12/20/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Phew… we made it to the Holiday Recess! Another school year is flying by! School will start again on January 2nd.
Second quarter Progress Reports are available on Aspen. Log into Aspen and go to Published Reports. If you have any questions or concerns regarding grades, please do not wait. Contact the teacher or guidance counselor once we get back to school on January 2nd. The phone number for guidance is 270-8033.
The next edition of our school newspaper is attached to this email. Check it out! Our newspaper staff worked hard to put together another fantastic edition!
Orchestra concert
Last night the Western Hills Orchestra put on a wonderful concert led by their very talented teachers Ms. Richardson and Mrs. Berbey. Thank you to all of the friends and family that attended and supported our students.
Vaping/Juuling assembly
On January 3rd, we will be having an assembly for 6th graders on the topic of vaping/juuling. The presentation will be given by CCAP. They were the same people that set up the “Hidden in Plain Sight” at our Open House back in September.
If, for any reason, you do not want your child to see this presentation, please let me know prior to January 3rd.
Also, attached to this email is a newsletter from Raising Healthy Kids about identifying the warning signs of your child using drugs or alcohol.
Pajama Drive
From Mrs. Budz who spearheaded our Annual Pajama Drive:
A huge thanks goes out to the WH Hills community and some special elves (Electric Boat) and a dude named Michael. Thanks to ALL contributions we collected a total of 211 pajamas! The Cranston Family Center is very grateful that we do this every year.
PTO meeting
Our next PTO meeting will be on January 9th. Please come out to support all of the wonderful things that the PTO is doing for our school.
Also at the meeting, I will be discussing our schools latest RICAS scores and Accountability Report from RIDE.
Teaching and Learning Spotlight
The last day of school before the holidays is NEVER an easy day for teachers! However, Mrs. Durkin and Mrs. DeFeo had their 6th graders use fractional circles to make various holiday decorations.
Chris Herren
See the image below for information on a presentation by former basketball player, Chris Herron.
I hope everyone has a fun, relaxing, and safe holiday season and vacation with family and friends! See you next decade!!
Tim Vesey, Principal
12/16/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
There are only four more wake-ups until vacation!
On Thursday night our chorus performed at Cranston West. Once again, it was a great show! Great job by our talented students and and their, also very talented teacher, Ms. Norton.
Sports
On Wednesday the Cobra wrestling team bounced back from their first match loss and won their home opener against Barrington. They then took a tough loss against Kickemuit on Friday.
The girls' basketball team got a win on Thursday against DeLasalle and they are currently 2-2. The boys also took on DeLasalle. After being down 18, the Cobra boys fought their way back to a 2 point victory.
PTO Meeting
Our next PTO meeting will be on January 9th. Please come out to support all of the wonderful things that the PTO is doing for our school.
Also at the meeting, I will be discussing our schools latest RICAS scores and Accountability Report from RIDE.
Yearbook Sales
From our yearbook staff:
This is a reminder that this is the last chance to buy a discounted yearbook! For a limited time only, yearbooks will only be on sale for $20 and available at this link. Please be advised that we cannot guarantee that yearbooks will be available for purchase at the end of the school year, so please order in advance. Keep your school memories alive for many years to come, and order your yearbook now! You won't regret it.
Chris Herren speaking at Cranston East
Teaching and Learning Spotlight
As always, there are great things happening in the Western Hills classrooms. I got to see a lesson being led by Mrs. Jeffrey on courage, empathy, perseverance, respect, and responsibility. Then, I had the opportunity to try an activity in Mr. Hochman’s room in which students were learning about natural selection and Charles Darwin’s famous work with the finches in the Galapagos Islands. Finally, Mrs. Durkin was using the Blended Learning strategy of Station Rotation in her 6th grade math class.
Have a great week, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
12/9/19
Hello Western Hills community,
This Friday is our first Student of the Month Breakfast. Students that were selected as Students of the Month during September, October, and November should have received invitations.
We have two full weeks of school until vacation… hang in there! Progress Reports for the 2nd quarter will be available on Aspen on December 20th.
Best Buddies Fundraiser
Our Best Buddies program is having a fundraiser on December 12 from 4:30-7:30 at Blaze Pizza at 2 Chapel View Blvd. Please consider supporting this wonderful program. See the attachment that must be presented for us to get our 20% of the proceeds!
Pajama Drive
Please see the attachment for our Annual Pajama Drive. When you are out holiday shopping, please consider buying brand new, winter pajamas for a child in need. We need all sizes from infant to teens and for both boys and girls.
Sports
Both basketball and wrestling have started their competitive seasons. The girls’ basketball team opened up with a big win against UCAP while the boys’ basketball team took a loss here at home. The wrestling team travelled to Chariho on Friday for their first match. Although several wrestlers had good matches, the team lost their opening meet of the season.
For anyone who ordered cookies they will be delivered on 12/17. You can pick up your cookies anytime from 1:30-3pm in the auditorium.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks are currently on sale. Books can be purchased by going to jostensyearbooks.com or by clicking the link on the school website or social media accounts. Books are currently on sale for $20 for a limited time only
Movie Night
Tickets for our first movie night will be sold during homeroom this week Monday-Thursday. The date of the movie is Friday, December 13th from 5-7. Come on out and get in the holiday spirit! No tickets will be sold on Friday. Just like a dance, this is for Western Hills Middle School students only. The cost of the ticket is $5 and includes popcorn and a drink.
Teaching and Learning Spotlight
I do my best to walk around the whole building every day and stop in to see what is happening in our classrooms. Today I was excited to see some excellent lessons, using Blended Learning strategies, in the ELA classrooms of Ms. Mulvaney and Mrs. Howman.
11/27/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
At the risk of sounding corny… I have to say that I am very thankful for having the opportunity to be the principal of an incredible school community. We have amazing kids, dedicated faculty and staff, and supportive parents. Everything a principal could want!!
Pajama drive
Since many of you will be beginning your holiday shopping, please consider throwing in a couple pairs of brand new pajamas into the carriage to help support our Annual Pajama Drive. We are collecting donations here at school that will be given to local charities.
Toys for Tots
While you are out buying pajamas for our Pajama Drive, please also pick up a toy or two for the Toy Drive being sponsored by our Cross Country Team. Coach Nicole has generously offered to match the donations!
Allstate Musicians
We are so proud to announce that we have two All State musicians! They are:
Erikson Lee ranked #1 in the Junior division on snare drum and will be performing with the All State concert band.
Evan Lei ranked #4 in the Junior division on clarinet and will be performing with the All State Orchestra.
Congratulations to these two fine young men and their teacher and their teacher, Mr. Fortier!
Spirit Week
Spirit Week is next week! Here are the themes for each of the days.
Monday is MEME DAY
Tuesday is PAJAMA DAY
Wednesday is SPORTS DAY
Thursday is THROWBACK THURSDAY
Friday is CLASS COLOR DAY (6th grade wears purple, 7th grade wears red, 8th grade wears blue)
Happy Thanksgiving and have a great long weekend everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
11/18/19
Hello Western Hills community,
Report cards are now available on Aspen. If you have any questions or concerns regarding grades, please contact either the teacher or the Guidance Office at 270-8033. To see the Report Card, log onto Aspen and then scroll down to Published Reports.
The Honor Roll will be sent out in the Weekly Update at the end of the week.
Sports
Today (Monday 11/18) marks the beginning of the winter sports season. Students trying out/participating in either basketball or wrestling MUST have completed all of the necessary paperwork which is available under the Student tab at cpsed.net. We understand that some students may have a recent physical on file here at the school. Students that have previously participated in a sport here at Western Hills do not have to submit the Assumption of Risk form.
Girls’ Basketball
The girls' team will have tryouts for all grade levels starting on Monday, 11/18, to Wednesday from 2:30-4:00. The coach is Bob DeCosta.
Boys’ Basketball
Sixth and seventh grade will tryout on Monday and Tuesday from 4-5:00 and 8th grade will tryout from 5 - 6:00. There will be a cut posted and then the players that made that cut (all 3 grade levels) will return on Wednesday from 4 - 6:00. The coach is Josh Ricci.
We DO NOT want the boys hanging around the building today waiting for the tryouts. If at all possible, the boys need to leave on their bus and then return for their tryout time.
Wrestling
The wrestling team will begin their season on 11/25. Wrestling is open to both boys and girls. This year, RIPCOA is looking to have its first ever Girls State Wrestling Championship. We would love to have a team representing Western Hills.
Girls’ wrestling, at all age levels, is growing here in Rhode Island, New England, and across the country. Womens’ wrestling was introduced as an Olympic sport at the 2004 Games in Athens.
RICAS results
As you have seen on the news and in the paper, RICAS results are now available. I am planning on talking about our school results at the January 9 PTO meeting.
Individual student results will be going out within the next along with a letter from Superintendent Nota-Masse. I will let you know the day they are being sent home.
Information for Inclement Weather
Please see the attachments for learning how you can stay informed about school closings during inclement weather. They are available in English and Spanish.
Yearbooks
Yearbook are currently on sale through January 31st. They are $25 are available at this link. For a limited time only, yearbooks are on sale for $20. Please be advised that we cannot guarantee that yearbooks will be available for purchase at the end of the school year, so please order in advance.
Pajama Drive
Please see the attachment for our Annual Pajama Drive.
Have a great week, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal11/1/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
It has been a fun week at Western Hills! We had Pink Day for Breast Cancer Awareness, Cranston Goes Orange for food donations, and today, all of our 8th graders were dressed in red and Cranston West gear for the Cranston West Pep Rally. I am so proud of our students, faculty, and staff for showing such school spirit! We also want to express our gratitude to Mr. Barbieri, the principal of Cranston West, and the rest of his school for welcoming the “Future Falcons” to their Pep Rally today!
Be the “I” in Kind
This week our Social Media Club spent a few hours after school making the giant sign you see below. We want to remind our students to be kind, always… Thank you Mrs. Blackburn and the Social Media club for your efforts in making a positive impact on the Cobra community.
Sports
Although neither of our soccer teams made the playoffs this season, I would like to congratulate the athletes and coaches on great seasons. Thank you to Coach Gabby and Coach Howie for your hard work and dedication to our Cobra soccer players.
After being rained out last weekend, the Cobra boys’ and girls’ cross country teams are heading to the RI State Championship this Sunday at East Greenwich High School. Best of luck to Coach Nicole and our Cobra runners.
EVC (Environment, Volunteering, Community)
The first official meeting of the EVC will be next Wednesday, November 6th after school in room 035. Even if you were not at the first meeting, you are still welcome to join. The EVC is looking for students with art and tech skills.
School Newspaper
The latest edition of our school newspaper, “The Cobra” is attached to this email.
Important dates
November 6th- picture retakes
November 6th - Flu Clinic
November 7th - End of the 1st quarter (yes, we already almost done with the first quarter!)
November 11 - No school, Veteran's Day
November 15- 1st quarter report cards available on Aspen
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
10/18/19
Hello Western Hills community,
Our Annual Walkathon is next Friday, October 25th at the Cranston High School West track. We are STILL well short of our goal of $10,000. The PTO is working hard to raise money for our school and their sole purpose of fundraising is to support the students of Western Hills Middle School. The vast majority of the money goes directly to supporting teaching and learning. Funds can also be used to support possible class trips and field trips. Once again, I have attached the Walkathon permission and donation slip.
Halloween Dance
As their first act in office, our Student Council Executive Board (and their adviser- Ms. McClatchy) has moved very quickly to plan the Halloween Dance for next Friday, October 25th. Please see the very important details below regarding the dance.
- The dance will be from 6-8 PM. You must be present in school on Friday to attend the dance.
- You will have until 6:15 to arrive, after that you will not be permitted into the building
- You may not leave before 8 PM and you must be picked up promptly at 8pm.
- Please remember to follow the Cobra Code while at the dance.
- Costumes are allowed BUT they must be school appropriate and NO masks/face paint are allowed. You are also not permitted to bring any weapons. replicas of weapons, or props that could be used as a weapon.
- Tickets will be on sale from Monday- Wednesday of next week for $5. No tickets will be sold after this.
- While phones are not banned, you are strongly encouraged to keep your phones away at the dance.
- You are also encouraged to bring in 1 canned good
Eden Park Elementary School
Tomorrow, October 19th, Eden Park Elementary School will be hosting tours of their beautiful new learning space from 12 to 2:00pm. Please stop by to check out how Cranston Schools are bringing education in the 21st century. More information is available in the attachment.
Chorus fundraiser
Our Chorus is having an Otis Spunkmeyer cookie dough fundraiser. Please see a member of our chorus or Ms. Norton (gnorton@cpsed.net) if you are interested in purchasing cookie dough.
ThinkFast Interactive
On Wednesday, October 23, our 8th graders will be taking part in ThinkFast Interactive (https://thinkfastinteractive.
Unified Cross Country
Our Unified Cross Country team wrapped up their season yesterday in the wind and rain at their State Championship held at North Kingstown High School. Congratulations to our athletes and partners on a fantastic season! Thank you to Coach Laural Petit for all of your hard work this season.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
10/4/19
Hello Western Hills community,
We are cruising along here at Western Hills! September is over and there is a lot going on! First quarter Progress Reports will be available on Aspen next Friday.
The first edition of our school newspaper, The Cobra, is attached to this email.
Walkathon
The collection of Walkathon permission slips and donations is going very slowly. The PTO wants to help us out with many activities/programs but some of these may not be possible without the support of Western Hills families. Please have your child turn in their permission slip (even without a donation) and please help support us in the fundraising efforts. Please see the attachments.
Cheer Squad
Do you want to show your Cobra spirit? Come try out for Western Hills Cheerleading on Tuesday 10/15-Thursday 10/17 at 3:30 in the gym! Tryouts will be until 5:30, so please bring water and dress in exercise clothes! Hope to see you there!
Student Council
On Friday, October 11th, we will be holding our speeches and elections for the Student Council Executive Board. Only 8th graders can run for the executive board. However, the teams in all grades will hold elections for their teams representatives to the Student Council.
All grade levels will be listening to and then voting for their choices for the executive board.
After school Orchestra practice
Any students who play the violin, viola, cello or bass can meet every Thursday from 2:20-3:00pm and you can join anytime! Get extra help or playing time with your friends!
All students must have a ride at 3:00pm. Please contact Ms. Richardson with any questions at nrichardson@cpsed.net.
Rhode Island Hospital/Day One
We are in our third year working with RIH/Day One and their program called, “Your Voice Your Data: Preventing Dating and Sexual Violence in Middle Schools.” This year they will be working directly with students, starting with a survey next week. All students will be taking the survey next week unless a parent sends in the attached opt-out form. Click on the link below to see a video with more information about the program:
WHMS Yearbook Club
An informational meeting will be held on Tuesday and Thursday, October 8th and 10th from 2:30-2:50 in room 227. Please make sure you have a ride home. This meeting is for anyone interested in joining the yearbook including returning members. You only have to attend ONE meeting.
Student School Improvement Team
There was a meeting today for any student who would like more information about the Student School Improvement Teamin room 246 from 2:20-2:45. Applications for the Student School Improvement Team are available at the main office. If you have any questions or were not able to attend the meeting, please contact Mrs. Howman at dhowman@cpsed.net.
September Students of the Month
Congratulations to our September Students of the Month! They, along with their parents, will all be invited to breakfast with the October and November students of the month.
Flu clinic
The flu clinic at Western Hills will be taking place on November 6th. Please see the attachments for more information and important forms.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
9/27/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Thank you to all of the parents that came to Open House this week. I hope you left with the feeling that your kids are in good hands here at Western Hills. We are very lucky to have a faculty that goes out of their way, every day, to do what is best for kids.
We would like to stress that, if you or your child have any concerns about anything that is happening here at school, please contact us as soon as possible so that we can help you.
Here are some pictures from Open House:
Walkathon
Our annual Walkathon is quickly approaching. It will take place on October 25th at the track at Cranston West. Please do all you can to support this fundraiser. The PTO uses the funds to support teaching and learning here at Western Hills.
Sports
Our fall sports teams are having great seasons. The boys’ soccer team is currently 4-0-2 and the girls’ are 3-2. The boys’ and girls’ cross country teams both won their first meet this week at Rocky Point and some members of the team will be competing in the Ocean State Invitational this afternoon. The Unified Cross Country team had their first meet yesterday and it was a success for all of our Cobra athletes. Check out the pictures below.
ALICE
On October 28th all of our students will be participating in ALICE training. ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. This is the protocol that we follow in Cranston Public Schools in the event of an intruder in the building. The training will be facilitated by two police officers from the Cranston Police Department.
Student Council
The Student Council is preparing to have their elections for the executive board. This election is only open to 8th graders. All teams (6th, 7th, 8th) also have elections for team representative to the Student Council. Those elections are organized by the team teachers.
The deadline to submit candidate paperwork for 8th grade executive board for Student Council is TUESDAY October 1st! All candidates need their waiver, getting to know you, and letter of intent turned in to Miss McClatchy in Room 218 by the end of the day on 10/1. Your team teachers have the Google Classroom code to give you access to this information.
Learning at Western Hills
Here are a couple of pictures of the classrooms of Mrs. Reardon and Ms. McClathchey utilizing Blended Learning strategies in their teaching.
Don’t forget that there is no school on Monday for the observance of Rosh Hashanah.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
9/21/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Another successful week is wrapped up here at Western Hills! From what I saw over the last couple of days, many classes were having their first quizzes. Hopefully everyone studied…
Don’t forget that school pictures are on Tuesday. You should have received your packets.
Media Club
Our very popular Media Club is now beginning its application process for the 2019-2020 school year. Applications are available at the main office and must be returned to Mrs. Blackburn in room 244 by September 27th.
Open house
Our 6th and 7th grade Open House is on Tuesday 9/24 from 7-9pm and our 8th grade Open House is on 9/25 from 7-9pm. Schedules will be made available to you early next week, prior to the Open House.
PTO
On Thursday night we had our first PTO meeting and we appreciate all of the parents that came out to support our school. The biggest topic of conversation was fundraising. Our first, and biggest, fundraiser, the Walkathon is coming up on October 25th on the track at Cranston High School West. I have attached the information that should have already gone home with your child. Please consider donating to this fundraiser as the PTO uses the money to support teaching and learning here at Western Hills.
Flu Clinic
The flu clinic at Western Hills will be on November 6th in our gym from 4-6:30pm. See the attachment for important information regarding the flu shot and clinics.
Best Buddies
From Mrs. Madsen:
The Best Buddies Friendship Walk is this Sunday at 10 a.m. You can still register for the walk and join the Western Hills Middle School team. Here is the link: RI Best Buddies Friendship Walk.
