Administration WCMS Office 513-947-7400

Lori Crowe, Principal 7402

Bret Bohannon, Assistant Principal 7405

Mike Kirk, AP/AD 7410

Julie Nichols, Assistant Principal 7408

Josh Young, Assistant Principal 7411

Christian Compton, Campus Coordinator 7414

Ryan Jones, Campus Coordinator 7415

Andy Lehn, Campus Coordinator 7416

Scott Wilhoit, Campus Coordinator 7417

Administrative Assistants Angela Basler, Principal’s Assistant 7401

Heather Horine, Office Admin. Asst. 7413

Rhonda Deatherage, Attendance 7404

Holly Brock, Counselors’ Assistant 7419

Jodi Thorpe, Cashier 7412

Student Services Victoria Bolig, Counselor 7420 7th grade Robin Hater, Counselor 7421 7th grade Sandra Pierce-Stricker, Counselor 7422 8th grade Valerie Monahan, School Psychologist 7418

Athletics Office Mike Kirk, Director 7410

Health Center Amber Amann,Nurse 7403

Lisa O’Rourke, Health Aide 7423

Krista Toft, Health Aide 7424

Cafeteria Services

Cynthia Buchanan, Cafeteria Manager 7406

Transportation

Mike Jones, Supervisor

752-4020

WCMS Attendance Hotline 513-947-7404

Call this number to report absences and/or

tardiness. It is available 24/hours every day.

West Clermont

School District

West Clermont

Middle School

Parent/Guardian

Handbook

2017-18

Table of Contents This handbook is designed to highlight important

topics for parents as you partner with us to help

students be successful. Complete information is

available on the website and in the student planner.

Welcome to West Clermont Middle School 1

WCMS PTO………………………… 1

Vision Statement………………….. 2

Mission Statement ……………….. 2

Positive Behavior System………… 3

Partners in Education……………. 3

Ways to Communicate with Us……. 4-5

Navigating WCMS ………………... 6-11

Administering Medication………… 12

Attendance Procedures…………… 13

The Athletic Program at WCMS……. 14

Athletic Eligibility………………… 15

District Grading Scale……………. 16

District-Wide Testing Program …… 16-17

Dress Code ……………………. 18-19

One to Wolf Technology……………...20-27

Important Dates …………………… 28-29

Administration …………………… Back

Cover

Off Days

Labor Day Sept. 4, 2017

In-service Day Oct 6, 2017

In-service Day Nov 7, 2017

Thanksgiving Break Nov. 23 -24, 2017

Winter Break Dec. 23 - Jan. 1

Martin Luther King Day Jan. 15, 2018

In-service Day Feb. 16, 2018

Presidents’ Day Feb. 19, 2018

Spring Break Mar. 24-Apr. 2, 2018

Miscellaneous

First Day of School Aug. 30, 2017

School Pictures Sept. 1, 2017

8th grade Panoramic Picture Sept. 18 2017

Last Day of School May 31. 2018

-29-

Important

Dates

Quarter End Dates

1st– Nov. 3

2nd- Jan. 12

3rd- Mar. 23

4th– May 31

Report Cards Posted On Progress Book

1st Quarter Nov. 10

2nd Quarter Jan. 19

3rd Quarter April 6

4th Quarter June 8

PTO Meetings

September 7

October 5

November 2

December 7

January 11

February 8

March 8

April 5

May 3

Parent/Teacher Conferences

Always 4:00—8:00 pm

Thurs. Oct 5

Thurs. Nov. 16

Thurs Feb. 15

Meet the Academic Team

Wednesday, September 6

6th grade 6:00—7:00 pm

7th grade 7:00—8:00 pm

8th grade 5:00—6:00 pm

-28-

Welcome to West Clermont

Middle School

We are pleased to join you and your

child in the adolescent journey here at

West Clermont Middle School and are

looking forward to an excellent school

year. As part of our efforts to provide a

smooth transition, we have prepared this

Parent Handbook as a quick reference

tool for you to use throughout the school

year. As WCMS is divided into smaller

units called “teams”, most of your com-

munication will be team based and di-

rectly with teachers. This resource pro-

vides important names, communication

systems, and dates to help you navigate

WCMS and feel welcome. We truly val-

ue your involvement with us.

