WMS Parent Update

WMS students and families,

Hello! We hope your summer has been going well, and everyone has had a chance to enjoy the sunshine, relax and spend time with family and friends! We look forward to seeing our returning students as well as welcoming our new students to WMS. Please see below for some important information and upcoming dates as we get closer to August.

The WSD has changed our Student Information System to FOCUS Software. Parents will need to login to FOCUS and set their password in order to get set up in the new system. I would suggest doing this ASAP- it only takes a few minutes to get started! Here's more information on how to get your FOCUS access set up.

On Friday, August 2, parents will receive a notification to complete the annual registration forms and agreements. Once these forms are complete, the parent and student portal will open and schedules and teacher assignments will be available to view. Parents and students will not be able to view class schedules until the annual registration forms and agreements are complete. IMPORTANT- If this information is not completed in FOCUS, your student will lose online access until it is completed. Please understand that due to tight scheduling and careful planning to balance out each grade level team, we cannot change a student's team. Each grade level will have lunch together and students could potentially have PE or an elective with students on other teams in their grade level.

Already thinking about Back to School shopping? See below for the supply list for this year! Before school starts, teachers will be reaching out to families to let them know if any additional supplies are needed for a particular class.

Our 6th grade students will be invited to attend our Where Everybody Belongs (WEB) orientation day on Thursday, August 8. This event will be led by our 8th-grade WEB Leaders and is a student-only event. Students need to be dropped off at WMS by 8am and picked up at 10am. No RSVP needed, just send your 6th grader and water bottle if desired. We look forward to meeting our 6th graders!

Later that same day, Thursday, August 8, from 3-6pm, families will be invited to our Walk About Day. At this event, families will be able to tour the building to find classes, pick up Chromebooks (6th grade), learn more about WMS, and sign up for the WMS PTA. Lulu's will also be there! Please note that our teachers will not be at the event, as they are not contracted to work until later in August. This event is to help familiarize your student with their class locations and building layout. Parents will have the opportunity to meet their child's teachers at Open House on September 5.

Transportation information will be emailed to families around August 9. Please keep an eye out for information about where your child's bus stop is located at the start of the 2024-25 school year to ensure they wait at the correct location. If a bus stop location is not listed in the email you receive, that means that your child is not scheduled for transportation. Please check out this information ahead of time so that any errors can be corrected as soon as possible. Any concerns with transportation, stops, bus routes, etc., should be directed to the transportation department.

The WSD plans to host the 14th Annual Back to School Fair for District families on Saturday, August 10, from 8-11 a.m. at Liberty High School. The event is intended to get school supplies in the hands of WSD students who need them the most. The event is free for District families and will feature dozens of vendors, free school supplies, games and fun activities for children. At last year's event, we distributed over $10,000 worth of school supplies to WSD students. In addition, MOChip will be on hand to provide free child identification kits. While the event is free, families are encouraged to bring a non-perishable food item to donate to Operation Food Search, which serves local families in need. For more information, visit the WSD website.

WMS Open House will be held on Thursday, September 5. Grade level teachers will meet with parents at the following times:
Grade 6. 5:30-6:05pm

Grade 7. 6:10-6:45pm

Grade 8. 6:50-7:25pm

IMPORTANT! 8th grade Immunizations- All incoming 8th graders must have their Tdap (Tetanus Booster) and a MCV (Meningococcal Vaccine) in order to start school. Click here for more information. 8th graders who do not have these vaccines on file with the nurse's office on the first day of school will not be able to attend school.

We look forward to all of these opportunities to meet both you and your child! Make sure that you are following WMS on Twitter @WMSIndians to meet the rest of our staff members and learn about the exciting things that are happening at WMS! As we get closer to the start of the school year, another newsletter will be sent to you with information about pick up/drop off procedures and other pertinent information. Our first day of school is Monday, August 19. Until then, enjoy the rest of your summer!

If you have any questions, feel free to give our office a call at (636) 327-3815.

Kristine Schottel

Principal

Wentzville Middle School