The deadline for Best Buddies online applications and matching survey is October 1. The date for the matching pizza party for buddies, peer buddies and their parents is TBD. Details/date to follow.
Want to learn more about Best Buddies? Check out this video:
The Best Buddies of WHMS are selling tickets for $5 to the Boscov’s Gala Preview Day. The order form is attached.
PBIS Rewards
On Thursday afternoon we had our first PBIS Rewards Raffle. Using their “Cobra Coins” that they earned during the week, students were able to enter raffles for free ice cream, an Amazon gift card, and the students below got to spend their lunch in the VIP Lounge!
Hello Western Hills Community,
We made it through our first full week of school and things are really starting to come together! This past week students were taking baseline assessments and their STAR assessments in ELA and Math. Teachers will be using the information from these tests to better serve the needs of their students.
Here’s what’s happening at Western Hills Middle School…
PTO
Our Parent Teacher Organization has announced their meetings for the upcoming school year. Please consider coming to the first meeting next Thursday, September 19th. We have a new PTO executive board and they are very excited about the upcoming school year.
The meetings are all held in our library starting at 7:00pm. Here are the dates:
September 19
November 14
January 9
March 12
May 14
June Dinner Meeting (time and place to be determined)
Sports
Both the boys’ and girls’ soccer teams began their playing games this week. The girls are currently 1-1 with a victory over Ricci Middle School and the boys are 2-0 with wins over Hope Highlands and Ricci.
The cross country team is in training and preparing for an upcoming and busy race schedule.
The Unified Cross Country team had a meeting today. If you missed the meeting but still want to participate, please let us know. Be sure to sign up at cpsed.net.
Wrestling
I know it’s not wrestling season yet… for anyone from our wrestling team or anyone that is interested in joining our wrestling team, there is a FREE clinic next Saturday from 10am-2pm at Coventry High School. Not only will participants learn about wrestling they will learn about how wrestling promotes a strong work ethic and how it can positively impact other sports as well.
Cheer Team
I recently sent out a link for cheer signups. We expect to have tryouts sometime in mid-October. Here is the link: https://forms.gle/
Open House
Our Open House is coming up soon. Sixth and seventh grade Open House is on September 24th and 8th grade is on September 25th. Both evenings are from 7 to 9pm. We will send out a detailed schedule next week.
Pictures
School pictures are on September 24th. Forms will go home with students prior to picture day.
School Newspaper
Any students that are interested in joining the school newspaper should attend a brief meeting after school on Wednesday with Mr. Burns.
Best Buddies
There will be a meeting for anyone interested in joining Best Buddies on Wednesday after school in the auditorium. Best Buddies is a program in which regular education students and special education students form friendships and do a variety of activities together.
PBIS Rewards
On Friday MR. Ruggieri met with our 6th grade students to introduce them to our PBIS Rewards program. PBIS stands for Positive Behavior Intervention and Support. Teachers will be able to electronically reward students with “Cobra Coins” when they observe students following the Cobra Code. Students can use the coins to enter raffles for a variety of prizes and to have lunch in our VIP Lounge.
Our Cobra Code Matrix is attached to this email.
Enjoy the weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/31/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Tonight is the night! Our 8th Grade Dance is tonight at the Valley Country Club in Warwick. The dance is from 6:30 to 9:00. Please be sure to pick up your kids promptly at 9:00.
Important Dates
5/31 - 8th grade dance at Valley Country Club
6/4 - Chorus concert, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/6 - Honors Night, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/7 - Music Department field trip to East Longmeadow High School and Six Flags
6/13 - Band Concert, 7:00 Cranston High School West
6/14 - Class Day (permission slips were sent to homerooms this week)
6/17 - Last day of school!
Cranston West Football
Any 8th graders that are interested in playing football should talk to Mr. Milewski.
Cranston West Cross Country
Coaches Cesana and Bucci will be holding a meeting for all students interested in running cross country at Cranston High School West this fall on Thursday, June 6th, 6:30pm at Meshanticut Lake across from the West parking lot. In case of rain, it will be held in the West cafeteria.
Cranston West Girls’ Tennis
If any 8th grade girls are interested in playing tennis at Cranston West in the fall, there is an informational meeting with the team captains on Wednesday after school in the Western Hills auditorium. The meeting will end at 3:00.
Gaspee Days Contest
Mr. Maine sent me some great news this week:
It is with great pleasure and pride that I notify you that, for the second year in a row, the Western Hills Panther team swept the Gaspee Days Essay Contest.
Gabrielle Petrella won 3rd place and will receive $100
Erica Wu took 2nd place and gets $125 and
Dylan Kumes won 1st place and will get $150
All three students will also be riding in the Gaspee Day Parade on June 8th.
Great job, Gabrielle, Erica, and Dylan! Congratulations on this accomplishment and have fun riding in the parade!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/24/19
Hello Western Hills community,
The weather is looking beautiful for the unofficial start of summer as we all head out to cookouts, baseball, softball, and soccer games, and track meets. More importantly, however, we should all pause to remember the members of our military who gave their lives in service to our country.
Important Dates
5/28 - Orchestra Concert, 7:00 at Hope Highlands Middle School
5/30 - 8th grade trip to Lake Compounce
5/31 - 8th grade dance at Valley Country Club (more information coming)
6/4 - Chorus concert, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/6 - Honors Night, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/7 - Music Department field trip to East Longmeadow High School and Six Flags
6/13 - Band Concert, 7:00 Cranston High School West
6/14 - Class Day (more information coming)
6/17 - Last day of school!
Class Day
June 14th is Class Day at Western Hills. The 8th grade will be going to Dave and Buster’s, the 7th grade is going to Teamworks, and the 6th grade is going to the Showcase Cinemas. The Western Hills PTO is sponsoring these events and permission slips will be coming out early next week. Since it expensive to run these trips, the PTO will be asking for donations to help defray the costs.
Poetry winners
Recently, there was a poetry contest here at Western Hills. Here are the winning poems by some very talented young writers:
As the song brings life
A soft melody is cradled by the wind,
as the whispering tune passes by.
Swaying shadows dance through the night,
as the song brings life to the sky.
The moon consumes your attention,
and jealous clouds smudge the sight.
The sky becomes freckled with stars,
as the song brings life to the night.
Dew drops chime like church bells,
as buzzing bees rumble the beat.
Deep yellow eyes stare from the dark,
as the song brings life it sings sweet.
The river sings sad, and saplings swing tired,
as the blaze of the sun slowly rises.
The stars begin to dim and the sun croons goodbye,
as the sound of the leaving night is recognized...
Isabella Dinobile 6th grade
Spring’s First Bloom
The ground is barren, well not really, but mostly snow.
It felt like Autumn was just a few years ago.
Kids pick up their snow balls, They play and start to throw.
Something caught my eye, right there it would just glow.
A happy little sunflower, dancing with the wind’s flow.
A chilly gust of air strikes a sudden blow.
But the flower doesn’t fall, no it starts to grow.
As i wondered why it was alone I realize it wasn’t going solo.
There were more flowers growing, like a colorful show.
The Kids decided ,after all, to let the snoballs go.
In the sky you could see an engaging rainbow.
I saw everything expand, the pace not going slow.
Everything growing fastly, like a slideshow.
The ice would ,melt all the way to the river, and water would flow.
All the kids watch with me, their faces describing whoa.
At this time, we should already know
That the spring’s first bloom gave us a warm hello.
Measuring Cups
You are enough.
You are strong enough. Maybe in muscle, mind or soul.
You are pretty enough.
You don’t need to set a reminder on your phone to know what you are, to know what you hold.
You are brave enough.
You can do what you can and try something new, there are no expectations, it’s all up to you.
You are smart enough.
It’s going to be hard. Write your own name on your paper because you aren’t someone else.
Your money is enough.
The red price tag on your clothes is nothing to your worth. Your value is more than a digit.
Your body, your work, your looks, and your friends, you are enough, but most importantly you are yourself because there are no measurements in the world of us.
Alexandra Cowart 8th grade
Cranston West Boys’ Hockey
If you have a son that is interested in playing hockey at Cranston West next year, feel free to contact Coach Brannon:
mattbrannon8812@gmail.com or 401-641-7852.
Sports
Congratulations to both our boys’ and girls’ track teams as both team finished in fourth in their respective divisions at the RI State Championship last weekend in Narragansett. Western Hills had many medalists in several events that day. However, two athletes really stood out - Blake Santos was the state champion in the boys 800m and 1500m races and Ailani Sutherland was the girls’ state champion in the 100 meters and also 2nd in the 200m.
The other Cobras that placed that day were:
Patrick McDonough - 5th 1500m
Vinny Merlino, Makai Teixiera, Nick Williams, Diego Alvarez- 2nd 4X100m
Vinny Merlino - 2nd 100m, 4th 200m
Dimitri LeBlanc, Chris Kendra, Maikai, Teixiera, Blake Santos - 6th 4X400m
Ailani Sutherland, Praise Mayson, Quiana Mayson, Gabby Valletta - 2nd 4X100m
Quiana Mayson - 2nd 400m
Javeah Adamo, Julia Saccoccio, Grayce D’Errico, and Juliana Andrus - 5th 4X400
Claryssa Panayotti - 6th Discus
The baseball and softball teams begin the playoffs this week!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/17/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Fourth quarter progress reports were made available on Aspen this morning. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher or guidance counselor. The Guidance Office can be contacted at 270-8033.
Important Dates
5/28 - Orchestra Concert, 7:00 at Hope Highlands Middle School
5/30 - 8th grade trip to Lake Compounce
5/31 - 8th grade dance at Valley Country Club (more information coming)
6/4 - Chorus concert, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/6 - Honors Night, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/7 - Music Department field trip to East Longmeadow High School and Six Flags
6/13 - Band Concert, 7:00 Cranston High School West
6/14 - Class Day (more information coming)
6/17 - Last day of school!
National Junior Honor Society
This past week we inducted a new group of students into the Western Hills chapter of the National Junior Honor Society. We are very proud of the students and their hard work and achievements. As a group, they represent the best of Western Hills Middle School.
We are also very grateful to Mrs. DiChiaro, the adviser of NJHS, who worked tirelessly this year to make sure that all went well.
Pathways and World Languages for 2019-2020
Over the last couple of days, 6th and 7th grade students have had the opportunity to select their Pathway courses for next year. Sixth graders have also selected either Italian or Spanish for their World Language choice. I have attached a course description of all of the Pathways classes. Students that did not get the opportunity to do this in school can do this over the weekend from home.
Outgoing President
Gina Ginolfi has been leading our PTO as president for the last few years and now her time here at Western Hills is coming to an end. Under her leadership, students and teachers have benefited greatly as the PTO has supported teaching and learning here at Western Hills Middle School. We cannot thank her enough (and the rest of the PTO) for her tireless efforts and the countless hours that she has given to our school.
Also, I would like thank Elizabeth Andreozzi for all she has done as well. She will be stepping down as our Treasurer.
Is there a doctor in the house?
Congratulations to our very own Angela Palazini, special education teacher here at Western Hills! She recently earned her PhD from Rhode Island College. Great job, DR. Palazini!
Is spring finally here? Let’s hope so! Looks like we have a beautiful weekend ahead. I hope everyone has the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the weather (before it’s 90 and humid!).
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/10/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
As of Monday, we will be halfway through the 4th quarter. Progress reports will be available on Aspen on Friday, May 17th.
This is the busiest time of year at Western Hills Middle School. Here is a list of important dates:
5/15 - National Junior Honor Society Induction, 3:30 at Western Hills
5/28 - Orchestra Concert, 7:00 at Hope Highlands Middle School
5/30 - 8th grade trip to Lake Compounce
5/31 - 8th grade dance at Valley Country Club (more information coming)
6/4 - Chorus concert, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/6 - Honors Night, 7:00 at Cranston High School West
6/7 - Music Department field trip to East Longmeadow High School and Six Flags
6/13 - Band Concert, 7:00 Cranston High School West
6/14 - Class Day (more information coming)
6/17 - Last day of school!
Best Buddies
Our inaugural year of the Best Buddies program has been a great success thanks to the hard work and dedication of Mrs. Bilodeau, Mrs. Madsen, and several other volunteers. Thank you to Mrs. Tucci for sending me these photos from a recent Best Buddies get together.
Sports
The spring sports season continues to roll on. The girls’ softball team is currently tied for second with a record of 6-1 and the boys’ baseball team is sitting in third place with a record of 7-3. Both teams should be in a good position to make a strong run in the playoffs.
Congratulations to the boys’ track team for winning the Cranston City Championship this week. Great job our girls for taking second to Park View.
Good luck to both track teams as they prepare for the Division Championship on Monday at Exeter-West Greenwich High School.
Super Student Teacher and Mentor
Recently, our Italian teacher, Mrs. Hazard and her student teacher, Ms. O”Brien, were honored at the University of Rhode Island for “Excellence in Education”. Ms. O’Brien did an excellent job teaching Italian classes under the expert mentorship of Senora Hazard. And, now, we are fortunate and very happy to have Ms. O’Brien staying at Western Hills for the next few weeks as a long term substitute in a Technology class!
Hello Western Hills Community,
It was a very busy week here at Western Hills… Spirit Week, 5th grade visits, ThinkFast…
This week we welcomed our incoming 6th graders and their parents. Our Student Council were incredible ambassadors for our school as they gave tours of the building. Our Student Council Executive Board held a question and answer session for the students after the tours. I cannot say enough about how valuable that these four girls are for Western Hills. Thank you, Gabby, Tianah, Molly, and Alex for all that you do for the Cobra community!
As part of the presentation to the 5th grade parents and students, our Social Media club made a video showcasing all of the great (and sometimes goofy) things that happen at Western Hills. Check it out in the link below:
RICAS testing
RICAS testing begins on Monday. I will try to remind families and students the day before they test. Please make sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep and a healthy breakfast. If they do not have time for breakfast at home, they can get breakfast for free here at school.
The first test is on Monday and it is ELA for team 6A, the King Cobras.
Spirit Week
This week was spirit week and I had so much fun watching kids getting out of their cars in very funny costumes everyday. Many of our teachers got into it as well! Thank you to our Student Council for organizing this fun week! Take a look at some of the fun costumes from the week. I’m sure that you will see a few more on our Facebook and Instagram.
ThinkFast
On Wednesday, our 8th grade saw a presentation sponsored by the RI Department of Transportation called ThinkFast. The presentation was about the dangers of distracted driving. Yes, those kids are only turning 14, but they will be driving in just a couple of years.
ThinkFast is an interactive program in which kids made up groups of 3-4 and answered questions about driving and pop culture. Our winning team won $100 in Amazon gift certificates!
Poetry contest
See below for our 2nd annual Poetry Contest:
Western Hills Middle School
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”― Leonardo da Vinci
Poetry Contest Guidelines:
Contest Dates: April 1st - 26th All submissions due by the end of school Friday, April 26th.
All poems must be your original work.
Poem Format
Choose any style of poetry that you like for example free verse, haiku, rhyming poems, cinquains, or diamante. Poetry can be written in any poetic style and on any topic that is school appropriate
Begin with a creative title for your poem.
Type your poem, single-spaced in 14-point font, using any style that inspires you
Double space between stanzas.
How to Enter:
Print two copies of your poem( one with your name and one copy without) and submit both copies to your ELA teacher.
Prizes: The winners, chosen from each grade, will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift card.
Judging and Other Information:
Poems will be judged by WHMS staff.
Poems will be judged on title, content, originality, creativity and poetic style.
Finally, the latest edition of our student newspaper, The Cobra, is attached to this email.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
3/15/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Thank you to the parents that were able to attend our Student of the Month Breakfast this morning. It was very nice to have such a large group of parents in the building for a fun event.
Congratulations to Mr. Fortier and the two school bands for a fantastic performance this past Tuesday night!
Progress Reports for the third quarter were made available on Aspen last Friday. If you have not already done so, please be sure to take a look at your child’s progress. If you have any questions or concerns regarding grades or if you cannot access Aspen, please call the guidance office at 270-8033 or the main office at 270-8030.
Our Talent Show is tonight at 7:00 pm. Because of the limited seating, you must have a ticket to get into the show.
Message from the Superintendent
Please see the message below from our Superintendent:
As you may be aware, in the November 2018 election, 79.1% of Cranston voters supported the state bond for school construction. In order to be eligible for reimbursement from the state for school construction, Cranston is ready to submit a plan to the Rhode Island Department of Education for our school improvements. Over the past year, we have collaborated with Fielding Nair International (FNI) working within our community to develop a plan for future school improvements and construction. Many of you, along with your children, have participated in these discussions. We are grateful for all of the input you have offered in this effort.
After several months of meetings and discussions with staff, students, families and community members, a 5-year capital improvement plan was developed. This plan outlines new construction plans and/or improvements to several schools. While this is just the beginning of our efforts to improve Cranston's schools, it offers exciting and innovative changes that, upon completion will reach over 3,000 students. Sadly, for decades we have not been able to address facility concerns with a wide-ranging, thoughtful plan. The opportunity to start doing that is here!
On Monday, March 18 at 6:00pm in the Cranston High School East auditorium, the Cranston School Committee will be voting on the 5 year capital improvement plan for our schools. Any support you can offer at this meeting, by your presence or by speaking in support of the plan would be appreciated. (We have executive session beginning at 6:00, the public meeting usually commences at 6:30).
Thank you,
Jeannine Nota-Masse
Allergies and spring athletes
Please see the message below from our school nurse, Mrs. Quinn:
As spring sports get underway, this is a good time to remind parents of the importance of speaking with their child's coach with respect to ANY medical condition that may require attention while your child is participating in the after school sport activity. It is the responsibility of the parent to notify the coach of any medical condition that would warrant attention while your child is playing an after-school sport. Since the school is closed, there is no nurse OR access to any medication that may be in the health office during the day. Please make sure that the coach is aware of any condition such as asthma that may require an inhaler or any allergy such as a bee sting allergy (as spring approaches), to ensure the safety of our students. It is also the responsibility of the parent to let the coach know where the medication is for your child in the event that it would be needed.
“Your Change Will Make a Change” MS Dream Center
We are collecting change in each of the homerooms, starting next week, in support of MS Awareness Month on behalf of the MS Dream Center. The homeroom that collects the most change will be awarded a pizza party and the homeroom teacher may also be eligible for an award!
World Down Syndrome Day
Please see the attachment for a fundraiser for World Down Syndrome Day.
School Committee Meeting
In addition to the 5 year capital improvement plan that will be discussed at the school committee meeting, a number of Western Hills students will be honored at this meeting including our girls’ basketball team, the CyberSecurity team, Sarah Chin (art), and Luke Montefusco (wrestling).
