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Wayland Middle School says
Thank You for Another Wonderful Year!
Happy Summer!
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Monday Morning Minute
June 19, 2017
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A Message from the Principal
In the final MMM of the 2016-2017 school year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you for your partnership this year. It has been a year full of learning and growing, complete with highs and lows, accomplishments and errors - all natural components of the learning process. As I have said, middle school is a complex time of exploring one's identity and growing one's mind. I thank you for entrusting us with your children for this journey. It is a privilege and an honor to walk this walk along side of you. I wish you a summer full of rest, relaxation and connection. Enjoy those emerging adolescents.
As we close out the year and say our goodbyes, in addition to honoring retiring Ms. Jacobs, I wanted to thank from the bottom of my heart, Maribel Valdes, our tireless METCO counselor for her 17 years of service. I share with you an excerpt from my tribute to her:
"I am not sure exactly what the job description read when Maribel Valdes took on the role of the Wayland Middle School METCO Counselor 17 years ago, but I have always seen her as being a integral bridge builder between the Boston and Wayland members of our middle school learning community. She has truly embraced the calling, to the point where there is not much she hasn’t done to support the lives and enhance the education of Boston and Wayland resident students alike. The lens of trips alone shows the reach of her commitment. Beginning in the early days of September, Maribel patiently teaches tentative 6th grade students from Wayland and Boston how to ride bikes, making endless laps around our bus circle, and ensuring they have the equipment necessary for success. Her advocacy enables all to participate in biking to Walden. Each Spring Maribel ensures that 7th grade Cape Codders will survive co-habitating with creepy crawlers and being away from the safety of family, even sharing a cabin with many to quell their anxiety. She previews caves for our 8th grade spelunkers, coaxing the most reticent into a tiny hole in the ground, convincing them that they will come out safely enlightened for having had the experience. Then Maribel treks to DC with these 8th graders to ensure students feel connected and are thoroughly supported. As if that is not enough Maribel returns to put in countless hours behind the scenes as a key player in creating slideshows that document the amazing accomplishments and bonding of our travelers.
And trips are just the tip of the iceberg. Maribel’s day-to-day work starts early and ends late as she remains until the last Boston resident student is securely on the late bus. Each day Maribel provides a safe landing place for our students of color from Boston. Their bus ride is like a very long magical mystery tour transporting them into a cultural experience completely different from home. It is enough to make ones head spin. As students seek to code switch, they wrestle with how to maintain their identity while navigating the predominantly white, culture of power. Maribel helps students process experiences and make critical connections. She is the maternal figure who does it all, from lending a comforting, listening ear and providing shoulder to cry to dishing out tough love when needed, holding students’ feet to the fire and keeping kids accountable for meeting high academic expectations. She partners with families and often represents the well-traveled path between school and home.
Maribel is the dynamic, yet unassuming woman who has my highest respect and gratitude. I thank her for all she has given us. She has taught me so much, and I am a better person for having had her in my life. I will miss her dearly as she builds a new bridge to take her down the next path in life."
Thank you Maribel.
Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron
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Cori O'Keefe selected as a Teen Ink Educator of the Year
Winning Essay submitted by 8th Grader Julia Callini!
For twenty-six years, Teen Ink has been recognizing teachers with an award for the good they do each day by making a difference in student's lives, school and community. Ten Ink's goal is to "give student's an opportunity to express themselves on topics of importance to them." From hundreds of nominations received, thirteen were chosen as winning educators based on the student's essay. Congratulations to Julia Callini for writing an essay that celebrates all the ways Ms. O'Keefe makes a difference to her, in the classroom and in the school.
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Thanks to the WMS Community for Supporting
A+ School Rewards from Stop & Shop!
We are pleased to announce that due to your participation, you earned $3498.20 for Wayland Middle School this year! We are grate- ful to everyone who signed up and made a difference for our school. If you didn't have a chance to join, we'll start up again in the fall. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
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From the Front Office
Leaving for Vacation, Coming Late or Leaving Early?
Don't Forget to Let the Office Know!
Please remember to let us know if your child will be out. You can call the office before 7:30 AM by calling (508)) 655-6670 or using the email ms_attendance@wayland.k12.ma.us Thanks, and Happy Summer!!
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From the Wellness Department
All Locker Rooms
Monday, June 19th
Please have your student(s) take their belongings out of their Wellness lockers by the end of the school day
on Monday
. We will be taking the remaining things to lost and found
on Tuesday
. (see below)
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Lost & Found
WMS Main Lobby
Until June 22nd
Have your child check for missing items in our Lost & Found, or come and take a look for yourself! There is a lot of stuff! New things arriving from the Wellness Locker rooms on Tuesday!
Unclaimed items will be donated to our GreenTeam charity, Baystate Textiles, at 2:30 PM, Thursday, June 22nd.
(As is our custom before school vacations).
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Wayland Middle School Parent Survey
Please Give Us Your Feedback!
Open now through June 23rd
O
ver the summer, and on an ongoing basis, we critically assess the school year to look for opportunities for improvement and identify areas of success. Your input is an important part of this process. Would you please take a few minutes to complete our 2017 WMS Parent Survey?We so appreciate your time and your feedback! The survey will remain open through June 23rd. ~ The WMS Faculty & Staff
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Need a Yearbook?
