Williamsburg Middle School PTA Newsletter

October 27, 2025

UPCOMING EVENTS

Oct. 27: PTA Meeting - TONIGHT - Via Zoom

Oct. 28: Red Ribbon Activities During Lunch

Oct. 28: Wear Team Jersey for Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 29: Wear Boots for Red Ribbon Week

Oct. 29: Early Release - Professional Learning for Staff

Oct. 30: APS Band Showcase

Oct. 30: Wear Pink for Breast Cancer Awareness

Oct. 30: Pie the Teacher - Fundraiser for Breast Cancer Awareness

Oct. 31: Wear Super Hero Costume for Red Ribbon Week

Nov. 3: Arlington Indoor Percussion Interest Meeting for 7-12th Graders

Nov. 4: No School for Students - Grade Preparation Day

Nov. 4: YHS Dance Team Hosting Junior Dance Team Clinic

Nov. 7: Fall Fest - Need Donations and Volunteers

Nov. 11: No School - Veterans Day

Nov. 12: Restaurant Fundraiser - Chipotle, Cherry Hill Location

Nov. 10: YHS Crew Winter Conditioning Registration Deadline - Open to 8-12th Graders

Nov. 21: PTA Reflections Contest Deadline for "I Belong"

Nov. 26-28: No School - Thanksgiving Break

To access the APS school calendar, click here.

THIS WEEK'S HEADLINES

PTA Meeting - TONIGHT at 7 PM Via Zoom

Join us for the next PTA Meeting, which will take place TONIGHT, via Zoom.

Guest Speaker - Dr. Katia Fredriksen of Neuropsychmoms.com. Dr. Fredriksen will speak to us about "Building Healthy Habits for the New School Year." See Zoom link below.

Donate or Volunteer at the WMS Fall Fest - Nov. 7

The PTA needs volunteers and donations to make this event great for our students. CLICK HERE to sign up!

Join the 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!

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.

Restaurant Fundraisers

Mark your calendars for this upcoming restaurant fundraiser to support WMS:

Nov. 12 at Chipotle

Volunteer Needs

Please see the complete list of volunteer vacancies below. If you don't see a vacancy that is a perfect match for you, but you still want to help out, please reach out to us at president@wmspta.org.

Future PTA Meetings - Guest Speakers Welcome!

We are trying to identify potential speakers for future meetings - if you are or know of a potential speaker who could present on topics that might be of interest to our membership, please reach out to vpinternal@wmspta.org.

Morning Announcements

Keep up with the latest news that your kids are getting each morning.

Click here for the WMS Morning Announcements!

ZOOM INFO FOR TONIGHT'S PTA MEETING

Topic: WMS PTA Meeting

Time: Oct 27, 2025 07:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://zoom.us/j/98394157932?pwd=a5VfZPtesK6lYAGZW4JQP8rwJyrpMP.1

Meeting ID: 983 9415 7932

Passcode: 224110

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One tap mobile

+13017158592,,98394157932#,,,,*224110# US (Washington DC)

+16465588656,,98394157932#,,,,*224110# US (New York)

Join instructions

https://zoom.us/meetings/98394157932/invitations?signature=zspNADowc7RCUgwIV_24mMl0BHLTwdyEOaT_a0HIpxc

Click here to DONATE to the WMS PTA

PTA ANNOUNCEMENTS

2025-2026 PTA Volunteer Vacancies

The WMS PTA has several openings for the upcoming school year. Please consider signing up (with a fellow parent if you'd like!) to ensure we can support these programs and events.

Our PTA cannot function without you. Even if the none of the roles below appeal to you but you are otherwise interested in getting more involved, please reach out to our PTA President at president@wmspta.org. We would love to hear from you!

ADVOCACY AND OUTEACH ROLES

SEPTA Representative

Special Education PTA facilitates events and resourcing related to Special Education and provides advocacy and awareness for students with disabilities and special needs. Coordinates with the President and Communications VP. Meets monthly for 1-2 hours.

Volunteer Coordinator

Helps fill Volunteer positions and reports any volunteer needs. This role is busiest at the beginning of the school year.

HOSPITALITY ROLES

Most of these roles are one time events that require 2-4 hours to plan and organize.

Winter Teacher Luncheon Coordinator

Plans the Winter Luncheon that typically occurs during Parent/ Teacher conferences. Creates and manages a sign up for volunteers and donations.

Teacher Appreciation Week Committee

This committee consists of 2-3 parent volunteers to help plan and support TAW events.

GRADE-LEVEL EVENT COORDINATORS - FULL!

THANK YOU FOR STEPPING UP!

Many thanks to all who stepped up to fill the grade-level volunteer vacancies! All vacancies for grade-level coordinators are now full.

