What's Happening at Western
Some thoughts for the starting school year
9/19/25
Dear Western families,
Well, with Buffalo Bills playing the Jets last weekend, at least one New York team was able to win a football game. It was neither of my two teams, but I will count the Buffalo victory as a win for me. I have officially hit rock bottom. On the subject of sports, last Friday ended our first season of sports tryouts. Some of your children came home excited to make a team, while some came home disappointed that they did not make the team roster. This may be the first time your child has not made a sports team. After you comforted your child with a hug or special treat, we hope that you encouraged them to use this disappointment to continue to work hard and try out again next year. They will come across many disappointments in life that are out of your control, and how they handle these disappointments and use them as motivation is most important. They will watch how you handle the situation, so please use this experience to help them learn how to best handle disappointment. We have many students who don’t make a sports team the first time, but then try out the next year and make the team either at Western or Greenwich High School. We hope they do not become discouraged and work in the off-season with the goal of trying out again next year.
I want to share an email I received from Michele Girolando Derosa, who was an ELA teacher at Western for many years. She is now teaching at Greenwich High School, and she shared what she has observed in the first weeks of school. While academics is a large focus here at Western, guiding your children to become kind, respectful adolescents who demonstrate positive student behaviors is just as important to us. This email shows
“Dear Suzanne and Erin,
I hope your year at Western is off to a great start. Now that I'm over the culture shock that comes with Greenwich High School, I'm finally starting to settle in, and I'm struck by how authentic and wonderful our Western Middle School alumni are. For the most part, it's our kids who are standing out in classes. They are "slanting," participating, and more importantly, just being friendly. Every student I see, past or present, says hi and smiles. I don't see other kids being this friendly to their teachers in the same way.
I always felt concerned that we weren't preparing our kids enough, and while I can't speak for academics yet, I think Western is preparing them to be real humans - people who are friendly, can carry out a conversation, are polite, and at least go through the motions of participating and looking like a student. I'm really proud to say I know all of our Western students and I just wanted you (and the staff) to hear this confirmation about the good job we're doing.”
If you are wondering, “slanting” is an AVID acronym that stands for specific active listening behaviors: Sit up, Lean forward, Ask and answer questions, Nod your head, and Track the speaker. We tell our students to SLANT very often!
Please keep reading, and I hope you all have a nice weekend.
Sincerely,
Suzanne
Open House follow up
For those who were unable to come to Open House, here is the presentation (Spanish copy) that our administrative team reviewed at the parent meeting before classroom visits. You will need to download the presentation to view it. Besides getting to know more about the WMS administrative team, we reviewed our AVID initiative and the school-wide systems we have in place to support your child in gaining the academic, organizational, and advocacy skills they need for high school and beyond. We also reviewed the Restorative Practice approach we use when intervening on student behavior and our process for ensuring respectful, two-way conversations take place between students and staff when any issues arise.
Bus Update and Reminders
We had a good week with buses leaving on time at 3:10pm each afternoon, and only a few days where a bus did not arrive before 8:15am. I know there are some individual issues with buses getting to a stop on time in the morning or driving by some students, so please keep emailing Kayla Coker and Dr. Jones.
You may have noticed that the entire fleet of buses are being parked at Western. We have been told that this is temporary while the district finalizes the lot the buses will be kept for the year. I am working with the district and bus company to ensure that the buses have the least amount of impact on arrival and dismissal, and that the safety of our students and staff are a priority.
Here are some reminders about riding the bus, in general:
Students are only assigned a bus if they live 1.5 miles or farther from school.
Students cannot ride on a bus unless they are assigned to it. This means that students cannot have a friend ride the bus home with them if they do not ride that bus normally.
The behavior expectations we have in school carry over to the bus. If a student does not follow the behavior expectations (stay in seat, use appropriate language, not throwing any objects, speak respectfully to all students and the driver), then they will be held accountable for their behavior. If the behavior continues, they may be suspended from riding the bus for a period of time. Students were made aware of this during an announcement this week.
8th Grade DC Trip Update
A reminder to all 8th grade parents to use the links below to register for DC. The deadline to register is October 15th. The deadline to request financial aid is October 31st.
Click here to register for D.C.!
Click here for the presentation
Click here for information on how to help fundraise for D.C.
After school activities
We have added more clubs to our Club Catalog. Take a look with your child to see what they may want to get involved in. Remember, they are FREE!
Western’s Care Closet
Thanks to the effort of our staff, donations from Harvest Time Church and a grant we received, Western was able to create a CARE CLOSET last year that provides everyday essentials for our students who are in need of these types of items. Research shows that students are more likely to attend school and thrive if they have the essential items that they need. The following items were provided to students last year:
Hair supplies, Shower supplies, Nail clippers, Deodorant, Toothbrushes/paste, Chapstick, Feminine hygiene products, Hats & gloves, Wipes, Hand sanitizer, School supplies
It was such a huge success that we are expanding the Care Closet to include new or very gently worn shoes, sporting equipment, and jackets/coats. We will open the “closet” every Thursday morning before school. Students can also visit one of our mental health staff or their school counselor if they need an item.
We are looking for donations for the Care Closet. If you are able to donate any of the items from the list, please bring them to the main office.
Garden Catering PTA Fundraiser
Enjoy an afterschool snack or dinner from Garden Catering from 2:00-6:00pm on Wednesday, September 24th for the WMS PTA’s first fundraising event. Please mention code “WMSPTA25” at the time of ordering for 25% of your total to be donated back to our school!! Easy dinner preparation for you and some needed funds for our PTA.
Leadership Opportunity: Greenwich Junior United Way Expands to Middle School
The Greenwich Junior United Way (GJrUW) is now accepting middle school students for the first time! This established program has successfully served high school students for years and offers an excellent opportunity for your child to develop leadership skills while making a positive impact in our community.
Through weekly meetings (starting on 10/1 from 5:30-6:30) and student-led initiatives, participants gain valuable experience in project management, public speaking, community service, social responsibility and more.
There are several ways to participate even if your student is unable to attend weekly meetings. There will be opportunities to volunteer and take initiative on individual projects!
This program is perfect for students who would benefit from additional leadership opportunities and want to connect more deeply with their community. If you think your child might be interested in joining GJrUW, please fill out the form in the attached link for more information about this exciting new opportunity.
There is an Open House on September 24th to hear more about the program. This will be a great opportunity to learn more about the program, meet staff, and ask questions. Please email Robert Moore at rmoore@greenwichunitedway.org to confirm a seat for the Open House.
Use this link to register for the program. There is no limit to the amount of students that can participate.
Attendance Line
When your child will be absent, coming in late to school from an appointment, or needs to be dismissed early, please call the attendance line at (203) 531-5678 prior to 8:45 am and leave a message. Please be sure to include your child’s name, grade and the reason for their absence, tardy or dismissal.
Important Forms to Complete!
Please complete these important forms and have your child return it to their Advisor Base teacher. The second form is optional.
Authorization for Medical Care Form (English / Español) This form must be completed and submitted in order to provide emergency medical treatment.
Press Publicity Permission/Denial Form Please complete if you do not want your child’s picture to be taken for any press publicity. If you do not complete one, we will assume we have permission to include your child in pictures.
Free & Reduced Lunch Applications
Please complete the applications below if you qualify for Free and Reduced lunch. Please have your child return the forms to the main office as soon as possible. We also have copies in the main office. If you have any questions, please call our main office at (203) 531-5700.
2025-26 Current Eligibility Guidelines
Here is a parent/guardian video on How to Fill Out the Application for Free and Reduced-price Meals or Free Milk (CSDE) to help parents and guardians complete the free and reduced-price application form.