We have Pack Pride @

West Clermont Middle School!

http://www.westcler.k12.oh.us/WCMS/Home

WCMS PTO

WCMS is gifted with having an active and well

organized PTO. The PTO at West Clermont

Middle School provides staff and students with

many important services and supports that

would not otherwise be available. The PTO

offers parents a fun and fantastic opportunity to

be directly involved in your child’s educational

community. Contact Teresa Bard, PTO Presi-

dent by email at WCMSPTO@westcler.org to

join or ask questions.

Like us on Facebook: West Clermont Middle

School

Follow us on Twitter: WCMS_Wolves

-1-

West Clermont Middle School

Vision Statement

The WCMS vision is to be a high performing

and high achieving middle school that is aca-

demically challenging, developmentally respon-

sive, and socially equitable.

We want our students to be highly motivated,

engaged global citizens who are successful by

providing personalized learning opportunities

rooted in a strong core academic curriculum

powered by increased access to technology.

Mission Statement

To do this we must develop middle school

STUDENT LEADERS who can use their unique

learning strengths, interests and talents to…...

COMMUNICATE, COLLABORATE,

THINK CRITICALLY, AND BE CREATIVE

in ways different than the past.

We must give them access to learning resources

and experiences that connect them to a wide au-

dience of experts beyond the school walls. We

must model digital-age work and learning plus

prepare students to be responsible digital citi-

zens to thrive in a radically different world.

-2-

Carrying Cases Is the carrying case purchase mandatory? No. The district is offering parents and guardians of students in the One To Wolf program the oppor-tunity to obtain a quality carrying case at a price aggressively negotiated by the district due to its sta-tus as an educational institution and the potentially high volume of units ordered.

Why is the district offering a carrying case option? While the Gumdrop Always-On case offers premium protection against damage, it does not have either carrying handles or a shoulder strap. The Bump Ar-mor case provides both, making transportation of the device much easier.

Is the carrying case ours to keep? Yes. The carrying case is yours to keep and can be used for the remainder of the student’s time in West Clermont.

Will the carrying case be suitable for devices used by the district in the future? This question was considered at the time the cases were being evaluated. Currently, the 11” class of Chromebook is the standard within the district. While we feel confident that this trend will continue in the years to come, the rapid evolution of technol-ogy makes it impossible to offer any guarantees.

-27-

If multiple parts are damaged on my student’s Chromebook, how many parts are covered by the insurance? The Chromebook insurance covers all damage in-curred in a single incident. Should multiple parts be damaged in a single accident, all costs, up to and including replacement of the entire unit, will be covered by the insurance program. Please note that insurance only covers accidental damage.

Is there a way to help families on the Free and Reduced Lunch program to get insurance for their students’ Chromebooks? Through the prompting of one very generous mother, we have established a means for ac-cepting payments for Chromebook insurance to be discreetly assigned by the building principal, to students of families on the Free and Reduced Lunch program. Checks made out to West Cler-mont Local School District with a memo of F&R Chromebook Insurance, will be applied to this pro-gram and spread evenly among our more disad-vantaged students. THANK YOU!

-26-

Positive Behavior System (PBIS)

PBIS is a pro-active school wide plan used at

West Clermont Middle School to create and

sustain a safe and effective environment for all

students and staff. Emphasis is placed on pre-

vention of problem behavior through school

wide expectations and positive

behavior incentives. Students can earn “PAWS

Points” from staff members for exhibiting

positive behaviors. PAWS Points can be re-

deemed during lunch time at our school-wide

PAWS Points store.

Partners in Education (PIE)

West Clermont Middle School enjoys many

relationships with local businesses who have

chosen to partner with us. These relationships

benefit both our WCMS students and our part-

ners at the same time. If you are or know a

business or organization who would be inter-

ested in partnering with us, please contact

Mike Kirk, AP/AD at kirk_m@westcler.org

We want to partner with you!

Ways to Communicate With Us

Communication is essential. We recommend you address

staff in the following order: Advisory Teacher, Core/

Encore Teacher, Counselor, Asst. Principal, Principal.

You can email your student’s team of teachers or visit the

team page on Schoology. Your feedback and infor-

mation is always welcome.

Schoology This is an easy to use online learning management

system that enhances student engagement and im-

proves learning through better communication, col-

laboration, and increased access to curriculum and

supplemental content. Parents and students can

access Schoology online to view assignments,

messages from teachers, and communicate with

their teachers and other students. Schoology can

be accessed through a link on the WCMS website.

