Program of Studies Policies and Guidelines

The Educational Philosophy of Wellesley Middle School

Wellesley Middle School will provide for the unique educational needs of the early adolescent. The overall organization should reflect the gradual transition from the self-contained classroom of the elementary school to the departmentalized program of the high school. 

The philosophy of the school is grounded on four basic assumptions: 

Educational competency is dependent upon a proficiency in the basic skills as well as a diversified academic experience. Thus, the school will stress the continuing development of the basic skills through a comprehensive program of education.


The intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs of the young adolescent are interrelated. Thus, the staff will be sensitive to all aspects of the student’s identity and development in helping the student to realize his or her potential.


A student’s ability to learn and succeed in school is dependent upon a sense of self and self-worth. Thus, the staff, through example, counsel, and teaching, will encourage the positive development of its core values of respect and responsibility, and key skills such as self-awareness, self-management and decision-making.


An effective educational program is dependent upon parental support and involvement. Thus, the school will encourage the combined efforts of school and community in bringing about an excellent education for its youth.


Notice of Anti-Discrimination

The Wellesley Public School System does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, limited English proficiency, sexual orientation, disability, or housing status in admission to, access to, employment in, or treatment in its programs and activities. 


The Wellesley Public School System is committed to maintaining a school environment free of harassment based on race, color, sex, age, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, limited English proficiency, sexual orientation, disability, or housing status. 


All district academic and nonacademic programs and events are offered regardless of race, color, sex, age, gender, gender identity, religion, national origin, limited English proficiency, sexual orientation, disability, or housing status. 

WPS Core Values

Academic Excellence

Cooperative and Caring Relationships

Respect for Human Differences

Commitment to Community

The Core Values of Wellesley Middle School

The Wellesley Public School District is committed to the following core values through all its schools: Wellesley High School, Wellesley Middle School, Bates Elementary School, Fiske Elementary School, Hardy Elementary School, Hunnewell Elementary School, Schofield Elementary School, Sprague Elementary School, and Upham Elementary School. We strive to uphold these values through a strong commitment to educating our students in Wellesley.

Core Values

At WMS, we are committed to creating a learning community where everyone is included, valued, and receives the support to grow. This can only be achieved if we show respect for ourselves, others, and our environment. Exhibiting this kind of respect involves taking responsibility for our own learning and for the general well-being of our school. This requires hard work and, from time to time, the courage to do what’s right even when there is pressure to do otherwise.

WMS Community graphic

WMS

Grouping Policy

To provide a challenging learning atmosphere, Wellesley Middle School attempts to meet the individual differences in the students’ skills, interests, backgrounds, and rates of learning. Teachers have a variety of ways to work with the range of skill levels within a class. Attention is especially given to the changing needs of students during the middle school years. Ensuring that the transition from elementary to high school is challenging, yet secure, is the main focus of our grouping practice. Consequently, grouping practices vary at each grade level. 


In sixth grade, students work in heterogeneous groups within a “house” of 4 teachers. A house ranges in size between 80-96 students. Students remain in their house for all their required academic subjects. They have an opportunity to work with their peers from other houses when they participate in their middle school, introductory, exploratory courses: Art, Music, Technology and Engineering, World Cultures, Working on Wellness, and Fitness and Health. Additionally, sixth graders can take a classical or modern language (CML) class every other day that includes the following choices: French, German, Latin, Mandarin Chinese and Spanish.  


The heterogeneous grouping of students is continued for all subjects in Grade 7. There are groupings made possible by the students' participation in “clusters” (80-96 students) for all required academic subjects. Students are placed in or elect to take various courses organized around specific skills such as Art, Music, Technology and Engineering, and Fitness and Health. CML classes continue as a progression of a student’s sixth grade choice into Grade 7.


Grade 8, students will be on one of four teams of approximately 80-96 students each, and heterogeneously grouped in classes for all subjects except mathematics for which there are three course offerings: a core course in Algebra, an accelerated Algebra course, and a course designed for students who would benefit from a more measured pace to master the major topics of first year Algebra.


