
The Wildcat Weekly
What's happening at #woodmontmiddlecool
August 5th Edition
Announcements
Greetings, Wildcat Families!
The BIG DAY is almost here! Many thanks to everyone who came out for our Back to School Night! It was a record-breaking turnout and so good to feel all the excitement and anticipation for all the great things to come in our 2023-24 school year.
For all returning families, WELCOME BACK! We have missed you and hope you had a great summer! For our new families, we welome you into our school and invite you to connect and engage with our school community. We strive to provide an exceptional middle level experience where open communication, mutual respect, and collaboration position our students for optimum growth and success. To assist with your transition to WMS, we have created a 20-minute informational video that can be accessed by clicking here.
We experienced an Internet and phone outage on Friday that delayed many of our first-of-year processses. Student IDs will be issued as soon as possible but may not be available on the first day of school. Once the complimentary ID has been issued, our new ID policies will go into effect. Backup and Replacement IDs will cost $5 and may be purchased in the media center. Students who forget their ID may purchase a Temporary ID for $1 at Ms. Spurgeon's window from 7:45 - 8:25 AM. If a student has no ID and is unable to purchase a replacement or temporary, a reprint fee of $5 will be charged to the parent account. Students are expected to wear their ID and grade level lanyard at all times during the school day.
Thank you for your patience as we work to enroll a record number of new students, finalize schedules, and prepare for an amazing first day of school on Tuesday. We are in the final stages of securing two additional staff members for our Strings and Exploratory classes, both in our Electives department. As these hires are finalized, there may be some slight shifts in student schedules that will be communicated to you by our school counseling department. Schedules typically solidify by the end of the first week of school.
Our Wildcat Weekly Newsletter includes all the need-to-know for Woodmont Middle and is shared every Monday via Backpack, website, and Facebook page. Thank you for taking time to review this communication each week! Be sure to follow us on social media for an inside look at our first day and week of school! We will be posting lots of pictures of our incredible Wildcat students and staff! We would love to see your first day pics as well, tagged with #levelupwoodmont!
IMPORTANT DATES: (See below for additional information on each event.)
8/3 - 8/18 LiveSchool Parent Account Blitz - All students who have one or more parent/guardian(s) register for weekly LiveSchool Recaps during this Blitz will be given 20 LIVESCHOOL CPs (Celebration Points)
Chromebooks will be issued through LIFT class the first week of school.
Monday, 8/7 - Thursday, 8/10 Volleyball Tryouts 4:00-5:30
Tuesday, 8/8 FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL!
Wednesday, 8/9 PTA/SIC Meeting @ 9 AM in Room 201 - All parents are invited to attend.
Wednesday, 8/9 Band Instrument Rental Night (5:30pm-7:30pm) in WMS Cafeteria
Friday, 8/25 Hat Day Fundraiser
SAVE THE DATES:
Monday, 9/25 Fall Pictures
Thursday, 10/26 STEAM Showcase Night
Thursday, 4/18 Block Party
We are here for you! Do not hesitate to contact us if there are additional ways we can support your child and family. Together we will keep #woodmontrising!
Jennifer Couch
Principal
Announcements
Fall Sports Update
Volleyball Tryouts will be Monday, August 7th - Thursday, August 10th from 4:00-5:30. Athletes must have completed physical dated afer 4/1.23. Contact Coach Lyons with any questions @ lnlyons@greenville.k12.sc.us.
Coach Troy is still looking for D-Team Football players. If interested, please contact Coach Troy for practice times and information, telsenheimer@greenville.k12.sc.us.
