Wayland Middle School
 May Newsletter
Mark Your Calendar
6th Grade:
5/29 - Thoreau YES Projects, 7:50 - 8:20 AM
6/5 - David & Henry YES Projects, 7:50 - 8:20 AM

7th Grade:
5/22 to 5/24 - Cape Cod Trip
6/11 - Cape Cod Night (7-8:30 pm)

8th Grade:
5/16 - DC Night (7-8:30 pm)

All Grades:
5/17 - Q4 Progress Reports
5/30 - WMS Band Concert, 7:30 pm
6/3 - WMS Orchestra Concert, 7:30 pm
6/4 - WMS Chorus Concert, 7:30 pm
6/18 - Last Day for Students (Please note - 1:10 pm release)
From the Principal
I recently enjoyed a nostalgic evening at Mechanics Hall in Worcester where aspects of my past, present, and hope for the future converged. I was invited by retired WMS administrative assistant Phyllis Roys to join her for an evening with Yo-Yo Ma, who was performing two of Bach’s six suites for cello. We were accompanied by my cello-playing, 6th grade son, Jack, who was eager to see a cello master live.
Upon entering the auditorium I was brought back in time to my own musical days as a high school clarinetist. Music had always been a treasured part of my life, and growing up I was fortunate to have been a member of the Worcester Youth Symphony Orchestra. I appreciated the opportunity to make music with teens from all over the region. We came from different towns, different cultures, and had different interests; yet we were united by the music. The orchestra was a chance to build connections around a mutual love. It was a place where our commonalities overrode our differences. As I settled into my seat, I shared recollections of my own butterflies of anticipation I would feel when seated on the very stage in front of us awaiting the conductor’s cue to begin. I was thrilled to have my dear friend and son join me on a walk down memory lane in such a magical venue. We were primed to receive Ma’s musical offering.

Words fail to capture the beauty of the music that poured from Yo-Yo Ma’s cello that evening. Having played Bach’s suites for almost six decades, the music seemed part of the fabric of his DNA. Ma played with his heart and soul, each note both a familiar friend and something born anew in the moment of performance. The arpeggios and scales that built in intensity through the movements dazzled listeners. Michael Stern said it well in the program notes. Stern explained that Yo Yo Ma, in his 55 years of knowing each note of the suites from memory, “has continually searched for the music that happens between the notes… the suspension of breath and time is so intimate that listening to them can feel akin to eavesdropping. And still -- their communicative power and touching humanity can bring thousands of silent and rapt listeners together into a mesmerized communion with Bach.” The power of music to fill one’s heart so full of joy was a gift I was happy to share with two people about whom I care so deeply.

And if the music weren’t enough, we were treated to Yo-Yo Ma’s reflections between the two suites. He gave a talk in which he sought to explore the question, “How can culture help us imagine and build a better future?” Ma shared his quest to play all six of Bach’s suites for cello on six continents this year, in both expected and unexpected places. He performed from the rust belt cities of America to Mumbai, San Juan, and the US Mexican border. Ma purposely sought venues of human displacement that came with them an urgency for the healing promise of music. For Ma and his listeners Bach’s suites offered a source of sustenance, comfort, and joy. Ma spoke of music as being a vehicle for celebrating the power of culture, an invitation, so to speak, to build bridges and make societies strong. He demonstrated how we learn from the most ancient musical cultures and layer innovation after innovation to create new and beautiful forms of musical expression. Music allows us to “rest on foundations of the past while remaining open to the endless possibility that the future holds.” Ma was clear that music requires community. The cello can’t do it alone. It takes the imagination and choice of the listener to reach its potential. Music and culture are ever-evolving - never static - serving as powerful antidotes to forces of fear, tragedy and division.

Ma’s words were as inspirational as his music. Leaving the magnificent hall of my youth, I reflected on my gratitude for being a member of the Wayland community. For it was in Wayland, a community that fosters, values, and celebrates the arts, where my twelve year old boy was inspired to happily spend an evening with his mother and her retired friend to absorb the glorious music of a world renowned cellist and his profound ideas. That Jack had a space in his heart for the beauty and power of culture (in addition to lacrosse and video games) was a testament to the Ms. Pohls, Ms. Tandons, and Ms. Memolis of our system (just three of the many talented performing arts directors in Wayland). For years he watched, appreciated, and was inspired by their talents. Each week he continues to assemble with friends and acquaintances, who have different cultural backgrounds and varied interests, to make music as a united ensemble. Jack is part of a cadre of young musicians led by skilled directors who like Yo Yo Ma look to the past, innovate, and create together. 

Like cellist great Yo Yo Ma, I found solace in the power of music to build bridges and unite. I appreciated the opportunity to dwell on fond memories of the past, gratitude for the present, and hope for the future.
Announcements
Sixth Grade YES Project Showcase
Sixth grade science students are excited to demonstrate and display their Year-End STEAM Projects, affectionately called YES Projects . These projects began months ago with students identifying real problems from their lives that they would attempt to solve through the engineering/design process. Through significant effort, persistence, and innovation, their final products are ready to show. We hope you will join us.
Thoreau Cluster students will display their projects Wednesday , May 29 in the WMS cafeteria from 7:50 - 8:20 am .
David and Henry Cluster students will display their projects on Wednesday, June 5 , in the WMS cafeteria from 7:50 - 8:20 am .
Sixth grade science teachers would like to thank the Wayland Public Schools Foundation for providing the funding to get this project started a couple of years ago.
PTO News
Contact:   WaylandMiddleSchoolPTO@gmail.com
Volunteer for a Board or Committee role!
 
