WMS Family Newsletter

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Quick announcements:

• Midterm progress report grades for Trimester 1 were shared through PowerSchool on October 18. These grades and comments are useful tools that allow you to check your child’s progress in acquiring the skills for meeting the standards in each subject, and focus on specific areas that need improvement. Need help? Here's How to Read Power School.

• We enjoyed seeing so many caregivers in person and on zoom this past Thursday, and are looking forward to seeing Here is all the information you need for WMS Caregiver Conferences coming up this week and next. For quick access, here is the link to all WMS zoom rooms: Watertown Middle School Fall Conference Zoom Links 23-24.

• Megan E. Freeman, the author of our One School One Book - Alone, was at WMS on October 18! Students were so excited to meet this author after engaging in this book across the school, and Megan had a great time at our school. Stay tuned for pictures

• Community Service Announcement: Our Coats for Kids drive is officially underway! Every year we collect lightly used winter coats to donate to families in need. We accept all sizes of coats, but not other winter clothing including jackets, hats, gloves, etc. Please have your child drop off donations in the main lobby

Upcoming Dates:

• October 23: Offsite Evacuation Drill (please be on time)
• October 24: Early Release Day (11:45AM dismissal, students will attend all classes for shorter periods), Teacher-Caregiver Conferences
  
• October 25: Title I Information Session (3:30-4:00PM, virtually)
• October 25: WMS Site Council (4:00-5:00PM in person (WMS art room, A128)/virtually on zoom)
• October 26: WHS Open House (6:00-8:00PM, starting in the WMS Auditorium)
• October 30: monthly update from teachers in WMS S'more

Respectfully yours,

Ms. Jennifer Chen Fein, Principal

Ms. Susan Carle, Assistant Principal (Clusters 1, 3, 5)

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

Tomorrow, WMS will practice an off-site evacuation starting at 7:50am. This is an annual drill that we do, alongside other safety drills such as our successful fire drill earlier this year.

We will start by evacuating to our regular evacuation site on Waverly Avenue, Bemis Street, and Westminster, then continue to our off-site evacuation site, the Watertown Free Public Library. An off-site evacuation drill is similar to a fire drill except we leave our school and move to a secondary location. This may be necessary if we experience an emergency where it is safer to be away from our building.

We anticipate the drill will run smoothly, and ask that parents/caregivers help students get to school on time next Monday so they do not miss this drill. Students who arrive to school during the drill will be signed in and supervised in the Supported Substitute Classroom

The WMS Site Council is a body of students, faculty, parents, and caregivers that plays a strong role in the vision and direction of our school. For example, the WMS School Improvement Plan 2023-2024 was written in collaboration with the Site Council, teacher, and district leaders last year, and will be informing our work as a staff and school this year.

This year, the WMS Site Council will be meeting on the following Wednesdays from 4-5pm in person (WMS art room, A128)/virtually (zoom), as we try out this hybrid model of meeting.

• October 25
  
• November 29
• January 3
• January 31
• March 27
• May 1
• May 29

Here is the agenda for our September 27th meeting, we hope to see you then.

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 parents at our upcoming Parent Coffee where we can talk in more detail around the Title I Schoolwide Program in grades K - 8 and answer any questions you may have, which will be held virtually on October 25 and 3:30pm. If you have any questions, please contact the school.

Watertown High School will be offering an in-person Open House for 7th & 8th-grade students and families on Thursday, October 26. Please be in touch with Adrienne Eaton, the WHS Lead School Counselor, at adrienne.eaton@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions or concerns.

Here are our slides from our September meeting. We hope you will join us at our next meeting.

We will usually meet the third Monday of each month, virtually here at 6:00pm.

You can reach out to Sarah Seldomridge at sarah.seldomridge@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions. Thank you!

There are many events we have at WMS throughout the year where we welcome caregivers to help us chaperone. Usually this is for a field trip or a school event such as the upcoming dance. We ask that chaperones complete the CORI process through Human Resources.

If you are interested in volunteering to chaperoning for future trips or WMS events this year and would like to be added to our CORI'ed chaperone list, please email our assistant principals at susan.carle@watertown.k12.ma.us and jennifer.sarmiento@watertown.k12.ma.us

If you are you a registered nurse or know someone who is, our district also has PAID nurse positions for these trips, and we can fast track you through the hiring process. You would only have to come on whichever trip(s) you're available for - no need to commit to more than that! If you are interested in chaperoning as a paid nurse for an upcoming trip, please email our principal at jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us.

