JMS Update

The Middle School Building Project is on-time, on-budget and moving along very well. Recent building photos and videos can be seen on the middle school webpage. The community is encouraged to visit the webpage and reach out to the Middle School Project team with any questions or comments via email at middleschoolproject@walpole.k12.ma.us.

To streamline the transition of the consolidated middle school, there will be two additional early release days, exclusively for middle school students, on Friday, June 7th and Tuesday, June 11th. This allocation of time will allow staff to efficiently transfer all materials from both Bird and Johnson to the new Walpole Middle School by the end of the school year. It's important to note that these early release days apply solely to middle school students.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Best,

Carrie

Dear Parent/Guardian:

Starting Tuesday, March 19, our school’s health staff will begin a health screening called SBIRT for students in grade 7. SBIRT stands for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment. SBIRT is used to screen for alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, and other drug use. This health screening is required by Massachusetts law.

This screening takes about 5-10 minutes. School health staff will have one-on-one conversations with students. They will ask students about alcohol, nicotine, tobacco, or other drug use over the past year. Staff will then talk with each student about how to support their overall health, safety, and success in school. If the student needs more assessment or support, health staff may work with the student and/or their parent/guardian.

Please note:

· Screening results are recorded. No information that could identify a student is kept (for example, name or date of birth).

· Screening results will not go into the student’s school record.

· Screening results will not be shared without the permission of the student or their parent/guardian. However, results may be shared in the case of immediate medical emergency, or when required by state law.

As with any school health screening, you can opt your child out of this process. Students themselves may also choose not to take part. If you do not want your child to participate in this screening or you have questions, contact JMS nurse Julie Slotnick at jslotnick@walpole.k12.ma.us by the end of the school day 3/18/24.

Thank you,

Julie Slotnick, MSN, RN, CPNP-PC

508-660-7242

We wanted to keep you posted on the timeline for 8th-grade students in the transition process.

By March 14th: Grade 8 teachers make student placement recommendations for academic courses. If your child lacks the teacher recommendation and the prerequisites for a desired course, you will need to complete the “course request waiver” which will be in X2 with the verification email that is sent on April 22nd. Students may only waive into a maximum of 2 classes and must be within 10 points of the required average in order to waive into that class.

March 15th: Counselors meet with students in classes to briefly review the high school curriculum again, to demonstrate how to choose their electives in X2, to guide students with elective choices and help answer questions students have at this time. Instructions will also be emailed to parents to help with this process at home. Prior to the deadline, counselors will continue to meet with students in small groups and individually to help with the course selection process, as needed.

March 26th: Deadline for grade 8 students to select elective courses in X2.

March 27th - April 8th: Counselors will review course selections to make sure students have done this process correctly and work with students who need to make corrections. Once this process is complete, the WHS counseling department will send home an email for parents to verify the electives selected by their children.

April 22nd: Course Verification and waiver email sent to parents to e-sign and request waivers, if applicable.

April 26th: Waiver deadline.

You can visit the interactive program of studies site to get an understanding of the difference between class levels (CP2, CP1, and Honors) as well as to help your child review the different electives available to them as freshmen.

As we plan for the upcoming school year, we understand that some families may be considering different education options other than Walpole high School. Please complete this form only if your child is planning on attending a school other than Walpole High School.

As we begin the transition process, we welcome any questions regarding course selection. Please also note that the high school department chairs or school counseling department can answer questions pertaining to the in-depth content of the courses.

If somebody kidnapped your least favorite teacher, would you want her back? In an award-winning comedic tale loosely based on O. Henry's classic story, Casey and Tim nab their demanding English teacher to avoid having to take a test, but they find that no one wants her back! It's bad enough that she corrects the grammar in their ransom note and makes them rewrite it, but when the captive teacher assigns them a research paper on famous kidnappings in history, the young kidnappers find themselves doing more school work than ever! Meanwhile nobody takes the new principal (a former student of Ms. Dowers') seriously, a high strung ex-Marine corporate exec turned housewife runs a PTA bake sale fundraiser with military precision, a Star Trek- obsessed custodian works frantically to keep the crumbling building ship-shape, and the football mascot believes himself a real Viking warrior with his sassy cousin from Brooklyn, as his Valkyrie-in-training. Great characters and sharp humor make this loose adaptation of O. Henry's classic Ransom of Red Chief a delightful choice for any audience.

