I’d like to get everyone home before the height of the storm today, so we will be closing early. Dismissal at WHS and WMS will be at 11:30am. Dismissal at Canal, Congin, and Saccarappa will be at 12:20pm. There will be no PreK classes today and there will be no after school activities or practices. Be safe in the storm!
Check out this free after school activity for your WMS student!
Because power has not yet been restored at Saccarappa School, there is NO SCHOOL today at Saccarappa. At all other schools, we will have a 2 hour delayed start. That means that schools will open two hours after their regular opening and buses will pick up students 2 hours later than their usual times. This will give crews time to address road conditions and power outages, and extra time to get to work and school. There are no PK classes. Breakfast will be available when students arrive.
Have you heard about "Fresh Food Fridays," an outreach of The Locker Project? Launched at WMS in September, this initiative offers free produce to all students who choose to partake. Every other week, Lauren from the Locker Project arrives with a van packed full of fresh, delicious fruit, vegetables and breads for students to take home to their families. Falcon Academy student volunteers help unload, set up and host the distribution tables. Last Friday, about 250 students left for the weekend toting green bags bursting with apples, cucumbers, grapes, squash and more. Thank you, Locker Project, for helping our students be healthy, happy and ready to learn!
WMS would like to thank all the participants in this past Saturday's Craft Fair! It was a HUGE success with so many talented crafters, a diverse selection of handmade items and some great concessions to boot. Special thanks to the WMS PTO who took the idea and ran with it. Look for a repeat next year!
The WMS Falcon's Nest is a program that helps to meet students' needs for food, snacks and clothing. Our Falcon Academy staff and students and our Student Council are working hard to meet the needs of all our students and we could use some help. Please consider donating to the snack drive we have going on now through the winter break. Students with full stomachs can concentrate better at school. Thank you in advance for your help! (here is the link to the Amazon Wishlist: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1M5A8PUZZAAYL?ref_=wl_share)
Don't miss out on Westbrook Middle School's first PTO-sponsored Craft Fair! We have dozens of craftspeople coming to share their wares.
I am writing to let you know that we are planning to reopen all schools in Westbrook on Monday, October 30 with a regular schedule. We will do so with a heightened sense of awareness and security and, as an added precaution, the Westbrook Police Department will provide additional presence at our schools. We are ready to support all of our students with counselors, social workers, and student services staff throughout the day. I will let you know if developments over the weekend cause our plans to change. Otherwise, Monday will be a day of school. Please continue to keep the people of Lewiston, the victims and their families in your thoughts and prayers. As a Westbrook community, we will support and comfort our children and each other over the days and weeks ahead as our hearts begin to heal. Take care and be strong.
Schools in Westbrook will be CLOSED again today, Friday, October 27. This is out of an abundance of caution as law enforcement agencies continue to investigate and search for the person responsible for the tragedy in Lewiston. A number of our staff also live in the Lewiston area and continue to be sheltered in place. Please keep everyone impacted by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. I will be in touch over the weekend as we all hope to return to school on Monday. Take care and be strong.
While we would like to quickly return to normalcy, it is still too early to definitively say whether or not we will be able to be at school tomorrow. The search for the suspect in the Lewiston tragedy continues but there have been promising developments this evening. If the suspect is not apprehended by morning, schools will be closed again on Friday. If the suspect has been found or is in custody by morning, schools will be open on Friday. I will send a communication early tomorrow morning to let you know if school will be closed or open. Either way, please know that we are here to support our students, families, and staff as we all heal from this horrific event. Please see your email, our website, and our Facebook page for more information. Take care and be strong.
Quick update: We continue to monitor the search that is underway for the suspect in the Lewiston tragedy. I have been in contact with WPD and other area schools throughout the day. It is too early to say if we will be in school on Friday. I hope to make that decision this evening and will send another message later.
Dear friends,
My heart is breaking over the tragic events in Lewiston last evening. I’m sure we are all struggling to make sense of such a horrible tragedy so close to home. Please join me in keeping the people of Lewiston in your thoughts and prayers. Our hearts go out to the victims and those who were injured, their families and friends, and others impacted by this traumatic event, including members of our own community.
Because the person of interest has not been apprehended as of this morning and out of an abundance of caution, all schools in Westbrook will be CLOSED on Thursday, October 26. There will be no before or after school activities at this time and Central Office will be closed.
