WMS - BACK TO SCHOOL INFORMATION

Dear Wilmington Middle School Community,

Welcome to Wilmington Middle School, where every day is a great day to be a Wildcat. I am Mr. Caira, and I am so thrilled to be part of your middle school experience. As a lifelong Wilmington resident, a Wilmington High School graduate, and a member of the inaugural 7th grade class at Wilmington Middle School, I cannot begin to express my passion for this community, and specifically for this school. In 2010, I began teaching English Language Arts to 6th grade Explorer students and continued to do so for ten years. This will mark my sixth year as an administrator and second as principal.

Please know that my door is always open, and if there is ever anything that I can do to help make your middle school experience more enjoyable or more successful please do not hesitate to contact me. In the years ahead in middle school, you'll probably feel frustrated, disappointed, and maybe even experience failure at times. Know that these moments, whether a single mistake or a tough test, do not define your potential. Middle school is a time for exploration and growth, and mistakes are valuable lessons. So, be brave enough to take risks, always ask questions, commit to working hard, offer encouragement to your classmates, and above all, remember to have some fun.

Know that we, your middle school team, are here to support you every step of the way. Please don't hesitate to take advantage of the assistance we offer. We are committed to creating an environment where every student feels secure, comfortable, and thoroughly prepared for all that lies ahead. With that, I welcome you to Wilmington Middle School. I hope you learn to love this place as much as I do.

-Mr. Caira

Many of you have purchased your school supplies for the year; however, we would like to make a recommendation for at least the first couple of days of school. Please take a moment to ensure you have the following items with you:

• Charged Chromebook: Make sure your Chromebook is fully charged and ready to go. This essential tool will support your digital learning experience and help you stay connected in class.

• Writing Supplies: Remember to bring one pen and one pencil. Having these basic writing tools will ensure you're ready to take notes, participate in discussions, and complete assignments.

• Notebook: Bring a single notebook to jot down important information, ideas, and concepts shared during class. This will help you keep your thoughts organized and enable you to review the material later.

• Folder: Carry a folder to keep your papers and handouts organized. Staying organized is a great habit that will make finding and referencing important documents easier.

While having these essentials for an effective day of learning is important, please note that you only need to bring our recommendations above for the first couple of days. We encourage you to minimize your load and carry only what is necessary to keep your backpack manageable.

Everyday, students should arrive at WMS and go to their first period class. If you need to go anywhere different than what your schedule shows, your teachers will instruct you and show you the correct way to go. For now, please remember that as you arrive and enter the building you should be going to your first period class.

Here is the Blue and White Day calendar for the rest of the month. Please remember that if the school has to close for any reason (ex. snow day) the blue and white days will shift. For example, if the school is closed on a B1 day, the following school day will then be the B1 day.

Please note that there may be some changes on special days, but this schedule will let you know when your class periods start and finish (and most importantly when your lunch is)!

A copy of your student's schedule will be available on your Aspen home page. Please follow the directions below:

1. Please log in to Aspen at https://ma-wilmington.myfollett.com and stay on the Home Page.
2. You can view the schedule live by going to the Family top tab then Schedule side tab (parents/guardian accounts) or My Info top tab then Current Schedule side tab (student accounts).

If there are any scheduling concerns please fill out the form below. We will be tracking concerns and addressing them as soon as possible. We're confident that any and all scheduling conflicts will be resolved before school starts.

Every year, administration works conjunctively with our counseling staff to balance our houses across all three grade levels. House assignments should be considered FINAL as they appear on your child's schedule. If you would like to discuss the house assigned to your child you may reach out to Mr. Faircloth or Mr. Murray.

Please know that we are working through the schedule corrections, but it may take some time as there are many requests. We ask for your patience during this time.

If you are having problems with Aspen, we have included the email address to ask for help and a link to the Aspen Frequently Asked Questions section of our website.

It is required that you complete your Aspen Parent Portal submission for your WMS student(s). This information is vital for the following reasons:

• As an accurate communication method between the school and the student's families
• In the event of an emergency, to have the most up-to-date information
• For the care and treatment of your child(ren) by the school nurses if they are ill or have an injury

Please take a few minutes to complete your Aspen Parent Portal submission

If you are experiencing any difficulties, we suggest that you use the following resources to help you:

Dedicated Aspen Help email: aspenhelp@wpsk12.com

*when emailing Aspen Help, please include your child(ren)'s name so they can quickly locate your record/account.