Seventh grade teachers will offer their perspectives to parents and seventh grade students for the most appropriate level placement in eighth grade mathematics. After careful consideration by the teacher of a student’s work and study habits, classroom performance, and current achievement, a level placement will be recommended.  If parents decide on a level different from the one recommended by the teacher, they will be asked to sign and submit a form that informs them of the policies regarding the changing of levels in the 8th grade.


The principal is responsible for making the final decision about the student’s assignment to a house, cluster or team for organizational and instructional purposes. The Superintendent is authorized to approve such recommendations, which under the class size guidelines may result in a change of classes, levels, and/or course offerings, within the budget approved by the School Committee.

Promotion Policy

Grade Six

Learning rates of students vary and accordingly the amount of time required for them to master the curriculum for a particular grade level will also vary. The decision to promote or retain a student shall be made in accordance with the following:


Grades Seven And Eight

Grading

All students will be marked according to their achievement within the level in which they are working.  In general, courses will be graded four times a year. Semester courses are graded two times a year.

Achievement Marks                               

Effort Marks

Note: The Classical and Modern Languages Department uses standards-based rubrics and sequential grading. Sequential grading places greater stress on more recent work than earlier work. For details, contact Mr. Tim Eagan, Classical and Modern Languages Department Head.

Student Services Department

The Student Services Department comprises a diverse group of professionals including guidance counselors and special education staff who work closely together. They are committed to helping students plan and achieve an optimal school experience. The objectives of the department are threefold: 

There are a variety of services provided by the Student Services Department (i.e., Guidance Services, Special Education services, and parent groups). 

Counseling Services

The work of the school counselor is to encourage students in their development as confident and caring individuals and assist them in the process of becoming committed learners. 

The Counselor:

The Counselor’s Work with Students Includes:

Other Aspects of the Counselor’s Work Include:


SEED (Social and Emotional Educational Development) Session Topics in Grade 6

Transition     •     Study Skills     •     Responsibility     •     Friendship     •     Diversity and Identity     •     

Bullying     •     Communication     •     Social Skills      •    Course Selection/Transition planning for Grade 7


Guidance Activities in Grade 7 

Class-building Activities     •     Grade or Cluster-specific Discussions     •     Lunch Groups

Co-leading SEED Sessions     •     Course Selection /Planning for Grade 8


Guidance Activities in Grade 8 

Lunch Groups     •     Career Cruising Program     •     Co-leading SEED Sessions

Course Selection/Planning for High School Transition


Parent Workshops

Guidance Counselors, Special Education staff in the Student Services Department, and our Technology Department offer parent programs. Workshops are developed in response to parent needs and have included the following:

English Learners (EL) Program

EL services are offered to students with limited English proficiency. These services include instruction in developing speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills in English.

Special Education Services

A variety of specialized instructional services are available through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act special education process. The goal of these services is to access the general education curriculum for students with disabilities. Before a student is referred for a special education evaluation, guidance counselors, teachers, and parents work together to identify specific strategies and interventions for a student and teacher to try to ensure that the classroom is responsive to that student's needs. If these strategies do not support adequate progress, and a disability is suspected, the child may be referred for a special education evaluation. Parents who initiate concerns about their child's academic progress are encouraged to follow the same process. When the evaluation results indicate that a child has a disability and that he/she cannot make effective progress in the classroom setting and requires specially designed instruction to make effective progress, and the student is determined eligible for special education, the team develops an Individualized Education Program (IEP) to specify services to address those needs. Services can be delivered by a member of the special education staff working in a classroom or outside of the classroom in a Learning Center. 

Special education services are determined on an individual basis. Wellesley Middle School has a continuum of service delivery models that range from all services being delivered in a general education classroom to services being delivered primarily in special education settings. All special education recommendations, including placement, are determined at a Team meeting. Special education services are determined on an individual basis and are delivered in accordance with the student’s IEP.

Adapted Fitness and Health

The Fitness and Health Department provides adapted programs for those students identified through the Special Education Team Evaluation process. The student's Individualized Education Program describes the specific program needed for fitness and health. 

