Courtney Rowley, Interim Principal
Rachel Scott, Interim Assistant Principal
Rebecca Speicher, Assistant Principal of Student Services
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“True belonging doesn't require you to change who you are; it requires you to be who you are.” — Brené Brown
As we settle into our third week of school, I want to re-ground us in our core values—BERT: Belonging, Empathy, Respect, and Trust—with a special focus this fall on leaning into belonging. Across every hallway, our incredible teachers are hard at work cultivating joyful classroom communities where each student feels truly seen, heard, and known, while taking time to learn one another’s names, share personal interests, and co-create class norms. We are immensely proud of how successfully our students have settled into our school expectations, and it has been heartening to see them stepping up to help one another in both the hallways and classrooms. Our school is truly alive with energy as students excitedly reconnect with old friends and warmly foster new friendships. I am so grateful for the dedication of our staff in creating these supportive spaces, and I am continually inspired by the positive, meaningful ways our students are sharing themselves with our school community.
In partnership,
Courtney Rowley
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Monday, September 21st: NO SCHOOL, Yom Kippur
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Wednesday, September 23rd: 6th Grade Fall Potluck from 6:30-8:30 PM
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Thursday, October 1st: Back to School Night from 6:30-8:30 PM
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Wednesday, October 7th: Super Wednesday, EARLY RELEASE at 12:20 PM
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Monday, October 12th: NO SCHOOL, Indigenous People's Day
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Thursday, October 15th: WMS PTO Community Meeting 7:30-8:30 PM
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Wednesday, October 21st: Fall Caregiver Conferences - by appointment
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Monday, October 26th - School Picture Day
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Wednesday, October 28th: Fall Caregiver Conferences - by appointment
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Thursday, September 24th & Friday, September 25th: 8th Grade NY Cave Trip
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Monday, October 5th & Tuesday, October 6th: 6th Grade Walden Trip
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Thursday, October 15th & Friday, October 16th: 7th Grade Sense of Wonder Days
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Click here for the school bus routes from our transportation department. Please advise your student to be at the bus stop at least 15 minutes before the scheduled pick up time. |
Who: 6th grade students and their families (siblings welcome)
Why: To come together as a 6th grade community, to enjoy each other’s company, to benefit the local food pantry, “A Place to Turn” and to benefit local children in need
When: Wednesday, September 23rd from 6:00-7:30 PM
What to bring (suggested):
Please bring some food to share. Use the list below as a loose guide. Please include a notecard with ingredients listed. The card would be displayed next to the food item.
- Students with last name beginning with :
- A-D dessert
- E-P main course
- Q-Z salad/side dish
All students, if able, food items and toiletries to donate for “A Place to Turn”, a food bank in Natick.
Time:
6:00 - Bring food, set up, and enjoy each other’s company
6:15 - Eat as a community, then clean-up
7:00-7:30 Fun group activity for the whole family
7:30 Say “Goodnight”
Note: If you have another engagement, please feel free to attend any part of the event.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Plenty of Food, Plenty of Fun,
Plenty of Sharing, Plenty of Community,
Plenty of Learning, Plenty of Caring
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Thank you to the families who have already submitted their forms! If you have not yet done so, please log into the PowerSchool Parent Portal using a web browser (on your computer or mobile device) and select Returning Student Registration to complete your required forms as soon as possible.
These forms are required for all students (including those new to Wayland Public Schools) to ensure we have up-to-date contact, emergency, and health information for the start of the school year. New families should check their email for instructions on setting up their Parent Portal account.
Important Notes:
- Forms cannot be completed in the PowerSchool mobile app. You must log in via a web browser (Safari, Chrome, etc.), even if using a phone.
- The same person who starts the form must be the one to complete and submit it.
- If you also want to set up the mobile app to check grades, schedules, and attendance during the year, use district code ZPLD.