WMS 2023-24 Student Handbook
Students and parents, please make sure you review our updated student handbook (linked below), which includes district policies as well as school-based policies concerning the following:
Appendix A: WMS Dress Code Guidelines
Appendix B: WMS Personal Electronic Devices
Appendix C: Tardy/Early Dismissal Procedures/Car Rider/Afterschool Pick Up
Appendix D: Visitors and Volunteers
Appendix E: Medications
Appendix F: Athletics
Appendix G: Breakfast and Lunch Information
Appendix H: Food and Beverage
Appendix I: Health and Wellness Education
Appendix J: School Counseling Services/Administrative Team
Appendix K: Backpack Information/Student Progress/LiveSchool
Appendix L: Daily Bell Schedule
Appendix M: Personalized Learning Information
Appendix N: School ID Requirements/Procedures
Appendix O: Woodmont Middle School Code of Conduct
Appendix P: Late Work Policy & Retake/Redo/Revise Policy
Appendix Q: House System
Summer Reading Challenge
We hope all our Wildcats are participating on our SUMMER READING CHALLENGE! For more information, click here: https://sites.google.com/greenvilleschools.us/wms-media-center/summer-reading-challenge
FREE MEALS @ WMS IN 23-24!
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a school meal funding option from USDA that enables a school to provide free meals to all students, without the necessity of completing applications for individual eligibility.
This year, CEP in South Carolina has expanded to include students who receive Medicaid benefits. The expansion of the CEP program means that all students in our school will receive free lunch during the 2023-24 school year. We will also continue to offer free breakfast daily. You do not need to take any action to qualify for the free meals.
Our school is eligible to remain in the program through at least the 2026-27 school year.
WMS Houses & LiveSchool Parent Accounts
Parents, in addition to being a Woodmont Wildcat, your child will also belong 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 will be 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!
Tdap for Rising 7th Graders
Parents, please begin making arrangements to ensure your child has had the Tdap vaccine before the start of this school year! Seventh grade students who have not had the vaccine will not be allowed to start school in August. We want to see all of our students on the first day! Please don't wait until the last minute, as appointments are sometimes difficult to get over the summer. See below for additional information and let us know if we can help you in any way.
Ms. Couch
South Carolina law requires that all students entering the seventh grade receive one (1) dose of Tdap vaccine. Tdap vaccine protects children from three serious diseases: tetanus, diptheria, and pertussis (often called whooping cough). State law began the requirement for the Tdap vaccination in the 2013-14 school year.
If your child has already had the vaccine, you must provide the school with proof that they have had it. If your child has not received the vaccine, please contact your health care provider as soon as possible to schedule an appointment for your child to be given the vaccine. The Tdap vaccination is given by health care providers, many pharmacies, and the Greenville County Health Department. Once your child has received the vaccine, please remember that you must provide proof to the school nurse.
Students entering the seventh grade, who have not received the Tdap vaccine by the beginning of next school year (August 2022), will not be allowed to attend school until they have received the vaccine and provided proof to the school nurse.
For More Information:
Contact the school nurse at your child’s school or call 864-355-3100
Se Requiere la Vacuna de T-dap (Tos Ferina) para estudiantes entrando al séptimo grado
La ley de Carolina del Sur requiere que todos los estudiantes que ingresan al séptimo grado reciban una (1) dosis de la vacuna Tdap. La vacuna Tdap protege a los niños de tres enfermedades graves: tétanos, difteria y tos ferina. Esta ley estatal que ordena que la vacunación de Tdap sea obligatoria se hizo efectiva durante el año escolar 2013-14.
Si su hijo/a ya ha recibido la vacuna, debe traer a la escuela una prueba de que la ha recibido. Si su hijo/a no ha recibido la vacuna, comuníquese con su proveedor de atención médica lo antes posible para programar una cita para que su hijo/a reciba la vacuna. La vacuna Tdap es administrada por proveedores de atención médica, muchas farmacias y el Departamento de Salud del Condado de Greenville. Una vez que su hijo/a haya recibido la vacuna, recuerde que debe proporcionar una prueba a la enfermera de la escuela.
Estudiantes que ingresan al séptimo grado, que no han recibido la vacuna Tdap al partir del próximo año escolar (agosto de 2022), no se les permitirá asistir a la escuela hasta que hayan recibido la vacuna y proporcionado pruebas a la enfermera de la escuela.
Para Más Información:
Comuníquese con la enfermera de la escuela de su hijo/a o llame al 864-355-3100.
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. Please note, students who violate this policy will be assigned progressive consequences by an admnistrator.
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 in their 1st period classroom before 8:30 a.m. to be counted present and on time for the day.
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. 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!
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 7th Grade Counselor, Mrs. Allen.