wmswebcalendar@wmpccs.org

Mon., Jan. 21 is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School!   

News & Announcements:

We Are Recruiting For:

• An Alternative Learning Center Teaching Assistant II 
• Health Assistant I or II
• Migrant Education Para Professional Tutor (PPT)
• Substitute/Guest Teachers

Please click here for more information and application process. 

'Bullying Is Not Pono':  Bullying Prevention 101 

Please click here to read about our Principal's talk-story lesson on making school safe for all.

Introducing 'Campus Cash' - Student Positives Awards

Please click here for details. 

Apply Now for K(Arts) Spring 2019 Program!  

Please click here.  

Apply Now For 3rd Quarter After-School 21st Century Classes! 

Please go to Activities pages - click here.  

Athletics 3rd Quarter:  Co-Ed Basketball and Track & Field 

Please click on links above.

WMS Local Advisory Panel (LAP) Meets Tues., Jan. 15, 2019 - 4:30 p.m. in K-03.  

All invited.  Please click here for meeting agenda. 

Two WMS Teachers Earn National Board Certification!

http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2018/12/24/north-hawaii-news/two-wms-teachers-earn-national-board-certification/

STEAM Family Night - Mahalo To All Who Participated!  

STEAMy Family Fun...

So Proud of our WMS Volleyball Teams!  

See lots more pictures on www.Facebook.com/WaimeaMiddleSchool

6TH Graders Receive 1st Quarter Academic Awards!

Top Left:           Principal's Award (4.0 GPA) 

Top Right:        Honors Award (3.6-3.9 GPA)

Bottom Photo: Academic Excellence Award (3.2-3.5 GPA)

WMS' Dedicated Educator Patricia Rice Honored as Grand Marshall In 58th Annual Waimea Christmas Twilight Parade!  

Some of our favorite moments with Mrs. Rice - 43+ year teacher, counselor, curriculum coordinator, VP and Principal (4x!) and now Grant Coordinator.  Immediately above the school's faculty-staff gather to celebrate WASC Accreditation renewal in May 2017 - an ongoing "continuous improvement process" that Mrs. Rice has facilitated.  Also pictured above is Mrs. Rice dancing with students at a Christmas Crazy Olympics, sitting in the initial hay bale outdoor classroom of the Mala'ai Garden, which she helped get started, and pulling kalo with students in Waipi'o Valley to harvest small corms to be shipped to the East Coast to become part of a sounding rocket's payload.  It was an experiment dreamed up by WMS students to see what the impact of a launch and space travel -- with all the g-forces -- would be on the growth of kalo. The question students were studying in a partnership with NASA was: Could kalo be taken into space and cultivated to help feed astronauts on the long journey to mars?  As an educator, Mrs. Rice is a big believer in educating the "whole child" and integrating place-based, hands-on learning with the cultural traditions of Hawai'i and core curriculum. MAHALO Mrs. Rice for nurturing generations of our community's children! 

WMS Earns Blue Zones Project Approval!

CONGRATULATIONS to Principal Janice English and her team at Waimea Middle School on being the FIRST school on the Big Island to become a BZP School approved in the 2018-19 school year! So many good things happening at WMS!!

 -- Megan Yarberry | BZP Project Manager - Hawai'i Island       Friday, November 9, 2018 

We thank our teachers and staff - and also our Mala'ai School Garden for supporting student-family-community health and wellness!  

News Story - West Hawaii Today Dec. 3, 2018: 

http://www.westhawaiitoday.com/2018/12/03/north-hawaii-news/wes-earns-blue-zones-worksite-certification-wms-school-certification/

 

Mahalo To All For Successful Student-Led Family-Teacher Conferences!  

Turnout was excellent!  High Five to students for leading the conferences.  

Startling Facts About Vaping, Health & Good Choices!  

The LAW says Hawai’i youth must be 21 or older to smoke or vape (that is, use an e-cigarette) but many perceive vaping as not as harmful as cigarettes. Yes, there is no tar in e-cigs, but there are other harmful ingredients and effects to consider, according to a growing body of scientific research. Inhaling e-cigs can cause damage to the lungs, such as “popcorn lung.” And what’s worse, most e-cigs, especially juul pods, deliver extremely high levels of harmful, addictive nicotine and some contain heavy metals.

Also, the hundreds of appealing flavors and fragrances available – from berries, bubble gum, cinnamon and mango to butter, seem fully intended to target youth.

So what do our kids need to know about vaping to help them make better choices?

