Spirit Week begins this week in preparation for the annual Battle of the Brooks.  This rivalry game (and our 2^nd home football game of the year) will be played at Millbrook High School on Wednesday, September 27 at Millbrook High School.  We hope all students will be involved in spirit week activities!   

Wed Sept.20 - Decades Day

Thurs Sept.21 - Dress to Impress Day (also school picture day)

Fri Sept.22 - Jersey/college shirt Day

Tues Sept.26 - Pink Out for breast cancer

Wed Sept.27 - Blue and white (school colors) Day

Please encourage your child to get involved and show their school spirit. Students who participate will be given a 'pawpon' ticket by their Becoming IB teacher and they will put tickets in their grade level box in the cafeteria. Throughout the week we will update students on the ticket totals. Let's see which grade level can come out on top as school spirit champions!  

Student Council Elections:  

Arrival and dismissal notes:

Walkers:  Students must live in the walk zone in order to walk to or from school.  If your student is a walker, please remind them to remain on sidewalks.  Students may not trespass in yards or driveways.  Law enforcement has reported unsafe student movement as they are darting in between parked cars or running across a street without looking for oncoming cars.  Please talk with your walker about safely navigating the route to and from school on foot. 

AM and PM Carpool:  Drivers must pay attention to staff on duty and may not use cell phones while the car is in motion. 

Morning Carpool:  Students should follow the directions of staff on duty about when to exit cars. There is a NO STUDENT EXIT ZONE located in the middle of the expanded morning drop off area adjacent to the metal swing gate.  It is unsafe for students to exit cars while your car is next to the gate.  Students may exit cars on either side of the gate (morning only). 

Afternoon Carpool:  Encourage your student to be looking for your car.  Leave a slight space between you and the car in front of you so that you are able to pull left and exit in the event your student is in your car before the car in front of you has their student. 

Create a Parent Observer Account in Canvas so that you can view course content and progress!  Instructions for creating the account are HERE. 

Fall School Picture Day:  It’s time to see those smiles!  Picture Day is Thursday, September 21.  Order forms were sent home with students last week.  We encourage families to order online:  

Order School Pictures:

www.mylifetouch.com

Picture Day ID:  EVT3K8HC7

Contact Assistant Head of School Gary Robinson grobinson5@wcpss.net with questions.    

Dance Company Auditions Dance Company is an after-school club/group that meets once a week on Wednesdays to learn and then perform dances at various events throughout the school year. Auditions for this year's Dance Company group will take place this Wednesday, September 20th in the dance studio (Room 1423) from 3:30-5:00pm . Students in all grade levels are able to audition. Prior dance experience is recommended but not required. Students need to be dressed in athletic attire so they can adequately move for auditions. Students will learn a dance at the audition and do not need to prepare any choreography of their own ahead of time. Any other questions, please email Ms. Maxwell at amaxwell@wcpss.net" 

The International Club presents Global Connections Tutoring!  Does your student wish to grow in his/her leadership skills?  Do they want to meet and serve peers from around the globe?  Do they need a Year 3 community project idea or extra volunteer hours?  If your student answered yes to any of these questions, Global Connections Tutoring is a great opportunity!  Your child can sign up for tutoring orientation HERE to find out more information. First meeting is September 20th, 3:30-4:30 PM in Room 3201.  Email Ms. Zarzar (ezarzar@wcpss.net) with any questions.Global Connections Tutoring

Academically & Intellectually Gifted (AIG) Nominations Are Being Accepted!  Please go to the following link and complete the online form if you would like to nominate a student for possible AIG evaluation. 

Constitution and Citizenship Day is celebrated on September 17 to commemorate the signing of the United States Constitution. 

Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15 – October 15 to recognize and celebrate the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America.

Around the ‘brook this week!

Wednesday, September 20  International Club Room 3201

                                         Dance Company Auditions

                                         Volleyball and Soccer v Wake Forest @ West Millbrook

Thursday, September 21     Football v Wake Forest @ West Millbrook (Home Opener!)

