August 30th WFMS Family Message
***Este mensaje se puede ver en español haciendo clic AQUI.***
Good afternoon WFMS families,
Thank You
Thank you to our students, families, and staff for helping us make the first week of school a success. Our students have set a high bar for themselves in the first week focusing on their instruction, keeping phones away during their classes, and making positive choices throughout the school. Please applaud your student for their efforts and remind them to keep focusing on academics and reaching their full potential this year.
New Staff
Ms. Heather Bryant will join our team next week as a 6th grade Special Education teacher. She will be working alongside Ms. Rothfeld and Ms. James in Math and Language Arts. We are waiting for final approval, but anticipate our Special Education Autism Support Teacher will begin with us in the latter part of next week.
Our new Healthful Living teacher, Mr. Ryan Zimmerman, will begin on September 9th.
We have submitted new hires to Human Resources for both of our vacant science positions in 7th and 8th grade and anticipate they will join our team around September 16th.
Dress Code
During our first week, the dress code has been our biggest area of need. Students are expected to adhere to standards of dress and appearance. Our guiding principles for the student dress code are similar to those experienced and expected in the workplace. We are asking all families and students to review the WCPSS Student Dress Code in its entirety and discuss prior to returning from Labor Day.
Of particular note, students must wear clothing that covers their skin from chest to mid-thigh with opaque (non-see-through) fabric in front, back, and on the sides, and covers their undergarments (this includes midriff tops and sagging pants). Clothing that exposes the midsection of a student is in violation of the dress code and will be addressed. Students will be asked to change or correct the dress code violation. Students may be offered appropriate attire or families may be contacted to bring appropriate dress, if the student is unable to or refuses to comply. If a student is continually non-compliant, a parent meeting may be scheduled to discuss next steps to support the student.
We are asking our families to assist us in helping students understand the expectation and rationale for maintaining a similar standard of those expectations held in the workplace.
Cell Phones Update
Our students have started the school year strong following our revised cell phone procedures in their classrooms. Each teacher has designed the strategy that works best for them to maintain a focus on instruction and students are complying with minimal disruption. Thank you to our families as well for supporting this move to ensure our students are fully engaged in their academics each period and day.
Morning and Afternoon Carpool
Please remember that morning carpool runs from 6:50 - 7:30. We encourage families to come earlier to drop off students so they do not miss valuable instructional time. Students should not be dropped off in the bus parking lot. Students who arrive after 7:3o will be counted as tardy starting next week. If ongoing morning tardy issues persist, our administrative team and counselors will reach out to families to schedule a meeting and discuss solutions to ensure our students are in class for their full instructional periods.
Please remember that carpool in the afternoon should leave the second lane open for access of emergency vehicles to access the front office in the event of an emergency.
Thank you for following our carpool guidelines and ensuring safety for our students, staff, and families.
Schedule Updates
We wanted to take a moment to express our gratitude for your support in making our first week of school a great success! It has been wonderful to see our students following their schedules and adjusting so well to the new school year. Due to our increased enrollment, some students may experience schedule changes next week as we work to balance class sizes and ensure an efficient learning environment for all. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we make these adjustments. Thank you again for your continued support. We look forward to a fantastic year ahead!
PTSA
The WFMS PTSA is excited to welcome you to the 2024-25 school year. Please consider joining our PTSA. Anyone can join: parents, guardians, grandparents, students, or community members! Purchase of your membership supports Curriculum/Classroom Support, Classroom Grants, Awards & Celebrations, and Staff Appreciation. Members are also eligible to vote on our annual PTSA budget. Ninety-eight members of our school family have already joined! Be a part of something special at WFMS this year!
PTSA membership is $10 per person. You can join the PTSA by clicking HERE.
Members of our PTSA Executive Board will be available to meet families at our Meet the Teacher event on September 19. Stop by our table and find out how you can get involved in our PTSA. We need help in lots of areas and would love to talk to you!