Violence of this nature is difficult for anyone to understand. Children may be especially shaken by this event and may have questions and concerns. I encourage you to talk with your children about their thoughts and feelings and about school safety. Please reassure them that their schools are secure places where they are cared for every day. The Maine Department of Education has provided some suggestions for supporting children:
Preschool and early elementary school children need brief, simple information that should be balanced with reassurances that their schools and homes are safe and that adults are there to protect them. Concrete examples of safety, like having locked doors and adult supervision, can provide comfort.
Upper elementary and early middle school children will be more vocal in asking questions about whether they truly are safe and what is being done at their schools and communities. They may need assistance processing the incident. Discuss efforts of their schools, police, and community to ensure their safety.
Upper middle school and high school students will have strong and varying opinions about the causes of violence in society. They will share concrete suggestions about how to prevent tragedies in society. Emphasize the role that students have in maintaining safe communities and schools, communicating any personal safety concerns to parents/guardians/trusted adults, school administrators, and police officers, and accessing support for emotional needs.
Additionally, online resources from The National Child Traumatic Stress Network and the National Association of School Psychologists may be helpful. If you or someone you know is in crisis, call 988.
Please reach out to me, your school principals, and student service providers if we can help in supporting your children and your families. Additional police officers will be present at our schools on Thursday as well. We are fortunate to be part of the Westbrook community where we pull together and take care of each other, especially in times of crisis and tragedy.
Take care, and stay strong.
Peter Lancia
Superintendent of Schools
Dear friends,
Please know that the Westbrook Schools are aware of the horrific events in Lewiston this evening. I have been in communication with the Westbrook Police all evening and will continue to monitor the situation. The suspect is still at large, armed, and dangerous. I will provide more information in the morning if this tragedy will impact school and how we will be ready to support students and staff in the coming days
Take care, and please join me in keeping the people of Lewiston in your thoughts and prayers.
Peter Lancia, Superintendent of Schools
This year our Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences will take place on November 2nd, 2:30 - 6:00 p.m.; November 9th, 11:00 - 2:30 p.m.; and November 14th, 2:30 - 6:00 p.m.
To schedule your conference time(s) online, please follow these simple instructions:
Simply click on this link: https://ptcfast.com/schools/Westbrook_Middle_School_1 Also located on the WMS website at: https://www.westbrookschools.org/o/wms.
Simply locate your child's team/teacher on the list and check the box to see available times.
Choose your desired day & time for your conference and click to enter.
Enter the necessary information and hit submit.
If you do not need to schedule additional conferences, the process is complete when you log out. If you need to schedule another conference for another child, simply return to the teacher list & choose the next teacher.
All conferences will be in person. If you do not have internet access, or if you need your conference to be virtual, please contact Sharon Pelletier @ 854-0830 x 3000 to set up an appointment for you. If you cannot attend on the dates available or wish to make other arrangements, please email your child’s teacher. All staff emails are as follows: staff last name, staff first name initial, followed by @westbrookschools.org.
Check out our job fair! WMS has some ed tech and substitute positions open. We are seeking bench subs who are guaranteed subbing positions up to five days per week. We have a long term sub opening for a science position; this would be a great way to explore teaching as a career. Contact Principal Wood at woodl@westbrookschools.org if you have any questions about our job openings.
WMS Family Conferences will be held on November 2 and November 14 from 2:30 to 6:00 and November 9 from 11:00 to 2:30. Stay tuned for more information about how to sign up for conferences with your child's teachers.
WMS is doing our second Unity Day with 7th graders next Friday the 13th. Permission slips will be on the way home on Tuesday. We could use volunteers to chaperone. The time commitment would be from approximately 9:15 to 11:30. If interested, please email Principal Laurie Wood at woodl@westbrookschools.org.
Check out this chance to eat at a great local restaurant while also supporting the WMS PTO.
Crafters: WMS is having a craft fair! Sign up now to get in on the fun!
Please see the information about pandemic EBT cards as shown on the WSD website:
https://www.westbrookschools.org/article/1270066
If you do not feel your family needs this benefit, you could use the card to purchase snacks or non-perishable items and donate them to a food pantry like WMS' Falcon's Nest.