WMS Summer Newsletter

As we prepare for the upcoming school year, we kindly ask all families to take some time to review the Student and Parent Handbook with your child. 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. Familiarizing yourselves with these guidelines will help ensure a smooth and successful school year for everyone.

Temporary student drop-off / pick-up loop: All passenger vehicle student drop-off and pick-up traffic will enter the school site from Washington Street, take the first right before reaching the new building, and proceed around to the drop-off / pick-up point for students. The drop-off / pick-up point will be a little further down from where students where dropped off during tours. Students will now enter and exit the front entrance. Vehicles will then exit on East Street. We ask that parents/guardians kindly follow the directions given by personnel on-site to guide traffic.

With the volume of traffic and activity at this time, It is important that students are paying close attention during dismissal to quickly and safely locate their cars. Staff will review these temporary procedures with students on Wednesday.

Temporary bus exit road: At the start of the school year, all bus traffic will enter the school site from Washington Street, proceed to the left of the new building, and drop off or pick up students at the paved walkway that leads to the main entrance of the school.

Walkers/bike riders: The pedestrian paths off East St. and Washington St. will be complete for walkers and bike riders for the first day of school.

Consistent attendance is key to your child’s academic success. Each day of school builds upon the last, and repeated absences or tardiness can result in significant learning loss. On the other hand, being present and on time every day helps develop positive habits that extend beyond school and can impact future academic and professional success. We ask that you please schedule trips and vacations during designated school breaks. Planning travel outside of these periods can lead to missed instructional time, which may affect your child’s overall progress. We fully recognize the value of family time and vacations and appreciate your efforts to balance these with educational commitments by aligning your plans with school breaks. By doing so, we all contribute to a positive and uninterrupted learning environment. Please see the school year calendar for reference below.

We are excited to introduce and welcome several new members to our school community this year! These talented educators will be joining us in various roles, and I know they’ll bring great energy and expertise to our team.

Please join us in welcoming:

Ms. Liza Farquharson, will be teaching Spanish.

Ms. Christine Cantrell, will be teaching math connections on the sixth grade blue team.

Ms. Erin Flynn, will be teaching science on the seventh grade orange team.

Ms. Bridget O’Connor, will be joining us as an ESP.

Ms. Shannon Graziano, will be joining us as Special Education Team Chair.

Ms. Kaelen Larocque, will be teaching ELA on the seventh grade green team.

Ms. Cassidy Mahoney, will be teaching ELA on the eighth grade blue team.

Mr. Andrew Lancellotti, will be teaching science on the eighth grade blue team.

Ms. Maureen Erwin, will be joining us as an ESP.

Mr. Charles Woods, will be teaching both technology courses and math.

Ms. Christine Ryan, will be joining us as an LTS MSN

Mr. Philip Savoy, will be joining us as an LTS math teacher on the eighth grade blue team

We’re thrilled to have them on board and look forward to the fresh perspectives and ideas they’ll bring to our school.

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

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 the school Nurse. The nursing office is available for medication drop off on Tuesday, August 27 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM and can be reached at jslotnick@walpole.k12.ma.us or sludwig@walpole.k12.ma.us or by phone at (508) 660-7226. Please remember that parents, not students, must give medications directly to the nurse.

*WMS floor plan that was reviewed with students in June.

• Bus registration for the 2024-25 school year is open. ALL parents and caregivers who want their students to ride the bus MUST register for school bus transportation. Register online at www.myschoolbucks.com. Bus applications received after July 7th will be placed on a waitlist in the order they are received. If you prefer not to register online, please complete the registration form and mail it to Walpole Public Schools, 135 School Street, Walpole, MA, 02081, Attention Transportation Office. Please make checks payable to the Town of Walpole. If you have questions, please contact Kim Poirier, Transportation Coordinator, at wpstransportation@walpole.k12.ma.us or 508-660-7200, Ext. 5276.

Please be sure to visit the Virtual Backpack for upcoming events such as:

Principal

Website: https://www.walpole.k12.ma.us/o/wms
Location: 625 Washington Street, Walpole, MA 02081
Phone: (508) 660-7226