Join us in attending the JMS Drama production of, The Ransom of Miss Elverna Dower, on March 21st and 22nd, JMS Auditorium, 7:00 - 9:00 P.M.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Click this link, to purchase tickets.

Please note, students must be accompanied by a parent (No more than 4 students per adult). Unaccompanied students will not be allowed into the auditorium. Remaining tickets will be available for purchase at the door.

Thank you for kindly providing staff a sweet treat and lotto ticket once again this year! It made everyone's day!

As part of our celebration of neurodiversity and in honor of World Down Syndrome Day, students and staff are encouraged to wear blue and yellow on Thursday, March 21. You could also choose to wear mismatched, crazy, or colorful socks. Why socks? The idea is to start a conversation, so when people ask you about your socks you can tell them, “I’m wearing them to raise awareness of Down syndrome."

The JMS Yearbook Committee is looking for help from the parents of Grade 8 students. They are planning to include a section of baby pictures in this year's memory book and are hoping to get electronic versions of your favorite photos from when your 8th grader was just a wee little tyke. Parents of 8th grade students: please send in a baby picture (the picture can be a toddler or early elementary if you prefer) of your child for the yearbook. You can email the picture in .jpg or .png format to awyman@walpole.k12.ma.us

• For the class of 2028 (current 8th graders) - Walpole High School is currently accepting applications for the STEM Academy Class of 2028. All information including the online application can be found by visiting WHS STEM Academy. The deadline to apply is May 17, 2024. Students should contact their current technology teacher or Mr. Braccini at jbraccini@walpole.k12.ma.us with any questions.

We are excited to offer the LIT (Love, Inclusion and Trust) program, a series of workshops and discussions for middle and high school students that aim to highlight identity development, student leadership, build self-confidence, and provide advocacy skills. Because this is being offered to both Boston and resident students, our goal is to provide them with a safe space to build relationships amongst their peers as we continue to strengthen the Walpole School Community.

The LIT program for young scholars is presented by Jamele Adams. Scholars of middle and high school levels will engage in workshops and discussions that build self-esteem and community pride.

This program will be held at the designated middle school from 2:35 - 3:30 P.M. and at the high school from 2:10 - 3:00 P.M. on the days listed below.

There will be a sign up sheet in the main office of each school as well as a google form will be sent out for students to sign up.

Dates of the program:

April 22nd - Johnson MS

Joint Walpole Middle and High School - connection and LIT elevation/celebration - Date TBD

Please feel free to reach out with any questions.
Atisha Winslow

Walpole METCO Program Director K-12

Office: (508) 660-7257 ext 5234

Students and Staff are encouraged to participate in the following Spirit Days:

Friday, 3/15 - Wear Green to celebrate St. Patrick's Day!

Friday, 3/22 - Walpole Pride Day

Friday, 3/29 - NO SCHOOL

For many people, the one thing more terrifying than death is public speaking. For those people—imagine being a participant in the Johnson Middle School Spelling Bee, one that is broadcast virtually around the entire school and into all of the classrooms. Imagine walking up to the podium and hearing the teacher call out a strange word most people have never heard before.

“Spell affenpinscher,” the teacher says.

For JMS eighth grade student Elaina Shobin, she not only knew how to spell this word correctly (and knows the word is a type of dog breed), but she also was not afraid of the moment. Rather, she had been preparing for this moment—and for the JMS Spelling Bee since she was in the sixth grade.

Her journey to becoming JMS Spelling Bee Champion started in the sixth grade when she first expressed interest; unfortunately, she signed up too late and missed the qualifying round. As a seventh grader, she finished in fourth place behind some talented eighth grade students. This year, since many of the prior competitors moved on to high school, she thought she had a chance. With her preparation, Elaina won the Johnson Middle School Spelling Bee on February 2, and qualified for the Regional Spelling Bee on March 5.

One of the organizers of the JMS Spelling Bee competition, Christine Svendsen, was particularly impressed by her performance.

"As an eighth grader, Elaina was determined to win the Spelling Bee. She worked hard and put forth her best effort. I was thrilled to see it all paid off as she spelled the winning word!" Christine Svendsen said.

