WMS Weekly Newsletter

Dear Wayland Middle School Caregivers,

One bright side of the last week was the 6th grade potluck dinner. The potluck dinner celebrated the tapestry of cultures and traditions that enrich our school community as each family brought a favorite culinary delight to share. This joyful gathering fostered connection between families and staff and celebrated the diversity that makes our community unique. Thank you to the 6th grade teachers who organized this festive event.

Our seventh graders explored the house themes of stewardship, connection, and wonder through their Sense of Wonder days. As part of this exploration, students traveled to TreeTop Adventures, a high ropes and obstacle course. WMS staff and staff from TreeTop Adventures complimented our students for the support and encouragement they gave one another as they navigated the challenges together. This collaborative experience not only enhances individual confidence but also strengthens the sense of community amongst all the students.

At the fall principal’s coffee, parents and caregivers mentioned that it would be helpful for the school to provide strategies to support student success. To that end, we offer Helping your Student Manage School Assignments. This year, all of our students are using planners. Using planners is vital for middle school students as they develop crucial organizational and executive functioning skills.

Planners can also create a bridge between home and school and provide you with content for conversations about your student’s learning. Conversation starters could include:

• “Let’s take a look at your planner, and tell me how you are using it.”

• “Let’s take a look at your planner to see what you need to do for homework tonight.”

• “Do you have any projects coming up? What’s your plan for getting them done? How can you keep track of the timeline in your planner?”

• “I see you have a quiz/test in _______ class this week, what is it going to be about? What do you feel confident about? What do you still need to work on?”

Teachers are providing students with time to write assignments in planners. If your student’s planner is empty, engage your student in a conversation about it and the important “whys” behind using the planner. Planners enhance time management by helping students track assignments, assessments, and important dates, which reduces last-minute stress and fosters prioritization of tasks. This structured approach often leads to improved academic performance, as students are less likely to forget assignments and can break larger projects into manageable tasks.

I, along with the entire middle school staff, look forward to sharing bright sides of your students' learning in the weeks to come. Please know that my door is always open. Whether you have questions, concerns, or simply want to share in the excitement of the school year, I encourage you to reach out.

Deborah

• Wednesday, October 23 School Picture Day 📸
• Wednesday, October 23 & Wednesday, October 30: Caregiver Conferences
• Thursday, October 24 Spanish Immersion Parent Council Meeting, 7:00PM
• Thursday, October 24 & Friday October 25: MS Fall Play, 7:00 p.m.
  Middle School Theatre
• Tuesday, October 29: HS/MS Masquerade Strings Concert, 7:00 p.m.
  High School Auditorium
• Tuesday, November 5: Election Day
• Monday, November 11: Veterans' Day - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, November 13: SUPER Wednesday Early Release, 12:20 p.m.
  Grab & Go Lunch available
• Wednesday, November 27: Thanksgiving Early Release (Grab and Go Lunch) 🦃
• Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving Recess - NO SCHOOL

Conferences for parents and caregivers will occur after school on October 23 and October 30, with conference time slots beginning at 2:30 p.m. and ending at 5:00 p.m. on both days.

On October 17th, caregivers received a link to their student’s homeroom appointment calendar to sign up for one, ten-minute conference on either October 23 or October 30. Parents and caregivers will also have the option to have the conference in-person or virtually. All appointments and any changes must be done before 12:00 p.m. on October 22nd.

The purpose of this conference is to foster a student-centered partnership between home and school.

Dear Parents and Caregivers,

We are beginning to plan for all the state mandated health screening that will be happening later this fall. These will include Vision and Hearing (7th grade only), Heights and Weights (7th grade only) and Postural screening (all grades). Most physicians’ offices include these screenings as part of an annual physical exam. This is something you can look for on your childs’ annual physical exam report provided to you.

