Wea Ridge Middle School

August 2020

NEWSLETTER

Message from the Principal

Fred Roop

Greetings from Wea Ridge Middle School. We are making final preparations for the start of the 2020-21 school year in anticipation of an excellent year. Our first day of school is Thursday, August 20th. We are eager to have the energy and excitement that fill our hallways when students are in session. It has been a long time since we have experienced that enthusiasm. This is a busy time of year as families prepare for the start of the school year. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have questions. This newsletter contains information on many items for the start of the school year. I would additionally direct you to our website for TSC calendar information; while you are there, sign-up for our alert system and check out our school registration information. This school year will look different than previous years in many ways, but I know our students and staff will continue to strive for excellence each day. Thanks for being a part of the Husky family.

TSC Website

WRM Website

TSC Alerts

WRM Road to Reopening

The 2020-21 school year will be a new adventure for everyone. We will work together to navigate the challenges of this school as we implement increased safety measures and protocols. Specific changes that students will notice include:

All students will be required to wear a mask including during classes when social distancing is not possible
Six lunch periods to reduce the number of students in the cafeteria
Increased sanitation during the school day

The WRM Reopening Plan below has additional information.

PLEASE NOTE: Effective at the start of the school year, students will be dismissed at 2:20 pm to allow for additional sanitizing of buses.

WRM Reopening Plan

Calendar Update and Changes

There have been several changes to the TSC calendar due to the postponement of the start of school. The following days are now days that students are in session:

October 16

November 25

January 4

February 15

May 19-21

TSC will be implementing three scheduled eLearning days for the school year. Students will work from home on these days with material and curriculum provided by the WRM staff. These days are:

August 26

September 4

September 21

The Wea Ridge Middle School daily schedule has also been revised to reflect an early dismissal time of 2:20.

New Wea Ridge Middle Staff

Aubrey Clayton: Mrs. Clayton will be joining the WRM Art Department. She will teach sixth grade art. She will split her day between Wea Ridge Middle and McCutcheon. Mrs. Clayton taught at Sunnyside Intermediate School last year.

Trisha Edwards: Mrs. Edwards will be teaching in our Essential Skills classroom. She previously taught in Covington.

Jacob Rowe: Mr. Rowe will be coming to WRM for 1st period band class. The remainder of his day will be spent at McCutcheon High School. Mr. Rowe has been at MHS for 3 years.

Emily Russ: Mrs. Russ and her family have relocated to the Lafayette area from Bloomington. Mrs. Russ will be teaching sixth and eighth grade FACS.

Savannah Arnold: Ms. Arnold will be our Speech and Language Pathologist for the coming school year. She also has come to us from Bloomington.

Sixth Grade Orientation

We will be hosting to sixth grade orientation nights for our 6th grade students. Students will be divided by last name. Wednesday, August 12th (A-J), Thursday August 13th (K-Z). Students can arrive at 5:30 to practice their locker combinations, put items in their lockers and explore the building. From 6:00-7:30pm, students will follow their schedules to meet with teachers. Staff members will be available to assist students with lockers, locate classrooms and answer other questions. This event is only for sixth grade students who will be attending in-person classes. Only students will be permitted in the building and masks will be required. For additional information please see the email that was sent on July 28th.

Open House for 7th and 8th Grade

We will have an open house for seventh and eighth grade students on August 19th. Students will be divided by grade and last name as follows:

12:00-1:00pm 7th grade (A-J)

1:00 - 2:00pm 7th grade (K-Z)

2:00 - 3:00pm 8th grade (A-J)

3:00 - 4:00pm 8th grade (K-Z)

Students will be able to put items in their locker and find their classrooms. Staff will be available to assist as needed. Only students will be permitted to enter the building and masks will be required. This event is only for students who will be attending in-person classes. Additional information is available in the email from July 28th.

Car Rider Survey

To help us facilitate the car rider line at the start of the school year, please complete the survey below. This only needs to be completed by one person per household. If you already completed this when it was sent via email, you do not need to do it again.

Student Pick-up/Drop-off Survey

Combination Locks

Using lockers is a new adventure for our 6th grade students. Because access is limited to the building, we thought it might be helpful to practice using a combination lock before you come to school. School Lock is an app for your iPhone that allows you to practice your actual combination. Locker numbers and combinations are available on the schedules in PowerSchool if your print them from the Parent Portal. We hope that some extra practice will make things go smoothly when you come to school.

Apple App Store

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent -Teacher Conferences will not be held in-person this fall. Virtual options will be available. More details to come in early September.

PE Uniforms

To start the school year, students will not be changing into PE uniforms. Once the determination is made that middle school students will start changing, we will provide information on ordering PE uniforms.

Text and Email Alerts

The Tippecanoe School Corporation has a text and email alert system for weather delays, early dismissals, or other important information. In order to receive these alerts from the TSC and Wea Ridge you need to sign-up for this communication service. If you haven't done so in the past or need to add WRM alerts, please go to the TSC website to "TSC Alerts and Notifications" in the parents menu. In order to sign-up you use your same username and password for the Parent Portal. Please let us know if you have any questions or need assistance.

