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March 9, 2009

Message from the principal: Spring is in the air

Dear members of the Washington Manor community,

Planning for the 8th grade End of the Year Activities

Parents of 8^th graders: WE NEED YOUR HELP in planning the 8^th grade privileges: promotion, the dance and the 8^th grade field trip. Your participation at this moment in their lives can make your 8^th graders’ last months at Washington Manor truly memorable, as well as easing their transition into high school. Traditionally, the parents of 8th graders plan and supervise festivities for the 8th grade dance. On Thursday, March 19 PTSA will hold its meeting at 5pm. There will be a planning meeting for the 8th grade dance immediately afterwards at 6pm. All 8th grade parents are encouraged to participate in this special event.

Multi-cultural night: be there to share

We hope to see every Washington Manor family at our famous annual Multi-cultural Dinner and Fair. This event has been an exciting, varied experience featuring world-class talent and food. This year’s multi-cultural fair will add classroom venues to the fun taking place in the multi-purpose room in order showcase even more of our incredible Washington Manor talent. Features will include dinner music, multi-cultural dance, an art exhibition, science demonstrations created by the Techbridge and SPARK clubs, drama presentations, and much more. We invite everyone to share a special dish that celebrates your culture on Thursday, March 26 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. I’m looking forward to seeing you and your family there.

Junior Idol Talent Show and other Fundraisers

The PTSA is sponsoring a special show to show off our talented student body AND raise needed funds. The Junior Idol Talent show will take place on Friday, March 20th at 6pm. We hope you see everyone there to support our students. A small donation will be requested at the door and reams of Xerox paper are happily accepted in lieu of a cash donation. This is one of several fundraiser events planned by the PTSA. Watch for notices about candy sales and other fundraisers. Once again: Thank you PTSA! As you all are aware the fiscal picture is not getting any brighter. However, with your support, Washington Manor will continue to offer a quality education for all Washington Manor students. See you at the show!

Sincerely,

Wendy Warda

To:  Parents of Washington Manor Middle School

Dear Parents/Guardians,

The first day of Spring is 12 days away.  Spring signifies a great deal in the life of your child and in the school year.  As Spring approaches we can expect a time and weather change.  Daylight Savings is March 8^th.  This means we must set our clocks ahead one hour and students must get up even earlier to arrive to school on time.  Encourage your child to set their alarm clocks earlier.  Tardies affect student performance both socially and academically.  It is imperative that all students arrive to school on time!

Spring time also signals the end of Winter and the beginning of warmer weather.  Washington Manor has a strict no hoodie policy.  During the Winter months and during the rainy season we have relaxed this rule in efforts to keep students warm and protect them from the rain.  As the weather gets warmer we will fully enforce this rule again as it is stated in the student planner.  Students will not be allowed to wear hoodies on their heads during the school day at any time.  Students may wear hats, but only outdoors.  Once they enter a building they must remove the hat from their head.

Progress reports will be sent home next week.  3^rd quarter progress reports are especially important for 8^th grade students as they must maintain a 2.0 GPA in the 3^rd quarter and receive no F’s in the 4^th quarter.  If these requirements are not met an appeal for participation in 8^th grade activities must be completed.    If students have received a suspension in the 3^rd or 4^th quarters, students must complete the appeal process to participate in the end of the year trip and dance.  Students can complete one appeal process that meets the needs of both providing they need to appeal both.  The appeal can be completed for one or both components.  Please refer to the 8^th grade promotion and appeal process that was signed by all 8^th grade families.

March 3^rd and 4^th began the kick off STAR testing.  7^th grade students took the STAR writing test.  These scores will be included in their overall STAR scores.  April 20^th -May 8^th is our comprehensive STAR testing window.  More information about STAR testing including dates, times, test and test taking strategies will be included in the April newsletter.

Warmest Regards,

Nicole Williams Browning

Assistant Principal