West Middle School e-Bulletin
September 1, 2023
6TH GRADE WEB ORIENTATION
We look forward to meeting your student at WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Orientation on Thursday, August 22, 2024. The main purpose for this program is to help all sixth graders feel more comfortable as well as help them achieve success in their first year of middle school. WEB is not required, just highly recommended!
In this program, your 6th grade student will be assigned to an 8th-grade WEB leader as a mentor during this first year. The WEB leader is a responsible older student and a positive role model at West. Your child will get a copy of their schedule. In addition, the students will tour West and get to know their WEB leader and WEB group. A snack will be provided, so students do not need to bring anything!
The district provides transportation. Students will be picked up from their closest elementary school via P-CCS buses and brought to West Middle School in time for the 9:00 am start. Transportation will also be provided back to the same elementary school when the program ends at 12:00 pm. Please see the WEB transportation schedule for further details. Below is some information to let you know what you and your student can expect:
Transportation provided from Elementary School
Team Building Activities
Check your Schedule
Building Tour
Locker Info & Practice
***Lunch at home, then come back in the afternoon***
Pick up Schedule
Locker Information
Get Student Planner (Redbook)
School Pictures & ID
Yearbooks on sale
Back-to-School Check In (MiStar), if not completed at home
The Back to School Check-in process, a requirement for returning Kindergarten through 12th-grade P-CCS families, allows you to easily update medical, demographic, and contact information in MiStar Parent Connection. This will open in MiStar on August 12, 2024. PLEASE HAVE THIS COMPLETED BEFORE YOU COME TO SCHEDULE PICK-UP. Once logged into MiStar Parent Connection, you will look for the ‘Back to School Check-in’ link in the top right of the home screen and follow the prompts. This process must be completed for all students.
NOTE: In order to receive text notifications from West Middle School, your phone number must be listed as 'cellular'. Text notifications may include inclement weather information, transportation updates, and general reminders.
PARENT DROP-OFF & PICK-UP GUIDELINES
The front (north) drop-off loop is the only area designed for the drop-off and pick-up of students by private vehicles. There is no drop-off or pick-up by personal vehicles allowed on the south side of the building (bus loop) for safety reasons.
The drop-off system works most efficiently if drivers pull ahead as far as they can in the loop before dropping off their child along the curb. There is a natural tendency to drop off by the flag pole [close to the entrance]; however, this limits the area along the curb for cars to drop off. This can cause the vehicles to back up towards Ann Arbor Trail and increase the time required to drop off students and the congestion in the lot.
Please remember to pull as far forward toward the drop-off sign (the green balloons) before letting students out on the right side of the car only.
Please do not turn left when leaving the lot after drop-off or pick-up, as this considerably slows the flow of traffic.
At dismissal time, it is recommended that parents utilize the entire curb area while waiting to pick up their child. We encourage people to pull forward to fill the spaces that open up as parents pull away after picking up their child. Please do not wait in one spot leaving spaces along the curb in front of you. Thank you for your cooperation.
BUS STOP INFORMATION 24-25
Please look for an email from Durham Transportation (or check MiStar after August 23rd) for the most up-to-date transportation information. Any questions regarding transportation, please feel free to visit the Durham website for complete details, contact information, and services.
Also, you are welcome to load the app "BusZone" to follow your student's bus. You can follow the instructions linked below to download and set up the BusZone app on your smartphone.
IMPORTANT- PLEASE NOTE: The District Access Code for P-CCS is 4097PCCS. You need to enter your student's ROUTE NUMBER, not their bus number, when setting up your account. Your student's ID Number, Route Number, and Bus information can be found in the MiStar Parent Portal on the TRANSPORTATION tab.
For more information, please view the BusZone User Guide.
You can call the transportation department at 734.416.3032 or 734.416.3033 if you have any questions or concerns.
BREAKFAST & LUNCH
Thanks to the Michigan Schools Meal Program, the Nutrition Services Department can serve all our students one breakfast and one lunch at no cost to you for the 2024-25 school year! You can check out this FLYER for more information about it.
We are asking all students to wear their student ID when accessing the food service lines at West Middle School. Students will need to swipe their ID to receive their breakfast or lunch. Students will be given a lanyard and their student ID on Wednesday, September 4, 2024 - the first full day of school. They MUST be wearing this to get in line for food. Please help them stay organized and be sure they bring it to school each day.
Families are still encouraged to complete the Summer EBT and Education Benefits with the Michigan School Meals Program Application. Families that qualify for Summer EBT and Educational Benefits with the Michigan School Meals Program are eligible for additional benefits, including discounts for pay-to-participate, access to computer WI-FI, and other reduced fees.
More information about Food and Nutrition Services for the 2024-2025 school year is available on the P-CCS Food & Nutrition Services page.
6TH-GRADE STUDENTS - NEW PASSWORDS
All current 6th graders' network/Google passwords have been updated. Parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to log into Parent Connection to share with their student what it is and help them memorize it. Please also remind them to not share it with anyone else.
To view their network/Google password, please log into ParentConnection, click on your student, and scroll down to the network information section where both their username and password are listed.
ATTENDANCE
If students are not in class, they cannot learn. Please check out the Middle School Attendance Policy Absences will be categorized as documented, verified, or unverified. It is important that you get documentation for all absences that qualify as documented absences, and report verified absences to the school.
Students may be considered truant under the following circumstances:
Absence from school and unverified for more than five consecutive days.
Absence from school for any reason, verified or unverified, for 10 or more days within a 30-day period.
Absence from school for any reason, verified or unverified, for a total of 30 or more days within a school year.
CELL PHONE POLICY 24-25
WMS recognizes the importance of communication and collaboration, and provides devices for students to be productive in the classroom. To keep the focus on academics and to reduce unnecessary distractions, the school will be enforcing the following:
Cell phones and all mobile devices shall be TURNED OFF upon entering the building at 8:00 am until dismissal at 3:09 pm.
Cell phones and all mobile devices shall be kept in a student’s locker – not in clothing pockets or in pencil cases.
Cell phones, and all mobile devices, are not allowed to be used in locker rooms or restrooms at any time.
In rare cases, cell phones may be used in a classroom when directed by the teacher and for academic purposes only.
If a student needs to make an emergency call during the day, they should come to the office to place a call.
Consequences are progressive and can be found HERE on page 47-48.
We ask that families and students use the main office when communicating messages from home or school.
RESERVE YOUR STUDENT'S COPY OF THE 24-25 YEARBOOK NOW!
The 24-25 Yearbook may be purchased online anytime at yearbookforever.com
By purchasing your yearbook online, you are able to engrave the cover with your student’s name and order extra add ons for the yearbook. You may also order a yearbook at Schedule Pick-up using cash or check (made out to PCCS). Yearbooks are available for the discounted price of $30 from August 14 thru October 1, 2024; after that, the cost will go up to $35.
Important Note: When entering your child's information in the "Homeroom Teacher" box, please type your student's FIRST HOUR teacher's name. This is VERY important! If your student takes a class at the high school in the morning, type "Williams" on the spot.
BEGINNING BAND STUDENTS
If you have signed up for band (or still would like to sign up for band!) and HAVE NOT had the chance to try out an instrument, there will be opportunities to try out and get rental information on WEB Day, Thursday, August 22nd, 2024. Mr. Hawkins and representatives from Marshall Music Co. will be there to help you get started and provide any information needed in order to start the year off right! If you have not yet tried out an instrument, please use this Sign Up to select a timeslot.
If you have already tried out instruments, we recommend renting from Marshall Music Company. They provide a quality instrument with rent-to-own payments spread over time alongside free repair services and pick up/drop off right to the school! You can start the rental process by visiting THIS LINK and selecting Plymouth Canton Comm Schools, West Middle School, Scott Hawkins, and the chosen instrument. You will have to create an account to do this online, otherwise, they can be reached over the phone at (800) 221-1755 x485 or through email at rentals@marshallmusic.com. Instruments will be dropped off at West during the first week of school. These orders should come with the book Essential Elements for Band, our curriculum that all first-year band students must have.
If you choose to get an instrument on your own, please be wary of cheaper brands. While they may be great for a student who isn’t sure, they can be quick to break and many repair shops will not work on them due to poor-quality materials. If you have any questions about instrument selection or band, please reach out to Mr. Hawkins at scott.hawkins@pccsk12.com.
DO YOU HAVE A 7TH OR 8TH GRADE STUDENT WITH A 504 PLAN? PLEASE READ
If you have a student in 7th or 8th grade who has a 504 plan, you should have received an email on August 5th asking you to review your child's 504 accommodation plan and fill out the google form to complete the required annual review and indicate your consent for implementation of the 504 plan for this school year.
Please reach out to Cheri Steckel (cheri.steckel@pccsk12.com) if you have any questions or need the email sent to you again.
Middle school athletics kick off with cross country practice beginning on September 4th, the first full day of school! More information will be available at schedule pick-up regarding practice times.
Additional Middle School athletic information is available here. Athletic physicals dated April 15, 2024, or later must be turned in before a student can try out/practice. ATHLETIC PHYSICAL FORM are linked and hard-copies can be found in the the main office.
Cost:
7th & 8th Grade Students: $200 for the first sport. All other seasons free
6th Grade Students: $125 for the first sport, second sport is free
It is preferable that payments are made online. To do so, click this PAY TO PARTICIPATE LINK, select your middle school pay to participate page on the left-hand side, and follow the log-in instructions. If you cannot pay online, a check may be written to “PCCS or Plymouth Canton Community Schools” and turned in to the coach. Payments need to be submitted by the first contest.
WEST MIDDLE SCHOOL E-COMMERCE SPIRITWEAR
Attention all West Students and their families!
West Middle School has an E-Commerce Spirit wear store! All you have to do is click THIS LINK and it will take you to our very own website designed to meet all of our West Middle School spirit wear needs. From T-shirts to Jackets, bibs to blankets, and everything in between. Shop at your leisure, pay online via your credit or debit cards, and have your exclusive order shipped directly to your house! All the convenience of Amazon, with West flair! Additionally, you can shop knowing that 10% of your order will be returned directly back to West and invested in your child!
Order Now and start summer with the West Middle School Swag that will have you representing our school in style all summer long!
Link: https://shop.game-one.com/michigan/plymouth/west-middle-school
BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH ON AUGUST 24, 2024 FROM 11 AM - 2 PM - CANCELED
UPDATE ON 8/20/24: This event has been canceled due to Joy Road closure.
P-CCS students and families, we are thrilled to invite you to the annual P-CCS Back to School Bash! This free event will take place on Saturday, August 24 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the P-CEP Bus Loop (located behind Salem High School - 46181 Joy Rd, Canton).
Families will have the opportunity to meet school and district leaders, and learn about P-CCS programs offered to students from preschool all the way through high school. Celebrate the start of the school year by joining us for food, fun, and games for the entire family!
DOWNLOAD THE P-CCS MOBILE APP!
Download the P-CCS Mobile App TODAY!
Search Plymouth-Canton Community Schools in your app store to download today!
Download for Apple devices: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/plymouth-canton-cs/id1616944857
Download for Android devices: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.edulinksys.cna.pccs