Wayland Middle School 
Monday Morning Minute
MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

All Grades:
10/23 - MS/HS Masquerade Concert (Orchestra - at WHS)
10/31 - Picture Retake Day
11/12 - No School, Veteran's Day
11/21 - Early Release for Thanksgiving ( 11:15 AM / No Lunch )
11/22 & 11/23 - Thanksgiving Recess

6th Grade:  
10/23 - Walden Bike Trip - Henry Cluster
11/8 - Math Night

7th Grade:
10/25 - Days of Wonder / Treetop Adventures Trip (Rachel)
10/26 - Days or Wonder / Treetop Adventures Trip (Carson)
Message from Principal Gavron
ALICE Training & Drills 
 
ALICE is now a well-established part of our safety practices here at the Wayland Public Schools, that provides guidance in the event of an armed intruder. On Wednesday, October 17th, our staff reviewed and practiced ALICE protocols in preparation for ALICE training with the students. This Wednesday, October 24th, we will be teaching/reviewing Wayland Middle School's ALICE protocols and practicing the drills with our students in our TAG groups. We will first review a slideshow and answer questions. Then we will begin our drills by providing an inactive scenario, which gives students the opportunity to hear ALICE announcements and then discuss with their teachers the best plan of action given the situation (lock-down or evacuate). After this process, we will run one active drill where we will practice locking down or evacuating depending on the situation. The training will run from 7:45 - 8:20 AM. Following the training TAG leaders will take our 6th graders (and Mr. Benzie will lead any students new to Wayland) on a walk to our off-site evacuation sites in town (7th and 8th grade veterans already know these these routes).

If you need to dismiss your child that morning for an appointment, please plan to do so after 8:20 am . It will be very difficult to dismiss students during the drill. If you have a sixth grade student, please plan for after 9:00 am , as they will be off-site.

If you have any concerns about your child's experience with ALICE, please don't hesitate to contact me or his or her guidance counselor. Additionally, please let us know if your child does not have your permission to take this 40 minute walk off campus to the evacuation sites.

6th Grade Guidance Counselor
Dr. Stephen Farina

7th Grade Guidance Counselor
Dr. Amy Parker

8th Grade Guidance Counselor
Suzanne Bernstein

Respectfully, 
Betsy Gavron
Current News & Announcements
Haunted House and Fall Festival
Wayland High School, Field House
Sunday, October 28, 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Please join members of The Connect Program in the Wayland High School Field House for a spooky and fun-filled evening. Participants will enjoy a haunted house, games, movie, and much more. Suggested donation is $5. All donations will be used for the enrichment of the Connect Program. Pizza and treats will be available at an additional cost. All ages are welcome. Costumes are encouraged!
PTO News
Gift Your Child: Donate Today - Only Two Weeks Left!
We are 75% to our goal of 300 donations with two weeks left! Please make you donations today! Our grant process kicks off in November and we don’t want to turn down anything!
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Just some friendly competition….6th and 8th grade tied with 38% of each grade contributing. 7th grade only at 24% participation, but there’s still time! Which class will be the leader?
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WMS PTO Donations in Action: Student Trips

Last year, the WMS PTO put $20,000 back into the middle school. However, we turned down $23,000 in grant requests from our staff because we did not have sufficient donations to Gift Your Child.  

Here are some of the items that we could not fulfill:
  • Exercise equipment: treadmills, bike ergometers, ski ergometers
  • Mentor Program for METCO participants: a positive male role model to help with social skills, career pathways, and cultural differences
  • Robotics toolkits to increase access to programming and number of students participants
  • Replica artifacts from Henry David Thoreau's time to help students make interdisciplinary connections
  • Social Thinking Posters and instructional guides to teach important life skills
  • A master class with professional musicians for Band students to reinforce skills and techniques
  • Instrumental folders for Honors Chamber Orchestra Club
Please know that your donations to Gift Your Child go directly back to your children, enriching their experience at the middle school. Whether you give the suggested $100 per student gift, more or less, our aspirational goal is to have 100% participation in this fundraiser.  Donate Today! Only two weeks left!

