Washington Middle School

Who's ready to bust a move?! We have dance practice three times this week, including over the weekend: ❤️ Monday, June 9th: 5:30 - 8 p.m. 🖤 Wednesday, June 11th: 5:30 - 8 p.m. ❤️ Saturday, June 14th: 9am - noon

🏀 It's our turn to get in on the action! 🏀 The Boys Basketball team is competing in the Galatia league tonight, June 9th, with games at 6pm & 7:45 pm. Our boys are back for round two on Wednesday, June 11th and play at 5:50 pm & 6:40 pm. Right now, Eldorado is leading the league 2-0. Let's show them what we can do!

Our WMS Boys Basketball Open Gym is taking place Thursday, June 5th. It's a great opportunity for our team to connect and practice their skills. We hope to see you tomorrow from 10 am to noon!

🏀 Another opportunity for some hoops 🏀 Coach Shick is holding an open gym for Girls Basketball. This opportunity is for any student entering 5th-8th grade! The open gym is taking place at Johnston City High School on Friday, June 6th, 9 am - 10 am.

We want to share an appreciation post for the Washington Middle School Full-Service Community Schools (FSCS) team as well as staff and student volunteers, who helped launch the WMS Mobile Pantry yesterday. Thank you for your time and dedication to all families of Johnston City schools and the community. Our next distribution will be Monday, June 16th, from 4-6 p.m. at the Easy Coin Laundry at 410 W. 11th street.

A friendly reminder that tomorrow is Girls Basketball Summer League! It will be a full day of learning more about the fundamentals of the game, and getting some practice on the court. The summer league is taking place June 3rd, from 9am to 3pm.

We're excited for the first dance team practices of the summer and will have two of them this week. These practices are taking place today, June 2nd, and Wednesday, June 4th, from 5:30 to 8 p.m. We can't wait to meet our newest members and welcome back returning teammates. Let's make this an unforgettable season!

We're less than a week from the launch of Washington Middle School's mobile pantry, which is for all families of Johnston City Schools and community members. This is made possible through the Full-Service Community School (FSCS) grant. The mobile pantry includes hygiene items like towels, clorox wipes, hair brushes, toothbrushes and toothpaste, hand and body wipes, and deodorants. The giveaway also includes an assortment of non-perishable food items, which could include: ▪️ Corn ▪️ Green beans ▪️ Black beans ▪️ Peas ▪️ Diced tomatoes ▪️ Baked beans ▪️ Mixed vegetables ▪️ Beef ravioli ▪️ Tomato sauce ▪️ Pineapple ▪️ Chicken noodle soup ▪️ Evaporated milk The first distribution will be Monday, June 2nd, from 4-6 p.m. at the City Hall Pavilion located at 118 E. Broadway in downtown Johnston City. We do ask that attendees bring a student or government-issued I.D. to verify residency in the Johnston City School District.

A friendly reminder our JCHS Educators Rising Club for its expanded Summer Enrichment Camps. Our Educators Rising students will provide lesson plans filled with team challenges, STEM activities, creative experiments, art projects, games, music and more! This expansion is made possible through the Full-Service Community School grant, which allows the programming to be free for participating families. Each week, your child will have a hands-on theme to explore: ▪️June 2nd - June 5th: Survivor Challenge ▪️June 9th - June 12th: Oceans to Outer Space ▪️June 16th - June 18th: World of Wonder ▪️July 7th - July 10th: The Great Mess-terpiece ▪️July 14th - July 17th: Mad Science Mayhem ▪️July 21st - July 24th: Career Curiosity Kiddos will have so much fun, they'll forget they're learning. You can join us for all six weeks or any week that fits your schedule. Camp will take place Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. Bus transportation will be provided along with breakfast and lunch. Sign-up here: https://bit.ly/3F8qXiM

Mark your calendars now! We have our Junior Baseball Open Fields and Tryouts scheduled. Open Fields: Wednesday, July 16th, and Wednesday, July 23rd from 5-6:30 p.m. Tryouts: Monday, July 28th, and Tuesday, July 29th from 5-7 p.m. Where: JC High School Baseball Fields

✏️📚 We've made it to the last day of school! ✏️📚 This school year has been filled with lots of learning and memories! We hope you enjoyed it just as much as we did. Have a wonderful (and safe) summer break! We will see you back for the first day of the 2025-2026 school year on Tuesday, August 12th, for a half day with all schools dismissing at 11:30 a.m.

