Wayland Middle School
Monday Morning Minute
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Important Dates
Wednesday 2/10 Early Release
2/15-2/19 Winter Recess
Monday 2/22 Classes Resume
- Reminder: Please do not drop students off for in person learning before 8:25 AM
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If your student is going to be absent on an in person learning day, you must still fill out the Healthwatch form - thank you for your cooperation!
REPORTING ATTENDANCE EVENTS:
If your child will be Absent, Arriving Late, or Leaving Early on a school day, please be sure to either email us at ms_attendance@waylandps.org or call the attendance line at 508- 358-3801/Select Option 1. Provide your child’s name and grade with the date(s) they will be absent or the approximate time they will be arriving late / leaving early. Precise attendance reporting is a challenge when students are remote, but your efforts to make the office aware of exceptions will help us to maintain accurate records. Thank you!
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Dear Families,
Two weeks ago we paused our routines to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy. This is a very special tradition at Wayland Middle School. Today, I share with you the remarks I offered our school community as my small part in this wonderful celebration of Dr. King’s work. Additionally, on this first day of Black History Month, I am thrilled to relay that last Wednesday The Wayland School Committee adopted the following Wayland Public Schools Anti-Racism Resolution to institutianlize anti-racist teaching and serve as our districtwide compass moving forward. As I stated at that school committee meeting,“We know that alone the words in this Statement are just words. Our anti-racist work must extend far beyond the black-white binary, and we are committeed to engaging in an inclusive process where we at work alongside students, families, alumnae and staff to translate these words into student-friendly language and collectively craft a vision backed by action that transforms our current reality.”
Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron, Principal
Remarks for Wayland Middle School honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. : Video link
This is one of my favorite weeks of the school year. It is a time where we pause from our typical routine to celebrate the life and work of our 8th grade Wayland Middle School house mentor, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. It feels particularly important to do so at this moment in time. Each day, the news highlights the way ongoing racial and economic injustices impact the lives of Americans. Unfortunately, we cannot sit side by side all together in our auditorium, but we can still take a pause and creatively honor King’s incredible legacy and his dedication to striving towards equity through nonviolence.
In his tireless pursuit of Civil Rights Dr. King proclaimed, “Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time: the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression.” King’s words seem as important as ever in the wake of a violent year. While millions of peaceful protestors filled the streets of our country all spring and summer long to fight for racial justice, we also saw violent disruptions to those demonstrations. Businesses burned. Guns were drawn. Interactions between police and protesters resulted in injury. Just this month, our nation’s Capitol withstood an attack by American citizens. Symbols of white supremacy and hatred were waved and even marched through the nation’s Capital. We must stand united against this. Violence is not the solution to political or moral questions. It does not bridge divides or solve our problems.There is an alternative path that Dr. King offered for our nation. Dr. King promoted love, hope, unity, and freedom in the face of hatred, and he was unwavering as he sought a peaceful means to realize the equality all citizens deserve. We can, “overcome violence and oppression without resorting to violence and oppression.”
Dr. King’s vision of nonviolence does not mean sitting back and watching, however. The nonviolence of which King speaks is active rather than passive, and each and every one of us has a role to play in creating a better more equitable world through nonviolent resistance and community building. We can choose to critically examine, face, and learn from our Nation’s painful history and commit to being part of an antiracist, nonviolent path forward. Dr. King developed Six Principles of Nonviolence that you will have the opportunity to explore with your TAG group in the days ahead.
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This powerful set of ideals offers us building blocks to shape a better future. You, the youth of today, have the power to nurture these principles of nonviolence and commit to them in your lives. You are amazing, compassionate people who are poised to become the leaders of tomorrow. You are learning to connect with one another, to find joy in working together, to speak up for one another, and to critically consume information to make sense of a complex world. In doing so you build the skills to lead -- living out King’s vision of nonviolence for a better future.
