Hello Knight Nation,
Our dedicated staff will be returning on Monday to prepare for an exciting and successful year ahead. We are thrilled to welcome our new Knights and to see our returning Knights once again. At Windy Hill Middle School, we are committed to creating an environment where everyone is honored, dignified, and respected. Our practices and policies are designed to support this goal, ensuring a positive and nurturing atmosphere for all.
With less than two weeks until the start of the new school year, it’s time to start adjusting those sleep schedules!
Orientation (6th grade & NEW 7th & 8th Graders)
Families of our 6th graders and new students will receive an email mid-week next week with a little more information about orientation. Orientation is on August 26th from 8:10am-11:10am and students are encouraged to ride the bus to help drivers prepare for the first day routes. Transportation will send an email late next week with bus routes/stops. Once complete, this information is also available in HAC.
Laptops
For our returning students who have laptops from last year, please get them out, plug them in and give them time to charge and update. Our 6th graders and new students will get their laptops on their 1st day.
Student Schedules - We are excited to announce that student schedules will be tentatively available on August 20th via the Home Access Center (HAC). Please keep in mind that the schedule in HAC on the 20th is unofficial. Students will receive their official schedule during orientation or on the first day of school. Due to the complexity of scheduling for approximately 700 students, we are unable to accommodate schedule change requests. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation
HELP WANTED! Our PTSO is working hard this summer too to prepare for the new year including providing breakfast for our staff when everyone returns August 19th. The link to help with breakfast and/or help with stuffing first day folders the 20th is here:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C45A5AA23A6FEC34-welcome#/
Please see the attached flyers from our PTSO which include membership and volunteer flyer and information about our first event on September 20th. The first dance is October 11th sponsored by PTSO! All student PTSO members get in free to the dance! You can join now using the QR code on the flyer!
We are very fortunate to be able to run numerous extra curricular programs for our students at WHMS with the support of our staff and community members. The fall sports kick off the 2nd week of school with soccer and volleyball. If your child plans to participate in these clinics, please read the sports information carefully. We are also looking for a Poms coach for the winter season and Girls and Boys Track coaches for the spring season. If you or anyone you know may be interested in coaching, please have them reach out to Mrs. Merewitz, our Athletic Director.
With school starting, many of you will embark on school shopping. Take note of the dress code outlined in the 2024-2025 Code of Conduct Code of Conduct - Calvert County Public School District (calvertnet.k12.md.us)
For your convenience, excerpts from the CCPS Dress Code are provided below.
Students must wear:
- Shirt or top (all shirts and tops must at least cover the student’s navel).
- Bottom (for example, pants, sweatpants, shorts, skirt, dress, and leggings).
- Shoes (curricular or activity-specific shoes may be required).
- Certain body parts must be covered for each student. Clothes must be worn in a way such that the chest, navel, pelvic/groin area and buttocks are covered with material that is not transparent
Students are permitted to wear:
- Tank tops (including ones with spaghetti straps), halter tops, and strapless tops.
- WHMS allows do-rags as long as the student’s face and ears are visible and are not obscured, and the student’s identity is not concealed. No other head wear is permitted inside the building.
- Ripped jeans that do not expose undergarments.
- Athletic attire.
Students are not permitted to wear:
- Attire that depicts profanity, hate speech, obscenity, or violence, including by the use of weapons.
- Attire that promotes use of tobacco, drugs, alcohol, or other illegal or harmful products.
- Attire that promotes, implies, or contains sexually suggestive messages.
- Visible underwear or bathing suits.
- Headwear that obscures the face, except as a religious obligation, observation of a religious holiday, or for a school-related activity.
- Attire that depicts gang affiliation.
- Attire that causes or is likely to cause a material disruption, a substantial disorder to school activities or the orderly operation of the school, or an invasion of the rights of others.
- Attire that contains language or symbols that demean an identifiable person or group or otherwise infringes on the rights of others.
- Attire that may be used as a weapon (e.g., chains, dog collars, hats with spikes) or that may cause damage to school property.
- Sunglasses may not be worn inside of the school building unless prescribed by a physician. If sunglasses are prescribed, a medical form must be completed and submitted to the main office.
- Wearable technology (i.e., earbuds, headphones) when it interferes with instruction or student safety.
The Board’s values for the student dress code are:
- All students should be able to dress comfortably for school without fear of or actual unnecessary discipline or body shaming.
- Teachers can focus on teaching without the additional and often uncomfortable burden of dress code enforcement.
- Students should not face unnecessary barriers to school attendance.
- Reasons for conflict and inconsistent identification of possible infractions should be minimized whenever possible
WHMS PE DRESS CODE:
PE Dress Code Rationale - Clothing designed for unrestricted body movement enhances safety during physical education activities.
During PE Students Must Wear
- T-shirts, shorts, and leggings, which must comply with CCPS dress code regulations.
