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WMS PTA
Newsletter
February 12, 2023
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Feb 20 - No School, Holiday-
Presidents Day
Feb 21 - PTA meeting (changed due to Valentine's Day)
March 3 - No School, Parent-teacher conferences
March 15 - early release (12:05)
March 31- end of 3rd quarter
Looking ahead:
-spring break is April 3-10 (Monday 4/10 is a teacher work day)
-8th grade promotion will be June 14th at 8:15 am in the WMS Gym.
View the full calendar for the school year online.
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We will have a lunch and learn series with our Substance Abuse Counselor, Ms. Sexton. And remember, if you are in crisis, take action! If someone you care about is in crisis, take action!
You have options:
* Call 9-1-1
*Go to the nearest emergency room at your local hospital
*Call Arlington Emergency Mental Health 703-228-5160
*Go to In Crisis/ Need Help Now? on the APS website for important phone numbers, tips for students and families, and links to emergency information.
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Career and Technical Education (CTE) Showcase | |
Date: Tuesday 2/28, 6-8pm @ Arlington Career Center
Audience: K-12 students/families.
Purpose: To showcase, celebrate and raise awareness about the middle and high school CTE programs across APS, including course pathways, postsecondary benefits & associated careers.
After opening remarks, the event will be open-house style, where families can learn about the CTE programs across APS. Teachers will have booths set up with information & demonstrations/coursework samples. We will have interpreters available for families. Food will be provided for attendees. Families can register here
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Did you know WMS has a swim and diving team? Well, they do and they are getting ready for a new season. Interested athletes should complete the Google Form on the WMS website by February 21st. | | | |
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WMS families, we have magnets available for purchase. We are in the process of setting up a store but in the mean time, send me an email at president@wmspta.org to pay and schedule a pick up.
$5 cash or check (for now)
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Updated Gifted Services Information | |
The monthly newsletter is published! Please select this link to access. You will find information about a twice-exceptional conference, art competitions, a SENGinar for parents, and the Davidson Open House. There are also parenting articles about friendship, trauma, and therapy. Please visit our WMS website to learn more about gifted services overall.
Does your child want to look through book recommendations, see what clubs are available at WMS, visit a virtual museum, or read educational tweets from vetted organizations such as NASA? Have them go to our “Student Resources” page on our gifted services website by going to the WMS homepage ->Teachers/Departments->Gifted Services->Student Resources or by using this link:https://williamsburg.apsva.us/student-resources-page/. They can “bookmark” this page on their iPads for easy access in the future.
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PTA Membership and Activity Fee Reminder | |
Activity fees are what fund the fun events at WMS. If you haven’t already, please consider donating today and joining the PTA. We are below 40% participation and would love to go well over that if possible. PS your grade level funds roll over and stick with your grade as well.
8th grade families, our students didn't get a big end of elementary school celebration. If more families don't participate, we won't be able to have a middle school ones as well. Currently only 102 of 267 families have paid. That's only 38%. I encourage you to contribute if you can. Unsure if you've already paid? Please feel to email Melissa Mathews. Did you also see the promotion is scheduled already?!
Activity fees are what fund the fun events at WMS. If you haven’t already, please consider donating today and joining the PTA. We are below 40% participation and would love to go well over that if possible. PS your grade level funds roll over and stick with your grade as well.
http://wmspta.org/pta-membership/
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WMS After School Chess Registration for Spring | | | |
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Help WMS Fill Our Volunteer Needs | |
Love is in the air with Valentine's Day this week. Wouldn't you love to volunteer?
Back to School Teacher Breakfast - Needed for August 2023 - Solicit volunteers, donations, and purchases for back to school teacher breakfast. Drop items off at school and set up breakfast.
PALS Day Coordinator - Needed for August 2023 - Solicit volunteers, donations, and purchases of doughnuts and water for PALS Day. Drop off items at school and man the doughnut table with additional volunteers.
Schools Supplies Coordinator - Late Spring 2023/Late Summer 2023 - Work with vendor to order supplies, once delivered, solicit volunteers to open boxes, and deliver to correct classrooms before PALS day in August.
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Pre-order Your WMS Yearbook Now! | |
Get a jump on the year and pre-order your 2022-2023 WMS yearbook. Information on how to order can be found in here.
PS this is the best way to stop those weekly emails reminding you to order. ;)
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Choose WMS PTA in AmazonSmile & Help Us Earn Money! |
AmazonSmile is operated by Amazon and benefits non-profits like our WMS PTA. If you make purchases through AmazonSmile (vs. regular Amazon), Amazon will donate a percentage of your purchase to WMS PTA. Click here for instructions on how to set that up on your mobile app, mobile web browser or desktop computer.
