The Middle Update 6/3/22

Thank You!

A big thank you for your contributions to helping make our school a great place for kids.  I really enjoyed our time together Friday afternoon, just enjoying each other's company and connecting after a good day with kids.

Grades Are Due Tuesday (6/7)

We plan to print report cards on Wednesday (6/8) morning.  Please have your grades posted and report card comments made by then.

22-23 District Calendar

You can view the District Calendar for the 22-23 School Year at this LINK.  Teachers, please start thinking about your floating inservice days in August and communicate those with me and Mr. Hunter when you have an idea.

22-23 School Year

I hope you are able to enjoy the summer months and rest and recharge.  The 22-23 school year preparations are ramping up, and it's going to be an exciting school year.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 5/28/22

What a week!  A simple "thank you" seems insufficient to express our gratitude for how everyone stepped up to make the learning experiences for our kids continue to happen despite being short-staffed.  The pace that time moves continues to be mind-blowing, and the end of a school year always serves as a reminder of this fact.  One week left to impact the kids you've been serving this year.

In Strong School Cultures, People Articulate the Following CORE Beliefs Through How They Behave:

All Students Can Learn at High Levels

All Students Will Learn Because of What We Do

Students Do Well if They Can

What WE Do Makes the Difference for the Kids in School

We Never Give Up On Kids     

Resources of the Week

In the wake of horrific recent events across our country, we continue to look for ways to improve our culture and climate.  We've discussed a couple of systems that we'll put into place next year:  Hope Squad and the CASEL framework.  Below are a couple of resources aimed for teachers and parents that are great.  Go ahead and explore these resources.

Managing Stress:

10 Minute Happiness Break ( Gratitude)

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/happiness_break_three_good_things_gratitude

Podcast: Feel better about asking for help

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/podcasts/item/happiness_break_three_good_things_gratitude

Five Tips for Talking With Kids About What's Going On in the World  ( Article focuses on the topic of Ukraine, but can be generalized to fears related to mass shooting.)

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/five_tips_for_talking_with_kids_about_whats_going_on_in_the_world

Homeroom Olympics Wednesday

Our Homeroom Olympics Activity will take place on Wednesday (6/1).  On Wednesday, all students will report to Homeroom groups at 1:10 to get organized.  Students will then head to their first event at 1:15 with the first event starting at about 1:20.

5th graders will have block 3 be shorter than usual

6th graders will still go to electives, but the times will be shortened (12:30-12:50 & 12:50-1:10)

7th & 8th Graders will report to Homeroom after their lunch period.

Last Day for 8th Graders

The last day for our 8th grade students will be on Thursday, June 2nd.  On this day, the 8th graders will be taking their class field trip to Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells.  They plan to leave around 9:15 on this day.  At 9:10, we'll ask that all students and teachers line the hallways from the ramp through the IMC, to recognize this cool moment in their life.  

The 8th graders will return from their field trip around 6:00pm, and we'll have some pizzas and snacks waiting for them when they return to school.  A big thank you to the PAD Parent's Club for supporting the pizza for the 8th graders on their last day of Middle School.

Last Day of School Schedule - 12:15 Dismissal

We will be running a modified schedule on Friday (6/3) and dismissing Middle and High School students at 12:15.  Please let me know if you notice any conflicts for your responsibilities on this day. 

Last Day (6/3) Schedule

Staff Meeting on Friday (12:25)

We'll meet after students are dismissed on Friday.  I'll treat everyone for lunch and the district will provide an ice cream treat in the afternoon.  Please share your preference for lunch by completing this FORM.

End of the Year Items for Staff

-Final 4th Quarter Grades will be due by end of the day on Tuesday (6/7).  Please ensure grades are posted and comments made for report cards.

-Teacher check-out forms will be shared this week.  Please review if you have any outstanding items from the IMC.  We will have Friday afternoon to finalize classroom clean-up and preparation for summer. 

-We'll have a couple of days with schedule adjustments this week, which can make things a little more challenging for many of our students.  Please plan engaging learning activities that meet learning goals right up to the last minute of your last class with your students.

-Yearbooks are in, and each team has a plan for distribution to students that ordered a yearbook.

Retirement Open House on Wednesday

Wednesday (June 1) is the Retirement Open House to honor our folks who have retired over the last couple years.  It is held in the HS IMC from 3:00 - 5:00 and is informal.

Scheduling Message to Families

The following notice was sent on Friday afternoon to families of 7th grade families about elective scheduling for next year:

Hello 7th Grade Parents,

As the 21-22 school year winds down its final week, preparation for the next school year has been well underway. I plan to meet with our 7th graders on Tuesday (5/31) in their Social Studies class to discuss elective class offerings for 8th grade students.  At this meeting each student will receive a handout titled "8th Grade Scheduling Preparation" (also attached to this email). This document will be used to determine what elective class your child would like to take next year.  Students will rank their class choices (1 being most wanted).  In 8th grade, all students are required to take Physical Education, however, they can choose their other elective classes.  