School Health Services

The members of the Nursing Department collaborate with parents and staff to provide the fullest possible educational opportunity for all students by providing services to support their health, well-being and safety in school.  The comprehensive school health program includes screening procedures, protocols to prevent the spread of communicable diseases, emergency care; and procedures to facilitate school attendance of children with special health care needs.  

The nurse may act as a liaison between schools and physicians and/or refer students to appropriate resources either within the school or community. The purpose of the comprehensive school health program is to encourage the best possible health outcomes for each student and to teach concepts that help students make responsible decisions regarding their own health in the future.

Illness, Injuries, and School Attendance

Medication Policies

Concussion/Head Injury Protocol

The nurses, counselors, teachers and athletic trainer collaborate to ensure prompt identification of a student concussion and/or head injury symptoms in order to initiate an appropriate management plan.  Recognizing that each student responds and recovers from a head injury differently, parents should contact the school nurses so that the appropriate accommodations can be put in place in order to support your child during the brain healing process.  Student athletes must have an ImPACT test prior to participation in interscholastic sports.


Library Program

The Middle School Library program builds upon the library skills instruction begun in the elementary schools.  Our library curriculum is based on the National Library standards, the Massachusetts Digital Literacy and Computer Science Frameworks, and Anti-Racist Anti-Bias standards.  Through flexible scheduling and collaboration between the librarian and classroom teachers, students focus on the following units of study.


Library Use & Digital Literacy:


Research Process & Information Literacy


Media Literacy & Bias


Literature Appreciation


Library Media Specialist responsibilities and teaching in this area include, in part:

Students in grades 6-8 are taught the following skills:


By the end of eighth grade, students will have an extensive foundation in the information literacy skills, research skills, and library use and literature appreciation necessary to succeed at the high school level and beyond.

Each year at WMS, your teachers and school counselor will help you and your parents plan your courses for the following year. The program selection process usually begins in February for Grade 7 students, and in March for Grade 6 and 8 students.


At WMS, there are seven 45-minute periods a day totaling 42 periods per six-day cycle.  Certain courses are required in each grade (see course listing) while others are electives.  In making your program selections, you should consider the following:


1.  Interests and School Performance - Achievement in school depends on skills, effort and interest: What strategies are you using to improve your understanding? Do you have well-developed reading skills and study habits? Consider your individual skills, capabilities, and interests.


2.  Teacher Perspectives - Your teachers are in the best position to give you advice on specific subjects for next year. They are familiar with your present performance as well as with the requirements needed for success in next year’s subjects. Give their perspectives careful consideration. Final program selection must be approved by your caretaker.


3.  Electives - Before you make your choice of electives, you should refer to the descriptions of each course in the Program of Studies and consult with the teacher you presently have in each subject area. These teachers are familiar with the offerings for the next year, as well as with the interest you have shown thus far. The choice of electives should be made carefully. You want to take advantage of the opportunity to explore new areas of interest or continue in experiences which have already proven enjoyable.  Note: Students in WMS may not drop a course or request a new course after the completion of the second cycle (i.e., twelve school days) of each semester.


4.  School Counselor - Your school counselor will meet with all classes to describe the course selection process. If sixth or seventh grade students have further questions or concerns, they should make an appointment with their guidance counselor. All eighth-grade students will have individual appointments with their guidance counselor.

Guidelines for Planning your Program of Studies

Each year at WMS, your teachers and guidance counselor will help you and your parents plan your courses for the following year. The program selection process usually begins in February for Grade 7 students, and in March for Grade 6 and 8 students.

At WMS, there are seven 45-minute periods a day totaling 42 periods per six-day cycle.  Certain courses are required in each grade (see course listing) while others are electives.  In making your program selections, you should consider the following:

1.  Interests and School Performance - Achievement in school depends on skills, effort and interest: What strategies are you using to improve your understanding? Do you have well-developed reading skills and study habits? Consider your individual skills, capabilities, and interests.

2.  Teacher Perspectives - Your teachers are in the best position to give you advice on specific subjects for next year. They are familiar with your present performance as well as with the requirements needed for success in next year’s subjects. Give their perspectives careful consideration. Final program selection must be approved by your parents. 

