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Williamsburg Middle School PTA Newsletter
April 27, 2026
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THIS WEEK'S HEADLINES
Teacher Appreciation Week - May 11-15 - NEED CONTRIBUTIONS!
The PTA is in the process of organizing special events in recognition of our teachers during the week of May 11-15. Unfortunately, we are very significantly below our fundraising goals compared to past years. We have only 20% of the funds we need. If that shortfall remains, we will not be able to undertake many of our traditional Teacher Appreciation Week activities. Our teachers go the extra mile for our students every day, so we hope you are willing to show them your support as well. Please consider donating to the Teacher Appreciation Fund.
Join the WMS PTA!
If you haven't joined the PTA yet, it's quick and easy.
Click here, and then click on Memberships. Note that you have to rejoin each year. So if you haven't signed up this school year, you're not a PTA member!
Volunteer for Next Year's PTA Board
We are looking for volunteers to serve on next year's PTA Board. If you are interested or would like to learn more, please email president@wmspta.org.
Sign up for the WMS PTA Weekly Newsletter
If you received this newsletter as a forward, please sign up to get it weekly.
Click here, and then click on Get the PTA Weekly Newsletter.
WMS Morning Announcements
Keep up with the latest news that your kids are getting each morning.
Click here for the WMS Morning Announcements!
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*** The PTA provides support to the WMS community in many different ways, including helping with events like PALS days, funding Wolf Paw prizes and classroom grants, providing recognition for our teachers, and more. We can only continue to do so with your support. Please consider donating to the PTA to support our activities for the remainder of this school year and into the next. ***
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PTA Volunteers
If you are interested in getting more involved, please reach out to our PTA President at president@wmspta.org. We would love to hear from you!
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Teacher Appreciation Week - Without More Donations, We Cannot Fund the Activities - Week of May 11
The PTA is in the process of organizing special events in recognition of our teachers during the week of May 11-15.
Unfortunately, we are very significantly below our fundraising goals compared to past years. We have only 20% of the funds we need. If that shortfall remains, we will not be able to undertake many of our traditional Teacher Appreciation Week activities.
Our teachers go the extra mile for our students every day, so we hope you are willing to show them your support as well. Please consider donating to the Teacher Appreciation Fund.
Whether it’s a small contribution or a larger gift, every donation makes a difference and helps us say “thank you” in a meaningful way. Let’s come together as a community to show our WMS teachers and staff how much they are appreciated!
Thank you for your generosity and support!
For questions, or to volunteer to help with this special week, please contact Ingrid Gust at ingrid.gust@outlook.com.
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Restaurant Fundraiser - Deli Italiano - May 6
Join us for a restaurant fundraiser at Deli Italiano in the Williamsburg Shopping Center, at the intersection of Williamsburg Blvd and Sycamore St.
Wednesday, May 6
4-9 PM
6505 N 29th Street
Arlington
Be sure to mention WMS Fundraiser when you order!
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WMS 8th Grade Yards Signs are In! Our Team Will Contact You
We have received the first delivery of our WMS 8th Grade Yard Signs! Our team is the process of arranging home delivery and will reach out by email to confirm delivery.
If you did not get around to ordering a sign and would like to now... we have extended the ordering window through May 8 at 5PM! Click here to order: Givebacks
A big thank you to our WMS sign team:
Molly Henneberg Nagel, Betsy Churchill, and Nina Cribbs
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Wolfchella Food and Music Festival at WMS Was a Success!
Wolfchella 2026 was a huge success! It was an exciting evening of live music, food trucks, and fun at WMS.
Bonus: Our vendors donated a portion of their proceeds back to WMS. A win-win!
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Message from WMS Theatre Teacher, Mr. Randle - Seeking Materials!
Williamsburg Middle School’s spring production of Matilda is looking for help gathering materials.
Matilda is an irreverent, joyful take on growing up and the importance of education. Rehearsals for the production are well underway. Now is the time we turn our attention to the set, the costumes, and the other ‘tech’ elements of the show.
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For costumes, we are looking for white blouses, button-down shirts, khaki or tan pants and skirts. Costume donations should be for kids aged 10-14. If possible, items should be machine washable. We have some pieces, but we hope to clothe a veritable army of enthusiastic singers and dancers in a ‘school uniform’ look. Old backpacks are also welcome.
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We are also looking for incidental items that ‘feel 80s’ or even early 90s to dress the set. We have older-looking world maps, TV camcorders, newspapers, old trophies, etc and are hoping to take in a few more items to fill out several environments. (There are opportunities for home, office, school, and business furnishings at different moments in the show.)
As always, thank you to the WMS community for the support. Come see Matilda the 14th, 15th, or 16th of May in the WMS auditorium. Tickets available on the WMS website the week before.
Drop off items at the main office, care of Mr. Randle.
James Randle
Williamsburg MS Theatre Teacher | Arlington Public Schools
Phone: (703) 228-5450
james.randle2@apsva.us
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Message from YHS PTA for 8th Grade Parents - Official Merch!
Got a rising Freshman heading to Yorktown High School in the fall?
Show them — and your Patriot pride — some love with official Yorktown merch!
The YHS PTSA is selling t-shirts, hoodies, car magnets, flannel pants, and more. It makes the PERFECT middle school graduation gift and a great way to get your new Patriot excited for the big transition.
Best part? Every purchase directly supports the Yorktown school community — funding teacher grant requests so our educators can bring creative new ideas into the classroom, supporting school events, and celebrating the amazing teachers who show up for our
kids every day. The store is open until May 15. Items will be delivered by June 8.
Check it out: https://wwsport.chipply.com/yorktownpatriots Let's gear up and go Patriots!
Sign up for the YHS PTSA Newsletter: We'd like to welcome you to Yorktown High School for the Fall of 2026. Do you have a rising 9th grader? Please subscribe to our PTSA newsletter. We're excited to have you be a part of our community. Click here to sign up: https://site.yorktownptsa.org/newsletter
Seeking Volunteers to Join Yorktown Parent Teacher Student Association: YHS PTSA is looking for candidates for the following Board positions for the 2026-2027 school year:
- Internal Vice President (coordinates volunteer activities for student-focused programs)
- Communications Vice President (creates and sends out the weekly newsletter)
- Assistant Treasurer (backup Treasurer)
If you would like to self-nominate, please reach out by email: nominations@yorktownptsa.org
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8th Grade Families - Please Consider Donating
Please consider donating, perhaps a second time, to help ensure our kids also are able to enjoy the special end of 8th grade year activities.
Donations to the 8th Grade Class Fund can be made here: https://wmsptawolves.givebacks.com/shop
Also, if you are a local business or have a connection to a business, please email us at events@wmspta.org. We are welcoming event sponsors for the various end of year activities.
Thank you for considering this request. Let's make it a great end of year for our fantastic students!
-The WMS 8th grade Activities Committee
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8th Grade - End of Year Activities - Schedule
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NEW DATE: Boardwalk Beach Carnival at WMS - Friday, June 12
6 pm – 8 pm, parents to drop off/pick up at the school, children to dress in boardwalk/beach attire (no swimsuits)
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Kings Dominion Day Trip - Monday, June 15
8 am - 6 pm, buses transport children to/from school
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Graduation/Promotion Rehearsal at WMS - Tuesday, June 16
7:50 am, parents to drop off at school
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Graduation/Promotion Ceremony at WMS - Wednesday, June 17
8:15 am, parents to attend. Families receive 2 tickets only!
For the June 12 Boardwalk Beach Carnival, we will reach out closer to the event with a Sign Up to recruit parent volunteers and obtain donations to make the event fun and fabulous for our 8th Graders!
Please also consider donating to the 8th Grade Activity Fund. The budget for the above events comes directly from the activity fund. Donations to the 8th Grade Activity Fund can be made here: https://wmsptawolves.givebacks.com/shop
Additionally, if you are an owner of a local business or have a connection with a business, we are happy to take business sponsorships for any of our 8th Grade events. Please let the PTA know by emailing events@wmspta.org.
