Welcome Back!

Dear JMS Families,

My hope is that you have had a restful summer filled with wonderful times with your family and friends. Along with the JMS staff, I welcome new and returning students and their families to the 2023-2024 school year. Teachers and specialists have worked hard this summer on curriculum, setting up classrooms, and planning enriching learning experiences for students. It is going to be a rewarding year filled with active teaching and learning.

The first day of school for Johnson Middle School students will be Wednesday, August 30th. There will be NO SCHOOL Friday, September 1st, and Monday, September 4th. Our doors open for arrival at 7:35 AM. Each day will begin with morning homeroom that begins promptly at 7:45 AM. All students are expected to be in their assigned homerooms at that time. Being on time for school is essential as it sets the stage for a successful school day. Research shows that attendance is an important factor in student achievement. Any student who arrives after 7:45 AM will be marked late. The school day ends at 2:30 PM. Parents/guardians are asked to contact the main office if their child will not be in attendance for the start of the school day. You can email Ms. O'Leary, Administrative Assistant, at loleary@walpole.k12.ma.us or reach her by phone at (508) 660-7242.

More information regarding the start of school will be sent out as we get closer to opening. Please click HERE for the 2023-2024 WPS calendar.

On behalf of the JMS teachers and staff, we look forward to our partnership and collaboration with you for a successful year for your child(ren).

Thank you,

Carrie Ruggiero

JMS Principal

Homeroom Assignments and Schedules

JMS homeroom assignments and class schedules will be posted in the Aspen X2 system on Monday, August 21st. If any of classes list more than one teacher's name, the first name listed is the primary teacher for that section. Please note, that the scheduling process will continue to be fluid through the start of school and some student schedules may be updated. We appreciate your understanding and patience. Schedule decisions are made after careful consideration of your child’s learning style, receiving teaching styles, instructional groups, social-emotional development and individual student need. It is a thoughtful process made by a team of teachers and specialists with my final approval. I appreciate, in advance, your understanding of the process of these final class schedules and homeroom assignments.

6th grade students will receive their login credentials the first day of school.

Go to this URL: ma-walpole.myfollett.com

JMS Staff Update

We have a few new staff members joining us at JMS and a few exciting role changes for some. Please join me in a warm welcome as they begin their educational journey at JMS and across the district.

Mr. Jesse Alling, Music Teacher

Ms. Marissa Gentile, Social Worker

Ms. Mia Quirini, Moderate Special Needs Teacher

Ms. Meredith LoRusso, Social Studies Teacher

Ms. Julie Slotnick, School Nurse

Ms. Lian Lam, English as a Second Language Teacher

Ms. Anne O'Malley, Media Specialist

Ms. Kathleen Frattasio, French Teacher

Chromebook Insurance & Repair Information

Even the most careful students sometimes have accidents with their Chromebooks. That's why Walpole Public Schools offers optional Chromebook insurance for students in Grades 6-12. Without insurance, repairs for accidental damage will be charged for the cost of parts. These costs can add up! Typical costs (subject to change without notice) may be:

Screen repair/replacement: $45
Damaged AC Adapter (charger): $35
Keyboard replacement: $50
Full replacement cost of Chromebook: $240
Other types of repairs, or more complex or additional damage found during repair may incur higher repair costs

Please click here Chromebook Insurance for more information.

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Summer Reading Program

Learning is a lifelong journey! Reading is a skill needed in everyday life and in every content classroom! The goal of the Middle School Summer Reading Program at Bird Middle School and Johnson Middle School is to foster a love of reading that will promote curiosity, build vocabulary, spark conversations and encourage empathy towards others. Reading over the summer also aims to prevent the "summer slide" so students can maintain, or even improve, the academic gains that were made during the months of September to June. Before students leave for the summer, they will select a book from a Summer Reading list during one of their ELA classes. Teachers will be sharing an extensive BOOKFLIX presentation with the students so they can make informed decisions. Students are encouraged to be active readers and engage with the text by taking notes, using sticky notes, or filling in the note-taking sheet. These documents will NOT be collected but can be used during the BOOK CLUB discussions in the Fall. You can learn more about the Summer Reading program and see the list of books by visiting the MS Summer Reading site.

