Wilson Wildcats

Dear Wilson families,

October has been a full and exciting month at Wilson Middle School! We continue to focus on helping students grow academically, strengthening our school community, and building consistent expectations for positive behavior. Through our classroom instruction, advisory lessons, and school wide efforts, we are working to ensure that students feel connected, understand their responsibilities, and have the support they need to succeed. We appreciate the partnership of our families as we work together to create a school environment where every student can learn, grow, and feel a sense of belonging. In this edition, you’ll find updates, upcoming events, and important reminders from across Wilson.

Natick Code of Conduct

Wilson Handbook

Halloween at Wilson 🎃

We look forward to celebrating Halloween at Wilson on Friday, October 30! Students are welcome to wear costumes to school, keeping in mind that safety and learning remain our priorities. Masks or costumes that prevent staff from identifying students will not be permitted. Please ensure that all makeup and costume accessories are applied at home before arriving at school. Costumes should be comfortable and appropriate for the school day, as students are expected to participate fully in classes and regular activities. Please leave any costume accessories that resemble weapons of any kind at home. We look forward to a fun and festive day filled with creativity and school spirit!

Best,

Teresa Carney
Principal

A Few Important Reminders

Student Pick-Up Reminder

For the safety of all students, please remember that all student pick-up must take place along the side of the building near the gym. This applies to both end-of-day dismissal (approximately 1:45–2:15 p.m.) and after-school pick-up (3:00–4:15 p.m.).

Please use the designated pick-up area and remind your child to remain in the appropriate location while waiting for you. Students should not cross through the parking lot to meet vehicles. Following these procedures helps keep our students safe and ensures a smoother pick-up process for everyone.

Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us keep the Wilson community safe!

Reminder: Drinks at School

As a reminder, energy drinks and coffee beverages, including Dunkin’ drinks, are not permitted at school. These beverages can be high in caffeine and sugar and can impact students’ focus, behavior, and ability to learn throughout the day. Please help us reinforce this expectation by ensuring students leave these drinks at home before coming to school. Water is always a great choice for staying hydrated throughout the school day. Thank you for your support and partnership!

Chromebooks: Students in all grades should bring their Chromebooks to school in their protective cases each day. Students in Grades 7 and 8 should make it a routine to charge their Chromebooks overnight so they arrive at school ready to learn. Please help your child develop this habit at home.

Being On Time & Being Here: Regular attendance and arriving to school on time are important to student success. We encourage families to make every effort to have students in school each day and on time. Of course, students should stay home when they are sick, particularly with symptoms such as a fever, vomiting, or a stomach bug. When students are healthy, however, being present and on time helps them stay connected to their teachers, classmates, and learning.

After-School Clubs & Sports

We are excited to have our after-school clubs and sports up and running! There are many great opportunities for students to get involved, try something new, spend time with friends, and build connections beyond the classroom. Please be sure to review the current club offerings here, as well as the late bus schedule. Most of our clubs are drop-in, so students can attend on the days that work for them unless otherwise noted.

A few important reminders for families: Students must have an active bus pass in order to ride a late bus. Students who remain after school must also be participating in a supervised activity and must be with an adult. Students should not be wandering the building or staying after school without adult supervision. Additionally, our school phone expectations remain in place during after-school activities. Cell phones and smart watches should not be used during clubs, sports, or other after-school activities. We have landlines available in the main office for students who need to contact a parent or caregiver, so students can always call home when needed.

On September 16th, we were lucky enough to have Ed Gerety, an inspirational speaker, share his motivational message with our students. At the end of the day, we gathered in our Advisory groups where we reflected on his positive messages of leadership, gratitude, and kindness. Ed’s book entitled, “Shine Your Light: Navigate Your Way to a Life You Love,” inspired our essential questions, “What does shining your light mean to you?” and “What’s one way you can shine your light this week?” In their advisory groups, students created small posters with ideas on how we can shine our light to make Wilson a better place.

We're pleased to announce that we will be offering Intramural Unified Bocce for Wilson student-athletes this fall. In order to participate all student-athletes MUST register on Arbiter before participation. Here is a link for step by step directions on registration. Intramural Unified Bocce will be on 11/4, 11/9, 11/16, 11/18 & 11/23 (times will vary). We will also be offering Intramural 5th Grade Basketball for Wilson student-athletes this fall. In order to participate all student-athletes MUST have a signed Consent Release Form emailed to Coach O'Leary (edoleary@natickps.org) before participation. Intramural 5th grade Basketball will be on 11/5, 11/10, 11/12, 11/17 & 11/19 from 2:15-3:00. Information for Winter Sports will be in the next Newsletter. Here is a link to the Wilson Athletic Website for more information on all sports at Wilson. Feel free to reach out to Mr Shute or a Wilson Coach if you have any questions.

