May 2015 WMS/PTO Newsletter
Principal's Message

Dear Parents/Guardians:

It Began with a Twinkle: Year 1
On the first day of the 2013-2014 school year, following our back to school faculty meeting, Literacy Specialist, Ellen Jacobs, approached me with a twinkle in her eye.  It is the twinkle I have come to know means, ?Do I have an idea for you!?  In the meeting I had offered to facilitate a book group to help interested staff members think about cultural proficiency and the race-based achievement gap.   Ellen asked me if I would be open to taking a different spin on the book group.  She shared with me her excitement about a recent article she had read by Paul Tough entitled, ?What if the Secret to Success is Failure??  In it Tough made a case for helping students develop gritty mindsets.  Ellen?s proposal was to immerse ourselves in research and then actively work with students to see if we could help them develop a greater willingness to persevere in the face of challenge.  She should have known that she had me hooked with the twinkle. 
WMS Library News
The final Teen Library Advisory group meeting of the year will be held at WMS on Tuesday, June 2. All students are invited to join this next installment in our series of Fandom-related events and are encouraged to cosplay by dressing as a favorite character. More details can be found on  the WMS library website .Thanks again to all of the students who have participated in the Wayland Teen Library Advisory Group this year, the families who have picked up at WHS or the WPL, the Transportation Department for providing transportation between locations, and the Friends of the WPL for financial support. We look forward to another great year next fall!

All students are invited to join the WMS MAKER Club, Mettlesome Makers and Tenacious Tinkerers , for any of our remaining Spring 2015 meetings on Mondays May 18, June 8, and/or June 15. Students will learn about the MAKER Mindset and be among the first to explore the brand new MAKER Mobile resources and the transformative ways that they can be applied. Meetings will take place from 2:30-3:30 and rotate locations within the building. Our May 18th meeting will take place in the WMS Library. The WMS MAKERMobile is funded through a generous grant from the WPSF, with additional support from the WMS PTO.

Parent Survey
Thank You for Your Feedback!
In addition to this new cell phone-friendly email format, we've implemented several other improvements suggested by parents. Many asked for our weekly MMMs and monthly newsletters to be archived on the website (as we did previously with our old listserv software). Working with Constant Contact, we've found a way to do this once again. Please see our page of archived WMS eNews HERE.
Upcoming Events
Parents also requested we group our upcoming dates by grade .

ALL Grades
5/25: NO SCHOOL  Memorial Day
5/27:  MS Orchestra Concert, 7:30PM
5/28:  PTO Board Meeting, 8:45AM
6/01: Middle & More Parent Coffee, 9:00AM  
6/01 - 6/12:  Fitness Testing
6/03:  MS Band Concert, 7:30PM
6/05: Canobie Lake Music Trip
6/09:  MS Chorus Concert, 7:30PM
6/22: Last Day for Students, 1:10 Dismissal

Grade 6
5/29: G6 Henry Cluster, Trip to MFA
6/02: G6 Spring Trip
6/10: G6 Orchestra Trip to TCW
6/12: G6 David Cluster, Trip to MFA 
6/18: G6 Social, 2:30-4:00PM

Grade 7
5/19: Medication Drop Off Day, 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., WMS Lobby
5/20-5/22: G7, Cape Cod Trip
5/22: Students return from Cape Cod, Arriving WMS at 4:00 p.m.
6/10: G7, Cape Cod Family Night
6/17: G7, Roller Kingdom Trip, 2 to 5PM

Grade 8
5/21: G8, DC Night,7:00PM
6/19:  G8 Step-up Day at WHS, 12:30 - 2:00PM
6/19: G8 Kimballs Trip, 2:30 - 8:30PM
Artist of the Month
Artist: Margot Steen
Medium: Mixed
PTO News
PTO News
The Teacher Appreciation Lunch planning group would like to thank everyone who helped to put on a fabulous Teacher Appreciation Lunch on Wednesday.  We are pleased to report that we reached our fundraising, volunteering, and "gushing" goals, and it's all thanks to the whole parent community! Thank you donors, volunteers, dessert providers, and gushers! The teachers and staff all had a fabulous time, and they were particularly appreciative of the video showing all of your 100+ gushes. They loved the Whole Foods spread, and the fact that we were able to "green" the whole event. Many thanks once again to everyone who made it a successful gathering.
Janice Thompson
Aina Lagor
Irina Pansavoy 
Reminders (from previous emails)
Fitness Testing
June 1 - 12
All Grades
Wellness Fitness Testing will be held in all grades from June 1- 12. We utilize the FitnessGram protocol for which more information can be found below. Remember inhalers, and to eat breakfast and stay hydrated! 
8th Grade Parents
WHS 2016 April Vacation Trip
Costa Rica April 16 - April 24, 2016
Info Meeting on June 2, 6:30PM
The WHS Science Department is excited to again be offering a unique opportunity for students to reunite with nature in a safe and adventurous environment through an educational tour with a primary focus on ecology, environmental science, and cultural diversity.  Former students and their parents have described this trip as ?life changing?. 

There will be an informational meeting on Tuesday, June 2nd, from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm at Wayland High School in Building B (the South Building), Room B106. All interested incoming 9th-12th graders and their parents are welcome!!! Questions? Contact Dr. Friedlander, Mrs. Lowen, and/or Mrs. Wolfson at WHS 508-358-7746.   
back-school-bus.jpg
2015-2016 Bus Registration
Deadline Extended to June 22
Bus fees increase after June 22 -- be sure to register now. Questions? Please contact Dianne Potter at [email protected] or 508-358-3753.
Check List for Parents
All Grades
Looking for ways to help lessen end-of-year demands on you and your child? There are a few things you can do now. Help your child to:

  1. Locate and return overdue school library books. Pay fines.
  2. Locate and return overdue classroom library books (marked on spine with either "ELA" or the teacher's name).
  3. Start bringing home unneeded locker items such as winter coats, boots, old papers, etc.
  4. Locate academic textbooks so they can be turned in when the school year ends.
  5. Check our lost & found for missing items.
  6. Pay any outstanding Food Services balances.
  7. Register for the school bus before fees increase on June 22.