WMS Summer Newsletter

Dear WMS Families,

We are excited for parents/guardians 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. 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. Please take a moment to ask your child who their homeroom teacher is and what color team they are on. After we conclude the brief presentation from administration in the auditorium, you will be heading to your child's homeroom, where you will receive their schedule that you will follow for the event. Please arrive early to allow time for parking and seating in the auditorium, as we begin promptly at 6:30. We look forward to welcoming you soon.

Have a wonderful weekend, and please be sure to read this entire newsletter for important updates!

Best,

Carrie Ruggiero

Principal

We are thrilled to announce that the permanent conditions for our parking lot will be completed over the weekend! Starting Monday, October 28, we will implement our new and final drop-off and pick-up procedures.

Beginning Monday, parents and guardians dropping off or picking up students should use the following process:

• Enter on Washington Street, loop around the teacher parking lot, and exit back onto Washington Street.

• Cars will no longer have access to the back of the building, as this area is now designated for emergency vehicles only.

• Buses will enter through the second East entrance, loop through the bus lane, and exit back onto East Street.

• Please note that there will no longer be an exit from Washington Street to East Street, as this area will now be used solely as a walking path.

We kindly ask that you follow the directions of our staff who will be guiding traffic to ensure a smooth transition. Your patience and cooperation have been greatly appreciated throughout this process, and we look forward to seeing these improvements make arrival and dismissal more efficient for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support.

Costumes may include hats and wigs, but no masks will be allowed. Face paint and colored hair spray are acceptable, but must be applied at home.

In addition, the following costumes will not be permitted:

• Outfits that are bloody or gory

• Outfits that promote the use of drugs, alcohol, or tobacco

• Outfits that may be offensive to specific races, religions, or genders

• Outfits that are sexually suggestive

• Clown costumes

Lastly, possession of a real or fake weapon, or anything that could be construed as a weapon, is strictly prohibited. Possession of such an item in school may result in disciplinary action. Students who have questions about whether their costumes are appropriate should speak with Mr. Cashman or Mr. O'Leary.

*This day is entirely voluntary and not required.

As the Holiday Season quickly approaches, we, at Walpole Middle School, recognize that families, within our community, are experiencing financial hardship this holiday season. In keeping with the holiday spirit, we would like to come together to help others have a memorable holiday.

We encourage families in need of gift-giving assistance to reach out to the school counselors if your family could use assistance this holiday season. All family information is held in strict confidence. We are hoping to help many WMS families this holiday season. The deadline for requests is Friday, November 8th.

Contact Information:

Leah Cayer, School Counselor, lcayer@walpole.k12.ma.us Grade 8

Sarah Giunta, School Counselor, sgiunta@walpole.k12.ma.us Grade 7

Katie Gingras, School Counselor, kgingras@walpole.k12.ma.us Grade 6

This is a reminder that after-school activities end at 3:45 PM, and the school closes at 4:00 PM. All students staying after school for activities must be picked up by 4:00 PM if they are not taking the late bus home, as there is no supervision available after that time.

Thank you for your cooperation in ensuring the safety and well-being of our students!

We are excited to announce that Walpole Middle School will be starting a Ski & Snowboard Club this winter! Beginning in January, the club will run for six weeks on Fridays and is a fantastic opportunity for students to learn or improve their skiing and snowboarding skills at Wachusett Mountain. Click here for more information and to sign up!

Please click here for the for the latest news from the classrooms!

We have been enjoying welcoming your students to Walpole Middle School, meeting new students, and working to build a connected community! These Counselors' Corner Newsletters will be brought to you at the end of each month. They will include helpful articles, images, links to webinars, and a monthly social-emotional learning calendar.

Click here for the latest newsletter!

https://www.ixl.com/resources/IXL-parent-handout

We are excited to be using IXL at Walpole Middle School this year in ELA and Math! The data will be instrumental in providing students with support and enrichment on targeted skills to meet their individual needs. Students will be using this platform during ELA, Math, and X block. They will be expected to spend some time at home completing skill practice too. Students will access IXL through Clever on their school devices. If they plan to use another device, they should ask their ELA or Math teacher for their username and password. Please email Jill Masterson or Jodi O'Rourke with any questions.

This Math site for parents is designed specifically for parents and families. It offers a breakdown of the topics in each of the 8 units covered throughout the course of the year. Most of the topics have a video link built in that will offer support for students and/or parents/families when working on math at home. There is a section for each grade level course, as well as math connections. In addition, there is a section that breaks down the prerequisite skills that play the biggest role for each grade level. We hope this serves as a valuable resource for parents and families throughout the year.

This Humanities site for parents serves as an informational hub for curriculum topics in ELA, Social Studies and Reading. Other useful tabs include IXL, and CER writing with more to come.

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.

Dear Walpole Middle School Parents/Guardians,

This letter is to inform you that the WMS Health Office will begin the State Mandated Screenings starting in November. In Massachusetts, public schools are required by law to periodically screen students for the purpose of identifying health related concerns. Please click this link to see the WPS required schedule for all grades. More information on the law can be found here.

Health screenings

6th Grade: Vision, Hearing, Scoliosis

7th Grade: Height, Weight, Scoliosis

8th Grade: Scoliosis

The majority of students do not exhibit any abnormal findings. You will not be notified if your child has a normal screening.

Additional Screenings

Students in grade 7 participate in SBIRT screening, which takes place in the spring. You will receive more information prior to the start of this screening.

As a parent/guardian, you have the right to opt your student out of these screenings. We request medical documentation showing that the required screening was completed within the last year in order to exempt a student. Please notify Mrs. Ludwig at sludwig@walpole.k12.ma.us or Mrs. Slotnick at jslotnick@walpole.k12.ma.us by Nov 4 , 2024 and specify the screenings you request your child not participate in and include the appropriate documentation.

If you have any questions, please contact Mrs. Ludwig or Mrs. Slotnick.

From the Office of Student Support & Attendance:
Dear families,

Please read this month's newsletter. It contains links to the WPS Health Services Department and other helpful sites you can use when making decisions about whether or not you should send your child to school based on symptoms of illness.

"What if my child is sick?" - https://secure.smore.com/n/9ga8n

The newsletter is also posted on the Walpole Public Schools website.

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.

October

28 - Back-to-School Night - 6th grade parents

29 - Back-to-School Night - 7th & 8th grade parents

30 - Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

31 - Costumes for a Cause

November

5 - Election Day - No School - Students

11 - Veteran's Day - No School

15 - Chez Vous Skating Party

Find the month's school menu here.

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