Winterset Junior High School

Winterset Junior High hosted its first-ever Public Speaking Workshop, and our students knocked it out of the park! 🎤✨ Check out this video showcasing their hard work as they practiced for the upcoming Authentic Learning Showcase. With guidance from 10 public speaking experts, students focused on the H.U.E.S of public speaking: Being Heard, Understood, Expressive, and Standing Tall. Their confidence grew with every presentation, and the feedback they received was invaluable. We are so proud of their dedication and can't wait to see them shine on March 4th! 🎬👏 https://youtu.be/0Y4Vky6scik?feature=shared

🚀 The countdown is on—just THREE school days until the Authentic Learning Showcase! 🚀 Join us on Tuesday, March 4th, from 4:00-7:30 PM at Winterset Junior High to see firsthand what makes WJH the Best Junior High in Iowa—our incredible students, teachers, staff, and supportive community! Come celebrate the hard work, creativity, and learning of our students as they showcase their projects. We can't wait to see you there! 🎉

🎤 Winterset Junior High’s 1st Annual Public Speaking Workshop! 🎤 Today, over 80 of our incredible students took the stage to present their Authentic Learning Showcase projects to 10 public speaking experts from the Des Moines Metro Area and WCSD. With a focus on the H.U.E.S. of public speaking—Being Heard, Understood, Expressive, and Standing Tall—students received valuable feedback and put their skills to the test. The best part? Their engagement, enthusiasm, and willingness to grow! It was inspiring to see them step up, interact with professionals, and refine their presentations. This experience was all about building confidence and preparing for the big day on March 4th. We are so proud of their effort! 👏🎉

🎉 Real-world learning in action! 🎉 Winterset Junior High students took a trip to JA Finance Park in Des Moines, where they stepped into the shoes of working adults—balancing budgets, managing expenses, and making financial decisions based on real-life income scenarios. 💰📊 Schools need to teach real-life skills, and we are! This hands-on experience gave students a powerful look at personal money management, career planning, and the financial choices they’ll face in the future. 💡🔑

🧱💡 Building Strong Arguments—Brick by Brick! 💡🧱 Who knew Legos could help build more than just towers? In this engaging activity, students broke down the structure of arguments using claim, evidence, reasons, reasoning, and counterclaim—and then built them back up using Legos! Each color represented a different part of the argument, turning abstract concepts into hands-on learning. Working in small groups, students analyzed written arguments and "built" their understanding—literally! This creative approach reinforced key vocabulary while making argument writing more interactive and fun. 🏗️📚

📢 Order in the court! ⚖️👠 Our 7th grade literacy students kicked off their argument unit with a mock trial: The Case of Cinderella and the Missing Glass Slippers! 👩‍⚖️📝 In this engaging activity, students stepped into the roles of attorneys, witnesses, and jury members to analyze evidence, develop arguments, and determine—is Cinderella guilty of theft? 🏰🔍 This hands-on experience not only sparked interest in argumentative reading and writing but also helped students strengthen their critical thinking, collaboration, and communication skills. 🎯 Stay tuned as students continue to build their skills throughout this unit! 📚💡

📢 Mark Your Calendars! 📢 In just 2 short weeks (only 9 school days to go!), Winterset Junior High is opening its doors to the Winterset Community for our 1st Annual Authentic Learning Showcase! 🎉 📅 Tuesday, March 4th ⏰ 4:00 – 7:30 PM 📍 Winterset Junior High Families and community members will have the chance to see and hear firsthand from students about the deep learning and incredible projects they’ve worked on this year. 🏆💡 We strongly encourage you to put this on your calendar and come support our 7th and 8th graders, as well as the amazing teachers and staff who are working hard to make this night a success! 🙌 We can’t wait to see you there!

🌟 Best Junior High in Iowa? We think so! 🌟 Being part of Winterset Junior High is a true blessing! These pictures capture just a glimpse of the amazing, fun, and engaging experiences happening here every day. From Friday morning coffee deliveries to students diving deep into real-world learning projects, our students aren’t just mastering core content—they’re also developing and demonstrating essential Profile of a Graduate skills like communication, collaboration, and critical thinking. It was a GREAT Friday at WJH, and we wouldn’t have it any other way! 💛🖤 #BestJHInIowa

🎶✨ The Winterset Junior High Jazz and Concert Bands were absolutely phenomenal this evening! ✨🎶 Under the leadership of Mr. Paul Lichty and the entire Winterset Music Department—alongside an incredibly supportive community and, let’s be honest, some seriously talented musicians—WJH Band continues its tradition of excellence. Bravo to all the students for their hard work and outstanding performances! 👏🎺🥁