Dress Code and Student Handbook

As you do your back to school shopping, please take a minute to review our dress code. It can be found in the student handbook starting on page 13.

WRM School Supply List

6th Grade

7th Grade

8th Grade

Student Drop-off and Pick-up

Our car rider drop off and pick up procedures are designed to increase the safety of our students (and adults) in our south parking lot. Our car rider line weaves through the parking lot. It is essential that students be dropped off at the sidewalk alongside the building in the designated area when your car makes it to that point in the line. Students will enter and exit via Door 17. Please do not allow your student(s) to exit the vehicle and walk across traffic in the morning, and please have your student wait on the sidewalk to enter your vehicle in the afternoons. Although we would all like to believe that middle school students (and the drivers of the vehicles) pay attention to their surroundings at all times, this is simply not the case. It is critical that we follow these guidelines to prevent accidents before they occur.

Waiting in the line does take a little longer, but your patience is necessary for the safety of our students. Parents are encouraged to say those last good byes and give those last reminders in the mornings as the line is moving through the parking lot so that when you arrive alongside the curb next to the building your student can exit quickly to speed the line along. Also, please pull forward as far as possible and allow students to exit when your car is alongside the sidewalk and reasonably close to Door 17. A sign indicates the designated drop-off area. Students will be able to walk safely on the sidewalk to Door 17.

The doors to the school will be unlocked each morning by at least 7:40 AM, so the line will begin moving at that time. Students will have plenty of time to get to class as it begins at 7:55 AM.

The link below contains a map which shows the traffic flow for the mornings and afternoons. Please note that cars may exit to the north using the drive behind our school and the elementary (to 430 South) or to the south using our drive to 18th Street. All cars should be entering the line using our 18th Street (south) entrance.

Thank you for your patience and adherence to our car rider procedures as we implement these for the continued safety of our students.

Car Rider Line Map

Health Office Information

Students who take morning medication should do so at home. Families are encouraged to speak to their doctors to adjust medications for students to avoid midday visits to the Health Office as much as possible.
The Health Office restroom may not be used by anyone without a doctor’s note to minimize the number of students in that restroom.
Students who present with COVID-like symptoms will be sent home. Students will rarely be given Tylenol or ibuprofen and sent back to class.
If Health Office staff send students home to quarantine, they will attempt to stay in contact to provide guidance for when the students may return to WRM.
Nebulizers should not be used at school. All inhalers must be used with a spacer.
Please make sure that emergency contact phone numbers are up to date (this should have been done at registration, but you can update them at any time via the Parent Portal).

Additional information is available on the TSC Health Services web page.

Bus Information

To find information about your child's bus stop location, pickup and drop-off times, visit the TSC Transportation Department webpage. Bus drivers will be contacting parents prior to the start of school to confirm the bus information.

Here Comes the Bus is available in the Tippecanoe School Corporation

View the real-time location of your child's bus
Access the app from your smartphone, tablet or computer
Receive push notifications or email alerts
Send your child to the bus stop at the just right time, every time

How to get started:

1. From a computer, visit herecomesthebus.com

2. Click the "Sign Up Today" button

3. Enter school code 75598 and click "Next" followed by "Confirm"

4. Complete the "User Profile" box

5. Under "My Students," click "Add." Enter your child's last name and student ID number. You can find your child's ID number when you log on to the Parent Portal.

6. Once you confirm your information, you're ready to begin using Here Comes the Bus!

Wea Ridge Masks

Would you like a Wea Ridge Middle mask? Freckles Graphics has an online store where you can order a mask. Show you Husky pride with a WRM mask!

Freckles Graphics WRM Mask

Husky Homework Help

Husky Homework Help is every day after school. Students are expected to collect their belongings and come straight to room 209. If you don't have homework, you are asked to go home. This eliminates distractions for students working. We study from 2:20-3:15. Parents need to make sure there is a ride at school by 3:15. While here, students are expected to work quietly. Mrs. Kellogg will be available for help with assignments.

Husky Parent Association

The Husky Parent Association (HPA) is a group of parents that meet quarterly to support Wea Ridge Middle School students and staff. They organize a few fundraisers throughout the school year and use that money to support student activities and staff needs. Everyone is welcome to join. A virtual meeting will be scheduled at the start of the school year to plan our yearly activities.

Ruoff Mortgages

Thank you to Ashley Manges and Ruoff Mortgages for providing WRM students with water bottles. We appreciate our valued community partners and their support of the students at Wea Ridge Middle School. Contact Ashley Manges for all your mortgage needs at apply.ruoff.com/ashleymanges.

TSC E-Flyers

TSC supports 'green' efforts and as such to help ensure students receive information about community services or events, flyers from non-profit outside organizations are posted online in a section called E-Flyers. All E-Flyers can be accessed from any TSC school website: www.tscschools.com by clicking the 'students' or 'parents' link in the upper right hand corner of the webpage. E-Flyers will be posted on the 15th and 30th of the month so be sure to check regularly for newly posted information. If your qualifying organization is interested in posting an E-Flyer, go to TSC E-Flyers section to submit the information.