WMS Weekly Newsletter

Dear Wayland Middle School Caregivers,

Welcome to the 2024-2025 school year! The first week at Wayland Middle School was, in a word, inspiring. Students were kind and welcoming to one another. They were excited to be back in school, meeting their new teachers and engaging with one another and the adults in the school in positive and supportive ways.

A bright side for our entire school community was the success of our 6th graders as they made their transition to middle school. With maps in hand and smiles on their faces, the 6th graders have already formed a relationship with our school community. Throughout their first week, they were met by the staff’s warm greetings, offers for assistance, and carefully made plans. By the end of the week, the 6th graders’ confidence had grown as evidenced by their “I’ve got this” stance and willingness to help classmates (and also a couple of new administrators) who hadn’t yet mastered navigating our school.

Our school community is grounded in the values of BERT, belonging, empathy, respect, and trust. For the first weeks of school, we have asked students to lean into the “B”, belonging, of BERT. Having a sense of belonging significantly enhances a student's social-emotional well-being by fostering a sense of security and support, which in turn boosts their confidence and motivation. This positive emotional state can directly impact academic performance, as students who feel connected are more likely to engage in learning and persevere through challenges. We, as a staff, are committed to creating that sense of belonging for all of our students, to be a home away from home for them.

As we begin this journey together, please know that my door is always open. Whether you have questions, concerns, or simply want to share in the excitement of the new school year, I encourage you to reach out.

I would like to extend my thanks to all members of our community who are volunteering in the Parent Teacher Organization (PTO). I would like to especially thank Andrea Winkler and Krupali Shah, our co-presidents.

Together, we will make this school year a truly remarkable one!

All the best,

Deborah

• Thursday, September 19: WMS Back to School Night, 7:00 p.m.- 9:00 p.m.
  Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

• Tuesday, October 1: Principal’s Coffee 9:15 a.m. -10:15 a.m., WMS Cafeteria
  Come and meet the new administrative team! Details and RSVP below.
• Thursday, October 3: Rosh Hashanah - NO SCHOOL
• Monday, October 14: Indigenous People Day - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, October 23: School Picture Day

Please consider meeting with Deborah, Courtney and Rebecca on Tuesday, October 1st from 9:15 - 10:15 a.m. The purpose of this meeting is to help us learn from you, WMS community members, about what is working well and what you consider to be areas of need to improve our school. We'll use this input to guide our focus and decisions as we move into our new roles.

Questions we'll ask to inform our learning are:

• What you feel is working well at WMS ? What about our school and community makes you feel proud?
• What do you consider our greatest areas of need to improve our school?
• How can we best serve your student(s) and your family in our roles?

Our team truly values your input and will work hard to take action on the input that you share. We recognize that meeting during the school day is not optimal for all caregivers. Please share your input and feedback in this Google Survey if you are unable to attend.

Along with new leaders at WMS, there are many new leaders across the district. The district leadership team participated in a two-day leadership retreat in July. The retreat was dedicated to team building, exploring restorative practices, reflecting on and deepening our understanding of leadership, developing and refining our goals, and planning for a meaningful opening to the school year. I feel truly fortunate to be doing this work with so many talented leaders.

I know you will join me in warmly welcoming these leaders!

• Director of Student Services: Ronnie Kessler
• Director of Technology: Jennifer Judkins
• Wayland School Community Programs Director: Nayagara Viera
• Education Team Chair Administrator: Jenica Racine (0.5 Loker and 0.5 Happy Hollow)
• Principal Claypit Hill: Marie Brigham
• Assistant Principal Claypit Hill: Kate Narita
• Elementary Special Education Administrator: Naomi O’Brien
• High School Special Education Administrator: Mykayla Cohen

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. The doors to AM Wellness close at 8:20.

Performances:
Thursday, October 24 & Friday October 25 @ 7:00 p.m.

• September 9 & 10: Auditions - Choose ONE DAY / Time to attend
• September 12 - October 8: Rehearsals 3:15 - 5:00 p.m. (not everyone is called everyday)
• October 10th - October 25: Rehearsals 3:15 -5:00/5:30 p.m. (All parts are called everyday)
• Monday, October 28: Debrief and Close the production - All are called!

All students can audition for the Fall Play. The script includes Poe's poem "The Raven" and stories "The Fall of the House of Usher" and "The Tell-Tale Heart."

More Info HERE.

Questions - email Katherine "Kelly" Lopez at katherine_lopez@waylandps.org

Registration is open for fall sports! The following sports will be offered this fall: Boys and Girls Soccer (Grades 7/8); Field Hockey (Grades 7/8) and Cross Country (Grades 6-8).

All teams will practice/play Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Tryouts are tentatively scheduled to begin Friday September 6th, and individual coaches may opt to shift tryout dates. If your child is interested in trying out for any of these teams, they must be registered via ArbiterSports (formerly FamilyID) and must have a current physical on file with the nurse. Registration can be accessed via this link: WMS Athletics Registration.

The cost of Middle School athletic programs is $125 with payment due upon the completion of tryouts. For additional information relating to specific sports, please reach out to the respective coaches.

Girls Soccer: Thomas Pinzone - thomas_pinzone@waylandps.org

Boys Soccer: Reed Newton - reednewton@comcast.net

Field Hockey: Emma Tomaselli - etomaselli711@gmail.com

Cross Country: Ray Isales - raymond_isales@waylandps.org

Thanks to the Universal Free School Meals program, all students are eligible for one free breakfast and lunch each day. The snack bar will open in the upcoming week. If you are interested in purchasing snacks at the snack bar, your family can pay online at www.myschoolbucks.com, send a check to the Food Service Department, or bring a check or cash with you to school. Please contact Food Services at 508-358-7904 if you have any questions.

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.

Conferences for parents and caregivers will occur after school on October 23 and October 30. More information will be forthcoming regarding these conferences

Artist: Tyler Wilkinson

Grade: 8

Medium: Index card & Pencil

In 8th grade, our art students explore the concept of artist style, defining their own interests, materials and techniques. To begin this work, each student is challenged to alter or change an index card to represent themselves. This process always reveals a wide variety of interpretations amongst the students, including this hand-made, mini-book from Tyler.

Lead by:

Kelsey Sanclemente, LMHC

Wayland Youth and Family Services

Topics covered in Youth Together:

• Dealing with social challenges
• Dealing with anger, stress, sadness etc.
• Boosting self-confidence
• Building friendships
• Strengthening Conversation Skills

Tuesday afternoons from 3:20 - 4:15 p.m.

Please reach out to Kelsey Sanclemente at ksanclemente@wayland.ma.us if you are interested in learning more!

We are excited to welcome families new to Wayland and our incoming 6th grade class to the WMS community! The WMS Parent Teacher Organization continues to be committed to finding new ways to support our teachers, students and families this school year.

We need your help!

The PTO has several volunteer opportunities available to assist with events and activities. It is a nice way to develop relationships with other caregivers and staff and stay connected to what is happening at Wayland Middle School. Please fill out the survey below to see the many ways you can help.

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

Picture Day for WMS is October 23rd. Online ordering is strongly encouraged and the link will be sent shortly.

We need 4-5 volunteers to assist on picture day. All volunteers receive a complimentary “A” package! Please contact waylandmiddleschoolpto@gmail.com if you can assist.

PTO Thanks….

Lynch Landscape for providing a fresh and welcoming look to our entrances!

Heather Grimmett, Andrea Winkler, Krupali Shah and Jen Lux for the coordination, set up and clean up of a delicious luncheon to welcome our teachers back for a new year.