From the Williamsburg Middle School PTA

Greetings Williamsburg Families,

Tonight, Deli Italiano will host a restaurant fundraiser for the WMS PTA. They will donate 20% of receipts when you mention "WMS PTA".

In case you missed this week's Friday Five, APS created a cell phone survey for middle and high schools now through November 1. APS wants feedback from students, staff and families on the current cell phone policies in secondary schools.

• Families of secondary students can access the survey here. The survey should take about 5 minutes and will be open through Fri, Nov. 1.
• Staff will receive a link to the survey sent to their email. Students will see a link to the survey as a global announcement on their Canvas account.
• Data from these surveys will be used to further understand perceptions of the survey policies and pilot programs across APS schools.
• Survey data will be reported in the aggregate and no individual responses will be shared.

We appreciate you taking the time to share your feedback. Contact Robyn Ristau if you have questions.

We know many families in the SEPTA community have views on personal device restrictions in secondary schools. It is important your concerns and perspectives are heard, so we encourage all members of secondary school communities to participate.

APS does not articulate how it will use the survey results beyond the general statement that, "data... will be used to further understand perceptions of the survey policies and pilot programs across APS schools." But presumably APS could use the results to decide:

• whether to stick with the current rules that vary by level of schooling, and have an "away-for-instruction" approach in high schools in which devices are restricted during classes (except for disability/medical accommodations or with teachers' discretion for targeted instructional purposes), but devices are allowed during lunch/passing times in high schools, or 
• whether to move the entire school division - including all high schools - to a more restrictive "bell-to-bell" ban on phones and all other types of personal devices during all parts of the school day, without allowing high school students to use devices during lunch or between classes, and without allowing teachers any discretion to allow personal devices for targeted instructional purposes. This is APS staff's current proposal, and it is slated to go into effect division-wide in January 2025 if the School Board votes to adopt it. 
• whether to expand the pouch pilots (currently in place in some middle schools) to more or all schools.

For more information, see:

https://www.apsva.us/health-safety/cell-phone-policy-guidance/

https://www.apsva.us/policies-for-revision-amendment/

As always, please feel free to contact me at president@wmspta.org.

Jill Gaspar

PTA Announcements

WMS PTA Volunteer Open Positions

• 6th Grade Parent Activity Coordinator(s)
• Book Fair Co-Coordinator (1 more volunteer needed)
• Restaurant Night Fundraiser Coordinator
• Teacher Appreciation Week Co-Chair(s)
• Website Coordinator
• Volunteer Coordinator



If you would like to volunteer please email president@wmspta.org.

YHS Symphony's Spooktacular for Kids - Oct. 30

Join the Yorktown Symphony for our annual Halloween concert for kids on Wednesday, October 30.

There will be an instrument petting zoo, fun activities, as well as food, games, and prizes held between performances.

Don't forget your costume!

Yorktown Dance Team

Hosting Junior Dancer Clinic



Tuesday, Nov. 5

(No school for election day)

WMS Band Bake Sale on Election Day - Nov. 5

The WMS Band Boosters will be holding their annual Election Day Bake Sale on Tuesday, Nov 5, at WMS. 

This is their largest fundraising event of the year. Without this bake sale, they would likely be unable afford to pay the professional musicians/specialists that come to work with our children during their band classes. 

Please plan to stop by on your way in or out of the voting booth - and don't forget to bring cash!



Fall Fest at Williamsburg - Need Volunteers and Donations! - Nov. 8

The WMS students will have the opportunity to enjoy music, games, prizes, and more at our Fall Festival this year. 

The Fall Festival will be on Friday, November 8th in the courtyard during modified lunch periods:



• 11:07am-11:45am (6th grade)
• 11:45 am-12:30 pm (8th grade)
• 12:30pm-1:08pm (7th grade)

We need volunteers and donations to make this event great for our students. Please consider donating and/or volunteering for the event!

Please contact Amy Rzepka at events@wmspta.org if you can help!

Click here for more information and to sign up!

Arlington Community Foundation Memorial Fund for Nick Rados

A Memorial Fund has been created to honor 19-year-old Nick Rados who recently passed away in a tragic car accident here in Arlington.

Nick was a life-long Arlington resident and a 2024 graduate of Washington-Liberty High School, he also attended Swanson Middle School, Dorothy Hamm Middle School, and Taylor Elementary.

Thank you to Arlington Community Foundation for supporting this effort.

Click here for more information and to donate: https://bit.ly/nickrados

IMPORTANT INFO

Main Phone Line: 703-228-5450

Attendance Line: 703-228-5444

TECH SUPPORT

For technical support, call the Family Technology Call Center at 703-228-2570, Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. - 9 p.m. and Friday from 7 am - 6 pm



Parent tech help can be found at

https://williamsburg.apsva.us/edtech/staff-tech-help/

ParentVue Access

https://va-arl-psv.edupoint.com/PXP2_Login.aspx

Morning Announcements Blog

here

Social Networking Opportunities

Sixth Grade Families

Sixth grade parents have been coordinating get togethers for the sixth graders and their parents and would love to connect with any additional parents of sixth graders. If you have a sixth grader but are not currently on the google spreadsheet directory, please reach out to Liz Milans at pehickam@yahoo.com to be added. The spreadsheet is used to send the communications about upcoming gatherings.

