March is here and spring is officially only 16 days away. Wednesday is an early release day and the Spirit Wear Store is having a sale on shorts. Think Spring!

All the best,
Your 2023-2024 PTO Presidents
Katie Sullivan & Annie Oh

Links for information on dates and events that are further out: 

LINK to Wellesley Middle School Events Calendar

LINK to Wellesley Public School Events Calendar  

Correction: WMS will be holding TWO assemblies on Tuesday, March 5:

• For Grades 7 and 8, WMS is proud to welcome guest performer, Dr. Michael Fowlin. "Dr. Mykee" has been visiting WMS for many years promoting the messages of kindness, empathy and inclusivity. Advisories will follow up with discussions in small groups the day after the assembly. 
• Grade 6 will have a separate assembly led by Dr. Ito and the assistant principals, Cathi Gordon and Kevin Hoffman. The focus of the sixth grade assembly is to help our younger students understand their personal identity better, by exploring what sits “under the surface.” Often, middle school students primarily see physical traits and define themselves by their interests and hobbies only. We are asking our sixth graders to think about their values and capabilities as a way of making meaningful connections with others. Advisories will follow up with discussions in small groups the day after the assembly.  

We look forward to cultivating a greater sense of belonging for our entire school community here at WMS! 

This is a call for volunteers to help with 8th grade end-of-year events:

• Community Service Day (Coordinate with main office)
• Boston Scavenger Hunt (Coordinate with main office)
• 8th Grade Dance (Set-up, Decorations, Pizzas, Slushies)
• 8th Grade Luncheon/Ice Cream Social (Chaperone, Set-up)
• Moving up ceremony (Congrats Sign, Balloon Decor, Teacher Flowers)

We will be having a meeting to begin the planning on Tuesday, March 5 @ 7:30 p.m. on zoom at the link below. (Please email 8th Grade Rep, Sharon Clarke-Levin at sharon@perfectcurve.com with questions).

Join Zoom Meeting HERE

Meeting ID: 874 8697 2138
Passcode: 416067

Please stay tuned for more info specific to 8th grade events. Thank you to everyone who has donated to the effort so far through PayPal!

Wednesday, March 5th is an early release day. It is a "Day 2" with all classes meeting with an abbreviated schedule. School dismissal is precisely at @11:21 a.m. 

**Please remind your students if they are visiting any establishments in Wellesley after dismissal to be respectful of employees and other customers. 

The WMS Spirit Store is open this Wednesday from 11:20-Noon at the Donizetti Entrance ticket window. Get ready for Spring with $15 Shorts, on sale this month only! Email us at wmspto.spiritwear@gmail.com with any questions and check out the shorts pictured here under "EXPLORE SPIRIT WEAR".

The Spirit Wear Team looks forward to meeting you at the storefront right by the Donizetti Doors on Wednesday!

Jarrett is the author and illustrator of the popular “Lunch Lady” graphic novel series and “Hey, Kiddo”, among others. He will be visiting with our 7th grade students during the school day on Friday, March 8th. Please thank ELA Department Head, Ehrin Johnson, and parent coordinator, Tanya Auger, for bringing Mr. Krosoczka to WMS this year with our PTO Creative Arts budget. It has taken a lot of planning behind the scenes! 

Calling all student artists! With spring just around the corner, Mini Marathon planning has begun. To commemorate this event, we ask students for t-shirt design ideas. Grade 6 & 7 students typically go with a marathon theme, and grade 8 students usually create a broader WMS theme, since it will be worn for the marathon as well as other grade 8 activities like Community Service Day.

Entries should be an original student design in any medium (pen/paint/graphic design) on an 8 1⁄2 x 11 inch sheet of white paper. The deadline for submissions to the Main Office is Friday, March 8th. Don't miss this opportunity to see your designs come to life! 

If you have any questions, please have your student stop by the main office or speak to their art teacher. 

Save the date of Wednesday, March 13th from 2:30-3:30pm for our next big WMS event for the entire student body. 

All students are welcome to come to the cafeteria after school for French-themed food and games coordinated by our French Teachers, Rebecca Blouwolff and Hafsa Abdelmoula, the World Languages Department, and our fabulous group of parent volunteers led by Event Chair, Catherine Cerio.