Unified Basketball
The first home game for the Unified Basketball game is next Thursday at 3:30. If you want to have the most fun that you have ever had at a basketball game, come watch these awesome kids on the court!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
3/1/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
Things are getting real for our 8th graders… this week they met with Mr. Barbieri and Mr. Fontaine from Cranston High School West about the opportunities at their school. Our guidance counselors will be assisting the 8th graders with their course selections over the next few weeks. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s guidance counselor with any questions or concerns about their high school schedule. The phone number to our Guidance Office 270-8033.
If you have not seen it, here is the presentation from West - bit.ly/CHSW2020Transition.
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast will be held on March 15th at 8:15am in our cafeteria. Students that were selected as students of the month will be receiving invitations for them and their parents.
As of Monday, we will be half way through the 3rd quarter. Progress Reports will be available on Aspen next Friday.
Surveyworks
We would appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete this year’s Surveyworks. This is an opportunity for parents to voice their opinion of the many facets of Western Hills Middle School. Please see the attached letter for more information. The link to get to the survey is - https://surveys.panoramaed.
Talent show
This year’s Talent Show will take place here at Western Hills on March 15th at 7:00. Ticket sales are very limited. We will begin selling to students for $5 during lunches all of next week.
Yearbooks
Yearbook sales will be ending on March 15th. Please order in advance as we cannot guarantee any copies will be available at the end of the school year for students who did not purchase online. They can be purchased at this link.
Cybersecurity Team at the State House
This past Tuesday, our Cybersecurity Team was honored at the Rhode Island State House for all of their accomplishments this year. We want to express our gratitude to Senator Gallo, Speaker Mattiello, and Representative Millea for the warm welcome and a very enjoyable experience.
We Love Our Teachers!
As you can imagine, being a teacher is NOT easy! This week our teachers came to school and were greeted by some very nice notes on their classroom doors from their students. Here are a few of them:
Our teachers are not here for the accolades. They are here because they care about kids and love what they do. However, I know that they really appreciated these simple, but yet very touching, tokens of appreciation.
Sports
Spring sports are starting and all students that want to participate in Unified Basketball, baseball, softball, or track and field MUST sign-up online at cpsed.net. Students that do not sign-up online will not be allowed to participate. All required forms must also be turned in prior to participation.
Our track coach, Mrs. Renzulli, is looking for more athletes to join track and field. She told me yesterday that there will be no cuts from track and field.
“Your Change Will Make a Change” MS Dream Center
We are collecting change in each of the homerooms, starting next week, in support of MS Awareness Month on behalf of the MS Dream Center. The homeroom that collects the most change will be awarded a pizza party and the homeroom teacher may also be eligible for an award!
Cranston Loves Cranston
Our food donation box is still in front of our main office. Please consider bringing in non-perishable food items to help needy families right here in our community.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
2/15/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
It’s hard to believe but we are already at February vacation week! School will be closed next week and we will start again on February 25th. Here’s what’s happening at Western Hills Middle School...
First Annual Kahoot Competition
Thank you, so much, to our Student Council Executive Board for putting on an incredible Kahoot Competition! The 6th and 7th grade students had a great time time. Congratulations to our winners! They were:
6th grade: 3rd place, Greta Rotmer; 2nd place Mia Santomassimo; 1st Diane Orelano and Grace Andreozzi
7th grade: 3rd place, Dylan Almonte; 2nd place Olivia Giusti; 1st place Simone Brown
The winners received gift cards from either Dairy Queen, Dominoes, or Amazon!
Cranston High School West Orientation
You are invited to attend the annual CHSW Student and Parent Orientation on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Please review this flyer for all of the information that pertains to this event.
Yearbook
Yearbooks are still on sale (although not for much longer). Yearbooks need to be purchased in advance and will not be available for purchase at the end of the year. They can be bought here for $25.
Sign-up for spring sports
Spring sports can officially start practices and/or tryouts on March 4th. Anyone that wants to participate in baseball, softball, track and field, or Unified Basketball MUST sign-up online at cpsed.net. Click on Students and then on Athletics and then look for Middle School Information and then Register.
Have a great vacation! Have fun, stay safe, read a book, get some exercise…
Tim Vesey, Principal
2/8/19
Hello Western Hills Community
,
Congratulations to Coach Bob DeCosta and the Cobra girls’ basketball team for a fantastic season. They were the Division Champions and advanced to the state Final Four. It was so much fun watching these amazing group of young ladies play their hearts out all season.
If your son or daughter wants to sign-up for a spring sport (baseball, softball, Unified Basketball, track and field) they will have to wait until some time next week. There is an issue with the online sign-up page.
Here’s what’s going on at Western Hills…
Cell Phones? In the cafeteria?? Seriously???
Although we really like that students actually talk to each other during lunch, we know that they would love to be able to check their phone during lunch (just like us, right?). Next Friday, our National Junior Honor Society is sponsoring “Bring Your Device to Lunch”. For $1, students will be allowed to use their electronic devices during lunch in the cafeteria. Students that pay the $1 will be given a sticker that must displayed in an area that is easily seen. As always, proper electronic device use is expected at all times and students will be subjected to discipline procedures for improper use of technology. Student are NOT to contact other students that are in class while they are at lunch.
Money collected from this fundraiser will to helping NJHS run their programs.
School newspaper
The latest edition of our school newspaper, “The Cobra”, is attached to this email. Check it out!
Baseball meeting
There will be a meeting on Monday, 2/11, after school in the auditorium, for anyone interested in trying out for the baseball team.
Annual Dodgeball Tournament
Here we go again… the annual Dodgeball Tournament! The tournament will take place on February 12-15th. The 6th grade will compete on 2/12, the 7th grade will compete on 2/13, and the 8th grade will compete on 2/14. The top teams from each day will be brought back on Friday, 2/15, for the school championship. Parent and student spectators are welcome each day. There is an admission fee of $2 for all spectators. Students from other schools are NOT permitted without an adult.
Parents that come to school to watch will not be permitted into the building until 2:40 pm each day. Western Hills student spectators will wait in the auditorium before being allowed into the gym.
If your child is either attending or participating, please plan on picking them up by 4:30 each day. In order to attend or participate, students must be academically eligible.
Unified Basketball
The first practice for Unified Basketball is on February 26th from 2:30-3:30. Unified Basketball is a collaborative sport between special education students (players) and regular education students (partners). Anyone interested in signing up must do so through the Cranston Public Schools website - cpsed.net (once it is up and running again). Click on Students and then Athletics. All necessary paperwork must be completed. Any student that has previously played or tried out for a sport (an turned in the paperwork) does not need to turn it in again. Students that played last year do not need to fill out the Assumption of Risk Form again.
Cranston Love Cranston
Western Hills is participating in the “Cranston Loves Cranston” food drive that is being sponsored by BASICS. There is a box outside of our main office where students or parents can place donations of non-perishable food items. Please be as generous as you can so we can fill that box (hopefully several times) and help those in need right here in our own community.
National Junior Honor Society
Please see the information below from Mrs. DiChiaro regarding National Junior Honor Society:
Hello 7th and 8th Grade Students and Families,
It is an exciting time of year! Now that second quarter is complete, any student interested in applying for membership into the National Junior Honor Society can begin the process by visiting www.westernhillsnjhs.weebly.
National Junior Honor Society is not just about good grades.
Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: citizenship, character, leadership, scholarship and service. Students are selected for membership by majority vote of a five-member principal-appointed faculty council, which bestows this honor upon qualified students on behalf of the faculty of our school each year.
All the information and application packets can be printed from the weebly page. There is a packet to log hours of service, leadership, clubs, awards, etc., along with adult recommendation forms. If you experience any trouble accessing the packets and forms, please have your student see me in room 009.
Packets and two Adult Recommendation Forms will be due Early April. Once completed, a five member teacher board will review applications and determine eligibility. Students will then be notified and an induction ceremony will be held in May.
Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Warm Regards,
Rachael DiChiaro
Western Hills National Junior Honor Society Adviser
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
As of last Friday, we are halfway through the school year! Second quarter Report Cards are now available on Aspen. Log onto Aspen and look for Published Reports on the opening page. Please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher(s) or guidance counselor with any concerns about grades.
Surveyworks
We would appreciate you taking a few minutes to complete this year’s Surveyworks. This is an opportunity for students and parents to voice their opinion of the many facets of Western Hills Middle School. Please see the attached letter for more information. The link to get to the survey is - https://surveys.panoramaed.
Sports
The boys’ basketball team’s season came to a close on Tuesday with a loss to the always tough Curtis Corner Middle School. Coach Ormand and the boys had a great season and they should be proud of their accomplishments.
The girls’ basketball team entered the playoffs on Thursday and also played against Curtis Corner. It was another exciting, stressful game and our girls came out on top, winning 34-33. The girls now move onto the Final Four and will take on Ponaganset at the South Kingstown Rec Center on Tuesday at 6:00 pm.
The wrestling team sent their JV wrestlers to the RI Middle School Futures Tournament last weekend at Coventry High School and came away with a some hardware. Congratulations to our place winners:
Henry Prendergast -1st at 100 lbs.
Baker Kattan-1st at 112 lbs.
Collin Khanjari- 2nd at 126 lbs.
Jared Prior- 2nd at 70 lbs.
Omar Kattan - 5th at 94 lbs.
Adrian Samayoa- 8th at 140 lbs.
By placing in top 3, Henry, Baker, Colin, and Jared have qualified to join our varsity wrestlers at the State Championship!
This weekend the varsity wrestling teams traveled to Ponaganset High School for the Rhode Island Middle School State Championship. Our Cobra wrestlers finished in 9th place out of 30 teams. Our individual place finishers were:
Vincent Merlino- 6th, 165 lbs.
Baker Kattan- 5th, 112lbs.
Matt DeFusco- 2nd, 133 lbs.
Luke Montefusco- 1st, RI STATE CHAMPION!! 119 lbs.
Cybersecurity Team
Congratulations to our Cybersecurity team for placing 1st and 2nd in RI the middle school division, and good luck to our Cybersecurity team as they compete in the National Cybersecurity Semifinals this weekend at New England Tech. They are currently ranked 49th out of over 600 middle schools nationwide.
Vaping Assemblies
Vaping and juuling are a growing problem among teenagers in our state. Many students probably are not aware of the severe health consequences from taking part in this. On February 13 and 14, our 8th graders will be taking part in a presentation and discussion on this important topic.
Hello Western Hills community,
Here’s what’s happening at Western Hills...
Future Falcon Open House
Things are moving quickly for our 8th graders. Recently, they had a presentation from the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center (CACTC). Applications are available in our guidance office and online at their website - https://www.cpsed.net/cactc/.
Soon, 8th grade teachers will be beginning their recommendations and our guidance counselors will be helping students with their course selections.
On January 27 is the Future Falcon Open House. See the flyer below for more information.
2019 Scholastic Arts Award
Sarah Chin, a 7th grader here at Western Hills, has been awarded the Gold Key Art Award, for Comic Art, with her work titled, “Changes in Matter”. Her work will be on display at Salve Regina University from February 3rd to the 17th. Right now, her work is being reviewed in New York City. This is a great honor. Congratulations Sarah on your achievement!
CyberPatriot Team
The Western Hills Cyberpatriot team is doing amazing things! Our WHMS team scored 189 points to put them at number 175 out of 3853 teams participating. This includes high school and middle school teams. Congratulations, students and Mrs. Wayles, on all of your hard work and dedication!
Sports
The winter sports season is winding down and we head to postseason competition. The wrestling team is finishing up it last few matches and then they will be taking part in the Futures Tournament and the State Championship.
The boys’ basketball team enters the playoffs as the number 2 and will have a bye in the first round. Great job by Coach Ormand and the boys and good luck in the playoffs.
The girls’ basketball team won in dramatic fashion last week to capture the Division Championship and the number one seed for the playoffs. Congratulations to Coach DeCosta and the girls on their undefeated regular season! Good luck in the playoffs!
1/14/19
Hello Western Hills Community,
This Thursday, January 17, is our next PTO meeting. As one of the topics, I will be talking about Western Hills’ RICAS scores.
Here’s what is going on at Western Hills MS…
Future Falcon Open House
Things are moving quickly for our 8th graders. Recently, they had a presentation from the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center (CACTC). Applications are available in our guidance office and online at their website - https://www.cpsed.net/cactc/.
Soon, 8th grade teachers will be beginning their recommendations and our guidance counselors will be helping students with their course selections.
On January 27 is the Future Falcon Open House. See the flyer below for more information.
Geography Bee
Last week we held our annual Geography Bee. A representative from each team in the building competed in the contest. Finishing in third place was Aaron Chmura, in second place was Henry Cheng, and our 2019 Geography Bee Champion was Ian Abatecola!
Sports
Our winter sports teams are pushing through their seasons and looking towards the postseason. Currently, our boys have a record of 7-1 with their only loss coming from cross town rival, Park View. The girls’ basketball team is undefeated and in a tie for first place with Ponaganset Middle School. These two undefeated teams will meet next Thursday here at Western Hills. Let’s pack the gym and cheer the girls on to a division title!
The wrestling team is currently 2-1 with a very busy calendar coming up this week. The Cobras lost a close match to the very tough Nathaniel Greene MS on Friday.
Have a great week! Go Pats!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
It was a short week, so it’s a short Weekly Update…
Commissioner Wagner of the Rhode Island Department of Education
We are happy to welcome Commissioner Ken Wagner to Cranston on January 16, from 4:00-5:00 in the Cranston High School East library. All are invited to this community conversation.
Cranston Area Career and Technical Center
Today Mr. Farrell, the director of CACTC, came to Western Hills along with some students to talk about the CACTC programs next door attached to Cranston West. Eighth graders are now able to apply for these exciting programs.
Congratulations!
Outstanding job by Coach DeCosta and the Western Hills girls’ basketball team as they won the Cranston Holiday Tournament last week! Eighth grader Maylina Cotto-Santiago was named the MVP of the Tournament!
12/21/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
Phew… we made it! I hope that everyone has a relaxing, fun, and safe holiday season.
Progress reports came out today and are available on Aspen. Log into Aspen and scroll down to Published Reports. If you have any questions or concerns about the Progress Report, please do not hesitate to contact your child’s teachers, guidance counselor, or administration.
Great job by both our orchestra and chorus as they both performed this week. Thank you to Ms. Richardson and Ms. Norton for all of their hard work. Thank you, students, for your effort and dedication!
Yearbooks
Just a reminder that there's only one more week left to buy yearbooks at the discounted price of $22. Yearbooks can be purchased through this link. After the first of the year, this price will go up.
Door Decorating
Our faculty, staff, and students had a blast with the Door Decorating Contest that was sponsored by our Student Council. Here are just a few of the many creative doors:
Hello Western Hills Community,
Only one more week… next Friday is the last day of school and then we will be on vacation. School will resume on January 2nd. On Friday December 21st, 2nd quarter Progress Reports will be available on Aspen (just in time for the Holidays, kids!) and student RICAS scores will be going home with students that day as well.
Our Orchestra and Chorus are both performing next week. Here are the dates, times, and locations:
December 17- Chorus Field Trip to Statehouse. 10:30 am
December 18 - Orchestra Concert, 7:00 pm at the Cranton West Auditorium
December 20 - Chorus Concert, 7:00 pm at the Cranton West Auditorium
Yesterday our boys’ basketball team played a home game and we are always happy to have so many of our students attend the game and support their friends and classmates on the team. However, as you can see from the picture below, a giant mess was left under the bleachers where a majority of students were sitting. This is completely unacceptable and very disrespectful to the custodian that has to clean the gym and have it ready for the next group to come in and use that space. He often only has a few minutes to clean up.
Please be respectful and follow the Cobra Code when you attend events at WHMS.
Yearbooks
Just a reminder that there's only one more school week left to buy yearbooks at the discounted price of $22. Yearbooks can be purchased through this link. After the first of the year, this price will go up.
Sports
The winter sports season is underway and our teams are making Western Hills proud. The wrestling team is currently 1-1 and getting some top notch performances from some veterans wrestlers and some new ones as well. Both the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams are currently 4-0 which included wins by both teams yesterday over inter-city rival Hope Highlands!
Junior Achievement Career Exploration Fair
Last week, our 8th graders had the opportunity to attend the Junior Achievement Career Exploration Fair at Rhode Island Convention Center. According to both teachers and students, it was a fantastic experience. Many students told me that the only thing that they did not like was that they wanted to stay there longer! Check out the pictures below:
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
11/16/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
I am always amazed at how quickly the school year goes by and here we are...Thanksgiving already!
Report cards are available on Aspen on your homepage. Scroll down to where you see “Published Reports”. You may see two report cards. We had to re-publish report cards due to some changes that needed to be made. Not all report cards changed.
Picture retakes will be taking place on November 26th. Forms are available in the main office.
Trinity- “A Christmas Carol”
Recently, a number of our students had the opportunity to attend “A Christmas Carol” at Trinity. One of Western Hills talented students was in the play and got to perform in front of his classmates and teachers… on his birthday! Great job, Alonso!
Yearbook Sales
Yearbooks are currently on-sale. They will be on sale for the low price of $22 through the end of the calendar year. You can purchase them by clicking this link.
9th Annual Pajama Drive
Please see the message below from Ms. Budz regarding the Pajama Drive:
It is time for our ninth Holiday Pajama Drive here at Western Hills! ALL collected pajamas will go the Cranston Family Center. There seems to be a greater need for them every year. Please consider donating a pair of NEW pajamas sizes infant - teen. One piece pajamas (with feet) or a set (top/bottom) are what we are looking for. Pajamas will be collected during Advisory starting Friday, November 30th, December 7th and December 14th. We thank you in advance for your generosity!
So, while you are out shopping on Black Friday, please consider our pajama drive. Every year we have excellent participation in this drive and we want to continue that tradition.
Western Hills National Junior Honor Society
Now that the first quarter grades are in, it is time to start thinking about National Junior Honor Society. As we get closer to the end of the 2nd quarter, we will send out dates for when materials are due and the date of ceremonies. It might be a good idea for potential candidates to start thinking about their community service hours. Please see the message below from the NJHS adviser, Mrs. DiChiaro:
Membership is open to those students in 7th and 8th grade who meet the required standards in 5 areas of evaluation:
Scholarship, Service, Leadership, Character and Citizenship.
For the scholarship criterion, students must have a "B" (or above) average in all classes. After the 2nd quarter is complete, those students with all "B's" for 2 consecutive quarters are eligible to apply for membership. Please remember that scholarship is only one of the 5 criteria for membership. For complete information and guidelines, please refer to the following link:
Congratulations!
