WMS Newsletter |

Dear Wentzville Middle School Families,

Thank you to everyone who came to our Walk About Day! We had a great turnout and we enjoyed getting to see everyone. We can't wait to share in this adventure with you! Here is additional information that you can share with your child as we get ready to start a new school year.

• All 7th and 8th-grade students will report to their first-hour class to start each school day.
• All 6th-grade students will report to their second-hour class to start each school day. (This will be a mini homeroom where they will go before the bell rings and then will be escorted to their first hour.)
• Any students who wish to eat breakfast should report to the cafeteria to get a Grab N Go breakfast upon arrival, before going to class. If you feel that your family may benefit from Free or Reduced Lunch, we have copies of the Free and Reduced application available in the office and cafeteria.

• Any student who has a band instrument should drop this off in the band room before the beginning of the school day.
• Students do not need to dress out for PE, but we ask that they wear comfortable clothing, tennis shoes and bring deodorant to freshen up.

• Teachers will help your child understand their schedule, the difference between A days and B days, and how to navigate our building.
• If you are dropping your child off at school, please enter off of Pearce Blvd and Campus Drive, turning into the Berrey-Place parking lot. Do not drop off students in front of the building or in the front parking lot, as our buses will be unloading in this area and it causes a safety concern. If an older sibling is dropping off your student, make sure they are aware of the drop-off procedure. Please see below to view the parent drop-off and pick-up map.
• Our doors open at 7:15, please do not drop off your student earlier than 7:15, as we do not have staff on duty to supervise until that time.
• School begins at 7:35 AM and ends at 2:35 PM.

We will be hosting an Open House on Thursday, September 5! Due to our parking lot size, we are asking each grade level to come at these times: 6th grade- 5:30-6:05, 7th grade- 6:10-6:45, 8th grade- 6:50-7:25. Your child's teachers will have information to share with you about their classes, team expectations, etc. You can also stop by the Book Fair and check out information from the PTA. We hope to see you there!

We look forward to seeing your child on Monday! It's going to be a great year!

Important Dates:

8/19- 1st day of school

8/21- Building Fundraiser Kickoff

8/28- 1st day of 8th grade Cross Country Practice- all sports physicals are due!

9/2- NO SCHOOL- Labor Day

9/3-9/9- Scholastic Book Fair

9/3-9/5- 8th grade Cheer Clinic

9/5- Open House 5:30-7:30 pm (see above for specific grade level time)

9/6- 8th grade Cheer Tryouts

9/12- PTA meeting 5:30 library

9/16- Late Start- School starts at 9:35

9/17-9/18- Kona Ice

9/27- NO SCHOOL- PD day

With our new Focus student information system, there are changes this school year to the way you are required to sign your student in and out of school. We will have a kiosk inside the main office that we are hoping will make the process a lot faster. You will either need to know your student's ID number which can be found in Focus OR if you have the Focus app, there is a barcode that you will be able to scan. We recommend that you screenshot the barcode to make the process easier.

Before your child can start 8th grade, Missouri State Law requires them to receive 2 vaccinations:

- Tdap and Meningitis (MCV4)

In order to start 8th grade, students must have up-to-date immunizations on file with the nurse. Please provide documentation to WMS as soon as possible. Please call your child's medical provider and verify your child's immunizations are up-to-date. If your child has received the Tdap and MCV (meningitis) vaccines, please have an updated shot record faxed to the Nurse at 636-445-5321. In many cases these shots have been given, but the school is just missing the documentation.

Please contact WMS Nurse Denise Hoehne at denisehoehne@wsdr4.org with any questions.

Mrs. Adkins and Mrs. Angleton are very excited to see our students when they return on August 19!

As we begin the new school year, please note the following library information:

• Our fall book fair will be open 9/2 - 9/6. Please stop by during Open House!
• This year, we are using an OPT-OUT form for families who do not wish their child/children to check out Young Adult books from our library.
• *If you DO NOT want your child to read YA books, please complete this form. A form must be submitted for each student you would like to OPT-OUT.

• Books checked out by WMS students for the summer are due back to the library by August 30th.
• Late fees will begin the week of September 9th.
• Book loan periods are 20 school days (weekends, holidays, and school closure days do not count against the loan period).
• Fines are assessed at 5-cents per day starting on day 21 (if books are not renewed or returned by the due date).
• Due dates can be found stamped in the back of each book and in students' Destiny accounts.
• Students can renew books through their Destiny account once prior to the due date or they can visit the library before or after school.
• Students visit the library with their ELA classes approximately 2 times per month, but can visit on a pass as needed any day.

Starting this school year, WSD middle schools will hold Flex Time. At WMS, Flex Time will take place every Tuesday from 9:32-10:17. When we have a full 5 day school week, we will also have Flex Time on Thursday. During this time, students will take part in Leader In Me lessons, district technology lessons and any other lessons that are required by the district. We will also use this time for some counseling lessons, assemblies, brain breaks, outside activities, and celebrations. We look forward to having the time in our schedule this year!

8th grade Cross Country

Cross Country starts on Wednesday, August 28! In order to participate, students must have their sports physical on file with the nurse's office. See below for sports physical. All 8 pages must be turned in. Here is the Cross Country schedule. Email Coach Pirkle at jamespirkle@wsdr4.org with any questions.

