WMS Bulletin
01-06-20 Faculty and Staff
Our first full week of 2020
Hello,
Tough Pats loss yesterday! :( What will be Tom Brady's next move...? But we still have the Celtics and Bruins to root for, and Spring Training is right around the corner! :)
Speaking of tough, last Thursday and Friday seemed like long days while we got back into our routines! I think we will be glad this week that we have those two days under our belts, and this week will go smoothly and productively! And we'll be happy in June!
I came across this funny post, "You Can't Scare Me, I Teach Middle School!" I think all of the reasons are SO true, but one that really stood out, was that "Middle school students need you: It is nice to be needed once in awhile, and those one hundred-ish students need YOU to help them figure out some of the most difficult years of their lives. How does one handle all of these shifting, crazy hormones? What do you do when your friends don’t invite you to that party? How can a human being recover when the person you shared a 100 day snapchat streak with suddenly forgets about you? Tomorrow will be a better day. You know that. You lived it yourself, and you’ve seen years of students make it through the good and the bad to grow into pretty amazing human beings. When your desk is surrounded by confused, scared, unsure tweens an hour after the final bell rings, you tell them that you believe that they, too, will make it through. You, middle school teacher, empower kids when they need it the most.
Our students definitely need all of you - and you do a wonderful job helping them every day!
Thank you!
Have an excellent week!
Duties This Week:
AM: Cafeteria / PM Waverley and Bemis: E. Cafua
AM: Cafeteria / PM Bemis and Westminster: K. Stern
AM: Waverley Entrance / PM Waverley Driveway: A. Kuzemczak
Bemis St. Crosswalk: K. Lorigan
The full Bus/Breakfast duty schedule can be found here:
Bus and Breakfast Duty Schedule
Lunch Duty this Week: None! Please keep asking around and let me know if you know anyone who might be interested! We need to fill 1-2 more spots.
**Upcoming Dates**
Jan 6 - Jan 9 - ACCESS testing - Testing Schedule
January 7 - ILT meeting 7:15 am
January 7 - Administrative Learning Walk at WMS 9:00-11:00 am (information below)
January 8 - Department meetings
January 9 - PDT meeting
January 15 - Early Release Day
January 15 - i-Ready Mathematics Diagnostic
January 15 - PD 1:00-4:00 pm
January 16 - MLK Assembly - Special schedule
January 16 - Equity event 6:00-8:00 pm WMS
January 20 - MLK Unity Breakfast
January 21 - ILT meeting 7:15 am
January 22 - Grade 8 to WHS
January 22 - Equity Leaders meeting 3:00-5:00 pm
January 23 - i-Ready Reading Diagnostic
January 27 - Mentor/Mentee meeting
Administrative Learning Walk at WMS - Tuesday, 1/7/20
As has happened for the last two years, about once a month, administrators will be going to one of the schools and visiting classrooms in groups of two or three; we went to the Lowell in November. I will be touching base with many of you to organize a schedule for Tuesday. As you know from last year, these visits will not be a surprise and they are not evaluative. I am looking forward to having others see the awesome teaching and learning that is taking place every day at WMS!
ILT Update - "Unpacking" Learning Targets and Learning Strolls Part 2
Please find an "Unpacking Cheat Sheet" HERE.
Additionally, the ILT will be doing part 2 of the Learning Strolls to see some of that "Unpacking". Please check in with one of the ILT members to discuss a good time for that to happen. You may want to have the same person as you had for term 1, or perhaps someone new. If you have any questions, please also see an ILT member. Thank you!
ILT members: Heidi, Eddie, Jason, Jim D., Meg G., Jim K., Kerri, Donna, Chris, Kellie, Karen S., Alison T.
Maintenance work at WMS over vacation
Here are the jobs which were completed:
- The cafeteria walls were painted
- The walls and lockers of the 7th-grade hallway were painted, as well as the Bemis Street entryway
- Walls on the lower level hallway were painted
- New floors were installed in the remaining five classrooms on the 6th-grade floor (the other classrooms received new floors this summer)
- Nurse Michelle's office floor was repaired
- The closet in Room 121 (new faculty lounge) was abated and the air quality tested both before and after the abatement. The tests showed good air quality
- The (very old!) safe was opened in Penelope's office. No one knows the last time it was opened, but we wanted to see what was inside, if anything, and if the 9" tiles were also on that floor as they were in the closet of 121. Inside they found a couple of flags, some old photos, and three cash boxes with a total of 10 cents in them. No records of any type were found inside. The safe does have 9" tiles which are in good condition and pose no risk at this time. A decision will be made in the future regarding abatement. Although the tiles are in excellent shape and pose no risk, the DPB conducted an air quality test on Monday (12/30). The results from the air samples, one inside the safe and one from the adjacent room, came back with results of less than 0.01 f/cc, which is below the clearance level. We will have a formal report in the next week or so.
The school looks terrific! We are looking forward to welcoming back all students and all of you in the morning!
Attendance Issues
Thank you!
Important ESL Information
Also, one new highlight is that we should have the PHLOTE (Primary Home Language Other Than English) category in Power School to say if the family requires interpretation. They have dedicated much time to marking this field. If you find that the families marked do NOT require interpretation please let Kate or me know. In the same vein, if they haven't marked someone as needing interpretation, please also let Kate or me know.
WPS Digital Learning/Library and Computer Science
Respecting one another's classes
Thank you!
No Backpacks to Period 7 please!
***They may also need a reminder by their lockers that they can't pack them up either. Taking the time to pack their bags will also make them late!***