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.

• 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.

• 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

• Harris Teeter - Together in Education
• Lowes Foods - Cart to Class

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