Our monthly board meetings will be held the first Thursday of each month at 2:45 in the Media Center. All PTSA members are welcome to attend. Our next meeting is Thursday September 5.
Athletics
A separate athletics message was shared this morning. For families who did not receive it, this information is included below. Please note the adjustment to eligibility.
Try-Outs
Try-outs for fall sports will begin on Wednesday, September 4th. Times for each sport are listed below. Students must have completed, and up-to-date physical in the last calendar year (within the past 365 days), along with all other forms submitted, and be academically eligible (passed at least 3 of 4 core courses during the 2nd semester of last year AND have no more than 14 absences). Only 7th and 8th graders are eligible for athletics.
Information regarding physicals must be completed by a physician on the WCPSS Middle School Participation Forms located HERE. Further information regarding eligibility requirements for attendance and grades are set by the school district and can be found HERE. Students not meeting these eligibility requirements from the prior semester/school year will not be able to participate or try-out.
Please note anyone trying out must have a completed Athletic Participation Packet uploaded into DragonFly for any sport. This can also be found on wcpss.net under athletics.
Sport |
Time |
Dates |
Football |
2:45 pm - 5:00 pm |
9/4, 9/5, 9/6, 9/9, 9/10, 9/11 |
Girls Soccer |
2:45 pm - 4:00 pm |
9/4, 9/5, 9/6 |
Volleyball |
2:45 pm - 4:45 pm |
9/4, 9/5, 9/6 |
Cheerleading |
2:45 pm - 4:45 pm 3:00 pm - 5:00 pm |
9/10, 9/11, 9/12, 9/13 9/13 |
Coach contact information may be found at wakeforestms.wcpss.net under the faculty directory. If you have any questions, please reach out to Athletics Director, Coach AJ Piper (apiper2@wcpss.net).
Athletics Director - Coach Piper
First Responder - Coach John
Football - Coach Basnight
Volleyball - Coach P. Johnson
Girls Soccer - Coach C. Depo
Cheer - Coach Gray
7th Grade Immunizations
North Carolina law requires that all rising 7th graders must present proof of receiving the Tdap and meningococcal immunizations before late-September 2024 Any student non-compliant after the due date will be excluded from school and not allowed to attend until proof of compliance has been submitted.
WFMS must have a copy of your physician's record of these vaccines. Please contact your physician for more information regarding these immunization requirements.
Immunization records can be emailed to jfleet@wcpss.net or faxed to 919.670.4223 (Attention: Jamal Fleet). If you have additional questions, please contact our Data Manager at 919-554-8440 x22437 or Option 1.
Joint Custody
Joint Custody request will begin September 27th. Please complete the Survey if you would like to apply for a dual bus stop.
All three of the following items MUST be verified. If anyone of these requirements are not meet the request is denied:
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A copy of the joint custody agreement. A hard copy or electronic (WFMS will have to keep a copy on file). If an agreement is not in place a WCPSS joint custody form must be completed.
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Verification of the parent address not on file (Ex. Utility Bill)
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Both parents will need to complete and turn in this completed document (Joint Custody Dual Bus Stop Request Form)
If you have any further questions, please feel free to reach out to Ms. McDuffie (eharrismcduffie@wcpss.net).
WFMS Social Media
Families who have social media are encouraged to follow WFMS on Twitter (@wakeforestms), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/WakeForestMS), and Instagram (@wakeforestms) for updates.
If you are not receiving our school updates please visit the WCPSS School Messenger site to make sure you have opted in for communication from the school. If you have opted in and changed your contact information, please reach out to Mr. Jamal Fleet (jfleet@wcpss.net) to update.
Important Dates to Remember
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September 2 | Labor Day Holiday (no school)
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September 3 | Fall Sports Try-outs Begin
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September 19 | Meet the Teacher Night
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September 20 | Teacher Workday
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October 3 | Teacher Workday
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October 14 | Teacher Workday