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The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has launched the new MCAS Family Portal, an online tool where you can securely view your student’s MCAS test results. You are now able to see your student’s preliminary MCAS results from Spring 2026. If available, you will also see your student’s results from past years (2023-2025).
Please go to the Student Reports tab in the Parent Portal and look under Archived Reports. There, you will find the MCAS Family Portal Access report, which contains your child's registration code along with instructions for creating your account.
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As many across the state prepare for the 2026-2027 school year, we encourage families and caregivers to vaccinate their children. Please see the joint statement linked below from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) and the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (MCAAP) endorsing the AAP-recommended immunization schedule.
“A New School Year, A Time-Tested Way to Protect Children” message linked here .
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A recent review of student technology security and privacy flagged that students in grades 6–8 could send and receive email outside the district. This change was made over the summer and is already in effect: middle school student email is now limited to communication within the district.
Students will continue to be able to email their teachers, district staff, and other students using their school accounts, but they will not be able to send email to or receive email from addresses outside the district.
This change provides a more age-appropriate level of access and helps protect student accounts from unsolicited external messages, phishing, and other outside contact.
We recognize that some families may have previously communicated directly with their child through the child's school email account. With this change, those messages will no longer reach the student's school account. If you need to contact your child during the school day, please contact the Middle School main office, consistent with the school's existing communication procedures. This change does not affect how families communicate with teachers or other school staff.
If you have any additional questions please feel free to contact our Director of Technology Jenn Judkins or WMS Instructional Technology Specialist Bethann Monahan.
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Please consider donating to a wish list drive for veterans and military-connected youth. We are collecting pencils, pens, markers, water bottles, stress balls, play dough, fidgets, and mindfulness stickers. There is a donation bin in the lobby of the Middle School.
This drive is sponsored by Project 351, a non-profit service organization, and 9th grader Selin Yardibi.
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Artist: Sofia Yalli
Grade: 7
Medium: Polymer Clay & Acrylic
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Artist: Ruby Jason & Nika Zimakov
Grade: 8
Medium: Ink
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School Council: Wayland Middle School is seeking 3-4 parents to join the School Council. You will work together with Interim WMS Principal Courtney Rowley, teachers, a community member and several students. Together you are responsible for:
- Assisting in identifying the educational needs of the students attending the school
- Reviewing the annual school budget
- Approving the school improvement plan
- Reviewing the student handbook
If interested, please fill out this form by Friday, September 25. Thank you!
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The school calendar is a great way to ensure important school and PTO dates are automatically added to your calendar. To ensure these dates continuously update in your phone calendar, scan the QR code in the graphic below or use this UPDATED LINK to subscribe. In the pop-up, click to “Find” the subscription calendar, and click the check mark to add the subscription calendar to your phone. |
Our annual PTO fall fundraiser, Gift Your Child, is in full swing! The PTO is fully funded by contributions from our community, and this is the only PTO fundraiser we ask families to participate in during the year. Scan the following QR code or click here to donate to the WMS PTO to support your child(ren)’s school experience. Thank you for your support! |
The WMS PTO is an active group of caregivers working to bring fun and enriching activities to the students, support teachers and administrators, and engage the community.
Please fill out this quick form if you're interested in helping with any of the open PTO volunteer roles this year.
- Staff appreciation
- Holiday gift drive
- Multicultural dinner
- New family welcome
- Building & Grounds (i.e. front planters)
Thank you to all the amazing volunteers who have already dedicated their time to support PTO initiatives this year. We are thrilled to have your time and talent to enhance the WMS experience this year! Please email Heather at waylandmiddleschoolPTO@gmail.com if you have any questions or PTO-related suggestions.
Our first PTO meeting will be held at WMS (and via zoom) on the evening of October 15th at 7:30pm. Come hear how the PTO supports our school community and bring any questions you may have. We will also be joined by the Superintendent and Interim Principal. More details, including an agenda and room location, will be available as the date gets closer.
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