Greetings, Wildcat Families!
Happy New Year! We hope you and your family enjoyed a safe and happy winter break. It was great to see all of our students' faces back this morning! They may have been a little sleepy, but we are thrilled to welcome everyone back to kick off 2023 together!
Important Dates:
Tuesday, 1/3 Welcome back, students and staff!
Wednesday, 1/4 All spring sports conditioning continues (baseball, softball, soccer)
Thursday, 1/5 Basketball vs. Northwood - HOME - 6 p.m. tip-off
Wednesday, 1/11 PTA/SIC Meeting @ 9 AM
Thursday, 1/12 Winter Buy-out (see info. below)
Thursday, 1/12 End of Q2 Grading Period
Friday, 1/13 Professional Development Day - no school for students
Monday, 1/16 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - no school
Tuesday, 1/17 2nd Semester Begins - new Electives classes; 2nd Semester DPs begin
Jennifer Couch
Principal
Wee Wildcat Welcomes!
WMS welcomes two of our newest Wildcats, picutred here:
(Right) Hannah Claire Calbreath, born 12/5/22 at 3:00 p.m. Little Miss Calbreath is the daughter of Coach Joey Calbreath.
(Belwo) Ryder Keith Dafforn, born 12/6/22 and weighing in at 7 lbs, 14 oz. Ryder is the son of Mr. Ryan Dafforn.
We are excited to welcome both these wee ones into the Wildcat Family!
Flu & Covid Testing Sites
Flu/Covid Drive-through Testing Sites:
Starting Monday, November 28, there will be free, drive-through testing for both Flu and Covid-19 provided at three locations. GCS students, employees, and their household contacts can get tested. Results will be provided in approximately 1 hour. An important change from last year: parents and employees are responsible for reporting any positive results directly to the school or their supervisor. DHEC has again contracted Mako Medical to administer the testing, and the three sites are the same as last year: Fountain Inn High School, MT Anderson Support Center, and Northside Park. All of the information has been updated on the GCS website, which includes flyers in both English and Spanish.
There are some notable changes from the process last year:
- They will test for both Flu and Covid-19: one swab, two tests.
- In addition to GCS students and employees, household contacts of both students and employees can get tested at these sites for free.
- Results will be provided in approximately 1 hour.
- It is the parentβs responsibility to report positive results to the school, and employees must report positive results to their supervisor. GCS will not be automatically alerted to the results.
- Pre-registering will help expedite the testing process.
- Be sure to check the flyer before going to a site. The flyer will reflect the latest information and reflect any updates such as changes in hours, location closures, etc.
WMS Housequake & LiveSchool Parent Accounts
Parents, in addition to being a Woodmont Wildcat, your child also now belongs to one of 4 Houses that are unique to our school....Oncilla, Serval, Amur, or Caracal.
The link below will take you to an overview of our House system and show you how our new LiveSchool platform will play a HUGE part in the spirit of House competition AND keeping you even more in the loop at home.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12ZQR3if9opA2_gFTH12lKHQUm6SCJBMzOP1VHXst4K0/edit?usp=sharing
Your child has been given information to bring home on how to set up your parent account (including 2 unique codes specific to YOUR child). After you set up an account, you can access the platform whenever you want...but we know how busy you are! You can also opt to automatically receive a recap email each week. We hope you will choose to partner with us to help bring Woodmont Middle to a whole new level!
Student IDs
As a reminder, ID sets are always available for sale in the media center for $7, or broken down as follows:
Photo ID - $5
Grade Level Lanyard = $1
House Color ID Cover = $1
Please send a check or exact change with your child.
WMS Clubs & Activities
Our extracurricular clubs are ramping up! Please click HERE for a complete list of offerings.
Students of all grades are invited to participate in our clubs. Please contact the sponsor directly if you would like more information or are interested in having your child participate. We are always looking for volunteers to assist as well! If you have a talent or passion and would like to sponsor an afterschool student club, please contact Ms. Couch. Level II volunteer clearance is required.
Wildcat News Broadcast!
WMS is SO EXCITED to be starting a student-created news broadcast!
Broadcasts will be aired on our YouTube Channel every Wednesday and Friday mornings. See Ms. Gosnell if you're interested in being a part of the crew!
Dress Code Reminders
Please be sure you've reviewed our student dress code with your child. We want all our students to be able to remain in class once they arrive to school! In the past, we have provided tape to cover up holes in pants that are above the knee. This year we would like to ask your help in making sure this is taken care of before students arrive to school.
CELL PHONES OUT OF SIGHT!!!
Parents, we need your help. Please talk with your child about responsible and ethical use of technology. It is a school rule that cellular devices and wireless earbuds remain out of sight (preferably stored in bookbags) while in the school building. It is our hope that students are able to adhere to this rule and keep the privilege of carrying these devices on their person throughout the day.
Please note, parents of students who violate this policy will be contacted by a teacher and/or administrator and assigned a locker and combination on their grade level hallway. Students will be required to lock up their cell phone upon arrival and retrieve it at dismissal. The requirement to keep the cell phone locked in the assigned locker will remain in effect for the rest of the school year. Again, this consequence will only happen if students are unable to abide by our request to keep phones and earbuds stored out of sight throughout the day.
Our school phone lines are always available for two-way communication between students and parents. Thank you for helping us maintain a safe and effective learning environment. Please contact administration if you have any questions.
Morning Arrival
Our doors open at 7:30 a.m. Please do not drop off students before that time, as no supervision is available. In order to keep a long line from forming, please PULL ALL THE WAY DOWN before unloading your child.
Breakfast is provided FREE OF CHARGE to all students. Breakfast for car riders closes at 8:15 a.m. Breakfast for bus riders extends until the last bus arrives. All students should arrive before 8:30 a.m. to be counted present and on time for the day.
Parents, I know mornings are a busy time for us all, and many of you head to work after dropping off your child. However, please note that parents are not allowed to "skip the line" in morning drop-off. This creates a safety hazard for your child!
We have a SINGLE LINE drop-off. Once our doors open at 7:30, we do our best to quickly clear the line by having parents PULL ALL THE WAY DOWN before unloading their child. It does take a few minutes when there is heavy traffic.
If you need to ensure drop-off right at 7:30, please arrive by 7:15 so you can be at/toward the front of the line.
Afternoon Dismissal
Afternoon Dismissal: Parents who pick up their child each day, please observe the following procedures:
- Form double lines while waiting for dismissal.
- Display your dismissal number so we get your child into the queue.
- The use of cell phones while the line is moving is prohibited.
- MERGE at the cones, taking turns from each line (one from right, one from left, etc.). Be courteous.
- PULL ALL THE WAY FORWARD before stopping and loading your child.
- Stress to your child to report to the carline as soon as their name is displayed and WATCH for their car. Pickups requiring extra time due to student delays will be asked to circle back through the carline.
Backpack Blessings
Backpack Blessings is a program that the Columbia Baptist Church organizes and provides to our Woodmont Middle School students. We are so thankful for their generosity! If your student is in need of school supplies, boxed lunch/dinners, hygiene products, or clothing, please fill out the Google Form Survey below. If you have specific needs or questions about this program, you may contact the 6th Grade Counselor, Ms. Genova.
