WMS Family Smore

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This first week back from break was a blast with students. As we move into March, there are going to be more events and opportunities for students and caregivers to get involved as part of the WMS community. Read more about some of those opportunities below, and stay tuned in upcoming WMS Family Smores for more events coming up.

Here are some other quick announcements:

• Watertown Middle School will be hosting the company Mission First Partners to do a security assessment on Tuesday this week. This is an assessment that all WPS schools are doing to understand what safety protocols we have are working and which may need some improvement. The company will be observing at WMS all day, which may include speaking to students during non-instructional times. Participation is voluntary.
• Information about FY23 Spring Athletic Registration
  
• Check out the WMS Monthly School Nurse Update. Caregivers are reminded that postural screenings start this coming Monday.
  

Here are some dates to be aware of this week:

• March 7: SEPAC meeting (6:30pm, virtual)

• March 7: School Site Council meeting, special guests - ELA Coordinators (7:00pm, virtual)

• March 8: PTO Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)

• March 8: Quarter 3 Progress Reports reminder emailed home

• March 10: MCAS Infrastructure Trial during WIN

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)

WMS Clubs are starting back up again, and will run from March 3-May 26.

Here is the flyer with all of the information: WMS Spring Clubs! Students also received this flyer in advisory this past week.

Please direct any questions to Laurie Brackett at laurie.brackett@watertown.k12.ma.us

Watertown Public Schools and the Fine, Applied, and Performing Arts Department present...

The return of BAND-A-RAMA

A performance for all band students in grades 4 -12. This includes: percussion, xylophone, flute, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, horn, tuba, and clarinet.

Rehearsal: Monday March 13th at 3:15pm Watertown High School

Performance: Wednesday March 15th 7pm Watertown High School Gymnasium

for questions please contact: Maxwell Thew (grades 4-8) maxwell.thew@watertown.k12.ma.us

Daniel Jordan. (grades 9-12) daniel.jordan@watertown.k12.ma.us

In preparation for us sharing the space with WHS next year, will begin on March 6th.

This coming Thursday, we expect there will be some drilling on the Garden level of WMS, which may have a sound impact on students and staff int he building. All construction workers will be CORIed and raptored, will be with a custodian, and will be working on various floors of our school. They will not be in classrooms and are expected to have no interaction with students.

We will continue to share more information about how this may impact our students as we receive it.

Our Student-led Caregiver Conferences are coming up with both virtual and in-person opportunities to meet with your child's teacher(s). As these are student-led conferences, students should attend the conference. There will be interpretation in a variety of languages available.

Cluster teachers will be reaching out to caregivers soon with information on how to sign up for a conference. We will also be sharing a link with all WMS conference information in next week's WMS Family Smore.

This time around, we will also have counselors, specialist teachers, and other support staff available in the WMS Library during our in-person conference times. Caregivers are encouraged to stop by the library to ask any questions of the educators there, to receive help navigating PowerSchool, or for any other questions you may have.

Thursday, March 23

1:00-3:00pm (virtual)

5:00-7:00pm (in-person)

Tuesday, March 28

1:00-3:00pm (in-person)

6:00-8:00pm (virtual)

Click on the links below to find updates from your child's teachers. These cluster/class smores are a helpful tool to know what your child is learning. These s'mores are shared and updated every other week in the WMS Family Smore.

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

Cluster 5

Cluster 6

The Specialists

Reading

Connections

LB Math

ELD/Phonics

Wilson Reading

School Nurse

We are hiring for a few positions:

• Lunch Aide
• School Nutrition Worker
  
• Building-Based Substitute Teacher
• Substitute Instructional Assistant

Please share with your networks.

The WMS SSC meets once a month on the first Tuesdays at 7:00pm, virtually. Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, with our K-7 and 8-12 Science Coordinators coming as special guests.

We invite you to join the Watertown SEPAC virtually on March 7th at 6:30 PM for an informational session about IEP facilitation and mediation. The session will be presented by a representative of the Bureau of Special Education Appeals (BSEA). For the zoom link and more event information see: https://www.smore.com/8et3d

For information on what IEP Mediation is please visit: https://www.mass.gov/mediation-at-the-bsea"

The PTO meets virtually on the second Wednesday of each month, and the next meeting is on Wednesday, March 8 at 7pm. Reach out to the PTO President Erin Macomber at erin_macomber@neds.org with any questions or to express interest.

Hi parents & caregivers,

Our next "fun-raiser" for 8th grade end-of-year events is coming up on Tuesday, March 28th. It's an early release day so we thought that a fun way to raise money for the class events would be to do a workout boot camp with Jan Taylor from Get Lively Fitness Studio!!

The cost is $25 and the whole amount is going to the kids (since Jan is donating her time and studio which is amazing!!) So the more kids that sign up, the more funds we raise for the class!

You can also use this link: www.getlivelynow.com/wms to go straight to the eventbrite page!

So sign your kid up and have them bring friends!! Families with students in grades 6, 7, and 8 are welcome to attend!

