About WMS
Whitewater Middle School
401 S. Elizabeth Street
Whitewater, WI 53190
(262) 472-8300
(262) 472-8310 fax
WHITEWATER MIDDLE SCHOOL serves students grades 6th-8th and has an enrollment of approximately 430 students. Each grade level is arranged in teams of academic teachers and one team of related arts teachers serving all three grade levels.
The school day begins for students at 7:55 a.m. and ends 3:20 daily. Students are blocked into self-contained grade level teams for both academic and related arts classes. Approximately 2/3 of the student day is in an academic block of 240 minutes and the remaining 1/3 in the required and elective related arts class block. A separate 40 minute music/choice period is provided for each grade level during the day as well as a 30 minute intervention and enrichment time called personalized learning time. There are also three 30 minute lunch periods, one for each grade level. Students are required to remain in school under supervision during the lunch periods.
Students have two 40 minute RELATED ARTS classes daily. Required classes in all three grades and elective eighth grade classes meet on an alternate day per semester basis. The exceptions are the elective foreign language classes in grade eight that meet daily all year and physical education that meets alternate days all year for each grade.
In addition, 4 special education teachers, 1 ESL teacher, 1 guidance counselor, 2 psychologists, 1 behavior interventionist, 1 librarian, 2 office secretaries, multiple paraprofessionals and 2 building principals support the needs of our middle school students.
The important middle school concept of block scheduling of periods for both the academic teams and the related arts team has been incorporated into the program scheduling. This allows future planning by team members to accomplish more integration of subject matter among the disciplines.
1. Block periods of time for academic 6, 7, and 8 classes. The block time consists of four 60 minute periods.
2. One common team and one common individual planning time period for team members of 40 minutes each is scheduled.
3. A Related Arts Exploratory Program for 6th and 7th grades. 2 periods per day of 40 minutes each.*
4. A Related Arts Elective Program for grade eight. 2 periods per day of 40 minutes each.*
5. A comprehensive Band and Choir program. One 40 minute period per day per grade level. General Music required in grade 6. Jazz Band, Show Choir and an all-school musical are also offered.
6. Guidance and Developmental Guidance components.
7. Special Education support
8. Full-time Librarian position in IMC/media services to the school.*
9. During the music blocks, both students (when not in music) and teachers have the opportunity to “choose” their class opportunities. This time has the flexibility of direct instructional time, remedial work, make-up time, enrichment activities, reading, and other choices determined by individual needs.
10. Three supervised lunch periods and activities.
11. PE is a coed team-taught class in each grade.
12. Reading and English are integrated into Language Arts in all grade levels.*
13. Advanced Learner programming
14. Competition in a school interscholastic athletic program with the Southern Lakes Middle School Conference
15. Elimination of most bells.