To prepare for the competition, Elaina studied often with her friends—about an hour a day for the school competition and about 2-3 hours each day for the regional competition. For studying, her friends (especially her friend Maggie O.) and her family members quizzed Elaina about words in person or via Facetime. When her friends or family were unavailable, she took matters into her own hands and recorded herself saying the hardest words aloud. She then replayed the recordings and spelt the word out loud. In preparation for the regional spelling bee, she even had to study over her February vacation to learn the spelling and definitions of new words.

“It was stressful with a lot of pages to study—about 40,” she said.

Besides spelling, Elaina has many other interests. She participates in Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance form. Elaina also plays the violin in the JMS orchestra and the western piano outside of school. She takes virtual art classes and international virtual tutoring classes. Elaina even sings in her free time too. Last Saturday, March 9, she performed Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” at a concert in Attleboro, through the program Kane. Elaina also likes to work out every day by running or doing pilates. In the future, she would like to be a doctor.

“I’d love to be a pediatrician when I grow up because I love working with kids,” she said.

An only child, Elaina was born in California, and after moving to both Pennsylvania and Quincy, MA, her family moved to Walpole right before third grade. Her family migrated from India, and she goes to India for vacation in the summer every other year for about 2-3 weeks. As a student, Elaina really likes biology and human anatomy.

Looking back on her educational experience in Walpole, Elaina highlighted the impact of her third-grade teacher, Ms. Torigian.

“Since I was nervous about the new school, Ms. Torigian came to my house, told me how the school worked, introduced me to people, and helped me get used to the new school, and she was overall a really nice teacher,” Elaina said.

Although Elaina may have been nervous when she first moved to Walpole, her success with the JMS Spelling Bee and her other hobbies certainly shows that with hard work, she can achieve anything.

Many Walpole students have been accepted into various honor music ensembles. These students had successful auditions and earned the opportunity to participate in festivals including the SEMMEA Senior and Junior Districts Festivals, MMEA All State Festival, and SEMSBA Senior and Junior Festivals. Festivals consist of a day of intensive rehearsals on the first day, followed by a second day with dress rehearsals and a culminating concert. The School Committee and Administration is proud of their dedication, hard work and commitment to excellence!

Student who were accepted into Jr./Sr. Districts and Jr./Sr. SEMSBA were recognized last night at School Committee, including JMS students, Reese T. and Alexander N.

The countdown is on! Just two weeks from Saturday, our young resident and Metco Program scholars will be competing in this year's Tenacity Challenge. It will take place at Bedford High School, Saturday, March 23, 8:00 A.M. - 2:15 P.M. There will be four different events: The Math Quiz Bowl, Literary Challenge, Leadership Activity, and The STEM Challenge (which we took first place last year!). Good luck to our participants from Bird and Johnson Middle School! Thank you and hope to see you there!

This year's participants are:

JMS- Nick F.-Z., Alyce S., Sariah B., Jaszmyn C., Yikeris T., Annabel R., Kerriann M. and Roma B.

BMS--Shanice V., Camila S., Madyson R., Kejuan C., Nylanie M., Zoie P., Diana N., and Mariam B.

JMS Music Ensembles perform at the elementary schools to showcase all the music program has to offer!

Be sure to read the latest newsletter from the JMS Counselors:

Counselors' Corner Newsletter

Please click HERE for the 2023-2024 WPS calendar.

March- Women's History Month

March 22 - Early Release Day

March 21 & 22 - The Ransom of Miss Elverna Dower Play

March 29 - No School

April 12 - Full Day of School

April 15 - 19 - April Recess

Term Ending Dates:

Term 3 - 1/23/24 - 4/3/24 (due to snow day)

Term 4 - 4/3/24 - 6/12/24

Each term is 45 days long

Planning is underway for the MCAS statewide assessments. While we will make adjustments should unforeseen circumstances arise, these are the projected dates for testing. Make ups will take place on the days immediately following each administration.

Walpole Public Schools are continually committed to developing an atmosphere of trust among our parent community, in our ability to provide not only a positive and enriching educational experience, but a safe place for students to thrive too.

That is why we have partnered with Linewize, a leading global provider of online safety products and education, to create an educational hub for parents and teachers. This hub includes articles, videos, courses and more, to ensure you know how to keep your kids safe online.

Click HERE to access the hub!

