Important Dates

February 27-29: All State Chorus to Athens
February 28: End of Term 3
March 2-6: Spring Break- Academy Closed
Monday, March 9: Teacher Work Day- No classes

Principal Matters

Dear Middle School Community,

This year’s Atlanta Science Festival, an annual two-week event, takes place from March 6-21, 2020. We would love our students to attend one or more of the multiple events around the city. See below for details:

WAMS Family Outing/Bonus Point Opportunity @ Atlanta Science Festival: March 6-21
 
Atlanta Science Festival, presented by Delta Air Lines
The annual two-week Festival celebrates local science and technology every March, featuring more than 100 events throughout metro Atlanta and reaching 50,000 children and adults annually. Festival events feature hands-on activities, tours, tastings, and performances from more than 100 community partners, including school districts, post-secondary institutions, museums, businesses, civic and community groups. The Festival ends with the explosive Exploration Expo, Atlanta’s biggest interactive family science event, with hundreds of hands-on activities in a free carnival of science!
 
WAMS Students are encouraged to attend one or multiple events. As an extra incentive students can even qualify for BONUS points on their Science tests. In order to qualify for points, the student will have to fill out a Survey form and give their class a quick presentation on their experience. Woodward Academy will also be a host site for the 2021 Atlanta Science Festival. More details to come! 
 
Mark your calendars for this exciting opportunity! 

Neighborhood Meet & Greets!

After hearing in the annual Parent Feedback Survey that you, as parents, are interested in getting to know and engaging with your Woodward neighbors, the Academy has facilitated a Meet & Greet initiative! 

We have parents in several neighborhoods who have offered to host events at their homes for Woodward families and for neighbors interested in learning more about WA, across metro Atlanta. Please be on the lookout for invitations to events in your neighborhood from your fellow WA parents!

And we’d love to expand our group of hosts and volunteers! If you are interested in volunteering as a host for a Meet & Greet in your neighborhood, please contact the Admissions Office. We hope to create more connections within our Woodward community for our parents!

Eagle Exchange Podcast Club

The Upper School podcast club has been including members of our MS community. So far they've interviewed Jack Doane and the female MS wrestlers. Listen here!  New episodes will be released on the first and third Tuesday of each month so stay tuned. 

Town Hall & Upper School Links

Whether your child is in 7th or 8th grade, it seems like the year is passing with the blink of an eye.  Many of you are wondering what the next steps of your Woodward journey may entail. On Wednesday, February 12, Mr. Bryan Rutledge, Director of  College Counseling, and Ms. Stephanie Stephens, dean of Upper School Academics, presented to many of our seventh and eighth grade parents. Discussion included graduation requirements, including an exciting new Capstone course, how to develop a four-year plan that works for your child, as well as a plethora of ways to support your students through their upper school journey. 

If you were unable to attend, not to worry. We recorded the event, which you can access here: https://youtu.be/mHN2shT3MSA. Also, the college counseling page on the Woodward website has helpful information, links, and handouts.

Should you have questions about the event, please reach out to Mr. Rutledge (bryan.rutledge@woodward.edu) or Dean Stephens (stephanie.stephens@woodward.edu). 

Counselor Corner

We will be administering the CPT5 (ERB) standardized tests to all Middle School students on March 24-26.  We ask that ever effort possible is made to avoid any planned absences or appointments on those dates. While makeup testing is available it can be very disruptive to student schedules. 

Advisory Group Meetings Continue.  Check out the Woodward Way overview with the following link: Parent Advisory Information

Meredith Draper 
7th Grade Counselor 404-765-4436
Meredith.draper@woodward.edu

Dr. Naima Williams
8th Grade Counselor 404-765-4437
Naima.williams@woodward.edu

WAMS EUROPE TRIP 2021 

Next year, during SPRING BREAK, we will visit 3 countries.  Our 20th Europe Trip travels will take use to England, Belgium & France!  Registration occurs in child's 7th grade year in preparation for travel in 8th grade.  The Europe Trip is open to ALL 7th grade students. If you would like more information please contact patricia.osullivan@woodward.edu.

Summer Reading

Woodward Academy Middle School has traditionally required summer reading for all its students, followed by a summative assessment within the first several days of school. This practice, designed to motivate students to read in the summer, stemmed from the wide array of research that shows the many benefits of reading for pleasure. While I don’t refute this evidence, I do question whether our current format actually fosters a true love of reading.

Ultimately, it is our goal that our students read for pleasure in the summer, while also strengthening their reading fluency, comprehension, and stamina. Summer reading has been shown to help reduce the “summer slide.” It also demonstrates our philosophy that reading is important all year round. In an effort to balance the necessity of summer reading with the goal of fostering a love of reading, we are making the following changes to our Summer Reading Requirements for the 2020-2021 school year:

All 7th grade students will read Refugee by Alan Gratz. This novel follows the journey of three young people of different cultural backgrounds and different times in history. It’s real, relatable, and relevant for our students, and will prepare them for discussions throughout the school year.

All 8th grade students will read the Newbery Honor Book The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt. This is a coming of age novel set during the Vietnam War about a seventh grade protagonist who is convinced his teacher hates him (why else would she make him read Shakespeare?). He learns resilience, hope, and how to stand up for himself. This novel will prepare students for discussions throughout the school year.