Our first PTO meeting this year was on October 10, 2023 at 6:30pm. We will meet once a month on Mondays in the art room at WMS/virtually. You can enter through the main entrance at 68 Waverley Avenue, and go up the main staircase to get to the art room.

We have postponed our 90s Themed Party, as the WMS dance is the same date. Stay tuned for more updates from PTO soon!

Are you interested in being on the WMS PTO? Reach out to our new co-PTO Presidents Elena Poillucci <elenapoillucci@gmail.com> and Melissa Parker <melissapisces@yahoo.com> with any questions or to express interest in joining next year.

There will be a presentation about MCAS 2023 at the Watertown School Committee meeting on October 23rd, 7:00-9:00PM for those interested in hearing more information.

Here are the dates for MCAS 2024. Please note the new 8th grade Civics MCAS. Please mark these dates in your calendar so that students can be in school for these important assessments.

• April 23-24, 2024 English Language Arts MCAS (6-8th Grade)
• May 7-8, 2024 Civics MCAS (8th Grade only)
• May 14-15, 2024 Math MCAS (6-8th Grade)
• May 21-22, 2024 Science, Technology, and Engineering MCAS (8th Grade only)

Click on the links below to find a monthly update from your child's teachers*

Nurse Update

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

Cluster 5

Cluster 6

World Language

Specialists

Reading

Multilingual Learners

LB Math

Wilson Reading

WMS is having our first dance of the year on November 3 from 6:00-8:00PM.

Students who are interested in attending need to have their permission slip completed by their caregiver and returned. We have copies of these permission slips in the main office, or families can print their own from below:

English Fall Dance Permission Form

Portuguese Fall Dance Permission Form

Spanish Fall Dance Permission Form

Nepali Fall Dance Permission Form

Armenian Fall Dance Permission Form

Turkish Fall Dance Permission Form

Japanese Fall Dance Permission Form

Persian Fall Dance Permission Form

Urdu Fall Dance Permission Form

Thai Fall Dance Permission Form

Russian Fall Dance Permission Form

Arabic Fall Dance Permission Form

Students will pay $50 one time to participate in any sports or clubs all year; if it is a hardship for a family they should reach out to the guidance counselor to inquire about a scholarship.

Students may participate in any enrichment activities for free (Student Leadership, GSA, Yearbook, and Learning Lab).

Students and families will receive the club sign up form in the next week or so.

The late bus runs Monday-Friday at 3:45pm.

• October 23: Offsite Evacuation Drill (please be on time)
• October 24: Early Release Day (11:45AM dismissal, students will attend all classes for shorter periods), Teacher-Caregiver Conferences
  
• October 25: Title I Information Session (3:30-4:00PM, virtually)
• October 25: WMS Site Council (4:00-5:00PM in person (WMS art room, A128)/virtually on zoom)
• October 26: WHS Open House (6:00-8:00PM, starting in the WMS Auditorium)
• October 30: monthly update from teachers in WMS S'more
• November 3: WMS Fall Dance (5:00-7:00PM)
  
• November 7: No School for Students - Professional Development Day
  
• November 8: Youth Wellness Community Forum (Lowell Elementary School, 5:30)
• November 10: No School - Veterans Day (Observed)
• November 22: Early Release
• November 23-24: No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
• November 30: Picture Retake Day
• December 4: Trimester 1 Ends
• December 5: Trimester 2 Begins
• December 12: Trimester 1 Report Cards, MCAS 2023 Results, i-Ready diagnostic updates, and Yardstick Caregiver Guide for 6, 7, 8th graders mailed home
• December 14: WMS Winter Showcase Performance (7:00-9:00PM)
• December 22: Early Release
• December 25-January 1: No School - Winter Recess
• WMS Bell Schedule and Trimester Dates 2023-2024
  

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2023-2024
  

• WPS MCAS schedule Spring 2024
  

• Watertown Community Resources - English
• Watertown Community Resources - Spanish
• Watertown Community Resources - Portuguese

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Website: https://wms.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7783