Wayland Middle School
Monday Morning Minute
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Important Dates
4/26 No School
4/27 MS All in person learning begins
5/31 Memorial Day - No School
- 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!
EARLY DISMISSALS:
- Please send a written note to school with your child with date and time you wish to pick up.
- Instruct your child to bring the note to the office upon arriving to school.
- Your child will be given a blue dismissal pass to give to the teacher whose class they will be leaving.
- At the indicated time, your child can leave class to come up to the office/lobby and wait for you to pull up by the front entrance.
This protocol allows us to avoid calling classrooms and minimize interruptions to teaching. It also helps to foster independence in students by asking them to be responsible for their part in the dismissal routine. Thank you!
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WMS 2020-2021 School Council
Please join us. Meetings are open to everyone!
Wednesday, May 19 @ 5PM via ZOOM
WMS School Council members include:
Michael Kotin - Susan Chisholm - Erin Gibbons - Lisa Goodman - Ruchi Saggar - Amruta Mudambi - Renee Henrich
Every meeting we also have two 8th grade students join.
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Dear WMS families,
We hope you enjoyed a delightful week with your families and that your middle schoolers are heading into the final stretch of the school year rested and eager to learn. School staff have been working hard to prepare for April 27th: The first day of school - 3.0. We are excited to welcome both cohorts to the school - together - all in-person tomorrow (with the exception of those who have chosen WRAP, Wayland Remote Alternative Program, as their learning model).
As we prepare to move to all-in with your students tomorrow, we wanted to provide some additional information about how we will work with students who must quarantine as a result of being close contacts, or isolate as a result of having contracted COVID.
In these two situations, students will miss from between five and ten days of school depending on their individual circumstances. In many, if not most of these cases, students will be physically healthy and capable of learning, but they will not have the option of coming to school. This is yet one more example of a novel challenge of 2020-2021, and there is no easy or one-size-fits-all solution at the middle school level. Nevertheless, there are three outcomes that we want for our middle schoolers in this situation:
- We want them to be able to stay current with the curriculum (i.e., continue to progress with the concepts and skills being taught in class);
- We want them to be able to complete their assignments (i.e., stay actively engaged in their work and show evidence of their academic progress);
- We want them to have face-to-face check-in opportunities with their teachers to receive support.
For middle school students, in some cases, the most appropriate way to achieve these three outcomes will be for students to Zoom in to part or all of a class. In other cases, the most appropriate way to achieve this will be through completing asynchronous work and finding a time to check in directly with the teacher. Teachers in classrooms will be in the best position to make these professional decisions based on the nature of their lessons on any given day. We have asked teachers to leverage synchronous opportunities with quarantined students to the greatest extent possible.
If your student finds themself quarantining due to being a close contact or isolating due to having COVID 19,
- Notify your child’s teachers through a group email indicating the length of the anticipated length of the quarantine or isolation.
- In the next 24 hours, your child’s teachers will respond with the learning plan for their subject.
In the meantime we appreciate your strict compliance with COVID guidelines, including travel guidelines, and your completion of the daily attestations. Together we will work to maintain a healthy learning environment.
Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron WMS Principal and Arthur Unobskey, Superintendent
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Dear Parents/Guardians
If your child routinely experiences springtime allergy symptoms- we are asking you to please give them their allergy medication before they come to school. As allergy symptoms can mimic the symptoms of the Covid virus infection- if your child comes to the health room with these symptoms, we will need to ask you to pick up your child and have them tested for Covid before they can return to school, or alternatively have your child’s physician write us a letter indicating that your child’s symptoms are due to springtime allergies.Your child will have to remain at home until we receive either the test results or the physician’s letter. Our goal is to keep each child in school as many days as possible!
Thank you for your attention to this
Laurie Hojlo, RN
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WAYLAND SUMMER STRINGS!
Building on six successful summers, Wayland Summer Strings, led by Whitney Tandon, returns in 2021! Mark your calendars now for this in-person chamber music program, which includes small and large ensemble work, music games, and a performance at week's end, all following COVID-safety guidelines.