The Postural screenings will take place at a later date after Vision, Hearing, Heights and Weights. We will announce the dates. Students can wear whatever they feel comfortable in, provided we can view their back. Screening will be done in the locker rooms in a private area or in the health room by a school nurse. Any student who requests a more private setting for their screening will be accommodated. If your child has an abnormal screening result, you will be notified by mail. Letters are not mailed for normal results.

In order for all these screenings to be completed, we will need to pull the students from Wellness, Org Skills and Study Halls. We will make every effort to minimize the time they are away from class. The screenings may not all happen in the same week. If you would like to “opt out” or decline any or all screenings here at the Middle School, please send an email to the school nurse stating any or all screenings you would like to opt out of. A handwritten note will also suffice, but a phone call will NOT - we must have written documentation that you are declining the screening. If interested in opting out, please notify us as soon as possible, or by 11/15/2024 at the latest.

Thank you for your time and attention to this important matter.

Regards,

Laurie Hojlo

laurie_hojlo@waylandps.org

Wayland Middle School Picture Day scheduled for Wednesday, October 23rd 2024 starting at 8:50am. All the instructions are on the online order form

ONLINE ORDERS STRONGLY RECOMMENDED. NO forms need to be returned by the parents.

Click the link below or www.haywardphotography.com then the blue “Prepay for Photo Day” button.

Enter your school code to place your preorder: WMSF24

Preorder pricing above only available until 2 days after your school’s picture day. Individual Print Orders and Digital Download Cards will be mailed DIRECTLY to the mailing address provided at checkout (please be sure this is a complete address). Please add the $6.00 shipping/handling charge to your payment total for print orders.

IMPORTANT **Please be advised that orders placed after the deadline are subject to higher package pricing and shipping/handling fees. The package options are different and some items may not be available.

For any questions, please contact Hayward Photography at 617-690-2266

Wayland Middle School has openings for three parent representatives. All representatives will serve through June 2025.

WHAT IS SCHOOL COUNCIL?

As part of the 1993 Education Reform Act the state mandated the formation of a school council at every level of public school education. The council is made up of the school principal, vice principal, two staff members, three elected parent representatives and one member of the community, who does not currently hold a staff position or have a child in the school.

WHAT DOES THE SCHOOL COUNCIL DO?

The council identifies an area of interest to examine during the course of the year and assists the principal to develop a School Improvement Plan. The area of interest may vary depending on the needs of the school community, educational issues or directives from the Superintendent. Although the council discusses school concerns that arise during the course of the year, their main responsibility is to adhere to a topic that supports the School Improvement Plan.

If you would like to volunteer, contact Deborah Romeo at deborah_romeo@waylandps.org

WMS Fall Play: Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe

Dates: October 24th & 25th @ 7:00 PM

Tickets: $5.00 students & seniors / $10.00 adults

"Edgar Allan Poe stands alone in the flickering darkness of his mind, trying desperately to convince himself -- and us -- that he's not mad. The spell he weaves brings us a highly theatrical adaptation of three tales Poe himself considered his best: "The Raven," "The Fall of the House of Usher," and "The Tell-Tale Heart." Enter the world of Poe and check your heartbeat at the door." ~ Playscripts.com

WARNING: ADULT THEMES & STYLIZED HORROR.

Not appropriate for Elementary Students/Sensitive Viewers.

We appreciate your support as partners in ensuring that our school is a device-free learning environment. Electronic devices are a concern as they impact students’ learning and social/emotional health. At the middle school, students are expected to turn off devices such as cell phones, SMART watches, Fitbits, airpods, and headphones and put them in their backpacks before entering the school each day.

At the parent/caregiver coffee we came to understand that more clarity for parents/caregivers about our lunch routines would be helpful. The purpose of the routines is to create an enjoyable environment to eat and socialize during the lunch block.

Lunch time is a time for students to eat, take a break from learning, and go outside if they want. Students might also partake in the snack line. In order for all this to happen in a way that is both calm and safe for all students, we have established routines for lunch.

