Middle School Division News: Oct. 17, 2024

By Dr. Jenn Milam, Head of School and Interim Middle School Division Head

I’ve written before about the importance of your partnership in our work here at Winston, and there is no other time more important than attending parent-teacher conferences in both the fall and spring. These small moments, with your young person’s teachers, offer the opportunity for you to glimpse who your student is at school, how they are performing in class, to ask how you can be of support to them at home, and to learn how they are growing, changing, and sharing with the world who they are and who they will become. 

Tomorrow, Friday, October 18, we are looking forward to hosting you on campus for our first round of conferences this school year. I encourage you to ask pressing questions, inquire about areas of struggle, and be open to hearing feedback that may be difficult to deliver. As the mom of two teenagers, I know firsthand how hard it can be to hear that your precious young person is perhaps not demonstrating the effort you expect or are showing less than favorable sides of their personality. And yet, approaching feedback from a place of curiosity and openness, can keep you open to learning about the facets of your Middle Schooler you have yet to encounter, and help you to have more constructive conversations at home that reorient them to your expectations and their responsibilities. 

As we launch into the cooler days of fall and look toward winter, the rigor of the school year naturally increases. The days feel longer (even if they are actually shorter!), the routine can become tedious, and motivation can wane. Your new job, in addition to being an awesome parent, is that of “marvelous motivator” and “cheeky cheerleader”! You're going to need to become adept at dodging the negative eye-rolling, putting off the petulant procrastination, and inspiring (and perhaps sometimes, bribing) continued effort. Being a parent, in the Middle School years, is a little like being a comedian-chaffeur-manager-friend-coach-confidante all in one!

You got this! WE got this! Thank you for your partnership - see you at the conferences! 

A LOOK AHEAD 

Friday, October 18 - Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences

We look forward to welcoming you to campus to share with you insight into your student’s journey this year at Winston. These conferences are for parents and teachers only. 

Tuesday, October 22 - Yearbook Picture Retakes and Senior Portraits

Legacy Studios will also take portraits of students absent on the first picture day and those who have been approved for a retake. Ms. Giovas will call the involved students grades K-11 from their class when it's time for their photo, which should only take a few minutes. Students will be sent home with a QR code that grants access to the portrait purchase site. If the QR Code is misplaced, you can find your student's code here. 

Tuesday, October 22 - Donation Day with Shake Shack on Preston/Royal, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Support the Winston Athletics program while enjoying delicious burgers, fries, and shakes next week! Shake Shack will donate 25% of all sales made on Tuesday, October 22 between 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. to the Winston Athletics program. Follow the below instructions for in-store and in-app purchases to make sure your meal benefits The Winston School. Email [email protected] with any questions!

IN-STORE
Dine-in at the Shack- just show your flyer at the register or input code DONATECHICKEN in kiosk at checkout!

IN-APP
Order ahead for pick-up or delivery through our mobile Shack App- simply enter DONATECHICKEN in the promo code section before submitting your order!

Thursday, October 31: Halloween at Winston

As we look forward to celebrating Halloween at Winston together, we must adhere to our Winston community expectations and guidelines regarding costumes, discourse, and representation. Halloween can be a magical time for imagination, playfulness, and connection. All students are invited to wear their Halloween costumes to school on Thursday, October 31. 

The following are guidelines for Halloween costumes at TWS: 

Weapons or items that are made in the likeness to represent weapons, are not allowed. These can include, but are not limited to: guns, swords, pitchforks, knives, pocket knives, and/or spears. 

Masks that completely cover a student’s face and head are not allowed. A student needs to be able to be recognized at school, participate in classes throughout the day, and not have their identity obscured by their costume. 

Symbols, words, or other representations that are currently, or have been historically used to trigger and/or discount others’ identities are not allowed. These can include, but are not limited to symbols of white supremacy, gang affiliation, racial or ethnic tokenism, homophobia or transphobia, and ableism. 

All costumes must also adhere to the dress code expectations that all “personal body parts” are covered, regardless of a student’s gender identity or gender presentation. 

If your student does not wish to wear a costume, they may have a “dress down” day and be out of uniform. 

Friday, November 1: EARLY DISMISSAL - Teacher Professional Development

GENERAL UPDATES

On Thursday, October 31, Winston will celebrate Halloween!
All students are welcome to wear their costumes to school (see note above about costume etiquette) and share in the fun! 

Middle School schedule for Halloween is as follows:

8:15-10:35 am        Shortened Classes (Blocks 1-4)

10:35 am                Elective Block (Lower School Halloween Parade)

11:20 am                 Recess

11:40 am                 Lunch

12-2 pm                  Middle School CLUE Game (Party Groups!)

2:45 pm                 Haunted Classroom (US Room #218)

3:15 pm                  Dismissal

#IAmNotACostume: A Note about Cultural Appropriation
As our young people begin selecting costumes, it is important that we are sensitive to issues of cultural appropriation. “Cultural Appropriation is the act of taking significant elements (symbols, dress, words, practices, etc.) from a culture that is not your own and removing all original context or meaning, usually with the goal of using these elements for entertainment, marketing, or exploitation.” (http://www.lspirg.org/costumes) When selecting a costume for Halloween, I would ask that you engage your student in a conversation about the purpose of their costume (Is it just for fun? Or is there an underlying message behind it?), ask them to consider if anyone may take offense to their costume and the representation it suggests (Is it possible that others may view the costume as a mockery of a particular culture? Does the costume seek to make a token of traditional cultural symbols not held by your family culture?) and encourage them to reflect upon the way that their costume may be experienced by those around them, thus seeking to build empathy and critical thinking – two values we hold dear here at Winston.

We want Halloween to be a fun, imaginative, and magical celebration of the fall season in a way that not only values the childhood experience but, so too, those cultures, (re)presentations, symbols, and traditions deeply held and honored by each of us in our unique lived experiences. 

For more information on cultural appropriation and Halloween costumes, you might find some of these links helpful:

Laurier Students’ Public Interest Research Group: http://www.lspirg.org/costumes

NPR/MPR News: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/29/773615928/cultural-appropriation-a-perennial-issue-on-halloween

National Geographic: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/family/article/can-kids-wear-that-what-to-know-about-culturally-insensitive-costumes

NOTE: TWS faculty, staff, and administration reserve the right to ask a student to remove items/costumes if it is disruptive to the learning environment.