While we enjoy this Memorial Day holiday, we're looking back to our fun-filled Friday! Newly selected WEB Leaders got together Friday morning for our Spring Play Day. Students participated in various activities aimed at learning more about one another and developing teamwork and leadership skills. These soon-to-be 8th graders will welcome our incoming 5th graders with an orientation in August, and they will serve as mentors and leaders for a small group of 5th graders all school year. Mrs. Dobraski and Mrs. Kerley are looking forward to implementing this new program and watching these students thrive as leaders. BIG THANK YOU to the Johnston City Scout Cabin for allowing us to use their facility for our activities. Being able to get out of the building made it extra special for these students.

🇺🇸 We have no school today, Monday, May 26th, in observance of the Memorial Day holiday. 🇺🇸 All schools will be back in attendance tomorrow, Tuesday, May 27th, for the last day of classes. This will be an early dismissal day. Elementary and middle schools will dismiss at 1:50 p.m. JCHS will dismiss at 2:00 p.m.

Second-grade teacher Ms. Jennings is retiring after working for Johnston City Schools and attending them from kindergarten through high school. Her teaching career recently had a full-circle moment. Ms. Jennings gave her final lesson in the same classroom where she once sat as a kindergartner on her first day of school. Thank you, Ms. Jennings, for your years of dedication to our students! Read her full farewell at this link: https://www.jcindians.org/o/jes/article/2233093

🇺🇸 We'll have no school on Monday, May 26th, in observance of Memorial Day. 🇺🇸 All schools will be back in attendance on Tuesday, May 27th, for the last day of classes. This will be an early dismissal day. Elementary and middle schools will dismiss at 1:50 p.m. JCHS will dismiss at 2:00 p.m.

🌞 School's almost out, do you have plans for break? 🌞 We hope you'll join our JCHS Educators Rising Club for its expanded Summer Enrichment Camps. Our Educators Rising students will provide lesson plans filled with team challenges, STEM activities, creative experiments, art projects, games, music and more! This expansion is made possible through the Full-Service Community School grant, which allows the programming to be free for participating families. Each week, your child will have a hands-on theme to explore: ▪️June 2nd - June 5th: Survivor Challenge ▪️June 9th - June 12th: Oceans to Outer Space ▪️June 16th - June 18th: World of Wonder ▪️July 7th - July 10th: The Great Mess-terpiece ▪️July 14th - July 17th: Mad Science Mayhem ▪️July 21st - July 24th: Career Curiosity Kiddos will have so much fun, they'll forget they're learning. You can join us for all six weeks or any week that fits your schedule. Camp will take place Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to noon. Bus transportation will be provided along with breakfast and lunch. Sign-up here: https://bit.ly/3F8qXiM

Elementary students gearing up for middle school transition! Washington Middle School Principal Mrs. Armes, WMS Assistant Principal Mr. Dobroski, and several middle school students stopped by Lincoln Elementary to visit with the 4th graders, who will be attending Washington next year. Our 4th graders were able to ask questions and learn a little about how WMS runs!

Our Superintendent Kathy Clark has been named the 2025 Superintendent of Distinction by her colleagues in the Shawnee Region of the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA). "Being recognized by my peers is a great honor, but it truly reflects the passion, resilience, and commitment of the entire Johnston City CUSD 1 team." Read more here: https://www.jcindians.org/article/2227629

A friendly reminder that Volleyball Camp is being offered for incoming 5th-8th Grade students. This will be held at Johnston City High School's gymnasium June 2nd - June 4th, from noon to 1:30 p.m. Registration forms can be found in the office at Lincoln Elementary and Washington Middle School. Registration forms and the $30 fee are due by May 27th.

A big shoutout to our WMS students, who designed their 8th Grade Class of 2029 t-shirt! Liam designed the front of the t-shirt, and Lexington designed the back. We love to see how creative our students can be, and the teamwork they put in! Way to go, Class of 2029!