Counselor Corner

On March 29-31, we administered the ERB/CPT 5 tests to all on campus students.   The scores from the ERBs will assist teachers in determining class placement for the next academic year. Although no preparation was needed on the part of students, these tests are designed to give us a snapshot of how each student is understanding the material thus far, and also gives us a helpful overview of our grade level progress as a whole so that we can make informed decisions about our curriculum and pacing.  While we hope our students did their best, we also want to acknowledge that these tests do not capture their abilities as a whole student and whole person and that their teachers will take their performance over the course of the entire year along with their ERB scores to make placement recommendations.  

• Don't forget our Middle School Meetups, organized by our Peer helpers, so that all of our students, remote or in person, have the opportunity to remotely gather and socialize twice a month. On the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of every month Peer leaders host “Meetups” and play games (with prizes!) with any and all Middle School students who wish to join. Meetups are held after school after students have had time to get home and relax for a bit.  Have your students listen for Meetup Announcements and check their emails for the Meetup invitations!
• Finally, we want to help ensure that all of our families have access to resources to support your children and yourselves while we are still grappling with COVID-19. Check out the awesome and hopefully helpful information here in the CDC’s COVID-19 Parent Resources Kit.
• Check out the Parent Survival Guide  for some suggestions on how to help your teens and tween navigate Middle School and hopefully maintain some peace in your homes!

Dr. Naima Williams
7th Grade Counselor 404-765-4437
Naima.williams@woodward.edu

Meredith Draper 
8th Grade Counselor 404-765-4436
Meredith.draper@woodward.edu

Stay Engaged with the Parent Community

Keep up with all the Parent Community news, events and volunteer opportunities by visiting the Parent Community website and following us on Facebook and Instagram. Being involved with the Parent Community is a great way to get to know other parents and enrich campus life.

We continue to try and manage our online and onsite learners the very best way possible and having consistency within those two groups is key to that success. To this end, we have set some guidelines regarding attendance that will be helpful in allowing us to maintain quality of instruction, and indeed, our sanity. See below.

• Middle School Daily Bell Schedule

ATTENDANCE: First, if your child is really not feeling well, let’s not forget the old-fashioned sick days. They should not come to school, and it may be best to take a break from the screen and get some rest.

• In-person learners who do not physically come to school will be marked absent. These will be coded as ‘absent-medical’ and will not count against them.
• In-person learners will not be allowed to take assessments, quizzes, etc. at home and should make arrangements with the teacher to make it up when they return.

PARTIAL ATTENDANCE

• Tardies: Recently, we have seen an increase in students learning remotely being tardy to class. While there may be valid reasons for this, often it is because students have lost track of time. Please know that tardies disrupt the teaching & learning process, so students who are tardy will no longer be admitted to class. They will be considered absent.
• Leaving Early: Students who leave class early without teacher permission will be counted as absent. 
• Cameras Off: Some students have not been leaving their cameras on when learning from home. Again, on occasion there is a reason for this - perhaps they’re working in another app or the teacher has given them permission to do so. However, often, when teachers attempt to contact the students or engage them in class discussions, students are not responding, leading us to believe that their attention is elsewhere. Please note that students should leave their cameras on unless given permission to turn it off. 

Magnus COVID Screening Instructions

• For safety purposes, we are using the Magnus app for our COVID pre screening each school day. It is important for all students to be screened prior to arriving on campus. Attached, you will find the directions, so that perhaps this weekend, you might have the time to practice using it. If you have difficulty with the Magnus app, please reach out to our middle school nurse for assistance - MaryRaine.Whyte@woodward.edu.

Absences & Early Dismissal

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 send an email absms@woodward.edu.  

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.