From the Wildcat Boosters: Our Wildcat athletes need your support!  Please consider a corporate or family sponsorship to help us purchase new uniforms for all of our sports teams, in addition to our annual budget needs which support assistant coaches, first responders, and equipment maintenance. All sponsorships received by 9/17 will be entered into our raffle to win a Scout bag with gift certificate to Vidrio, massage, and Wildcat swag.  

We are also selling blue Battle of the Brooks hoodies for a very limited time - hoodies must be purchased by 9/17 and will be delivered to your student.  Hoodies and sponsorships may be purchased here: https://wmmsboosters.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

Message from the PTA:  Hi West Millbrook family! Did you know that PTA raises funds to pay for and directly support student activities and experiences, classroom materials, and events that support our school community? We have an income goal of $20,000 by September 30 - TOGETHER WE CAN make this happen and fund all of the amazing opportunities for our school! 

How can you help? Simply by joining the PTA and donating extra funds with your membership dues, or just donate to our No Fuss Fundraiser - every dollar stays with WMMMS. At various donation levels you have the chance to earn exclusive membership swag items. Every student at West Millbrook benefits from the money raised, so it’s important that we have support from across our entire school community.  Please consider donating today - every dollar will help!! Click this link to join or donate https://westmillbrookmiddleschool.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

Additionally, don't forget to link your grocery savings cards! Both Harris Teeter and Lowe's Foods support education by donating a percentage of your purchases. Shopping cards must be linked every year, and both stores allow one card to be linked to 3 schools. 

Harris Teeter: www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education and click link my school - WMMMS school code is 1986

Lowe's Foods: www.lowesfoods.com/community/cart-2-class and click Link Your Card - search for West Millbrook Middle and click continue

Also, there is an Open PTA Position.  Are you a social media whiz? Do your friends think of you as the clever one in the group who makes everyone laugh? Are your meme-finding skills second to none? 

If you answered "yes" to any of these... WE NEED YOU! The PTA has an immediate need for a Social Media Chair. A willingness to post and about 10-15 minutes a week is really all that is required. Please email westmillbrookpta@gmail.com if you are interested in lending a hand this year.

Sweet Treats for our Staff 

The PTA Hospitality Team is in need of individually wrapped treats for our staff. We had an AMAZING response to our call for snack and candy donations over the summer. THANK YOU! We used just about every single piece for our growing staff. So you know what's next... we need more. If you have room in your next Amazon cart, please consider adding a couple of extra bags of goodies for our upcoming October round of mailbox treats for our staff. Ordering through the link below will have your shipment go straight to school. 

West Millbrook Staff Appreciation Amazon Link

Fall Open House/Meet the Teacher:  West Millbrook’s Fall Open House/Meet the Teacher is Thursday, September 14 at 6pm.  Parents/Guardians will begin the evening in the gym promptly at 6pm. 

Classroom visits will begin at 6:20pm and conclude at 7:30pm.

Parents/Guardians will need to bring a copy of their student’s schedule (including teacher names and room numbers).  Consider having your student write this information down for you or screenshotting it from your parent portal or their PowerSchool. 

Parents/Guardians may visit their child’s classrooms in the order they wish.  Some families may choose to follow their child’s schedule while other parents/guardians may elect to visit classes that are close together (think core classes which will all be on the same hallway) and then visit classes that are spread throughout the building (arts, design, language acquisition, PHE).  We will not ring bells or visit classes on a scheduled rotation. 

Our PTA will have Early Bird spiritwear sales from 5pm – 5:50pm near the front lobby in front of the elevators so stop by to purchase some Wildcat swag!    

Arrival and dismissal notes:

Walkers:  Students must live in the walk zone in order to walk to or from school.  If your student is a walker, please remind them to remain on sidewalks.  Students may not trespass in yards or driveways.  Law enforcement has reported unsafe student movement as they are darting in between parked cars or running across a street without looking for oncoming cars.  Please talk with your walker about safely navigating the route to and from school on foot. 

AM and PM Carpool:  Drivers must pay attention to staff on duty and may not use cell phones while the car is in motion. 

Morning Carpool:  Students should follow the directions of staff on duty about when to exit cars. There is a NO STUDENT EXIT ZONE located in the middle of the expanded morning drop off area adjacent to the metal swing gate.  It is unsafe for students to exit cars while your car is next to the gate.  Students may exit cars on either side of the gate (morning only). 