- WMS PTO

Coffee with the Principal is back, on March 13! This is a time to have an open discussion with a light agenda. Our March event will be focused on equitable grading practices at WMS, and what this shift in practice means for your child.

This will be an in-person discussion in the WMS cafeteria from 8:35-9:25am. Coffee and snacks provided.

We will be meeting on March 15th from 7-8 pm at the Hosmer Learning Commons to learn more about bullying and supporting students around this topic. Any parent whose student who has been in the English Learner Program is welcome to attend. Please let Kate Phillipson (kathryn.phillipson@watertown.k12.ma.us or text 617-581-8200) if you will attend and need an interpreter.

The WMS Diversity Council meets once a month. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, March 16 virtually, at 7pm. We will be focusing on planning and hosting an in-person event that celebrates the diversity of our school, as well as actionable steps outlined in the district equity audit taken last school year. Any and all are welcome to join. Reach out to Sarah Seldomridge at sarah.seldomridge@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions or to express interest.

Grade 6: Thursday, March 30th

Grades 7: Thursday, March 16th

Grades 8: Tuesday, March 14th

Virtually via Zoom, all dates from 7-8pm

Zoom link and RSVP form to be sent in coming weeks

Please join the WMS math coach and the math coordinators to learn about how your students are developing their math skills.

• Essential skills and concepts taught at each grade level

• Future math programming in upcoming grades

• How to support your mathematician at home

Contact Elizabeth Kaplan, K-7 Math and Science Coordinator with any questions

elizabeth.kaplan@watertown.k12.ma.us

YardArt Watertown 2023 is an event celebrating art and community residents’ front

yards and porches. This year it will occur for the entire month of April!

You and your family are invited to create something to be viewed from the street or

sidewalk. It can be an assemblage, a sculpture, an art project, a lighting

arrangement—let your imagination run free!

Register for YardArt Watertown at: www.mosesianarts.org/YardArt

To get folks inspired, the Hatch Makers Space will host two free public events.

“Hatch an Idea for YardArt” will take place Monday, March 6, from 7 to 8:30pm via

Zoom. And “YardArt Building Techniques” on Monday, March 13, from 7 to 9pm on site

at Hatch. Preregistration is required and both events will be ticketed through Hatch and

the Watertown Free Public Library. Register for Hatch events at the YardArt Watertown

website (www.mosesianarts.org/YardArt).

YardArt Watertown is a project of the Watertown Cultural Council in collaboration with

the Watertown Public Arts and Culture Committee, the Mosesian Center for the Arts,

Hatch Makerspace, Live Well Watertown, Watertown Art Association and Watertown

Bike and Pedestrian Committee; supported by Watertown Community Foundation,

Watertown Business Coalition and Watertown Public Schools.

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/yardartwatertown/

Twitter https://twitter.com/YardArtWtown

Is your child looking for ways to get extra help with school? The Learning Lab is available in the WMS library M-F from 7:45-8:15am and M-Th from 3:00-4:15pm. Late buses run M-Th.

In the event that a student is absent, a parent or caregiver must call the absence hotline at 617-926-7783 before 8:30 a.m. Please state the name, grade, homeroom of the student and the reason for their absence. In the event that the absence is not reported, a Robocall will automatically go out to the student’s home or the place of employment of the parent or caregiver to inform them that the student is absent. Students are responsible for working with their teachers to make up work they missed while absent.

Check out page 26 of the WMS Family Handbook to see all of our attendance procedures in more detail.

• March 7: SEPAC meeting (6:30pm, virtual)

• March 7: School Site Council meeting (7:00pm, virtual)
  

• March 8: PTO Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)

• March 8: Quarter 3 Progress Reports reminder emailed home

• March 10: MCAS Infrastructure Trial, special schedule
  

• March 13: Caregiver Coffee/Snacks with the Principal (8:35-9:25am, WMS cafeteria)

• March 14: Grade 8 Parent Math Night
  

• March 15: Early Release PD Day, 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day D2, will see every class for a shortened period of time)
  

• March 15: Bandarama 4th-12th grade (7:00pm, WHS Gymnasium)

• March 15: ELPAC (7-8 pm, Hosmer Learning Commons)

• March 16: Grade 7 Parent Math Night

• March 23: Early Release Day, 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day D1, will see every class for a shortened period of time) - Student-led Parent Teacher conferences (Virtual 1:00-3:00pm, In-Person 5:00-7:00pm)
• March 28: Early Release Day, 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day A2, will see every class for a shortened period of time) - Student-led Parent Teacher conferences (In Person 1:00-3:00pm, Virtual 6:00-8:00pm)
  

• March 30: Grade 6 Parent Math Night

• April 12-13: ELA MCAS, special schedule

• April 28: Music Fest (5:30-9:00pm, WMS)
• May 15-16: Math MCAS, special schedule
• May 23-24: STE MCAS (8th grade only), special schedule

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2022-2023
  

Let us know how we are doing with our communication from WMS here.

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