When we seek community with one another, we actively practice King’s tenets of nonviolence. Students can connect meaningfully across differences by learning about various facets of classmates’ identities. You work to “win friendship and understanding” as you really listen to each other and seek to deeply know your classmates. For example, you might express curiosity about the religious celebration of Three King’s Day that some classmates celebrated earlier this month. You might take an interest in the delicious pilau dish a classmate ate for lunch. Additionally, a classmate might want to know more about the cricket team you are excited to cheer on. By doing these things together, you pursue commonalities across differences.
Through TAG, we build community each week, practicing the elements of BERT - Belonging, Empathy. Respect, and Trust - which align with King’s Principles of Nonviolence. We laugh and find joy through games, routines, and traditions. We have spirited competitions and work together towards common goals, supporting one another academically, socially, and emotionally.
In striving towards a nonviolent world, we hold one another accountable in our community, acting on opportunities to speak up for what is right. We offer nonviolent resistance when we refuse to laugh at a sexist or racist joke, when we call out an unkind Instagram post, and when we report concerning behaviors. We remain committed to creating and maintaining physical and emotional safety throughout our school.
Together, we learn about and confront difficult history in our country and beyond. In doing so, we train our brains to look for signs of injustice and build the skills to speak out against it. As we critically consume news and seek out facts, we start to ask: Whose voice is included and whose is left out? In our classes we seek out multiple viewpoints on complex issues. We look for places where we find points of agreement when we debate political ideas passionately, but civilly. Through these conversations we expand our world, grow our minds, and embrace the diverse perspectives around us.
Yes, you have the potential to be the nonviolent leaders of tomorrow. In the face of an incredibly difficult year, your teachers and I have such hope for a brighter, more peaceful future for our country, because of you. Inspired by King’s lifelong work and the potential I see in you when challenges arise, I stay anchored in hope. Thank you.
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WPS COVID-19 Pooled Testing - Look for Email This Week!
Wayland Public Schools has completed the application process to participate in the six-week state funded testing program. We are awaiting the state to match us to a vendor and are planning for a February 8th launch.
Please lookout for an email from Dr. Unobskey to complete consent forms and any additional registration steps. These steps will be necessary even if you have registered before. If you have not already enrolled, you may follow the steps outlined in the email to enroll. Some resources such as staffing for collection are not covered in the state's funding so a small fee will be charged, to be communicated in the email.
Key elements include:
- Pooled PCR tests collected at school during second in person day
- Anterior nasal swab (short swab, not deep nasal swab) either self-administered under observation for grades 2 and up or collected by trained staff for K-1
- 24-48 hour turnaround of pool results
- Individual testing of positive pools using the Abbott BinaxNOW antigen test with results in 15 minutes
- Individuals in positive pools will need to quarantine until the BinaxNOW result is obtained. We will schedule BinaxNOW testing within a day of being notified of a positive pool, including weekends
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REMINDER TO WRAP FAMILIES
WE NEED YOUR CHILD'S PHOTO FOR
THE YEARBOOK!
Please send a head/shoulders photo to
February 5 in order to be included.
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Period Supplies Drive
THANK YOU to everyone who donated!
Recently the Student School Council started a drive to collect period supplies for the MS bathrooms so that supplies are more accessible to people who menstruate. We asked for donations of pads and or tampons of all varieties (ex: pads with wings, or light/regular/heavy tampons) as well as dye free and/or organic cotton pads or tampons to support children who have allergies to certain brands. The amount of donations received so far has been extraordinary. THANK YOU!
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We will continue to accept donations
How to make a donation:
Drop off period supplies at the front office or students can put donations in a box by the office
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Is your 8th grader interested in a public school experience that is vocational technical in nature?
Schools are accepting applications NOW. The town of Wayland is responsible for tuition and transportation fees.
Feel free to peruse local technical school offerings on their websites:
Please reach out to our 8th grade counselor, Dr. Amy Parker, for support in the application process, if your child plans to apply - amy_parker@waylandps.org.
