Your Guide to Our School

You'll be in a group called Tiger Time with an adviser for the school year. In Tiger Time, we'll learn important things like understanding ourselves, managing our feelings, getting along with others, making good choices, and being responsible. We'll also talk about online behavior, decision-making, how our brains work, and setting goals. You'll also have Encore, which helps to support academics, behavior, and Social Emotional Learning by providing additional help and support.

The use of personal electronic devices is strictly prohibited during instructional time and assessments in all junior high schools. School administration may permit the use of personal electronic devices during lunch and before and after school. Students are responsible for ensuring their personal electronic devices are securely stored at all times.

• If you need to communicate with your child during instructional time, contact the school office. 

• In an emergency, the school will contact the parent/guardian.

Exemption: Personal electronic devices specifically authorized under a current individual education plan (IEP), a Section 504 plan, or an Individual Health Plan (IHP) are exempt from this policy.

Petition: You may request to building level administration that your child retain access to a personal electronic device if there is a legitimate reason related to their mental or physical health. 

Refer to Board Policy 503.09 Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices for more information.
 

If your student can't make it to school, please let us know. Parents/guardians let us know one of three ways:

1. Log into Infinite Campus and enter an absence. Click "Absence Request" on the main page once you log in.

2. Call 515-633-6000.

3. Email stattendance@wdmcs.org.

Please tell us your student's name, student number, when they'll be absent, and why. Doing this on or before the day of the absence will stop us from sending you extra messages.

If your student needs to come in late or leave early, send a note with them. They should show it to the teacher and then bring it to the office to sign out.

If your student misses class, they should talk to their teacher about making up the work. They have two days for each day they miss. And if they'll be gone for a while, it's good to tell the teachers ahead of time.

Students are expected to be respectful of the rights of others and comply with school and district rules and policy regarding behavior. We believe each student deserves the right to a fair and appropriate education in which race, ethnicity, culture, religion, and abilities will be valued, celebrated, and used as a vehicle during academic instruction. 

All employees of the district share the responsibility for seeing that behavior of students meets the standards of conduct conducive to a learning environment. Practices that are restorative in nature (repairing the harm to the victim and the school community caused by a student's misconduct) will be given first consideration to remediate offenses. 

Students are subject to these policies:

• while on school premises, 
• while using school-provided transportation, 
• while attending or engaging in school-sponsored activities, and
•  while away from school grounds.

See all Board policies at discover.wdmcs.org/board-policies. Some important topics addressed in policies are:

• Student behavior, including public displays of affection: Board Policy 503.01 Discipline
• Student dress and appearance: Board Policy 502 Student Conduct
• Cell phone privacy: Board Policy 502.08 Search and Seizure

You can also find student handbooks online: discover.wdmcs.org/handbooks