When students come into the cafeteria, they choose a seat (inside the cafeteria or outside in the courtyard) for that day. They can choose a different table, location, or group of friends each day. They are expected to stay seated while eating before having the opportunity to go outside. This practice allows sufficient time to eat, to clean up their own table with tablemates, and to limit opportunities for horseplay, spills, and physical interactions that negatively impact others’ experiences in the lunch space.

During lunch, students use designated restrooms that are in close proximity to the cafeteria. This proximity allows students to use the restroom in a timely manner and minimizes disruption to classrooms that are near the cafeteria. Students use a pass from the cafeteria, just as they do from their classrooms, to ensure that restrooms do not get overcrowded.

About halfway into the lunch block, outdoor time is offered to all students. Students leave at one time so that there is adult supervision both indoors and outdoors and to ensure that there is minimal disruption to the classrooms that are adjacent to the cafeteria.

Outdoor activities include frisbee, tag football, soccer, basketball, walking, kickball, playing in the gaga ball pit, and relaxing in the sun or the shade.

We suggest that if students want to have both snack and outdoor time that they bring a snack from home and have it with their lunch so they can enjoy outdoor time after eating.

So, if your student asks, “why are there so many rules at lunch”, we ask that you take a partnership stance with us and talk about the “why” behind our routines. Students have many choices each day during the lunch block. Our routines ensure that all of these options can be enjoyed by any of our uniquely individual students.

AM Wellness is a school club during which students can enjoy exercise and activity first thing in the morning. This year the club will be supervised by Ms. Mait and Mr. Williams. Activities typically include basketball and indoor soccer so only students who are interested in participating in these activities should attend. AM Wellness takes place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday 8:00 - 8:30 a.m. The doors to AM Wellness close at 8:20 a.m.

Artists: Alex Beurklian

Grade: 8

Medium: Sculpey & Acrylic on Board

Join WPS on Oct 22nd for a Caregiver Event Included below is a message that was shared with the WPS community by Superintendent David Fleishman last week.

“We invite you to a special Wayland Public Schools community event inspired by the best-selling book The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt. Event details are as follows:

• When: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
• Time: 7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
• Where: Wayland High School

As Wayland, and so many districts like ours, grapple with the impact of cell phones, social media, and technology on student mental health, we invite you to an evening of community to learn, discuss, and share.

The evening will begin with a short overview of Anxious Generation, a best-selling book that explores the impact of smartphones, social media, and technology on children’s mental health. We will then break into smaller groups by level to hear Wayland district administrators and principals share their perspectives and experience as school leaders. We will then spend a majority of the meeting engaging in discussion with parents on key themes raised in the book.

Click HERE to access resources related to the topics that we will discuss."

Thank you to the WMS families that have supported the PTO Gift Your Child campaign this school year! We are 70% of the way to reaching our goal.

We would love to continue to support the yearly traditions your students enjoy as well as provide funding to the amazing clubs, field trips, unique classroom tools etc.

Please make the difference and donate today. You can find a link to our generous supporters on the link below. If you haven't already, you can still donate to Gift Your Child. Thank you!

Many companies will match an employee's gift to a charity one-to-one or even more in donations! This means that your gift to a charity can be worth two to four times as much as you donate. Ask your employer if they offer a charitable match!

Donate to your child’s PTO and be entered to win incredible baked goods from Wayland bakers! A give-away each week from 9/22 - 10/27. Thank you for supporting the PTO! https://waylandpto.org/gift-your-child

Click here to sign up for the Amazon wish list and signup genius!

The WMS PTO adds weekly updates in the WMS Weekly Newsletter, but further details, reminders, photos and videos are shared on the WMS PTO Facebook Group. Stay in the loop!

Communications/Social Media PTO Chair

We are looking for someone that can create engaging content for the WMS Facebook Group and future Instagram account. The PTO uses canva.com to create fun videos, social media posts and more.

Other opportunities to volunteer

We have many ways to get involved! Please fill out our survey below or send an email to: Waylandmiddleschoolpto@gmail.com