WMS Summer Newsletter

Parents are asked to send a note to the office if their child is going to be dismissed during the school day for an appointment. If a student does not have a note to bring to school, parents should complete this Google Form in order to alert the office of their upcoming departure. In addition, we ask that you complete this form at least two hours prior to dismissal, so our staff can be prepared. If you are dismissing multiple students at the same time, please complete the form once for each student. Thank you for your help with this.

Please park in our dedicated visitor spaces when dropping off your student or picking them up during non-standard arrival and dismissal times. These spaces can be found to the left of our building, by entering via Washington Street and continuing straight past staff parking. Once you have parked, you may use the sidewalk to access the front door of our building. Please do not park where student drop-off and pick-up is on the other side of the buidling.

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.

We are excited for families to have the opportunity not only to tour our new state-of-the-art facilities but also to meet our incredible staff and hear about all the amazing curriculum and exciting happenings at our school. We are especially eager to share how our new, cutting-edge environment is enhancing student learning and engagement every day. Due to parking constraints as we finalize the second phase of construction on the parking lot, we have adjusted our Back-to-School Night schedule to better accommodate everyone. The 6th Grade Back-to-School Night will now take place on Monday, October 28, and we will hold a combined 7th and 8th Grade Back-to-School Night on Tuesday, October 29 , both from 6:30 to 8:00 PM. Please note that these events are for parents and guardians only. More details about the format will be shared as the dates approach. Thank you for your patience and understanding, and we look forward to welcoming you soon.

As we continue to settle into the new school year, I want to remind everyone of the importance of ensuring that your child charges their Chromebook each night. It is essential that students come to school each day with a fully charged Chromebook, ready for their classes and activities. Please note that the Chromebook will go back and forth with students each day, but the charger should remain at home. This routine will help ensure that the device is always ready for use at school and reduce the risk of chargers being misplaced or forgotten. Thank you for your support in helping our students be prepared and successful.

Please complete this form for your 6th grade or any newly enrolled child(ren) in Grades 6 through 12. One form for each child.

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

Did you know that the Walpole Middle School has a new account on Instagram? You can find us at walpolemiddleschool. Be sure to follow our account to see announcements, information, and scenes from WMS.

The Walpole Public Schools Music Department is pleased to announce the fall session for our Private Lesson Program for students in grades 4 - 12. If your child is interested in taking private instrument or voice lessons, here is your chance. Lessons are offered in flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone horn, tuba, piano, percussion, violin, viola, cello, guitar and voice. All lessons are taught by accomplished performers on their respective instruments. Some lessons are currently being taught virtually.

Session 1 will run September 23 to January 31. Registration is open until Monday, September 16th.

For more information and to register, visit:

https://sites.google.com/walpole.k12.ma.us/wpsmusic/private-lesson-program/overview

For questions, email:

Tim Fleming (K-12 Music Coordinator) at tfleming@walpole.k12.ma.us

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