We hope you agree that the PTO delivers value to our students, parents and staff. We are fully run by volunteers and are still recruiting for next school year. Many roles can be done flexibly and vary in time required. Please consider volunteering. It is a wonderful way to engage with our community! We still need to identify:

  • Board: President, VP, Fundraising Chair and Secretary
  • Committee: 7th Grade Reps, Website Administrator, MySchoolAnywhere Administrator

Click here to read descriptions of volunteer roles.

Email WaylandMiddleSchoolPTO@gmail.com if interested or with any questions.
Middle & More Coffees: Parent Seminars

Your Middle School Kid's Gonna Be Okay: How Parents Can Facilitate Their Child's Executive Function Development
Michael Delman, CEO of Beyond BookSmart
Thursday, May 16, 9:00 am

Children, being so vulnerable to the opinions of others and not yet having developed long-term thinking, must learn how to make good decisions and develop the motivation and skills to stay focused on those things that truly matter to them in a world filled with distractions. The good news is that parents can teach these skills. Join author Michael Delman, a lifelong educator and Executive Function expert, as he shares tips and tools that parents can use with their middle school children.

Please send us in advance any topics you would like to see covered and/or questions for Michael Delman to answer during his time with us. Comments can be directed to emily_gordon@hotmail.com .
8th Grade DC Night Staff Dinner
May16  
We still need food and set up help for the staff dinner on DC Night. Help show our gratitude to the amazing teachers and staff that make the 8th grade DC trip possible. In addition, the PTO will give small thank you gifts. Click this link to sign up.
Artist of the Week
Artist: Brennan Davies
Grade: 8
Medium: sticks, lighting, elastics, string
Reminders
IMPORTANT! Parents & Guardians -
Please review your email address and phone number(s) in eSchool

Important communications to parents and guardians are sent via email, using the contact information that is in eSchool. Please take a minute to review the contact information you have in your account, and update it if your email address or phone number has changed. ( Click here for instructions.) Thank you!
WMS YEARBOOKS - Time to Order!
Order by Friday, MAY 17th

This year, there are 2 ways you can order a yearbook - choose the method that’s easiest for you! Yearbooks will be delivered on the last day of school. Questions? Contact Ms. Galvani .

Summer Programs
Registration Open for Summer Chamber Music Program
For Entering Grades 6-9 Students
 
Wayland Summer Strings enrollment forms are now available online on the district website and can be accessed by clicking   here . Whitney Tandon, strings director for Grades 4 - 8, will be leading the one-week chamber music program being held at Wayland High School July 29 through August 2 from 12:30 pm - 3:30 pm. Families with entering fifth grade students may contact Tandon to discuss their child's experience level. 

Registration Process
  • Form Only: Complete and submit registration form only by June 3, 2019 - do not send payment.
  • Payment Deadline, July 8: Reminder emails will be sent in late June to send check dated July 1, 2019, or later to WSCP.

Questions? Contact  Whitney_Tandon@wayland.k12.ma.us
Two Summer Leadership Opportunities through Wayland Cares !

Youth to Youth EASTERN STATES CONFERENCE
SUMMER TRAINING CONFERENCES
Bryant University, Smithfield, Rhode Island
July 25-28, 2019

Every year the Youth to Youth organization out of Ohio hosts a fantastic conference for rising 7-12th graders. Wayland Cares would like to take a group of students to this conference. The $450 registration fee will be 100% covered by Wayland Cares . The only obligation for parents/guardians is to get their youth to the conference. This is a great opportunity for our youth. If you know of a student who you feel would be interested and benefit from this conference, please contact Jason Verhoosky  or  Jane Purser  at WaylandCares. 

Nationally, Youth to Youth is the recognized leader for engaging youth in positive change. Each summer, Youth to Youth offers tremendous leadership opportunities for high school students and the adults who work with them. Our one-of-a-kind conference experience, led by trained teens alongside adults, is the training that groups across the country count on annually to serve as a vital catalyst to initiate or improve their youth prevention programming. By attending one of our four-day conferences, students will meet and befriend drug-free teens from all over the country, develop skills to make positive choices, attend interactive and informative workshops, hear nationally known speakers, develop action plans to create change back home in their schools and communities, learn vital leadership qualities and skills they can use for a lifetime, and most importantly, HAVE FUN!


EMPOWER | Youth Leadership, Communication, Collaboration & Substance Prevention
Wayland High School
Two Sessions: June 24-28 & August 5-9 (10:00 am - 3:00 pm)
(For Students Entering Grades 8-12, Fee: $50)

Work with a group of Wayland peers on a mix of games, presentations, activities, brainstorming, and talk about substance prevention and making healthy decisions. The program is $50 and staffed by Jason Verhoosky, Director of Wayland Youth and Family Services, and Kelly SanClemente, Clinician, Wayland Youth & Family Services. The program is limited to 15 participants each session. To register, please apply through Wayland Town Recreation . Contact Jane Purser with any questions or call Wayland Cares at 508.358.6825.
Summer Journalism Camp at Wayland High School
(For students entering Grades 8 and 9...)

Students with an interest in journalism and public speaking may register now for a free, one-week camp at Wayland High School offered July 8 - 12, 2019, 9:00 am to 12 noon. The program is offered through Wayland School Community Programs and is taught by Wayland High School student journalists.

This summer Kevin Wang, a rising senior, will be assisted by three other students who will be juniors in the fall. Kevin is Editor-in-Chief of the Wayland Student Press Network (WSPN), Wayland High School's student-run, award-winning online newspaper. No prior experience in journalism or public speaking is required.

Email the registration form and/or questions directly to Kevin Wang . For more information and to register, click here .
Wayland Middle School
Phone: 508.358.3801 Fax: 508.358.3802
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