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Monday Morning Minute
April 3, 2017
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A Message from Principal Gavron
Good morning,
I left the Wayland High School Auditorium
on Thursday night with a hopeful heart. It had been an truly inspirational day. Thanks to the outreach and generosity of WMS grandmother and ADL board member Ginny MacDowell, I was able to spend an incredible morning with Ms. Valdes and eight of our middle school students at The Anti-Defamation League's Annual Youth Congress, which brought together over 1400 students at their "A World of Difference Conference." This year's theme was "There is no THEM only US." We heard from Gold Star Father Khazir Khan who challenged the audience to breathe life into the words of United States Constitution (that was given to every attendee) in order to ensure the human dignity that document promised every US citizen. The breakout workshops facilitated by high school students trained as "Peer Leaders" engaged students in activities to celebrate commonalities, explore facets of identity, and consider ways they too can be leaders in making their schools more welcoming, safe place for all students. School groups were challenged to create public service announcements. Our middle schoolers chose to offer a welcoming greeting in eight different languages (English, Spanish, French, Mandarin, Latin, Japanese, German and Arabic) followed by a collective recitation of the phrase "There is no THEM only US." They represented WMS so beautifully.
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Thanks to the generosity of the Wayland PTO, I closed out my Thursday evening surrounded by Wayland families for a community viewing of the documentary "Screenagers." The film raised a number of challenges for families to think deeply about as they navigate living an a tech filled world. The film explored issues of screen time, social media, gaming, tech addiction, and cyber-bullying. Recommendations, grounded in research, came in the form of seeking balance (engaging in meaningful activities and passions that were tech free), having clear and consistent expectations/guidelines around tech use, and maintaining an open and honest dialog about all family members' relationship with technology.
At the close of the movie, HRS Director and clinical psychologist Mark Kline facilitated a dialog to debrief with audience members. I loved that he asked to hear from our students. He asked them what resonated, what challenged them, and what felt like it was a skewed or inaccurate portrayal? I was so impressed by the range of youth voices we heard from and how articulately students conveyed their honest reactions to the film in front of a full auditorium - a very tall order. Many students wanted to refute some portrayals of the dark sides of technology and offer the ways in which they find a more balanced relationship with technology that enriches their lives and offers pro-social connections. Not all gaming equates with violence, and strategic teaming to solve problems can be an enriching form of collaborative gaming, entertainment, and accomplishment. Others questioned the limiting, stereotypical portrayals of male vs. female consumption of technology that bothered them as they watched the film. One student honestly confessed that he needed more limits so he could use his time better. Some students called for parents to take the time to truly be curious and seek to understand how their children use technology and talk with them as they negotiate rules. Finally, many students asked parents to hold up a mirror, interrogate their own adult tech usage and make more time for tech-free connecting with their children. It was powerful. Every student contribution added a richness of perspective that Dr. Kline so skillfully reflected back to the audience and gave us pause to think together. Kudos to the children and the hope and guidance they offer us.
Technology tests us as parents. It can be overwhelming and anxiety provoking. Yet, technology gives us a valuable opportunity to work with our children to have critical conversations about who we want to be in the world and how we want to live our lives. There are so many teachable moments and opportunities to help students develop self-control and build resilience. I truly believe that if we listen well and talk to each other, we can collectively navigate the dangers and come out on the other side in a better place. As always, please don't hesitate to reach out to us if we can partner with you and support you in any way during this middle school journey.
Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron
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2017-2018 Bus Registration and Financial Assistance
Now posted on the WPS Website
Register on or before June 30, 2017
Please find all the information you need HERE.
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Career Pathway Afterschool Program
At Minuteman Tech
Starts Tuesday, April 4th!
Minuteman is proud to offer this exclusive opportunity for 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students who live in our partner districts. Our unique program allows middle schoolers to choose from 19 career pathways and explore future careers through meaningful, project-based experiences.
TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED: In-District Towns Only
Minuteman High School
758 Marrett Road
Lexington, MA 02421
Busing will be provided from each middle school within our district.
NEXT SESSION STARTS TOMORROW!