Last Chance!
A few yearbooks are still available for purchase on the last day of school! Students can purchase a yearbook by bringing a $20.00 check, made out to Wayland Middle School, to the front office. Please contact Stephanie Galvani if you have any questions.
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WMS Thanks the PTO Cultural Enrichment Committee for
Music Technology with Brent Daniels!
On Monday, June 12th, middle-schoolers from grades 6 to 8 were thoroughly entertained by Producer, Composer, Sound Designer and Recording Artist Brent Daniels. He blended audience participation with digital sampling and high energy music to underline the connection between the technology students use with sounds and music they hear in movies, TV and on their iPods. Thank you, PTO, for enriching our days with great entertainment throughout the year! To learn more about Brent, click HERE.
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Many thanks to the WMS community for all your support this year. Whether it was a donation to Gift Your Child; volunteering for Walden Pond or Room to Read; helping us provide meals for teachers on the long days when they have evening events for families; joining us for the Middle & More Parent Coffees; volunteering for a board or committee role; being a Grade Level Parent Rep; or one of many other ways – your involvement helps make our WMS community so special, and we thank you! Happy Summer, and we look forward to seeing you in the Fall!
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READ THIS SUMMER!!
All Grades
Reading good books during the summer is one of the best ways to keep you engaged in new ideas. Not only will it enlist your imagination, but also it will help you continue to gain understanding of yourself, other people, other places, and other times. You can do it just about anywhere-- in the back of your car, on your porch or in your backyard, on your bunk at camp, and especially on a sunny day at the beach.
Please plan on reading at least two to three books this summer. Please consult the Wayland Middle School Summer Reading List and visit the Wayland Public Library for book recommendations.
Please complete one Book Buzz on your favorite summer reading book.
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Summer Math Packets
All Grades
Dear Parents:
Through the years many parents have asked what can be done over the summer to maintain skills and develop mathematical thinking. There are a couple of options for families.
1. The Middle School math teachers have created a practice packet calendar to help your child retain his/her skills and to provide valuable practice over the summer. You should feel free to discuss the work with your child. Math discussions are an important way for students to remember and retain concepts. Students may enjoy working with peers or parents as they practice. Again, this calendar is simply an opportunity for your child to maintain skills. The calendar and answer key are on the Wayland Middle School website and can be downloaded and printed at your convenience. Students may also do the work on online. See the Summer Math page for details. http://wms.wayland.k12.ma.us/academics/summer_math
A few things to note:
Packets are not being handed out in math classes this year. Students interested in trying the summer math calendar should download the packet or enroll in the Summer Math class on ASSISTments (see directions on the WMS Summer Math page.
The summer math calendars have not been updated since our adoption of the Common Core State Standards. This means that there may be a few problems on your grade-level packet that you actually haven't seen before. These are great extension questions for you to try and talk about with your family.
Our goal is to provide a manageable way for students seeking to keep their math skills sharp over the summer by providing one problem per day.
Packets will not be graded.
There is no penalty for not doing the packet
Students may get help from sibling, parent, etc.
If a student doesn’t know how to do a certain problem, it’s OK to try it and move on to another problem.
It is OK to use extra paper if more space is needed to work the problems
2. There are many options for summer math skills review workbooks that can be purchased by families. Here are two. Both are intended to be used only 3 days per week for ten weeks.
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ALL STUDENTS
Return Library Books, School Books, Classroom Books!
Return Chromebooks & Chargers! (if you haven't already!)
Take a last look around the house & car for books to return. Students will be billed for un-returned books.
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Pick Up Meds from Nurse
Deadline: 2:00 pm on June 22nd
Just a reminder that all prescription and over-the-counter medications must be picked up by 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 22.
Your child may pick up his or her epipen and/or albuterol inhaler on your behalf. Be sure to instruct your child to stop by the school nurse before the end of the school day on Wednesday.
All other medications must be picked up by a parent or designated adult by 2:00 PM on June 22.
We are required to destroy all medications/devices not picked up by the deadline. Questions? Contact Nurse Marcia Nims at 508-655-6670 x1104.
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6th Grade Parents
Health Physicals Due
Dear Rising 7th Grade Parent or Guardian:
As you and your child anticipate entering the seventh grade at Wayland Middle School next year, please note that the Massachusetts Department of Public Health regulations require a current physical exam with immunizations (dated within the last 12 months), be submitted to the Nurse’s office prior to the start of 7th grade.
Please send your child’s most recent physical exam to me as soon as possible so that I may have time to enter your child’s information into their medical record before the start of 7th grade.
If your child has an upcoming appointment for his/her physical after May 15th, please forward the documentation to me as soon as you receive it.
Thank you in advance for your assistance.
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2017-2018 Bus Registration and Financial Assistance
Now posted on the WPS Website
Register on or before June 30, 2017, before prices go up!
Please find all the information you need HERE.
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Artist: Sophia Oppenheim
Grade: 6
Medium: Watercolor and pencil
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ALL GRADES:
6/21: Last Day of School
- dismissal at 1:10 PM
8TH GRADE:
6/20: Step-over / Kimball'
s Trip,
2:30 - 8:00 PM
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