School of Innovation

DRAMA CLUB CREATIVITY This week, students in our drama club have been working hard to create props for their upcoming play, "Fast Food". Students have loved being part of the creative process, ranging from creating their own restaurant logo to choosing the play's primary colors.

FISHING FOR WORD PROBLEMS This week, students in the classes of Mrs. Logsdon went fishin'! They caught fish with word problems and had to solve coordinating mathematical equations. This is an excellent example of hands-on learning at Wurtland Middle School!

BULLETIN BOARD BASKETBALL A few of our EdRising students, Khloe Bertram, Braylon Chandley, and Jacob Jones, worked hard on this fun and interactive bulletin board! Our students enjoy playing in the morning and between classes.

OOEEYY GOOEEYY DELICIOUSNESS! Cristabelle Lopez, a member of Mrs. Shannon's Hopsitality and Tourism class, made caramel brownies for her classmates. Her classmates describe them as being "delightful"!

HELPDESK ON THE JOB Our helpdesk students are on the job EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. No matter the issue that is brought to their attention, they work to address it. Take a look at these ChromeBooks that are being returned to Wurtland Elementary School with personalized notes of successful repairs. We are so proud of our Wildcats!

COLLEAGUE CREDIT Mr. Mike Doran shares that, in every unconventional situation we have had at school, Mrs. Carla has been a very visible presence, taking a decisive role in maintaining calm, organizing a response, and ensuring student and staff safety until the state of affairs has returned to normal (or as close to it as we get at Wurtland Middle School). She always has a smile for everyone she encounters and is a sequined, sparkly, bright spot in every day. Carla plays a vital role in establishing the positive culture we enjoy at Wurtland Middle School, and we are all better off for it. We love you, Mrs. Carla!

WILDCAT OF THE WEEK Mrs. Brumfield shares that Brandon works very hard in English class. He arrives in class ready to learn with all of his materials each day. Mrs. Brumfield shares that she is proud of his hard work and dedication to learning. Way to go, Brandon!

GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY, GIVE IT AWAY NOW! We are grateful for our community, and our students want to continue to give back to you for supporting them! It's our third opportunity for you to join our Give It Away, Give It Away, Give It Away Now Campaign! How do you participate?! Follow the WMS Facebook page, like and share this post, and drop a comment on the original post for a chance to win this student-crafted tilting trash can with an $80.00 value. The drawing will be held next Wednesday. Good luck!

WIREDCATS Our esports team, the Wurtland WiredCats, was back in action yesterday afternoon! Team members were trying new games and adjusting to various platforms. Way to go, WiredCats! We can't wait to watch you #levelup!

MOREHEAD STATE UNIVERSITY SOLO AND ENSEMBLE EVENT Wurtland Middle School had 62 events that performed at Saturday's annual solo and ensemble event at Morehead State University. We had many students who scored proficient or distinguished in a myriad of categories, and we performed more pieces than any other local middle school. Congratulations, students! You each make us so very proud of all your hard work and dedication!

EdRISING SPECIALTY SPEAKER SERIES Friday was a special day for our EdRising students. The best Speech Language Pathologist (SLP) in the land came to visit our EdRising students as the last guest in the Specialty Speaker Series. Mrs. Renee White is a school-based Speech Language Pathologist. She discussed with students the education and training required for her position. Additionally, she shared the many conditions she may diagnose and treat in the school setting. Students were able to sample thickened liquids while Mrs. White taught about some physiological conditions that can impact feeding and swallowing. Students were also able to practice with student communication devices, including one that uses eye-tracking technology to generate audible phrases and sentences. To conclude the lesson, Mrs. White read a precious children's book and encouraged students to be thankful for their words and to always work to give everyone a voice. While we hope this day will encourage others to consider careers in speech and language services, we KNOW it served as a great reminder to our students to be inclusive of others and to find ways to communicate with those around us.

THE GREAT DOUGHNUT DEBATE Today, students in the classes of Ms. Alex Young brought their doughnut designs to life! After adding their toppings, students continued their argumentative writing unit and debated the tastiness of their sweet treats!

NATIONAL ENGINEERING DAY Yesterday, students in Mr. Haywood's STEM class built boats for National Engineering Day! The boats were tested to see which could hold the most pennies, and the winner supported 247! That's some great hands-on learning, Wildcats!

NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORERS Our National Geographic Explorers continue to amaze us! Last week, they received a major shout-out for great questions on a living shorelines presentation based out of California. Keep exploring, Wildcats!

STEM and SIMPLE MACHINES Students in Mr. Haywood’s STEM class spent time exploring simple machines. We can see those wheels turning, both literally and figuratively.

ESPORTS Today, some of our 37 esports students stayed for pre-season practice. Our season officially starts next week. We will be playing games both on computers and Nintendo platforms. We owe a special thanks to everyone who has donated equipment, controllers, gaming systems, and furniture. We are having a great time! Level up, Wildcats!

COLLEAGUE CREDIT Tonya Bullion shares that Miss Kailey greets students with a smile on her face each day! Thank you for all you do, Miss Kailey! It's the Wildcat Way!

READER OF THE WEEK Mrs. Brumfield shares that Hailey is an avid reader and enjoys realistic fiction. She reads on her Kindle and loves good, old-fashioned books from the library. She can usually be spotted throughout the day using time to read her current selection. READERS ARE LEADERS AT WURTLAND MIDDLE SCHOOL!

WILDCAT OF THE WEEK At Wurtland Middle School, we acknowledge Wildcats of the Week for doing small deeds with great care! Recently, Mrs. Logsdon observed Charlee taking the time to clean trash left by another student without prompting. Thank you, Miss Charlee!

WRITER OF THE WEEK Mason has been working hard on practicing brainstorming ideas and then grouping them into bigger categories. These categories are then being used as his body paragraph topics in written arguments. Mason is doing things WRITE at Wurtland Middle School!