Dear Wayland Middle School Caregivers,

I start this week’s message with thanks for the Bright Side provided to WMS staff by our wonderful PTO who sponsored a “Gratitude Breakfast” on Friday last week. The first three months of school can feel like a marathon for educators, as they lay the foundation for the year ahead. From September to Thanksgiving break, this critical period focuses simultaneously on building relationships, setting expectations, and engaging students in important content and skill development. I know that I speak on your behalf when I say, thank you to our wonderful staff and to our PTO who supports them.

A Bright Side inadvertently left out from earlier in the year was the 8th Grade NY Geology Field Trip. During the geology field trip, students used their book learning and field observations to develop theories about the formations they saw. Students measured dinosaur footprints, collected fossils, explored a cave, observed deep river cuts and glacial evidence, which allowed them to form a theory about the geologic events of the last 500 million years. Students raved about their experience which started at 5:45AM and ended at 8:00PM that evening. Thanks to our 8th grade science teachers for their coordination of the trip and to all of the chaperones who made this extended day field trip possible.

Our second Super Wednesday at WMS went really well thanks to the work of our staff and our wonderful students. As I mentioned in my earlier newsletter, this assembly emphasized the importance of respecting the identities that each of us bring to our school community. Staff shared that they were impressed with the students’ level of participation and evidence of literally “leaning into the learning” during their grade level assembly (brought to us by Rehearsal for Life) as well as their thoughtful reflections and questions following the assembly. In addition to the assembly and related activities, House Leaders collaborated to create a schedule for the day that met the specific needs of their grade level including preparation for upcoming field trips, BERT awards, and TAG time.

On the afternoon of Super Wednesday, teachers of science, social studies, English, mathematics, and world language enjoyed the second session of a series on Accountable Talk & Elevating Student Talk facilitated by our Curriculum Leaders. Accountable talk is a collaborative discussion strategy designed to enhance learning by encouraging students to engage deeply with one another's ideas while being accountable to the content and the community. The theme of Wednesday’s session was “playing with ideas”. Participants had an opportunity to engage with different talk strategies to use with students, to read professional articles and collaboratively discuss them, and meet in departments to reflect on how the learning impacts their discipline. We are all looking forward to our 3rd session on December 4th!

The entire middle school staff and I are committed to creating a learning community that is joyous, purposeful, welcoming, and emotionally safe for every student. 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, November 27: Thanksgiving Early Release. School dismisses at 12:20 PM. Grab and Go Lunch available 🦃
• Thursday, November 28 and Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving Recess - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, December 4: SUPER Wednesday Early Release. School dismisses at 12:20 PM. Grab & Go Lunch available
• Thursday, December 12: WMS Choral Concert 7:00 -8:00 PM. 🎤
• Tuesday, December 17: WMS Band Concert 7:00 -8:00 PM. 🎺
• Monday, December 23 - Tuesday, December 31: Holiday Break - NO SCHOOL
• Wednesday, January 1: New Year's Day - NO SCHOOL 🥳

From our 7th Grade House Leaders:

7th grade is in the midst of collecting food donations for the annual Thanksgiving Holiday Helpers. Each of our 11 homerooms is pulling a "gift basket" together to donate to a family in need in our Wayland and Boston communities. These gift baskets are made possible through the generosity of our 7th grade families and our amazing PTO. Each student has signed up to bring in a designated item for their homeroom collection. Some of the items will be used to bake pies and breads, that will be added to the gift baskets, after school on Tuesday, November 19th.

When the baskets are complete, each recipient will have all that they need to bring their families together for a Thanksgiving feast. In the spirit of giving thanks: Thank you to our families for donating the necessary items, thank you to our amazing PTO for sourcing the bins for the collection and helping to get local grocery store donations and thank you to My Brother's Table and our METCO team for helping to get these beautiful baskets out to our neighbors.

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 7:00 -9:00 PM

Where: The Loker School Cafeteria

Register here by 11/15!

Follow WaylandCAN on Facebook and Instagram

Audition Info Meetings: All Grades at Lunch

Tuesday, November 12 - Chorus Room

Thirteen-year-old problem solver, Edwina, dishes out advice with the help of her friends and a little song and dance!

AUDITIONS:

Friday, November 15: 3:15 - 5:00 PM

Monday, November 18: 3:15 - 5:00 PM

Tuesday, November 19: 3:15 - 5:00 PM

CALLBACKS:

Thursday, November 21: 3:15 - 5:00 PM

Friday, November 22: 3:15 - 5:00 PM

SHOWS:

Thursday, February 6: 7:00 PM

Friday, February 7: 7:00 PM

Have your child join the google classroom for all the info!

https://classroom.google.com/u/0/c/NzI5NDk3MzA0MDE3

The Community Service Club is hosting a Coats for Kids and Families Drive. We are collecting gently used coats that can be for kids or adults. Donations can be dropped off in a labeled box in the lobby of the middle school. 100% of all donations will go towards making sure local families stay warm this winter. The coats will be cleaned at Anton Cleaners, and then they will be donated to Coats for Kids and Families. Thank you for helping us out!

The coat drive here at the middle school ends November 30, 2024.

Thanks!!

Luann Deusterberg and Chitra Prasad

Registration is open for basketball! WMS Girls and Boys Basketball is open to 7th and 8th graders. Basketball players should be prepared to commit to practices/games Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays beginning in early December through the week before February vacation.

Coach Hip and Coach Pinzone will be holding informational meetings in the coming weeks and will provide additional information regarding tryout dates, schedules etc. Interested student athletes must be registered via ArbiterSports (formerly FamilyID) and must have a current physical on file with the nurse in order to participate in tryouts. Registration will close on December 6, 2024.

The cost of Middle School athletic programs is $125 with payment due upon the completion of tryouts. For additional information, please reach out to the appropriate coach.

🏀 Boys Basketball: Thomas Pinzone - thomas_pinzone@waylandps.org

🧺 Girls Basketball: Hip Rivera - hipolito_rivera@waylandps.org

Artists: Ollie Lux

Grade: 6

Medium: Mixed Media

Thank You to everyone who has donated to the middle school PTO this fall! We will very soon be issuing our grants for this year. If you have not yet donated to Gift Your Child, please help us reach our fundraising goal - we are so close, with just $2K more to go!

Please see more examples of what we can support with your help.

Many companies will match an employee's gift to a charity one-to-one or even more in donations! Ask your employer if they offer a charitable match!

We are SO thankful for our wonderful WMS staff! The PTO treated staff to a thankful breakfast on Friday to show our appreciation! Huge thanks to Jen Lux for organizing, as well as Heather Grimmett, Tonya Cunningham, Krupali Shah and Andrea Winkler! Special thanks to our generous local businesses who provided delicious donations - Karma Coffee, The Muffin House and The Bagel Table!

Next up: Holiday cookies! We're in need of bakers/volunteers! Please sign-up here to bring 2 dozen cookies (homemade or store-bought) or beverages to support our holiday cookie staff appreciation event on Monday, Dec 9. We're also looking for a few volunteers willing to pop into the middle school 1-2x during the year to help set-up or clean-up a staff appreciation event, please email Heather at hwgrimmett@gmail.com to learn more or volunteer. Thank you!

The WMS PTO adds weekly updates in the Monday newsletter, but additional 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

To see some of the descriptions, click on the volunteer opportunities below.

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