WMS Community Bulletin 05-16-21
EXCELLENCE*EQUITY*COMMUNITY
If you are on a computer, open this in a new page. Then to translate this newsletter, click on the link to the right.
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Se você estiver em um computador, abra uma nova página. Em seguida, para traduzir esta newsletter, clique no link à direita. Se você estiver em um telefone, toque na pessoa no círculo preto para obter o botão de tradução.
(Portuguese)
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Si está en una computadora, abra esto en una nueva página. Luego, para traducir este boletín, haga clic en el enlace a la derecha. Si está en un teléfono, toque a la persona en el círculo negro para obtener el botón de traducción.
(Spanish)
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إذا كنت تستخدم جهاز كمبيوتر ، فافتح هذا في صفحة جديدة. بعد ذلك ، لترجمة هذه النشرة الإخبارية ، انقر فوق الارتباط الموجود على اليمين.
إذا كنت تستخدم الهاتف ، فالمس الشخص الموجود في الدائرة السوداء للحصول على زر الترجمة. (Arabic)
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Եթե համակարգիչ եք, բացեք սա նոր էջում: Ապա, այս տեղեկագիրը թարգմանելու համար կտտացրեք աջ հղմանը: Եթե հեռախոսով եք, դիպչեք սև շրջանի անձին ՝ թարգմանության կոճակը ստանալու համար: (Armenian)
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Bilgisayar kullanıyorsanız, bunu yeni bir sayfada açın. Ardından, bu bülteni çevirmek için sağdaki bağlantıya tıklayın. Telefonda iseniz, çevir düğmesini almak için siyah daire içindeki kişiye dokunun. (Turkish)
Watertown Middle School 2020-2021
Happy Sunday! I hope this newsletter finds you all well and enjoying the spectacular weather. It's definitely going to be warmer this week, however. Please be sure your children are coming to school with refillable water bottles to stay hydrated.
Reminders:
ELA MCAS on Thursday 5/20: Our first MCAS test this year will be this Thursday. All tests are taken on chrome books, and students are familiar with this testing structure. Each session lasts approximately one hour, however, they are given as much time as they need and we plan for a bit more time, especially on the first day so no one feels rushed. We do not want anyone to be stressed out, and have been telling them they are prepared, and they should "show what they know", which is a lot! When the test is complete, we will resume a typical school schedule.
Please remind your children they should:
Come to school on time by 8:30 am
Go to bed early and get plenty of sleep
Eat a nourishing breakfast each morning
Always work to their best ability - we all believe in them and know they will do their best!
Thank you very much. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Grade 5 to 6 transition - Thank you to everyone who attended the Information Night for Parents/Caregivers of Rising Grade 6 students last Tuesday. A recording of that meeting as well as other Grade 6 information can be found at this link on our website.
Grade 8 End of Year Events - We are continuing to plan for end-of-year events. I will be consulting with Dr. Galdston and Ms. Desmarais, as well as the nurses and the Watertown Board of Health, to confirm we can all stay safe in each event. I will also be meeting with Grade 8 teachers. Stay tuned for more information and please reach out to Gina Brennan, PTO President, with any ideas or if you'd like to volunteer at all. Her email address is: gbrennan@noonanrealestate.com
Masks Still Required: As we know, the CDC and much of the country have announced new standards for mask-wearing inside and outside. At this time, however, we are not changing our social distance or mask policies. Please continue to send your child to school wearing a mask, and if you're on school grounds, you are required to wear a mask. Please also continue to remind your children to stay safe with mask-wearing and physical distancing outside of school, especially the 8th graders - we want everyone participating in end-of-year events and no one in quarantine! :)
Please keep in touch with your child's teachers and guidance counselors if they are having a hard time at all with anything: schoolwork, homework, stress, friends, etc. Communication is always the key to helping the children be as successful as possible! :)
Please also feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. Thank you!
Please be well and take good care of one another.
Respectfully yours,
Donna Martin
Principal
Here are some important upcoming dates:
Monday, May 17 - Anti-Bias Coalition 5:00-6:30 pm Join Zoom Meeting
Wednesday, May 19 - 6:00 pm Watertown School Building Committee meeting, via Zoom to discuss the progress of the Watertown High School building project. The link to the presentation provides you with a preview of what will be discussed at Wednesday's meeting.