On most students' schedules you will see WIN (What I Need) blocks. These are dedicated periods designed to provide targeted support and intervention for students. These blocks will encompass a variety of activities and services aimed at meeting the individual needs of our students. Students who are to receive IEP services such as Learning Centers could see those in place of the WIN block.

We believe the WIN block will support our students and foster a positive learning environment. This initiative underscores our commitment to addressing the diverse needs of our student body and promoting their academic success.

This year, all 6th-grade students will begin with Exploratory Foreign Language during the first semester. Taught by one of our four World Language teachers, this course will introduce students to the three languages we offer: French, Italian, and Spanish.

Toward the end of the first semester, students will rank their language preferences. They will then be scheduled for one of the three languages for the second semester, which is why there's a current placeholder in every 6th-grade student's second-semester schedule. Please note that not all students will receive their first choice.

We understand that some students may not have received their first choice for World Language. We want to assure you that every 7th-grade student was placed in at least their second-choice language.

Please find an overall list of the type of supplies that will be needed. Your students' teachers will be providing specific information at the beginning of the school year.

Please note that WMS will be providing agenda books to each student at no cost!

At Wilmington Middle School, we've set up a dedicated Google Classroom for each grade level. These virtual classrooms are where students can access their assignments and stay connected with their teachers. Below, you will find the links to each grade level's Google Classroom.

PLEASE ENSURE YOUR STUDENT JOINS THE APPROPRIATE GROUP FOR THEIR GRADE

*please note the Google Classroom is for students only

Wilmington Middle School will be hosting an in-person Open House for our students and families on September 4th. More information will be coming regarding the details for this event.

Students and families should plan on arriving at WMS between 7:55AM and 8:05AM. If students arrive early, they will need to wait outside by by the three doorways for the Middle School: Challenger Door; Main Door; and Explorer Door (#1, 2, and 3 in the diagram above). Each doorway will be accompanied with staff members and will be open to allow for an easier entry.

Dismissal will start at 2:30PM. Please avoid arriving too early as it can cause a backup in traffic.

Our busses will be dropping off and picking up students in the traditional area in front of our school. We ask that you refrain from dropping off in the front of the building as it disrupts our bus drop-off.

All car drop off and pick up will be in two locations:

• There are no designated spots for students for drop-off or pick and you can choose which drop off and pick area you would like: either at the West parking lot or the Challenger Door side.
• For car riders using the Challenger Door: cars will be dropping off their students on the Challenger side of the building. Cars must enter Carter Lane from Shawsheen Avenue (Figure 1 in the diagram).
• For car riders using the West Parking Lot: cars will be dropping of their students in the West Intermediate parking lot. Cars must enter Carter Lane from Boutwell Street (Figure 8 in the diagram).

Regardless of which location you are designated to use, you are directed to take a RIGHT when leaving and go out the way you came in. This is intended to prevent the following issues:

• Traffic gridlock;
• Extended drop-off and pick-up times;
• Blocking the flow of the bus traffic; and
• Provide the safest scenario for our students.

Parents or guardians picking up their students should pull their cars up as far as possible. Please do not stop and let your students in or out unless you are all the way up. Picking up your students further down will only cause more backup and have students crossing in front of cars.

Picture day is coming! You can purchase photos online through the Lifetouch website using the Picture ID #EVTKZBQJB.

All orders can be made online, but paper copies of the order form are available upon request.

If childcare is holding you back from attending Town Meeting, there are options to make participation easier!

You must be a registered voter to check in to the Special Town Meeting on September 13, 2025.To check your voter registration, click here! The last day to register to vote is September 3, 2025

Check out this flyer for the childcare option details and for a link to RSVP

Date/Time:

• Tuesday, 7/22/2025 at 6:30pm
• Tuesday, 8/19/2025 at 6:30pm

Location: Hybrid (see below)

In-person: WHS, Large Group Instruction Room, 159 Church Street

Zoom webinar: https://wpsk12.zoom.us/j/83577025187?pwd=cAMl4Rs4iYaPdh4DoHQTNSnWq5XMom.1

Recordings of the meetings are available on www.wctv.org

Past and current meeting documents are available on the project website.

Principal

Brian Caira - brian.caira@wpsk12.com

Assistant Principal (6th Grade)

Daniel Faircloth - daniel.faircloth@wpsk12.com

Assistant Principal (7th & 8th Grade)

Craig Murray - craig.murray@wpsk12.com

Website - www.wpsk12.com

Location - 25 Carter Lane, Wilmington, MA 01887

Phone - 978-694-6080