WMS Family Smore

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We had so much fun at our school dance this past Friday - there was even an appearance by the WMS Eagle!

It is teacher appreciation week this week! You can help show appreciation to our hardworking and dedicated educators by encouraging your child to write a note or two of gratitude to a teacher. The PTO is going to surprise our teachers with a few treats this week, so reach out to our PTO President at Erin Macomber at erin_macomber@neds.org if you want to help out.

Memorial Day is coming up, and we are interested in honoring and learning more about any veterans in our WMS assembly on Friday, May 26. Any interested veterans can reach out to Assistant Principal Carle at susan.carle@watertown.k12.ma.us.

Waverly doors open at 7:45am, Bemis doors open at 8:15am: Thank you caregivers for remembering that students are welcome to come to WMS starting at 7:45am through the Waverly main entrance. Due to increases in safety protocols, we are not able to open doors earlier than that moving forward. In addition, parents that are dropping students off in a car need to drop students off on the Bemis entrance from 8:15-8:30am, rather than the Waverly entrance. This helps keep traffic flowing smoothly for Watertown.

Here are dates to be aware of this week:

• May 9: SEPAC meeting (6:30PM, information here)

• May 10: National School Nurse Day

• May 10: PTO Meeting (7:00 PM virtual)
  

• May 11: Listen to Sipu performance (6:30-8:00 PM, WMS auditorium); see below for more information

• May 12: Quarter 4 Progress Reports reminder emailed home
  

• May 12: Deadline to order a WMS Yearbook

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)

It's that time of year where you get to order a yearbook! This is an opportunity open to ALL grades. The deadline to purchase your yearbook is MAY 12TH. Students who would like a yearbook must order one online by that deadline; we can not order additional yearbooks after. Yearbooks cost $23, and can be purchased here: YEARBOOK ORDER ONLINE

Watertown Middle School is excited to announce the arrival of a garden! There will be many opportunities coming up to get involved.

Check out the summer internship opportunity below.

We also have a WMS Garden Club. If students are interested in joining, they can reach out to Mr. Duffy at james.duffy@watertown.k12.ma.us.

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 will be updated monthly 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

Join the Watertown SEPAC on May 9th at 6:30PM on zoom for our General SEPAC meeting.

This meeting is for caregivers of Watertown students and will be an open forum.

Some topics to be discussed:

- What type of trainings should we host next year?

- What do we want SEPAC priorities to be for next year?

- Information on officer roles and the nomination process

For the zoom link and more information click here: https://www.smore.com/v2qm7

The PTO meets virtually on the second Wednesday of each month, and the next meeting is on Wednesday May 10th at 7pm. Reach out to the PTO President Erin Macomber at erin_macomber@neds.org with any questions or to express interest.

The WMS Diversity Council meets once a month in the evenings, and more regularly after school so students can be included.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday, May 18 virtually, at 7:30pm. 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.

It has been wonderful to get to know caregivers through our Principal Coffee Hour Series this year, and we have one more coming up in June.

June's Principal Coffee Hour will focus on next year's schedule and the impact of WHS. Join us on Thursday, June 1, from 8:35-9:25am at the WMS Cafeteria. Coffee and a light breakfast are provided. Caregivers of students currently in 5-8th grade are invited to attend, just enter through the WMS main entrance on Waverly Street, sign in to get a visitor's sticker, and head to the cafeteria.

Here are previous topics from this year:

March: What does the shift towards more equitable grading practices at WMS mean for my child?

April: School safety, opportunity to meet school resource officers and other members of the Watertown Police Department

Our school is proud to celebrate our diverse community with our first annual WMS Diversity Night!

This special evening will be a showcase of the many different cultures, traditions, identities, and backgrounds that make our school such a unique and wonderful place. We believe that diversity is a strength, and that everyone has something valuable to contribute to our shared human experience. Clubs, student groups, families, and individuals are all encouraged to sign up to host a table. Please use this form to sign up.

Dates for upcoming WMS Diversity Council meetings:

4/27 (7:30pm virtual)

5/18

6/8

The WMS SSC meets once a month on the first Tuesdays at 7:00pm, virtually.

