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WMS Family Newsletter

November 26, 2023

WMS Family Newsletter November 26, 2023

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Dear WMS Families,

We hope you have been spending good quality time with loved ones this week. We had a blast at our whole school Pac Man Game on Wednesday! Congrats to Julieta for being the last ghost standing!


When we return to school on Monday, we are moving into our last 6 school days before the end of Trimester 1. We encourage you to sit with your child to review the feedback teachers have provided so far on PowerSchool and/or Google Classroom together, and make a plan to finish the first trimester strong!


Quick announcements:


  • Community Service Announcement: Our Coats for Kids drive is officially underway! Every year we collect lightly used winter coats to donate to families in need. We accept all sizes of coats, but not other winter clothing including jackets, hats, gloves, etc. Please have your child drop off donations in the main lobby


    • The Watertown Recreation Department Winter I Registration for all offerings has begun, and we have added a second middle school volleyball class! If interested, please register today as all programs are first come, first serve. Department of Recreation (activityreg.com). If you have questions, concerns, or comments, please contact the recreation department at 617-972-6494 or recreation@watertown-ma.gov


    Upcoming Dates:

    • November 30: Picture Retake Day
    • December 4: Trimester 1 Ends
    • December 5: Trimester 2 Begins
    • December 12: Trimester 1 Report Cards and Yardstick Caregiver Guide for 6, 7, 8th graders mailed home


    Respectfully yours,


    Ms. Jennifer Chen Fein, Principal

    Ms. Susan Carle, Assistant Principal (Clusters 1, 3, 5)

    Ms. Jennifer Sarmiento, Assistant Principal (Clusters 2, 4, 6)

    New News at WMS

    Thanksgiving Basket Update

    With the help of all students across advisories, were able to give away 30 Thanksgiving Baskets to Watertown families. The WMS staff additionally collectively donated over $1000 to purchase food for the baskets, and supermarket gift cards to give to families.


    Thank you everyone, it is moments like these that define the sense of community that we strive for in our school.

    Picture Retake Day - November 30

    Picture/Retake day will be on Thursday, November 30th.


    Retake day is for new students and staff members, transfer students, or for anyone who may have missed the initial picture day, OR for anyone who was unhappy with their original picture and would like to give it another try. If a student would like the retake photo to replace the original photo, please have the student return the original picture package to the photographer on picture day. We will replace the original package at no additional cost.

    If this is the first time being photographed, just have the student/staff go to the camera and we’ll create a proof for them that will be sent to the school (and/or to their family email if we have that information). These proofs will be delivered approx. 4 weeks after pictures are taken.

    Caregiver University - PowerSchool and Google Classroom 101

    It was great to see so many caregivers at our first Caregiver University Event this past Thursday.


    If you missed it, here are the slides we used in our presentation.

    Supporting Students with PowerSchool and Google Classroom - English slides

    Supporting Students with PowerSchool and Google Classroom - Portuguese slides

    Supporting Students with PowerSchool and Google Classroom - Spanish slides

    Supporting Students with PowerSchool and Google Classroom - Arabic slides


    Our next Caregiver University event will be focused on Teen Mental Health and how to support your child, coming up in early 2024.

    Opportunities for Parents/Caregivers To Get Involved

    WMS Site Council - November 29

    The WMS Site Council is a body of students, faculty, parents, and caregivers that plays a strong role in the vision and direction of our school. Site Council meets on the following Wednesdays from 4-5pm in person (WMS art room, A128)/virtually (zoom), as we try out this hybrid model of meeting.


    • November 29 - agenda
    • January 3
    • January 31
    • March 27
    • May 1
    • May 29


    Do you have a question for the WMS Site Council, but can't make it to our meetings? Submit this form to ask, and we will share a summary in this newsletter and/or follow up with you.


    Reach out to Principal Chen Fein at jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions or to express interest in joining next year.


    Summary from October:


    At the most recent meeting, we talked about Caregiver Conferences. Overall, conferences went well. Site Council members share that when students were prepared, it was nice to see their children take the lead and facilitate the conference. It was mentioned that the timing feels short, and that they would like for the conference to be led, if possible, by two teachers who are connected with their child.


    We went on to discuss how WIN is going this year. We are gearing up for round 2, and are happy to say that we have new teachers offering intervention (literacy focus through science and social studies texts, for example) and extension choices. Finally, we shared updates about one of our newest and most helpful structures - FLEX Fridays. We suggested that families could check in with their child on Thursdays to ask about their plan for Friday’s FLEX time. This is a helpful structure that is allowing students to take ownership and to advocate for themselves when they need extra time for retakes or when they need some reteaching.

    Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) - December 12

    The WMS PTO meets on the second Tuesday of the month, with a mix of virtual and hybrid meetings. We will meet at 6:30pm.


    Date for the year include:



    Are you interested in being on the WMS PTO? Reach out to our new co-PTO Presidents Elena Poillucci <elenapoillucci@gmail.com> and Melissa Parker <melissapisces@yahoo.com> with any questions or to express interest in joining next year.

    A Note from the PTO

    Diversity Council - December 16

    The WMS Diversity & Belonging Council is a forum for caregivers and other community members to work toward more equitable practices at the middle school by encouraging accountability, raising awareness, and fostering community engagement.


    Here are our slides from our September meeting. We hope you will join us at our next meeting.


    We will usually meet the third Monday of each month, virtually here at 6:00pm, with our next meeting on December 16.


    You can reach out to Sarah Seldomridge at sarah.seldomridge@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions. Thank you!

    Call for Parent/Caregiver Chaperones

    There are many events we have at WMS throughout the year where we welcome caregivers to help us chaperone. Usually this is for a field trip or a school event such as the upcoming dance. We ask that chaperones complete the CORI process through Human Resources.


    If you are interested in volunteering to chaperoning for future trips or WMS events this year and would like to be added to our CORI'ed chaperone list, please email our assistant principals at susan.carle@watertown.k12.ma.us and jennifer.sarmiento@watertown.k12.ma.us


    If you are you a registered nurse or know someone who is, our district also has PAID nurse positions for these trips, and we can fast track you through the hiring process. You would only have to come on whichever trip(s) you're available for - no need to commit to more than that! If you are interested in chaperoning as a paid nurse for an upcoming trip, please email our principal at jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us.

    Previously Shared News at WMS

    Nov/Dec News from WMS Teachers

    Please see our monthly update from WMS teachers:


    Cluster 1

    Cluster 2

    Cluster 3

    Cluster 4

    Cluster 5

    Cluster 6


    Specialists

    LB Math

    Partnering together to help your Child Have Healthy Social Media Habits

    We are seeing students experience increased phone and social media usage, including mean or inappropriate behavior at times.


    At school, our expectation for students are that phones should always be off and away, preferably locked in your locker. If your phone is on you, you should leave it phone in class if/when you go to the restroom.


    Apple Watches in school: There have been a growing number of incidents where students are violating the WMS personal electronic device usage policy by using their Apple Watches in school as phones. We want to make caregivers aware that in 2022, Apple created a special mode called Schooltime that restricts the Apple Watch during school hours. You can remotely manage this from your iPhone, thus limiting your students' access to the internet, social media websites, apps and a camera. Apple Watches are devices that fall under the school PED policy and will be treated the same as a Smartphone (need to be off and away).


    As we partner with you as caregivers, we encourage you to talk with your child about appropriate phone and social media usage. It is a good practice for home adults to regularly monitor student social media interaction as teenagers learn healthy habits such as knowing when to leave a group, when to report something harmful to an adult, and when to be an upstander instead of a bystander.

    We urge you to have follow up conversations with your children to reinforce ways to have positive social media experiences.


    Here are some helpful resources:

    Late Bus and After School Activities

    The late bus runs Monday-Thursday at 3:45pm.


    Students will pay $50 one time to participate in any sports or clubs all year (WMS Clubs Fall 2023); if it is a hardship for a family they should reach out to the guidance counselor to inquire about a scholarship.


    Students may participate in any enrichment activities for free (Learning Lab, Student Leadership, GSA, and Yearbook).

    Upcoming Dates

    • November 30: Picture Retake Day
    • December 4: Trimester 1 Ends
    • December 5: Trimester 2 Begins
    • December 12: Trimester 1 Report Cards and Yardstick Caregiver Guide for 6, 7, 8th graders mailed home
    • December 12: WMS PTO (6:30pm, virtual)
    • December 14: WMS Winter Showcase Performance (7:00-9:00PM)
    • December 22: Early Release (11:30am Dismissal, grab-n-go lunch)
    • December 25-January 1: No School - Winter Recess
    • January 10: Early Release (11:45am dismissal with grab-n-go lunch)
    • January 15: No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
    • January 25: Trimester 2 Progress Report Reminder
    • January 29-30: WMS i-Ready mid-year diagnostics (Reading, Math)


    Watertown Middle School Contacts


    Watertown Middle School Full Staff Directory

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    Jennifer ChenFein
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