Wayland Middle School
Monday Morning Minute
MARK YOUR CALENDAR

REMINDER!
This Wednesday, September 18th, dismissal is at 12:20 due
to staff professional development. Lunch will not be served.

9/18 - 1/2 Day (12:20 Release)
9/18 - 7th & 8th Grade Back to School Night
9/30 - No School, Rosh Hashanah
10/9 - No School, Yom Kippur
10/14 - No School, Columbus Day
From the Principal
Good morning,  

Last week I witnessed a beautiful moment while supervising the cafeteria as a table full of boys welcomed a new student to join their table. Belonging, which is at the heart of BERT*, takes a central role in these early days as we build classroom communities and welcome all students. There are a few ways that you can assist us in our mission to help us create a community of belonging throughout the year:  

  1. Invitations: With a grade-level population exceeding 200, we do not expect that every classmate is invited to every party or celebration that arises. We do expect, however, that invitations be distributed outside of school. Online, snail mail or by phone are all good alternatives. 
  2. Party Favors:  There seems to be a trend of clothing-based party favors. When large groups of students all come in the Monday after a function wearing identical t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, etc., which advertise the celebration, it does not feel good and unintentionally sends an uncomfortable message to those were not on the invite list. If you could ask that your child not wear an item as part of a "group wear," we would really appreciate it. 
  3. Birthday Locker Decorations: In recent years, friends have begun decorating lockers for friends as a way to celebrate birthdays. While a single 8"x11" Happy Birthday sign is a thoughtful gesture, wrapping papered lockers (even complete with balloons and posters) can begin to feel like a popularity contest and can even take on a spirit of one-upsmanship. It also gets us in hot water with the fire department (and is dangerous due to latex allergies in the building). We ask that you not allow your child to celebrate in this way. Instead you might encourage your child to decorate a friend's door or mailbox at his or her home or send a fun video birthday wish (via personal emails - not using school chromebooks). 

Fitting in and finding one’s way through the middle school years can be challenging. I appreciate your help in these three areas that will reduce some in-school, social angst as students navigate the middle school landscape. Thank you for your ongoing partnership as we support students along this journey. 

Respectfully, 
Betsy Gavron 

* BERT = Belonging, Empathy, Respect, and Trust. These are the four capacities we work to develop and nurture throughout the middle school years
Announcements
7th & 8th Grade Back-to-School Night
Wednesday, September 18, 6:45 - 9:00 pm ( 9:30 pm for 8th Grade Parents )
There will be a DC trip information session for all 8th grade parents from 9:00 - 9:30 pm.
2019-2020 Student Handbook Online Now
Acknowledgement Sheets will be due MONDAY, September 30th

Students and Parents need to be familiar with the rules and culture of WMS. To this end, we ask that you read the handbook with your scholar (18 pages, plus appendix) then sign the acknowledgement sheet and send it back to homeroom by  MONDAY,  September 30th. Students will be bringing home sign-off sheets later this week.

Access the Handbook HERE . The sign off page is after the appendices, or clic k her e for a stand alone version.
Updating Your Contact Information in eSchool Home Access Center

Communication to families is sent two ways - through your eNews subscription (the listserve for the Morning Minutes, Newsletters, and eBlasts) and through the email address or phone number that you have listed in Home Access Center (HAC).

Please take a minute to review your contact information in HAC and update and your email address and phone number(s) if necessary. Families can update their own contact email and phone numbers in HAC. The only contact information that must be done by the school is a physical address. Click here for instructions.
Wayland Middle School Council
Seeking New Parent Members

We are currently seeking two parents to join this year's WMS Council. In accordance with Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 71: Section 59C, Wayland Middle School will have a School Council that meets regularly and is responsible for the following:
  • Assist in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school
  • Review the annual school budget
  • Approve the school improvement plan
  • Review the student handbook
School council meetings typically take place quarterly, on mutually agreed upon dates, from 5:00 to 6:15 pm. If you are interested, kindly submit your name and a short biographical paragraph to Betsy Gavron ( [email protected]) by Friday, September 27th . Thank you in advance for your support!
PTO News
Parent Checklist

We have two action items for you on our Parent Checklist:
  1. Donate to WMS PTO with Gift Your Child. Donations support our students, staff and community, including enhancing classroom libraries, programs in STEM and the arts, student clubs, inclusive classrooms, cultural enrichment, staff appreciation and parent seminars. Our goal is to have 100% of the community participate in supporting our children’s learning, at whatever level is meaningful to you. Donate today!
  2. Join the WMS PTO Closed Facebook Group. We will include weekly updates in the Monday Morning Minute, but further details, photos and videos are shared on Facebook. Stay in the loop! 
  3. Register to access our free, all district family directory, Membership Toolkit. You must use the email address the invitation from Wayland PTO Directory was sent.
WMS PTO Gift Your Child Donations in Action:
Profile of the Week - Learning Materials

