Courtney Rowley, Interim Principal
Rachel Scott, Interim Assistant Principal
Rebecca Speicher, Assistant Principal of Student Services
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"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." — Marcel Proust
On Thursday and Friday of last week, our 8th graders adventured to Upstate NY as a part of their Earth Science learning. I had the privilege of chaperoning our 8th-grade Earth Science field trip on Thursday, which turned out to be an incredible, hands-on demonstration of our district's Portrait of a Learner disposition: "Take risks, persist, and adapt."
Our group’s adventure started deep underground at the Clarkesville Cave. As someone who has to work hard to overcome a fear of tight spaces, crawling through dark passages was a real personal challenge. However, I was deeply moved by the empathy of our 8th graders, who repeatedly turned back during challenging spots to make sure I—and their classmates—were doing okay.
From there, we enjoyed beautiful weather, stunning rock formations, and waterfalls at Thacher State Park. Students hiked along the trails to observe how ancient rock layers reveal millions of years of environmental history and the long-term impacts of natural erosion.
We capped off the day at the WildPlay ropes course, where I confronted another personal boundary: my fear of heights. Thanks to some fantastic student guides who offered strategic advice and steady encouragement through the trickiest obstacles, I made it across!
It was inspiring to watch so many of our students step outside their comfort zones, cheer each other on, and conquer their own fears, both underground and high in the air. Seeing their resilience, bravery, and kindness in real-time was a wonderful reminder of what our school community can achieve together.
This unforgettable experience would not have been possible without an incredible team effort:
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Our 8th-Grade Earth Science Teachers: Thank you to Mr. Battaglia and Ms. Galletta for their dedication in bringing Earth Science to life. Their hard work in preparing students for this trip, which gave our students an engaging opportunity to explore, discover, and connect with their learning in a truly meaningful way. A special thank you to Mr. Battaglia for the coordination and planning of the trip.
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Our House Leaders: Deep gratitude to Mr. Farley and Ms. Posner (Martin Cluster) and, Mr. Kotin and Ms. Peirce (King Cluster) for their organization behind the scenes.
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Our Staff Chaperones: A special thank you to our staff volunteers for giving their time to accompany us on a long day (5:45am-8:15pm). The trip would not have been possible without you all. We appreciate your support!
In partnership,
Courtney Rowley
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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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Thursday, October 22nd: WMS Caregiver Coffee 8:30-9:30 AM
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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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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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We are thrilled to invite all caregivers to join us for our annual Back to School Night on Thursday, October 1st from 6:30-8:30pm. This special evening offers you an exclusive, hands-on glimpse into a "day in the life" of your middle schooler as you walk through their schedule. You will have the opportunity to connect with each of your child’s teachers and explore the classroom environments where they grow every day. During each stop, teachers will share key insights into what students will be learning this year, including curriculum highlights, essential skill building and information on assessment. We deeply value our partnership with you and look forward to working together to support a successful school year ahead.
Doors will open at 6pm. 6th grade families will go to the auditorium and 7th and 8th grade families will go to the cafeteria.
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Spanish Immersion: The Spanish Immersion Team will be hosting a meet & greet for families in the program right before WMS Back-to-School Night at 6pm. This gathering will be an opportunity to meet your child's Spanish Immersion teachers, learn about our language expectations and commitments for both students and families, and discuss ideas for the upcoming school year. This gathering will take place in the 8th grade area.
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6th Grade Band/Chorus/Orchestra: 6th grade families of students participating in band, chorus or orchestra will have the opportunity to meet with Mr. Thew (band), Ms. Vanaria (chorus) and Ms. Tandon (orchestra) in the theater before Back to School Night at 6:15pm.
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PTO/WPSF/Boosters: Our WMS PTO, the Wayland Public Schools Foundation and the Boosters will be set up in the lobby throughout the night. Feel free to visit them when/if your student has study.
Your child’s homeroom teacher will provide you their schedule for the night during your homeroom time on Thursday (6:49-5:59). Counselors, administrators, and student ambassadors will be all around the school to assist you in getting from class to class. Please see the general schedule for the night below:
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Over the coming days, our students will be learning more about essential school safety and emergency procedures during HR/TAG. To put this learning into practice, we will conduct a safety evacuation walk on Wednesday, September 30th, so students know exactly how and where to go in the event of an emergency. Practicing these routines regularly helps ensure our school remains a safe, calm, and prepared environment for every child. If you have any questions about these safety protocols, please feel free to reach out to me directly. |
We are delighted to invite you to our first in-person Caregiver Coffee of the year at Wayland Middle School.
Right after morning drop-off, grab a warm coffee with us and join the WMS Admin team for a relaxed, welcoming start to your day. Generously sponsored by our fantastic PTO, this gathering is a great opportunity to connect with fellow caregivers and build community.
Our focus for this first session will be centering our school year on joy while helping you comfortably navigate middle school systems—including cluster models, Standards-Based Grading, and what to expect this year.
When: Thursday, October 22nd from 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM
Where: Wayland Middle School
Hosted by: WMS Admin Team | Sponsored by: WMS PTO
Whether you have specific questions or just want to say hello, we would love to see you there!
