WMS Weekly Newsletter

Dear Wayland Middle School Caregivers,

Our first Super Wednesday at WMS went really well thanks to the work of our staff and our wonderful students. We thank our House Leaders who collaborated to create a schedule for the day that met the specific needs of their grade level and incorporated school-wide learning experiences. With everyone’s careful guidance, students learned about safety protocols, practiced walking to our off-site evacuation site, and completed a reflection which will be used when our teachers have a conference with caregivers later this month.

In the afternoon of Super Wednesday, our staff had an opportunity to engage in professional learning. For teachers of social studies, science, math, English, and world languages, our Curriculum Leaders facilitated the first of four accountable talk professional development sessions that will be offered this year.

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. Key elements include active listening, evidence-based reasoning, respectful disagreement, and the practice of clarification and elaboration. These components promote a respectful exchange of ideas, where students build on each other’s thoughts and challenge perspectives in a constructive manner. The benefits of accountable talk for students are significant; it fosters critical thinking, enhances comprehension, and encourages a sense of community in the classroom. As students articulate their thoughts and consider alternative viewpoints, they develop stronger communication skills and a deeper understanding of the subject matter, ultimately leading to more meaningful learning experiences.

I, along with the entire middle school staff, look forward to sharing bright sides related to the collaborative discussion strategies that our students are learning across their day. 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

• Thursday, October 17 6th Grade Potluck Dinner, 6:00PM
• 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

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 will receive 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.

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: Drayah Jones-Fitzpatrick & Julia Kruse

Grade: 7

Medium: 3D printed design, acrylic, found object

Drayah and Julia have designed a collar to help find lost pets. They used 3D software* to print a prototype and used paint markers to add a pop of color.

* Special thanks to the WPSF for our grant-funded 3D printer.

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."

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