🌟 February’s Capturing Kids’ Hearts Theme: KINDNESS! 🌟 At Winterset Junior High, recognition and affirmation are at the heart of our culture. Our staff is spreading kindness by lifting up students and each other with meaningful shoutouts! 💙🙌 Check out these incredible affirmations from our staff—proof that a little kindness goes a long way! 💛

💛 Kindness is Contagious at Winterset JH! 💛 This month, our staff is going above and beyond to recognize the incredible students and colleagues who make Winterset such a special place. ✨ From heartfelt affirmations to uplifting shoutouts, kindness is radiating throughout our school! A simple "You made my day!" or "I appreciate you!" goes a long way, and we love seeing our students and staff lift each other up. 💬💛 Let's keep the kindness train rolling—who will you celebrate today? 🚂💛

❄️Due to predicted snow forecast, we will be closed today. Stay safe, Huskies!

🎷🎶 Winterset JH Jazz Band Shoutout! 🎶🎷 Huge applause for our six talented Winterset JH Jazz Band students who participated in the first-ever Jack Oatts MS Honor Jazz Band this past weekend at Earlham HS! 👏👏👏 These students were nominated and selected from across the Des Moines metro and did an amazing job representing Winterset: 🎺 Gannon Dowie – Trumpet 🎶 Sawyer McDonald, Tyson Frease, Ryker Hansen, and Paige Christy – Trombone 🥁 Lucas Moetsch – Drumset They spent the day rehearsing with top middle school jazz musicians and wrapped it up with a fantastic concert performance! 🎼🎤 🔥 Special shoutout to Mr. Paul Lichty, our very own Winterset JH Band Director, who had the honor of serving as the guest conductor! What an incredible experience for him and our students! Winterset has a proud, proud tradition of excellence in music, and these students are carrying that legacy forward! 🎶🎷 Way to go, Gannon, Sawyer, Tyson, Ryker, Paige, and Lucas! 🎉

🌟 **Valentine's Day Dress-Up Day!** 🌟 Hey WJH! 💕 Get ready to spread the love this Friday, February 14th, by dressing up for Valentine's Day! 💖 7th graders: Wear PINK ❤️ 8th graders: Wear RED Let's make it a colorful and fun day! 💫 #ValentinesDay #DressUpDay #WJH

⏳ The countdown is on! With only 16 school days left until the big night, planning for our Authentic Learning Showcase is in full swing! 🎉 Over 50 students have signed up to present their projects, and we can't wait for you to see all the incredible work they've been doing. This will be an amazing night of Presentations of Learning, showcasing the talent, creativity, and hard work of our students. 🗓️ Mark your calendars: Tuesday, March 4th from 4:00-7:30pm at Winterset Junior High. We hope to see you there! 🌟

🌟 Celebrating the Power of Positivity at WJH! 🌟 At Winterset Junior High, we’re building a culture of encouragement and recognition! Over the past few weeks, we've seen an incredible wave of student-to-student and student-to-staff shoutouts—words of appreciation, encouragement, and gratitude filling our hallways. 📝💙 Whether it’s a kind note to a classmate, a thank-you to a teacher, or a high-five for a job well done, our students are making a difference by lifting each other up. This positive energy is contagious and truly makes WJH the Best JH in Iowa!

📢 Winterset Junior High—The Best in Iowa! 🖤💛 All year long, we've challenged our students to be a part of something bigger than themselves—to use their power to make Winterset Junior High a truly special place. In just 21 school days, they will take the stage to showcase that impact. On Tuesday, March 4th, families and community members will get to see firsthand the incredible projects our students have created at the 1st Annual Authentic Learning Showcase. This event is more than just a presentation—it's a celebration of deep learning, creativity, and the power of authentic experiences. This is why Winterset Junior High deserves the title—Best JH in Iowa! 😊💡 We can’t wait to share this night with you!

Come check out the Winterset Art Center's open house this weekend!🎨

🍪💌 Want to send your student a sweet treat this Valentine’s Day? 🎉 Through our PTO fundraiser, you can send cookies to your child at school! 🍪❤️ It’s the perfect way to show them you care. Order now and make their day extra special! 💕 #ValentinesDay #PTOFundraiser #SweetTreats #CookieLove

🎉 Next Week: National School Counseling Week! 🎉 We’re celebrating our amazing school counselors with fun dress-up days all week long! Check out the schedule below and join us in showing appreciation for the incredible work they do. 👏💙 Let’s make this week one to remember! #SchoolCounselingWeek #ThankYouCounselors #DressUpDays