WMS Weekly Newsletter

Dear Wayland Middle School Caregivers,

We had many bright sides this week brought by our students, our teachers, and you, our parent and caregiver community.

Our school and the greater Wayland community applauds and gives thanks to the students who participated in Nightfall with Edgar Allan Poe performance. Under the mentoring and instruction of Kelly Lopez, WMS’ Drama Teacher, the students created a chilling and captivating theatrical performance.

On Friday afternoon, students and teachers donned their cleats on the soccer pitch to face off in the first student-teacher sporting competition of the year. The players, adults and children alike, brought their full competitive and joyful spirit to the event.

On Tuesday night, the superintendent, David Fleischman, assistant superintendent, Betsy Gavron, and all of the district’s principals were joined by approximately 140 parents and caregivers to discuss Jonathan Haight’s Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness. The evening included a panel discussion in which principals shared perspectives from each level followed by breakout groups, one for elementary, one for middle, and one for high school.

In Anxious Generation, Haight emphasized the need for collective action. It was clear that our efforts to minimize the impact of devices on our middle schoolers while in school had broad support among parents and caregivers in attendance. I was able to share that the middle school’s "off and away" policy is working well as a result of our collective action and the clarity of our expectations. Thank you, and please continue to support our “off and away” policy through your words and actions.

During the session one middle school parent asked, “How can we help you?”. Based on this question and other content from the middle level group, I share the following:

• Improve the quality and quantity of your student’s sleep by 1) setting a time before bed time that all devices are turned off and 2) charging your student’s phone in a location other than their bedroom.

• Model the practices we want to build in our students. For instance, have regular device- free experiences for the family such as “phone free dinners” and “phone free family fun”. Avoid turning an event into an opportunity for social media posting - live in the present rather than the virtual.

• Monitor your student’s device use and engage in conversations about their virtual experiences.

• Inform your student that you will periodically review the content on their device either with them or on your own.

• Have frequent conversations with your student about what they are experiencing in their virtual lives and provide much needed feedback and advice (ie: avoid group chats with large groups as they are places where participants post inappropriate, offensive, and/or harassing content because there is a higher level of anonymity).

• Consider giving your student a device that is specialized for communication and not for internet based apps. In other words, don’t give a smartphone as a first phone. More than one parent mentioned Pinwheel Phones as an alternative to explore.

I, along with the entire middle school staff, are committed to helping your students stay present to their learning, their teachers, and one another by fully implementing our school’s “off and away” policy. It is only through our collective action that this important policy will remain robust. 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

• Tuesday, October 29: HS/MS Masquerade Strings Concert, 7:00 p.m.
  High School Auditorium
• Wednesday, October 30: Caregiver Conferences
• 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

Students and teachers are invited to participate in our first Spirit Week of the year. The following will be our themes for each day of the week.

Monday, November 4th: Fun Sock Day

Tuesday, November 5th: Homeroom Day

Wednesday, November 6th: Wayland Wear Day

Thursday, November 7th: Dress Up Day

Friday, November 8th: Comfy Cozy Day

When talking about Spirit Week with your student, please remind your student that costumes should be left at home on Halloween. Most candy should also be left at home on November 1 (unless students are contributing to our Halloween Candy Drive, a candy collection on November 1 to benefit our troops).

As I shared in my first weekly newsletter, our school community is grounded in the values of BERT, belonging, empathy, respect, and trust. For the first month of school, we asked students to lean into the “B”, belonging, of BERT, and they did a beautiful job.

As we moved into October, we shifted our focus to the “R”, respect, of BERT. We dedicated time to explore the vital theme of respect—an essential value that shapes our relationships and communities. We will continue to focus on the “R”, respect, of BERT as we move into November with an emphasis on the importance of respecting the identities that each of us bring to our school community.

Specifically this week during our school wide TAG time, our teachers will share anti-bullying and anti- discrimination policies with students in an appropriate, student friendly way. This content reflects both WPS policies and statewide requirements. Some of the key messages are:

• When Dr. Romeo and/or Ms. Cramer receive a report of bullying or discrimination, they take it seriously and start a thorough investigation of the report.
  
  

• Discrimination, the unjust treatment of people on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, age, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, and disability for any reason or in any form is prohibited and will not be tolerated. If a finding of discrimination is made following an investigation, the school will: 1) provide protection and support to those harmed by discrimination; 2) promote learning and accountability; and 3) begin the process of healing for all involved.
  
  

• Bullying, a series of mean behaviors carried out by one (or more) student(s) towards the same student is prohibited and will not be tolerated. If a finding of bullying is made following an investigation, the school will: 1) provide protection to the target of the bullying; 2) promote accountability; and 3) promote learning through educational experiences and counseling.

• Students will also be asked to jot and talk about the following questions:

• What is one thing you learned about our school’s anti-discrimination and anti-bullying policies?

• What is one thing you can do to prevent discrimination and bullying in our school?

• What is one question that you have about our school’s anti discrimination and anti-bullying policies?

Thank you for supporting our efforts to create a learning community that is joyous, purposeful, welcoming, and emotionally safe for every student.

Empowerment in Action: A Community Conversation with WaylandCAN

WaylandCAN is a newly formed non-profit led by a number of Wayland residents in town who are dedicated to fostering social justice through proactive education and inclusive dialogue. Join us for a discussion aimed at inspiring individuals to take meaningful action in Wayland. Share your experiences, learn from others, and discover ways to create positive change in town. We empower our community to amplify diverse voices, challenge systemic inequalities, and drive meaningful change towards a more equitable Wayland.

When: Tuesday, 11/19 from 7-9PM

Where: The Loker School Cafeteria

Register here by 11/15!

Follow WaylandCAN on Facebook and Instagram

A Message From: Laurie Hojlo laurie_hojlo@waylandps.org

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.

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.

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: Lily Roman

Grade: 6

Medium: Mixed Media

Thank You to everyone who has donated to our Gift Your Child fundraising campaign so far this year! We are at 78% of our goal! There is still time to donate.

https://waylandpto.org/gift-your-child

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

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