Progress Book This tool has been set up and there is a link on our

website. It allows parents to log in securely to an

electronic grade book and view the progress of

their child. Parents and students have access to

information along with directions to use the

program.

-4-

Chrome Book Insurance Will insurance be offered in 2017-2018, as it was in the latter half of 2016-2017? Yes. Insurance of $30 per year was established in 2016-2017. Because the program began at the half year mark, insurance was pro-rated to $15 for the second half of the year. The cost of insurance for 2017-2018 will be pub-lished soon, and while it may drop below the $30 annual cost established in 2016-2017, it will not exceed it.

Is the purchase of insurance optional? Yes. The insurance program is optional. The district does not require anyone to participate.

Why is the district offering Chromebook insurance? Because accidents can happen to anyone, West Cler-mont is providing parents and guardians an affordable level of protection against a single random accident.

Why wouldn’t I just buy insurance in the event that my child tells me their Chromebook was damaged? This insurance, like any other, must be in force prior to the covered device being damaged. If the damage occurs prior to the purchase of insurance, those repair charges will not be covered by the insurance program. If insur-ance is purchased on or before the day the device is is-sued to the student, coverage will begin immediately. If insurance is purchased after that day, it will take seven (7) calendar days to go into effect.

If my student damages the Chromebook and the insur-ance is used to repair it, can I buy insurance again? No. Currently, the program only allows for a single pur-chase of insurance coverage each year.

-25-

How can the district expect children of this age to care for a costly device? While issuing a Chromebook for exclusive use by a single middle school student is new to West Clermont, it is not new to education. Neighboring districts have been operating programs of this kind to varying de-grees for several years. They have learned that stu-dents develop a sense of ownership for the device assigned to their care and rise to the level of expecta-tions set for them at school and at home.

Will I still be expected to pay for damage to my stu-dent’s Chromebook? The repair procedures implemented in January, 2017 will continue in the 2017-2018 school year. The dis-trict is negotiating the cost of replacement parts for the Dell 11 3180, and when those discussions are completed, a list of repair fees will be published for each part in the Dell 11 3180 for 2017-2018.

Will I be expected to pay for a repair covered under warranty? No. Dell’s warranty protects the device against de-fects in materials or workmanship for one (1) year. Failures of that kind will be repaired at no cost to par-ents/guardians. Please note that physical breakage to any part of the device will exempt that device from warranty coverage, at which time the published repair fee schedule will determine the cost of repair.

-24-

Meet the Core

Academic Team This event is an opportunity to better under-

stand your student’s educational program

for the year. Parents are invited to this

event to meet teachers, learn about the cur-

riculum, and team policies/procedures. It

will also offer ways to help your child be

successful in middle school. Meet the Team

will be held in Early September.

Parent/Teacher Conferences Middle School parent teacher conferences

are different than elementary. We have a

combination of walk-in appointments and

scheduled appointments between 4:00-7:30

pm. Parents prioritize teachers they want to

meet with. It is not necessary for you to at-

tend all four conferences, but you are wel-

come to do so. Conferences dates will be

posted prior to the start of the school year.

School Messenger System The West Clermont School District uses a

notification system called School Messenger

that uses a combination of phone calls, e-

mails and/or text messages to keep you in-

formed and up-to-date about emergency sit-

uations, school closings, early dismissals

and delays. It is very important to make sure

we have your updated email, phone num-

bers and contact information.

-5-

Navigating WCMS

Student Schedule The school day runs as follows:

6th Grade

Advisory 7:00 am-7:25 am

Encore Classes 7:27 am-9:37am

Core Classes 9:42 am-2:15 pm

Lunch Break: 11:05—11:35

7th Grade

Advisory 7:00 am-7:30 am

Core Classes 7:33 am-9:35 am

Encore Classes 9:40 am-11:50 am

Core Classes 12:22 am-2:15 pm

Lunch Break: 11:50—12:20

8th Grade

Advisory 7:00 am-7:25 am

Core Classes 7:28 am-11:52 pm

Encore Classes 11:57 pm-2:15 pm

Lunch Break: 10:25—10:55

Advisory Advisory is a time to build relationships with other

students on the same team. Lessons and activities

are built around character education. One of the

main goals of advisory is for every student to be

well known by at least one adult. Your student’s

advisory teacher will become your first point of

contact to begin communication regarding your stu-

dent’s school experience.