There will be a free Introduction to Wrestling Clinic for any Wilson student-athletes that want to try Wrestling . The 5th & 6th Grade Clinic will be on Sunday, October 25th from 10:00 to 11:00 am at the Natick High School Gym. The 7th & 8th Grade Clinic will be on Sunday, November 1st from 10:00 to 11:00 am at Natick High School Gym. Please pre register at NatickWrestling.com. Reach out to Coach Jungschaffer if you have any questions.

Do you have expired or unused medications, vape pens, or e-cigarettes? Drop them off for free at Prescription Drug Take Back Day so these items can be disposed of properly and safely. The process is quick, easy, and anonymous - no questions asked. For questions and more information, contact Natick 180 at natick180@natickma.org. To find a drop off location near you, visit https://www.dea.gov/takebackday.

What's New from Spark Kindness?

Join Spark Kindness for an interactive event, Building Executive Functioning Skills, with nationally recognized executive function expert, educator, and speaker Sarah Ward. Participants will learn how to support young people in organizing materials, managing time, breaking tasks into manageable steps, creating effective routines, and taking greater ownership of their responsibilities.

For parents, caregivers, educators, and community members who support children and teens of all ages.

Monday, October 26th from 7-8:30pm at Kennedy Middle School in Natick. Learn more and register for FREE HERE.

Please ensure you are reviewing our daily school lunch menus on Natick Nutrislice to view full ingredient lists and allergen warnings for your child.

• Check Daily: Always review item details on Nutrislice before your child orders lunch.

• Pay Attention to Warnings: If an item displays the note "Incomplete Special Diet Data," full ingredient and allergen information is currently unavailable for that menu item.

• Safety First: Students with food allergies or sensitivities should not consume any menu item marked with "Incomplete Special Diet Data."

Thank you for partnering with us to keep all our students safe during mealtime!

Active Kids and Minds (AK+M) is a 12-week before-school program beginning in the third week of September. Students will meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:05–7:35 a.m. for a fun, active start to the day through games, team challenges, and fitness activities. Please print and complete this registration form if you are interested in having your child participate and return to the main office. We will start on Tuesday, September 22.

Click here for important Wilson Health Services Information

One of the best parts of the school day is giving students a chance to step outside, get some fresh air, and connect with friends. Our Laps program provides that opportunity after lunch, and we are looking for parent/guardian volunteers to help make it happen.

Volunteering is a simple way to be part of your child’s school day and support our students. Even a small amount of your time makes a difference!

If you are interested in helping with Laps or would like more information, please sign up here:

Laps Volunteer Sign-Up

You also must have an up to date CORI filled out. If you are unsure of your CORI status, please contact jholihan@natickps.org. For the success of the program and the safety of the students, we need at least 3 volunteers for each lunch. Each volunteer stands at a designated area outside of the school to supervise students as they walk/run around the building for fresh air and a movement break, weather permitting.

As we settle into our school routines, we also want to remind families about a few important arrival and dismissal expectations:

• Please be on time for school. Students should arrive with enough time to enter the building and be ready for the start of the school day. Arriving on time helps students begin their day calmly and avoids missed instruction.
• Drop-off: Please use the designated drop-off area and follow staff directions. Students should exit the car safely and promptly so traffic can continue moving.
• Pick-up: Please use the designated pick-up area and follow the directions of staff supervising dismissal. For everyone’s safety, please do not pick students up in areas that are not designated for dismissal.
• Please drive carefully: There are many students, families, buses, and staff moving through the area at arrival and dismissal. Please slow down, remain patient, and follow all posted signs and staff directions.

Music lessons have begun! If you have not yet signed up and are interested in music lessons, please visit the Natick Music Lesson Program site for more information and registration details. Natick Music Lesson Program

If you have any questions for members of the Board, please contact us!

wilsonmspto@gmail.com

President - Dianne Borneo

Vice President - Melinda Casey-Magelby

Treasurer - Aili Lewis

Communications Director - Amber Rauh

Restaurant Night Coordinator - Christine Adelmann

Staff Appreciation Coordinator - Divya Chekki

Student Events Coordinator - Crissy Fabiano

Wednesday, November 4:

Picture Retake Day