- Athletic footwear should be sneakers or tennis shoes, characterized by a closed toe, durable foot covering with a rubber sole, and typically a cloth or leather upper, not extending beyond the ankle, to ensure safety during gym and field activities.
During PE Students are not permitted to wear:
- Crocs, slippers, jeans, pajama pants, dresses, and skirts.
- Jewelry that could interfere with a physical activity.
Students may bring appropriate exercise clothes and athletic shoes to change into for PE classes, with access to a gym locker and lock provided. Alternatively, they may wear suitable PE clothing to school without needing to change.
CELL PHONE/ SMART WATCH POLICY
Also updated for the coming year is the CCPS Cell Phone Policy. For your convenience, excerpts from the CCPS Cell Phone Policy are provided below.
- Students may bring their phone/smartwatch, but once school begins the device must be powered completely off (not on vibrate or silent mode) and remain in a non-visible, secure location throughout the entirety of each school day.
- Students may use their phone/smartwatch on the bus or school-charted vehicle, but it must not be disruptive or cause a distraction to the driver at any time. Sound must only be audible through headphones. Phone conversations are prohibited.
- If there is an emergency, parents/guardians are encouraged to contact the school. All cell phone/smartwatch guidelines, expectations, and discipline consequences apply even if communicating with parents/guardians.
Preparations are in full swing for the new school year. For the planners among us, note that our Open House Evening for parents is scheduled for Wednesday, September 11th, from 6:00 to 7:30 PM. Additionally, the PTSO will host our Back-to-School Food Truck Event on Friday, September 20th, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM. Stay tuned for more details on these and other events.
A few important items for you to note for the upcoming school year:
- SPORTS INFORMATION
Fall sports clinics will begin the 2nd week of school. ALL PAPERWORK FOR SOCCER OR VOLLEYBALL WILL BE DUE BY SEPTEMBER 3RD. Get your sports physicals done now. The link for more information and the paperwork is https://whms.calvertnet.k12.md.us/athletics. If you have questions, please contact our Athletic Director, Karen Merewitz at mailto:merewitzk@calvertnet.k12.md.us or at 443-550-9290. You are welcome to drop off sports physicals and/or payment anytime Mon-Thur 8am-4pm or payment can be made online at https://osp.osmsinc.com/CalvertMD/BVModules/ProductTemplates/Bvc2013/Product.aspx?productid=EQ318-106.
VOLLEYBALL CLINIC DATES: 9/9, 9/16, 9/18, 9/23, and 9/25.
SOCCER CLINIC DATES:Clinic day 1 - Sept 4
Clinic day 2 - Sept 5
Clinic day 3 - Sept 9
Clinic day 4 - Sept 11
Clinic day 5 - Sept 12
Tryout day 1 - Sept 16 (we will make first cuts)
Tryout day 2 - Sept 19 (we will make final cuts)
- COACHES NEEDED - at this time we are looking for a poms coach for the winter sports season and girls and boys track coaches for the spring. If interested, please reach out to our Athletic Director, Mrs. Merewitz at mailto:merewitzk@calvertnet.k12.md.us.
- SCHOOL SUPPLIES
WHMS does not have a school supply list. We suggest students bring a notebook of some type, a few pens and pencils on the first day and then teachers will let them know what supplies are needed specific to their class. - WHMS t-shirts. We have a limited number of our close out t-shirts available at $10. See the attached flyer for details. Most of these shirts are sizes Y-M and Y-L but our new line will be available by late August and will offer you the availability to order any size and include shirts, hoodies and more. If you want to grab one of the $10 close out shirts, you can order via the flyer or stop by school Mon-Thur between 8-4. A spiritwear pop up store will open on Aug 23 through Sep 23 where you'll be able to buy shirts and hoodies with our new 2024-2025 logo! Stay tuned for details. Watch next week's newsletter for a link for this site.
- IMMUNIZATIONS
Reminder to our incoming 7th graders who received an email just after school finished about your child's shot record. Please be sure they have the needed vaccines and you provide an updated shot record to our nurse Ms. Tillini. The Calvert County Health Department is offering vaccine clinics starting in August. See the attached flyer for details. Nurse Dawn's email is mailto:tillinid@calvertnet.k12.md.us - VOLUNTEERS
Calvert County Public Schools uses Raptor for visitors and volunteers to sign in and sign out. Volunteers must apply annually to be an approved volunteer. You will need to apply for the 2024-2025 school year. All volunteers will need to review the volunteer handbook and watch the volunteer training video before completing and Online Volunteer Application. Volunteers must be approved before they may begin service as a volunteer in any school buildings.
CCPS Online Volunteer Application & Process: https://www.calvertnet.k12.md.us/departments/human-resources/become-a-volunteer
Thank you
Mark Whidden,
Principal, Windy Hill Middle School
