Dear WDMS Family,

What a whirlwind it has been since last March! First and foremost, we at WDMS hope your family is safe and well during these uncertain times. While a lot of things may seem unknown, one thing that has not changed is our commitment to high quality, equitable education for our WDMS students.

This year's virtual learning program will provide for increased structure and clearer expectations. Our goal is to ensure your student is both challenged and supported at a high level.

As we embark on this journey together, we will continue to improve upon our virtual learning program and address any obstacles with your child’s well-being and education at the forefront of our decision making.

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to reach out to me at any time.

Sincerely,

Christine Trampé

Principal

Similar to locker item pick-up last year, this will be a drive-through event. Upon arrival, parents will be stopped and asked for their child's grade and team. It is imperative to know whether a student is team A or B which can be identified by referencing their assigned lunch period (i.e. "Lunch 6A") on their schedule in PowerSchool. A color-coordinated card will be placed on the windshield to assist the staff in directing parents to the appropriate wing. Teachers will be waiting outside their grade level wings and separated by teams. We ask for WDMS students to be seated on the passenger side of the vehicle (if possible) to allow for easier means of communication. All staff members will be wearing masks and we request that all passengers in the vehicle do the same.

Please see below for the assigned time:

Last name A-L: 8:00 am - 10:00 am

Last name M-Z: 12:00 pm - 2:00 pm

Raindate, Wed., September 9: same times and letters as above

At WDMS, we follow a 6-day cycle (A1, A2, A3, B4, B5, B6) which indicates the days of their specials. You may find the cycle assignments on the WDMS website, under "Activities Calendar".

Attendance must be taken on a daily basis. Students will receive an email (sent to their student email) each morning requiring them to respond by 8:30 am to indicate their virtual instruction attendance for the day. Failure to respond to the email will result in the student being marked absent for the day.

Students in grades 5 through 8 will continue to take courses in Fine Arts and Music, PE/Health, and STEM. This year, however, all special area classes (with the exception of 8th graders taking Spanish I, a high school accredited course) will be pass/fail. In pass/fail courses, students will be graded numerically throughout the marking period, however, the final report card grade will be represented by either a pass (60 or higher) or a fail (59 or below).

Virtual instruction will consist of a combination of synchronous instruction via video conference (Zoom, Google Meets, GoGuardian) as well as asynchronous instruction using Google Classroom as our main platform. Students are required to login to the appropriate Google Classroom by following the below bell schedule.

Please note, 5 minute transition times are built into the bell schedule to allow students ample time to enter scheduled video conferences punctually.

The West Deptford School District will provide personal insurance for each student Chromebook throughout the course of your child's Middle School experience. However, in an effort to defer the total cost of the insurance, the district will require parents to pay a one time, non-refundable, insurance fee. All incoming 5th-grade students and students new to West Deptford will be required to submit this fee by the end of September 2020. Payment information and the required Mandatory Insurance form can be found HERE.

1:1 Chromebook Initiative Student Guidelines Agreement which includes an outline of estimated pricing for damages can be found HERE.

Please see update on Fall Sports (Field Hockey & Cross Country) which will begin on Monday, September 14th:

• Fall Sports (Field Hockey & Cross Country) will begin on Monday, 9/14.
• Practices start at 3pm and will end at 4:30pm.
• Before all practices, players will need to fill out a COVID questionnaire and get their temperatures checked by a Coach.
• Temperatures will be checked from 3-3:15pm. Field Hockey players will be dropped off at the Field Hockey Field. Cross Country players will be dropped off at the WDMS Gym Entrance.
• Student athletes will need to find their own transportation to and from practices and home games. There will be no transportation offered for practices or home games. Drop off and pickup times need to be PROMPT!
• Transportation will be provided to and from AWAY games only.
• Locker Rooms are NOT AVAILABLE for WDMS student-athletes. Therefore, players should come to school dressed and prepared for practices and games.
• Bathrooms will be available for one person at a time as necessary.
• Student-Athletes will need to wear masks during arrival, coaching/group instruction, rest periods and departure. Masks will not need to be worn during physical activity.
• Cross Country athletes will need to bring their own footwear and water/sports drink. All other materials will be provided.
• Field Hockey athletes will need to bring their own footwear, stick, shin guards, goggles, and water/sports drink. All other materials will be provided.

Please contact the WDMS Athletic Coordinator, Steve Jakubowski, at sjakubowski@wdeptford.k12.nj.us for any questions regarding athletics.

This year, WDMS school counselors will work hard to ensure they are supporting middle school students on a virtual platform. Students will be able to schedule “virtual visits” (phone conversations and video conferences) with counselors by emailing them (see contact info below). Students can schedule appointments during free time throughout their school day (study halls, scheduled lunch period, etc.) as well as before and after school. Additionally, students can check into the “Counselors’ Corner” Google Classroom page for Social-Emotional Learning lessons, academic support, and more. See below to identify who your student’s counselor is and their contact information:

Ms. Nancy Beck

Counselor for Grade 5

Anti-Bully Specialist

nbeck@wdeptford.k12.nj.us

856-848-1200 x3203

Mrs. Stefanie Paglione

Counselor for Grades 6-8, last names A-K

spaglione@wdeptford.k12.nj.us

856-848-1200 x3241

Ms. Liza Lecher

Counselor for Grades 6-8, last names L-Z

llecher@wdeptford.k12.nj.us

856-848-11200 x3005

Having a designated workspace for your student is key during remote instruction! Basic tenets for a strong workspace are:

1. Quiet area

2. Appropriate space to move and access work materials

3. Access to an outlet (for Chromebooks)

4. Build investment by having students decorate it :)