If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jerry Pritzl, Poynette Middle School Principal

LINK to attachment

This message was sent to 6th grade families:

​Hello 6th Grade Parents,

As the 21-22 school year winds down its final week, preparation for the next school year has been well underway. I plan to meet with our 6th graders next week to discuss elective class offerings for 7th grade students.  At this meeting each student will receive a handout titled "7th Grade Scheduling Preparation" (also attached to this email). This document will be used to determine what choice elective classes your child would like to take next year.  Students will rank their class choices (1 being most wanted).   

If you have any questions about this process, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Dr. Jerry Pritzl, Poynette Middle School Principal

LINK to attachment

5th Grade students will be selecting their preferred music class for 6th grade in their music classes this year.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 5/20/22

In Strong School Cultures, People Articulate the Following CORE Beliefs Through How They Behave:

All Students Can Learn at High Levels

All Students Will Learn Because of What We Do

Students Do Well if They Can

What WE Do Makes the Difference for the Kids in School

We Never Give Up On Kids 

Resource of the Week

What are the top executive believe schools should be doing to prepare the students preparing to enter the workforce?  Read ahead...

"What Do Top US Companies Think Schools Could Do Better?  We Asked." - Elizabeth Heubeck

Final Carelli Cup Event

We are in the beginning stages of planning for a larger Olympic-style Carelli Cup final event.  We are tentatively planning for the afternoon of Friday, May 27.  Our Student Leadership team are taking the role as the planning leaders.  Our mission is to have each Homeroom have a rep to participate in a whole variety of competitions (academic, artistic, athletic, creative, etc.) that will take place, with each member contributing in some way.  We'll keep track and find a winning team at the end.  More information to follow.

End of the Year Plan for 8th Graders

The last day for our 8th grade students will be on Thursday, June 2nd.  On this day, the 8th graders will be taking their class field trip to Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells.  They plan to leave around 9:15 on this day.  At 9:10, we'll ask that all students and teachers line the hallways from the ramp through the IMC, to recognize this cool moment in their life.  

The 8th graders will return from their field trip around 6:00pm, and we'll have some pizzas and snacks waiting for them when they return to school.  A big thank you to the PAD Parent's Club for supporting the pizza for the 8th graders on their last day of Middle School.

Last Day of School

The last day of school is on Friday, June 3rd, and students will be dismissed at 12:30.  We will plan to have a modified schedule on this day for our 5th, 6th, and 7th graders (will be shared soon).

Sometimes as we near the end of the school year, the excitement and energy can be more difficult to manage routines and procedures.  The best practice to address this is being well-planned and holding high expectations for learning right up until the last minute of their time in your class.

We will be having a brief staff meeting in the PMS Cafeteria starting around 12:40 on Friday, June 3rd.  We will be providing either some pizza or a Subway lunch for everyone at this meeting.  Patti will be sending out a Google Form soon for everyone to share their preference so that we can accommodate everyone's preferences.

Math Meet Success

Congratulations to the 7/8 Poynette Math Team who took 2nd place in the small school division at the Mega Math Meet for all of Southern WIsconsin.  Pictured left to right are Addysen B., Jameson M., Jacob D., Capri L., Emma L., Avalyn A., Katelyn M., and Aaron D.  Way to wrack your brains on those difficult problems and bring home the big trophy!

Cool Things Happening in Art Class

6th & 7th grade students share what they know about positive and negative space using Oreos as a canvas. 

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 5/15/22

In Strong School Cultures, People Articulate the Following CORE Beliefs Through How They Behave:

All Students Can Learn at High Levels

All Students Will Learn Because of What We Do

Students Do Well if They Can

What WE Do Makes the Difference for the Kids in School

We Never Give Up On Kids

Resource of the Week

Educational research is clear that "Teachers Having High Expectations" for students has the highest effect size for improving student achievement.  When you look below the surface, and as I analyze our current practices, a question that I have had in my mind centers around a couple of our students that have not embraced having the desire to learn as much as we all would like.  There is a balance between holding these high expectations and building a strong, trusting relationship with the student that bolsters the connection to school.  This balance can be very difficult.  The article this week provides further insight into this important balance.

"The Necessity of Having High Expectations" - Kristine Napper

"Effective teaching demands that we strive to boost the achievement of marginalized students. Neither high expectations nor kind hearts can do the job alone."

Staff Meeting - Wednesday (5/18) - 7:15am

We will be having a staff meeting this Wednesday morning, starting at 7:15 in the PMS Cafeteria.  We'll be sharing and reviewing some of our recent data.  We will also hear a presentation led by our Student Services Team about our Multi-Tiered System of Supports.  Also a time to come together to spend some time with colleagues that you may not get the chance to connect with in your typical routine.