Afternoon Carpool:  Encourage your student to be looking for your car.  Leave a slight space between you and the car in front of you so that you are able to pull left and exit in the event your student is in your car before the car in front of you has their student. 

Create a Parent Observer Account in Canvas so that you can view course content and progress!  Instructions for creating the account are HERE. 

Bus Info:  Find real time bus information, updated daily, about buses running off schedule.  Bookmark this location for easy reference.   

Register to volunteer:  You do not need to come to the school to register.  Navigate to https://myvolunteer.com/wcpss/volunteer/login to register. 

Athletic Booster Meeting will be on Tuesday, September 12 at 5:15pm in the media center and Fall Sports Parent Night is on Wednesday, September 13 in the main gym. 

Instructional Assistant Day:  Friday, September 15 is Instructional Assistant Day!  Many thanks to David Thomas, David Wise, Sharon Parks, Victoria Hodge, Jerry Walker and Jimmy Woodcock for the many ways in which they support student learning at West Millbrook.  They are a vital part of our community. 

Visiting Campus:  The exterior doors of our school are always locked.  Please ring the AIPhone (on the column to the right of the front doors) when you arrive, and someone will assist you.  Please bring your driver’s license with you as you will need it to access the district’s new Visitor Management System.

Please ensure that your student arrives to school with all necessary materials and please make afterschool and transportation arrangements with your child before our school day begins.  We are happy to assist you with an emergency message but are unable to take routine messages for students. 

Also, please note that students who are leaving school early must be checked out prior to 2:45pm.

Cell phones must be turned off and put away from the time students arrive on campus until students are dismissed by their last period teacher.

Gum Free Campus:  West Millbrook is a gum free campus.  Please review this expectation with your child and ensure that he/she does not bring chewing gum to school.   

Fall Pictures will be on September 21.  Flyers will be sent home with students this week. 

Questions?   Please reach out to the school’s administrative team (Dail Midgette dmidgette@wcpss.net, Mike Collins rcollins@wcpss.net Gary Robinson grobinson5@wcpss.net or Kelly Aman kaman@wcpss.net) with your questions.  We are here to help!

Around the ‘brook this week!

Beta Club meeting on Wednesday, September 13^th at 3:30pm.  Students should listen for the meeting location on the announcements Tuesday and Wednesday morning.  This meeting is for all returning members and officers. Please have your ride here to pick you up by 4:20. If you have any questions, please see Mrs. Boykin-Rogers.

Year 1 Student Council interest meeting will be during both lunches on Tuesday.  See Ms. Jetter or Ms. Shortley for more information. 

YMCA Afterschool:   The YMCA Afterschool bus will pick up at West Millbrook and then drop off for programming at the Finley Y until 6pm!  Contact Michelle.Acosta@YMCATriangle.org Phone: 919-845-3857 for more information. 

Message from the PTA:  Hi West Millbrook family! Did you know that PTA raises funds to pay for and directly support student activities and experiences, classroom materials, and events that support our school community? We have an income goal of $20,000 by September 30 - TOGETHER WE CAN  make this happen and fund all of the amazing opportunities for our school! 

How can you help? Simply by joining the PTA and donating extra funds with your membership dues, or just donate to our No Fuss Fundraiser - every dollar stays with WMMMS. At various donation levels you have the chance to earn exclusive membership swag items. Every student at West Millbrook benefits from the money raised, so it’s important that we have support from across our entire school community.  Please consider donating today - every dollar will help!! Click this link to join or donate https://westmillbrookmiddleschool.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

Additionally, don't forget to link your grocery savings cards! Both Harris Teeter and Lowe's Foods support education by donating a percentage of your purchases. Shopping cards must be linked every year, and both stores allow one card to be linked to 3 schools. 

Harris Teeter: www.harristeeter.com/together-in-education and click link my school - WMMMS school code is 1986

Lowe's Foods: www.lowesfoods.com/community/cart-2-class and click Link Your Card - search for West Millbrook Middle and click continue

From the Wildcat Boosters:  Our Wildcat athletes need your support!  Please consider a corporate or family sponsorship to help us purchase new uniforms for all of our sports teams, in addition to our annual budget needs which support assistant coaches, first responders, and equipment maintenance. All sponsorships received by 9/15 will be entered into our raffle to win a Scout bag with gift certificate to Vidrio, massage, and Wildcat swag.  

We are also selling blue Battle of the Brooks hoodies for a very limited time - hoodies must be purchased by 9/15 and will be delivered to your student.  Hoodies and sponsorships may be purchased here: https://wmmsboosters.memberhub.com/store?limit=21&live=true

School is closed Monday, September 4 for the Labor Day holiday.  School resumes on Tuesday, September 5 at 8:15am.

Great First Week:  Students, parents, families and teachers were awesome last week. We had a great start to the 2023-24 school year, with laughter and smiles filling classrooms and hallways.  Thank you!  I am so impressed by the kindness our students showed one another and by their engagement in learning last week! 

Students may enter the building beginning at 7:50am each day.  Students may not get out of cars prior to 7:50am.

Create a Parent Observer Account in Canvas so that you can view course content and progress!  Instructions for creating the account are HERE. 

Patience, please!  Please continue to be patient during carpool as students and drivers learn to navigate our carpool procedures.  AM and PM carpool times continued to improve over the 4 days of school we had last week and carpool times usually normalize during the 1^st 2 weeks of school. 

Bus Info:  Find real time bus information, updated daily, about buses running off schedule.  Bookmark this location for easy reference.   

Register to volunteer:  You do not need to come to the school to register.  Navigate to https://myvolunteer.com/wcpss/volunteer/login to register. 

School Meals:  Menus may be viewed at West Millbrook menus.  To add funds to your child’s account visit My SchoolBucks.  If you have questions, please contact our cafeteria manager Debbie Vandewalker (dvandewalker@wcpss.net)

Visiting Campus:  The exterior doors of our school are always locked.  Please ring the AIPhone (on the column to the right of the front doors) when you arrive, and someone will assist you.  Please bring your driver’s license with you as you will need it to access the district’s new Visitor Management System.

Please make afterschool and transportation arrangements with your child before our school day begins.  We are happy to assist you with an emergency message but are unable to take routine messages for students. 

Also, please note that students who are leaving school early must be checked out prior to 2:45pm.

Substitute Teacher Appreciation Week:  Please join us in thanking our substitute teachers who contribute daily to our school’s learning environment.  We are grateful for our cadre of substitute teachers who support learning and teaching at West Millbrook daily! 

Parking Restriction on Running Cedar and Raindrop Court:  The Raleigh Police Department and Transportation Department asked that we share the No Parking Restrictions from 7:45am – 8:30am and 2:45pm – 3:30pm on both roadways.  A map is attached for your reference.Map for parking restrictions 

Cell phones must be turned off and put away from the time students arrive on campus until students are dismissed by their last period teacher.

Gum Free Campus:  West Millbrook is a gum free campus.  Please review this expectation with your child and ensure that he/she does not bring chewing gum to school.   

Fall Sports Tryouts 

Yearbook Information:  You can now purchase your 23-24 WMMMS Yearbook for the lowest price of the year and receive free icons with personalization! We have sold out the past two years in a row, so secure your copy early! Order at JostensYearbooks.com by September 29 before prices increase. 

Year 1, 2, and 3 students can apply to join our yearbook staff. Application can be found HERE and in the grade level Canvas site. Deadline: September 8 at 3 pm.

Do you have a Year 3 student? Give them a shout-out for all their middle school accomplishments by getting them a recognition ad in the yearbook!  Your ad can include pictures, quotes, and well wishes from family. Follow the link to create your own: jostensadservice.com/student. Deadline: January 31.

Questions?   Please reach out to the school’s administrative team (Dail Midgette dmidgette@wcpss.net, Mike Collins rcollins@wcpss.net Gary Robinson grobinson5@wcpss.net or Kelly Aman kaman@wcpss.net) with your questions.  We are here to help!

YMCA Afterschool:   The YMCA Afterschool bus will pick up at West Millbrook and then drop off for programming at the Finley Y until 6pm!  Contact Michelle.Acosta@YMCATriangle.org Phone: 919-845-3857 for more information.