West Pine Middle
Ignite! Engage! Grow!

A Note from Mrs. Wiley
We have officially made it to the halfway point of the first nine weeks. Our students have set goals for themselves and are truly engaged in the learning!
Interim reports will be sent home Friday with all students.
Our softball and tennis teams play at home Monday. Football plays at home Wednesday. The theme for the game is USA, so dress in your best red, white and blue! All games begin at 4pm. More detailed information is listed below in the athletics section.
Our first Battle of the Books interest meeting will take place this Thursday, Sept. 29th, until 3:45PM in the Media Center. This is a perfect opportunity for your child to learn more about Battle of the Books and decide if he/she is interested in being a part of this team. You can find information about Battle of the Books on the WPM website under the Clubs/Organizations tab.
I would like to congratulate Alison McCloskey on being recognized as West Pine Middle's Volunteer of the Year. We appreciate her service to our students, staff and families.
As always, it's a great day to be a Wildcat!
Take care. JW

School Information
Please acknowledge the MCS Student Code of Conduct in Parent Portal.
Instructional (including the encore fees) and technology fees can be paid online, or students can bring in cash or check. Contact Ms. Mullen, our bookkeeper, if you have any questions.
Free/Reduced Lunch Forms are due ASAP.
Don't forget to review the dress code with your child. In particular, students must wear clothing that covers their skin from chest to mid thigh with opaque (non-see-through) fabric in front, back, and on the sides. Clothing must cover undergarments, and breasts, genitals and buttocks must be covered with opaque (non see-through) fabric. For more information, visit the MCS Student Code of Conduct.
Bus Transportation Information: Students are not allowed to ride a bus in which they are not assigned. They can only ride their assigned bus.
- Routes: Transportation can be viewed on Parent Portal (web browser only, NOT the app). Here you can verify your child's transportation information.
- Communication: Please continue to contact the call center (910-947-5861) for any concerns or questions about your student's route.

Wildcat Athletics
Athletics:
- Softball/Tennis plays at HOME on Monday, 9/26 against Crains Creek.
- Football will play their FIRST HOME game on Wednesday, 9/28 against SanLee. Start time is 4pm. Wear your red, white, and blue to support the football team on Wednesday!
- Golf travels to Sanford Golf Course on Tuesday, 9/27. Dismissal will take place at 2:30pm. Families, please park in the bus lot to pick up your student.
- Cross Country travels to North Moore High on Tuesday, 9/27 for a conference meet.
- Start times are 4pm for all events! $2 for student tickets and $4 for adult tickets. Under school age free.
- Softball/Tennis do not have a game on 9/29 due to East Lee combining teams with West Lee this season.
Athletic Booster Club Information
- The Wildcat Booster Club needs your support. For more information, contact Mark Dutton, booster club president, at mld206@nc.rr.com or Mr. Willms at bwillms@ncmcs.org.
- Booster Membership Link

