WMS Family Newsletter

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We are moving into the last month of Trimester 1, and we hope that students have established strong routines both in and out of school for academic success. Our school has been leaning into more equitable grading practices in the last year, which include high expectations for learning, and teachers being in a regular feedback loop about progress towards learning with students and caregivers through PowerSchool and Google Classroom. If you want to learn more about how to partner with us at school in supporting your child, please join us this Thursday for our first Caregiver University - more information below.

Quick announcements:

• Planning forward, this is a reminder that the early dismissal time for November 22 (the day before the Thanksgiving Holiday) and December 22 (the day before Winter Break) will have an 11:30am dismissal, instead of our typical 11:45am dismissal. We will still have grab-n-go lunch available at dismissal.

• 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

Upcoming Dates:

• November 14: WMS PTO (6:30pm, virtual)
  
• November 16: Caregiver University - PowerSchool and Google Classroom 101 (6:30-8:00pm, virtual)
• November 22: Early Release (11:30am dismissal)
• November 23-24: No School - Thanksgiving Holiday

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)

Learn how to navigate PowerSchool and Google Classroom so you can better support your student!

Translation will be provided in Portuguese, Spanish and Arabic.

Our annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive is here!

Each year, we have students donate food items to create baskets to give to Watertown Middle School community families in need. Students picked specific Thanksgiving dinner items in advisory this past week, and took home a slip of paper with what they are donating on it. Please be on the lookout for it! Your child’s slip will also indicate whether their item is perishable or non-perishable. Non perishable items need to be brought in by Friday, November 17th, and perishable items need to be brought in ON Monday, November 20th.

If your family needs a basket this Thanksgiving season, please fill out this form: Thanksgiving Basket Request Form.

Please reach out to christopher.mcdermott@watertown.k12.ma.us or andrew.allegro@watertown.k12.ma.us with any questions.

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.

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:

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Family Media Plan
• KidsHealth: Teaching Kids to be Smart About Social Media
• American Psychological Association: Keeping Teens Safe on Social Media
• Here is an example of an advisory lesson our staff has led with our students as we engage students in conversations about the Internet and Social Media safety throughout the school year.

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:

• November 14 (virtual)
• December 12 (virtual)
• January 9 (in person - WMS Art Room/virtual)
• 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.

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.

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

We had a great Site Council meeting last Wednesday. 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.

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
  
• January 3
• January 31
• March 27
• May 1
• May 29

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.

Click on the links below to find a monthly update from your child's teachers*

Cluster 1

Cluster 2

Cluster 3

Cluster 4

Cluster 5

Cluster 6

Specialists

World Language

Reading

Multilingual Learners

LB Math

Wilson Reading

WMS/WHS Orchestra

WMS Band

Nurse Update

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).

• November 14: WMS PTO (6:30pm, virtual)
  
• November 16: Caregiver University - PowerSchool and Google Classroom 101 (6:30-8:00pm, virtual)
• November 22: Early Release (11:30am Dismissal, grab-n-go lunch)
• November 23-24: No School - Thanksgiving Holiday
• November 30: Picture Retake Day
• December 4: Trimester 1 Ends
• December 5: Trimester 2 Begins
• December 12: Trimester 1 Report Cards, MCAS 2023 Results, i-Ready diagnostic updates, 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)

• 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

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