WMS Family Newsletter

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لترجمة هذه الرسالة من المدرسة ، اضغط عليها ثم استخدم الرابط الموجود على اليمين.

Այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք այն, ապա օգտագործեք աջ կողմում գտնվող հղումը:

Чтобы перевести этот бюллетень, нажмите на него, затем воспользуйтесь ссылкой справа.

Bu bülteni çevirmek için üzerine tıklayın ve ardından sağdaki bağlantıyı kullanın.

This Monday, we come together to honor and commemorate the remarkable life and enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. While there is no school, we hope to see you at the Watertown Unity Breakfast virtually on Monday.

Quick News:

• Please see Dr. Galdson's most recent update
• 2nd 8th Grade DC Trip Payment Due Soon: If your child is attending the 8th grade DC trip this spring, your 2nd payment is due Friday, February 3rd. To make the payment, please see the instructions in the newsletter emailed to you by Mr. McDermott. Please reach out to him with any questions at christopher.mcdermott@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Our Murals Club, pictured above, has been excited to finally start painting our "You Deserve to Be Here" mural in the cafeteria.
• The next Musical Rehearsal will be on Friday, January 19, 2:15-4pm with Mr. Frontz. Please meet in the band room before we transition to the auditorium.

Upcoming Dates this week:

• January 15: No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
• January 15: Watertown Unity Breakfast (10:00am, virtual at unitybreakfast.org)
  

• January 22: WMS Diversity Council (virtually here at 6:00pm)
  

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)

Thank you to the following 7th graders, who shared their "Where I'm From" poems at the The Youth in Unity Event this past Tuesday

• Delnia Akbari
• Caileigh Faherty
• Carolyn Malone
• Kayden Thibodeau
• Maya Santander
• Sara Yasin.

Thank you to the Kingain students and Ms. Shock who prepared a moving Martin Luther King Jr. Assembly for our students on Friday. Congratulations to our three MLK Essay Winners, chosen from the essays that all students in 8th grade worked on this year.

Watertown's annual Martin Luther King Day Unity Breakfast will once again take the form of a television and online broadcast on Monday, January 15th at 10am. You can watch the event online at unitybreakfast.org, and Watertown cable subscribers can watch on the program on Watertown Cable Access Corp's Public Channel (Comcast 9, RCN 3).

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.

We will usually meet the third Monday of each month, with our next meeting on January 22 virtually

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

Are you a caregiver of a child in grades 6-12? Do you want to know more about how to support your child in their learning?

The English Learner Parent Advisory Committee is having a Secondary Caregiver Event on how to use Power School and Google Classroom on Th. 1/25 from 7-8pm in the WMS Library. It is an in-person event. Here are the flyers.

Here is a link to the SY 23-24 Watertown Anti Bias Coalition Meeting Dates. This document will be updated at the conclusion of each session with a link to the meeting agenda/slidedeck and a link to each session's feedback forms.

Best,

Dr. Daly and Superintendent Galdston

Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging

Join us for our next meeting on Wednesday, January 31. We will be hosting the Math and Science Coordinators, with updates in both subject areas to share. Here is the agenda.

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). Join us for any of our following meetings:

• January 31 - guests: Math and Science Coordinators
  
• March 27 - guest: ELA Coordinators
• May 1 - drafting the WMS School Improvement Plan 2024-25
• May 29 - finalizing and voting on the WMS School Improvement Plan 2024-25

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.

Please join us for our next meeting, February 13 (virtual) at 6:30pm. Upcoming meeting date for the year include: February 13 (virtual), March 12 (virtual), April 9 (in person - WMS Art Room/virtual), May 14 (virtual), June 11 (virtual).

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.

Starting this month, all Clusters emailed their monthly update directly to caregivers, as well as having the information available here. We hope these updates help you engage in conversation with your child about what they are learning.

