WMS Summer Newsletter

Dear WMS Families,

Walpole Middle School's Grade 8 Volunteer Leaders were honored for their dedication, leadership, and role in guiding Middle School student tours at the School Committee meeting last night. In their final summer days, these students generously volunteered their time to help incoming classes adjust to the new school environment. They warmly welcomed the new students and provided informative tours of the school. We deeply appreciate their commitment, effort, and enthusiasm. We would like to thank the following students for their efforts:

Lola M, Gabrielle B, Roma B, Elizabeth S, Rithvik Y, Riya K, Shannon. H, Lila Z, Zachary W, Colbie J, Amairaa F, Brooke W, Anvita M, Kerriann M, Yikeirys T, Abigail N, Madeleine S, Dev S, Aisling S,

Norah F, Amelia C, Gray M, Kayleigh A, Lyla D, Alessia A, Ella P, Ainsley K, Asiyah J, Norah L, Brodie G, Edward B, Laher M, Daliylah H

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.

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.

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.

This week, Mr. Connor sent out a newsletter addressing Student Support and Chronic Absenteeism. School attendance is critical, as he emphasizes: "Students who attend school regularly tend to achieve at higher levels than those who do not."

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.

As one element of our focus on school safety, Walpole Public Schools has partnered with the Walpole Police Department to provide critical incident training for all staff and students in ALICE procedures. ALICE is the acronym for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, and Evacuate. WPS administration and Walpole police officers worked together to provide age appropriate training for our students.

I wanted to take a moment to express our sincere gratitude to the PAC for their incredible support at the start of this school year. From the pizza lunch to the snacks in the teachers' lounge, their thoughtfulness has truly made a difference in helping our staff settle into the new school year. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated and supportive parent community behind us. We are also excited to invite you to our first PAC meeting of the year, which will be held at Walpole Middle School on October 8th at 7:00PM . We look forward to seeing many of you there as we work together to make this a fantastic year for our students. Thank you once again for all your continued support.

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

We are just a few short weeks away from Walpole's 300th Anniversary Parade! The Parade will kick off on October 5th at 11am from the Norfolk County Agricultural High School and proceed up Main Street to the Town Common and then turn and proceed up Common Street to Walpole High School which will allow for 2 miles of viewing. Downtown we will have food trucks around the common. Join us as we watch bands and performance groups from around the region celebrate our hometown.

The 300th Committee is also looking for additional floats from Community Groups, as well as antique autos which would like to participate in the parade. Check out Walpole300.com for more information.

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