For a flavor of what we have funded, please see WMS PTO Donations in Action here!
Other Parent Checklist Reminders
Register for our online family directory, My School Anywhere .  Access contact information for families in our school district online or through an app.  You must register to be included . 
Like our Facebook Page . We will include weekly updates here, but additional details, photos and videos are shared on Facebook. Stay in the loop! 
Picture Retake Day
October 31, 2018
School pictures were sent home last week. If you would like to have your child's photo retaken, please send in your child's picture package with your child on retake day on Wednesday, October 31st. Please note that if the original photo package is not returned on retake day, you must contact Hayward Photography and arrange to send it back in order to receive the new photos.
Middle & More Coffee: Parent Seminars
Save the Dates:

6th Grade Parent Check-In with Cluster Leaders  
Nov. 29, 8:45 - 9:45 am

7th & 8th Grade Parent Check-In with Cluster Leaders                                 
Dec. 11, 8:45 - 9:45 am
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New to Wayland?
 Welcome to Wayland and to the WMS community. The PTO looks forward to getting to know you. If you missed our welcome breakfast, please contact Meredith Tobe, our New Family Welcome Coordinator, to learn more about us and how you can engage! [email protected]

Additionally, there are a number of resources on the WMS PTO Website , including Pointers for Families New to Wayland which contains school and town information.
PTO Thanks….
 Landscaping Leader Holly Landsittel and her green thumb volunteers, Cathy Davies, Missy Davis and Elisa Scola . Did you notice that the WMS sign on Rt 27 is not only visible, but it is weeded, planted and mulched? It looks gorgeous! More to come with bulbs and spring plantings.

6th Grade Parent Reps Michelle Coppola and Erin Gibbons and all the parent volunteers for the upcoming bike trips to Walden Pond . It truly takes a village! Thank you for biking with our kids, ensuring their safety, providing snacks and drink and photographing this most memorable trip!
Artist of the Week
Artist: Michael Frank
Grade: 6
Medium: Acrylic
Information from Last Week's eBlast...
Private School Application Process

While we hope you are enjoying your experiences with Wayland Public Schools, we also know that some families will choose to apply to private schools as an alternative educational option. Please be sure to carefully follow the process outlined HERE to ensure a timely, quality processing of your child’s application to private school.
Town Meeting Club (Now Offered for BOTH 7th & 8th Graders)
In this new and unusual club you will:
  • select an issue, challenge or opportunity
  • craft, propose & defend an Article
  • at the Fall Town Meeting, ask Wayland voters to vote on it
  • learn about government & how the Town is run, law making, activism & empowerment
  • have the opportunity to make real changes in your town & to make daily life better for you, your family and neighbors
Ask your Social Studies Teacher for more information, or contact the Club coordinators:
Dr. Arthur Unobskey ( [email protected] )
Dr. Kaat Vander Straeten ( [email protected] )
Kickoff Meeting for Social Emotional Learning Committee
Town Building, School Committee Room
Wednesday, November 7, 4:00 - 5:00 pm

What exactly is Social Emotional Learning (SEL)? SEL is the process through which children and adults acquire and effectively apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to:
  • understand & manage emotions
  • set & achieve positive goals
  • feel & show empathy for others
  • establish & maintain positive relationships
  • make responsible decisions
Wayland Public Schools is committed to developing a coordinated framework for how educators, families, and community partners promote and support students’ social, emotional, and academic learning. We need  you  to get involved in the SEL initiative. We are forming a SEL initiative committee comprised of educators, parents, and community members. The committee will assess district capacity and resources, review evidence-based research, and develop a strategic implementation plan for SEL in Wayland.

If you are interested in joining this committee, please contact Karen Mantey at 508-358-3757 or e-mail   [email protected]  .
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