WMS Family Smore

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We enjoyed seeing many of you at Back to School Night this past week. For those who couldn't make it, here is an overview of our presentation.

WMS Back to School Night 2022 - English

WMS Back to School Night 2022 - Spanish

WMS Back to School Night 2022 - Portuguese

WMS Back to School Night 2022 - Arabic

This past week during WIN, all students engaged in digital literacy lessons. Topics included: Digital Media and Your Brain, Social Media, and Cyberbullying. Next week, students will be engaging in learning to use Chromebooks, Gmail and other Google tools, and learning Library Skills. We encourage parents to ask their child about what they learned about Digital Literacy these next few weeks, as we partner to keep students safe and informed online.

On Wednesday, September 28, students will be dismissed from school at 12:30pm. More information about our early release day can be found below.

Be well and take care of one another.

Respectfully yours,

Ms. Jennifer Chen Fein, Principal

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

Mr. Patrick Dayton, Interim Assistant Principal (Clusters 1, 3, 5)

Click on the link below to find updates from your child's teachers.

Cluster 1 Smore

Cluster 2 Smore

Cluster 3 Smore

Cluster 4 Smore

Cluster 5 Smore

Cluster 6 Smore

The Reading/Language Smore

The Specialist Smore

Wilson Reading Smore

Language-Based Math Smore

Next Wednesday, 9/28/22 we will have a modified half day schedule for D1, no yellow block. Students will go to every class for a shortened period of time, with students being dismissed at 12:30pm.

Students can pick up a grab and go lunch munch at 12:30pm. Staff will have professional learning time in the afternoon.

We are excited for clubs and other after school activities to start on October 11th.

Students will pay $50 one time to participate in any sports or clubs all year; 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 (Student Leadership, GSA, Yearbook, and Learning Lab).

Students and families will receive the club sign up form in the next week or so.

The late bus runs Monday-Thursday, @4:15

WMS is on social media! You can follow us on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter.

Here are the links to the WMS Literacy Coach, Instructional Assistant (Connections), and Lunch Aide applications, please share with your networks. Continuing to have our building fully staffed will make a big difference in our day-to-day ability to provide an excellent education for our students, as well as teachers continuing not to have duties this year.

September 18th- 24th was Banned Book Week, a week marked by libraries all over the country to spotlight the national conversation around challenging and banning books on library shelves. The WMS Library has a display explaining the concept of banned and challenged books as well as why people may feel the need to challenge books and why others may object, allowing students to draw their own conclusions.

The WMS 8TH Grade D.C. Trip is a week-long annual trip that the students of WMS have been participating in for over 50 years! The trip is educational, both academically and socially, and lots of fun! Please see below for general info about the trip.

Registration will open in mid-October and the link to register will be sent to all 8th Grade caregivers. There will also be a D.C. Info Night on October 11th at 7:00 PM in the auditorium.

• This year, students going on the trip will leave Monday, June 5th, and come home Friday, June 9th.

• The overall cost of the trip is $650. This year, payment will be made electronically via credit or debit card. We offer financial assistance for families who need it.

• Students and the teachers that chaperone the trip travel by coach bus to and from Washington D.C. Once in D.C the bus is also our primary mode of transportation.

Please email Mr. Chris McDermott or Principal Chen Fein with any questions.

• christopher.mcdermott@watertown.k12.ma.us

• jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us

We are excited to announce that Yasmin Soto is joining us on Monday as our school nurse.

Yasmin is a multi-lingual registered nurse, who speaks both Spanish and Portuguese, she builds strong relationships with students and families, while maintaining high patient satisfaction. She is caring and compassionate with a focus on providing culturally competent care. Ms. Soto has been a school nurse since 2018 with skills in EMR systems, medication administration, hospital experience, triage, and experience administering injections.

There are many ways to get involved as a parent/caregiver at WMS. We are looking for a diverse representation of parents on all of our structures.

School Site Council (SSC):

A school council is a representative, school building-based committee composed of the principal, parents, teachers, community members. Site-based decision making places the school at the center of planning, goal setting, and budgeting for school improvement. Councils exist to assist principals by reviewing the school building budget and developing the school improvement plan. Councils may also take on other responsibilities, including policymaking, as granted by the local school committee. Councils' school improvement plans are submitted to the local school committee for review and approval.The WMS SSC will meet once a month on the first Tuesdays at 7:00pm, virtually. The first meeting will be on October 4, 2022. Any interested members should email me at jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us to express interest in joining School Site Council.

Diversity Council:

The mission of the WMS Diversity Council (DC) is to build and promote opportunities for WMS community members to create a courageous culture of anti-racist education and action, and support inclusion, diversity and belonging for all students and families.

DC members partner with WPS to:

1. Outreach to families of color
2. Plan social justice activities
3. Facilitate dialogue within the WMS community
4. Promote inclusivity
5. Provide equity-lens input into administrator decisions / serve as a sounding board
6. Diversify staffing

The WMS Diversity Council embraces our core values of anti-racism, inclusivity, equity, community, social justice, action, dialogue, courage, and anti-bias.

The WMS Diversity Council will meet once a month on the third Thursdays at 6:00pm, virtually, with the first meeting on October 20, 2022. This year, we will be focusing on actionable steps outlined in the district equity audit taken last school year.

Any interested members should email me at jennifer.chenfein@watertown.k12.ma.us to express interest in joining the Diversity Council.

Parent Teacher Organization (PTO): The WMS PTO is seeking parents and caregivers to join this year. Meetings are held virtually on the second Wednesday of each month.

The first meeting was on September 14. Reach out to the PTO President Erin Macomber at erin_macomber@neds.org with any questions or to express interest.

Please join us for Watertown Race Reels in October! To honor Indigenous People's Day we will be screening We Still Live Here: Âs Nutayuneân on 10/17 at the Watertown Boys & Girls Club (see attached flyer).

We will be serving pizza starting at 5:45 and starting the film at 6pm. After the film (~60 minutes), we will have a discussion/activity. Hope to see you there!

• September 28: Early Release Day: PD for teachers, Dismissal at 12:30pm
  

• October 4: School Site Council Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)

• October 6: Progress Reports Distributed
  

• October 10: Indigenous Peoples' Day/Columbus Day - No School
  

• October 11: 8th Grade Washington D.C. Information Night (7:00pm, WMS Auditorium)

• October 12: PTO Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)

• October 20: Diversity Council Meeting (7:00pm, , virtual)

• October 27: Early Release Day: Student-Led Conferences with Parents and Teachers

• November 2: Picture Day Make Ups

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2022-2023

Website: https://www.instagram.com/watertown_middle/https://wms.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7783
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watertownms
Twitter: @middlewatertown