Attendance Matters
School attendance is important and in order to receive the best education, students need to be present to fully support their academic success. School administrators and teachers track student attendance in PowerSchool. Parents should monitor their child’s attendance and ensure that students do not accumulate excessive absences. Both excused and unexcused absences count towards student attendance. Failure to meet minimum attendance policies may jeopardize a student’s ability to participate in sports or promote to the next grade. Parents will be contacted by school administration or a school social worker under the following circumstances:
- The child has accumulated three (3) unexcused absences in a school year.
- After not more than six (6) unexcused absences, the principal shall notify the family by mail that they may be in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law.
- When student absences, excused or unexcused, reach five (5) in a semester or eleven (11) in a year in grades 9-12, or fifteen (15) in a year in grades K-8, the principal will contact the family.
- Students in grades 9-12 who are absent from a class more than eight (8) days, excused or unexcused, during a semester course shall not receive credit for the semester or year.
- Students in grades K-8 who are absent more than twenty (20) days during a year shall be referred to an interdisciplinary attendance committee which shall determine if the student should be retained. Additional policies are outlined in MCS Board of Education Policies, Section 6000.
Car Line Key Points
- Doors open at 7:30am. For our students' safety, we ask that you not drop off your child prior to that time as there are no staff members on duty.
- All students are dropped off at front of school in the morning. Please do not drop off in the bus parking lot, grassy area, tennis courts, at WPES, or at a local business.
- Students who work the school store or are involved in an early morning club meeting may be dropped off in the grassy area or front driveway.
- We are getting our students in to the building on time, so that is great news! The line will remain long unless more students ride the bus or families carpool.
- Older siblings will go to the younger sibling's car line for pick-up.
- Don't forget, 7th grade is picked up on the service road behind the baseball field. Cars will enter at WPES.
- 8th grade cars may proceed to the staff parking lot for afternoon dismissal. Once that area is full, 8th grade cars must remain in the main car line with the 6th grade cars. A staff member will be outside to help direct traffic. Use your right turn signal to alert the staff member on duty that you are going to 8th grade pick-up.
- Cars are asked to pull all the way up to the first open spot. The students will walk to your car. Do not stop when you see your child. Staff will direct you to keep moving as we have MANY cars to move through the line.
- Friday car lines will be much longer due to students not having athletic practices after school. Expect longer wait times.
Upcoming Dates
- October 10: Teacher Workday
- October 20: PTSO Meeting and Understanding My Middle School Child, 6:30pm, multi-purpose room
- October 21: PTSO-sponsored After School Social "Fall Bash", 3-5pm
- October 26: WPMS vs SMS Football at Pinecrest HS, 6pm
- October 28: Early Release Day, 12pm
- November 15: PTSO Meeting and Dangers Teens Face Online, 6pm, multi-purpose room
Support our School: Link Your Lowes and/or Harris Teeter Cards!
WPMS PTSO News
- PTSO will be selling Wildcat tee-shirts at all home football games this season. Shirts are $15 (cash or check - payable to WPMS PTSO).
- PTSO will sponsor the FALL BASH AFTER SCHOOL SOCIAL Friday, October 21 from 3-5pm. Volunteers are needed!
- Coming Soon: PTSO General Business Meetings and Parent Informational Sessions. Mark your calendars and join us to learn how we all can support our students.
- Date TBD: Get To Know CANVAS (from the parent perspective), presenter: Rachel Neckermann, DIF
- October 20: Understanding My Middle School Child, presenters: Tracy Mosher and Stacy Newton, school counselors; 6:30pm
- November 15: Dangers Teens Face Online, presenters: Stacey Gatling, social worker and Dee Pullium, Special Agent with NC State Bureau of Investigation (This session is for adults and is more explicit.)
- Help us celebrate the staff at WPMS with our annual "We Are Thankful For You" luncheon on Friday, November 18. More information will be coming, but volunteers are needed to bring in food and beverages and serve as cafeteria monitors.
Parent Involvement
PTSO
Do you want to get involved but don't know where to start? Join the WPMS PTSO. For more information, reach out to one of our board members or email them at wpmptso@gmail.com.
- Alison McCloskey - president
- Amanda Peterson - secretary
- Meredith Morgan-Coleman - treasurer
- Karyn Schwagel - board member
Parent Advisory Representatives
Here are your parent representatives for the 2022-23 school year.
- Parent Advisory Council (PAC): Chiquita Monroe
- Military Family Advisory Council (MFAC): Alison McCloskey
- Hispanic Community Advisory Council (HCAC): Elizzeth Salgado
- African American Community Advisory Council (AACAC): Whitney Alford
- School Improvement Team (SIT): Alison McCloskey and Lynn Antil
Booster Clubs
Band, Orchestra , Choral Music/Theater, and Athletics

Important Links
Do you have a question, concern or celebration you would like to share with our School Improvement Team? Enter it below. Our team will respond at the next SIT meeting and will note it in the minutes.