WMS Connections Program

Special shout out to Ms. Kelly for organizing this excellent community outreach for our Connections students and staff. It was a beautiful day in Watertown, and our team enjoyed some much-needed outside time, especially after doing a great job on the ELA MCAS. Our students toured the fire station and met some Firefighters who protect Watertown. Afterward, they went to Saltonstall Park to have lunch!

We hope all our students and families have a relaxing and joyful break. This beautiful weather is a perfect time to start a garden, walk outside, start a new hobby, or see the flowers bloom over the esplanade. We will see you in a week! Best your WMS Family!

Our students completed Sessions One and Two of the ELA MCAS this week. This Statewide testing is just a snapshot of a child's academic achievement and growth this year. The MCAS helps schools, teachers, and caregivers know how their children are progressing and what areas need more support. These assessments are intended to take 1-2.5 hours, but students are given the entire school day to complete the test, if needed.

Our Connections students completed their assessments within the time frame provided and along with familiar adult support. This was a whole school endeavor. We could not have done it without the support of all of our instructional assistants and staff. Great work, Team!

Coming Up:

May 15-16: Math MCAS, (All Grades), special schedule

May 23-24: STE MCAS, (8th grade only), special schedule

MCAS Alt: Those who have taken the MCAS Alternative assessment will remain in the Connections classroom with a Connections Teacher until testing has been completed. They will be given an alternative task to do while everyone else is testing.

The Boston Marathon is in 3 Days!

Ms. Stephanie Baker has raised $11,225 for Boston Children’s Hospital. If you are planning to attend the marathon on Monday, keep an eye out for Bin Number: 30886

Good Luck, Ms. Stephanie!!!

Watertown Week is happening on June 5-9th! Students must fill out a permission slip and green checklist previously sent home. The cost is $50 per student. Please make checks to the City of Watertown. (No Cash Payments!) Then, return the permission forms and payment by Friday, April 14th.

Monday, 6/5: Rainforest Reptile Show and Catapult Project

Tuesday, 6/6: Tie-Dye Project and Field Day Games

Wednesday, 6/7: Cultural Potluck, Egg Drop Competition, and Ice Cream Party

Thursday, 6/8: Boda Borg Trip

Friday, 6/9: Canobie Lake Park

Where: WMS Cafe and Gym

When: May 5th, from 6-8

Who: All students of WMS

Why: Because it will be fun!

The spring dance will be here before we know it!

Students can enjoy a night of fun dancing in the cafe, basketball in the gym, and pizza and drinks for sale in the lobby. Students should arrive at 6:00 PM. The dance will end at 8:00 PM. The whole school is invited to attend, so we expect a lot of people. If your son/daughter plans to attend please let Mr. S and Ms. Kelly know soon!

Daniel Duarte is a leader of the Connections program. He is kind, and understanding and always tries his best in all his classes. Daniel is a model student to work with, and his teachers have all grown fond of him. Daniel's greatest strength is his desire to learn. Daniel knows that he will be transitioning to High School next year, and Daniel has formed a solid plan to thrive in High School. Picking classes related to his interests and identifying areas he would like to improve in. We are very much going to miss Daniel next year, but we are sure he will find success next year.

Theodore Whitley is a great student and classmate. He consistently does his best and has excelled in his academic classes. Teddy is an absolute pleasure in the classroom, and his teachers and classmates look forward to seeing him daily!

Three Connections students have joined Anime Club and have been making great social connections with their peers. Suppose any other students are interested in joining. The Anime club will meet every Tuesday until May 23.

It's that time of year where you get to order a yearbook! This is an opportunity open to ALL grades. The deadline to purchase your yearbook is MAY 12TH. Students who would like a yearbook must order one online by that deadline; we can not order additional yearbooks after. Yearbooks cost $23, and can be purchased here: YEARBOOK ORDER ONLINE

Our seventh-grade class enjoyed a Fenway Park tour and watched a real baseball game. Our Connections students had a blast with their teachers and were model students of WMS. The final results ended with The Pirates leading over The Red Sox, despite being cold and windy. It was a great day to be a student at Watertown Middle School—special thanks to Ms. Stephanie and Ms. June for supporting our students on this adventure.

Release Date: May 26, 2023.

Director: Rob Marshall

Length: 2 hours

Rating: PG

Music Composed by: Alen Menken, Howard Ashman, Jacques Offenbach

Distributed by: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

Production companies: Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation Studios

In The Little Mermaid 2023 trailer, I saw Ariel save Prince Eric from drowning. I saw a storm and fire happening. The men boarding the vessel were in a Thunderstorm, and then there was a fire on the boat. They had to abandon the ship, but one named Prince Eric was drowning in the water when suddenly a fish-like woman named Ariel saved Eric and brought him to land. When she returned to her underwater home, her father was mad at her because she broke the rule, but she did not care what her father said. One day she fell in love with the man she had saved, but she didn't look like a human. Also, she would not be able to breathe on land, so she needed some help, so she went to ask someone for help, and she found Ursula. The sea witch performed a spell on Ariel, transforming her into a human. Ariel saw that she had legs now and was happy and amazed. Ariel made friends with the Crab and the Seagull, Sebastian and Scuttle. I concluded that she could save the sea and be with her true love if she could stop Ursula and the people after her.

Compare: The 2023 Little Mermaid movie is the same story as the 1989 one. The new Little Mermaid has the same songs, the same fish, the same crab, the same seagull, the same dad, the same evil octopus lady, and the same character names.

Contrast: The 1989 Little Mermaid movie was made in the cartoon version. The 2023 Little Mermaid movie is a Live Action Movie. I prefer the cartoon version.

By Connections 8th Grade Class

• April 17-21: April Recess- No School

• April 24: Mr. Sfinx Birthday and Progress Reports are mailed home!
  
• April 28: Music Fest (5:30-9:00 PM, WMS)
• May 2: School Site Council Meeting (7:00pm, virtual)

• May 15-16: Math MCAS, special schedule
  

• May 23-24: STE MCAS (8th grade only), special schedule

• Watertown Public Schools Calendar 2022-2023

Please always email BOTH teachers when reaching out to the Connections Program:

Mr. Sfinx - alex.strongin@watertown.k12.ma.us

Ms. Kelly - erika.kelly@watertown.k12.ma.us

Alex and Erika can be reached between the hours of 8:15 - 3:00 on school days. Email is our preferred method of communication. In the event of an emergency, you can always contact the Main Office at 617- 926-7783.