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Code Ninjas of Arlington - Summer Camp Offerings
Please see the summer camp offerings from Code Ninjas of Arlington.
They recently attended our PTA meeting to speak on "AI Fluency and Responsible Usage for Middle Schoolers and Rising High School Students."
Click here to see their camp offerings.
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Summer Learn-to-Row Camp at W-L
Are you thinking about rowing in high school?
Rowing is one of the few sports that you can start in high school and become successful with very quickly!
W-L Crew's Summer Learn to Row camps are perfect for rising 7th, 8th, and 9th graders who want to give rowing a try!
Or join us for Green Days next fall!
Learn more about both on our website: www.w-lcrewboosters.org.
W-L Crew now rows out of Columbia Island Marina, which is very conveniently located on the Virginia side of the Potomac River near the Pentagon.
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Serve as a Democracy Intern with Learning Life
For kids who will be in 8th-12th grade in the fall...
- Need to complete community service hours?
- Interested in politics, government, and policymaking?
- Do you have a GPA of 3.5 or higher?
Apply to serve as a summer or fall Democracy Intern with Learning Life!
Click here for more information and to register!
About Learning Life: Learning Life is a Washington, DC-based nonprofit lab devoted to innovating education, democracy and diplomacy by spreading learning in everyday life beyond school walls. In our increasingly interconnected yet divided world, we develop inclusive learning communities in order to widen and deepen participation in democracy and diplomacy.
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WMS Food Bus to Assist AFAC
The Helping Hands club is bringing the AFAC Food Bus back! Each school day, students are encouraged to place unopened and/or unused food in the dedicated AFAC fridge or bins in the cafeteria, which is transported to AFAC in a bulk delivery at the end of the week. This partnership provides for our community's food insecure, diverts food waste, and promotes a culture of giving among the entire student body.
We need parents (and their students) to help to make this possible by collecting and transporting the food from WMS to AFAC (2708 S Nelson St, Arlington, VA 22206) at the end of the school week (usually Friday afternoons).
It is SUPER easy, a great lesson for our children, and it feels good to give!
Please consider volunteering to drive the food donations to AFAC!
CLICK HERE to sign up!
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Outdoor Lab Seeking Board Members; Summer Camp Info
Outdoor Lab Seeks Board Members: The Arlington Outdoor Education Association (AOEA), the volunteer-run nonprofit that owns and supports the Outdoor Lab in partnership with APS, is seeking new Board member candidates. We particularly need a volunteer with finance/accounting experience to serve as Treasurer. Learn more on our website and contact vp@outdoorlab.org with questions or to express interest.
Outdoor Lab Summer Camp 2026: Outdoor Lab Summer Camp 2026 is a fantastic opportunity for students who have a passion for nature, love spending time outdoors, or have an interest in animals. Our camp is hosted at the Phoebe Hall Knipling Outdoor Lab, offering a week-long immersive experience that combines fun and learning in a beautiful natural setting.
New this year, APS is offering two weeks of Outdoor Lab Summer Camp for Middle School students (current grades 6-8), the weeks of July 6-10 and July 13-17. Registration opens at 6pm on March 6 and is first-come, first-served until spaces are filled: https://www.apsva.us/curriculum/outdoor-lab/
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"Growth" Speaker Series for Parents and Professionals - FREE Admission
Parents, caregivers, teachers and therapists: if there’s a child in your life with learning differences, chances are you are seeking some advice. Discover the Lab School's popular Speaker Series! Our monthly lectures are rich with information, insights and tips that will help you nurture the opportunities—and navigate the challenges—learning differences can present. Coming up...
The Intersection of Learning Differences and Culture - May 6
May 6, 2026 | 6:00-7:00 PM
Linda Fleming McGhee, J.D., Psy.D., Clinical Psychologist, McGhee & Associates, LLC
CLICK HERE for more information and to register.
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Main Phone Line: 703-228-5450
Attendance Line: 703-228-5444
Technical support: 703-228-2570, Monday through Thursday from 7 am - 9 pm, and Friday from 7 am - 6 pm
Technical support information: click here.
ParentVue: click here.
Morning announcements: click here.
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