Westbrook Middle School

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

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.

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.

5th grade has a new school counselor, Mrs. Gagner! We're happy to have her working with our 5th grade students this year.

Just wanted to let everyone know that the 23-24 school supply letters can be found under the For Families tab when you click on the Menu button at the top of the WMS website. They are also in the announcements. NOT that we want to rush summer! Just for those who plan way ahead.... :)

Reminder: Please vote in today's School Budget Referendum! Polls at the Community Center are open until 8pm. Thank you!

Tuesday, June 13 is the annual School Budget Referendum. Polls are open at the Community Center on Bridge Street 6am-8pm. Information about the FY2024 School Budget can be found on the School Department website www.westbrookschools.org. PLEASE VOTE!

Thank you to Mr. Johnsen who offered tie tying lessons in advance of our 8th grade promotion. Tying a tie is an important skill and he wanted to make sure that our kids were able to look their best that evening. Thank you, Mr. Johnsen!

Message to 8th Grade Parents/Guardians: As we look toward the end of this school year, we have been planning for your child's transition to Westbrook High School and our end of the year activities. On Thursday, June 15, 2023, Westbrook Middle School will hold our eighth grade Promotion Ceremony in the Westbrook Performing Arts Center beginning at 6:00 P.M. This ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of our students. All eligible 8th grade students are asked to attend this awards ceremony to receive their certificate of promotion to Westbrook High School. Students are asked to be at Westbrook Middle School no later than 5:45 P.M. to begin lining up for the Promotion Ceremony which will begin promptly at 6:00 P.M That evening, following the Promotion Ceremony, a dance for all our eighth grade students will be held in the gymnasium until 9:00 P.M. Parents/Guardians are asked to pick up their son or daughter from the dance at 9:00 P.M. The promotion dance is for eighth grade Westbrook Middle School students only. There is no cost to students for the evening’s activities. Our promotion ceremony is an important right of passage for our middle school students and we look forward to honoring them and all their accomplishments. Respectfully, Laurie Wood Principal

I am so proud of our 7th graders and so thankful for the support we got for Unity Day from the city and all the volunteers. Photos and videos to follow but thank you to everyone for helping us to have our 7th graders give back to the Westbrook community today!

Are you technically savvy? love working with people? want to be part of a very supportive (dare I say, fun?) team? want a full time job with excellent health and other benefits that offers a family-friendly school year work schedule? Then perhaps you are the right person to join our Student Services (formerly known as Guidance) Team as our Administrative Assistant! Check our this link for all our employment opportunities: https://www.westbrookschools.org/page/join-our-team Contact woodl@westbrookschools.org with any questions.

Congratulations, Ms. Bolton and your students! What a beautiful spring door for our door decorating contest. The halls are bright and beautiful at WMS.

Hi all, we are still looking for volunteers for our May 19th Unity Day! We would love to have you join our students and they give back to the community! Please email woodl@westbrookschools.org for more information!