WMS Principal Janice English decided it was time to inform students about the facts, in part because being caught vaping or with vaping items at school can result in a 92-day suspension. Serious business.

So, in a fast-paced, high energy series of experiences, classes of students at WMS have explored the data together.  To read more, click here.  For Big Island Video News feature:  https://shar.es/aaprd9

We're Building and Sharing Foundational Knowledge and Skills

Once again, Mala'ai leaders brought together experts and teachers from all around the island this weekend to learn some of the foundational skills needed to successfully support school and community gardens.  We are proud of Mala'ai's work and the impact it's having on our own students and school-community and in supporting hands-on outdoor environmental education integrated with core curriculum and cultural practices for students and communities islandwide!

On Nov. 10, 2018, 12 teachers from 7 schools around the island came to Māla’ai here at WMS to learn about seeds, seed saving and vermicomposting.  

Ilana Stout from the Hawai'i Academy of Arts and Sciences (HAAS) charter school in Puna, shared the history of seed in the US as well as the biology of flowers and basic techniques of seed saving - this included a presentation in WMS' new STEAM Learning Center Demonstration Lab.

Then, pictured below, Donna Mitts with the Hawai'i Island School Garden Network introduced African blue worms, demonstrated building a worm bin, harvesting worm castings, and making worm tea as an amendment for soil.  

It's science.  It's math.  It incorporates data gathering and technology and reading, problem solving and reaping rewards for your pa'ahana - hard, industrious work!  Mahalo, Mala'ai!  

6TH Grade Dives Into Fascinating Archaeoastronomy Project

WMS 6th Grade Social Studies students are diving into a project on archaeoastronomy -- the study of how people in the past have understood phenomena in the sky, how they used these phenomena and what role the sky played in their cultures.  It is, in essence, “the anthropology of astronomy,” as distinguished from “the history of astronomy,” and it involves the study of the astronomical practices, celestial lore, mythologies, religions and world-views of all ancient cultures.  Many of the great monuments and ceremonial constructions of early civilizations were astronomically aligned with remarkable precision, so archaeoastronomy introduces students to the development of science and cosmological thought from the study of both the ancient astronomies and the history of human interaction with the cosmos.

 

So where to begin?  

6^th Grade Social Studies teacher Ms. Yohon launched the project with students crafting notebooks featuring water color visions of the universe.  Assisting with the art project was art teacher Susan Gallery Levey.  The notebooks will be used throughout this project-based learning unit as compendiums of what students learn about where, why and how people of ancient cultures around the world built structures to better understand their natural surroundings.

An integral part of this study will be learning about the heiau that pre-contact Hawaiians built to mark the seasons, such as Hapaiali'i Heiau in Keauhou, which WMS 6th graders visited last week. 

"One thing that all of our ancient ancestors have in common is that they wanted to be able to understand the world around them. On six of the seven continents ancients built structures-mostly of stone to mark the seasons. Through teaching our students about archaeoastronomy, I have been able to learn more about these places with them. The most fascinating part of this journey was discovering that on this little (Big) island in the middle of the Pacific, the ancients did the same. After planning at trip to Hapaiali'i Heiau in Keauhou for so long, our classes and I finally got to see this remarkable heiau up close. I have to say it was humbling and spectacular all at the same time. — in Kahaluu, Hawaii."   

Guest speakers from around the community have been coming to enrich lessons around topics related to archaeoastronomy and students have also participated in field trips. 

First guest presenter this week was Canada France Hawai’i Telescope outreach educator Mary Beth Laychak who set up an inflatable planetarium in the new STEAM Learning Center.  Her talk focused on the group of stars known as the Pleiades, or Makali’i, and she shared stories of various ancient cultures and how they used this constellation as both mythology and as a way to mark the seasons. She also focused on Pharaoh Ramses of ancient Egypt and how he built Abu Simbal to make his people believe he was a god. She talked about various other cultures and structures that have been built throughout the ages such as Stonehenge, reminding students that “there are no coincidences in archaeoastronomy.”  

The students asked great questions and were able to make connections to past learning.

The visit to Hapaial'i Heiau because with a guided walk, then several hours of community service.  

STEAMy Robotics Experiences Earn Awards! 

Two WMS Robotics teams competed in the First LEGO League District Championships recently. Our Paniolo II team took an award for Best Project, and our school’s long-time Robotics teacher-leader Miss Nau’i Murphy was honored as “Mentor Of The Year”! Congratulations to all!

'Full STEAM Ahead!' PDE3 Workshop Teaches Educators To Engage Students In Citizen Science to Prevent Rat Lungworm Disease

WMS co-hosted an important PDE3 Workshop for Teachers from across the island and state this past weekend in our new Keaoākea STEAM Learning Center to provide hands-on STEAM training designed to involve students of all ages in the prevention of rat lungworm disease through project-based learning.  

The workshop introduced a new rat lungworm disease prevention educational curriculum with teacher manual developed by the UH-Hilo College of Pharmacy working with science educator Kehau Howe.  The curriculum includes an array of possible activities to engage students in Citizen Science to understand the complex life cycle of rat lungworms, and to learn how to safely prevent the disease and minimize harm to themselves, their families, fellow students, co-workers and the community.  It incorporates all core curriculum areas – science, math, reading and writing, technology and even art, plus hands-on time outdoors doing research.  It even included introduction to ArcGIS storytelling software. 

This 2-day session was the start of a year-long program that will lead to creating a portfolio presentation by each participant that ultimately will also contribute to the body of knowledge and awareness about rat lungworm disease prevention and treatment.  The fact is that while there’s research occurring about this extremely debilitating disease, there’s not much occurring around educating the public – and that’s what this program is designed to do, along with engaging students in solving a real world problem. 

MAHALO to our partners who made this possible including the State Department of Health, Mala’ai school garden, the Hawaii Farm To School Hui and Iolani School.  Thanks, too, to Franny Brewer with the Big Island Invasive Species Committee, who co-taught the workshop.  This is exactly the kind of engaging STEAM teaching and learning that the Hawai’i State Legislature and Governor envisioned when providing more than $15 million to build our school’s new 9-classroom Keaoākea STEAM Learning Center.  With the 2018 Legislative Grant In Aid, titled “Full STEAM Ahead!,” we expect to provide many more of these types of learning experiences for students, teachers and the entire community.   

WMS Volleyball Team Wins Silver Runner Up Award In Middle School Tournament! 

Our Traveling WMS Volleyball Team captured the SILVER DIVISION RUNNER UP Award at the Nov. 3, 2018 "Finish Strong" Middle School Volleyball Tournament hosted by Kamehameha Schools at their high school gym in Kea'au! This was their first real tournament and they played very well!  A warm mahalo to Coaches Warren, Mel and Ray...and to all of the families who drove to Kea'au to support our students! A great day for kids!! Thanks too to Kamehameha Schools and to the Neilan Foundation, which supports our WMS athletics program and has done so now for five years!

Discovering the 'Art' and Science of Prototyping

Makani energy kite's Project Manager-Engineer Kate Stirr came to campus recently to work with 8th grade science students, bringing along three tall mini wind tunnels and baskets of interesting objects which she challenged teams of students to use to develop a prototype that achieved a specific kite-like objective.  This prototyping process is similar to what Makani's engineers have done to design the kites they are now refining to generate electricity from Hawai'i Island's strong wind resource!   Mahalo Miss Stirr for a fun and surprising science lesson!  

Doctor, Lawyer, Merchant, Chief...WMS Students Explore More Than 60 Career Options  

MAHALO to ALL of our presenters who came to WMS campus 10/24/18 to introduce students to a wide array of career opportunities! Here we see Mauna Loa Helicopter (a flight training provider) with its beautiful training helicopter being inspected by students. Very cool!

This was just one of more than 60 presenters introducing a wide array of career possibilities.  It was especially nice to welcome 5 former WMS students back as presenters!  

WMS Hosts VEX Robotics Competition

Mahalo to all who came to compete, participate and cheer for our student-engineers at the Oct. 20 VEX Robotics Competition in our STEAM Learning Center! 

District Finals: Sat., Nov. 24 in North Kohala.

Welcoming Artist Stuart Nakamura!  

WMS' 'ART IN PUBLIC PLACES' GRANT PROJECT is moving forward as we welcomed artist-sculptor Stuart Nakamura (orange shirt) to campus Oct. 17.  Stuart is the artist that our WMS AIPP grant team selected to create a major piece for our campus. Stuart expected to return in February 2019 to meet faculty-staff and community members to learn more about our “sense of place” to guide his creative endeavors. Last week’s meeting was to get acquainted, discuss the overall project timeline and contemplate where the art piece - most likely something 3-D - might be located. A lot of brainstorming has already occurred with our AIPP grant team and there’s more to come. This project includes a 16-day commitment over the course of the three-year project by the artist -- or perhaps an on-island artist, which is a new option -- to work with WMS teachers and students. More to come about this. Teacher rep on the AIPP grant team is now Catherine Shafer -- she replaces Katie Arrayan. Questions? Suggestions? Feel free to talk with Catherine, Janice, Pat or Patti or 8th grade student rep Jaena-Ann Kaiue. (Jaena-Ann had scooted back to class before we took this picture while walking outside the STEAM Learning Center to share both the Waimea “sense of place” - our mauna and pu’u, and the adjacent Mala’ai school garden.  Welcome Stuart!)