We could use more food donations (like crepes from the grocers) and a few more helpers to pull off this event successfully. The expected attendance is about 350 students and they may stop in for a little or a lot if they have after school activities to attend. Hope to see you there! 

Please view the sign up here to learn more about this all school event.

Coming this month is the WMS Winter Musical, Newsies, Jr.! This exciting and inspiring show features a cast of over 100 students, a crew of about 20 students, and it's chock full of high-energy dance numbers!  

Tickets are $10 for everyone and will be available soon at this link.

March 21st @4:30pm (Seize the Day Cast)
March 22nd @7pm (Once and For All Cast)
March 23rd @2pm(Once and For All Cast)
March 23rd @7pm(Seize the Day Cast)

All performances will be held in the WMS Auditorium. Please mark your calendars. We look forward to seeing you in the audience! 

On February 27th, WMS’s sixth graders had the opportunity to meet award-winning author Kelly Yang — on the very same day that her latest book, Finally Heard, was released. 

With kid-friendly examples, Kelly talked about the unhealthy highs, lows, and plateaus of the dopamine cycle that social media usage creates. It’s a topic her main character, Lina Gao, gets firsthand experience with in Finally Heard. 

Two hundred autographed copies of Finally Heard will be distributed to sixth grade classrooms, the ELA department, and the library for students to enjoy. Thank you for supporting the WMS PTO; your contributions enable students to experience engaging programs like this one!

Here's a picture of the author with our two 6th grade students, Zoe Wang and Rukiatu Kamara, who gave her a wonderful introduction. Thanks Zoe and Ruki!

Please help us make the yearbook even better by sending us your best school photos from the year!

Send any candid photos from WMS events, theater performances, sports and the like to the WMS yearbook advisors below. All photos must be received by April 1st to be included. Thank you so much for taking the time to make our yearbook GREAT! 

Jacqui Martell martellj@wellesleyps.org
Sarah Steinberg steinbergs@wellesleyps.org

Don’t forget to order your WMS yearbook at CoffeePond.com. Go to “Order Online” and “Yearbooks”, then enter the password “Raiders”. Yearbooks are $33 and the final day to order is April 5th.

All student-athletes are required to have a current physical examination on file in the Health Office before a student can try-out, practice, or participate in a sport as required by the MIAA guidelines. The Athletic Office and/or individual coaches will not accept physical examination reports sent directly. 

To check your student’s physical examination status, please sign into your PowerSchool account, find the SNAP Health Portal, and click on the “Screening” tab. If your student has a current physical examination on file (within the past 13 months) in the nurse’s office and it is NOT due to expire, you do not need to provide another copy. Physical exams are valid for 13 months to the date.

If your student’s physical exam expires during the sports season, your student will no longer be able to participate until a new physical examination has been obtained and is on file in the nurse’s office. Updated physical forms can be uploaded through the SNAP Health Portal.

Questions? Please contact the WMS Nurses' Office. 

Tel: 781-446-6210 x 3612
Fax: 781-304-8101
Email: gusminik@wellesleyps.org

We are looking for a volunteer during 6th grade lunch (starting at 11:20am) to stand by the composting station and help kids dispose of their trash properly. We are finding that having a parent stand by the bins increases compliance. That's really all there is to it! 

Our diligent composting club students help out if something lands in the wrong bin by using some super cool grabbers, and the PTO just provided a fresh set. Help us stay green at WMS and check out the SIGN UP HERE!

If you can stay for 7th grade lunch that's awesome! No worries if not, we're happy to have you for as much time as your schedule allows. Sign in at the front office and Mr. Rabinowitz will meet you to show you around. Please check with Patty Chong in the main office to make sure you have a CORI form on file. 

We want to extend a sincere thank you to everyone who has responded to be part of next year’s PTO list of volunteers. It’s looking like an excellent team with a great mix of parents from across all the grades!

If you are curious about what’s involved for positions such as VP:Teacher Appreciation, Treasurer’s Helper, Turkey Promenade Event Chair, Lunar New Year Event Chair, Hospitality Helper, and the like, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Katie and Annie at wmsptoinfo@gmail.com this week. 

We know it’s hard to commit early. Rest assured, if your plans change by the fall, that’s completely fine! 

Annie and I have truly enjoyed our involvement with the school this year and it has been a much lighter lift than we expected thanks to an amazing team. 

Click here to donate to WMS PTO

50 Kingsbury Street
Wellesley, MA 02482