Red Ribbon Week Events - Through Oct. 31

WMS has planned a week of events from October 23 – 31 to heighten awareness along the theme of Life is a Puzzle. Solve it Drug Free.

During this week, Substance Abuse Counselors and School Counselors will help promote a drug-free and healthy lifestyle for our students. Students will have the opportunity to participate in activities during lunch on October 28th, participate in theme days and enter a poster contest!

Monday, October 27: Wear Red Day – Wear Red to symbolize your commitment to a drug-free life.
Tuesday, October 28: Team Jersey Day – We’re teaming up to make Healthy Choices.
Wednesday, Oct. 29: Give Drugs the Boot – Wear your favorite boots! Together, let’s stomp out drugs.
Thursday, Oct. 30: Pink-Out – Show your support of Breast Cancer Awareness and wear pink!
Friday, October 31: Superhero Day – Dress-up as your favorite Superhero. It takes strength and courage to say no.

Williamsburg Food Bus to Assist AFA

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!

Arlington Indoor Percussion 2025–26 Season Interest Meeting - Nov. 3

Date: Monday, November 3

Time: 6:00–8:00 PM

Location: Yorktown High School Band Room

Arlington Indoor Percussion will host a brief 30-minute interest meeting to learn about the upcoming season, including schedule, expectations, goals, clinics/auditions, and more.

An optional introductory clinic will follow from 6:30–8:00 PM, giving students a chance to explore instruments and meet the staff.

Can’t attend? Email the directors to express interest:

Peter Ketcham-Colwill (peter.ketchamcolwill@apsva.us)
Nancy Hooper (nancy.hooper@apsva.us)

YHS Dance Team Hosting Junior Dance Team Clinic - Nov. 4

Come and join the Yorktown Dance Team for a day of dancing at the Junior Dancer Clinic on Tuesday, November 4.

Dancers will learn skills and technique as well as a mini dance routine.

Click here to access our SquadUp page to learn more and sign up for this exciting event!

Message from Helping Hands Community Service Club of Williamsburg - Next Mtg, Nov. 5

Helping Hands is Williamsburg Middle School’s community service club.

Helping Hands was started by WMS students in 2021, and continues to be led by students.

We will meet once/month in the library, and we will plan and execute projects to help our community. Next meeting is Nov. 5.

We welcome parent volunteers - please indicate whether you would be willing to help with a project at some point this school year! Click here if you can help out: HELPING HANDS OF WILLIAMSBURG.

Thank you!

Molly Wolff, Helping Hands sponsor

Parent of 6th grader

Molly.wolff@gmail.com

YHS Crew Winter Conditioning - Open to 8-12th Graders - Registration and Open House Info

WINTER CONDITIONING REGISTRATION ENDS NOV. 10

Registration for Yorktown Crew winter conditioning is now available through SportsEngine.

Click here to register.

-Nov. 10: Registration for winter conditioning will close.

-Nov. 17: Winter conditioning season will begin.

Click here for more information on the Winter Conditioning Season.

OPEN HOUSE NOV. 1

YHS Crew will host an Open House/Learn to Row/Green Day for interested 8th-12th graders on Saturday Nov. 1, from 8:30am-10:30am (weather permitting).

This event will take place at our boathouse, Thompson Boat Center (TBC). Please plan to meet at the Yorktown Crew tent set up near TBC. Interested parents are welcome to hang out - we will have board members and returning parents available to answer questions. To register for this Open House/Learn to Row/Green day, click here.

"Growth" Speaker Series for Parents and Professionals - FREE Admission - Nov. 12

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...

Growing Up in Public - Nov. 12

Devorah Heitner, PhD, Author of Growing up in Public: Coming Of Age In A Digital World and Screenwise: Helping Kids Thrive (and Survive) in Their Digital World

CLICK HERE for more information and to register.

PTA Reflections Contest Deadline - Nov. 21

October is National Arts and Humanities Month.

Celebrate the arts by encouraging your Wolf to participate in the Reflections program. Learn more about this year's program.

Submit entries online by Friday, November 21.

Visit the Williamsburg PTA website for more information on how to submit artwork and student

Email ReflectionsWMSPTA@gmail.com with any questions.

WMS GENERAL INFORMATION

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.

APS & COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS AND EVENTS

Upcoming APS Community Engagement Opportunities:

School Board Accepting Applications for Advisory Councils for the 2025-26 School Year

The School Board Advisory Councils and Committees provide valuable input on the APS decision-making process. Click here to learn more.

Arlington Community Events:

APS Extended Day in Hiring!

Extended Day provides students a safe, enriching, and fun environment before and after school. Learn more and apply here to be an aide, trainees or program supervisor.

More at: Community Engagement Opportunities with automatic translation into: Español Монгол አማርኛ العربية (Other languages)

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