8th grade Cheerleading

8th grade Cheerleading will host their cheer clinic September 3-5 after school. Tryouts will be on Friday, September 6. In order to participate, students must have their sports physical on file with the nurse's office no later than September 3. See below for sports physical. All 8 pages must be turned in. Email Coach Ebert at kristenebert@wsdr4.org with any questions.

The WMS PTA needs you!

Want a way to get involved in your child's school? Be sure to join the WMS PTA! To stay informed about everything our PTA is doing, follow us on social media at Wentzville Middle PTA on Facebook, @wentzvillemiddlepta on Instagram. We also have a webpage, click HERE. Join us on the first Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. in the school library for our PTA meetings.

Upcoming Events:

Sept 12- PTA meeting 5:30 in library

Oct 3- PTA meeting 5:30 in library

Oct 24- Harlem Wizards Basketball game @ HHS

Nov 7- PTA meeting 5:30 in library

Nov 16- PTA Vendor Fair

Parents- Click here for more information about volunteering at your child's school. Please note that the process can take several weeks, so please plan ahead and get your paperwork turned into the WMS office early.

In case you missed it, last week our district sent out a WSD Back to School Checklist. Please check it out for links to purchasing chromebook insurance, free and reduced lunch application, required immunizations, etc. It is filled with important back to school information!

Just another reminder in order to view your student's schedule, you must complete all annual online registration forms within Focus. One of these forms is the RUP (Responsible Use Policy). Students will NOT have Chromebook internet permissions until their guardian has accepted and signed the RUP form. The forms can only be filled out by the primary parent listed on the account. Be sure your student has access to their District Chromebook on the first day by completing all of the online registration forms in Focus. If you are having trouble- try this step-by-step guide to get yourself set up in Focus.

The district is offering an insurance program for your child’s Access Initiative Device (Chromebook). The cost to participate in this program is $20 annually. Chromebook insurance can be purchased online again this year. Please click on this LINK.

Participation is optional. Coverage takes effect once payment is received, and the Access Initiative device is issued to your child. It is not retroactive. Buying into the program provides coverage only during the current school year, so from the time payment is received through the end of the school year which is June 30. The program fee is non-refundable and does not transfer to the next school year if the insurance is not used.

Please Note: The insurance covers a broken screen and a broken keyboard, two broken screens, OR two broken keyboards.

Proof of Residency - 6th Grade ONLY

All 6th-grade families are required to submit proof of residency for the 2024-2025 school year. Forms can be uploaded in Focus and are due by October 1st. Click HERE for a list of required documents.

We will contact you if we need additional information. Please note these take time for processing and we will get back to you ASAP, if needed.

As part of our new system, you can now easily check and manage your child’s lunch balance right in Focus! Check out these simple steps to get started. Please note, funds will typically post to student accounts within thirty minutes. Due to heavy traffic in the system at the start of the school year, please allow 24 hours for funds to process.

Password Reminder

Student lunch pins have changed this year. They now are made up of six numbers instead of five. For ease of transition, we added a ‘1’ to the beginning of every student’s old lunch pin. Additionally, all student passwords will be updated to reflect this change with lunch pins by the first day of school.

Additional Resources

• How to make a cafeteria deposit
• How to set low balance reminders
• Helpful tips for logging in

Thanks for your patience as we continue to roll out system features and work to make this new system a success. Additional district payment options will be available through Focus in the future. Please stay tuned for updates.

Please refer to Policy 2651: Student Dress for the full policy regarding dress code. Listed below are some of the highlights...

Students shall observe modes of dress and standards of personal grooming that align with the educational environment and necessary to maintain an orderly and safe atmosphere for all students. Apparel is expected to conform to reasonable student standards of modesty, and as such, no excessive or inappropriate areas of skin or under garments may be exposed. No apparel or grooming is permitted that has the potential to incite conflict and violence, including, but not limited to gang-related messages, hate/bias symbols, sexually explicit, vulgar, violent messages, or advocating illegal activities. Further, no clothing or personal grooming that disrupts, or can be forecasted to disrupt, the educational environment is permitted.

Please note that blankets will NOT be allowed at WMS for safety and hygienic reasons.

As partners in your child's education, we want to ask for your assistance in enforcing the Wentzville School District Board Policy on Cell Phones. The district expectations for cell phones are very straightforward. Students may bring a phone to school, but once they enter any of our classrooms, phones need to be put safely away.

Where can phones be used?

- Before school, after school, on the bus only.

Where can phones NOT be used?

- Classrooms, restrooms, school offices (unless otherwise stated by an administrator).

Why are we doing this?

- Increase Overall Classroom Engagement

- Increase Student Grades

- Research (Surgeon General Issues New Advisory About Effects Social Media Use Has on Youth Mental Health)

- Social Media/Cyberbullying

- Distraction to the Learning Environment

- Mental Health

What if there is an emergency and I need to contact my student immediately?

- Please call the office at 636-327-3815. We can deliver a message to your student or have them come down to the office to contact you.

- Students will still have cell phones within their possession (backpack/purse) for emergency purposes.

To view the entire 2024-2025 WSD CELL PHONE POLICY, click on the following link and scroll to #12 Electronics: Improper Possession or Use; Cell Phones.