WMS Connections Program

Alexis is reaching new levels of success everyday. He is a joy to have n the classroom! His teachers and classmates enjoy his presence, his humor, and his ability to make everyone smile, daily!

The 8th grade will be taking a field trip to the Boston College Campus and Conte Forum Arena on Tuesday, December 13th. Students will leave WMS at 10:00 AM, and return to WMS a roughly 2:30 PM.

Students will travel to Boston College by school bus and upon arrival, will tour parts of the campus and attend a Women's Basketball game featuring Boston College Eagles vs. Eastern Kentucky Colonels. Students will eat lunch in the Conte Forum Arena during the game, so please pack your child a lunch or they can order a grab-and-go lunch from the WMS cafeteria before they leave. There will not be an option to purchase lunch at Boston College.

Permission slips to attend have been sent home. In interested in attending please return the permission slip by Tuesday, December 6, 2022. The cost for each student is $15.00.

If you need financial assistance for this trip, let either Mr. Thomas Cloherty (8th Grade Guidance Counselor know by December 6th.

ALL CHECKS OR MONEY ORDERS ARE MADE OUT TO THE CITY OF WATERTOWN. Please no cash payments

Rather than taking i-ready mid-year diagnostic assessments in ELA and math classes, we are going to try having a whole-school special schedule for i-ready midyear diagnostics. We intend to have a special schedule on those first days back from Winter Break. In the afternoons on those days, we will have all classes for a shortened period of time. We will share a specific bell schedule in the coming weeks.

Our dates are a little earlier this year.

• i-Ready Reading: January 3

• i-Ready Math: January 4

• Students who need to finish: WIN block January 5-6

The MCAS testing schedule has been set. Please add these dates to your calendar. We have also scheduled an infrastructure trial, which will also give students a chance to practice navigating the MCAS platform including using the calculator for math.

• Infrastructure Trial: Friday, March 10
• ELA: Wednesday, April 12 and Thursday, April 13
• MATH: Monday, May 15 and Tuesday, May 16
• SCIENCE (Gr 8): Tuesday, May 23 and Wednesday, May 24

ALICE drill Follow Up:

WMS held an Alice drill recently, it is the first time many students have done these types of exercises in the past couple of years and we recognize the challenges that arise from these exercises. Practicing for situations we hope never arise helps us be prepared for emergencies that may arise at school or in our daily lives.

Fire Drill Follow Up:
Last Friday, (12/2/2022) WMS held an unannounced fire drill during a transition time. The fire department was present to assist with the drill exercise. We are happy to report that all connections students were successfully able to leave the building promptly, following in-place procedures, and following teacher directions. Great work everyone!

Bus Evacuation Drills to come:

WMS will be working with the bus company to conduct bus evacuation drills in the coming weeks. As students may use the bus for field trips this year, all students need to participate in this drill.

Many symptoms of COVID-19 are the same as the flu or a bad cold and it is important not to assume that symptoms are due to another condition. The collective health of the Watertown Public Schools community relies on individual attention and shared responsibility.
Below is the full list of symptoms for which caregivers should monitor their families.

❏ Fever (100.0° Fahrenheit or higher), chills, or shaking chills
❏ Cough (not due to other known cause, such as chronic cough)
❏ Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
❏ New loss of taste or smell
❏ Sore throat
❏ Headache when in combination with other symptoms
❏ Muscle aches or body aches
❏ Nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea
❏ Fatigue, when in combination with other symptoms

❏ Nasal congestion or runny nose. When in combination with other symptoms

POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES

Self-isolation for COVID-19 positive cases is a minimum of 5 days - regardless of vaccination status.If a student tests positive for COVID and they are asymptomatic, they may come back on day six.

The tips and resources below will help you learn about actions you can take to protect yourself and others from getting sick and help stop the spread of illnesses.

1. Avoid close contact: Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.
2. Stay home when you are sick: If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. This will help prevent spreading your illness to others.
3. Cover your mouth and nose: Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with flu cough, sneeze, or talk.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth: Germs can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
   
5. Practice other good health habits: Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill. Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.
6. Clean your hands: Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.

• Handwashing: Clean Hands Save Lives

Source: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/prevent/actions-prevent-flu.htm

• December 14: Early Release PD Day: Day 12:30pm dismissal with grab n go lunch
• December 14: PTO Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)
• December 26-January 2: Winter Recess - No School
  

• January 3: School Site Council (7:00pm, virtual)

• January 11: PTO Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)
  

• January 13: PD Day - No School
  

• January 16: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - No School

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2022-2023

Please always email both teachers when reaching out to the Connections Program:

Mr. S - alex.strongin@watertown.k12.ma.us

Ms. Kelly - erika.kelly@watertown.k12.ma.us

Alex and Erika can be reached between the hours of 8:00 - 3:30 on school days. Email is our preferred method of communication. In the event of an emergency, you can always contact the Main Office at 617- 926-7783.