While there will be no required study guide or objective summer reading test during the first week back in August, students should come to school prepared to participate in class discussions. These discussions will lead to more authentic ways for students to share their thoughts and ideas about the novels, including but not limited to a graded written assessment. 

Additionally, to encourage students to read more, they will be provided a list of additional high interest choice books or they can choose more of their own. Optional projects for these books will be offered for students who would like to earn extra points in English class. 

Interfaith Initiatives

Greetings Woodward Academy Community,

What a fantastic start to 2020 at Woodward Academy! Interfaith student leaders are excited about our plans to showcase Woodward’s beautiful traditions throughout the school for the entire semester. We are currently preparing our first interfaith prayer service of the year and finishing the plans for the 4th annual Interfaith Immersion Trip. We are also planning various holiday assemblies for our religious observances, as well as on-campus services for Ash Wednesday.

In the coming month, our students will participate in the following religious observances:

• January 25 (Buddhism) - The Lunar New Year is the first day after the new (dark) moon. It is a religious and cultural festival celebrated by Chinese, Vietnamese, and Koreans of Buddhist and other backgrounds as New Year’s Day for the year 4718 in the Lunar calendar.
• January 27 - Holocaust Memorial Day is an international memorial day commemorating the tragedy of the Holocaust and the lives tragically taken.
• January 30 (Hinduism) - Vasant Panchami, a North Indian celebration, is associated with Saraswati, the Goddess of Learning, and with Lakshmi, Goddess of Wealth. It marks the arrival of Spring and start of preparation for Holika and Holi.
• February 10 - Tu B’Shevat begins at sundown on February 9. It is the New Year’s Day for Trees, and traditionally the first of the year for tithing fruit of trees. It is a day for environmental awareness and is marked by special meals that include the seven fruits of the land.
• February 15 (Buddhism) - Nehan-e (Nirvana Day) is an annual Buddhist festival that remembers the passing of the Buddha at age 80 and his achievement of enlightenment.
• February 23 (Buddhism) - Losar (Tibetan New Year) is celebrated for 15 days, with the main celebrations on the first three days.
• February 25 (Christianity) - Shrove Tuesday ends the season of Epiphany and is the vigil for the starting of Lent.
• February 26 (Christianity) - Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent, the 40-day period of prayer and repentance that precedes Easter.

Please feel free to visit our Interfaith Initiatives page to see the times of all interfaith prayer opportunities or to share a prayer request.

Blessings,

Chaplain K
Rev. Katie O. Kilpatrick
Woodward Academy Chaplain
404-391-7589

Publix Partners: Keep Shopping!

Over the years, Publix has donated more than $36 million to different schools and organizations.  It’s easy!  Enroll at www.publix.com/partners, select your school and enter your phone number at checkout.  So keep shopping and turn your groceries into education! Thank you for your participation.

Service Scholars 

Service Scholars, formerly named the Eagle Club, is our Middle School Service Club.  We participate in a variety of service activities each year.  Some of our great causes include the Jesse Draper Boys and Girls Club Raffle,  our school wide Can-A-Thon at Thanksgiving, Secret Santa for 35 area foster children, as well as several other activities to honor our Woodward neighbors, teachers, faculty, and support staff.  We also collect money for our sister school in Terranova.  The money collected helps to support and provide educational opportunities as well medical facilities and supplies for the people of Terranova.  Our pennies and change ultimately provide hope for these people that can only be achieved through education.

Sponsors: Beth Wade, Janie Finch, Sandy Hildebrand, and George Dietz
Dietz- $165.00
Hildebrand- $40.00
Lee- $15.00
Listenbee- $5.00
Marmo- $5.79
Marshall- $196.56
Parker- $5.00
Trotter- $5.00
Wade- $15.00
White- $16.94
Widener- $55.00

Sibling Applications

We are now accepting applications for the 2020-2021 school year! We want to make sure siblings of current Woodward students have primary consideration for openings, so we encourage parents to visit the Admissions Getting Started  page to apply today. If you have family, friends, or neighbors interested in applying their children, you can send a letter of recommendation to admissions@woodward.edu to improve their chances for acceptance. Thank you for entrusting Woodward with the education of your child, and we look forward to helping your family and friends share the Woodward experience!

Widespread Flu in Georgia

From the Department of Public Health: If you have not gotten a flu shot yet, do not wait any longer. Flu is widespread throughout Georgia. The predominant flu virus currently circulating is a B/Victoria strain that doesn't usually pop up until the end of the flu season. Vaccination is the best prevention against the flu for all ages, and the B/Victoria strain is included in this season’s vaccine. 

There are other things you can do to help prevent the spread of flu – tried and true measures your parents taught you. 

• Frequent and thorough hand-washing with soap and warm water. Alcohol based gels are the next best thing if you don’t have access to soap and water. 
• Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow or arm to help prevent the spread of the flu. 
• Avoid touching your face as flu germs can get into the body through mucus membranes of the nose, mouth, and eyes. 
• If you are sick, stay home from school or work. Flu sufferers should be free of a fever, without the use of a fever reducer, for at least 24 hours before returning to school or work. 
• If you are caring for a sick individual at home, keep them away from common areas of the house and other people as much as possible. 

Excused Absence 

An absence is excused when the school receives a note or phone call from the parent or legal guardian explaining the absence, or a note from the doctor showing attendance for an appointment.

• In the case of an illness, the need to leave early or late arrival due to an appointment, the parent or guardian should call the front office (404-765-4430) or e-mail absms@woodward.edu.