Before and After School Students are not to arrive at school prior to 6:30 am.

At dismissal, students cannot be left unattended. If

staying afterschool, they must be with a staff mem-

ber.

-6-

What about the Bump Armor carrying cases we purchased in the second half of 2016-2017? Are those still usable? Yes! The Bump Armor cases that were available for purchase during 2016-2017 can still be used in con-junction with the new devices. The Gumdrop shell has no handles or carrying straps. For that reason, the more traditional Bump Armor carrying case will still be available as an optional purchase, though we won’t have updated pricing until we get closer to opening day in August. Of course, if you purchased one in 2016-2017, your student can still use it in 2017-2018.

How can the district expect children of this age to care for a costly device? While issuing a Chromebook for exclusive use by a single middle school student is new to West Cler-mont, it is not new to education. Neighboring dis-tricts have been operating programs of this kind to varying degrees for several years. They have learned that students develop a sense of ownership for the device assigned to their care and rise to the level of expectations set for them at school and at home.

Will I still be expected to pay for damage to my student’s Chromebook? The repair procedures implemented in January, 2017 will continue in the 2017-2018 school year. The dis-trict is negotiating the cost of replacement parts for the Dell 11 3180, and when those discussions are completed, a list of repair fees will be published for each part in the Dell 11 3180 for 2017-2018.

Will I be expected to pay for a repair covered un-der warranty? No. Dell’s warranty protects the device against de-fects in materials or workmanship for one (1) year. Failures of that kind will be repaired at no cost to parents/guardians. Please note that physical break-age to any part of the device will exempt that device from warranty coverage, at which time the published repair fee schedule will determine the cost of repair. .

-23-

Frequently Asked Questions Why must my student use a Chromebook at school? The direction of instruction at West Clermont Middle School is heavily rooted in digital learning that seeks to prepare students for the requirements of a digital world. The Schoology Learning Management System (LMS) is an online resource for teachers to house their class materials, such as classwork, homework, tests, etc. It gives them great flexibility in course design and the ability to retain and update courses, but most im-portantly, Schoology expands student access to digital learning resources across the Internet. These are just a few of the reasons students must have a device each day.

Can I provide a Chromebook for my student to bring to school each day? The district is investigating the forms that a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) program might take, but we are not prepared to implement such an initiative at this time.

Has the program changed for the 2017-2018 school year? YES! - There are some exciting changes coming to the West Clermont Middle School 1 To 1 Program! - At the start of 2017-2018, every middle school student will receive a NEW Dell 11 3180 Chromebook, specifi-cally designed for the rigors of the educational environ-ment, as well as a charger!

- Each will be equipped with a Gumdrop brand “always on” hard-shell case, providing some of the best protec-tion available on the market.

- In response to parent feedback, middle school stu-dents will take their Chromebooks home each day. Some parents expressed concerns over custody of the device when their student was not at school. Allowing students to take the device home will reassure parents that theirs is the only student using their assigned de-vice.

- Students must bring their Chromebook to school each day

with a full charge. As stated above, students will be is-sued a charger with their Chromebook. The charger should remain at home to ensure the student has the ability to charge the device each evening.

-22-

Breakfast/Lunch Every student has the option of bringing their

lunch or purchasing it in the cafeteria each day.

The cost for a student breakfast is $1.20. The

cost for a student lunch is $2.75. Snacks can also

be purchased at the snack bar. All students have a

lunch money account in the cafeteria. Money can

be deposited either by cash or check by the stu-

dent as he/she goes through the line, OR a parent/

guardian can deposit the money through the

EZPay System accessible on the West Clermont

website. In the event a student at WCMS forgets

his/her lunch money and there is no money left on

the lunch account, the student will be provided a

meal of either a cheese or peanut butter sandwich,

sides, and milk.

Be in the Know….

Announcements Our weekly announcements are sent out on Fri-

days through email, Facebook, Twitter and posted

on the webpage. On Sundays at 3pm, an all-call

is made with the same announcements. Daily an-

nouncements will be made on the PA during advi-

sory after the Pledge of Allegiance. Paying atten-

tion to these sources of information will help stu-

dents stay informed and involved.

“Like” us on Facebook: WCMS PTO

Follow us on Twitter: @WCMS_Wolves

-7-

Book Bags Book bags should be used to carry school materi-

als to and from school, not to and from classes.

