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Williamsburg Middle School PTA Newsletter
October 28, 2024
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From the Williamsburg Middle School PTA
Greetings Williamsburg Families,
This is the last week to submit your feedback to the APS created cell phone survey for middle and high schools. APS wants feedback from students, staff and families on the current cell phone policies in secondary schools.
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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 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.
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
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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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Halloween Spirit Week - THIS WEEK
This is Halloween Spirit Week.
- Monday is Pumpkin Orange Day.
- Tuesday is Creepy Pajama Day.
- Wednesday is Spooky Accessory Day.
- Thursday is Halloween Costume Day.
Guidelines from WMS: And if you are dressing up, there are some important guidelines that you need to follow. Basically, costumes must conform to the WMS dress code, not offend anyone, no weapons, no masks, nothing inappropriate — and everything else you see on your screen. And if you’re not sure — err on the side of caution and DON’T WEAR IT! Or, ask an administrator. Thanks for understanding, and have a Happy Halloween!!
You can keep up with what is happening at WMS through their daily announcements posted here.
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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!
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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!
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Fall Fest at Williamsburg - Need Volunteers and Donations! - Nov. 8
Help make Fall Fest fun for students! Donate time or items to the WMS Fall Festival by visiting the link below.
Click here for more information and to sign up!
The WMS students will 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)
Please contact Amy Rzepka at events@wmspta.org if you can help!
We need volunteers and donations to make this event great for our students. Please consider donating and/or volunteering for the event!
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National PTA's Reflections
Start creating your Reflections entry in response to the 2024-2025 program theme, Accepting Imperfection! Think about what the theme means to you and respond - Draw or paint a picture, take a photo, make music, make a movie, create a dance, write a story or poem – the choice is yours! Visit https://wmspta.org/national-pta-reflections/ get started today!
Students of all grades and abilities are encouraged to participate and submit entries and student entry forms online by Friday, November 22, 2024.
Quick Links
Questions? Please contact Amy Weinberg, WMS Reflections Chair, at ReflectionsWMSPTA@gmail.com or 443-927-6638.
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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
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Williamsburg MS - Arlington Food Assistance Center (AFAC) Food Bus Program
WMS's AFAC Food Bus program is back, and we need lots of student and parent help! Each school day, students are asked to place unopened and/or unused food in a dedicated AFAC fridge or bins in the cafeteria, which is transported to AFAC (by parent volunteers - sign up here!) 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. Last school year, we donated more than 1,500 lbs of food to AFAC that would have otherwise been thrown away!
We need parents to help by transporting the food from WMS to AFAC (2708 S Nelson St, Arlington, VA 22206) at the end of the school week (usually Friday afternoons). In case you missed the Sign Up Genius above, here is the link again! It is SUPER easy, a great lesson for our children, and it feels good to help our community!
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WMS Fall PE Gear
Deadline to order is November 19, 2024.
Deliveries are expected before winter break and will be distributed to the students by the PE department.
Orders may be submitted via the Williamsburg Middle School Fall 2024 page.
Size charts and material are available for each item.
All sales are final.
WMS PE Store
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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.
Sixth grade girls and their moms are invited to a mother daughter dinner and a movie outing the evening of Monday, November 4.
Please contact Liz Milans at pehickam@yahoo.com for more information and to get registered by Wednesday, October 30. Thanks!
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:
APS School Board Meetings:
November 14, 7 p.m., at Syphax Education Center or click to live-stream.
December 12, 7 p.m., at Syphax Education Center or click to live-stream.
APS Option School, Programs and Transfer Application and Lotteries Information Session: Mon, Oct 28 at 6 p.m. Link will be posted on the School Options page.
Application open Mon, Nov 4 at 8 a.m., and will close on Fri, Jan 24, at 4 p.m.
APS 2024 School Bond:
On November 5, Arlington voters will decide whether to approve $83.98 million in school bonds. This is a critical investment in the future of our students, staff and schools. This bond ensures our schools remain safe, functional and equipped to meet the evolving needs of our community. For more information please visit Engage with APS.
Arlington Community Events:
Additional events online at: Community Engagement Opportunities
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.
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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. | | | | |