Congratulations to 7th grader Leah Trek for being selected to All State Orchestra for the violin. It is very competitive to get a spot on the All State Orchestra. Great job, Leah! Everyone at Western Hills and especially your orchestra teacher, Mrs. Richardson, are very happy and excited for you!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Tim Vesey, Principal
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Hello Western Hills community,
Thank you to all of you that participated in and contributed to our Go Orange can drive to help provide meals to those in need in our community.
Cheer Team
The Western Hills Cheer Team is hosting a fundraiser at The Big Cheese on Wednesday from 5-9 pm. Please see the attached flyer, which you need to bring in order for the team to get the donation.
School newspaper - The Cobra
It’s back! The first edition of the school newspaper, The Cobra, is out and attached to this email. Great job by the new staff putting this together.
Best Buddies
As you know, Western Hills is starting a Best Buddies chapter. Here is some information that Mrs. Madsen asked me to share with you:
Here are a few videos to help students understand the goal of Best Buddies. Lots more information can be found at: https://www.bestbuddies.org/
Come and join the friendship revolution!
Winter Sports
For any boys interested in trying out for the basketball team, there will be a quick, informational meeting after school on Monday for about 15-20 minutes in the auditorium.
Here is the tryout schedule for the boys’ team. Tryouts will be from 4:00-5:30.
Tues Nov 13 - 6th-7th graders
Wed Nov 14 - 8th graders
Thu Nov 15 morning first cut posted in cafeteria
Thu Nov 15 - last day of tryouts for remaining players
Fri Nov 16 morning final roster posted in cafeteria
Fri Nov 16 - first practice
Information about girls’ basketball and wrestling will be coming out soon.
It’s been reported that the middle school sign up link is not working for winter sports. Please use the link under the four middle schools’ logo. The one on the top left is an invalid link that is supposed to be removed.
10/26/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
Today our candidates for student government here at WHMS delivered their campaign speeches to their fellow 8th graders. The speeches will be made available to the 6th and 7th graders online prior to the whole-school election early next week.
Best Buddies
As we mentioned last week, we are starting a Best Buddies Program here at Western Hills. Please see the attached letter for more information and instructions on joining. The instruction are also listed below:
Membership Application Instructions:
- Click on the “Membership Application” tab and click on Middle School
3. If you are a new member, click on “New Member” and select continue. If you are a returning member, click returning and log-in with your username and password
4. Select Rhode Island as the state and your school (Western Hills Middle School) and fill out all information below, click “Proceed to next page”
5. Continue to fill out all applicable information, indicating your desired role in Best Buddies. (Buddy, Peer Buddy, Associate) *Selected officers, please also indicate officer role*
6. Parent/guardian must give consent for the student under age 18 by providing either an online signature, email or complete an offline consent form
7. Click submit when all information is complete. Faculty Advisors & Chapter President will review all information
Sports
After their success in a must win situation and then a playoff victory, the girls’ soccer team lost yesterday, 1-0, to Wickford Middle School and were eliminated from the playoffs. Congratulations to Coach Caitlin Jackson and the girls for a fun and exciting season.
The boys’ soccer team had their first playoff win yesterday over North Smithfield by a score of 4-1. The Cobras move on in the playoffs and will host the number 6 seed, Cole MS of East Greenwich on Monday at 3:30.
Good luck to our boys’ and girls’ cross country teams as they head to Ponagansett on Monday afternoon for the State Championship.
Winter Sports sign-ups
Sign-ups for winter sports (basketball and wrestling) are now up and available at cpsed.net.
Card from Colonel Fredric M. Mellor family
A couple of days ago I received this card in the mail from the family of Colonel Fredric M. Mellor thanking us for standing out on Phenix Avenue as his procession went by our school. I feel honored that our school was able to do that for his family.
School Improvement Team (SIT) for students
Students….who wants to get involved? Would you enjoy working after school with teachers and other students to make Western Hills an even better place to learn? If so, please consider joining our School Improvement Team (SIT)!
This year we will be adding students to our School Improvement Team. A School Improvement Team is a group of teachers, administrators, students, and parents who work collaboratively to coordinate school-improvement initiatives. Members of the committee will have the opportunity to take part in decisions geared toward improving our school environment in several areas including classroom culture, positive student behavior and academic success for all learners. The committee has already established a school improvement plan and the School Improvement Team will make that plan come alive by setting goals and working together to achieve these goals. If you are interested, please listen for an announcement next week to find out how you can get involved.
Have a great weekend! Go Sox!
Tim Vesey, Principal
10/19/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
It’s been a week of sleep deprivation but at least we have a few nights of sleep until the World Series starts!
Walkathon
Today we had our annual Walkathon. Once again, our Western Hills Community came through by raising a total of $10,370.09! Thank you to all of you that donated. Our PTO will use those funds, as they always do, to support teaching and learning at WH. Thank you to the PTO volunteers who took time out of their day today to help us make this a success. Congratulations to our top three students in collecting donations. The PTO awarded them with gift certificates to the Warwick Mall!
- $480 Tyler Lariviere ($150 mall gift certificate)
- $225 Amaya Gallant ($75 mall gift certificate)
- $190 Juliana Duarte ( $50 mall gift certificate)
We had a great time at the Walkathon today- the weather was beautiful and everyone enjoyed the fresh air and exercise! To see how much fun we had, check out the video below. Thank you, Mrs. Blackburn and the Social Media Club, for putting this together so quickly! This video really captures the spirit of Western Hills with our amazing kids and staff.
Election Day
On the November 6, 2018 ballot you will see State Bond Question #1 named “School Buildings Bond Measure.” In order to fund $250 million in repairs, renovations, replacement of RI School Buildings, we ask you to please consider this bond when you vote.
Flu Clinic
Western Hills will be hosting our annual FLU CLINIC on Thursday, November 8 from 4-6:30 PM in our gymnasium. You can register online at www.schoolflu.com, but registration is not required to attend. If you have insurance, please bring your card. There will be NO out-of-pocket cost for anyone; if you do not have insurance, you can still receive the flu shot. All students, staff, and family members from all schools can attend this flu clinic.
Cross Country
Congratulations to our boys’ cross country teams for winning the City Championship! Blake Santos was the individual boys’ champion and he set a course record while taking the victory!
Both the boys’ and girls’ teams are now preparing for the Division and State Championships.
The Unified Cross Country team finished up their season this week at North Kingstown High School. Aidin Gregorzek, once again, was the overall winner! Congratulations to all of the athletes and partners on a great season.
Soccer
The boys’ soccer team finished the regular season as the division Co-Champions and now have a first round bye in the playoffs. The girls’ will be finishing up their regular season on Monday with a game against Ricci Middle School.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
10/12/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
First quarter Progress Reports are now available on Aspen. Log into your Aspen account (parents and students) and scroll down to where it says “Published Reports”. Please ignore the message in the green box that says, “Have a safe and relaxing summer”. That was accidentally left in there from last year. Sorry, it’s not summer yet.
There is a lot of important information in this email, so please take the time to read through it all.
Election Day
On the November 6, 2018 ballot you will see State Bond Question #1 named “School Buildings Bond Measure.” In order to fund $250 million in repairs, renovations, replacement of RI School Buildings, we ask you to please consider this bond when you vote.
Walkathon
We are only one week away from our annual Walkathon. The PTO uses the donated money to support teaching and learning at Western Hills. We ask your help in assisting the PTO to make our Walkathon goal of $10,000.
Cheer tryouts
Tryouts for our 2018-2019 Western Hills Cheer Team will be taking place on October 18th and 19th from 3:30-5:30 in the Western Hills gymnasium. Anyone interested in trying out for the cheer team MUST fill out the same paperwork that is filled out for sports. The paperwork is available at:
Scroll down to where it says Middle School Information. We also have forms available here at school. Students will not be allowed to tryout without the paperwork. If you tried out for or are playing a fall sport, you will not need to fill out the forms.
Best Buddies
We are excited to announce that we will be having a Best Buddies program here at Western Hills Middle School. Please see that attachment for more information about the program. There will be a brief informational meeting in room 045b with Mrs. Bilodeau on Wednesday, October 17th. See the attachments for information about Best Buddies.
Free breakfast
Did you know that breakfast from Aramark is FREE to ALL students? Any student that wants breakfast at school just needs to go down to the cafeteria in the morning. They have a variety of foods to choose from.
Yoga
The WHMS Yoga Club is back! Please see the attachment for information and student permission slip. This club is open to all WHMS students.
Cross Country City Championship
On Monday, Western Hills Middle School will be hosting the Cross Country City Championship. Students from the four Cranston middle schools will be competing for both team and individual honors. There will be t-shirts and a concession stand. Please come out to cheer on the Cobra runners to City Championship!
Flu Clinic
Western Hills will be hosting our annual FLU CLINIC on Thursday, November 8 from 4-6:30 PM in our gymnasium. You can register online at www.schoolflu.com, but registration is not required to attend. If you have insurance, please bring your card. There will be NO out-of-pocket cost for anyone; if you do not have insurance, you can still receive the flu shot. All students, staff, and family members from all schools can attend this flu clinic.
Gymnastics at Cranston High School West
If you are a middle school student who is planning to attend Cranston High School West and would like to be part of establishing a competitive gymnastics team through RI Interscholastic League (RIIL), please send an email with the following information to:
falconsgymnastics@yahoo.com before October 26, 2018:
-Student’s Name
-Current Middle School (Western Hills or Hope Highlands)
-Current School Grade (6th, 7th, or 8th)
Have a great weekend! Go Sox! Go Pats!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
Thank you to all of you that attended Open House this week. It was my pleasure to meet new Western Hills parents and to reconnect with parents that have had students here over the last couple of years. Next week is another full week of school and then we have a long weekend for Columbus Day.
Walkathon
Our annual Walkathon is taking place on October 19th. Last year we were able to raise over $10,000 for teaching and learning at Western Hills. We hope to achieve at least that amount again this year. As always, we appreciate your support and generosity towards this campaign.
Please see that attachments for all the necessary documents.
Pep Rally at West
Principal Barbieri of Cranston HS West has invited our 8th graders to join them next Friday at their Homecoming Pep Rally. Permission slips will go home next week. Students will walk to the West track along with their teachers.
School Club announcements
Newspaper - There will be an information meeting on October 2nd from 2:20-3:00 for anyone interested in joining the school newspaper. The meeting will be held in room 227. Please arrange for ride home.
Yearbook - Anyone interested in being on the yearbook staff should attend a meeting on October 3rd in room 222. The meeting will begin at 2:30 and should only take about 10 minutes. Students need to make sure that they have a ride home.
Social Media Club - Applications to join the Social Media Club will be available in the main office all week next week. Please complete the application and return to Mrs. Blackburn.
Lt. Col. Fredric Moore Mellor
I was very proud of our students this past Wednesday when we all went outside to pay respect to Lt. Col. Fredric Moore Mellor as his remains went past us on their way to the funeral home. Lt. Col. Mellor was shot down 53 years ago in Vietnam and his remains were just recently found and positively identified. Our students stood silently as a procession went by that also included numerous police officers, Vietnam veterans, and his family. The family was visibly moved by the large number of students that came out that day.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
9/15/18
Hello Western Hills community,
This week the Western Hills administration met with all students and layed out our expectations for the school year. We also reviewed school and district rules and policies. At this point, all students should know that we expect them to follow the Cobra Code:
Cooperative
On task
Be prepared
Respectful and Responsible
Accountable
We are stressing kindness this year. We want kids to know that it does not take much for them to do their best to be kind to everyone. You never know what your kind words or actions can do for another person. One great example, witnessed by Mr. Ruggieri, occurred in the lunchroom. A student was standing there with his lunch and looking uncomfortable and not knowing where he should sit. A group of students noticed this, and not only did they invite him to sit down, they included him in their conversations.
Yesterday we showed a video about kindness to our 8th grade students. Since our 6th and 7th grade students did not see it, I sent the video to our teachers and suggested that they show it in Advisory. Here is the link to the video:
Walkathon
Our annual Walkathon is coming up on October 19th. The entire school will head out to the Cranston West track that morning as part of our PTO’s biggest fundraiser of the year. Last year the PTO used funds from the Walkathon to support teaching and learning here at Western Hills by purchasing books, furniture, computers, and other items.
Please see the attachments for important Walkathon documents, including the permission slip!
Day One/Rhode Island Hospital
We are continuing our relationship and our work with Day One and Rhode Island Hospital. The title is “Promoting Healthy Relationships in Middle Schools”. Researchers will be coming to our school to survey both faculty and students. Last year Day One made presentations to our faculty and we will planning an event for parents as well. I have attached information about the program as well as the parent opt-out letter. Please sign and return the documents only if you DO NOT want your child to participate in the survey. The students will be surveyed some time during the week of October 9th. We will also make the opt-out form available on our school website soon as well.
Sports
Our teams will all be starting their seasons really soon. On Tuesday, the boys’ soccer team will be on the road on at Scituate and the girls’ soccer team will be taking on Scituate here at home. The cross country team has a race tomorrow here at Western Hills against the other city teams and our unified cross country team will be on the road on September 26th at Cole Middle School in East Greenwich.
Upcoming Important Dates
No school for Yom Kippur - Wednesday, 9/19
School Pictures- 9/24
Open House - grades 6 and 7, 9/26, 7:00 pm
- grade 8, 9/27, 7:00 pm
Walkathon - October 19
Have a great weekend! Go Pats!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
I would like to thank all of our faculty, staff, and students for persevering through the heat over the last couple of weeks. I was impressed as I walked through the building and saw students and staff working with very few complaints about the heat. Western Hills students and teachers always rise to the occasion!
Open House
We look forward to meeting all of you at our Open House. Sixth and seventh grade Open House is on September 26th at 7:00 and eighth grade Open House is on September 27th, also at 7:00. On those nights, parents will be able to hear from your child’s teachers and from the administration as well. More information will be coming out as we get closer to those dates.
Dropping/Adding Courses
Some students have been going to the Guidance Office or emailing us about switching into or out of particular classes. We will certainly be open to listening to students and parents about possible changes. However, please know that, after September 21st, it will be very unlikely that we will switch any courses. Also, some students have been asking to switch Pathways courses. At this point, many of the more popular courses are full. In the case of the more popular courses, we have given preference to 8th grade students. The reason being that 6th and 7th grade students still have another year or two to take those courses.
Sports
Our fall sports season has begun and the teams are getting underway. The girls’ soccer team is in place and the boys’ team will be making final cuts in the coming days. The cross country team has been training in all types of weather (heat, rain…) as they prepare for their first meet. This season, Western Hills will be hosting cross country meets for the first time in years, including the City Championship! The Unified Cross Country team had their first practice and they are looking forward to their first meet as well.
Paperwork
If you have not already done so, please return the Emergency Care Cards and the signed pages from the student planner (pages 1-2, 48-50). Although there is an Emergency contact page on Aspen, we are still collecting the hard copy Emergency Care Cards. We not quite at the point where we are able to go completely digital with that.
Don’t forget that there is no school on Monday and Wednesday of this upcoming week.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
8/31/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
We had a very successful first three days of school at Western Hills. Thank you to all of the teachers and support staff that did a great job making kids feel welcome and comfortable. As always, our secretaries and custodians went above and beyond the call of duty ensuring a smooth start to the year.
It was nice to have a little relief from the heat today. However, the forecast is showing hot weather next week. I encourage all students to bring water with them to school.
Drop off/Pick-up
I can honestly say that this has been the best start to any school year, since I’ve been at Western Hills, for dropping off and picking up of students. Thank you to all of the parents that have shown patience in the mornings and afternoons. As you can tell, it gets very crowded during these times. In the mornings, please remember to pull all the way down, as far as you can go, before letting your child out of the car.
The afternoons have been especially busy because everyone is here at the same time. It is very important that everyone is patient and extremely careful of students walking out to their parents’ cars.
Sports
I have already sent out a few emails on sports but here is a recap of what is happening:
- Girls’ soccer started yesterday with Coach Caitlin Jackson
- Boys’ soccer with Coach Howie Reiner starts on Tuesday with 6th grade tryouts and everyone else on Wednesday and Thursday
- Cross Country had a meeting today with Coach Nicole Renzulli after school for kids and parents; practice begins on Tuesday. The meeting today was not mandatory
- Unified Cross Country has their first practice on Wednesday after school with Coach Cesana; they will meet in the gym
Please remember that students cannot participate in any tryouts or practices without all of the approved paperwork.
PTO News
The first PTO meeting will be held on Thursday, September 20, 2018 at 7 PM in Library here at Western Hills. We would love to have as many of you as possible to join us at the meeting. Attached to this email is the PTO brochure and the membership form. Please consider joining out PTO as they do all they can to support the students of Western Hills Middle School.
Enjoy the long weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/25/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
I would like to thank the men and women of the Cranston Police Department for their time that they have spent here at Western Hills over the last few days. Although there was no credible threat to our school, I hope the presence of the CPD has helped to put our school community at ease. Please know that the safety of our students is, by far, the most important thing to us each and every day of the school year.
Here’s what’s going on at Western Hills…
State Champions!!
For the first time since the return of sports to middle schools in Cranston, a Cranston middle school team has won a state championship!! Last Sunday at Narragansett High School, the Lady Cobras Track and Field team won the state title and blew out the rest of the state. The girls scored 64 points and the second place team only scored 32. The meet was stacked with over 30 teams competing in the event.
The future of Cranston track is bright:
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4X100 team (Mikaya Parente, Maddie Alves, Lindsey Hobin, and Ailani Sutherland) , 1st place
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200M - Lindsey Hobin, 2nd; Mikay Parente, 3rd
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Hurdles - Lindsey Hobin, 1st
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100M - Maddie Alves, 2nd
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Long Jump - Mikaya Parente, 3rd; Maddie Alves, 5th
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High Jump - Maddie Alves, 5th
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Discus - Gianna Degaitas, 5th; Gabrielle Valletta, 6th
The boys’ team also had a very good showing by placing 6th overall. Here are the individual results:
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Discus - Steven Facenda, 1st
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Shot Put - Steven Facenda, 1st
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1500M - Blake Santos, 1st
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Hurdles - Jacob Naiefeh, 6th
The girls’ softball team starts their playoffs next week with a game against Scituate Middle School on Monday, June 4th at 3:00. We are still waiting on the baseball team’s playoff schedule as well.
Tennis, anyone?
See the attachment for a tennis tournament open to Rhode Island middle school students.