Lockers All students will have their own locker with lock

provided. Students are not to share lockers any-

time for any reason nor should they share their

locker combination. Students should not keep

personal property of great value at school in either

the hall lockers or the sport’s lockers. The school

cannot be held liable for stolen property.

Student Item Drop-off When an item is dropped off for a student, please

be sure to place their full name and team number

on it. Items may be dropped off at the front desk

any time during the school day. Deliveries will

be made to students in the morning between

8:30—9:00 am and then again between 12:00—

12:30 pm. Students can also pick up items on

their own during their designated lunch time.

EZPay You can pay online through our website the fol-

lowing items: school fees, lunch money, athletic

sports fees, foreign language workbook fees.

Please know the payment will not reflect until the

following business day, so lunch money can’t be

deposited and available on the same day it’s need-

ed.

Parking Visitors can always park on the side of the build-

ing or down by the gym. Please note that the

parking lot is extremely busy between 6:45am —

7:30am and 1:45pm —2:30 pm.

-8-

Parents/Students must agree to the following guide-

lines before participating in this program.

I/We hereby agree:

● To comply with all applicable rules and regulations

in the Student Handbook, Student Code of Conduct,

this User Agreement, and other relevant Board of Edu-

cation policies, including but not limited to, Policy

7540 – Computer Technology and Networks, the Stu-

dent Network and Internet Acceptable Use and Safety

Administrative Guidelines (AG7540.03), copies of

which are distributed at the beginning of each school

year and are made available on the District’s website.

● While at school, the device will be used for educa-

tional purposes only unless otherwise directed by the

classroom teacher or building administrator.

● It is the student's responsibility to ensure the device

has a full charge at the start of each day, as it is an inte-

gral part of their learning.

● Filtering and security settings shall be changed only

by the Tech Dept. Any attempts to circumvent filtering

or security mechanisms may be met with disciplinary

action.

● The device is the property of the West Clermont Lo-

cal School District Board of Education. The Board of

Education has the right to immediate possession of the

device and may terminate the student’s use of the de-

vice at any time.

● If a problem is detected, students must promptly re-

port it to a school authority in the same day. If the

problem is detected while the student is offsite, the

student should report the problem upon returning to

school.

● Students are responsible for backing up data. Access

to Google Drive is provided for this purpose.

● Students may not vandalize or deface the device,

including but not limited to adding or removing stick-

ers, or district labeling.

● Students are prohibited from disassembling or modi-

fying the device.

● Illegal use or transfer of copyrighted materials is

prohibited at all times.

-21-

One to Wolf Technology

The mission of the One-to-Wolf program is to

provide the tools each student needs to pursue

the education each student deserves.

West Clermont Local School District (District) is

proud to announce, One To Wolf, the improved 1 To

1 (1:1) Chromebook program designed from the

feedback of parents, administrators, staff, and stu-

dents, to better meet the needs of all West Clermont

students. Beginning with all students at West Cler-

mont Middle School (WCMS) in the 2017-2018

school year, One To Wolf will eventually grow to

include all students in grades 6 through 12.

Under the program, middle school students will be

issued a Chromebook computer (Device) for their

exclusive use at the beginning of the 2017-2018

school year. While the district retains ownership of

the device, students will take the device home each

night and return with it, fully charged, to school each

day. The device will remain in the student’s posses-

sion for the entire school year. The student must sur-

render the device to the District Technology Depart-

ment or building administrators on demand or when

the student no longer requires use of the device for

reasons including, but not limited to, withdrawal

from the District.

The device is intended to be used both at and away

from school. While in school, students will use the

device to access the District’s WiFi network, a se-

cure computer network that employs content filter-

ing to protect the student from unsuitable web con-

tent. While away from school, the device will have

the ability to access other WiFi and/or cellular net-

works, which may not be secure and may permit ac-

cess to the entire Internet.

-20-

Morning Drop-off Students may be dropped off beginning at

6:30am. Cars should pull forward to the desig-

nated drop-off area and not stop too soon. This

will allow more students to exit their cars at one

time and keep the flow of traffic moving.

WCMS Drop Off process You may start dropping off at WCMS at

6:30am

There is 1 way in for automobile traffic:

From Amelia-Olive Branch Road

Turn into the school using the entrance

Follow the driveway into and around

Follow this around until you enter the

unload zone

Have students exit on the building side of

the car.