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Summer Math

Rising 6th Grade Summer Math:

Welcome to Johnson Middle School! Don't forget to complete the summer math packet that your 5th grade teacher gave to you. If you need another copy, a pdf version is available on the grade 6 google classroom page.

We will be providing Google Meets over the course of the summer for support with teachers. I have included a link to a calendar that will list the times the Google Meets will be held. (Note: the calendar will be frequently updated over the course of the summer.) Feel to reach out to Ms. Masterson jmasterson@walpole.k12.ma.us (Johnson Middle School math coach) or Mr. Ridolfi jridolfi@walpole.k12.ma.us (Walpole Mathematics Department Chair) with any questions. Have a great summer!

Rising 6th Graders Summer Math.pdf

Rising 7th, and 8th Summer Math:

Students were given an assignment in Delta Math to complete over the summer. Students signed up for the assignment based on the level of the math class they will be taking in the fall. If a student did not sign up, all of the necessary information is still available in the grade based google classrooms.

We will be providing Google Meets over the course of the summer for support with teachers. I have included a link to a calendar that will list the times the Google Meets will be held. (Note: the calendar will be frequently updated over the course of the summer.) Feel to reach out to Ms. Masterson jmasterson@walpole.k12.ma.us (Johnson Middle School math coach) or Mr. Ridolfi jridolfi@walpole.k12.ma.us (Walpole Mathematics Department Chair) with any questions. Have a great summer!

Summer Math Teacher Support Calendar

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JMS Sneak Peek

JMS Sneak Peek for incoming Grade 6 students will be held on Wednesday, August 23, kicking off at 8:30 AM and running until 12:30 PM. There is a $30 event fee for this program that can be paid by cash or check. If you have not already done so, please click on the following link to register for the JMS Sneak Peek 2023.

Registration is not complete until payment is received. Payment can be made by sending a check or money order made payable to the Town of Walpole to the JMS Main Office. Scholarships are available. Please contact Louise O'Leary at loleary@walpole.k12.ma.us, if financial assistance is needed.

Students will be engaging in many activities that will help ease the transition to middle school. Students should wear comfortable clothing and sneakers, as some of the activities will include movement. They are also encouraged to bring a snack and a drink. There is no need to bring paper or pencil, however - We will wait until September to give any actual assignments or schoolwork!

Parent pick-up will take place at 12:30 PM. Parents should park and wait in the VFW lot next to the school. Students will be escorted to that location for dismissal. Lastly, the school nurse will be available on the day of Sneak Peek between 8:30 AM - 11:30 AM, for parents who need to drop off medications.

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Medications

As a reminder, students are not permitted to bring medications into the building. If your child requires the administration of medication during the school day or the use of specific medical devices, including Epipens, please make arrangements to drop them off directly to Nurse Pollender. Mrs. Slotnick is available for medication drop off on Tuesday, August 29 from 9:00 AM to 2:30 PM and can be reached at jslotnick@walpole.k12.ma.us or by phone at (508) 660-7242. Please remember that parents, not students, must give medications directly to the nurse.

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50th Annual Walpole Road Race Labor Day, Sept 4th

Registration is now open! Don’t miss this historic event! Sign-up now for the 5K, 10K, or highly-popular Youth Mile. All proceeds support the 200+ athletes in the Walpole High School Cross Country and Track & Field programs. Each race participant will receive a finisher’s medal. Can’t join us live? No problem. We have virtual editions for both the 5K and 10K races. For additional information and to register online, please visit www.WalpoleRoadRace.org. Thank you for your support. See you on RACE DAY!

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Stay Connected to SEPAC

SEPAC is a Special Education Parent Advisory Council. All parents of children with disabilities and other interested parties are welcomed to participate. Please note the following contact information for Walpole’s SEPAC. Co-Chairs are Sue Pace and Deborah Mulroy. The SEPAC can be reached by email at walpolesepac@gmail.com. Follow us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/walpolespedpac. Notices of future events can be found in our weekly newsletters.