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As we build momentum this school year, a strong partnership between home and school remains essential to supporting our middle schoolers. We warmly invite you to join us for our upcoming Fall Caregiver Conferences on Wednesday, October 21st or Wednesday, October 28th, from 2:30 PM to 5:10 PM. These 10-minute sessions—available both in person and virtually—are held with your student’s homeroom teacher. While this is a wonderful time to learn about your child's progress and goals for the year, it is also a vital opportunity for you to share your own insights about your child with us. Your homeroom teachers will relay these valuable perspectives to your student's full team of teachers so we can work together seamlessly to support their academic and personal growth. Keep an eye on your inbox for detailed sign-up instructions coming soon—we look forward to collaborating with you! |
STEM Discovery Day is a half-day event for WMS students to explore interests in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. The event will feature a low-stakes tournament where middle schoolers can prepare for and compete in two-person science challenges with topics of their choice. The event will also feature hands-on, educational demonstrations of basic scientific concepts. STEM Discovery Day aims to give students a fun experience while gaining STEM knowledge as well as fostering research and teamwork skills!
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The pick up and drop off line for all car traffic will again be by the mural entrance this year. Please refer to WMS Traffic Procedures for guidance. Safety is the number one priority in the drop-off/pick-up circle. Please be patient, stay in your place in line, and be mindful of speed as there are many students moving at arrival and dismissal. If there is any confusion, our wonderful crossing guard or teachers at bus duty can help you. |
We are excited to partner with Wayland High School to offer peer mediation to our middle school students in collaboration with the WHS Peer Mediation Program, which has partnered with the MetroWest Mediation Services. Conflicts are a normal and an inevitable part of our lives, especially in middle school. Students are bound to have conflicts with peers over the course of their school careers, but it isn’t inevitable that these conflicts have to be unproductive, ruin relationships, take time away from academics, or lead to violence. Peer mediation is an excellent way to empower students to practice healthy communication and conflict resolution skills.
Peer mediation is a process in which a WHS student who is trained as a neutral third party helps the middle school students clearly communicate their concerns, better understand one another, and come to a mutual agreement about how they want to handle their issues. Using conflict resolution skills and the peer mediation process, students can begin to see conflict as an opportunity for growth and learning, rather than something that fuels anger, frustration, even violence. Participation in peer mediation is voluntary, and with the exception of information that is life-threatening, all matters discussed in mediation sessions remain confidential. Students may be referred to a peer mediation process by their counselor and/or an administrator. If a student or parent would like to refer a conflict, they may contact their child’s guidance counselor. We look forward to partnering with the high school to enhance our students' self-advocacy and conflict resolution skills.
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WMS Picture Day is scheduled for Monday, October 26th.
If you would like to pre-order photos:
- Click the link www.haywardphotography.com then the blue “Prepay for Photo Day” button.
- Enter your school code to place your preorder: WMSF26
*The pre-order option (lower pricing) will be available through October 31st at 7:00am. We encourage you to order in advance to take advantage of the pre-order pricing and lower shipping and handling fees. Please note: If you do not order by the pre-order deadline, their child will receive a NO BUY proof card with instructions on how they can order at that point.
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Greetings from the theater!
Rehearsals for our fall play, Alice in Wonderland, are in full swing! Thank you to the students for your incredible creativity and focus up until this point, and to the caregivers for your flexibility and patience with scheduling. Here are a few updates:
- If you are a caregiver of a student in the play, please continue to check your email for rehearsal updates and remind your student to check Google classroom. I post daily reminders there.
- Rehearsals for performers take place Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday after school. Not every student is called every day.
- Tech meetings for designers and technicians take place Wednesdays after school. The whole tech team is called every Wednesday.
- We will need student and adult volunteers for our performances! Stay tuned for the next newsletter on how to get involved.
- Our performances are Thursday, November 5th @7pm and Friday, November 6th @7pm. See you there!
Best,
Ryan Watts
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Artist: Julian Shen
Grade: 6
Medium: Pencil
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Artist: Jack Elliott
Grade: 7
Medium: Media
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Our first PTO community meeting will be held at WMS (and via Zoom) at 7:30pm on October 15th. The meeting will include:
- Updates from the Superintendent and Interim Principal
- Spring caregiver survey takeaways and next steps being taken based on feedback
- Updates on PTO events, staff grant process and opportunities to get involved
- Any questions you may have
The full agenda will be included in the next newsletter.
Zoom information:
Meeting ID: 340 914 1968
Passcode: D9mn1q
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Our staff appreciation team will create a snack spread for staff to stay energized between caregiver conferences on 10/21 and 10/28. You can order items from our Amazon wish list or sign-up here to bring perishable food items. Thank you for contributing!
Thank you to our staff appreciation team for organizing the conference spread, the PTO grade level reps for organizing the Back to School Night staff dinner, and to everyone who has already signed up to contribute to both!
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Save the date! The PTO, Wayland Recreation Department, and Wayland Youth & Family Services are planning a fall-themed event for 6th graders on Friday, October 23. This will be a fun evening for 6th graders to see old friends and new connections, while enjoying inflatables, fall activities and pizza. We’ll share an update on the PTO social channels when registration opens on the Rec’s website. There will be limited spaces (~100) and several volunteers needed to help chaperone the event. |
Our annual PTO fall fundraiser, Gift Your Child, is underway! Our goal is 100% participation from families. Every gift, at any amount, helps support the field trips, student events, clubs, classroom resources, cultural enrichment, and staff appreciation activities that make WMS special. Scan the QR code in the image 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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