Final Carelli Cup Event

We are in the beginning stages of planning for a larger Olympic-style Carelli Cup final event.  We are tentatively planning for the afternoon of Friday, May 27.  Mrs. Moe, Mr. Williams, and the Student Leadership team are shaping up to be the planning leaders, but everyone ideas and feedback are welcome.  Our mission is to have each Homeroom have a rep to participate in a whole variety of competitions (academic, artistic, athletic, creative, etc.) that will take place, with each member contributing in some way.  We'll keep track and find a winning team at the end.  More information to follow.

End of the Year Plan for 8th Graders

The last day for our 8th grade students will be on Thursday, June 2nd.  On this day, the 8th graders will be taking their class field trip to Mt. Olympus in Wisconsin Dells.  They plan to leave around 9:15 on this day.  At 9:10, we'll ask that all students and teachers line the hallways from the ramp through the IMC, to recognize this cool moment in their life.  

The 8th graders will return from their field trip around 6:00pm, and we'll have some pizzas and snacks waiting for them when they return to school.  A big thank you to the PAD Parent's Club for supporting the pizza for the 8th graders on their last day of Middle School.

Last Day of School

The last day of school is on Friday, June 3rd, and students will be dismissed at 12:30.  We will plan to have a modified schedule on this day for our 5th, 6th, and 7th graders (will be shared soon).

Sometimes as we near the end of the school year, the excitement and energy can be more difficult to manage routines and procedures.  The best practice to address this is being well-planned and holding high expectations for learning right up until the last minute of their time in your class.

We will be having a brief staff meeting in the PMS Cafeteria starting around 12:40 on Friday, June 3rd.

Images from the Week

The Middle Update 5/8/22

Happy Mother's Day to all of the mothers out there, and to everybody's mom as well.  It is looking to be a hot week this week...we'll see how any complaints of the cold turn into complaints of the heat when the mercury reaches the mid 80's.  No matter the weather, we control the energy and atmosphere inside each classroom and the school.  Let's make it another great week at PMS.

Resource of the Week

As we look ahead to taking the next steps to being part of high functioning PLC's that move the mark on student achievement in our classrooms, we'll continue to explore the characteristics of effective collaboration.  The article this week takes a deep dive into the characteristics of effective Professional Learning Communities.  The heart of each meeting should center around at least one of the 4 critical questions 1.  What do we want students to know?  2.  How do we know if they know it?  3. What do we do when they don't learn it?  4.  How do we do, or how do we extend, when they do learn it?

The article this week takes our learning further.

"Is Your PLC Ready to Succeed?" - Bobb Darnell, Association for Middle Level Learning (AMLE)

PLC's Taking the Next Step

I was able to sit in for part of the 5/6 ELA PLC meeting, and it was exciting to see their plan for the next month of school.  After reflecting with them, the video we watched at our last In-service stuck with them, and they created a common assessment centered around a specific area they, as a team, felt students needed the most improvement.  They planned for when they would administer the assessment, and how, and also when they will review the results as a team and plan for instruction to address areas of need.  This is exciting work (theory in action).

HUGE News!  Our Math Teams Continue Their Dominance!

Congratulations to the following students who took FIRST PLACE in the STATE in the Wisconsin Mathematics Council Math Meet - Class C.  However, not only did Poynette take first in the Class C division, the team also came in 2nd place out of all of the Class AA, Class A, and Class B teams.  Fifteen teams competed from across the state.  The Poynette Math Team consists of eighth graders Aaron D., Emma L., Capri L., and Jameson M. along with seventh graders Avalyn A., Addysen B., Jacob D., and Katelyn M.

Named to the 1st Team All State is Aaron D., Capri L., and Emma L.  Named to the 2nd Team all-state is Jameson M. and Jacob D.  Congratulations Mathletes!

STAR Testing Window

The Spring STAR Testing Window opens on Monday, and students will be taking the Reading and Math tests in their respective ELA and Math classes.  Most of these days are on the calendar and do not affect others besides the class they are taking the tests in, however, it's just good to be aware these important assessments will be taking place.  We'll be sharing overall results, along with growth measures before the end of the school year.

22-23 School Supply List

I wanted to reshare an email that was sent by Marie Klink about the 22-23 school supply lists.  Please update the lists for the areas in which you teach.  Thank you!

Please take a moment to review the school supply list that's on the website and make the necessary changes for the 22-23.  The school year currently showing on the list will be changed when all updates are completed.

Final Carelli Cup Event

We are in the beginning stages of planning for a larger Olympic-style Carelli Cup final event.  We are tentatively planning for the afternoon of Friday, May 27.  Mrs. Moe, Mr. Williams, and the Student Leadership team are shaping up to be the planning leaders, but everyone ideas and feedback are welcome.  Our mission is to have each Homeroom have a rep to participate in a whole variety of competitions (academic, artistic, athletic, creative, etc.) that will take place, with each member contributing in some way.  We'll keep track and find a winning team at the end.  More information to follow.

In Case You Missed It...

A nice ARTICLE in the Portage Daily Register about the upcoming leadership changes in our school district.

Assembly Fun!

Images from the Week

Twins!