WMS Family Smore

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لترجمة هذه الرسالة من المدرسة ، اضغط عليها ثم استخدم الرابط الموجود على اليمين.

Այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք այն, ապա օգտագործեք աջ կողմում գտնվող հղումը:

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This final week of October was eventful with both our ALICE evacuation drill to Watertown Free Public Library on Tuesday and the first day and evening Caregiver Conferences on Thursday. Our staff and students did an excellent job throughout both experiences and we look forward to this Tuesday’s upcoming conferences.

We have a few events coming up this week that I want to highlight:

• November 1: Early Release Day: Student-Led Conferences with Parents and Teachers, 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day F2, will see every class for a shortened period of time)
  

• November 2: Picture Day Make Ups

• November 4: WMS Dance (6:30-9:30pm, doors open at 6:00 for 6th graders)

We are not wearing Halloween costumes on Monday, October 31st to school. However, costumes are encouraged at our first dance this Friday. Student masks cannot cover their whole face, and all participants must follow the regular school dress code. That means no inappropriate attire such as items with profanity, or that promote drugs, alcohol, violence, intolerance, or are sexually explicit. This will not be permitted and students will be asked to change. Students and Families can use the WMS Family Handbook find additional information about the School Dress Code (pg 37) or School Dances (pg 41).

Be well and take care of one another.

Respectfully yours,

Ms. Jennifer Chen Fein, Principal

Ms. Jennifer Sarmiento, Assistant Principal (Clusters 2, 4, 6)

Mr. Patrick Dayton, Interim Assistant Principal (Clusters 1, 3, 5)

We enjoyed getting to know so many parents and caregivers at our Student-Led Parent/Caregiver Conferences last Thursday.

We look forward to seeing more of you on November 1st. As these are student-led conferences, students should attend the conference. There will be interpretation in a variety of languages available.

Please reach out directly to your child's teachers to inquire about scheduling a conference if you haven't heard from them yet.

November 1st

1:00-3:00pm (in-person)

6:00-8:00pm (virtual)

Picture/Retake day is next Wednesday 11/2. If you were absent on picture day, students can pick up the ordering form from the main office and bring it to the photographer on 11/2. For a re-take: bring back your original picture, no need to redo the order form.

The book fair is this week (10/31-11/4)! Students were given flyers in advisory. 8th grade students will be coming down on Monday during ELA. 6th and 7th graders will be coming in later in the week.

Scholastic is encouraging teachers to create classroom eWallets. Interested families can contribute to their student’s teacher’s eWallet in order to help update classroom libraries. Teachers will be able to spend the funds at the Scholastic Book Fair. Reach out to your child's teacher to find out more information about how to contribute to their classroom eWallet.

Please see the following additional information about the upcoming book fair:

English

Portuguese

Spanish

Arabic

Now is your chance to dust off your dancing shoes!

We very much need this because no one in this whole school has ever been to a school dance before!

Who: Students in grades 6-8 in Watertown

What: COSTUME dance party at WMS with Pizza!

When: November 4th, 6:00-9:30 (6th graders arrive at 6, everyone else at 6:30)

Where: Cafeteria/Auditorium

Why: Because it is super fun(ny)

Student masks cannot cover their whole face, and all participants must follow the regular school dress code. That means no inappropriate attire such as items with profanity, or that promote drugs, alcohol, violence, intolerance, or are sexually explicit. This will not be permitted and students will be asked to change. Students and Families can use the WMS Family Handbook find additional information about the School Dress Code (pg 37) or School Dances (pg 41).

Athletics has opened registration for winter sports. The winter season starts on Monday, November 28th. Please be sure to register your athletes by Monday, November 21st so we can clear students to participate in the first day of tryouts.

Here is the link to see the sports that are being offered, links to schedules, registration, and more!

Additionally, the Winter Athletic Meeting has been postponed to Wednesday, November 2. See more information here.

The Watertown Public School System and its Title I Schoolwide Program, K - 8 are committed to continuously improving the opportunities for parents to be actively involved in their child's learning at home and in school. We have found this general education support to be highly valuable in helping students improve their math and literacy skills. Title I is the largest Federally funded supplemental education program. It does not replace what the school does; instead, Title I gives schools and students additional resources and instruction in math and reading. Title I partially funds our math and reading support and after school tutoring. Our tutors work closely with the classroom teachers to help improve students’ skills in reading and writing.