The sixth graders had a great time ice skating at Medstar Iceplex on Friday, September 27. Thanks to everyone who could attend and we look forward to planning another event soon!

FOREIGN SERVICE FAMILIES

Are you a State Department Foreign Service family? Recently moved into the Williamsburg School District! I would love to meet other families and children like us who have settled in Arlington for a time.

I would love to host a gathering at our house to get acquainted this fall.

Please contact Michael Newbill, WMS 6th Grade Parent at m_newbill@hotmail.com for more information.

APS & Community Announcements and Events

A reminder that APS Community Engagement Opportunities are available online with automatic translation into: Español  Монгол   አማርኛ   العربية  (Other languages)

Events are updated online throughout the month so check our website for the most updated information.

A Message from APS Transportation

Mornings are hectic and sometimes stressful as you get ready for work and prepare your kids for school. Add to that a late bus, or a bus that’s so early you don’t even realize it’s come and gone. Are you tired of wondering when the school bus is going to arrive? Where’s the Bus® is a school bus tracking app that is revolutionizing morning routines for parents and students by giving them real-time bus location and alerts to get them to the bus stop on time. No more standing in the sweltering heat, freezing cold, or pouring rain, wondering where the school bus is and when it will arrive. And no more being late for or missing the bus all-together. If you don’t have a smartphone or tablet, don’t worry. You can still reap the benefits of the Where’s the Bus® www.wheresthebus.com website on a laptop or desktop computer. Choose Parents and set up an account.

To receive the WheresTheBus app, create your APS parent WheresTheBus cloud account. Click on Create Account and select Arlington Public Schools, VA, as your school district. Follow the steps to add your student. You can then download the WheresTheBus app from the App Store (iOS / Apple) or Google Play (Android).

The WheresTheBus app is free to APS households, simple, and takes less than 5 minutes. To sign up: With Where’s the Bus®, you won’t have to wonder where your child’s bus is. You’ll KNOW! From your computer go to:

1. https://wheresthebus.com/

2. Click on the left-hand side to set up an account. Read the fine print directions on the webpage.

3. Use the drop-down menu to select “Arlington Public Schools (VA)”

4. Enter your information.

5. Enter your student’s information and student ID number. If you have other students in the household, you can enter them using the same logon.

6. Confirm these are your students and you’re ready to go!!

WheresTheBusTM lets you know precisely when your bus will arrive at your bus stop, providing up-to-the-minute arrival time and bus location information.

• Access WheresTheBusTM from any Internet enabled device (smartphone, tablet, PC, iPod).
• Apple iOS and Android apps are available.
• Avoid the weather and wait for the bus in the comfort of your own home.
• Eliminate the stress of rushing to the bus stop and wondering where the bus is.

School Board Seeks Volunteers to Help Reimagine Advisory Groups

APS is seeking parents, community members, students, teachers, and staff to serve on the School Board Committee Advisory Working Group. The Working Group will evaluate the current school board advisory committee structure and make recommendations for revision in accordance with the School Board's charge. The goal is to renew the valuable work of advisory committees to maximize their effectiveness in alignment with the 2024-30 Strategic Plan.

Apply Now

• Application Window: October 11 - October 23, 2024
• Working Group Meeting Details
• When: 6:30-8:30 pm (3rd Tuesday of the Month beginning in November through May)
• Where: Syphax Education Center

Questions? Any questions or inquiries can be sent to schoolboard@apsva.us or School Board Office at 703-228-6015.

Upcoming APS Community Engagement Opportunities:

Additional events online at: Community Engagement Opportunities

Arlington Community Events:

Sat. Oct. 26      Freedom Fund Banquet: Passing the Baton: a celebration of youth, culture & community, hosted by the NAACP

7 – 9:00 pm        Tickets required. George Mason University - Mason Square, 3351 Fairfax Dr. 22201

Arlington’s VA250 events can be found on the Arlington Historical Society home page. 

Mon. Oct. 28 North Glebe Road Bridge Replacement - In-Person Public Hearing at Discovery Elementary School on Monday, October 28 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. The Virginia Department of Transportation is hosting a public hearing on the North Old Glebe Road bridge over North Glebe Road (Route 120). Review the project information online here.

COVID-19 Vaccines

Visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments link for more information on locations and scheduling. 

PTA Executive Board

Principal: Bryan Boykin

President: Jill Gaspar

Vice President: Michael O'Leary

VP Communications: Cristina Marcus

Secretary: Rena Cutlip-Mason

Treasurer: Teresa Jones

Website Administrator: VACANT

Have content for a future PTA Newsletter? Send it to our Communications VP by Thursday and it will appear in the following week's newsletter.