August 8, 2023
Dear Wakefield Memorial High School students and families,
I hope this email finds you all doing well and enjoying your summer break. Things are progressing along well here at school as we plan and prepare for student arrival in September. I wanted to provide you with a few summer updates. We will be sharing more specific updates and information in a few weeks as we get closer to school.
New Student/Grade 9 Orientation:
We are excited to welcome all of our freshmen and new students at Orientation Day at WMHS on Monday, August 28th, from 9:00 – 11:45 a.m. The meeting will start in the Charbonneau Field House, located at the back of the high school. Students should be dropped off in the lot behind the high school. This will be an opportunity to:
Meet school staff and get an overview of the coming year.
Receive individual class schedules and have the opportunity to meet guidance counselors and ask questions.
Interact with current upperclassmen (Class Officers, Athletic Team Captains, members of Student Council, and other Student Leaders), tour the high school, and locate homerooms, classrooms, and lockers.
STUDENTS SHOULD ARRIVE BEFORE 9:00 a.m. TO BE CHECKED IN FOR THE ORIENTATION SESSION.
An optional pizza lunch will be available to students after the orientation session from 11:15 – 11:45 in the cafeteria. All pizza is ordered through a district-approved, allergy aware vendor and there is a space to indicate food allergies on the sign-up form. Students should plan to be picked up at the front of the high school (in the front driveway on Farm Street).
**If you have not done so already, please register to attend Orientation (and indicate whether or not you will stay for optional pizza lunch) on this form by Friday, August 18th: Orientation 2023 Registration
Orientation is not mandatory, but it is highly recommended that students attend.
Orientation is open to incoming grade 9 students and students who are transferring to WMHS from other schools.
Due to staff and student availability, we will only be able to offer one Orientation session
If a new/grade 9 student cannot attend the scheduled Orientation on 8/28 due to conflicts or other commitments, they may reach out to the main office to pick up materials, including a schedule, anytime after 8/28.
Schedules:
As mentioned above, grade 9/new students will receive class schedules at Orientation. Schedules for students in ALL GRADES will be available in PowerSchool on August 28 - more information about accessing schedules will be shared as we get closer to that date. Students should consult their schedules and follow their assigned schedules on Day 1. If additional schedule problems exist, students should see their guidance counselors after the first day of school.
Summer Assignments:
As a reminder, please see the following document for information about summer assignments and school-wide summer reading: WMHS Summer Assignments 2023. If you have any questions, contacts are listed by department for additional help.
First Day of School:
Thursday, September 7th is Opening Day, the first day of school for students. All students in grades 9-12 will report to homerooms at 7:30 a.m. (the warning bell rings at 7:25). We will have a special first day schedule, with an extended homeroom period, which can be accessed here: Opening Day schedule.
Locker Locks & Supplies:
All WMHS students will be issued a locker during homeroom on the first day of school. All students should provide their own combination lock to secure their belongings (if a lock is not already built into their locker). If your child cannot secure their own lock, please reach out to guidance for help.
*Students will find out about other supplies from individual teachers during the first few weeks of school. They should come to school with a writing utensil and notebook to start the year.
Wakefield School Supply Drive:
The Wakefield Food Pantry is running a school supply drive now through August 11th. The supplies collected will be given to Wakefield students in need. Please see more information, including drop off sites, on this flyer: School Supply Drive
Fall Athletics:
Parents can register their children for fall sports by clicking on the following link: https://www.familyid.com/programs/fall-2023-wakefield-hs-athletics-regis...
Tryouts for Football and Golf begin on Friday, August 18. Tryouts for all other Fall sports begin on Monday, August 21.
Athletic Director, Brendan Kent, will be sending out more information on athletics, including exact times and locations for tryouts, along with coaches’ contact information. Any specific questions or concerns should be directed to Mr. Kent at brendan.kent@wpsk12.org.
Student Parking:
As you probably know by now, construction for the new WMHS will begin this spring. Parking will be a challenge as we move through the various phases of construction so it is important that we work together to address the parking issues.
This year, the Senior Class Officers are organizing a fundraiser, raffling off a limited number of spaces in the lower and side lot to participating Seniors. More information will be sent to Seniors directly in the coming days.
We have several other parking areas for seniors who do not win a raffle spot and students in other grades - the upper lot, Hemlock and Farm Streets.
Parking spots are limited this year so we ask that students drive only if necessary, and safely share rides as much as possible so the lots do not become overcrowded.
Students must refrain from any spots in the front circle or any spaces marked reserved for teachers, athletics, and WCAT, which will be clearly marked.
Students who will be driving to school must register their car (by license plate number) so that we have an accurate list of student vehicles that may be in the lot at any time. Students will be allowed to list more than one vehicle if they use a family car. Throughout the year, if this information should change, students should let the main office know so we can update the database.
The link to the google form (where ALL STUDENTS MUST REGISTER VEHICLES) is here: 23-24 Parking Registration
Student photos/IDs:
We will be taking individual photos of ALL STUDENTS in September both for student IDs and for our information system. More detailed information will be coming on these photos, including dates and a schedule. Students do not have to purchase photos, but all students must sit so that their photo is current in our student data system.
Family Involvement & Communication at WMHS:
Here are a few opportunities for families to become involved with WMHS. Here are just a few-
PTSA:
The Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) includes school, parent and student membership and benefits the entire school community through the support of special events such as Senior Class Night, Teacher Appreciation Week, etc.
The PTSA requests that each family sends an annual donation of $25 (or whatever amount you are comfortable contributing) to the PTSA ℅ the WMHS Main Office.
For more information about the PTSA and their schedule of meetings, you can contact Marcie Schuster, PTSA President, at marcieschuster@gmail.com.
School Council:
Another opportunity to have input and make a difference at WMHS is by becoming a representative on the School Council. The School Council, which meets one evening per month, is an advisory group to the principal that provides parent input into the school’s annual Improvement Plan. If you are interested in continuing on or becoming a parent representative on our School Council, please email me your reasons for interest at amy.mcleod@wpsk12.org. Please include “School Council” in the subject line.
Other:
Other parent organizations, such as the Music Boosters, Warrior Club, and others, support specific activities and will announce meetings during the school year. The WMHS Alumni Foundation and the Wakefield Educational Foundation also welcome your participation and will be reaching out.
We encourage all WMHS families to visit our school website regularly to learn about activities, events, and other updates here: WMHS website
The high school also has multiple social media accounts that we update throughout the year to help us celebrate school successes, share important information with the community, and highlight teaching and learning.
Instagram: therealwmhs
Facebook: Wakefield Memorial High School (@therealwmhs)
Thank you for reading this update. In the coming weeks, as we get closer to school opening, we will be sending more detailed information, including information about student devices and mandatory information forms that will need attention before school starts. In the meantime, I hope you all continue to enjoy the rest of your summer vacation. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the main office if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Amy