This Math site for parents is designed specifically for parents and families. It offers a breakdown of the topics in each of the 8 units covered throughout the course of the year. Most of the topics have a video link built in that will offer support for students and/or parents/families when working on math at home. There is a section for each grade level course, as well as math connections. In addition, there is a section that breaks down the prerequisite skills that play the biggest role for each grade level. We hope this serves as a valuable resource for parents and families throughout the year.

Dismissals should only be for medical reasons or family emergencies. If an appointment or family event will require that a student be dismissed early from school, we ask that parents send a note to the main office, or complete the dismissal form (JMS Dismissal Form) on our Website. We will write a pass for your child to come to the office at the designated time. This will help expedite the pick up process, and more importantly, eliminate the need for us to disrupt the learning of other students by calling the classroom and interrupting the teacher. If you happen to forget to send in a note, we ask that you complete this JMS Dismissal Form. Your help and cooperation would be greatly appreciated.

Student use of cell phones in the building is prohibited. Phones and other personal electronic devices should be turned off and secured in the owner's locker during the school day. Phones being used in classrooms or common areas may be confiscated and held until dismissal. This policy also includes smartwatches. Repeat offenses may require a parent pick up from the office.

We encourage all families to review the 2023-2024 JMS Family Handbook. This document includes important information regarding the following: Absence and Tardy Policies, the Bullying Prevention and Intervention Plan, Cell Phone Policy, X2 Attendance & Grade Notifications, Floor Plan / Map, the Daily Schedule, and the Code of Conduct. The JMS Family Handbook is a linked document to make the information easily accessible for anyone.

Please click here for the latest DEI newsletter. We are thrilled to introduce our Third Edition of the WPS Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) newsletter. This platform is dedicated to fostering a more inclusive and equitable School environment and aims to celebrate the rich diversity that exists among our students, staff, and families, while also providing resources, updates, and opportunities for engagement.

All student meals (breakfast and lunch) are free of charge again this year. Breakfast Menu is available in the cafeteria until 7:45 AM each morning. You can see what's being served for lunch by checking out the Lunch Menu. Please note that students were given cards to scan at the register so the cafeteria can keep track of inventory. As an alternative to scanning, students can also punch in the

4-digit code that appears on their card.

This month, we will have a Drop-In Night for any parent/guardian of a multilingual learner who would like to stop by the high school to ask a question or share a suggestion with regard to the English Language Education (ELE) program or MLPAC.

During this time, we will also offer “Homework Help” to any multilingual learner in kindergarten through grade 12 who is currently or was formerly in an ELE program. Walpole High School students from the National Honor Society will be available to help students with their school assignments. If you would like to sign your child up for homework help, please complete a Homework Help Form for each child so we know how many students to expect: Homework Help Form

MLPAC DROP-IN NIGHT & HOMEWORK HELP

DATE: Wednesday, March 27, 2024

PLACE: Walpole High School Media Center

TIME: 6:00 - 7:00 P.M.

Please contact the Multilingual Learner Family Engagement Center at mlfec@walpole.k12.ma.us or at (508) 660-7257 ext. 5033 for further information or to request an interpreter.

JMS PAC will plan to merge with BMS PAC for the remainder meetings scheduled on:

April 9th at Johnson. 7:00pm

May 14th at Bird 7:00 pm

You can follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/JMSPAC?mibextid=LQQJ4d

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.

Walpole Cultural Council and Be Inclusive invite you to Walpole's first Holi Festival, which will take place on Saturday, April 6, 2024. Please see the flyer for details!
The event promises to be colorful, complete with performances, organic color play, an array of vendors, Indian cuisine, and much more!

If you're interested in joining us or performing at the event, we kindly request that you register via the links below.

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSf.../viewform

Performance registration: https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSftkf.../viewform...

We are grateful for your support and look forward to celebrating Holi together with you.

Please see flyers below for programs that offer valuable opportunities for children to engage in enriching activities during the April break!

This program will provide an excellent opportunity to prepare for fall sports. Featuring a mix of running activities (hill, woods, track) and strength training. Our aim is to enhance strength, flexibility, endurance, and speed. A collaboration will be made with the Recreation Department to organize a 4-week program at the end of the summer.

If you wish to sign up your child for the Walpole Track Program, please contact Antonietta O'Toole

Owner/Running Coach, Walpole MA 02081 (857)991-2330.

Principal

Johnson Middle School

Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/jms
Location: 111 Robbins Road, Walpole, MA 02081
Phone: (508) 660-7242