Wayland Middle School
Monday Morning Minute
Week of December 13, 2021
From the Principal
Dear WMS Families,

This Monday morning I bring to you some much awaited news:

Lockers Are Coming Back! (in a limited use capacity)
With middle schoolers wearing winter coats and boots ready to be broken out when the snow falls, we are grateful to have an approved plan to issue lockers to students (thank you Dr. Easy and School Committee). We are in the process of assigning individual lockers, and, with a little luck (if the eSchool stars align), the lockers will all be issued in time for this Wednesday’s TAG. During TAG students will begin:

  • Learning how to open locks (6th and 7th graders)
  • Determining what goes in the lockers
  • Learning expectations for distancing while using lockers

We hope that this will lighten the load on students’ backs by providing a location to store coats, lunches, boots, and extra school supplies.  Please know that any student who does not wish to use a locker, does not need to do so.

Students will be permitted to use their lockers at assigned times. As of now locker times will be:
  • Before Homeroom - Students will naturally be staggered at their lockers as buses and students arrive in a staggered manner. Staff will be in hallways to encourage students to drop off belongings and head straight to homeroom.
  • Lunch -
  • Students’ whose lunches are in lockers - beginning of lunch
  • Students’ who purchase school lunch - end of lunch
  • During last block break - Teachers will stagger breaks so students go to lockers at different times. 

We will make adjustments to the plan as needed.

Students will not be permitted to go to their lockers between each class or during classes. We ask that lockers be used for storage only - not decoration - as we want to minimize time spent there.

Please know that if a student does not abide by the outlined locker expectations, they will lose their locker privileges.

Thank you in advance for supporting your student in understanding and following the new locker expectations.

Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron
Reminders
Upcoming Dates
12/13: 7th & 8th WMS Basketball Tryouts
12/22: Holiday Recess begins at end of school day, 2:30 p.m.
1/3: Classes Resume
1/5: Early Release, 12:20 p.m. (bagged lunch offered)
1/13: Vaping: Clearing the Cloud Education Program
1/17: Martin Luther King Day - NO SCHOOL

Announcements
Vaping: Clearing the Cloud
Thursday, January 13, 7:00 pm
Wayland High School Lecture Hall

Vaping has become more and more popular with our youth over the last two years. We continue to see youth choose to experiment with and become dependent on both Nicotine and Cannabis electronic delivery devices. Join us for an evening of education, tips on talking with young people in your life, facts on health risks and addiction, as well as information about what we are seeing in Wayland.

This program is open to both parents and youth, as we encourage everyone to receive the same information and continue the conversation together.
COVID-19 Pooled Testing
Open Enrollment for 2022 - Deadline December 15

Wayland Public Schools has opened enrollment for weekly pooled COVID-19 testing starting in January.

  • If already enrolled, there is nothing further to do.
  • For new enrollees, follow TWO easy steps by December 15:

  1. Give Consent
  2. Complete the Wayland form to indicate you would like your child to start participating in pooled testing starting in January

Click here for more information.
Substitute Teachers Needed

Wayland Public Schools is always looking for more substitute teachers to fill in at the middle and elementary schools. Certification or experience in any particular field is not required to be added to our substitute teacher list.

If you enjoy working with children and are interested in finding more ways to get involved with the Wayland school community, consider applying to be a substitute today!

For more information, check out this page on the Wayland Public School website.
Don't Forget!
Fill Your Reusable Water Bottles!

As we await the Water Department’s fix to the Wayland's water issue, we must continue to provide extra water to students via single-use, plastic water bottles. The water bottles provided by school are not meant to be students’ only water source or even their first water source. All students should bring a filled, reusable water bottle to school each day and only use the single-use bottles as a last resort. Every day we find partially consumed water bottles left behind and the waste is just unnecessary.

Please bring a filled, reusable water bottle to school!
Artist of the Week
Artist: Nathan Oh
Grade: 8
Medium: Mixed
PTO News
The PTO has now raised almost 80% of our $20,000 fundraising goal for this year! As we continue with our grant process, please help us reach our goal!
Remember, the PTO will not be asking you to pay dues or to sell gift wrap or cookie dough – we instead ask that you Gift Your Child.  

100% of your donation is tax deductible and eligible for matching gift donations, and every dollar directly supports the PTO’s many grants (Classroom Books! Treetop Adventures! Cupcake Trucks! Musical instruments and more!) at WMS. 

Donate here today. You can also mail a check (made out to “Wayland PTO”) to Wayland Middle School PTO, 201 Main Street, Wayland, MA 01778.  

The suggested donation is $100 per middle school student.
AmazonSmile
FREE MONEY for Our Schools!!

Do you shop on Amazon? Did you know that you can earn money for our schools for free? When you shop, Amazon donates .5% back to the charity of your choice.  
Visit Amazon, choose “Wayland Public Schools Parent Teacher Organization, Inc.” as your designated charity!
WMS PTO’s Holiday Gift Drive
Wayside Youth & Family Support Network

THANK YOU WAYLAND!!

You opened your hearts and filled your carts with over 200 hundred gifts and filled stockings for the adolescent residents at Wayside. We will have final numbers next week, but wanted you to know that your generosity is overwhelming.

Thank you and happy holidays from the Wayland Middle School PTO Gift Drive and from Wayside Youth and Family Support Network!
Connect With Us!
Helpful Links & Important Info
Arrivals

REMINDER our doors do not open until 8:25 a.m. (with the exception of students who are signed up for AM wellness who go in at 8:00 a.m.). Please do not drop off students earlier.  

If your child is running late - school begins at 8:40 a.m. - and you arrive later than 8:45 a.m., please drop off at the front of the building, so we are sure we get accurate attendance.
Early Dismissals

If you must dismiss your child early from school, please follow this protocol:

  • Send a note into school with your child that day with the time you will pick them up.
  • Your child should bring the note to the Front Office upon arrival and will be given a Dismissal Pass to give to the teacher at the beginning of the class they’ll need to be dismissed from.
  • At the indicated time, your child will come to the office to check out and wait for you at the entrance.
  • If all steps are followed, there is no need for you to call or get out of your vehicle.
man_scratches_head.jpg
DID YOU KNOW?

70,000 is the number of thoughts estimated that the human brain produces on an average day.

Your brain has 100,000 miles worth of blood vessels – enough to circle Earth approximately four times.

The human brain is about 75% water.
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
Wayland Middle School
Phone: 508.358.3801 Fax: 508.358.3802
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