3.  Electives - Before you make your choice of electives, you should refer to the descriptions of each course in the Program of Studies and consult with the teacher you presently have in each subject area. These teachers are familiar with the offerings for the next year, as well as with the interest you have shown thus far. The choice of electives should be made carefully. You want to take advantage of the opportunity to explore new areas of interest or continue in experiences which have already proven enjoyable.  Note: Students in WMS may not drop a course or request a new course after the completion of the second cycle (i.e., twelve school days) of each semester.

4.  Guidance Counselor - Your guidance counselor will meet with all classes to describe the course selection process. If sixth or seventh grade students have further questions or concerns, they should make an appointment with their guidance counselor. All eighth-grade students will have individual appointments with their guidance counselor.

Availability of Courses

The Program of Studies contains a variety of courses, some of which are limited in enrollment. Staffing decisions are made in light of course enrollments and available resources. Low course enrollment, staffing constraints, or budgetary impacts may result in the cancellation of some courses and/or sections of courses. Other courses or sections of courses may be closed before enrollments become too high. The school does not guarantee that any student’s “first choice” will be fulfilled, and it reserves the right to make the final decisions about a student’s schedule.  Guidance counselors will assist students in making alternative selections when courses are filled, cancelled or closed. Although average class size guidelines provide the basis for staffing allocations, these are averages and not minimum or maximum class sizes. Actual class sizes typically reflect a range above and below the guidelines and may vary considerably among courses.

Six Day Cycle  

(This description is subject to change based on the adoption of a new Master Schedule in 2022-23. It could include a seven-day cycle.)

English, mathematics, science, social studies, meet daily in all grades, and Classical and Modern Language (CML) meet daily (Grades 7 and 8) or every other day (Grade 6). Art, Music, Technology and Engineering, Family and Consumer Science, World Cultures, and Fitness and Health meet every other day (either on days 1, 3, and 5, OR 2, 4, and 6) for a semester.  Every six days the pattern is repeated. This plan allows for an increase in instructional time in all three grades and greater flexibility in scheduling, thereby reducing course conflicts and study halls where unwarranted. 

In the following program descriptions those courses described as meeting “three periods per cycle” will meet on days 1, 3, and 5, OR 2, 4, and 6; this is the equivalent of meeting every other day.

Example of how a six-day cycle coordinates with a regular calendar.  The number in the upper right corner represents the day in the six-day cycle. 

Sample September Schedule Grid

Example of how a six-day cycle coordinates with a regular calendar. The number in red in the upper right corner represents the day in the six-day cycle. 

All WMS Courses

FITNESS AND HEALTH 

READING / WRITING 

SPECIAL EDUCATION 

STUDENT SERVICES 

FLEX

ENGLISH 

SOCIAL STUDIES 

MATHEMATICS 

SCIENCE 

WORLD LANGUAGES 

PERFORMING ARTS 

ART 

TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING 

ACADEMIC AND SEL ENRICHMENT

A Student's experience at Wellesley Middle School:

Grade 6 Students are a member of a team that are part of a four-teacher “house.” A house ranges in size from 80-96 students.

Grade 7 Students are a member of a team that is part of a four-teacher “cluster.” A cluster comprises 80-96 students.

Grade 8 Students are a member of a team that is part of a four-teacher “team.”  A team comprises 80-144 students.

The same school counselor will follow a student's progress through his/her three-year experience in the Middle School whenever possible.

WMS Teaming Model

Students make the change from working primarily with the same group of peers and one teacher in grades K-5 to working with two or four house or cluster teachers in Grades 6 and 7.  Grade 6 students are assigned to a house and a homeroom. A guidance counselor from the Student Services Department is assigned to each student within a house and will provide support for the student during three years at the Middle School.  Grade 7 students are kept with some students from their Grade 6 house, and combine with new students to form a “cluster.”  Students intermix with all students in their cluster for their required academic subjects.  In Grade 8, students are put into one of four teams of 80-144 students each working with four teachers for required subjects. Grade 8 teams pull from one each of the Grade 7 clusters.  After middle school, students at Wellesley High School enter an “open enrollment” model and intermix with all students in their grade for required subjects.

Curriculum Objectives

The Middle School’s curriculum is designed to accomplish three important objectives: