Puma Weekly - October 16, 2026

Posted Date: 10/16/26 (04:52 PM)

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Puma Weekly

October 16, 2026

Administration Update

8th Graders Visit Bacon Academy!

On Friday, our 8th graders visited Bacon Academy for an exciting morning exploring their future high school! The visit began with a welcome presentation featuring performances by the Bacon Academy Choir and Band, an introduction to the School Counseling Department, and a welcome video. Mr. Mal and Mrs. Marcinczyk also shared a few words with their future Bobcats. Next, student-led tours with members of the PAL group gave our students a firsthand look at all Bacon Academy has to offer, including a tour of the brand-new athletic fields. During a snack break in the cafeteria, students had the opportunity to ask questions and learn more about high school life from their PAL guides. The morning wrapped up with a pep rally alongside current 9th and 10th graders, along with an introduction to Bacon Academy athletics. A big thank-you to the Bacon Academy staff and students for welcoming our 8th graders and providing such a wonderful opportunity for them to explore their next step in their educational journey.

School Happenings & Upcoming Events

The Boo Bash! (gr 6)

Dear 6th Grade Families,

Get ready for some spooktacular fun! The WJJMS PTO is excited to present the 6th Grade Boo Bash!

Here are all the details for the event:

Date: Friday, October 30
Time: 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM
Location: WJJMS – The Black Box
Cost: $10 (Includes music, dancing, and snacks!)
Theme: Costume Party!

How to Register & Support:

Register: Please sign up and register your child online ahead of time using this link: 6th Grade Boo Bash Registration

Support: If you’d like to contribute snacks or items to help make the party a success, we would greatly appreciate your support! You can view and donate items directly through our Amazon Gift List: Boo Bash Donation List

If anyone has questions, please feel free to reach out to Amanda at aseals26@gmail.com or Sarah at Sarah.Connell@hhchealth.org.

Thank you for helping us make this a memorable event for our 6th graders!

Best regards,

WJJMS PTO

To All Parent/Guardians

It is vital that you have working phone numbers and emergency contacts listed in PowerSchool in the event your child is ill, injured, or suffers from an emergency requiring transport to the Hospital. If your phone number has changed, please update it in the PowerSchool Parent Portal and make sure to activate your voicemail.

Thank you,

Sue Cowan RN BS

William J Johnston School Nurse

Puma Media Academy coming Friday, October 23rd

Since our last post looking for students interested in working on Puma News, reading morning announcements, designing graphics for our school monitors, and/or taking photos for our yearbook and special events, we had over 50 students sign up for multiple roles!

Because of this interest, we will be holding our first ever Puma Media Academy on Friday, October 23. Participating students will report to their homeroom on this day, then head to the Block Box where they will be trained in all aspects of media production. If your child had previously signed up to be a part of Puma Media, please make sure they responded to attending the training here.

There's still time for your student to join our crew by filling out the original Puma Media form. For more information on Puma Media or the training, please email our technology teacher, Kelli Cauffman, at kcauffman@colchesterct.org.

Click on the Icons Below to Access Resources for More Information:

Screensanity

Digital Health 101: Training for device use is similar to driver’s ed.

Common Sense Media

Parents’ Ultimate Guides for the online world

Family Tech

How to audit family subscriptions & cut unwanted monthly costs

ASU Resource

Five steps to responsible family tech usage

Get Your WJJMS Gear!

Support your school sports teams and show your school pride! Various shirts, hoodies and accessories are available. As a launch promotion, they are offering 20% off all purchases for the month of October.

(10% of all sales will help fund the Athletics program)

Click here to get your gear!

Youth Services AI Presentation page 2 QR code

Dates to Remember

10/21/26: Project O trip to Groton
10/27/26: Shortened Day, dismiss @ 10:50 AM
10/27/26: Parent Teacher Conferences
10/27/26: Picture Retake Day
10/28/26: Band Trip to US Coast Guard
10/30/26: End of Quarter 1
10/30/26: Delayed Opening, 9:18 AM
10/30/26: Parent Teacher Conferences
10/30/26: Grade 6 Boo Bash, 2-3:30 PM
11/3/26: No School
11/11/26: No School, Veteran's Day
11/13/26: Empty Bowl
11/14/26: WJ Goes Out -The Wolf Pack, 7:15 PM