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Williamsburg Middle School PTA Newsletter
December 2, 2024
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From the Williamsburg Middle School PTA
Greetings Williamsburg Families,
We are officially in the last month of 2024 and it is filled with many exciting year-end events.
This Friday, 12/6 is picture make-up day and retakes. School photo proofs are available now, and if you have not received them, please check your junk folder or contact underclass@vosphoto.com with questions.
Next week is the WMS Book Fair and we need volunteers to assist.
The WMS Winter Choir concert is on 12/10, and the book fair will be open that evening. For those attending the Choir concert there will be a WMS giving tree in the lobby with classroom needs from teachers. (Teresa will provide message here)
Next Wednesday, 12/11 is early release and a professional work day for APS staff. The PTA will host a holiday cookie swap for WMS teachers. Please sign up to help provide an afternoon of sweet treats for our staff.
As always, please feel free to contact me at president@wmspta.org.
Jill Gaspar
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Support the Williamsburg Middle School PTA
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Individual Membership, $15
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Dual/Family Membership, $30
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Class Activity Fee, beginning at $40 per student. Pay this fee annually and the funds will remain with your student's Class year.
Did you know the WMS PTA is a 501(c)3 organization and your donations are tax-deductible?
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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.
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It's almost holiday time!
Make your holiday card & gift purchases count this year by shopping at Minted.com when you use the code
FUNDRAISEWMSPTA at checkout.
Please share this with friends and family. The more people shop, the more WMS PTA earns!
You’ll get a 20% discount and
Minted will donate 15% of your purchase back to us!
Minted.com link
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"Paying for College" - Free Workshop for Yorktown Parents - Dec. 5
Yorktown High School is hosting The College Funding Coach on December 5th @ 7 pm. This event is for any family wanting to learn how to pay for college (Preschool through High School).
"Tuition Now Costs a Whopping $90,000 a Year or More at Some Universities" (https://www.msn.com/en-ph/money).
Planning for these expenses has become essential. Some families have children attending college next year, and others have years to prepare, but the fears of tackling these monumental and rising costs are the same. The earlier you begin, the more time you have to build a solid financial foundation for your child's education. Figuring out where to start can be overwhelming!
The College Funding Coach® is here to help families figure out HOW to pay for it and still retire one day. You'll discover strategies that may enable you to qualify for financial aid, sources for scholarships, and strategies for maximizing your wealth and minimizing your tax exposure, giving you greater cash flow for funding a college education.
This interactive workshop, Little-Known Secrets of Paying for College, teaches parents the rules of the game when it comes to paying for their child’s education. Please join Yorktown High School on December 5th @ 7 PM. This is information you can't afford to miss! Please take a look around our website, The College Funding Coach®, for helpful resources and information.
Reserve your seat HERE or by using the flyer located here.
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WMS Book Fair - Dec. 10-16
The WMS Book Fair will take place from Tuesday Dec. 10 at 7:15 am until Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 11:00 am.
It will also be open on the evening of the choir concert (Tues, Dec 10).
Please consider signing up to volunteer for a shift!
WMS: WMS Book Fair 2024
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Free Middle School Robotics Workshop at Langley High School - Dec. 14
The Virginia Robotics Education Foundation is hosting a free robotics workshop for 7th and 8th graders on December 14th from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm:
Langley High School
6520 Georgetown Pike
McLean
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Restaurant Fundraiser - Chipotle - Jan. 14
Join us at Chipotle in the Lee Heights shopping center:
Tuesday, Jan. 14
4:00 PM to 8:00 PM
Chipotle will donate 25% of the funds raised to our school!
Be sure to use this code: J339HBL
Or show the flyer.
Click here if you need help with ordering online:
Chipotle-OnlineFundraiser
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Arlington to Expand Hardened Centerlines Safety Pilot
Arlington County launched a Vision Zero safety pilot project in spring 2024 that added hardened centerlines at five intersections. Hardened centerlines are small, raised bumps placed along the yellow centerline at an intersection. They are designed to make intersections safer by encouraging drivers to make left turns at slower speeds, which improves yielding and reduces crash risk.
We collected community feedback and before/after data for this pilot this past September. Overall, the percent of respondents who reported feeling “safe” or “very safe” increased for all modes after the hardened centerlines were installed, especially for walking, biking, or scootering. We also saw a 16% increase in cars turning at speeds less than 10 mph.
The County will consider hardened centerlines a typical quick-build safety tool due to the increased safety benefits expressed by community members and observed through data collection. We are planning on adding this tool at another five intersections in late 2024/early 2025, with one of the locations being North Williamsburg Boulevard and North Harrison Street.
View the Vision Zero Safety Pilots Project Page for more information.
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A message from the Arlington Outdoor Lab
Have your students recently participated in an Outdoor Lab field trip and returned raving about their adventures? Or maybe they’re already looking forward to their spring overnight trip.
Did you know that the Outdoor Lab is supported by a non-profit, the Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA)? The AOEA owns and stewards the 226 acres of land students visit during 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades. We also build and maintain the buildings – including the Animal Lab. We are thrilled that generations of Arlington students have benefitted from this strong partnership.
At the Outdoor Lab, students engage in hands-on STEM applications by applying what they learn in the traditional classroom to real life situations. The Outdoor Lab welcomes all APS families to visit and experience the Lab at our twice-yearly Open Houses.
To find out about our Spring 2025 Open House, and stay informed on other happenings and ways to support the Lab, please join our Lab Notes email list or visit www.OutdoorLab.org. See our calendar here: Calendar - Arlington Outdoor Lab.
You can also find us on Facebook (Outdoor.Lab) and Instagram (@arlingtonoutdoorlab).
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Williamsburg MS - Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) Food Bus Program - UPDATE
The WMS community has been incredibly generous with their time supporting the Food Bus to transport donated, unopened food every week to AFAC.
There are a few remaining openings to help deliver food to AFAC at the end of the week in January and in the Spring. Parent volunteers can sign up here!
This partnership provides for our community's food insecure, diverts food waste, and promotes a culture of giving among the entire student body. Last school year, we donated more than 1,500 lbs of food to AFAC that would have otherwise been thrown away! It is SUPER easy, a great lesson for our children, and it feels good to help our community!
AFAC is located at 2708 S Nelson St, Arlington, VA 22206.
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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.
So far the group has enjoyed a meet up at Ocean Dunes, moms lunch at Lebanese Taverna, ice skating, and this past Monday a mother/daughter dinner and a movie at Arlington Drafthouse (picture above)! We look forward to another meet up 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.
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APS & Community Announcements and Events | |
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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.
Upcoming APS Community Engagement Opportunities:
Thu, Dec. 12 School Board Meeting: Recognition of VSBA Awards and Farewell for Outgoing Board Members; Appointments to School Board Advisory Committees; Revisions to Schools Board Policy B-6 School Board Policy Process and D-10.30 Purchasing-School Board Approval Required on Construction and Non-Construction Contracts; School and Community Relations and Family and Community Engagement (FACE) Update; Action on New School Board Policy J-30 Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices; and Middle and High School Program of Studies; Information on Final Fiscal Close-Out Status Report and the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) Quarterly Report
7:00 pm Watch School Board meeting online, on Comcast Ch. 70, Verizon Ch. 41 or at Syphax Education Center, 2110 Washington Blvd. 22204
Additional events can be found online at: Community Engagement Opportunities with automatic translation into: Español Монгол አማርኛ العربية (Other languages)
Arlington Community Events:
Arlington’s VA250 events can be found on the Arlington Historical Society home page.
COVID-19 Vaccines
Visit the COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments link for more information on locations and scheduling.
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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. | | | | |
