WMS Newsletter - Mid-October (Early Dismissal, Nurse, Grading, Courses, Halloween, Red Ribbon Week, Dates, & More!)

We will be conducting our annual Early Dismissal Drill on Monday, dismissing approximately 15 minutes earlier than usual. Please make sure your family and caregivers have a clear early dismissal plan in place. In recent years, we’ve had unplanned early dismissals (such as power outages), and having a plan ensures your child gets home safely and calmly.

Please take time to develop an early dismissal plan with your family and any caregivers. In recent years, we’ve had scenarios where students were sent home early (for example, we have had extended power outages). 

I want to inform you that we currently have a vacancy in the nursing position at Wayne Middle School. We have posted the position and will keep families informed once a new nurse has been hired.

In the meantime, we are working closely with our district’s nursing team and registered nurse substitutes to ensure our students continue to receive the care and support they need while we work to fill the position.

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Mr. Page by email or by calling 315-524-1080.

We have heard concerns about our grading adjustments, specifically the increased proportion of grades based on summative (assessments that evaluate student learning after instruction, such as tests, projects, and major assignments) rather than formative (ongoing checks for understanding and practice that help monitor student progress and guide instruction, such as classwork, practice activities, and informal assessments) measures, and the potential impact on students with disabilities. Our administrative team, including the Athletic Director, Director of Instruction, and Director of Student Services, met to develop a plan to help ensure these changes do not disproportionately affect students with disabilities.

While the five-week data did not indicate a concern, we wanted to have a thoughtful plan in place for future grading checkpoints. Before eligibility lists are released, a building team, including the school psychologist and administrators, will review students with IEPs who may be at risk of ineligibility. The team will consider each student’s IEP, Eagle Scores, attendance, and discipline to help ensure students have equitable access to extracurricular activities and are not unfairly excluded because of their disability.

Many of these systems, including reassessment processes, are new and will continue to develop throughout the year. We anticipate this review process will serve as a short-term support as we work through the grading and reporting changes. Our goal is to maintain meaningful expectations while ensuring students are not unfairly excluded because of challenges that arise during this transition.  

At this point in the school year, making course changes is extremely difficult. Unlike the high school, we have a more limited selection of electives, and we work hard to provide students with full schedules and a wide range of learning experiences that support their growth and development. When students drop or change courses, it creates challenges with scheduling and our ability to maintain these opportunities for all students.

As a result, we will not be granting course changes or drops after Tuesday, October 20. Looking ahead to next school year, we plan to establish the expectation that course changes and drops will not be permitted after the first week of classes. This will help ensure that students and families understand expectations and that we can maintain consistent schedules and learning opportunities for everyone.

Thank you for your continued support and partnership.

🚨October 19 (Monday) – WCSD Early Dismissal Drill (15 minutes early!)🚨 Read the summary above for specific information.

Students will participate in the 7Cs Survey (Care, Confer, Captivate, Clarify, Consolidate, Challenge, and Classroom Management), which is a short questionnaire that helps us better understand their classroom experiences. The survey takes about 20 minutes and is completely anonymous. Feedback helps guide our efforts to enhance teaching and learning for all students. If you have questions about the survey, please reach out. We value your partnership as we continue working together to help our students succeed.

👏 October 22 (Thursday) – CARE Assembly! We are excited to host our first WMS assembly, celebrating Respect and Engaging as a Learner. We look forward to welcoming a guest speaker from Best Buddies, who will share how we can be inclusive and caring toward others with different abilities and backgrounds. We will also have some fun Minute-to-Win-It games between classes!

🎃October 30 (Friday) – Halloween During School

If your student chooses to dress up, please help them select a costume that is fun, safe, and respectful of all members of our community.

🎃 October 30 (Friday) – WMS Halloween Dance

Our Student Government is organizing a fun Halloween Dance for all grade levels! Admission is $3 -- food and drinks can be purchased separately!

✅Supporting Our 8th Grade Washington, D.C. Trip

The 8th grade trip to Washington, D.C. offers students an exciting opportunity to experience our nation’s capital firsthand. We’ve received inquiries from families about how they can help ensure that all students are able to participate. Those wishing to contribute may donate funds to assist students in need of financial support.

While we discourage extended absences during the school year due to their impact on learning, we understand that family events sometimes make them unavoidable. Our teachers design daily lessons that are responsive to student needs, and these experiences can’t always be replicated outside the classroom.

If your child will miss school, it’s their responsibility, with parent support, to check Schoology regularly and make up missed work promptly. Teachers will gladly offer clarification during class but cannot provide individualized instruction for vacation-related absences.

When planning trips, please refer to the district calendar (link) to minimize disruptions to your child’s learning. Thank you for helping keep students engaged and on track.

We want to thank you for sending your children to Wayne Middle School. Every day there is so much to celebrate in our classrooms and hallways. We also recognize that sometimes peer conflicts arise, and school may not always feel great. Please know that our staff is dedicated to fostering a positive, welcoming, and safe environment for all students.

At WMS, we deeply value open and honest communication between parents, students, and staff. When conflicts occur, reaching out directly helps us address concerns quickly and provide the right support for everyone involved.

New York State’s Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) requires schools to respond to harassment and bullying. If you would like an incident documented in a DASA file in addition to our SchoolTool discipline records, you may complete a DASA form (link).

If you are ever concerned about someone’s safety, Wayne has partnered with the Safe School Helpline—a secure, confidential service for reporting unsafe or disruptive behavior at school. Reports can include bullying, harassment, drug or alcohol use, weapons, threats, or any other safety concern. Reports may be made anonymously at any time, day or night.

Each report receives a case number for follow-up or additional information. Together, we can help keep our schools safe.

Thank you for your continued support. As always, please reach out if you have any questions or concerns.

Let’s have a great finish to October!

Sincerely,

Kevin Page, Principal

Bill Heinsler, Assistant Principal

Chris Shaffer, Assistant Principal