Our next meeting will be on Tuesday, June 6th, 2023, with an updated time of 4:00pm and updated location in person/hybrid at WMS. We will be drafting the 2023-2024 School Improvement Plan. Here is the agenda.

Please join us on Thursday, May 11th for a performance of Listen to Sipu (https://newrep.org/productions/listen-to-sipu/)

Details below and on the attached flyer!

When: Thursday, May 11th, 6:30 PM-8 PM

Where: Watertown Middle School

Cost: FREE with a light dinner provided at 5:15 PM

Saturday, May 13, 2:00–3:30 pm ET

26 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA (Classroom B)

2:00 pm

How to Grow a New Head
Carlos Rivera-Lopez, Graduate Student, Srivastava Lab

Many animals can regrow tissues, such as skin, when injury happens. However, some animals can regenerate entire parts of their body if they lose them, even a brand new head with a mouth and a brain! How does this happen? Join me while we explore how some animals, like the three-banded panther worm, Hofstenia miamia, can offer us a way of understanding how this regeneration happens.

3:00 pm

Reach for the Sky: How trees grow towards light
Sophie Everbach, Graduate Student, Holbrook Lab

How does a tree “move” to get the resources it needs to grow and survive? Join me in investigating the tree “muscle,” a special kind of wood that allows the tree to keep its body strong as it forages for light. Get a peek inside my greenhouse and lab and all the tools I use to study trees!

Ages 10–Adults. Free with regular museum admission.

Presented by the Harvard Museum of Natural History and the Harvard Museums of Science & Culture

Friends of Watertown Recreation,

Our Department of Recreation Spring Programs begin on Monday, May 1.

Brochure is now available for your preview.

If interested, please register for you program of choice today.

Please select the link below to access the specific information.

Watertown Recreation Spring Brochure - 2023

===========================================================================

The Pequossette Summer Program Documentation and Registration Packet is included.

Pequossette Summer Recreation Program Packet

Please follow the directions in this packet and register online.

In addition, these forms must be filled out and returned to the following address: recreation@watertown-ma.gov. The forms are fillable.

A current physical is also required with immunization records.

Website: www.recreation.watertown-ma.gov

Facebook: watertownrecreationdepartment

Instagram: watertownrecreation

Twitter: watertownrec

Thank you caregivers for remembering that students are welcome to come to WMS starting at 7:45am through the Waverly main entrance. Due to increases in safety protocols, we are not able to open doors earlier than that moving forward. In addition, parents that are dropping students off in a car need to drop students off on the Bemis entrance from 8:15-8:30am, rather than the Waverly entrance. This helps keep traffic flowing smoothly for Watertown.

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.

• May 9: SEPAC meeting (6:30PM, information here)

• May 10: PTO Meeting (7:00 PM virtual)
  

• May 10: National School Nurse Day

• May 11: Listen to Sipu performance (6:30-8:00 PM, WMS auditorium); see below for more information

• May 12: Quarter 4 Progress Reports reminder emailed home
  

• May 12: Deadline to order a WMS Yearbook

• May 15: Math MCAS, special schedule
  

• May 16: Math MCAS, special schedule

• May 17: Early Release PD Day, 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch (Day B1, will see every class for a shortened period of time), "Third Wednesday" PLCs/ MESSS Dept Meetings (3:15-4:35pm)

• May 18: Diversity Council Meeting (7:30pm zoom meeting)

• May 23: STE MCAS (8th grade only), final reading i-ready diagnostic (6th and 7th grade), special schedule
• May 24: STE MCAS (8th grade only), final math i-ready diagnostic (6th and 7th grade), special schedule
• May 29: Memorial Day - No School
  

• June 1: Principal Coffee Hour - next year's schedule (8:35-9:25am, WMS Cafeteria)

• June 1: Diversity Night hosted by the WMS Diversity Council (5:00-7:00pm, WMS Cafeteria)

• June 5-9: 8th grade Washington DC Trip/Watertown Week

• June 6: WMS School Site Council (7:00pm, virtual)

• June 12: 6th grade Canobie Lake Park Field Trip

• June 14: PTO Meeting (7:00 PM virtual)
  

• June 15: 8th grade semi

• June 16: Last day of school

• June 16: 8th Grade Awards Ceremony/Graduation

• June 23: Quarter 4 Report Cards mailed home to families

• 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