West Pine Middle

Week 1 is in the books, and it was a great one! Our students quickly fell back into the "routine of school" while also adding new routines such as lockers and returning to the basics with more hands-on learning and writing and less screen time.

September is Attendance Awareness Month and, at Moore County Schools, attendance matters. Please read over the flier that was sent home with your child last week to learn how absences can impact your child's ability to succeed at school.

School meal prices have been reinstated. Meal prices are $1.25 for breakfast and $2.50 for lunch. You can prepay for meals at k12paymentcenter.com. Applications for free or reduced priced meals are due as soon as possible.

Our Wildcat Closet is in need of plain color tee-shirts of all sizes and athletic shorts. We will gladly accept new and/or gently used clothing to support our students.

Thank you to our parents and families for your patience as we work out our morning and afternoon car line processes. All buses are running, so the car lines will remain lengthy unless we have more students ride the bus or families carpool. I ask that you continue to exercise safety by doing the following:

• Proceed slowly. Many cars are speeding up when the car lines move only to have to slam on brakes when it stops.
• In the afternoon car line on the main campus, stay close to the curb as you round the area near the staff member directing traffic. The 8th grade cars exit at that area, so they need space/lane to proceed.

Congratulations to all Wildcats who will represent West Pine on a fall sports team! More athletic information is listed below for the week.

Don't forget there is no school Monday in recognition of the Labor Day holiday. As always, it's a great day to be a Wildcat!

Take care. JW

All school information can be found in our Parent/Family Resource Handbook (see below). Information includes carline information, school times, attendance and grading policies, medication, dress code, and much more.

Instructional (including the encore fees) and technology fees can be paid online, or students can bring in cash or check.

Don't forget to review the dress code with your child. In particular, 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. Clothing must cover undergarments, and breasts, genitals and buttocks must be covered with opaque (non see-through) fabric. For more information, visit the MCS Student Code of Conduct.

Transportation

1. Routes:

Transportation can be viewed on Parent Portal (web browser only, NOT the app). Here you can verify your child's transportation information.

2. Transportation Communication:

Please continue to contact the call center (910-947-5861) for any concerns or questions about your student's route.

As a school, we are making intentional efforts to reduce the amount of screen time for our students. For example, students will use the time from when they enter homeroom until the 8am tardy bell for DROP EVERYTHING AND READ (DEAR). No laptops will be allowed during that time.

Mornings

• Doors open at 7:30am. For our students' safety, we ask that you not drop off your child prior to that time as there are no staff members on duty.
• All students are dropped off at front of school in the morning. Please do not drop off in the bus parking lot, grassy area, tennis courts, at WPES, or at a local business.
• Students who work the school store or are involved in an early morning club meeting may be dropped off in the grassy area or front driveway.

Afternoons

• Older siblings will go to the younger sibling's car line for pick-up.
• Don't forget, 7th grade is picked up on the service road behind the baseball field. Cars will enter at WPES.
• 8th grade cars may proceed to the staff parking lot for afternoon dismissal. Once that area is full, 8th grade cars must remain in the main car line with the 6th grade cars. A staff member will be outside to help direct traffic.
• Cars are asked to pull all the way up to the first open spot. The students will walk to your car. Do not stop when you see your child. Staff will direct you to keep moving as we have MANY cars to move through the line.

When Moore are present, Moore succeed!

School attendance is important and in order to receive the best education, students need to be present to fully support their academic success. School administrators and teachers track student attendance in PowerSchool. Parents should monitor their child’s attendance and ensure that students do not accumulate excessive absences. Both excused and unexcused absences count towards student attendance. Failure to meet minimum attendance policies may jeopardize a student’s ability to participate in sports or promote to the next grade. Parents will be contacted by school administration or a school social worker under the following circumstances:

• The child has accumulated three (3) unexcused absences in a school year.
• After not more than six (6) unexcused absences, the principal shall notify the family by mail that they may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law.
• When student absences, excused or unexcused, reach five (5) in a semester or eleven (11) in a year in grades 9-12, or fifteen (15) in a year in grades K-8, the principal will contact the family.
• Students in grades 9-12 who are absent from a class more than eight (8) days, excused or unexcused, during a semester course shall not receive credit for the semester or year.
• Students in grades K-8 who are absent more than twenty (20) days during a year shall be referred to an interdisciplinary attendance committee which shall determine if the student should be retained. Additional policies are outlined in MCS Board of Education Policies, Section 6000.

