3/13/26

Dear Western families,

Well, I was right about two things. First, that snow in the forecast was almost certain on our Teacher-Student basketball game day. And more importantly that the staff would be victorious against our students. I couldn’t quite believe it when I saw snow in the forecast and then actual snow falling on my way home from the game. The weather gods are playing some mean tricks on us. After 3 beautiful days, they felt like we had enough. Our students put up a good fight with the staff, but as I told you, we believe in teaching the students how to handle losses in sports, so no mercy was given. It was a really fun afternoon and the staff, students, and parents had a great time.

It was so wonderful to see how happy the students were on Monday when we told them they could go outside, because the snow was gone from the turf field finally. They stared at us in disbelief at first when we told them, and then the excitement set in. It was the first time I have ever seen the large cafeteria completely empty at recess time, because all the kids went outside. Hoping we get back to that nice weather soon.

A reminder that registration for spring sports closes on Friday, March 27th. Please see the instructions below. We hate when a student wants to try out but their registration is not complete. Please reach out to the main office if you are having difficulties with registering.

Have a nice weekend.

Suzanne

Monday, March 16, 2026: AVID 7 to Drew University
Monday, March 16- Friday, March 20, 2026: Kindness Week
Wednesday, March 18, 2026: K-8 Conferences, Early Release, 1pm Dismissal
Friday, March 20, 2026: PTA Comedy Night, Knights of Columbus, 6:30pm
Monday, March 23, 2026: GPS District Art Show Open Reception WMS, 5:30pm-7pm Greenwich Arts Council 299 Greenwich Ave Greenwich, CT 06830

Western’s Kindness Week

Next week, we will be celebrating Kindness Week at Western. Our students will be completing an activity in Advisor Base to show their gratitude for those at our school who take care of our school and students. All week our students will be recognized by the staff for their acts of kindness towards when they see acts of kindness. Students will also be able to nominate others for acts of kindness as well. Our goal is to reach 1,000 Acts of Kindness by the end of the week. You will see a large thermometer in our front hallway tracking our progress. We will end the week celebrating World Down Syndrome Day. The theme will be "Rock Your Socks" and students and staff will be asked to wear mismatched socks. It is sure to be a great week!

Mid-Quarter AVID Awards

On Thursday, our students completed progress monitoring in their combined ABs to reflect upon their performance so far this quarter and set goals. Please check your child's planner and sign it, so we know you have reviewed it with your child. The students also attended their team's AVID Awards assembly, where many students were awarded for the wonderful student behaviors they display in school. Below are pictures of some of the team's award winners.

MANDATORY D.C. PARENT MEETING

Parents of 8th graders attending the DC trip this May are required to attend our VIRTUAL parent meeting on Wednesday April 15th at 6:30pm. You will receive a separate email from Ms. Traina with the Google Meet link.

This meeting will include information on medical forms, what to pack, itinerary updates, and more!"

Western Debate Team Success

On Saturday, February 28th, 343 middle school debaters from 20 schools competed in the CT Middle School Debate League’s first ever all extemporaneous tournament. Students debated 3 of 5 motions, including: "This House regrets the existence of Valentine’s Day" & "This House opposes the narrative that the primary purpose of education is to secure employment.'

Western had 3 teams present: Juliette Otten, Olivia Koblik, and Nina Savel competing in the Open Division, winning 2 of their 3 rounds; the powerhouse siblings Naaman, Matthew, and Maddy Varghese winning 2 of their 3 rounds & the dynamic duo of Lauren Coppel alongside Vivienne Esquenazi competing in the Novice Division. Highlights include Juliette Otten finishing 4th out of 343 debaters in speaker points, only 1.5 points behind the top speaker, Naaman finishing 13th in the Novice Division, while Nina Savel ranked 61st in the Open division & Maddy 75th in Novice out of 343 in their first-ever tournament! Of the 118 teams present, Otten/Koblik/Savel finished 13th overall in Open & the Varghese siblings finished 19th in Novice.

Our next tournament will be held at Central Middle School in Greenwich on April 25, 2026. The prep ahead topic will be: “This House would make buses in New York City free”.

All Western students are welcomed to join our Debate Team. Our March meetings resume on 3/19, 3/23, 3/24, 3/30, and 3/31.

A Peek at the WMS Art Show

Western's opening night of our Art show at Byram Shubert Library was a success. The students' work was exceptional and will be on display from March 9th through March 27th. Enjoy some pictures from the event.

Unexpected Aspen App change

Some parents have shared with us that their view of Aspen has changed on the App and it is not very user friendly. We reached out to our portal support, but they cannot change it as it was an update by Aspen. To get to a view you are used to seeing, select the person icon in the upper-right corner, and then select View Full Site.

Don't Miss the Middle School Skate Night Tomorrow Night!

WMS students will take the ice with friends from CMS and EMS for a fun evening of skating and school spirit.

Saturday, March 14th

Dorothy Hamill Ice Rink

8th Grade: 7:45pm - 9:15pm

$8 Entry; $6 Skate Rental*

$1 Chuck-a-Puck

CASH ONLY AT THE DOOR!

Skate Rentals are limited, bring your own skates if you have them.

Waivers need to be signed prior to skating.

Western’s Next Comedy Night is Here!

Get ready for a night of big laughs! Enjoy performances from Angel Rentas, Davey Lozano, and Howie Mason, three incredible comedians bringing the fun to Greenwich. Grab your seats online and support WMS with an unforgettable night out.

Date: Friday, March 20

Knights of Columbus

37 West Putnam Ave, Greenwich, CT

Doors Open: 6:30 PM • Show Starts: 7:30 PM

Tickets: $40

SpongeBob - Raffle Baskets, Concession and Cast Party Donations

The WMS Theater’s production of The SpongeBob musical is fast approaching (March 27th and March 28th) and we are currently preparing for the themed baskets we will be raffling off during all three shows as well as collecting snacks for the concession stand. If you didn't get a chance to participate in our Garden Catering or Popcorn fundraisers and/or still want to support the Theater Club, please consider donating an item listed on our SpongeBob Sign Up Genius using this link. Please contact Mariana Bellenot (mariana_bellenot@greenwich.k12.ct.us) with any questions.

Thank you for your continued support of our cast and crew!

Theater Club Candy Grams

Candy Grams for actors/actresses/crew members in the The SpongeBob musical will be available for pre-sale starting Monday March 16th and will continue until Friday March 27th by the front entrance of the school from 7:30-8:00. Each candy gram will include a small treat and a personalized message written by you! They will cost $2.00 each and will also be available for purchase before each of the three performances on March 27th and 28th.

Western’s Career Day Needs Your Help

We are still looking for volunteers to present at our Career Day on Friday, April 17, 2026 from 8:45 am -11:45 am. We are inviting parents, relatives and family friends into the school to share their experiences with our students. If you are interested in presenting, please complete this WMS Career Day Presenter Sign Up Form.

If you have any questions about the event, please email Kimberly Matarese (kimberly_matarese@greenwich.k12.ct.us)

Camp Scholarships for Greenwich Children

Greenwich Department of Human Services Fund has a Campership Program, which provides summer camp scholarships to income-eligible Greenwich children. It helps Income-eligible Greenwich children attend one of 10 local day camps or a Connecticut sleepaway camp.

Learn more or donate Here

Greenwich Youth Conservation Project Employment Opportunity for 8th graders

The GYCP Application Link was sent out this morning to all GPS students in Grades 8, 9 and 10. Students can earn $275 this summer working on town properties across 2 weeks ( Session 1: June 22-July 2 | Session 2: July 6-July 16| Session 3: July 20-July 30| Session 4: August 3-August 13). GYCP offers teens their first job opportunity where they learn teamwork and practical life skills, while enhancing the town’s environment and making new friends from all over town. GYCP is a 2-week work session spent digging, planting and maintaining Greenwich parks and properties. This program is overseen by the Greenwich Department of Human Services and Parks and Recreation.

Students have the entire month of March (deadline March 30th) to apply. Group interviews will take place in April. Families will receive the decision in late April or very early May. They will accept applications for their waitlist beyond March for students who did not get them in on time, as they do remove many many students every year from the waitlist due to change in summer plans.

Registration for WMS SPRING SPORTS is closing soon!

A reminder that the deadline to register for Spring sports in Final Forms is Friday, March 27th. NO registration will be accepted after March 27th.

Even if you have previously registered for Final Forms, you MUST log in and choose a Spring sport and make sure that your child's physical forms are updated prior to March 27th. The only form accepted is the CT-HAR.

For those who are new to Final Forms, click on the Parent Playbook for directions on how to register in FinalForms. This guide will walk you through each step, making it easy to register your student-athlete for winter sports. If you require any support during the process, scroll to the page bottom in FinalForms and click “Use Support.”

A parent or legal guardian must create an account first and then add your children. When adding your children, you must use their Greenwich Public School email. Once this is done and verified, and a sport is selected, then both parent and student must log in to fill and sign their document. If you have any questions or encounter issues during the registration process, there is a “Get Help” button at the bottom of the page.

If you have any questions regarding registration, please email sportsphysicalwms@greenwich.k12.ct.us

PTA Supply Refresh Kits

Running out of pencils, post-its or other school supplies for your child ? Well, don’t worry. Our wonderful PTA has supply refresh kits available. Here are the details:

$8 package includes:

1 dozen pencils,
1 dozen pens (blue and black)
1 pack of 100 Index Cards
1 pack of 100 sticky notes.

(LIMIT 90 ITEMS - WHILE SUPPLIES LAST)

Individual Add-ONS while supplies last:

$2: One Lined paper Spiral Notebook (LIMIT 20)
$2: One Graph paper Spiral Notebook (LIMIT 20)
$3: One Pencil Pouch (assorted colors) with 2 Erasers (LIMIT 20)

You really can’t beat that deal! An email will be sent to all families that purchase refresh supplies with the date to pick up the ordered supplies in the office beginning March 17th. Use the link below to order a supply refresh kit:

https://westernmspta.membershiptoolkit.com/form/m/371604

SUPPORT THE CLASSIC BOOK DRIVE

A reminder that the Classic Book drive begin next wee;. The Greenwich High School Latin Club and Student Government Events Subcommittee are leading the drive. Donation bins will be located in the main office, and all donated books will be given back to families and teachers who are looking for classic books to read in the classroom and at home. Examples of books to donate:

● Books by E.B. White, Lois Lowry, John Steinbeck, Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, etc.

● Charlotte’s Web

● The Outsiders

● The Hobbit

● The Chronicles of Narnia

Nominate a Western Difference Maker

A reminder that this year only one staff member from each school will receive the Difference Maker Award each month. I am asking for our staff and parents to help in nominating staff for this award. If you or your child believe one or more staff members make a difference in our school community or in your own lives, please use this link to nominate them and explain why they are deserving of this award.

Parent Community Resources

Here is the Parent Community Resource document we created with MANY, MANY community resources to support parents and students at Western. Please take the time to review it in case you find yourself in need of some support for you, your child or family.

English

Spanish

After school activities

Here is our after-school Club Catalog. Take a look with your child to see what they may want to get involved in. Remember, they are FREE!

Homework Hubs

Below are the Homework Hubs for each grade-level team and World Language teachers.

8th grade: Orange Green

7th grade: Purple Yellow

6th grade: Red Blue

World Language

What's Happening at Western