July 26-30, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. each day at Wayland High School
This five-day program is for young musicians entering Grades 6 - 9.
Registration is through Wayland School Community Programs, and will begin in April; $150 payment will be due July 1st.
Note: If your child is interested in participating, please email Whitney_Tandon@waylandps.org to reserve a spot. Maximum enrollment is 20.
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Wayland METCO Cultural Bus Tour
If your student is interested in this unique, educational bus tour opportunity, please sign the Permission Slip and return it by Thursday, April 29th.
If you have questions or concerns you may contact WMS METCO Coordinator, JaNae Hood.
Thank you.
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Spring Interscholastic Athletics
We will start Monday May 3rd and the season will run through Friday June 11th.
As of now, we will be offering baseball and softball for 7th and 8th graders and outdoor track for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. Registration is open on FamilyID and we encourage you to register as soon as possible in order to ensure that physicals are up to
Practices will take place immediately after school Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and typically last between 1.5-2 hours. Students will be supervised at all times, are required to wear masks at all times and must bring their own water bottle.
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The Wayland Public Schools has been awarded the Best Communities for Music Education designation by the NAMM Foundation. The award program recognizes outstanding efforts by teachers, administrators, parents, students, and community leaders who have made music education part of a well-rounded education. Designations are made to districts and schools that demonstrate an exceptionally high commitment and access to music education. This is the 11th year in a row that Wayland has earned this prestigious designation!
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For Parents of Current 6th & 7th Graders - Student Placement Requests
Deadline: Friday, May 14
Considerable thought and effort are given to student scheduling here at WMS. It is a highly complex, intricate, and time-consuming process. Families may make specific placement requests for their middle schooler under the following circumstances:
- If you have concerns about a teacher based on an older sibling's experience, you may request a different teacher for your child. You may not, however, request a specific teacher.
- If your child has had difficulty with a specific student which has negatively impacted your child's ability to learn, you may request that the children be placed in separate clusters.
Please know that we will not be considering requests from families to place students together this year. To be considered in the placement process, all requests must be sent via email to Betsy_gavron@waylandps.org no later than Friday, May 14. Please include your child's first and last name, and grade in September 2021. Although we will work hard to honor your request, we cannot make any guarantees. Thank you.
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2021-22 Student Bus Transportation
Registration Open Now Through April 30
The 2021-2022 School Year - School bus registration will close on April 30. All families who choose school bus transportation, regardless of Town-paid (enrolled in grades K to 6 and live more than 2 miles from school) or fee-based (enrolled in grades K to 6 and live closer than 2 miles from school or enrolled in grades 7 to 12) must register on or before April 30, 2021.
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Staff Appreciation
April
WMS PTO Staff Appreciation team has collaborated with Cookies for Caregivers - Boston, co-founded by WMS (and PTO!) parent Allison Kates, to bring baked goods to our wonderful WMS Staff and Teachers this week.
The original Cookies for Caregivers was created as a reaction to the COVID-19 experience in 2020. Bakers throughout the country have shown their gratitude to the essential workers in their community by delivering them freshly baked cookies.
Locally, these groups have included Wayland assisted living facilities, grocery stores & pharmacies, Wayland Bus Drivers, Wayland Police & Fire Departments, Veterinarians, DPW, and the Wayland Library. We hope our WMS Staff enjoyed the treats!
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Parent Enrichment
Save the Date!
May 12, 10:00 AM: “Coping with the Stress of the Pandemic on Students and Families” with Dossie F. Kahn, Psy.D., Assistant Director, Clinical Supervisor, who has worked with Wayland Youth and Family Services since September 2008. A Zoom link will be sent out to WMS families on May 12.
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PTO Spotlight:
Treasurer
Oversee the annual Budget and available funds for PTO activities. Manage checks and cash, submit refunds to the town-wide PTO, and work with WMS PTO President to reimburse submitted grants by WMS teachers and staff.
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Artist: Alex Tran
Grade: 6
Medium: Pencil
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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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