Today in Advisory, I read a statement to all students and staff reflecting on last week’s incident and foreshadowing the important work ahead of us as a school community. As mentioned in my message, a series of sessions centered on values and empathy will begin for all students on Monday in Advisory. Other learning – within the curriculum, in larger programs, and in the form of student trainings – will occur as well. I will be sure to keep you informed as we engage in this vital work. My full statement is linked here.

Next Friday, November 14, we will administer the MetroWest Adolescent Health Survey to all WHS students. We, along with many other communities in our region, have participated in the MWAHS since its inception in 2006. This will be our 10th administration, which gives us valuable longitudinal data about numerous aspects of our students’ lives such as their mental health, substance use, peer relationships, cell phone and social media use, and connectedness to school. Themes from survey results guide our decision-making related to programming, support, and curriculum. Please refer to this letter I sent to all families this past Monday. 

Congratulations to all of our fall athletes for their exciting seasons! With fall sports coming to a close, we turn our attention to the winter season. Registration is now open for winter sports and may be found on our website under “Athletics.” We will have a brief fall sports summary next week in my Friday Message.

I have been overhearing some toe-tapping music coming from the Fine Arts wing in the evenings and wanted to include a special shout-out for the Wayland High School Theater Ensemble’s upcoming fall musical, “Head Over Heels.” Director and theater teacher Aidan O’Hara describes the performance this way: “The title is a hilarious, high-energy musical comedy (fresh from Broadway in 2019) set to the beat of the iconic hits by The Go-Go's. This dazzling Elizabethan adventure of love, identity, and self-discovery will have you dancing in your seat and grinning from ear to ear!” Performances run on November 20, 21, and 22; the ticket link is here.

With the holidays approaching and given the number of people in need in our communities, many student organizations at WHS are organizing food drives this winter. For the next two weeks, two WHS students affiliated with the student-run charity “Students for Solace” are collecting food items for Afghan refugees in New Hampshire; our Student Council will also collect canned goods for local food pantries during the week prior to Thanksgiving. Thank you in advance for giving generously.

~ Allyson Mizoguchi, WHS Principal