Wayland Middle School
Monday Morning Minute
|
|
Important Dates
11/11 - Veterans' Day - NO SCHOOL
11/24 - Thanksgiving Recess begins at 12:20 (no lunch)
WMS SCHOOL HOURS 2021-2020
M, T, Th, F: 8:40 - 3:15
Wednesday: 8:40 - 2:30
2021-2022 Early Release days:
11/17, 11/24, 1/5, 2/9- 12:20 dismissal, no lunch served.
|
|
Help us, help you! WMS Early Dismissal Procedure
Here are the steps to follow if you must dismiss your child before the end of the school day:
- Please send a written dismissal note to school with your child that day with the time you’d like to pick up.
-
Instruct your child to bring the note to the Front Office upon arriving to school.
- Your child will be given a Dismissal Pass to give to the teacher at the beginning of the class they’ll need to leave.
- 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.
This process allows us to avoid calling classrooms and interrupting teaching. It also helps to foster independence in students by asking them to be responsible for their part in the dismissal routine.
We prefer not to receive early dismissal messages on our attendance phone line or email because this requires the additional step of having to locate your child in advance to give them a dismissal pass.
Thank you very much!
|
|
“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.” - Henry David Thoreau
Dear WMS families,
Fall in New England is a glorious season. We have been taking full advantage of opportunities to enjoy the weather and learn outdoors. Each day it hasn’t rained (or we have not been COVID testing) we’ve been offering students the option to dine outside at lunch (shout out to our amazing PTO parent volunteers). Wellness classes have been playing sports on the back fields each day. Games, songs, and conversations have been taking place in a multitude of languages in outdoor world language circles. And, our 7th grade scientists have been mapping and geotagging our school grounds as they have participated in an outdoor field study.
One of my favorite experiential learning traditions at Wayland Middle School are our outdoor fall trips. Thursday and Friday of last week 6th graders donned their cluster t-shirts and hiked through Walden Woods with most groups concluding their journey at Walden Pond, where our house mentor, Henry David Thoreau, lived for two years, two months, and two days. As naturalists students investigated various species of plants and trees. They pondered Thoreau’s wisdom, soaked in the beauty around them, and most importantly got to know classmates better as they hiked along the trails. Together they cultivated community and developed a deeper sense of belonging.
This week it is our 7th graders' turn. They will spend Monday and Tuesday engaged in “A Sense of Wonder” activities inspired by house mentor, Rachel Carson -- #Wondermore. One day they will journey to Treetop Adventures in Canton, MA where students will engage in “challenge by choice” as they traverse high ropes courses. Harnessed in climbing safety gear students and teachers will master obstacles such as rolling logs, bridges, ladders, tight ropes, and zip-lines. Historically students support one another and cheer on classmates, sharing strategies and building each other’s confidence. I can’t wait to see them in action today!
On the opposite day (either Monday or Tuesday) our 7th grade students will participate in a series of workshops and activities such as a bird presentation, shark study, biomagnification, pollinators presentation, and a seed dispersal challenge. We will round out these hands-on workshops with opportunities to sketch and journal. These days are an annual highlight for students.
I hope that weekends and warm afternoons offer you and your loved ones time to fish, hike, bike or stroll through these glorious New England days as well. Thoreau and Carson would highly approve.
Respectfully,
Betsy Gavron
|
|
Wayland Middle School Council
Seeking New Parent Members
We are currently seeking two parents to join this year's WMS Council. In accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71: Section 59C, Wayland Middle School will have a School Council that meets regularly and is responsible for the following:
- Assist in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school
- Review the annual school budget
- Approve the school improvement plan
- Review the student handbook
School council meetings typically take place quarterly, on mutually agreed upon dates, from 5:00 to 6:15 pm. These meetings will take place virtually this school year.
If you are interested, kindly submit your name and a short biographical paragraph to Amanda Melander, WMS PTO President, by Friday, October 8th.
Note: The PTO will run the elections.
Thank you in advance for your support!
|
|
PICTURE RETAKE DAY
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3
For anyone wishing to have a new picture taken, the WMS Retake Day is scheduled for Wednesday, November 3. In order to have a new photo, your student must bring back the original package to give to the photographer. This is also the opportunity for any students who were absent or missed having their pictures taken the first time around.
If you have questions or other photo package issues, please contact:
|
|
Important links you may have missed:
|
|
Social Skills Group: Youth Together
Kelsey Sanclemente, LMHC
Counselor, Wayland Youth and Family Services
Topics covered in Youth Together:
- Dealing with social challenges
- Dealing with anger, stress, sadness etc.
- Boosting self-confidence
- Building friendships
- Strengthening Conversation Skills
Groups are being held in Room 109, Tuesday afternoons, 3:10 - 4:05 pm.
if you are interested in learning more!
|
|
REMINDER: WPS Text Messaging OPT IN Campaign
Dear Parents & Guardians,
We are writing to inform you that we will be launching our School Messenger Communication SMS (short message service) text messaging feature for School to Home communication. Important messages can be delivered right to your mobile phone!
Parents and Guardians can participate in this service by texting "Y" (or "yes") to 67587 to OPT IN on each mobile phone you wish to receive text messages on. You can OPT OUT of these text messages at any time by replying "Stop" to one of our messages.
Kind regards,
Wayland IT Department
|
|
Artist: Sebastian Chung
Grade: 8
Medium: Digital
|
|
Gift Your Child: Donate Today!
So far, more than 75 middle school families have made a contribution through our Gift Your Child program - if you haven’t already, please join them in supporting the WMS staff and students with just one click. We are currently accepting grant proposals from WMS staff, so don’t wait any longer!
Your money in action: A PTO donation was made to offset the increased cost of transportation for the 7th grade’s trip to Treetop Adventures!
|
|
Parent Enrichment meetings, hosted by the WMS PTO, provide monthly opportunities for parents to learn together on current, discussion-worthy topics related to parenting middle-school youth and time to meet with WMS Staff regarding curriculum. We hope you will join us!
Read more details about our Middle and More Coffees HERE.
7th Grade Parent Check-in | Rachel & Carson Cluster Leaders & Betsy Gavron
Wednesday, October 20 | 1pm | Link to be emailed day of event!
8th Grade Parent Check-in | Martin & King Cluster Leaders & Betsy Gavron
Wednesday, October 27 | 2:30pm | Link to be emailed day of event!
|
|
Outdoor Lunch has been extended!
Parent volunteers are so helpful in making sure these lunches go smoothly, and the kids love them!
|
|
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.
|
|
DID YOU KNOW?
Some tornadoes can be faster than Formula One race cars!
The wind is silent until it blows against something.
The fastest recorded raindrop was 18 mph!.
|
|
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
|
|
Distributed to WMS Listserv Subscribers
To CHANGE the school(s) you subscribe to click "Update Profile" below
To be removed from ALL Wayland Schools' listserves, click "Unsubscribe"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