Session 2:
April 4, 6, 11, 13
4:15- 6:15 p.m.
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Yearbooks are on sale NOW until April 13!
This year, there are 2 ways you can order a yearbook - choose the method that’s easiest for you! Yearbooks will be delivered on the last day of school. Questions?
Bring to the office an envelope containing this form and a check made out to Wayland Middle School for $20.00 Order online at jostensyearbooks.com
Questions? Contact Ms. Galvani
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Join PM Wellness Volleyball!
Starts Tuesday, April 25
WMS Gym at 2:30 PM
Learn the basic skills
from a
Wayland High School coach and have fun!
Boys and girls, 6th-8th, all levels of experience welcome.
Wear sneakers.
Meets Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30-3:30 pm for five weeks.
Dates: April 25 & 27 / May 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23 & 25
About the Coach: Pam Kainz is a Wayland High School coach, a Wayland youth volleyball coach and an active volleyball player. This will be her fourth year teaching intramural volleyball at the Wayland Middle School. In addition to teaching the fundamentals, she hopes to inspire young Wayland athletes to play volleyball in high school and beyond.
If you have any questions let Ms. Riddle know. Feel free to come to as many sessions as you want. No minimum amount of participation is required.
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Screenagers Event a Success!
Many thanks to everyone who attended last week's viewing of Screenagers: Growing up in the Digital Age. We had over 400 people in attendance, followed by a discussion that Dr. Kline managed to have the students lead. See our Facebook page for a few photos! https://www.facebook.com/waylandmspto
We wanted to share a few resources with you as a follow-up to the event, or if you couldn’t make it last week. First, at www.screenagersmovie.com, you will find many useful resources. The film mentioned "Tech Talk Tuesdays" where a family sits down together to have ongoing conversations about tech use. You can sign up for TTT emails on the Screenagers website, and you will receive an email every Tuesday with conversation prompts about social media, research, tech tips, etc. to keep the conversations open at home. There is also an extensive Resources section that includes a sample screen time contract, parenting apps, pro-social video games, digital citizenship links, internet addiction resources, and much more. If you couldn’t make it to the PTO’s screening last week, you can also find additional nearby screenings on the website – the film is definitely worth seeing!
These events wouldn't be possible without your donations - both at the door last night and through Gift Your Child - so once again, our many thanks to all of you for making this event such a success!
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Teacher Appreciation Needs Your Help!
The PTO is getting ready for our annual Teacher Appreciation luncheon being held on Wednesday, May 31, from 1:15-2:00. We need parent volunteers to help plan the day, to make sure the event runs smoothly, and to coordinate a GUSH for the teachers (a website helps us collect comments, thanks and praise from families, which we turn into a slideshow to project during the event). Let’s show our teachers and staff how much we appreciate them! Please contact Amy Simmons (simmons221@comcast.net) to help out with this event.
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Wayland's 50th Anniversary as a METCO Community
Be on the Planning Committee!
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Wayland will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary as a METCO town next year. We are creating a 50th Anniversary Planning Committee and are looking for people willing to participate on the Committee. Wayland METCO holds 3 annual events: the September Social Cook Out, the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Dinner (Next year is also the 30th anniversary of this event!) and the Florence Adler 5K Walk/Run. We hope to tie the 50th Anniversary Celebration into these three events. If you have suggestions and creativity in making Wayland’s 50th year the best ever, we look forward to working with you. If you are interested in volunteering, please send your name, email address and contact number to either Mary Ann Borkowski at
mabp48@aol.com or Michelle Mathis at
chellet1962@verizon.net.
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Artist: Darcy Foreman
Grade: 8
Medium: Charcoal, Pastel and Pencil
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Upcoming Events - All Grades
4/7: Q3 Ends
4/12: Latin Banquet 2:00 - 4:00 PM
4/13: Q3 Report Cards Distributed
4/13: Spring Vacation begins 2:20 PM
4/24: Classes Resume
5/2: 5th Grade Parent Night 7:00 PM
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Distributed to WMS Listserv Subscribers
Clicking on "Unsubscribe" below will remove you from ALL listservs -- you will no longer receive any emails from the Wayland Schools.
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