The PTO supports WMS in meeting the demands of our classrooms, adding materials to aid in the classroom and out. Annually, we provide funding to refresh Classroom Libraries. This year, the 6th grade will benefit from two sets of Piper Computer Kits with students pairing up to build and program a computer. We also supplied shockproof and waterproof digital cameras for project based learning in 8th Grade Science. Your donations to Gift Your Child help to ensure that our classrooms can innovate and engage, encouraging our children to experiment and learn in different ways. 
Calling 7th and 8th Grade Parents!
7th/8th Grade Back to School Night Dinner
September 18

We are organizing a dinner for the staff before the 7th/8th Grade Back-to-School Night. We still need a few food items and volunteers to help. Sign up here for the 7th/8th Grade Back to School Night Dinner .
New to Wayland?
PTO New Family Welcome Breakfast
September 25, 9 - 10 am
WMS Staff Lounge

Are you new to Wayland? Welcome to our middle school community! The PTO looks forward to getting to know you. We hope to meet you at our breakfast, or be sure to stop by our table at the Back to School Nights.

Additionally, there are a number of resources on the WMS PTO Website , including a document, Pointers for Families New to Wayland which contains school and town information.  Note that this document has been updated with more resources listed! 

Please contact Meredith Tobe, our New Family Welcome Coordinator, with any questions.  [email protected]
PTO Thanks….

Picture Day Team of Mei-Lyn Kingsley, Kristin Beaney, Ashley Boyer, Cathy Davies, Carolina Kotzampaltiris and Lisa Raftery. The day ran smoothly because of your efforts!

6th Grade Parent Reps and All Who Donated Items to the Back to School Night Dinner for 6th Grade Staff. Thank you to our 6th Grade Parent Reps Nadine Hill, Cheryl Leider, Amanda Melander and Kelly Wheeler for organizing!
Artist of the Week
Katelyn Chirayath
Grade: 7
Title: "Black Panther's Claw Necklace"
Medium: Sculpey & Acrylic
Reminders from Last Week
Special Exhibit - HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT
Natick Mall Sept. 10th - 26th
An initiative to help parents spot signs of risky behavior. Hours vary, please check the  FLYER f or daily schedule. Must be 21+  

W AYLAND C ARES   Coalition  Meeting - All are welcome!
9-10:15 AM Sept. 17th
WHS, Staff Lounge
2019-2020 Stop & Shop A+ School Rewards Program
Registration is now open for the Stop & Shop A+ Rewards Program.  A+ School Rewards are points that supporters earn with each purchase made using their Stop & Shop Card. At the end of each month, the points earned are used in a calculation to determine our school's cash total, which is then automatically credited to Wayland High School's account. Customers can support up to two schools to benefit from their A+ School Rewards that accrue.

If you have not registered your Stop & Shop card, you may do so by clicking this link:  https://stopandshop.com/school-rewards .  If you have already registered your card in the past, you do not need to re-register. 
School Bus Monitors Needed
The Wayland Public Schools is looking for both morning and afternoon bus monitors.  Please contact Mr. Richard Whitehead at   [email protected]   if you are interested.

Claypit Hill
  • Afternoon Only Monday - Friday (one position) Approximate hours 2:15 pm -3:00 pm/Wednesday 1:00 pm -1:30 pm
Wayland Middle School
  • Morning & Afternoon Monday - Friday (two positions) Approximate hours 7:40 am - 8:30 am/3:00 pm -3:45 pm/Wednesday 2:15 pm -3:00 pm 
  • Afternoon Only (one position) Monday, Tuesday and Thursday - Approximate hours 3:00 pm - 3:45 pm
Wayland Special Education Parent Advisory Council (SEPAC)
The Special Education Parent Advisory Council has an important voice to add to the school district’s dialogue and decision-making in regards to special education. Parents have a unique perspective that is based on their own experiences. Working collaboratively with the Office of Student Services, the SEPAC has a positive impact on matters that pertain to special education within the Wayland Public Schools. In partnering with the school district, the SEPAC can help create a more responsive school environment and positive outcomes for families. Meaningful dialogue and progress is borne out of good communication between the officers of the SEPAC, parents and school administrators. 

If you are you interested in helping to develop and organizing the Wayland Public Schools SEPAC please call the Office of Student Services at 508-358-3756.

For more information on the role of SEPACs, see: 
Wayland Middle School
Phone: 508.358.3801 Fax: 508.358.3802
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