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Honoring MLK with Music
Dr. Murray's Select Chorus: 'I Have a Dream' is a song inspired by the 1963 speech by Dr. Martin Luther King. It has been performed at our Wayland Middle School MLK celebrations for nearly two decades. This performance was created by combining 360 individual recordings of Select Chorus students singing the different phases of the song. The visual imagery in the video combines student artwork, the WMS mural, images of MLK and Washington, DC, as well as several quotes by Dr. King.
Ms. Tandon's Honors Chamber Orchestra: 'Nobody knows the Trouble I've Seen' dates back to the time of slavery in this country. It was first produced in printed form in 1867 and has been recorded by many famous artists. This arrangement combines a more traditional, reflective style and an upbeat, jazzy rendition. This performance, by this year's Honors Chamber Orchestra, is a mix of an in-person recording and individual remote recordings.
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February is Teen Dating Awareness Month
The programs below will be facilitated by Roundtable board member Julie Youdovin, Outreach & Program Coordinator at Jewish Family & Children’s Service’s Journey to Safety program. Registration for this event is required, and can be completed here or on the Roundtable’s Website.
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DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR 2020 TAX DONATION LETTER?
If your donation to Gift Your Child at the middle school was received by December 31st, you will have recently received your 2020 tax donation letter by email. Thank you for your incredible support!
There is still time to donate and help us reach 100% of our goal for the 2020-2021 school year. We are using this money to fulfill grant requests from teachers and to honor them with some special surprises throughout the year.
To date, we have achieved 90% of our fundraising goal! If you want to help us reach the top, please see below to find out how to contribute:
Wayland Middle School,
Attn: PTO
201 Main Street
Wayland, MA 01778
Thank you for supporting the students and staff at Wayland Middle School! Contact Jen Pearlman, Fundraising Chair, Jenpearlman00@gmail.com, with any questions.
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Staff Appreciation
January
The PTO Staff Appreciation team created a hot beverage station in the WMS staff lounge to Espresso our appreciation for the WMS faculty & staff last week with a Cup of Gratitude! Faculty and staff were able to warm up with Keurig coffee, a selection of teas, and hot chocolate.
We miss them a Latte and wanted to say Thank You for all they do!
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Middle and More Coffees
February
Are you interested in learning about diversity and equity in the district? Are you interested in having (or continuing to have) conversations with your children about race and racism and would like advice or guidance? Do you wonder about what you can do to support staff and schools in promoting anti racism? Please join us on February 8, 10:00-11:00am, as we welcome Caroline Han, Wayland Public School’s Diversity & Equity Coordinator, who will describe her work and answer your questions.
Upcoming Dates:
Middle and More Coffees continue throughout the 2020-21 school year. Here are a few upcoming dates:
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March 8, 9:00-10:00 am: English & Social Studies Discussion with WMS Department Heads
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April 8, evening program: Screenagers Next Chapter: Uncovering Skills for Stress Resilience (63 minutes). This movie, the follow up to Screenagers: Growing Up in the Digital Age, will be available for at-home viewing for WMS families from April 5th through April 16th. The WMS PTO will then host a live discussion and Q&A with Lindsay Steinsieck, Associate Director at The Human Relations Service.
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Artist: Bela Coppola
Grade: 8
Medium: Aluminum
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Reminders from Previous Weeks |
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MASK RULES & GUIDELINES
In accordance with MA Department of Public Health and CDC guidelines face coverings must:
- Cover the nose and mouth
- Fit securely and comfortably against the side of the face
- Be secured with ties or ear loops
- Allow for breathing without restriction
- Be able to be laundered without damage or change of shape
- Be made of at least 2 layers of material
- Face coverings may not have an exhalation valve or vent
The following are not allowed: Gaiters, bandanas, scarves, and face masks that have a ventilation valve. They are not considered effective face coverings and will not be allowed.
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The Orange and Black - Our Student Run Newspaper
Be sure to check out our student run newspaper featuring news, stories, poems and other work! The Orange and Black
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Wayland Middle School
Phone: 508.358.3801 Fax: 508.358.3802
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