Follow around the loop and exit

All buses enter and exit using Clough Pike

-9-

Afternoon Pick-up Students may be picked up in the same location as

drop-off at the end of the school day. Please be very

cautious and talk to your child about looking both

ways before walking to your car.

PICK UP Process at WCMS

School lets out at 2:15pm but cars line up early so do

not plan on getting through any of the parking lots

quickly from 2:15pm- 2:30pm.

There is 1 way in/out for automobile traffic:

From Amelia-Olive Branch Road

Turn into the school using the entrance

Follow the loop around

Follow this around until you enter the

loading zone.

Have students enter on the building side of

the car.

Follow around to turn left and exit NO RIGHT

TURNS ALLOWED

-10-

Shirts, Blouses, Tops:

Shirts without sleeves cannot be worn.

Shirts must be buttoned properly.

Muscle shirts, see-through shirts, or shirts normally

worn as undergarments are not to be worn as outer gar-

ments. Tops or dresses with spaghetti straps must have a

shirt or blouse underneath, or have a shirt/sweater to cover

up. Halter tops, tank tops, tube tops, strapless/backless,

midriff blouses, or any top not fitting this description is

prohibited.

Shirts and tops must be long enough to tuck into lower

garments and may not expose the torso, midriff, or under-

garments when the student is standing, sitting, raising his/

her hand or bending over.

Shirts/tops must have high enough neckline to cover

all cleavage.

Full length jackets/coats, such as those commonly referred

to as “trench coats” or “dusters,” are not allowed.

Slacks, Pants, Trousers, Shorts, Skorts, Skirts, and

Dresses:

Shall be appropriately sized; not tight or loose fitting.

Slacks, pants, trousers, shorts, skorts,

skirts must fit at the waist. (“Sagging”

and/or exposure of undergarments not

allowed.)

Slacks, pants, trousers must be properly hemmed

or cuffed. (“Slicing” or “ragging” not allowed

and should not drag the ground).

All lower garments much reach at least mid-

thigh. In order to determine mid-thigh

length, students must fully extend arms and

fingers at their side in a relaxed manner.

Mid-thigh will be at approximately the sec-

ond knuckle of the middle finger.

The top of any slit must be no higher than mid-

thigh.

Pants with side slits, excessive rips and large holes

above mid-thigh are prohibited.

No lace-up pants.

Head Wear: Hats, sunglasses, caps, hoods, bandan-

nas, or other types of head coverings may not be worn

inside the building or carried during the school day.

All such items must be stored in the assigned locker.

This applies to all students males and females.

Jewelry & Personal Items: Jewelry and body pierc-

ing, make-up, face painting and adornments are not to

be extreme, distracting or interconnected. Heavy

chains, spiked or studded jewelry and/or chains, or

other inappropriate types of jewelry are a safety concern

and thus are prohibited

No Blankets

Shoes/Footwear:

Must be safe and appropriate for the school envi-

ronment, which includes stairs and emer-

gency drills.

Shoes with any metal devices, such as wheels or

noisemakers, are prohibited.

-19-

Dress Code Part of the total education of the students is learning to dress

appropriately and behave responsibly in a variety of situations.

As part of the educational process, all students are expected to

appear at school in reasonable, neat, safe, and appropriate attire

for the academic environment. Styles and fads in clothing, or

makeup that detract from the educational setting are out of

place in the school setting. The determination for acceptable

dress lies with the administration. The administration may

counsel with a student and/or contact parents if the stu-

dent’s dress and appearance seem inappropriate for the

classroom.

These regulations will assist parents, students, faculty, and ad-

ministrators in determining appropriate student standards for

dress and personal appearance while at school.

Dress and Grooming

Students are expected to dress appropriately at all times. Any fash-

ion that disrupts the educational process or presents a safety risk

will not be permitted.

Students should consider the following questions when dressing for

school:

Does my clothing expose too much? (No)

Does my clothing advertise something that is prohibited to

minors? (No)

Are there obscene, profane, drug-related, gang-related, or in-

flammatory messages on my clothing? (No)

Am I dressed appropriately for the weather? (Yes)

As educators it is our responsibility to prepare you for the

workforce. Parents are ultimately responsible for ensuring that

their student is appropriately dressed and within the guidelines

set forth herein. When any dress or grooming interferes with

cleanliness, health, welfare, or safety of students, or when any

dress or grooming disrupts the educational process by being

distracting, offensive, indecent, or inappropriate to the educa-

tional process, it is prohibited. The administrators, with the

assistance of the faculty, have the responsibility of uni-

formly administering the dress code. An administrator,

for the purpose of school spirit days or other special

school-wide events, may modify the dress code. Viola-

tion of the dress code could result in removal from class

or school until the violation can be resolved and/or disci-

plinary action taken.

