. Webber (mwebber@bisd303.org).

NOT RETURNING? If your upcoming 7th-8th grade student is not returning to BISD schools next fall, please let Ms. Webber know (mwebber@bisd303.org).

In each of our community newsletters this year, we are challenging you to participate in Family Character Dares. Here are our next two challenges.

Pick a song lyric to use as a conversation starter.

Treat a family member to their favorite meal or dessert as a way to show you care.

BISD’s attendance campaign!

BISD believes that student attendance and engagement are essential components of understanding and nurturing the social and emotional well-being of our students. 

SHOW UP as your best self and SHOW OUT by being a part of BISD’s community of learners with unique skills, talents, and passions! 

Simply showing up to class is not always easy, but something to be proud of as a foundational part of being a student. You can show out by positively influencing your class and school with your voice and talents.

We deeply value your students and are excited to see them in class each day. Our goal is to instill a sense of pride in cultivating healthy habits and embracing the identity of being a student. This marks the beginning of our ongoing partnership to improve school attendance district-wide.

If you are facing challenges in motivating your student to attend school or encounter barriers in supporting their attendance, we encourage you to reach out to a counselor or administrator at your student’s school for assistance.

Look for stats on how attendance impacts learning and helpful resources to strengthen students’ resolve in future newsletters. And, look at BISD attendance data from a recent presentation to the school board. Attendance Presentation

19: Band Festival @ CK

21: Choir Festival @ Poulsbo Middle School

21: ASB Dance

24: Cross-Country Begins

25, 26, 27: Volleyball Tryouts

27: School Board Meeting @ 5:45

7-11: Spring Break (no school)

24: School Board Meeting @ 5:45