Please see our monthly update from WMS teachers:

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

Cluster 5

Cluster 6

World Language

Specialists

Wilson Reading

Library & Literacy

Orchestra

Band

Nurse Lisa

WMS Winter Clubs run through March 14, 2024.

Students pay $50 one time to participate in any sports or clubs all year; please 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).

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

It was great to see so many caregivers at our first Caregiver University Event in November.

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.

• January 15: No School - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day
  

• January 15: Watertown Unity Breakfast (10:00am, virtual at unitybreakfast.org)
  
• January 22: WMS Diversity Council (virtually here at 6:00pm)
• January 25: Trimester 2 Progress Report Reminder
• January 26: 90s Party - hosted by the WMS PTO - Sons of Italy (7-10pm)
• January 29-30: WMS i-Ready mid-year diagnostics (Reading, Math)

• January 31: WMS Site Council, 4-5pm, WMS art room/zoom
• February 8: Caregiver University: Your Teen and Mental Health (6:30-7:30pm)

• February 13: WMS PTO (6:30pm, virtual)
• February 19-23: No School - February Recess
• February 28: Early Release (11:45am dismissal with grab-n-go lunch)

• WMS Bell Schedule and Trimester Dates 2023-2024
  

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2023-2024
  

• WPS MCAS schedule Spring 2024
  

• Watertown Community Resources - English
• Watertown Community Resources - Spanish
• Watertown Community Resources - Portuguese

Community Resources for Food

• Watertown Food Pantry: 80 Mt. Auburn St. (rear of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church), Tuesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. https://www.watertown-ma.gov/330/Watertown-Food-Pantry, 617-972-6490
• Watertown Catholic Collaborative Food Pantry: 770 Mt. Auburn St. (basement), Thursdays from 10 to 11:45 a.m. 617-926-7121
• Watertown Community Fridge: 80 Mt. Auburn St. (Front of the Belmont-Watertown United Methodist Church), Open 24/7 https://www.watertowncommunityfridge.org/
• Watertown Social Services Resource Specialists: at Wayside Multi-Service Center, 127 North Beacon St. https://www.watertown-ma.gov/673/Watertown-Social-Services-Resource-Speci 617-744-9585
• Live Well Watertown/Watertown Farmers Market: City Hall, 149 Main St. 617-972-6446 x8 https://www.livewellwatertown.org/home
• Watertown Community Foundation: https://www.watertownfoundation.org/ 617-926-1500
• Food Pantry at American Legion Post 440: 295 California St., Newton, 3rd Fridays from 10 to 11 a.m. 617-244-0440
• Centre Street Food Pantry: 11 Homer St., Newton, Tuesdays 2:30-6 p.m. & the first Saturday of the month from 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. 617-340-9554
• SNAP: (formerly Food Stamps) https://www.mass.gov/snap-benefits-formerly-food-stamps
• Project Bread: https://www.projectbread.org/ Food Source Hotline (1-800-645-8333)

Source: Watertown News, December 11, 2023

• Ms. Jennifer Chen Fein, Principal, jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Jennifer Sarmiento, Assistant Principal (Clusters 2, 4, 6), jennifer.sarmiento@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Susan Carle, Assistant Principal (Clusters 1, 3, 5), susan.carle@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Lisa Gallagher, Nurse, lisa.gallagher@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Sarah Juusola, Special Education, Team Chair, sarah.juusola@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Mr. Tom Cloherty, Grade Six Counselor, thomas.cloherty@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Jody Gladstein, Grade Seven Counselor, jody.gladstein@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Amanda Skypeck, Grade Eight Counselor, amanda.skypeck@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Saira Chaudhry, Administrative Assistant, saira.chaudhry@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Ms. Laurie Brackett, Administrative Assistant, laurie.brackett@watertown.k12.ma.us
• Officer Anna Margaryan, Watertown Police Department School Resource Officer, anna.margaryan@watertown.k12.ma.us

Watertown Middle School Full Staff Directory

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Website: https://wms.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7783