Student Poetry Ho'ike Draws Over 600 Family Members To Cheer for 'Awesome Student Performances'!  

Check out "what joyful accomplishments can be attained with everyone paddling together" in this link to a West Hawai'i Today news feature on our recent Family Poetry Ho'ike - that drew more than 600 family members!  

WHT/NHN 10-8-2018: Students find their voices at WMS Poetry Night

Mahalo All Who Have Supported Our Cross Country Season!    

Oct. 6, 2018 could not have been a more beautiful Waimea day - weather-wise - and we thank all of the student athletes from WMS as well as from seven other Hawaiʻi Island middle schools for coming that day to compete in our WMS 11th Annual Na Paniolo Cross Country Meet!  This included Parker School, HPA, Kamehameha Schools - Keaʻau, Paʻauilo School, Hilo Intermediate, Sunrise Academy - Hilo and Waikoloa School. Mahalo, too, to the coaches, family members and friends, and to our WMS 'ohana for coming to cheer for and support our kids! Congratulations to Kamehameha and Parker for taking 1st and 2nd Place in our Cross Country Meet!   

Mahalo, too, to Waikoloa School for hosting the final CC meet of the season Oct. 20 - we are so proud of how our WMS student-athletes just kept improving through their pa'ahana - hard, industrious work!  

6th Annual WMS 'Trek 4 Tech' Fun Run A Big Success!  

MAHALO to all who supported and participated in our "TREK 4 TECH” Fun Run that brought together our school-community to have fun, celebrate academic progress and wellness for all...and raise funds to support 21st century learning with improved technology!  

Special thanks to those who donated to support our Principal's "trek" in beautiful red suede "bird cage" stilettos!  Every penny raised - both from this special pledge, fun run donations and auction purchases - go to student learning and achievement.  In all, we raised about $7,400 -- which is quite awesome! -- and we've already spent it to purchase a needed 3D printer and VEX Robotics licenses. 

We welcome your support for our students - time and/or treasure.  Partnerships, too, are an invaluable way to enhance student learning and achievement.  We have a significant "wish list" and would be grateful to have an opportunity to discuss it along with the progress we are seeing both academically and with the "whole child."  Please contact our Principal Janice English (Janice_English@wmpccs.org - 887-6090 Ext. 225) or Patti Cook (Patti_Cook@wmpccs.org - 937-2833).  Our children need and deserve your support.  

To make a tax deductible donation to Waimea Middle School using Ho‛okāko‛o’ Corporationʻs 501(c)3 PayPal account:

Aloha Waimea Middle School 'Ohana,

My name is Janice English.  I would like to introduce myself as the Principal of Waimea Middle School. I am excited to have your child as a student here and our teachers and staff have been preparing for an exciting, productive new school year.

The theme for the near school year is ​Refinement​.  Last year there were three curriculum pilot programs that will now become fully embedded into your child’s academic experience.  Science will be using Amplify, English Language Arts at 7th and 8th grade will be doing Project-Based, Place-Based Learning, and Math will have a Problem Solving focus. The culminating events (Ho’ike) throughout the year will be a celebration of knowledge and progress, where students will showcase their learning in a content area. The dates and times will be shared with you well in advance. Please try to attend our Ho’ike and other school events including ​Family Gear Up!​, the Title I Annual Meeting and Family Open House night, ​ and our now annual benefit ​LAP Fun Run.

Related to Refinement is another priority: ​ Attendance Daily On Time​.  This is critical to your child’s progress and we will be doing everything we can to support your family in ensuring regular attendance.  Of course, we do not want your child to attend if ill or injured, but please try to avoid other schedule conflicts or decisions that impact attendance.

I look forward to seeing you.  My door is always open and I welcome calls and emails when you have questions, suggestions, or concerns.  Our primary focus is that every child is safe, supported and successful.

Mahalo,

Janice English

Principal

808-887-6090 Ext. 225 - Email: ​Janice_English@wmpccs.org

2018-2019 SY DATES TO REMEMBER: 

 WMS on Facebook

Looking for information from our old website? Please click on this link.