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Link Your Harris Teeter Grocery Card | |
Don't forget to link your grocery card numbers! Harris Teeter requires re-linking with your school each year. Our linked numbers are low so you may not have re-linked your cards for this year. It's easy and a great way for WMS to earn extra money. Learn how below:
Harris Teeter - VIC Card Shoppers:
Go to Harris Teeter's Together in Education website and sign into your HT account. Click on "Link Your School Today." Then enter the Williamsburg Middle School ID: 4926.
Don't have your VIC card number? Call 800-432-6111
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WMS Box Tops Program - Now An Easy-to-Use App! |
The Box Tops for Education program is now mobile. This makes it so much easier for families to increase our school earnings. WMS has earned over $12K from Box Tops, funding much-needed programs within our school. Please click here for more information on how to download the app and start sending Box Tops dollars to WMS.
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The Summer Activities Fair is back! Join us on Thu, Feb. 16 from 6 - 8 p.m. at Kenmore Middle School. The fair is free to attend and presents a wide range of local and regional opportunities for students of all ages in academic, cultural, outdoor adventure, sports, exploration and virtual activities. Various programs also offer volunteer and job opportunities for teens! | | | |
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APS Drug Awareness Resources | APS is providing additional resources to raise awareness about opioids and specifically fentanyl, as this epidemic continues to affect youth in Arlington and nationwide. Many students do not realize that fentanyl is often hidden in other substances, and even a small amount, the size of a pencil tip, can cause a fatal overdose. Learn more about how APS is addressing this issue and the steps families can take to help educate students about the dangers of opioids and prevent substance use. | | | |
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APS February Recognitions, Celebrations, & Holidays | |
February is full of recognitions and celebrations. APS will observe the following:
- Black History Month
- Career & Technical Education Month
- Feb. 6-10 – National School Counseling Week
- Feb. 8 – Early Release; Countywide Professional Learning Day for Staff
- Feb. 8 – Crossing Guard Appreciation Day
- Feb. 13-17 – Virginia Kindness Week & School Board Clerk Appreciation Week
- Feb. 20 – No School - Presidents Day
- Feb. 22 – School Bus Driver Appreciation Day
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Development of the Five-Year Strategic Action Plan for English Learners | |
The APS Office of English Learners is working on a Five-Year Strategic Action Plan to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of English Learners (ELs). The goal is to listen to community input, understand, and collaborate in the development of a five-year strategic action plan. A Zoom webinar will be hosted to provide an overview and background about the development process of the English Learner Five-Year Plan. It will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 15, 2023, from 7 to 8 p.m. Interpretation will be available in Spanish, Amharic, Arabic and Mongolian. For additional information and to participate in the webinar, visit the English Learners Strategic Action Plan website.
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The Office of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion will host Community Conversations on the Equity Profile Dashboard. The dashboard provides data and transparency related to student opportunity, access, and achievement. The community conversations will include key takeaways Your Voice Matters Survey (YVMS), social-emotional learning (SEL), school climate, and an engaged workforce. The community conversations will also allow the community to provide feedback on the dashboard.
The community conversations will be held virtually on the following dates:
- Wed., February 22, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
- Wed., March 29, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
- Wed., April 12, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
- Wed., May 31, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.
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Academic Help Online at No Cost! | |
NEW Academic Support for Middle and High School Students: the new academic support available for secondary students called PAPER. PAPER provides 24/7 on-demand virtual tutors available to students for assistance with homework, essay review and other academic support in multiple subjects and languages. Teachers have been promoting this service directly to students. Details online. It is a great resource!
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In memory of Sergio Flores, I think this is an important community message-----Naloxone, or NARCAN, is a safe and effective medication that can reverse an opioid overdose. Community members can obtain free Naloxone through the mail by completing an online request form, scheduling a 10-minute training by calling (703) 228-4216, or attending a 1-hour virtual NARCAN training.
Arlington County’s hypothermia shelter is now open through March 2023. If you or someone you know is experiencing homelessness and needs emergency shelter, call 703-228-1010
Nominate a woman who has improved lives and opportunities for Arlington residents, especially women and girls, for the 2023 Women of Vision Awards. The deadline for submissions is Feb. 24.
Volunteer opportunities for teens & family-Do you like working outside? Join community volunteers, on Feb. 18, in protecting the local environment from non-native invasive plants and replacing them with native plants. You can join in at Tuckahoe Park on 2/18. Learn more and register here.
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Have content for a future PTA Newsletter? Send it to Tonya Chiarodo by Friday and it will appear in the following week's newsletter. | | | | |
