Wilson Wildcats
Your Weekly Update from Wilson Middle School
Hello Wilson families,
We had a busy two weeks since our last newsletter. There has been a lot of energy at the school with Halloween, fall sports coming to an end, as well as an author visit for our 7th grade, and our STAR night at Kennedy last night. Classrooms and hallways are buzzing and it is fantastic. Next week is Kindness week. Please review the calendar below for each day's theme next week.
Please take the time to read the newsletter. Please note that upcoming dates are at the end of this newsletter.
Message from our Math and Literacy Specialist:
We are now in the middle of our first cycle of RTI (Response to intervention) during WIN. As reading and math specialists, we have a unique role in this work and wanted to both outline our roles and introduce ourselves as a resource.
What is the role of the literacy and math specialists and teacher/ interventions in RTI?
We collaborate with general educators to determine and design appropriate interventions to address student needs.
We co teach with general educators to provide student curriculum instruction.
We monitor student progress in the general education curriculum.
We work with students in small group or individual settings to provide additional math and literacy support to those students who are not already receiving related services.
Linda McKenna
I have been working in education for 25 years as a math teacher, math coach, math curriculum specialist and currently as a math specialist and coach here at Wilson Middle School. I believe that all students can be successful in math when given the opportunity to interact with concepts and make sense of them in their own unique way.
To be good mathematicians, our students need to understand the content conceptually, be proficient with the skills needed to work within the concept and lastly, know how to apply the concept to solve real world and mathematical problems.
I am passionate about mathematics and love working with students and teachers to ensure that all of our students are prepared to be productive mathematical thinkers and problem solvers.
Linda McKenna, M.ED.
Math Specialist: Ms. Linda McKenna lmckenna@natickps.org
Kaitlyn Begley
I have been a middle school teacher for the past 18 years. I have taught English and Geography, held a Leadership Team role, led New Teacher training, and have had many other experiences between. In recent years, I have held the role of Reading Specialist and have worked with both special and general education students. In January 2021, I joined the Wilson Middle School community as the Literacy Specialist and Instructional coach.
My goal as an educator is to teach the whole child - from the classroom and beyond - and to ensure that every student knows that they can and will learn, that they belong, and that they have the ability to do good in the world. I also strive to ignite or extend a passion for reading in every student. As a Literacy Specialist I also have a desire to make reading fun and enjoyable no matter what a student needs. All students should feel as though they can call themselves a reader. Reading is wonderful and exciting, funny and emotional, and all things in between.
Kaitlyn Begley, M.Ed.
kbegley@natickps.org 508-647-6500 ext. 1227
Candy Drive:
The Community Service Club is running their annual Candy Drive for our military troops and it will run until November 12. All candy will be donated to Treats for the Troops. Last year we collected 220 pounds of candy and we are aiming to beat that record! Please encourage your children to bring in candy that is left over in your home from Halloween. The Community Service club created a video to give it context. It can be found here.
Healthy Harvest:
We are excited to announce the start of our annual Healthy Harvest Food Drive! This is a wonderful opportunity for us to come together as a school community to support those in need. Your students learned more about this great event today at our kickoff grade-level assemblies. We will be accepting donations from Thursday, October 24th through Monday, November 25th.
The leading homeroom in each grade will receive delicious breakfast treats on Healthy Harvest Day (November 27), our half-day before Thanksgiving. Additionally, the top homeroom in the entire school will earn the chance to pie an administrator in the face and will be awarded the Healthy Harvest Trophy!
Please remind your student to take part in the below spirit days that correspond to our most needed items in the picture below.
Thank you for your support of this Food Drive! Last year, Wilson Middle School was the largest contributor to the food pantry, donating around 7,000 items. We appreciate all of your contributions!
Attendance Highlights:
Attending school is your child's JOB!
Students need to be in school for academic & social emotional success.
Let’s partner - Schedule a meeting with us to discuss how to best support your child in school!
School Communication:
- At 5 absences: School counselor/nurse will email or call families to check in
- At 10 absences: Vice-principal’s will reach out to families.
***View the visual below with some facts about absences.
Cell Phones/Social Media:
If your child has a phone.... here is how you can monitor and manage what they have access to and how long they are on it...
- Avoid use of social media in middle school: Snapchat, Instagram, TikTok, etc.
- If they have it:
- check the phone often have have
- have them charge the phone in a common area at night
- restrict use when in school
- there are apps to monitor sites and set timers on phone
- not allowed in school (we’d like more students to use the lockers
Viewing Grade 5 Comments and Grades 6-8 Progress Reports
Step 1: Log in to your PowerSchool Parent Portal
Step 2: From the left side menu, click on “Grades and Attendance.”
Step 3: For Grades 6-8. Once the portal is open, the grades for all classes will show under the Term column.
Step 4: For Grade 5 Comments, click on the Grade you see next to the class listed. There may be a tab that says, “Standards Grades” that you may need to click to open the grading/comment area.
Annual Chromebook Fee:
Natick Public Schools has a required annual fee for the cost of maintaining equipment.
Annual 5th - 12th grade student Chromebook fee for the 2024/25 school year:
$50.00
Family cap of $100.00
How to pay:
Electronic payments can be made at myschoolbucks.com
Checks (made out to Natick Public Schools) can be mailed or delivered to front office at Wilson
Required Yearly Forms:
Important required yearly forms are needed at the beginning of every school year.
These forms ensure that parent/guardian contact information is up-to-date, as well as other pertinent health information.
Please complete these forms as soon as possible on your PowerSchool parent portal.
If you are having difficulty accessing your portal, please contact PowerSchool support at pssupport@natickps.org
Wilson Extra-Curricular Activities:
Please click here for the updated extracurricular listings for this school year.
Laps After Lunch Needs:
We try to get the students out every day during lunch to get some fresh air and walk/run around the building. We are always in need of parent volunteers to supervise the corners of the building to help keep the students safe during this much needed break from school. Please sign up here (tabs on the bottom for each week). We need at least 3 parent volunteers for each lunch. Thank you in advance.
Call for Cafeteria Waste Sorting Line Adult Volunteers:
You may have heard that Wilson Middle School is one of three Natick schools currently sorting waste in the cafeteria. Students are learning how to compost, and we need your help guiding them at the sorting line. Check out the Sign-Up Genius to sign up to volunteer!
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0A4EAFA622A2FAC16-51810920-waste
Thank you!
Amber Keller
Natick Public Schools Waste Reduction Coordinator
Winter Athletics at Wilson:
Winter Athletics registration at Wilson is now open on ArbiterSports.com. Here is a link for step-by-step directions on registering. The deadline to register for a Winter Athletic Sport is 11/22. Here is the link for the basketball virtual informational meeting presentation. Here is the link for the wrestling virtual informational meeting presentation. Please visit the Wilson Athletic Website for more information including schedules, team websites, coaches contact info, etc. Please reach out to Adam Shute (ashute@natickps.org) if you have any questions.
Please be sure to read through the entire newsletter and check out all of the pictures. We will send out the newsletter every two weeks.
Respectfully,
Teresa Carney
Instagram: wmsnatick
Frosty 5K
Sign up for the Frosty 5K for a day of fun, competition, and school spirit! You can run, walk or stroll your way to the finish line. Make sure you indicate that you are competing for Wilson so you can win the middle school challenge! There will be a pizza party and trophy for the middle school with the most sign ups! Go to Racewire to find all the information.