This district Parent Involvement Plan serves to outline overall expectations for parent involvement activities and programs, establish an environment for parental participation in Watertown's Title I programs at the school level, and identify the support which the Title I program can provide to assist schools in achieving their goals of supporting student learning. The Title I Home/School Compact outlines school, parent/guardian, and student responsibilities.

We welcome you to join us for an informal meeting for WMS parents at our upcoming Parent Virtual Coffee Talk where I will share more details around the Title I Schoolwide Program in grades K - 8 and answer any questions you may have. This event will be held virtually at 6:30pm on November 9th, right before PTO at 7:00pm.

A school council is a representative, school building-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members. Site-based decision making places the school at the center of planning, goal setting, and budgeting for school improvement. Some topics we will be diving into this year as part of the School Improvement Plan are WIN and providing student supports, the master schedule, and parent communication.

The WMS SSC will meet once a month on the first Tuesdays at 7:00pm, virtually. We had our first meeting this past week. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 8th, since the first week of November will be during the Student-Led Conferences.

There are five WMS educators who will be regularly-attending members this year, and we will be electing five parent/community members to balance out the team. Any parent/community members who would like to be considered as a voting member of the SSC should attend the next meeting on November 8th. In particular, we are looking for members who represent different grades of students and reflect our student body including parents of English Learners. Any parent/community member may join any meeting as a listener, participant, and non-voting member.

The next meeting is this Wednesday, November 9th, and the PTO meets virtually on the second Wednesday of each month. Reach out to the PTO President Erin Macomber at erin_macomber@neds.org with any questions or to express interest.

The WMS Diversity Council will meet once a month on the third Thursdays at 7:00pm (not 6:00pm), virtually, with the next meeting on November 17, 2022. This year, we will be focusing on actionable steps outlined in the district equity audit taken last school year.

Reach out to Jen Sarmiento at jennifer.sarmeinto@watertown.k12.ma.us to express interest in joining or with any questions.

Come join in on discussing the recent publication "Finding the Magic in Middle School: Tapping Into the Power and Potential of the Middle School Years” by educator Chris Balme. Together we will dive into Chris' book, and explore major topics such as the developmental stages of adolescents, becoming a guide rather than a boss, the Anchoring Effect, and a few more reflection questions! The preference is for attendees to read the book in full prior to the first discussion, but curious parents and educators are welcome regardless.

Chris may join us for the second session, so bring your questions for him!

The book can be purchased at all major book outlets including Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Unfortunately since it is a new publication, the library system does not yet have copies available.

November 15th and 29th from 7-8:30 in the Raya Stern Trustee Room at the Watertown Free Public Library

Please register by emailing Mary G Brackett at maryGbrackett@gmail.com

Watertown Mutual Aid Network’s is hosting a Winter Donation Drive & Free Store is on Sunday, November 6th at Ballroom in Boston at 100 Parker Street in Watertown, MA. They will be receiving donations of winter coats, winter clothes for kids, and personal care items from 10:30am-12:30pm and then indivduals/families can "shop" for free 1-2:30pm. This event is open to anyone.

Please join us for Watertown Race Reels in November! In recognition of National Adoption Month we will be screening the film Closure on November 14th. We will be serving pizza starting at 5:45 and starting the film at 6pm. After the film (~75 minutes), we will have a guest speaker along with a discussion/activity. Hope to see you there!

• November 1: Early Release Day: Student-Led Conferences with Parents and Teachers, 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day F2, will see every class for a shortened period of time)
  

• November 2: Picture Day Make Ups

• November 2: WMS/WHS Winter Athletic Meeting (6:00pm, WMS Auditorium)

• November 4: WMS Dance (6:30-9:30pm, doors open at 6:00pm for 6th graders)

• November 8: Election Day/PD Day - No School for Students
• November 8: School Site Council (7:00pm, virtual)
• November 9: Title I Coffee Hour (6:30pm, virtual)
• November 9: PTO Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)
  
• November 9: Last day of Quarter 1
• November 10: First day of Quarter 2
• November 11: Veteran's Day - No School
• November 18: WMS Thanksgiving Basket Drive Begins
• November 17: Diversity Council (7:00pm not 6:00pm, virtual)
• November 21: Quarter 1 Report Cards mailed home

• November 23: Early Release Day: Thanksgiving Recess Begins 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day E1, will see every class for a shortened period of time)

• November 24-25: Thanksgiving Recess - No School

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2022-2023

Website: https://www.instagram.com/watertown_middle/https://wms.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7783
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watertownms
Twitter: @middlewatertown