• Week of September 26: Interim Reports
  
• October 10: Teacher Workday
• October 28: Early Release Day

Golf Tryouts: Coach Chapman will continue tryouts this week from 4:15pm - 5:45pm for sixth graders. The final roster will be selected and posted on the WPMS website under the athletics section on the evening of 9/8. Please arrive at the following locations for tryouts.

Tuesday, 9/6: Longleaf Family & Golf Club (Southern Pines)

Wednesday, 9/7: The Azalea Course @ Pinewild Country Club (Pinehurst)

Thursday, 9/8: Beacon Ridge Golf & Country Club (Seven Lakes West)

Softball: Practice will start on Tuesday, 9/6 - Thursday, 9/8 from 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Coach Simpson, Coach Garrettson, & Mr. Willms are hosting a mandatory parent meeting starting at 4:45pm on Tuesday, 9/6. Please meet at the softball bleachers. A great effort was shown by all the students who participated in tryouts and congratulations to the student athletes who were chosen for the final roster!

Tennis: Practice will start on Tuesday, 9/6 - Thursday, 9/8 from 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Coach Martinez & Mr. Willms are hosting a mandatory parent meeting starting at 4:30pm on Tuesday, 9/6. Please meet at the tennis bleachers. A great effort was shown by all the students who participated in tryouts and congratulations to the student athletes who were chosen for the final roster!

Cross Country: Practice continues Tuesday - Thursday from 3:00pm - 4:30pm. Parents, please continue to pick up in front of the school! Please contact Coach West (jwest@ncmcs.org) for any additional information.

Cheerleading: Practice will take place on Tuesday, 9/6 & Thursday, 9/8 from 3:00pm - 5:00pm. Parents, please pick up only in the front of the school. Cheerleaders will participate in the Football Jamboree at Union Pines High School on Wednesday, 9/7. Start time is 5:00pm. Coach Geldner will share additional information with cheerleaders early this week!

Football: Practice will continue on Tuesday, 9/6 & Thursday, 9/8 from 3:00pm - 5:00pm. The football team will be traveling to Union Pines High School after school on Wednesday, 9/7 to participate in the Football Jamboree. Coach Marsh, Coach Ford, & Coach Dixon, and Mr. Willms are hosting a mandatory parent meeting starting at 5:30pm on Tuesday, 9/6. Please meet at the cafeteria. Parents, please pick up only at the parking lot near the football field. A reminder as well that parents are not permitted at practice or on the field during afternoon practices. Football players will be released by the coaches at the end of practice and the gate will be unlocked at that time so they can make their way to your vehicles.

Athletic Booster Club Information

• The Wildcat Booster Club needs your support. For more information, contact Mark Dutton, booster club president, at mld206@nc.rr.com or Mr. Willms at bwillms@ncmcs.org.
• Booster Membership Link

When you link your card to West Pine Middle, a percentage of your purchase is donated to our school. These funds support many of our programs.

• Harris Teeter - Together in Education
• Lowes Foods - Cart to Class

PTSO

PTSO board meeting: Thursday, 9/8, at 4:30pm - WPMS conference room

Do you want to get involved but don't know where to start? Join the WPMS PTSO. For more information, reach out to one of our board members or email them at wpmptso@gmail.com.

• Alison McCloskey - president
• Amanda Peterson - secretary
• Suzanne Johnson - TBD
• Karyn Schwagel - board member

Parent Advisory Representatives

Here are your parent representatives for the 2022-23 school year.

• Parent Advisory Council (PAC): TBD
• Military Family Advisory Council (MFAC): Alison McCloskey
• Hispanic Community Advisory Council (HCAC): Flor Martinez
• African American Community Advisory Council (AACAC): Whitney Alford
• School Improvement Team (SIT): Alison McCloskey and Lynn Antil

Booster Clubs

Band, Orchestra , Choral Music/Theater, and Athletics

Email: wpmsquestions@ncmcs.org
Website: wpms.ncmcs.org
Location: 144 Archie Road, West End, NC, USA
Phone: (910) 673-1464
Facebook: facebook.com/westpinemiddlemcs
Twitter: @WestPine