Thursday, May 20 - "How to Talk to Kids About Race, Culture, and Racism"
A presentation by: Dr. Kalise Wornum 6:30—8:00 pm Via Zoom
(details below)
Wednesday, May 26 - School Site Council meeting 6:30-8:00 pm Join Zoom Meeting
Monday, May 31 - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day
Testing Dates
MCAS - Testing Window May 17 - June 11
ELA - Thursday, May 20 (all grades)
MATH - Thursday, May 27 (all grades)
SCIENCE - Friday, May 28 (grade 8 only) **date change**
i-Ready - June 3 and 4
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OTHER UPDATES
Cradles to Crayons Drive! Our Project 351 ambassador, Sylvia Sakata, along with several of her friends, is spearheading this collection! The drive is going from May 10th to May 20th. They are looking for donations of new/like-new clothing for children sizes 0-14. Any donations of PJs, undergarments, socks, or masks need to be brand new. Cradles to Crayons support families struggling to pay rent and buy groceries and often can't afford anything else. There is a large box in the front of the school ready for your donations, or send in donations with your students - they are having a homeroom competition!
Please email me with any questions, concerns, or input you may have. As always, we will work together as a community! #wmsstrong
Take good care of each other,
All my best,
Donna
Let's Talk About Equity : How to Talk to Kids About Race, Culture, and Racism - May 20
You are invited to an empowering presentation, "How to Talk to Kids About Race, Culture, and Racism", given by Dr. Kalise Wornum. This presentation is the first of a three-part series for parents on race and racism. Dr. Kalise Wornum is an Educational Consultant at KW Diversity Inc. Earlier in her career, she served as the METCO Director in the Wellesley Public Schools and currently collaborates with districts and communities across Massachusetts supporting their equity work, including Watertown. We are pleased to invite parents and caregivers to this excellent event.
The presentation will be held via Zoom from 6:30-8:00 pm on Thursday, May 20.
“AstroPoetry Project”, students worked in groups on a Jamboard to generate post-it notes with words or phrases describing an image.
Grade 6 Science!
Student Dress Code Reminder
With students coming back to school full time on April 12, we wanted to remind all students and families about the WMS Dress Code as published in the WMS Handbook. Please review this with your child(ren). Thank you!
Student Dress Code
Students’ clothing/dress should reflect their readiness to focus on learning, education and hard work. We recognize that students express themselves in many ways as young adults, but at the same time, school attire should support the scholarly culture that leads to academic success.
Student clothing should be neat, clean, and worn in the manner for which it was designed. If a student is out of dress code, he/she will first get a verbal warning and be asked to change. If the student can’t find appropriate clothing, he/she can use our stock of Watertown athletic clothing as an alternative. If it is a second or repeat offense, the student will be referred to administration for disciplinary action.
Students are expected to adhere to the following guidelines while in school, or while attending a school-sponsored event or field trip:
No clothing or accessories with inappropriate or offensive symbols or statements shall be worn. Some examples include but are not limited to:
References to drugs, tobacco or alcohol
References to discriminatory slurs
References to violence
Sexual connotations
Head coverings shall be worn in the case of religious or health reasons.
Chests, stomachs, buttocks, and all undergarments should be covered at all times. Undergarments should not be visible at any time.
All clothing, including shirts, tops, dresses, pants, shorts, and leggings, must be completely opaque (not see-through).
Clothing must be free of holes, rips, and tears that are inappropriately located.
Night clothing, including but not limited to pajamas, slippers, etc. may not be worn.
Administration reserves the right to evaluate the appropriateness of student dress when needed.
We will evaluate the dress code on an annual basis to adjust for cultural trends
Weekly Learning Plans
Grade 6 Website and e-Learning Plans - click here
Grade 7 Website and e-Learning Plans - click here
Grade 8 Website and e-Learning Plans - click here
If you have any questions, please email (or have your student email) the teacher.
Thank you!
**EMERGENCY ALERTS**
Watertown Middle School
Email: donna.martin@watertown.k12.ma.us
Website: https://wms.watertown.k12.ma.us/
Location: 68 Waverley Avenue, Watertown, MA, USA
Phone: 617-926-7783
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/watertownms/