The Hurricane InsEYEder will give you a look into the Hurricane. We hope you'll take a few minutes to catch up and stay connected.

December 2024 Regular Meeting Summary:

You can catch up on news from our last regular meeting in the December 2024 Board Corner Report (doc). The full minutes from the meeting will be posted on the district website after the next regular meeting on January 27, 2025 at Wilmington High School 6:00 PM.

2025 Organizational Meeting:

The Board met on January 13, 2025 for their 2025 Organizational Meeting. The Organizational Meeting is a procedural meeting that sets up the Board, Treasurer, and Superintendent to operate the District for the 2025 calendar year.

• For 2025, Bill Davis will serve as Board President and Bill Liermann as Vice President.
• The Board approved the Regular Meeting schedule for 2025. It is posted on the District website. You can also view/print a copy here (doc).
• Regular, special, and subcommittee meetings for 2025 will be posted on our website's Board Meetings page and announced in our website news feed (home page).
• The Records Retention Committee met immediately following the organizational meeting.

January is Board Appreciation Month. At WCS, we are fortunate to have 5 Board members that are truly dedicated to making our schools that best that they can be. As members of our community, they see every day the the challenges of the community filter into our schools. That's why you also see these same Board members actively engaged in the larger community. By working together, we can all create a better experience for our students.

Thank you to our Board members for their leadership and work on behalf of the children in our schools. Pictured L to R: Bill Davis (President), Marty Beaugard Sr., Carrie Zeigler, Tim Wiederhold, and Bill Liermann (Vice President).

Here's what has been happening around the District in the last month!

At WCS, we are proud to offer music programming for all our students in Kindergarten through 12th grade. Thank you to all of the students and staff who provided wonderful performances in December. The kids worked hard to prepare for those special events!

From elementary to high school, our students shared their talents and hard work with parents and the community. We are #HurricaneProud of them.

This year’s WHS White Gift Project was an incredible demonstration of generosity, compassion, and community spirit! Thanks to over 50 student volunteers, we successfully delivered 170 meals to local organizations and families. This program is a reminder of the importance of giving back to our community and caring for one another. We are #HurricaneProud of our students and staff for continuing this wonderful tradition.

Another great Project Trust Camp is in the books! It's a time for students to step out of their comfort zones, build self-confidence & leadership skills, learn more about communication & social skills and to TRUST the process of camp. We are proud of everyone for their effort and willingness to participate during camp! Thank you to our staff at WMS and WHS, our WHS student mentors, and participating WMS students for making it a memorable and impactful experience for everyone!

Here is the Hurricane Forecast of upcoming events! Grab your calendars.

Below are some events for January 2025. Remember to always double-check the online calendars before heading out to an event in case there are changes to the schedule.

• Week of 1/13 Report cards
• 1/20 Martin Luther King Jr Day - no school
• 1/27 Regular BOE meeting at WHS 6:00 PM
• 1/27 Football Parent Meeting (2025-26) 6:30pm in WHS Auditeria
• 1/30 Elementary Parent/Teacher Conferences (Holmes/Denver)

Visit arbiterlive.com/school/calendar/25964# for our athletics contests.

Check out our WMS and WHS Newsletters for January 2025.

• WMS January 2025 Newsletter
• WHS January 2025 Newsletter

As we experienced in early January, it's that time of year when weather can impact our school day. Here are a few reminders for our WCS families.

• WCS families are automatically added to our one-call/autodialer system to receive delay/closing or early release messages. We also add a yellow alert banner to the top of our website.

• Make sure your contact information in FinalForms is correct. Login to FinalForms to check/update your information.
• Have an alternate plan for child care in case we delay/close school or release early.
• Note: Delays can sometimes turn into closings, based on developing weather situations and city, county, and township road crew capabilities.
• Learn more about our decision-making process and tips for families on our website.

Additionally, you can invite babysitters or other caregivers to subscribe to our Community Messenger so that they can also receive these notification.

Don't forget that WMS/WHS students will be released at 12:45 on February 28th. The early release will allow us to clear our buses and students from the WHS and WMS buildings and lots before District Wrestling Tournament participants and spectators begin arriving, ensuring the safety of our students. Denver and Holmes will release at their regular time on that day.

Track our progress and see what we've been up to at WCS in our Hurricane Tracking section.

We're excited to share that the Preschool Playground is complete! The fencing and play equipment have all been installed. We are happy to be able to provide a safe and fun environment for our youngest learners to explore and enjoy!

Through E-Rate funding we have been able to leverage 70-80% discounts to improve our technology infrastructure. Read more about this program and how we utilized the funding here.

Our Strategic Planning Committee met in December. The group reviewed their work from the previous month in identifying the markers of a great school district and the specific challenges in our district. Discussion topics included student behavior, parent/community perception and involvement, and our state report card. It was suggested that Finance and Facilities be added as an additional challenge. The group heard from the District on the initiatives implemented to address behavior concerns. Attendees provided input and suggestions for fostering parent/community involvement in our schools. The group consensus was that they would like to see a new mission statement for the District.

The committee will meet again at 5:30pm in the WHS Library on January 23, 2025. Minutes from the committee meetings can be found on our Board of Education / Meeting Documents page.

In our Family Corner we like to share a smorgasbord of resources for parents. (Links and content from external sources are not under the control of the District.)

January is National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month. It just takes a few minutes to learn more about a problem that is hiding in plain sight in communities around the country. Visit acf.hhs.gov/otip/about/ways-endtrafficking to learn about how you can identify and stop human trafficking.

Schools are closed on January 20th to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Families can learn more about Dr. King and his impact on our country from thekingcenter.org (linked below).