The Weekly Wolverine

Greetings Wolverine Parents!

This week students will be taking their District Assessments in Math and Science on Monday, Social Studies on Tuesday, and Art of Thinking on Wednesday. The last day of the semester is on Friday and there is no early release.

Please make sure your child is here every day. We also encourage your child to work on Zearn and Amplify during the evenings. This Thursday, Boys and Girls Basketball teams will play against Fonville Middle School. The boys play at home and the girls play away. All games start at 6:00 pm. For more details on upcoming events, visit our school website and check out the Parent Newsletter.

Happy Holidays. Be safe and we’ll see you on Tuesday, January 7th, 2025!

Thank you for your support!

Car Riders

• All students getting picked up by car must be picked up in the west parking lot behind the auditorium.
• There is no student pick up via car on Knox Street and cars are not allowed to wait within the school zone in front of the school.
• Please see the picture below for the flow of traffic and car rider dismissal.

Bus Riders/Van Riders

• Students who ride buses arriving for pickup after 4:30 pm will report to the cafeteria. An announcement will be made to release them to Knox Street. This includes all HISD, Metro, and Metro Curb to Curb Services.
• Students who ride Houston ISD buses should know their route number as these are the only bus number/names we will call out during announcements (Route 4711 or Route 4018)
• Students who use day care/van service (ex. Aaron Van Service) will wait in the cafeteria until call to the back entrance of the school for pick up.

Walkers

• Students who walk home should immediately leave campus when dismissed.

All students (walkers, bus, and car) arrive through the Knox Street Gate entrance for morning drop off.

Houston ISD district policy prohibits scholars from using their personal electronic devices in schools during the academic school day. Electronic devices include, but are not limited to, cell-phones, earbuds, headphones, smart watches, and tablets. Scholars will completely turn off their devices and place them in their assigned Yondr pouch. The Yondr pouch is property of M.C. Williams Middle school and the student is responsible for any damage to the pouch.

The purpose of this policy is to increase scholar engagement in the classroom and decrease disruptions that may interfere with the instructional environment.

Scholars will turn in devices at the beginning of their first period class and will retrieve them prior to the end of the last class of the day.

Should a staff member see a scholar’s electronic device not secured inside of a Yondr pouch during the academic school day, an administrator will be notified immediately. The administrator will apply a consequence, up to and including suspension.

If a student violates the rule, the following consequences will be enforced:

1st offense: Confiscation of the device to be returned to the scholar no earlier than 5:00 pm and scholar’s parent or guardian will be notified.

2nd offense: above actions + Administration will schedule a conference with the parent/guardian and scholars will be assessed a $5 penalty.

3rd offense: above actions + Scholar will be assigned In School Suspension (ISS) and scholars will be assessed a $15 penalty.

If penalties are not paid, scholars may be disqualified from attending camps and district events.

Thank you for your commitment to the success and well-being of our students.

Shirts

• Must be plain / free of logos, writing, rips, etc.

Bottoms

• Blue, black, khaki Pants, or Capri pants, must be khaki in color and always worn at the waist. A belt may be needed to comply with this policy.

Shoes

• Cannot be: Open-toed shoes, house shoes, slippers, flip-flops, Crocs, sandals or any shoe without a hard sole or back.

Backpacks

• Mesh or clear only

Attendance Matters

Timely attendance to school is essential for comprehensive learning. Please ensure your child is arriving on time and ready to engage in each subject. Consistent attendance contributes significantly to their academic progress.

Submit Work On Time

Encourage your child to stay on top of assignments and homework. Timely submission not only reflects responsibility but also allows for constructive feedback, helping them to improve and excel in their studies.

Communication with Teachers

If your child encounters any challenges or difficulties, please encourage them to communicate with their teachers. We are here to help and support their academic journey.

By working together to reinforce these habits, we can ensure that our students make the most of their learning opportunities and set themselves up for success. Thank you for your continued partnership in your child's education.

I am pleased and honored to continue serving as the principal of M.C. Williams Middle School. Having joined the Wolverine staff in December of last year, I am excited to start the 2024-2025 school year and my eleventh year as a school principal.

Last year we worked extremely hard to implement systems that ensure students success. Thanks to the dedication of our teachers, staff, and the support of parent and community members, we accomplished a lot toward our goal of becoming an A-rated school. We showed STAAR growth in Math and Reading at every level, increased both teacher and student attendance, reduced out-of-school and in-school suspensions, and lowered the total number of disciplinary incidents during the school year.

While these accomplishments make me very proud, our work is far from done. Under the continued leadership of our superintendent, exceptional changes have been made this year, and I am convinced we will see even more improvements in all areas. As an NES campus, we will take full advantage of all the resources provided to us to deliver exceptional, high-quality instruction to all our students.

There are a few reminders for parents and students to ensure a smooth and productive school year:

1. School Hours: Our school is open from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm every day. Students must be seated and ready to learn in class by 8:25 am. Please note that the school day begins at 8:30 am and ends at 4:30 pm. It is crucial that students are on time every day, as absences and missing portions of instruction puts them at risk of failing the class and being retained. Any students arriving prior to 7:15 am are expected to attend tutorials for additional support or academic advancement. Tutorials are offered from 6:30-8:15 am.

2. Student Dress Code: Student dress code will be strictly enforced. The guidelines for acceptable attire are very clear and will be strictly enforced. Dress code also includes wearing their student ID everyday once they have been issued. Please review the dress code below as well as on our website at https://www.houstonisd.org/williamsms.

3. Student Cell Phones: Per district policy, cell phones are not allowed on campus during the instructional day. This minimizes distractions and ensures students are focused on receiving instruction. M.C. Williams will be using the Yondr pouches for cell phones. A staff member will lock their cell phone in their assigned pouch each day. The pouch will be unlocked at the end of each day. If a cell phone or smart device is seen in school, it will be confiscated and only returned to the parent after a meeting to reinforce our expectations. Complete details can be found on the school website as well as in the newsletter below.

4. Student Drop-off and Arrival: Students will enter through the Knox Street gate entrance every morning. Any students arriving prior to 7:15 am are expected to attend tutorials for additional support or academic advancement. Breakfast is served until 8:10 am. Students cannot be check-out of school early after 3:30 pm.

5. Student Dismissal Expectations: All students should be picked up from school in a timely manner. Students should only remain on campus past 4:50 pm if they are in tutorials, have practice, and must be with staff member at all times.

• Car Riders will be picked up in the East parking lot. Car riders cannot walk to be picked up on Knox Street.
• Walkers are expected to leave campus immediately after being dismissed. There is no lingering around the campus.
• Bus riders (HISD, Metro, etc.) must go directly to their bus when dismissed by an administrator and follow the directions of the bus driver at all times. Students who exhibit inappropriate and/or unsafe behavior on the bus will be issued disciplinary consequences. The first failure to comply with the bus driver and/or rules will result in a warning. Each additional incidents will result in removal from the bus for a set length of time.

I am excited about the experiences we will share this upcoming school year and I look forward to connecting with you all through in-person conversations over the coming weeks.

The best way to stay up to date with campus news, events, and important information is to visit our website, read my weekly newsletters sent on Sundays, and ensure your information in the system is updated and accurate. You can save this website to view the newsletters all year. https://secure.smore.com/n/ah498

If you have any concerns or comments, please contact my office at 713-696-2600 or email me at Courtney.Clark@houstonisd.org.

Through our collective efforts, M.C. Williams Middle School will transform from the good school it is today into the premier school that our students and community deserve; because “Working and Winning is the Wolverine Way!”