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Principal's Opening Letter, 8-1-23

August 1, 2023

Dear LRMS Families,

Greetings, and welcome (back) to Leesville Road Middle for the 2023-24 school year!  We are excited to invite all your students into our community again this school year.  Important dates and information are included in this letter.  This message will also be posted in the Principal’s Message page of our website (www.wcpss.net/leesvilleroadms). 

Additionally, Wake County Schools has compiled a list of helpful information to begin the school year.  This link includes the District’s student/parent handbook as well as information about school safety, transportation, school meals and School Board Policies.

It has been a busy first summer for me as your principal.  I applaud our office staff, custodians, and maintenance staff for their efforts to address logistics, programming and the building updates necessary to facilitate a smooth opening of school for all of our students in a few weeks.  Our administrators and counselors are also working together to finalize grade level logistics as well as student schedules. Here are your primary contacts by grade level for this year:

 

Further details about schedules, expectations and the opening of school can be found in the sections below (“Important Dates” and “Important Information”).  Specific emails with team assignments will be sent via email next week.  Again, we look forward to a great year of learning and growing together at Leesville Road Middle School.

Best regards,

Chris Cox, Principal

 

Important Dates

  1. LIONS Camp for 6th graders will occur from 8:30-11:30am on Thursday, August 24.  The purpose of LIONS camp is to give students a chance to meet their teachers and classmates as well as acclimate to school schedules and procedures.  Parents are welcome to walk their students upstairs to the sixth grade teams to briefly meet the teachers and see the classrooms.  Parents should then proceed to the cafeteria for a brief presentation from the PTSA and School Leadership.  An opportunity to purchase school gear and obtain WCPSS Chromebooks will be available.  Student pick-up will occur at the front of the school at 11:30am.  Details and the link to register are HERE.

 

  1. “Walk-the-Schedule” for 7th and 8th graders will be within the time frame of 1:30-3:30pm on Thursday, August 24.  This is a “drop-in” format and will offer families a chance to learn more about schedules and school supplies in specific classes and grade levels.  There will be an opportunity to join the PTSA, purchase LRMS gear and agendas during these hours as well.

 

  1. The first day of school is Monday, August 28. Here is the full WCPSS Traditional Calendar for 2023-24.

 

  1. Our Open House will take place on the evening of Thursday, September 21.  This event will include the first general PTSA meeting and an approval of the PTSA Budget.  We will send more details as the school year progresses.

 

  1. For 7th and 8th Graders interested in Fall Sports, tryouts begin on September 5.  Information about eligibility and forms for participation can be found on the WCPSS Athletics website.

 

 

  1. First quarter Interim Reports will be sent home the week of September 25.

 

 

Important Information

  • School Hours: Leesville Road Middle school hours are 8:15am–3pm.  Drop off begins at 7:50am.  The tardy bell rings and the instructional day begins at 8:15am.  Late arrivals must sign-in at the office. 

 

  • Carpool Arrival and Dismissal: During arrival time, please utilize the two carpool lanes leading from Pride Way.  There is no need to merge between lanes.  Our staff will be directing traffic for vehicles and pedestrians at the front of the school.  At dismissal, only the lane closest to the curb is used.  Carpool tags are no longer necessary.  Adult supervision is available outside within these time windows:
    • Carpool arrival is 7:50-8:15am.
    • Carpool dismissal is from 3:00-3:25pm. 

 

  • Bus routes will be sent out by WCPSS and posted on our website once they are released by the Office of Transportation.  More information about buses can be found at https://www.wcpss.net/domain/30. Parents are encouraged to download the Here Comes the Bus app to track bus arrival and departure times. 

 

  • Checking Students Out Early: We discourage early dismissals, however, if you need to pick up your child early for an appointment, please be sure to arrive to check him/her out before 2:30pm.  Any check-outs before noon will result in an official absence on a given day.

 

  • Breakfast/Lunch will be served daily.  Students are welcome to bring lunches or receive school lunch.  Information about school meals can be found here: wcpss.net/domain/1047.  You can also pre-pay for meals online at www.MySchoolBucks.com.

 

  • Volunteers who are approved through the District are welcome to support daily school operations as well as chaperone field trips this year.  Parents who wish to volunteer must register at a Wake County school site.  More information can be found at www.wcpss.net/volunteer.

 

  • Supply Lists can be a useful guide as families prepare for the school year.  Here is a link to supply lists created by our staff.  More specific information will be available on a teacher-by-teacher basis during LIONS Camp and Walk-Throughs on August 24.  If your family needs support accessing supplies, our Social Worker can help.  Ms. Harris can be reached at wharris4@wcpss.net or by calling our main office.

 

  • Devices and Technology:
    • Chromebooks should be carried to and from school every day.  Students new to WCPSS will receive their device within the first few days of the school year.  Parents of Sixth Graders can pick-up Chromebooks at LIONS Camp on August 24.
    • Cell phones should be off and away during the entirety of the instructional day, 8:15-3pm. 
    • Headphones with wires are encouraged in some classes.  Students may bring these to use with their Chromebooks when prompted by their teachers.

 

  • Communication and Digital Resources:
    • Each teacher will utilize WCPSS email, Talking Points and a Canvas site for his/her classes. 
    • Students are encouraged to use their WCPSS email to communicate with staff.  All student technology use and communication should adhere to the District’s Responsible Use Policy.
    • It is recommended that every parent/guardian sign-up for PowerSchool Parent Portal.  This tool allows parents to track student attendance, grades and assignments.  If you need assistance with Parent Portal, please contact our Data Manager, Mrs. Crawford (bacrawford@wcps.net).
    • There will be a whole-school, weekly email/text message sent via School Messenger with regular updates sent by the Principal at the end of each week.  WCPSS will automatically opt-in each family for these messages, but you can adjust your preferences here.  Mass voice calls will only be used in urgent circumstances. 
    • Below are some other useful sources of information: