Greetings!
 The Parents Association is holding the first in a three-part College Counseling informational series on February 21. The event will take place in the Athletic Center Board Room. A light dinner will be served at 5:30 p.m. followed by a presentation from the Academy College Counseling Department. This is an excellent opportunity to get an overview of what to anticipate for your student as well as getting answers to questions you may have about the process. If you plan to attend, please contact Andrea Robbins, 413.596.9118. Also, please note, the next regular meeting of the Parents Association will be March 1, the first Thursday of March, at 8:00 a.m. in the Board Room because the Academy will be on Spring Vacation the following week. We are busy planning our spring fundraiser, Clash of the Titans II: Revenge of the Kitchen. We are hoping to build on last year’s success, and are looking for volunteers to assist with marketing the event. Kris Kirwan, who is chairing the committee, is looking for help. You can contact her at 413.244.7159 if you are interested in lending a hand. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Lisa Jalbert, Parents Association President Text Alerts
WMA is pleased to announce we now have text messaging alerts. We will be sending weekly messages to students in an effort to update them of upcoming deadlines, student activities, and other pertinent information they need to know. We ask that students do not "opt out" of messages as important information will be disseminated this way including weather/emergency alerts. From the Deans Office
Winter trimester (T2) grades & comments Please review the grades and comments with your child. Direct questions about your child's grade or progress in a particular course to the teacher directly or contact your child's advisor. The advisor is a good resource to assist you and your child with any academic difficulties that may have arisen. March 2 - Winter Trimester ends (T2) March 6 at noon - grades and comments for T2 finalized on PowerSchool To access your child’s grades and comments, go to our PowerSchool website and log in using your username and password. On PowerSchool you will see the following: - T1 column: Fall trimester grades for yearlong and fall trimester courses.
- M2 column: mid-winter trimester grade for yearlong and winter trimester courses.
- T2 column: winter trimester grade for yearlong and winter trimester courses.
- T2 Teacher Comment: Click on the T2 grade to find the comment for that specific class.
- Teacher recommendation symbols are located below the percentage grade in the T2 column: H = Honor Night, E = Extra Help, D = Directed Study
Relay For Life  Join us Saturday, May 19 for our annual Greater Wilbraham Relay For Life. Currently, we are looking for survivors to participate in our survivor lap and team members to help organize and fundraise for the event. Please contact Brianna Goncalves for more information or to get involved. HOMESTAY for March Students are in the process of making plans for spring vacation (March 2 - 20). A few of our International students are looking to stay in Wilbraham for the duration of the break. Perhaps you would like to consider opening your home to one of our students by becoming a HOMESTAY host family. Please contact International Student Program Director Gayle Hsiao if you would like to consider this program. Learn more... Snow Days With a significant boarding population, we do not cancel school unless conditions are severe. It makes sense for us to continue with the academic day. However, at no time do we expect day students or their families to take risks. Day-student absences accompanied by a parent phone call on inclement days are excused, and work missed can be completed without consequence. Day students should get to school and sign in at the Deans Office as soon as conditions and family comfort allow. If students cannot drive from campus to home due to bad weather, they should notify the Deans Office or the AOD. Arrangements can be made for them to sleep on campus. Since Blake Middle School is entirely a day population, weather that causes concern may result in the cancellation of middle-school classes when upper-school classes are held as scheduled. For the most current information and updates, look on FirstClass email or the website. Making Travel Arrangements For your convenience, an updated list of travel dates can be found online. Parents, please remember, if your son or daughter is a boarding student, you must give him/her permission to leave school for vacations, even if they are going home for the break. If they are not going home, please be specific about where they are going and with whom. Please do one of the following by 3:00 p.m.Wednesday, February 29 for spring vacation:
New fax numberdedicated to boarding student permissions:413.596.0022
Call: 413.596.9122 • email: cshults@WMA.us Head of School Message
Reflections upon return from Asia  After two weeks of travel in Asia at the opening of February, meeting Academy parents and alumni to raise both awareness of our programs and funds to improve those programs, I would like to share some of my impressions. This was my fifth trip to Asia in the last seven years and during that time I have noticed an increasing Western influence upon the outward trappings of big city life. I say big city life because I visited only the major metropolises of Tokyo, Seoul, and Hong Kong. More... Parent-Connect: A Valuable Resource
Again this year, we are excited to offer Parent-Connect, a series of informative online seminars exploring topics of vital interest to all parents. Summer Programs
Wilbraham & Monson Academy is an exciting and inviting place to be this summer with numerous camp activities and enticing options available for children aged 5-18. We encourage you to consider Beech Tree, a summer camp for your children ages 5-12 as well as our new specialty camps. We have something for everyone – from the emerging entrepreneur to the budding poet. Our camps are open to the public, so feel free to recommend them to your friends! Visit www.WMA.us/summer to get detailed information on all the great camps being offered this summer. Look for new information on camps focusing on cooking, garage band, math: algebra & geometry, soccer, and tennis. | | |  Meeting of the Wilbraham & Monson Academy Parents Association
Please join us!!
Thursday, March 1, 2012 8:00 a.m. WMA Athletic Center Board Room Coffee, tea, juice, fruit, & breakfast pastries
These informal morning meetings are held the second Thursday of each month and are designed for us to get to know each other better and to provide an opportunity for parents to share their thoughts, ideas, and questions about all things WMA. We know your valuable input will help make the Academy experience the best it can be for our children and for us as parents. We will supplement these meetings with selected educational programs throughout the year. For questions, orto get involved, contact: Lisa Jalbert President 413.221.3969 Kris Kirwan Vice-President 413.244.7159 Melissa Reeves Treasurer 413.530.4704 Robin Cook Secretary 413.599.6609 Andrea Robbins Associate Director of Alumni Relations & Parents Association Liaison 413.596.9118 WMA Parents AssociationBook Club When: March 1 Time: 6:45-8:00 p.m. Where: Athletic Center Book: Ethan Frome
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact Geri French Robitaille at 413.575.5528. Upcoming Events February 21 College Counseling 101 Session5:30 - 8:00 p.m. Athletic Center Board Room Food & beverages at 5:30 p.m.R.S.V.P. to Andrea Robbins, 413.596.9118
February 24Middle School Parent Social7:00 - 9:00 p.m.Athletic Center Conference RoomRefreshments served
February 28 Savory Suppers6:00 p..m. Atkins Farms in AmherstContact: Robin Cook
February 28Varsity Athletic Awards Banquet6:15 p.m.Lak Dining Hall April 2Winter trimester endsSpring vacation begins at 3:00 p.m. April 13Clash of the Titans II:Revenge of the Kitchen6:00 - 10:00 p.m.Lak Dining Hall Food, fun, live entertainment, and more...details to follow shortly. If you have questions, please contact Andrea Robbins at 413.596.9118. Important Links
Atlas Student Newspaper
Media Gallery
2011-2012 School Calendar
Risley Sports Photography  Parents of winter athletes, check out action photos from Risley Photography.
WMA is Social!

About eNews If you would prefer to receive eNews at a different email address, please send your name and new/preferred email address to: Cindy Shults
Other questions? Contact us! eNews is produced by the Communications Department. Rita Carey Director of Communications Deanna RouxWebmanager
 | |