Fielding Nair International
On Monday, Fielding Nair International (FNI) came to Western Hills. FNI is the firm that is looking at all Cranston schools and putting together a report about how schools can be improved and be better suited for 21st century learning. Architects and project managers from their firm met with students, teachers, and parents to get their feedback, thoughts, and opinions on where our schools should be heading. It was exciting for me to be a part of all of these conversations. I was especially impressed with the insight of our students.
Miss Rhode Island
On Friday, June 1st, Miss Rhode Island, Alexandra Coppa, will be coming to Western Hills to present her platform that she has committed to for the year - HEALing Souls: Eating Disorder Treatment and Awareness. If this is a sensitive topic for your child, our support staff can certainly meet with students ahead of or after the presentation, as needed. The topic of eating disorders is part of the Health curriculum here in Cranston Public Schools.
Boys’ Summer Basketball
If you are a boy entering the 9th grade next year and you are interested in basketball at Cranston West, there is an informational meeting about a summer basketball program on May 30 at the 3:00 in the Cranston West Gym.
Dress Code
The warm weather has finally arrived and you know what that means… DRESS CODE!! See below for the district policy on dress code:
Cranston Public Schools Dress Code Policy
Clothing and personal appearance should reflect self-respect and respect for others. The following dress is not meant to be restrictive, but is intended to guide students and their parents/guardians in choosing clothing that is safe and appropriate to wear in school. Students may dress in a manner reflecting current style and fashion; however, manner of dress may not be distracting or disruptive of the educational process.
Clothing, insignia, buttons, jewelry, labels, signs or other distracting items which materially and substantially interfere with the requirements of appropriate discipline in the operation of our schools, materially disrupts classwork, involves substantial disorder or invades or impinges upon the rights of other students shall not be worn carried, or distributed on school property. This includes, but is not limited to the following:
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clothing which promotes drugs, alcohol, smoking, or sexual activity,
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clothing which contains profanity or is offensive,
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chains, necklaces or bracelets that could cause injury or disrupt the educational process,
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clothing that reveals underwear,
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pajamas
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sunglasses, hats, hoods, or bandanas,
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footwear such as flip- flops and backless shoes for safety reasons
In the event that this policy is not followed the following action will be taken;
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The student will be required to cover the offensive clothing, or remove material (hat, jewelry, etc.)
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The student will be asked to put on their own alternative clothing if already available at school, to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day.
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The student may be provided with temporary school clothing to be dressed more to code for the remainder of the day.
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If necessary, the student’s parent may be called during the school day to bring alternative clothing for the student to wear for the remainder of the day.
First Offense - Warning by administration
Second Offense - Meeting with parent and student
Student will be subject to appropriate discipline for non-compliance
of district Dress Code Policy
Eagle Scout Project
As you may remember, Edgewood Highlands suffered a great deal of damage this past year when a pipe burst and water flowed into their school. Cranston West student, Noah Goldthwait, is starting a drive to collect art supplies for the school for his Eagle Scout Project. Please see the attachment for details.
Upcoming Events
Chorus concert - May 30th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Lake Compounce (8th grade only) - May 31st
8th grade dance - June 1st, Valley Country Club
Honors Night (8th grade only) - June 7th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Student of the Month Breakfast - June 13, 8:15AM, WH cafeteria
Have a great weekend everyone,
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
Science testing begins on Monday for 8th graders only. Students will sit for two sessions of the state science test.
Our girls’ softball team is currently alone in first place and undefeated with a record of 8-0. In those 8 games they have scored 87 runs and only allowed 9! There are only a few games remaining until the playoffs.
The boys’ baseball team faced a difficult week with two undefeated teams on their schedule. On Monday, the Cobras had a come from behind victory over previously undefeated Warwick Vets. Yesterday, Feinstein MS came to Western Hills. It was a defensive battle, but the Cobras lost 2-1. It was a great game against the first place team. The Cobras record now stands at 5-4. With four games left in the regular season, they need wins to keep their playoff hopes alive.
What is wrong with teenagers today?!!?!?
As a parent of a teenager or a pre-teenager do you often wonder, “What is wrong with him/her???” I’m sure all of our parents were wondering the same thing about us when we were teens. Our faculty watched and discussed the video below titled, “Teens, Technology, and Transformation”. It may help to clear a few things up.
Western Hills Poetry Contest
“Painting is poetry that is seen rather than felt, and poetry is painting that is felt rather than seen.”― Leonardo da Vinci
Poetry Contest Guidelines:
Contest Dates: May 14th-May 25th, All submissions due by the end of school Friday, May 25th.
All poems must be your original work.
Poem Format
Choose any style of poetry that you like for example: free verse, haiku, rhyming poems, cinquains, or diamante.Poetry can be written in any poetic style and on any topic that is school appropriate
Begin with a creative title for your poem.
Type your poem, single spaced in 14-point font, using any style that inspires you
Double space between stanzas.
How to Enter:
Print two copies of your poem( one with your name and one copy without) and submit both copies to your ELA teacher.
Prizes: The winners, chosen from each grade, will receive a $25.00 Amazon gift card.
Judging and Other Information:
Poems will be judged by WHMS staff.
Poems will be judged on title, content, originality,creativity and poetic style.
Important Dates
FNI Community Workshop- May 21st, 6:00PM Western Hills Auditorium
7th and NEW 8th Grade NJHS Induction - May 23, 3:00, Western Hills Auditorium
Orchestra - May 24th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Chorus concert - May 30th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Lake Compounce (8th grade only) - May 31st
8th grade dance - June 1st, Valley Country Club
Honors Night (8th grade only) - June 7th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Have a great weekend and Happy Mother’s Day!
Tim Vesey, Principal
May the 4th be with you!
Hello Western Hills Community,
Life is good at Western Hills… The weather is getting nicer, and our baseball, softball, and track teams are having successful seasons so far.
RICAS testing is finished! Thank you to all of our students, faculty, and staff for making the process go so well. I truly appreciate the effort that students put into their test taking. Next up is Science testing for the 8th graders which begins on May 14th. Students will take two sessions of the test.
8th Grade Dance
The 8th Grade Dance will be held on Friday, June 1, 2017 from 6:30 until 9:00 p.m. at Valley Country Club (251 New London Avenue, Warwick, RI 02886). Tickets cost $25 and will be sold during homeroom from Monday, May 7 through Friday, May 18 only.
Students may purchase one ticket each and tickets are non-transferable or refundable for any reason. Per CPS policy, students who are ineligible due to their 3rd quarter report card and/or social probation may NOT purchase a ticket to attend the dance.
Please keep in mind that this dance is.... a dance. It is certainly not a prom or even a semi-formal. Students are discouraged as going to the dance as couples. Flowers, of any kind, are certainly not necessary or encouraged. Limousines are prohibited and will be turned away if they show up at Valley Country Club with Western Hills students in them.
We do encourage students to dress nicely (ties and no jeans/dresses) but we do not want anyone to feel pressured to spend a lot of money on gowns or suits.
Cranston West Cheer
Cranston West is having tryouts for their cheer team. Information is below.
Summer Opportunity
Please see the attachment for a great opportunity for students this summer.
Upcoming Events
Below is a list of some of important upcoming events. Please note an important change - the NJHS Induction on May 23rd is both 7th and 8th grade new inductees. This way the new 8th grade inductees can join their fellow 8th graders at Honors Night as inducted members of the National Junior Honor Society. All 8th grade NJHS members will be recognized at Honors Night.
All of our student council members were given permission slips this week to take part in the student portion of the FNI Community Workshop that I spoke about last week.
FNI Community Workshop- May 21st, 6:00PM Western Hills Auditorium
7th and NEW 8th Grade NJHS Induction - May 23, 3:00, Western Hills Auditorium
Orchestra - May 24th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Chorus concert - May 30th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Lake Compounce (8th grade only) - May 31st
8th grade dance - June 1st, Valley Country Club
Honors Night (8th grade only) - June 7th, 7:00 Cranston West Auditorium
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
4/13/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
Believe it or not, we are in the 4th quarter already! This school year is going by very quickly. Please be sure to stay up to date with all the events here at Western Hills as we get towards the end of the school year. Third quarter report cards will be available on Aspen on Friday April 27th.
Today is the last day of school before April vacation. School begins again on April 23rd.
Here is what’s happening at Western Hills...
Pathways
This week, all 6th and 7th grade students met with me in assemblies so I could discuss the Pathways program and next year’s new schedule with them and answer their questions. As of this morning, less than 400 (out of ~500) current 6th and 7th graders have chosen their Pathway courses for next year. Here is the link to sign up for the classes: https://goo.gl/forms/
Sports
Although it’s been cold, spring sports have started their competitive seasons. The Cobra baseball team fell to the defending state champions, Cole MS, 6-5 yesterday in extra innings. The Cobras played a great game and came from behind thanks to a bases loaded hit by Mike Ormand. Their record is currently 1-2 as we head into vacation week.
The Lady Cobras are getting it done once again and have started their season with a record of 2-0. In those two victories they have scored 27 runs!
The Unified Basketball team played their final regular season game yesterday against Park View. Despite Western Hills going on a scoring run late in the game, the Park View Panthers were able to hold on to the victory. Both teams played with heart and determination!
Be Fearless, Be Kind
Speaking of Unified Basketball, one of the student partners on the team was awarded this year by the Special Olympics with the Be Fearless, Be Kind award. The student given this award was 8th grader, Daniel Meyerson. This award is given to “those who stand up for others, work to include everyone, and make a difference through their actions”. Dan earned $1000 for our Unified Basketball program! Dan is a true champion and we appreciate all he does for the Western Hills community. In addition, Coach Cesana has created the Meyerson Award. The trophy was presented to Park View for yesterday’s victory.
Mrs. Lynch’s Advisory
This morning I went to a presentation given by the students in Mrs. Lynch’s Advisory class. They have decided to raise money for juvenile diabetes. They will be doing so by hosting a Pajama Day here at Western Hills on April 27th. Students will be asked to bring in $1 (or more) to raise money for this very worthy cause.
And just because…
Have a great vacation everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
4/6/18
Hello Western Hills Community,Dance tonight! Students need a ticket to get in because they will not be sold at the door. Please pick your child up at 8:00.
Here’s what is happening at Western Hills...
RICAS update
State testing (RICAS) has begun and by now, every team has taken Session 1 of ELA and some have taken Session 2 of ELA testing. From what I’ve observed and heard from teachers, the students are working hard and putting in a great effort to do well. We will finish up ELA testing by vacation and then when we return, we will be ready to begin Math testing. The teachers, themselves, have also worked hard to ensure a smooth process as we go through testing.
As a reminder, students will be taking two sessions of ELA and two sessions of Math. Each session last approximately two hours.
Sports
Mother Nature just doesn't seem to care about baseball, softball, or track and field season! However, the baseball team was able to get their first game in yesterday in very cold and windy conditions. They had a 5-4 victory over Winman. The softball team was unable to play yesterday because the field they were supposed to go to was under water. The track and field team has their first meet next Wednesday next door at the Cranston West track.
Unified Basketball
Our Unified Basketball team traveled to Winman yesterday. Although they took a loss, the kids played great and had a blast. They will be home next Thursday for their last game of the season when they take on cross-town rivals, Park View Middle School.
Pathways courses
At this point, current 6th and 7th grade students should be filling out their Pathways choices. Students and parents should have both a hard copy of and electronic copy of the brochure that details all of the course choices. Here is the link for current 6th and 7th graders to sign up for courses: https://goo.gl/forms/
That link is for current 6th and 7th ONLY! I will be re-sending out a separate link for current 5th graders.
Attached to this email is a Pathways FAQ sheet. Please read through it to clear up any confusion or misconceptions. Please feel free to contact me with any questions.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
3/31/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
I hope everyone is enjoying the long weekend. It was a fun week at Western Hills as we met the 5th graders that will be joining us next year as our new Cobras. The Western Hills administration also had the opportunity to meet their parents. Please take a few minutes to check out the welcome video that Mrs. Blackburn and our Media Club put together for 5th graders. It features many Western Hills students taking part in academics, clubs, sports, and school spirit activities. Here’s the link: youtu.be/yfa0dCpBDVg
Here’s what’s happening at Western Hills...
Rhode Island Comprehensive Assessment System (RICAS)
Starting on Monday, students at Western Hills will begin the RICAS testing. Each student will take two sessions each of both ELA and Math (last year it was three sessions of each). I am attaching the school’s RICAS schedule so that you can see when your child will be testing. Please keep in mind that it is subject to change. Please also see an attachment regarding testing from Superintendent Nota-Masse.
Pathways Program
Your children have been working hard since entering Western Hills Middle School and we have been working hard to provide meaningful and engaging learning opportunities for them. You and your child are invited to choose their pathway for their own learning! Our educational community in the district has created a variety of new and exciting course offerings. These course offerings are called Pathways. Teachers and the department leaders have developed these Pathways over the last few months. The courses have been designed with the goal of providing enrichment opportunities for ALL students in areas that students want to explore. Students will apply skills they learn, while collaborating with their peers where they will engage in learning opportunities in roles such as graphic designer, financial analyst, or a sports statistician. Students will create, design and explore. Students will have a chance to express themselves in a variety of mediums-artistically, such as through poetry or a blog.
Please take some time to review the course offerings in the attached brochure. Assist your child in choosing six offerings. Your child will have the opportunity to participate in four pathway courses next year. As your child demonstrates their learning in new ways, we hope this piques their curiosity to inspire them to follow their dreams as they pursue future learning paths.
Within the next few days, I will be sending out a Google Form where you and your child can make their Pathway selections.
Another Art Award!
Congratulates to Mia Merlino, an eighth grader, who is a recipient of the PPAC Summer Arts Scholarship Program! Great job, Mia!
Enjoy the rest of your weekend,
Tim Vesey, Principal
3/16/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
The snow day and and 2 hour delay certainly made this week challenging but we got through it! The current last day of school is June 21st. Don’t forget that our PTO meeting will be held next Thursday at 7:00 here at Western Hills in the library.Here’s what is happening at Western Hills...
Unified Basketball
Our Unified Basketball team kicked off their season yesterday with a trip to Scituate Middle School. While they took a 17-13 loss, the kids played a great game and had a lot of fun. The team will be home next Thursday at 3:30 against Feinstein Middle School of Coventry. We would love to have as many parents and students as possible to attend the game and cheer on the Cobras!
DodgeBall
“If you can dodge a wrench…!” One of our biggest events of the year has been taking place this week. On Wednesday and Thursday, we crowned our 7th and 8th grade champions. The 6th grade will take to the court this afternoon. On Monday we will have our school championships. The top four teams (boys and girls) from each grade level are eligible to compete for the school championship! You may even see some teachers out there...
Baseball, Softball, Track and Field
Mother Nature apparently doesn’t know (or care) that it is the spring sports season. The baseball, softball, and track teams are doing their best to get themselves ready for the season which will (hopefully) be beginning in the near future. Parents and athletes should pay close attention to schedules and communications from their coaches.
Student of the Month Breakfast
Thank you to the families that were able to attend out Student of the Month Breakfast this morning. Today we honored the December, January, and February students of the month. Thank you to Ms. Ginny and Mrs. Tanguay for organizing this great event.
Spring Pictures
Please see the message below from Lifetouch:
Mark your calendar! Spring Picture Day is on 04/13/2018. Only students purchasing will be photographed and must have their completed order form when photographed or must have paid online at mylifetouch.com. Look for more information on your child's Picture Day Flyer/Order Form or visit mylifetouch.com to place your order using Picture Day ID PC407446Q0. For Customer Support, please call 401-828-5220.
Wednesday, March 14th
This past Wednesday students from across the nation, and right here in Cranston, staged a walkout in protest of violence in schools. While we did not endorse or plan a walkout here at Western Hills, about 40 students walked out on their own around 10:00 that morning and stayed out until 10:17. In anticipation of that event, two Cranston police officers were present at that time. I, along with Mr. Watson and Mr. Willette, also stood outside with those students. The students were peaceful and respectful.
As part of that day, we encouraged students to reach out to 17 other students that they would not normally talk to. We will continue to encourage out students to make friends with, say hello, and smile to their fellow Western Hills Cobras. We also raised $400 and that money will go to a fund in support of the victims and their families.
Talent show
Last Friday night we had our talent show, Western Hills Got Talent. I cannot say enough about how much fun this night was. We are very appreciative of all the hard work, effort, and time that Mrs. Lynch and Mrs. Matarese put in over the last couple of months putting this all together.
Here are a few pictures from some of the acts (thank you, Mrs. Fitzgerald!). There were a lot of kids in the show and many pictures. If you would like a picture from the show of your child and it’s not here, please email me and I can send it to you.
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
3/9/18
Hello Western Hills Community,Progress Reports were made available on Aspen this morning. Please take a moment to look at your child’s progress. If you have any questions or concerns regarding their grades, please contact either the teacher or the guidance counselor. The phone number to our Guidance Office is 270-8033.
Our next Student of the Month Breakfast is next Friday. Students of the Month from December, January, and February should have received an invitation for themselves and their parents.
Talent Show
It’s finally here! Tonight is Western Hill’s Got Talent! The show will be from 7-9pm and anyone coming in MUST have a ticket. Please plan on picking up your child at 9pm if they will be here tonight.
Dodgeball Tournament
The biggest Western Hills event of the year is upon us! Next week is our annual Dodgeball Tournament hosted by our Physical Education teachers. Here is the schedule (which is subject to change):
Tuesday - 6th grade
Wednesday - 7th grade
Thursday - 8th grade
Friday- Championship Finals
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The cost of admission is $2 for students and adults
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Please plan on picking up your child by 4:30
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No child under the age of 18 will be allowed in without an adult (it gets very crowded)
Arts Fest
The annual Arts Fest exhibit will be on Monday, March 12, at the Sockanosset Library from 6 - 8 pm. It is FREE and open to the public. The exhibit will be up until March 28th. This exhibit will include work from students in grades K-12.
Police presence at schools
The Cranston will be a visible presence at Western Hills Middle Schools and in schools throughout the district. Students should know that when they see police officers in the hallways it does not mean that there is something wrong. They are there for their safety and I encourage students to say hello the officers that come into Western Hills when they see them.
Pennies for Patients
Please see the message below from the Student Council:
Hello WHMS Community:
Our school is participating in the Pennies for Patients fundraiser, sponsored by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) from March 12 – March 29, 2018.
Pennies is a 3-week service-learning program that gives students the unique experience of working together to help raise awareness and funds in honor of thousands of children and adults fighting blood cancers like leukemia – one of the leading fatal cancers of children ages 1–20.
Our goal is to raise $2,018 and WE NEED YOUR HELP! We are asking that everyone (students, faculty, parents, alumni, etc.) at Western Hills Middle School join in this effort of raising awareness and giving funds to benefit the mission of LLS.
Students are encouraged to donate change each day during the fundraising drive. Donation boxes will be available in each homeroom.
During our Pennies for Patients drive, the student council will be sponsoring different fundraising activities to boost our donations:
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Friday, 3/16 Green Day/St. Patrick’s Day: donate a dollar and dress in green
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Friday, 3/23 Disney Day: donate a dollar and dress up as your favorite Disney character
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Monday, 3/26-Thursday, 3/29 Penny Wars in the cafeteria during all lunches
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Thursday, 3/29 Jocks and Geeks Day: donate a dollar and dress as a jock or a geek
Share this link with your family and friends. Click on the link here to donate http://events.lls.org/
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Students raising $50+ for Pennies in Rhode Island will be entered into a Drawing for an Apple iPad!
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Each student that raises $50+online through their individual fundraising page by April 30, 2018 will receive an official Pennies T-shirt.
Our patient families greatly appreciate your support!
Sincerely,
The WHMS Student Council
Final thought…
I saw this recently and it’s a great reminder for our students (and the rest of us).
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
2/9/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
Second quarter report cards were posted on Aspen last week. Parents/guardians should be using their Family account to look at the report cards. Students can use their own accounts to look at them.
The dance is tonight… students will not be permitted in unless they have a valid ticket and their name is checked off on their homeroom list. The dance is from 6:00 to 8:00 pm. Students that are picked up late run the risk of not being allowed to attend future dances or other after school activities.
Barnes and Noble
Don’t forget about our fundraiser at Barnes and Noble tomorrow. See the attachment for details.
Yearbook
Please see the message below from the yearbook staff:
Last chance to buy yearbooks for the low price of $25! You will not want to miss out on this amazing opportunity to capture the 2017-2018 school year at WHMS! Order your yearbook by clicking this link or visiting the WHMS website. Don’t miss on the last days of this offer! Yearbooks will no longer be on sale following February 16th.
Thanks for the support!
-The Yearbook Staff!
Sports
Thank you to Coach Ormond and Coach DeCosta for exciting basketball seasons from both the boys’ and girls’ teams. Thank you to athletes on those teams for all your hard work this winter!
Coach Burns and the wrestling team will be wrapping up their season this weekend at the RI State Middle School Wrestling Championships at Cumberland High School. The team, as well as some individuals, have a great chance of having a big weekend! You will be able to follow how all of your favorite Western Hills wrestlers are doing this weekend by going to FloArena and clicking on 2018 RIPCOA State Championship or you can try this link - https://arena.flowrestling.
Please know that the brackets may not be finalized until late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Don’t forget to sign-up for spring sports (baseball, softball, track and field, unified basketball) by going to cpsed.net and clicking on the Student top tab and then athletics.
Honor Roll
Congratulations to the students that made the Honor Roll!
Grade 8 High Honors
Juliana Bucci, Angelica Bueno, Samantha DeRuosi, Sydney DeRuosi, Pasquale DeSimone, Dan Do, Victoria Furman, Stephanie Huayta, Alexia Jiminez, Ava Kavanagh, Nya Mainelli, Daniel Meyerson, Ojasvi Mukkoti, Mikaya Parente, Alexis Ratcliffe, Lia Scorpio, Maria Silva, Ayia Tatari, Jordan Thibodeau, Julia Varkonyi, Ava West
Grade 8 Honors
Josaris Agosto, Madison Alves, Emily Bessette, Mackenzie Bessette, Kylie Boatner, Brett Boffi, Dillon Bombardier, Molly Brown, Chloe Cabral, Corey Carpenter, Olivia Cataldi, Taylor Cheshier, Jasmine Chhun, Jacob Chin, Janelis Collazo Soto, Talia Conetta, Isabella Conti, Emma Coulter, Sophia Crudale, Matthew Danella, Autumn Davis, Jayden DeBarros, Nathan DeBarros, Sofia DeSimone, Andrew Garcia, Eric Garcia, Carissa Giarrusso, Aditya Godbole, Yansi Gomez Riz, Aashman Gupta, Julia Hanson, Lindsey Hobin, Rachel Hobin, Brooke Irons, Heba Kattan, Brooklyn Kyriakakis, Jake Lariviere, Alexander Lawton, Alexander Ledoux, John Leuk, Elizabeth Lewandowski, Emily Lopez, Callie Madsen, Max Marchetti, Nicole McLewin, Isabel Mignano, Grace Millette, Jesse Mirabal, Oswald Montepeque, Oswin Montepeque, Kristina Moschetti, Jay Mulmule, Anthony Nardolillo, Isabella Nicholson, Ethan Nunziata, Michael Ormond, Ashley Padula, Juliana Paesano, Elissa Parente, Rachel Paulhus, Rebecca Pepler, Jimely Peralta, Hailey Perry, Joseph Petrella, Arianna Phelps, Alexander Phok, Alexis Pimental, Nicholas Piscione, Jacob Ryan, Gianna Salguero, Kayla Salvatore, Matthew Santomassimo, Gabriella Seal, Michael Smith, Kailey Sova, Stella Spyridis, Aidan Tetreault, Ciara Tiberi, Christopher Trek, Anna Wall, Travis Williamson, Edison Wu, Samuel Yan
Grade 7 High Honors
Brooke Anderson, Angelo Capaldi, Carolin Carrascoza-Velasquez, Lorraina Chen, Ryan Chhay, Nicholas Cioe, Donald Collins, Joey Crouse, Jillian D’Elena, Ryan D’Elena, Grayce D’Errico, Samantha Davy, Jocelyn DeBritto, Matthew DeFusco, Gianna Degaitas, Diamarys Del Valle, Arpi Donoyan, Helen Espinal, Molly Fitzgerald, Franchesca Francisco, Peyton Ginolfi, Aanshi Goyal, Adin Gregorzek, Aidan Hay, Sami Hmiddouche, Hope Kelley, Christopher Kendra, Collin Khanjari, Cadence Koenig, Dylan Kumes, Dimitri LeBlanc, Dominick Marcello, Ezra Moniz, Luke Montefusco, Jacob Morais, Nicole Needham, Daniel Negalha, Isabella Paliotti, Aurelia Perry, Olivia Picozzi, Christopher Piscione, Selena Resendes, Sarah Rose, Samantha Rosenfield, Hailey Sampson, Blake Santos, Ryan Sharma, Onmala Singharaj, Marissa Spaziano, Hamzeh Tanbakji, Aaryan Tanwar, Alexzandra Tatum, Mena Wadia, Ethan White, Erica Wu, Jovina Yu, Alexandra Zannini
Grade 7 Honors
Ian Abatecola, Nazir Alnahas, Zachary Archambault, Brynn Bachner, Emily Bardsley, Hannah Boyle, Lyndsey Brandow, Caden Bruno, Alissa Burgos, Sophia Burns, Chantel Celikbas, Ariya Chantharangsy, Arissa Chanthavong, Julian Chau, Aaron Chmura, Andrew Costa, Paige Cote, Alexandra Cowart, Hailey DeCosta, Hanna DeIngenis, Aden DeSimone, Cole DiBiasio, Victoria DiPippo, Andrew Dion, Ryan Dionizio, Juliana Duarte, Drew Evans, Madison Evans, Jynessa Ferreira, Kerion Flynn, Desi Forte, Rachel Fuentes, Ava Guerin, Kaylee Hall, Christian Hernandez, Sophie Hmiddouche, Nadalee Izazaga, Evan Johnson, Sama Joseph, Madelyn Kaplan, Hannah Kind, Darinee Kompradith, Nya Larkin, Talia Laurie, Colin Lauro, Luciano Leone, James Leuk, Caitlyn Luce, Marina Mancini, Ethan Marchetti, Kailey Matera, Aidan Merhi, Jessica Naiefeh, Kiara Nelen, Michael Paquette, Mia Parkerson, Lizelle Pear, Isabella Pellegrino, Sarah Perreault, Gabrielle Petrella, Thomas Petrella, Mia Pires, Gianna Pontarelli, Christian Ranallo, Amanda Reddy, Luke Reiner, Aaron Ring, Cody Ring, Aiden Rivera, Semiha Salami, William San Antonio, IV, Evan Sao, Domenic Schiavulli, Aidan Shaw, Ian Skalko, Megan Smart, Jessica Sparaco, Lucian Spremullo, Nicholas St. Jean, Kaitrin Stebner, Makai Teixeira, Ariana Torres, Michael Traupman, Penelope Tremblay, Jose Trinidad, Jr., Jayla Urgarte, Gabriella Valletta, Emily Webb, Sophia Wentworth, Logan Whitty, Nicholas Williams, Jasmine Youssef, Yuanbin “Eric” Zhang
Grade 6 High Honors
Amina Alhassan, Amelia Andreozzi, Ryan Aurecchia, Jared Bogle, Jayden Bogle, Anthony Cambio, Sarah Chin, Ava Cifelli, Francesca Coppa, Kayla DeSarro, Alexander DeTomasis, Jaydon Diaz, Diana Do, Joshua Finch, Jonathan Frias, Dean Gaulin, Adrianna Giusti, Olivia Giusti, Max-Jorell Guglietti, Lucy Hart, Christopher Harvey, Alexys Kwong, Eriksen Lee, Camden Lussier, Abigayle MacDonald, Alessandra Maldonado, Sofia Marella, Madison McCall, Christopher McDonough, Zachary Miga-Orcutt, Nicholas Millette, Jessica Minas, Jose Mirabal, Kim Nguyen, Daniel Nikitskaya, Andrew Pappas, Juliana Pazos, Vignesh Peddi, Talia Petit, Kelly Picozzi, Sofia Polanco, Garyleena Quinones, Matthew Rego, Alyssa Robinson, Manya Saini, Hannah Simonelli, Harshal Singh, Jada Stackhouse, Olivia Tedeschi-Moran, Grace Tetreault, Zachary Tetreault, Ayden Theroux, Jaida Tillinghast, Annabelle Trainer, Jennifer Tran, Leah Trek, Olivia VanPatten, Harry Wolooholian, IV, John Zukowski
Grade 6 Honors
Gehrig Abbondanza, William Aiken, Samuel Alkhanji, Evan Baccari, Anna Baptista, Simone Brown, Jack Caletri, Dylan Cappelli, Kylie Capuano, Cristina Chatowsky, Savon Chau, Jr., Henry Cheng, Matthew Davis, Paul DeBalsi, Mya DeLaCruz, Jeremiah DeMello, Nathan Delaroca, Kyle Elliott, Luna Garcia, Maniah Garrin, Jack Goldthwait, Marisa Gould, Adriel Graichen, Julia Hallam, Gavin Harris, Michael Harvey, David Hoard, Jr., Alec Howe, Joseph Iannitti, Sydney Jones, Lauren Kavanagh, Caden Kompradith, Kayto Kompradith, Ethan LaBonte, Matthew Lam, Tyler Lariviere, Lucas Ledoux, Carly MacLeod, Nicholas Madsen, Jenna Mansour, Jeremy Marsillo, Peyton McElroy, Prince Medeiros, Zack Moone, Sam Naiefeh, Jr., Eliyahna Negron, Lalah Nkomo, Philip Nunez, Janitzy Ortiz, Alonso Parker, Hayden Peang, Quiana Pezza, Samuel Picillo, Audrey Pirri, Jacquelyn Prata, Daniel Prendergast, Henry Prendergast, Adrianna Prete, Ava Quinn, Logan Reed, Aiden Robinson, Madalyn Rodriguez, Madelyn Smart, Brendan Smith, Mason Stephenson, Joseph Sullivan, Ailani Sutherland, Zaied Tanbakji, George Threats, Zuleika van Renselaar, Elijah Varella, Emma Vernet Douthit, Cameron Walker, Ahmed Waqas, Lyric Watts, Ella White, Evan Whiting, Ryan Zarrella
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
2/2/18
Hello Western Hills Community,
Second quarter grades were posted this morning on Aspen. Please take a look and do not hesitate to contact your child’s teacher(s) and/or guidance counselor if you have any questions or concerns regarding grades. If you are having trouble accessing your parent Aspen account, send me an email and I will get you connected.
Our next school dance is Friday, February 9th from 6-8 PM here at Western Hills.
Moving on to High School
On February 8th, administrators from Cranston High School West will be here at Western Hills to talk to our 8th graders about moving on to the high school and their course selections. Eighth grade teachers are currently inputting their recommendations. Don’t forget, that same night, there will be an Open House at Cranston West for all incoming students and their parents from 6:00 - 8:00 PM.
Spring Sports Sign-Ups
Students that are interested in baseball, softball, track and field, or Unified Basketball need to sign up on the district website. Go to cpsed.net, click on the Students top tab, and then Athletics. Students will not be allowed to try-out/participate without signing up and without the necessary paperwork. If you tried out or played another school sport this year, you do not need the paperwork.
PTO Fundraiser
Please see the message below from our PTO:
In lieu of the annual traditional book fair at the school, the PTO is excited to announce a fundraiser at Barnes & Noble (Warwick) ALL day on Saturday February 10th from 9 am to 10 pm! This event requires the patrons to show a flyer/ voucher; however, the more money we bring in, the more we make! Not only will there be all day long fundraising for our school, but Barnes & Noble is planning some exciting activities and fun stuff at the store as well. We hope you save the date and stop in a week from this Saturday...it should be a fun experience and a great fundraising opportunity for WHMS!
Please see attached flyer for additional details and other information (including the vouchers) is forthcoming soon!
Spirit Week
Monday, February 5th, is the start of Spirit Week! Here are the categories for each day:
Monday - Sports Day
Tuesday - Twin/Triplet Day
Wednesday - Wacky Wednesday
Thursday - Throwback Thursday
Friday - Grade Color Day: 6th grade will wear pink, 7th grade will wear blue, and 8th grade will wear black
Have a great weekend! Go Pats!!
Tim Vesey, Principal
1/29/18
Hello Western Hills community,
Report cards will be available on Aspen on Friday morning. This is an important time of year for 8th graders as teachers are now making their high school recommendations. Believe it or not, we are halfway through the 2017-2018 school year!
Surveyworks
The Rhode Island Department of Education has, once again, put out SurveyWorks. This is a survey taken by students, staff, and families where you get to answer questions and voice your opinion about our school. We use the information to help us make decisions about our school and to also find out what we are doing well and where we need to make improvements. Students will be taking the survey here at school. We ask that families take the survey some time over the next couple of weeks. To access the survey, go to surveys.panoramaed.com/ride. The family Access Code is 07129family. Thank you in advance for taking part in the survey.
Lost and Found
Our Lost and Found is bursting at the seams! Students- please come down and look around if you are missing something. Parents- feel free to come in and take a look. In the very near future we will be donating the clothing. Thank you to Western Hills parent/staff member, Mrs. Zukowski, that took the time to organize this for us.
Cranston High School West Open House
Cranston High School West will be having an Open House for all current 8th graders on February 8th from 6:00-8:00 PM. Contact Cranston West if you have any questions about the Open House.
NELS-CPS Open House
Cranston’s other high school, New England Laborers’ Cranston Public Schools, Construction and Career Academy is also having an Open House. It will take place on February 1st from 6:00 to 7:00 PM at 4 Sharpe Drive in Cranston.
Spring Sports sign-ups
Spring sports sign-ups are now up and running on the district website. Anyone interested in trying out for baseball, softball, track and field, or Unified Basketball should go to cpsed.net and click on Student and then Athletics.
Please keep in mind for Unified Basketball, all of last year’s participants (athletes and partners) will keep their spots on the team. All remaining spots will be offered to 8th graders, then to 7th, then to 6th. Open spots on the team will chosen by lottery if necessary.
Have a great week!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
After a vacation and snow-shortened week, we finally got in 5 straight days of school. The 2nd quarter ends on January 24th and report cards will be available on Aspen on Friday, February 2nd.
STEM will be starting again! They will meeting on Tuesdays until 3:15, starting this coming Tuesday.
Thank you to Mrs. DiChiaro and some members of NJHS for creating this bulletin board down in the cafeteria:
Geography Bee
On Tuesday we had our Western Hills Geography Bee and the school winner was 6th grader, Henry Cheng! Henry will now be attempting to go on to represent Western Hills in the Geography Bee. Congratulations, Henry!
Scholastic Art Award
Congratulations to 8th grader, Angelica Bueno, for winning Silver in the Scholastic Art Awards in the area of Painting. Great job, Angelica!
Sports
The winter sports season is starting to get serious. The boys’ basketball team is currently 3-5 with four games still to be played. The boys need to get some wins under their belts if they hope to make the postseason. Congratulations on an important 42-40 win against Hope Highlands this week.
The girls’ basketball team is sitting at 5-3 and they are in 3rd place at the moment. Some wins in their last few games would be good to solidify a playoff spot and as high of a seed as they can get.
The wrestling team is still undefeated and have clinched the division championship! Next week, however, they take on Feinstein (Coventry) Middle School, another undefeated team and the likely winners of their division. Since this is a cross-division match, a loss to either team will not affect their division championship. It is still an important match as the teams will see each other again in February at the RI Middle School State Championship. This is a big match for me; my two worlds are colliding!
Book Fair Fundraiser
Please see the attachment for a PTO fundraiser that will be taking place at Barnes and Noble.
Unified Basketball
My favorite kind of basketball, Unified Basketball, will be starting again in March. Unified Basketball is sponsored by the Special Olympics and it is a combined team of regular education students along with special education students. This is a very popular program and all athletes (special education students) and partners (regular education students) that were on the team last year get to keep their spot on the team this year as well. All remaining spots for both athletes and partners will be open by grade level priority and by lottery as necessary. Eighth graders will have first priority followed by 7th, and then 6th. There will be other opportunities for students to get involved that do not get chosen for the team.
Anyone interested (athletes or partners) must sign-up on the district website by February 8th and fill out all necessary paperwork. Go to cpsed.net, click on Student, and then Athletics. The first practice will be on March 6th and the first game will be on March 15th. Students that were on either the boys’ or girls’ basketball teams are not eligible to participate in Unified Basketball as either a partner or an athlete. This is a Special Olympics rule that we had to agree to prior to joining the league.
Please see the attached letter from Coach Cesana.
Have a great long weekend, everyone! There is no school on Monday in observance of Martin Luther King Day.
Hello Western Hills Community,
Here’s what’s going on at Western Hills Middle School...
2017-2018 1st Quarter Honor Roll
Congratulations to all of the students that made High Honors and Honors for the 1st quarter! See the attachment for the list that will appear in the Cranston Herald.
Pajama Drive
Our annual Pajama Drive is taking place once again. Students from Mrs. Cox’s, Ms. Budz’s, and Ms. Piascik’s Advisory classes will be collecting the pajamas from all of the other classes throughout the school. Last year we collected 287 pairs of pajamas. Let’s try and beat that record this year!
NJHS
I am, once again, attaching the letter for National Junior Honor Society. This is a general letter for everyone’s information. There has been a slight modification to the letter. For students to be eligible for NJHS, they must have a minimum GPA of 3.36. This is the equivalent of an 85 so nothing has really changed. The 3.0 on the letter last week was incorrect.
Our NJHS advisor, Mrs. DiChiaro, will be having meetings soon with potential candidates.
Seventh and eighth grade students should monitor their emails for meeting dates. Emails were sent out recently to students that were inducted last year. Eligible students will be given applications at the end of the second quarter.
Absence notes
Students need to bring in a handwritten and signed absence note upon returning from school after being out. Emails and phone calls do not replace the letter. If the student went to a doctor’s appointment they should bring a note from the doctor’s office so that it can be excused.
Sports
Our basketball teams opened their season yesterday with games against Winman Middle School. While the boys took a tough 50-39 loss, the girls had a huge, very lopsided win at home. On Tuesday, both teams square off against Hope Highlands. The boys will be at home and the girls will travel all the way up to the hill to Hope Highlands. The wrestling team opens up their season on Monday with a home tri-meet against Wickford and Davisville Middle Schools.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
11/16/17
Hello again Western Hills Community,This week’s Weekly Update has been coming at you a little bit at a time… here’s some more information for you.
Hat Day
Our Student Council is sponsoring a Hat Day tomorrow to benefit The Family Center/COZ. Students should bring in at least $1 to wear a hat in school tomorrow. Hats, of course, need to be school appropriate.
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)
Very soon you will be receiving a letter in regards to the National Junior Honor Society. Seventh and eighth grade students at Western Hills will have the opportunity to apply for this honor.
PTO meeting
Don’t forget about our PTO meeting tonight at 7:00 in the Western Hills Library. The PTO will be discussing how we will be using funds raised at our Walkathon. Also, as usual, I will be at the meeting to let you know what is happening at Western Hills and to answer any of your questions. Hope to see you tonight.
Tim Vesey, Principal
Statement of Confidentiality The contents of this e-mail message and any attachments are confidential and are intended solely for the addressee.The information may also be legally privileged. If you have received this transmission in error, any use,reproduction, or dissemination of this transmission is strictly prohibited.If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message.
11/15/17
Hello Western Hills community,
Here are a couple of mid-week updates and information…
Flu Clinic
A flu clinic will be held at Hugh B Bain Middle School, 135 Gansett Ave, on Wednesday, November 15th from 4-6:30 PM. The clinic is open to anyone 3 years of age or older.
No pre-registration is required. Simply fill out a consent form when you arrive at the clinic.
We encourage students, parents and grandparents to get vaccinated against flu.
Although insurance information will be collected, there is no out of pocket cost for ANYONE regardless of whether or not they have health insurance.
For more information, visit www.health.ri.gov or call the health information line at 401-222-5960.
PTO Meeting
Our 2nd PTO meeting of the year will be held on Thursday, November 16th at 7:00 in the Western Hills Library. Since we only meet once every other month, we would really appreciate having parents attend the meeting.
Tutor.com
Please see the attached flyer for information on a program called Tutor.com
Sports
The winter sports season has begun. Basketball made their first cuts as of last night and the wrestling team rolled out the mats for the first time yesterday. Games and matches will be starting in the next few weeks. Please contact the coaches for practice times and schedules.
Tim Vesey, Principal
11/6
Hello Western Hills Community,
Hello Western Hills Community,
We have another 4 day school week this week. School will be closed on Friday in observance of Veteran’s Day. Thank you to all of those that have served and continue to serve our country!
Operation Holiday Cheer
Please see below from Mr. Willette:
The Student Council is sponsoring Operation Holiday Cheer, a fundraiser designed to collect candy for “care packages” that will be sent to US troops.
Starting on Monday, 11/6 and ending on Thursday, 11/9, students are encouraged to bring candy items (basically anything except chocolate [M & M’s are the only acceptable chocolate item]) into homeroom.
Homeroom teachers, student council members will collect all of the donated candy items on Thursday, 11/9.
I have attached a list of acceptable candy items.
Thank you for assisting us in this extremely worthy cause!
Best,
Mr. Willette and the WHMS Student Council
End of 1st quarter
The end of the 1st quarter is November 8th. Report cards will be available on Aspen next Friday, November 17th.
Sports
The soccer season has ended for both teams. The boys lost 3-0 to Chariho and the girls lost 2-1 to Cole. Both teams had a very good fall season and we are proud of our soccer-playing Cobras and coaches.
The winter sports season is only a week away. As soon as I have schedules from our coaches from boys’ and girls’ basketball and wrestling, I will let everyone know. All three sports can begin tryouts/practices on November 13th.
Girls' basketball will be having a meeting for all interested players on Tuesday, 11/7 after school until 3:00.
Students of the Month
On Friday we recognized our October Students of the Month. Sometime in December, we will be having our first Student of the Month Breakfast for the year. At that breakfast we will be honoring our September, October, and November students of the month. Students will receive invitations for themselves and their parents.
Have a great week!
Tim Vesey, Principal
10/6/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Believe it or not ,we are more than halfway through the first quarter. Progress Reports will be available on Aspen next Friday morning. We will not be printing out paper copies of Progress Reports or Report Cards at all this year. I will send out a reminder and directions, next week, on how to access the Progress Reports on Aspen. Also, we will be having a flu clinic in our gym on October 18th.
Go Orange!
Western Hills student, Alexandra Cowart, and her sisters organize this great event every year to support children from our local community that are in need of food. Please see the attachment for further information. Western Hills will be taking part in this on Friday, October 27th. Students should wear orange that day and bring in non-perishable food items and/or money. Every year, Western Hills has a great show of support for this event!
After school activities
Many of our after school activities are underway and are very well-attended. It is important that students communicate the correct pick-up time in advance and parents are here on time to pick up their children from school. Please do not tell your child to call you when they are done with the activity. We need parents here, on time, to pick up their children. If you are not sure of the correct time, please contact the adult that is running that activity. For students that are watching a sporting event, parents should be here around 4:30 to get them. Thank you in advance for your support.
Walkathon
Our annual PTO-sponsored Walkathon is coming up on October 20th. I am, once again, attaching all of the information and forms, including the information about the t-shirt design contest. Please consider taking part and helping our school raise money. The PTO uses their funds to support student learning and activities. For example, they recently purchased our new audio-visual system for the auditorium, they supported several after-school activities, and they supported a program in which middle school students were given the opportunity to explore programs at the Cranston Area Career and Technical Center.
ALICE training
On Thursday, October 12th, the members of the Cranston Police Department will be here to conduct ALICE training for all of our students. ALICE stands for - Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate. The police officers will be reviewing, with students, how to deal with an emergency situation such as an intruder in the building. This is done at all grade levels in Cranston Public Schools and we consider it a very important presentation for our students.
Free and Reduced Lunch Forms
Forms for Free and Reduced Lunch are available in our main office and on the CPS website. If your child was part of this program last year and you have not filled out the form for this year, you need to do so before October 18th.
Students of the Month
Congratulations to the September Students of the Month! Every 3 months we have a Student of the Month Breakfast. All students of the month and their parents will be invited to join us for breakfast.
Hello Western Hills Community,
I want to thank all of the parents that were able to attend Open House last week. We appreciate you coming in and especially for enduring the heat! We hope that it was enjoyable and informative. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. Your feedback is always welcome.
There are a number of attachments with this email from the PTO. Please take the time to look through them all, as our PTO works very hard to support the students of Western Hills Middle School.
Walkathon
Our biggest fundraiser of the year, the Walkathon, will be taking place on Friday, October 20 at the Cranston West track. Please see the attachments for this very important event. We would greatly appreciate doing all that you can for this fundraiser.
5 Guys Fundraiser
Also attached to this email is the flyer for our 5 Guys fundraiser. Please consider eating at 5 Guys (and bring along friends) on the dates listed on the flyer.
Flu Clinic
A flu clinic will be held at Western Hills Middle School on Wednesday, October 18 from 4-6:30 PM in the gymnasium. This clinic is open to anyone 3 years of age or older. You can register online at www.the wellcomp.com/school and your form will be sent directly to the clinic, or simply fill out a consent form when you arrive at the clinic. Although insurance will be collected, there is NO OUT-OF-POCKET cost for anyone regardless of whether or not they have health insurance.
We encourage all students, parents and grandparents to get vaccinated against flu.
For more information, visit www.health.ri.gov/flu or call the RI Department of Health information line at 401-222-5960.
Sports
The Fall sports season is in full swing with our soccer and cross country teams. Our boys’ soccer team remains undefeated and will be facing Bain Middle School this afternoon. The girls’ soccer team suffered this first defeat on Friday afternoon with a tough game against Warwick Vets. I’m sure that Coach Edwards and the girls will be back with a vengeance at their next game! Both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams have been having great performances at the team level. We have also had some outstanding individual performances as well. This week, the Cobras will be heading to Coventry to take on division rival Feinstein Middle School (hmmm.... My two worlds are colliding...Should I wear Western Hills or Coventry gear to this race…?).
Opportunity for Parents and Guardians
The Rhode Island Association of School Principals (RIASP) is offering a program for parents and guardians titled, “Social Emotional Learning in the Home”. Follow the link below for more information and to register for this event:
Student Council Officers
Congratulations to our student council officers. I am looking forward to working with them throughout the year. They are:
President - Mackenzie Bessette
Vice President - Nya Mainelli
Treasurer - Andrew Garcia
Secretary - Sophia DeSimone
Enjoy the rest of the week. Let’s hope that the Patriots defense gets it together on Thursday night!
Tim Vesey, Principal
9/22/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
That was a fast week… Don’t forget, Monday, 9/25, is picture day. Students were given the handouts earlier this week.
Open House
Our 6th and 7th grade Open House will be on Wednesday, 9/27, at 6:30 and our 8th grade Open House will be on Thursday, 9/28, at 6:30. Students will be bringing home an Open House schedule for their parents to follow. Those schedules will be going home on Tuesday. Students - please give them to your parents. Parents - please ask your child for their Open House Schedule.
Student Council Elections
Next week is Student Council Executive Board election week!
On Tuesday (grade 6), Wednesday (grade 8), and Thursday (grade 7) during the last period of the day, students will gather in the gymnasium to hear campaign speeches from our 2017-2018 executive board candidates: The candidates are as follows:
- President: Mackenzie Bessette, Isabel Mignano, and Gabriella Seal
- Vice President: Nya Mainelli and Ava West
- Treasurer: Andrew Garcia and Lia Scorpio
- Secretary: Sofia DeSimone and Nicole McLewin
On Friday, 9/29, students will receive a link to an election ballot through their cpsed.net Gmail accounts. Electronic voting will take place from 8:05 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. I will announce the new executive board members at the end of the school day.
RIH/Day One Study
This is just another reminder that our students will be taking part in the survey with RI Hospital and Day One called “Promoting Healthy Relationships in Middle School”. The attached opt-out form contains further information about the survey and study. We certainly think that this is a worthwhile program since our middle school students are starting to enter the world of dating,
Short update this week… have a great weekend and I’m looking forward to seeing you at Open House. I’m off to watch our girls’ soccer team!
Tim Vesey, Principal
9/18/17
Hello Western Hills Community!
Everyone has settled in to Western Hills and things are going very well. At this point, everyone can open their lockers and nobody is getting lost anymore. Fall sports have begun and clubs are starting to get together as well. Students should listen to the morning announcements about meeting times of all of our various clubs.
If you saw my emails on Friday you know that our fire alarm went off unexpectedly two times. Please know that the district is well aware of the issue and updates to the system are in the works. There was a company here working on it all weekend.
Some important things to know:
- No school this Thursday due to the observance of Rosh Hashanah
- Picture Day - 9/25 - Students will be getting the order forms today
- Open House - 9/27, 6th and 7th grade; 9/28, 8th grade- both nights start a 6:30
Study with Rhode Island Hospital/Day One
Western Hills and other middle schools around the state (including Park View) are working with RI Hospital and Day One on a three year study/education program called “Promoting Healthy Relationships in Middle Schools”. This program is looking at attitudes towards dating and teen dating violence.. This is the first year of the study and it will be primarily geared towards teachers, who will be receiving education on these issues. In a couple of weeks, all of the students at Western Hills will take a survey on these topics. Students will not be able to be identified by the survey they fill out. I have attached a parent opt-out form if you do not want your child to take part in the survey.
Diaper Drive
The Cranston Police Department is conducting a Diaper Drive until 9/25 to assist those affected by recent hurricanes. Please see the attachment for more information.
PTO
This past Thursday, our PTO had their first meeting of the new school year. It was well-attended and there was quite a bit of information shared with parents. Among the topic discussed were fundraisers for the year (including our Walkathon), the new sound and projection system in the auditorium, and what new parents and students can expect at Western Hills. There was also time for any questions that parents had for me. We hope to see everyone at our next meeting which will take place on November 16th.
Sports
Our soccer teams started the season with both the boys and the girls getting wins over Park View. Both soccer teams are scheduled to play Bain tomorrow and our boys’ and girls’ cross country teams have their first meet tomorrow at Warwick City Park. The weather is not looking great for tomorrow so we will keep you updated on postponements as they happen.
Have a great week!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hello Western Hills Community,
School is finally starting! We have been busy for weeks getting Western Hills ready and we are excited to finally have students walk through our doors on Tuesday morning.
Arrival on the first day
Students that arrive by bus will wait in the cafeteria until 7:50 and then go to their homerooms. Students that get dropped off will wait in the auditorium until 7:50 before going to homeroom. Any student that arrives after 7:50 should go directly to homeroom.
If you are dropping off your child please drop them off in the front of the building. I know it’s the first day and everyone is excited (and nervous) but it is very important that, when you pull up to the school, you drive as far down as you can before stopping. Please pull up to the next car and do not stop in front of the building if there is room to keep moving down along the front of the building. We follow this procedure every day, all year. It is especially important on the first day because of the large number of kids that tend to get dropped off that day.
For any students that do not know their homerooms, staff will be on hand to assist them.
Open House
Open House will take place on September 27th for 6th and 7th graders and September 28th for 8th graders. Both nights will start at 6:30 pm.
Unpaid meals policy
Please see the attachment regarding unpaid meals.
Sports
Girls’ Soccer Team
Coach Edwards will be holding an informational meeting (players only) for any girls that are interested in trying out for the soccer team on 9/7 in the gymnasium. The meeting will only be about 30 minutes. Tryouts will be taking place after school on our field on 9/8, 9/11, and 9/12 from 2:30-4:15.
Boys’ Soccer Team
Coach Burns will be holding an informational meeting for players on 9/6 in the gymnasium. Tryout times and dates will be announced at the meeting.
Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country
Coach Splendorio will be meeting with those that are interested in running on the Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country teams after school on Wednesday 9/6 after school. He will be sending out an email to all of you that signed up on the district website. Practice information will be discussed at the meeting.
Enjoy the long weekend and I am looking forward to seeing all of the students arrive on Tuesday morning!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Statement of Confidentiality The contents of this e-mail message and any attachments are confidential and are intended solely for the addressee.The information may also be legally privileged. If you have received this transmission in error, any use,reproduction, or dissemination of this transmission is strictly prohibited.If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender by reply e-mail and delete the message.
5/26/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Will it EVER stop raining?? It looks like we might have a couple of decent days this weekend. There are many baseball tournaments, softball tournaments, soccer tournaments, and cookouts planned this weekend, as well as ceremonies for Memorial Day Weekend.
Here’s what’s going on at Western Hills Middle School:
Honors Night
Honors Night is coming up on June 7th. Remember, this is an 8th grade only event and students that will be honored that night have already received an invitation. Some time next week, you will be receiving three tickets for the event. The student does not need a ticket. This is a different night than National Junior Honor Society. That event will be taking place on June 19th and it is for eligible 7th and 8th grade students.
Living Wax Museum
Wow! I was so impressed with the students and teachers of the King Cobras team today with their Living Wax Museum. Clearly, a lot of hard work went into this event. Thank you to all the parents, grandparents, and friends that came and supported our students. Mrs. Lonardo, Mrs. Morse, Mrs. Murray, and Mrs. Reardon should be commended for their efforts in putting this all together.
Students of the Month
Today we announced our May Students of the Month. They will be invited, along with March and April Students of the Month, to our breakfast in June.
Green Student of the Month
Ava Kavanaugh was named the Green Student of the Month. See the description below of this award, along with her science teacher’s (Mr. Worthington) nominating letter.
Green Student of the Month is a recognition program modeled after the President’s Environmental Youth Awards [PEYA] combined with your typical school’s Student of the Month Program with an environmental spin. This program will increase awareness, inspire K-12 environmental action in our schools & communities, highlight "Best Practices", develop our future Green Leaders/workforce, and celebrate outstanding youth-led environmental projects and initiatives.
Ava Kavanagh is a seventh grade student in my Honors Science 7 Classroom. She is also heavily involved in our school's STEM club. In the Club, Ava and her teammates recently won a regional Lexus Eco Challenge competition. The group of students on the Team has been working very hard to fulfill all of the requirements of the next phase of the competition. This young lady stands out, however, in that she offered to care for the living specimens during school vacation (she volunteered without being asked), she has taken a leadership -organizing role in the creation of a Team PowerPoint, she often checks in each morning on the plants and fish (she is in a different homeroom and makes a special effort) and she helped institute a data collecting system to keep track of the team data. This young lady is a budding scientist, and a problem solver with an achieving, can -do mindset that, if properly encouraged, could lead to a rewarding, giving of herself adult life. She will be an asset to any community in which she lives, and I highly recommend her for your Student of The Month award.
Mr. Maine
See the attachment for an article by Jen Cowart about Mr. Maine that was recently in the Cranston Herald.
Upcoming Concerts
Chorus:
5/30 - 8th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
Orchestra:
5/31 - 6th, 7th, 8th, 7:00 Western Hills
Band:
6/14 - 6th, 7th, 8th, Cranston West, 7:00
Band, Chorus, and Orchestra:
6/20 - 6th, 7th, 8th, McCoy Stadium- Star Spangled Banner for the Pawtucket Red Sox
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/19/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Fourth quarter Progress Reports were posted on Aspen today. It is very important that parents/students communicate with their teachers if there are any concerns about current grades. Parents can also contact their child’s guidance counselor with any questions as well. The Guidance Office can be reached at 270-8033.
Sports
Unified Basketball
The Unified Basketball wrapped up their season last week at the Round Robin at Ponaganset High School. Thank you to the athletes, partners, and coaches for a GREAT season! This was, by far, the most fun I have ever had watching basketball.
Track and Field
This week, the girls’ track team won the division championship and the boys finished second. Qualified athletes from both teams will be competing in the State Championship today at Narragansett High School.
Baseball
The Western Hills baseball team is currently 11-0 with one game left to play. It’s been a very good season so far and the boys are looking forward to the playoffs.
Softball
The Cobras softball team finished up their regular season yesterday with a record of 12-0. Good luck as you get ready for the playoffs and make a run for the state championship.
Upcoming Concerts
Chorus:
5/23 - 7th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
5/30 - 8th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
Orchestra:
5/31 - 6th, 7th, 8th, 7:00 Western Hills
Band:
6/14 - 6th, 7th, 8th, Cranston West, 7:00
Band, Chorus, and Orchestra:
6/20 - 6th, 7th, 8th, McCoy Stadium- Star Spangled Banner for the Pawtucket Red Sox
8th grade dance
Tickets will be on sale for the 8th grade dance until May 26th. The dance will be on June 9th from 6:30 to 9:00 at Valley Country Club. I talked about this last week, but please remember, that this dance is NOT a formal or even a semi-formal.
Honors Night
Responses for Honors Night were due today. As of this morning, there are still many of you that have not responded. Please do so as soon as possible. Because of the large number of students that are expected to be coming, we are going to have to distribute tickets to families and limit that number to 3 tickets per family. We understand that this is a big night for our students, but there are only 700 seats in the Cranston West auditorium. Many of you have responded that you would like to bring 8 or 9 (or more) guests, but the West auditorium cannot accommodate that many people.
NJHS Night
The National Junior Honor Society Induction ceremony will be taking place on June 19th at West for students that have met the requirements. This is a separate ceremony from Honors Night, which is for invited 8th graders only. NJHS Night will be for both 7th and 8th grade students that met the qualifications.
Friday, May 26th, is hat day at Western Hills. If you would like to participate, please bring in a dollar and give it to your homeroom teacher that morning. The money will go towards the National Junior Honor Society community service project. Please help support this worthy cause.
Dress Code
Although it is going to cool off a little next week, the warm weather is finally here. And with the warm weather comes all of the new spring and summer outfits. Please keep in mind that we do have a dress code here at Western Hills. All of these rules apply to both boys and girls.
- Shorts and skirts should be of appropriate length (around the fingertips) when the student’s arms are relaxed and hanging by their side.
- No flip flops or any type of shoe that does not have a back to it. This is a safety issue for when students are walking up and down the staircases.
- The student’s midriff is not be exposed.
- Tank tops are allowed if the shoulder strap is wide (roughly 3 fingers wide; no spaghetti straps)
- Tops that are low cut in the back or front are not allowed.
- No hats or headcovers unless for religious or medical purposes.
- Students are not to wear clothing that has inappropriate messages or displays alcohol, tobacco, or drugs.
- Administrators will make the final call on the appropriateness of clothing.
Park View Food Truck Night
Park View Middle School is holding a community event called Food Truck Night. Please see the attachment for this fun event.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
5/14/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
I hope all of you moms (parents, teachers, and staff) had a great Mother’s Day today!
State Testing
On Thursday our 8th graders finished up Science NECAP testing and all PARCC testing (with the exception of some make-ups) will be completed by Tuesday. Thank you the the faculty members that helped us setup the cafeteria this morning for the Science NECAP Inquiry Task. Great job by the students working hard to complete that part of the test!
Upcoming Concerts
Chorus:
5/16 - 6th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
5/23 - 7th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
5/30 - 8th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
Orchestra:
5/31 - 6th, 7th, 8th, 7:00 Western Hills
Band:
6/14 - 6th, 7th, 8th, Cranston West, 7:00
Band, Chorus, and Orchestra:
6/20 - 6th, 7th, 8th, McCoy Stadium- Star Spangled Banner for the Pawtucket Red Sox
Cranston High School West Cheerleading
CRANSTON WEST CHEERLEADING TRYOUTS will be held at CRANSTON WEST- Small Gym on MAY 22nd, MAY 24th and MAY 25th from 6pm- 8pm.
Anyone interested in cheering for the 2017-18 season must attend all 3 days of tryouts.
Cranston West Ice Cream Social
Please see the attachment regarding an Ice Cream Social at Cranston West.
National Italian Exam
Forty-one of our middle school students were part of 1,591 students taking the Level 1 exam in 184 schools around the country. We are proud to announce that four of our Western Hills students were awarded with honorable mention. They are:
Abigail Shellard: 15th in the country
Catherine Consiglio: 17th in the country
David Marcello: 18th in the country
Hope DiBiasio: 20th in the country
Have a great week everyone,
Tim Vesey, Principal5/5/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Here we go, another beautiful weekend in Rhode Island...
Next week our 8th graders will be taking the Science NECAP test on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. We are also starting to get towards the end of our PARCC testing as well.
8th grade dance
Very soon we will begin selling tickets for our 8th grade dance which will be taking place on June 9th at Valley Country Club. There will be much more detailed information coming out soon. However, I want to remind you that the 8th grade dance is NOT a formal or a prom and not really a semi-formal either. Although the vast majority of students get dressed-up for this dance, suits and gowns are not expected. Most boys wear a shirt and tie with slacks and girls wear a dress. Students are strongly discouraged from going with a date and limousines are not allowed. Any limousine arriving at Valley Country Club, before or after the dance, will be turned away.
Every year this a very fun and successful dance, especially now that, since last year, we’ve begun holding it at a facility other than our school. As I said, this is not a prom; these students are only in the 8th grade. They will have the opportunity to attend formals and semi-formals during their high school years.
Camp XL at Bain Middle School
Camp XL is looking for more Cranston residents, in grades K-8, to take part in their Cmp XL this summer. See the attached flyer for more information.
Sports at Cranston West
Any 8th grade students that are interested in playing football at Cranston West should see Mr. Milewski here at Western Hills. Also, any incoming freshmen that are interested in playing hockey should contact Matt Brannon at mattbrannon8812@gmail.com or by cell 401-641-7852.
Western Hills Sports
Despite some recent weather issues, our spring sports teams have managed to get in their games and meets. Both the Softball team and the Baseball team are doing well and leading their divisions. The girls’ and boys’ Track teams are also doing well in team competition and also with many individual accomplishments.
Upcoming Concerts
Chorus:
5/16 - 6th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
5/23 - 7th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
5/30 - 8th grade chorus, 7:00 Western Hills
Orchestra:
5/31 - 6th, 7th, 8th, 7:00 Western Hills
Band:
6/14 - 6th, 7th, 8th, Cranston West, 7:00
Band, Chorus, and Orchestra:
6/20 - 6th, 7th, 8th, McCoy Stadium- Star Spangled Banner for the Pawtucket Red Sox
3rd Quarter Honor Roll
Attached to this email is the 3rd Quarter Honor Roll. Unfortunately, the Honor Roll that went out in the Cranston Herald was not completely accurate. We apologize for the mistake.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
4/28/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Looks like some nice weather this weekend. Hopefully everyone can get out and enjoy it!
Western Hills Music
Our music program has announced dates for their upcoming concerts-
Orchestra- May 31st at Western Hills from 6-8pm, all grade levels
Band- June 14 at West, all grade levels
Chorus - (all at Western Hills)
6th Grade Chorus - Tuesday, May 16th, 2017
7th Grade Chorus - Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017
8th Grade Chorus - Tuesday, May 30th, 2017
PARCC and Science NECAP
PARCC is going very well so far. I am very pleased with the effort being put in by our students and the hard work and diligence being demonstrated by our faculty.
On May 9th, 10th, and 11th our 8th graders will be taking the Science NECAP.
National Junior Honor Society (NJHS)
Our NJHS night will be taking place on June 19th at Cranston High School West. This is a completely different night than Honors night which is taking place on June 7th. There will be more NJHS information coming to you soon.
Shortest Weekly Update ever… Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
4/7/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Week 1 of PARCC is in the books and it was a very good week! I appreciate how serious the students were about taking the test and I am thankful for our teachers that support them and make the testing process go so smoothly (especially our librarian, Mrs. Flynn!).
Today was the first day of the 4th quarter. The year is going by very quickly and a lot will be happening over the next few months. If you have any questions or concerns regarding your child’s grades, please do not hesitate to contact any one of your child’s teachers or their guidance counselor. The Guidance Office can be reached at 270-8033.
Science Olympiad
As you know from my previous email, our Science Olympiad team finished 5th in the state and took home multiple individual honors. Here are some pictures from the event. Thank you to the parents for sending them to me.
Scheduling Courses at Cranston High School West
Please see the note below from Mr. Willette, our 8th grade guidance counselor:
As of today (4/3/17), guidance counselors at WHMS have met with all students who have returned their pink course selection sheets. If you have not returned a course selection sheet, please submit one directly to Mr. Willette in guidance. If you lost your course selection sheet, please see the guidance secretary for a duplicate copy. We will not review course requests with students who have not returned a signed course selection sheet.
Please carefully review your course requests by selecting “requests” under the “My Info” tab in Aspen. Your requested courses appear at the top of the page. Ignore the percentage scheduled information; instead, be sure it reads 6.5 after “Credits.” This is the correct number of credits at this point in the scheduling process. Physical and Health Education courses will be mass added at a later date.
If you would like to change an elective course(s) (any course other than English, math, science, or social studies), you may email Mr. Willette with your requested change(s) at rwillette@cpsed.net or you may see me in my office.
Remember, we are not processing any course overrides of teacher recommendations until after the 4th quarter interim period because teachers will be reviewing their original recommendations and making changes, if warranted.
As always, contact me with any questions or concerns.
Regards,
Mr. Willette
Sports
The weather has not been cooperating for our baseball, softball, and track teams. However, our softball team was able to get a game in against Bain this week. The Cobra softball team put together a 16-0 victory here at home.
Our Unified Basketball team went on the road yesterday and had their second win, this time against Winman MS in Warwick.
Upcoming Dates
Thanks to the WH mom that reminded me at the softball game that I should send out upcoming, important dates:
Spring pictures - April 12th
3rd quarter report cards - available on Aspen on April 13th
No School - April 14th
School Vacation - April 17th - April 21st
School Dance - April 28th
Honors night - June 7th, 7:00, Cranston High School West
Student of the Month Breakfast - June 9th, 8:15 am
8th grade dance - June 9th, Valley Country Club
NJHS day/night - TBA
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
3/24/17
Hello Western Hills Community,This may be my briefest Weekly Update yet... As always, please do not hesitate to contact me by email or phone (270-8030) with any questions or concerns. If your questions are academic in nature, it would be best to contact either your child’s Guidance Counselor (270-8033) or the teacher of the class of which you are concerned.
- Our Guidance Counselors have been meeting with each 8th grade student individually to go over their course selections for next year. Please contact your child’s Guidance Counselor with any questions.
- Falconette and Westernette auditions are coming up soon for any interested 8th graders. See the attached flyer.
- PARCC testing begins on April 3rd and goes until May 22nd. All Western Hills students will be taking three sessions of ELA and three sessions of Math or Algebra. During that time, 8th graders will also be taking the Science NECAP on May 9th, 10th, and 11th.
- At this point, our Baseball, Softball, and Track and Field teams have been picked and all three teams are preparing for the upcoming Spring season.
Have a great weekend!
Tim Vesey, Principal
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Hello Western Hills Community,
- So much for spring sports getting underway… it looks like our teams will be inside for the foreseeable future.
- Third quarter Progress Reports were put on Aspen last Friday. Please let me know if you are not able to access your account.
- PARCC testing begins on April 3rd.
- Pennies for Patients will be taking place on March 20th - 24th
- NJHS packets are due by Friday. No late packets can be accepted!
PTO Meeting
From the PTO Executive Board -
The WHMS PTO will be meeting tomorrow evening in the school library at 7:00 pm. All are welcome to attend. Also for your calendars, our final meeting will be Thursday May 18 at 7 pm; however, a reminder will go out prior. Next week, there will be a fundraiser at Chipotle restaurant on Thursday, March 23rd starting at 4 pm...more details to follow next week.
Student of the Month Breakfast
Last week’s postponed Student of the Month Breakfast will take place this Friday, March 17th at 8:15 am in the Western Hills cafeteria. We are looking forward to seeing all of you.
The Cobra
The latest issue of our school newspaper, The Cobra, is attached to this email.
Social Media
Don’t forget to check out all of the latest happenings at Western Hills by going to our various social media sites (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter). There you will see important information, upcoming events, and also what’s taking place in various classrooms around the building.
Hello Western Hills Community,
As you may have seen, the snow banks in the parking lot are really high right now. Please use extra caution when picking up and dropping off your children. It may be difficult to see other students around the snowbanks. Those of you that drive your children know that the afternoon is particularly hectic. There are buses, many cars, and many children trying to get to those cars. As a reminder, the buses leave at 2:27 and within a few minutes, the parking lot is almost completely clear.
Surveyworks
Last week, I told you about Surveyworks. This is your opportunity to help us improve Western Hills Middle School. By taking this survey, you can let us know what you think is working and what is not working so well here at Western Hills. So far only 8 parents have taken the survey. We need many more responses than this to get an accurate representation from families.
To access the parent survey go to https://surveys.panoramaed.com
Wrestling
This past weekend, the Western Hills wrestling team competed in the Rhode Island Middle School State Championships. The Cobras had a great tournament, finishing in 5th place out of over 30 teams! Finishing in 6th place at the tournament were Luke Montefusco, Rory Perrino, Matt DeFusco, and Landon Giampietro. Tyler Stephenson finished in fourth place. Christian Rutherford and Chris Gomez finished in third place. Finally, congratulations to Anthony Decotis for making it to the finals and finishing in second place.
Dodgeball Tournament
Due to the school cancellations last week, the annual Dodgeball Tournament has been moved to after vacation. The 6th grade will compete on 2/28, the 7th grade will compete on 3/1, and the 8th grade will compete on 3/2. The winners from those three days will all come back on Friday, 3/3 for the championship finals. Students should see their PE teachers to sign up for the tournament.
Yearbooks
Yearbooks are available for order. Please see the attached order form for details.
Have a great week!
Tim Vesey, Principal
2/3/17
Hello Western Hills Community,
Second quarter report cards were made available on Aspen on Friday morning. We are now into the third quarter of the school year. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s grades, it is very important that you contact your child’s guidance counselor or team leader as soon as possible. If you are unsure of whom to contact, call our Guidance Office at 270-8033. Our Guidance Clerk, Mrs. Stewart, will be able to connect you to the appropriate counselor.
We recently recognized our January Students of the Month. They will be invited with the other students of the month to an upcoming breakfast.
Moving on to Cranston High School West
On Tuesday, administrators and guidance counselors from Cranston West will be meeting with our 8th grade students to discuss programming, classes, and opportunities in high school. This is an exciting time of year as our 8th grade students will be finding out what courses they were recommended for in high school and they will also be picking their electives. Western Hills guidance counselors will be assisting our students with the selection of elective courses.
Attached to this email is a flyer about Freshman Orientation Night taking place on Wednesday February 8th at Cranston High School West.
Note about a story in the recent issue of “The Cobra”
In the most recent issue of our school newspaper, “The Cobra”, it was said that there are no healthy choices available to students. A local representative of Aramark contacted me to assure me that - “Everything on that serving line follows the guidelines. Nothing is fried, everything is required to follow strict guidelines to be under a certain amount of fat, calories, sugar, etc…” So, yes, the food in the cafeteria follows the strict guidelines that must be followed by all public schools.
Early Release and cancellation of after-school activities
During this time of year there is always the possibility of an early release from school and/or cancellation of after-school activities due to the weather. If you have not already done so, please make sure that your child knows what to do in this situation.
Sports
The boys’ basketball season came to end last week with a loss against Bain. Although they didn’t make the playoffs, we are all proud of our boys and Coach Splendorio for their efforts this season.
The girls’ basketball team, however, opens up the playoffs on Monday when they host North Cumberland Middle School at 3:30 in the Western Hills gym. Good luck to the girls and Coach DeCosta in the playoffs!
Next weekend, Coach Burns and the Cobra wrestlers head to Cumberland for the Rhode Island Middle School State Championship. Many of our wrestlers are having a great season and they will be striving for both individual championships and the team championship.
Do you have a Favorite Teacher?
Students - We are lucky to have a very talented faculty at Western Hills Middle School. Is one of them your favorite? If so, see the attachment for the Barnes and Noble Favorite Teacher Contest.
Have a great week everyone!
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hi again,
All after school activities are cancelled today in Cranston. All students will be leaving Western Hills at 2:20 today.
Tim Vesey, Principal
Hi everyone,
The latest edition of "The Cobra" is attached to this email.
Here is some information on Friday night's dance from our Student Council Advisor, Mr. Willette:
Student council organizes several dances throughout the school year. The following is a list of the dances that will be held this school year: November 18 (all grades), February 3 (all grades), April 28 (all grades), and June 9 (8th grade only).
In order to provide for the safety of our students and the success of our dances, there are some policies and procedures students must follow.Dances will be held in the cafeteria (and gymnasium) from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Students will not be allowed into the building prior to 6:30 but should arrive no later than 6:45. Students are expected to remain at the dance until 8:30. Students who are not picked up promptly by 8:30 will not be allowed to attend the next dance. All disciplinary policies and procedures outlined in the student planner are to be followed at the dances. Particularly, students must adhere to the dress code.
Tickets will be sold in homeroom from Monday to Wednesday during the week of the dance. No tickets will be sold on Thursday or Friday. Tickets are $6, and students must pay with the exact amount in cash or check made payable to Western Hills. Students may only purchase one ticket each, and the ticket purchased is not transferable. No refunds will be given unless a student is absent from school on the day of the dance. Students who are absent on the day of the dance are not permitted to attend.
Because the Western Hills school community and the student council value the spirit of helping those individuals and families in need, admittance to the dance also requires the donation of two canned goods (a reminder is printed on ticket). Canned donations are collected at the door as students enter the building.
Students who are ineligible may not purchase a ticket to the dance. If they attempt to so, they will face disciplinary action. It is a privilege to attend a school dance. All school obligations, including outstanding library fines and payment for lost books, should be met prior to purchasing a ticket.
Tim Vesey, Principal