Clothing, jewelry, tattoos, temporary markings, and other

personal items are not permitted which specifically or

generally contain, promote, glorify, or refer to:Alcohol,

drugs, tobacco; Sexual innuendo or sexually suggestive

contents; Profane, vulgar, or lewd symbols or slo-

gans;Gangs or cults, antisocial or harassing behavior;

and/or Hate, violence, death, suicide, gore, and/or blood.

-18

Early Dismissal

Any student in need of an early dismissal,

should bring a parent note to the front desk on

the day of the early dismissal. The student

will be given a pass which allows him/her to

leave class at the designated time on that day.

The student will wait in the Attendance Of-

fice for a parent to sign them out of the build-

ing. This will help us minimize the disrup-

tion of class.

Address Change Please notify our Attendance Office of any

change of address, including email addresses.

Documentation will need to be provided.

Second Parent

There is a form available on our website for

any second family/second parent who wishes

to receive the following information regard-

ing their student at WCMS: access to Interims

(Progress Book log in), Report Cards, Meet

the Team information, Parent Teacher Con-

ference Schedule, WCMS News Updates.

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Administering Medication at

School Whenever possible, all medication should be given

to students at home during non-school hours. If this

is not possible, parents should come to school to

administer the medication or the following proce-

dures must be followed:

1. The child’s parent or guardian must submit a

signed authorization and release form for the

administration of the medication. This authori-

zation must be signed by the physician and par-

ent before school personnel can dispense the

medication.

2. All medication to be taken at school must be

received in the original container.

3. Students are not allowed to bring medication to

school. All medication must be brought to the

Health Center by the student’s parents or legal

guardian.

4. All medication must remain in the Health Cen-

ter.

5. Medication that is not used by the end of the

school year, must be picked up by the parent or

guardian. No medication will be sent home

with the student. Medicine not picked up at the

end of the school year will be discarded.

6. Medication refers to both prescription and non-

prescription drugs including aspirin, Tylenol,

Advil, Motrin, Midol, etc. Students who are

found in possession of prescription or nonpre-

scription drugs are subject to disciplinary ac-

tion.

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The following is a list of tests administered

at West Clermont Middle School:

MAP Assessments in Reading & Math

Grades 6, 7 and 8; three times a year

Career Education Testing: Grade 8

State Assessments:

Grade 7 - Reading, Math

Grade 7 - Reading, Math

Grade 8 - Reading, Math, Science

COURSES OFFERING HIGH SCHOOL

CREDIT

Spanish, Algebra and Geometry are courses that offer high school credit. These courses require semester exams. Grades for these classes will appear on high school tran-scripts and will be calculated into the student’s high school

grade point average.

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District Grading Scale

The district grading scale for secondary school

students is as follows:

A+ 97 - 100 4.3 pts

A 93 - 96 4.0 pts

A- 90 - 92 3.7 pts

B+ 87 - 89 3.3 pts

B 83 - 86 3.0 pts

B- 80 - 82 2.7 pts

C+ 77 - 79 2.3 pts

C 73 - 76 2.0 pts

C- 70 - 72 1.7 pts

D+ 67 - 69 1.3 pts

D 60 - 66 1.0 pt

F Below 60 0.0

NG No Grade

I Incomplete

P/F Pass/Fail

Report cards are posted on Progress Book at

the end of each quarter. Interim grades are

posted online on student’s Progress Book ac-

count as well.

You may contact Holly Brock

brock_h@westcler.org if you need one mailed

home to you.

District-Wide Testing Pro-

gram Ability/Achievement: West Clermont Schools

administer standardized tests to students annu-

ally in order to evaluate student progress, report

to parents and make adjustments in curriculum

and instruction.

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Attendance Procedures

Absent or Tardy

If a student is absent from school or will be tardy,

the parent must call the Attendance Hotline by

7:30 am of the morning of the absence or tardy or

go to the school website and click the “absence

reporting” link on the left hand side of the page.

Attendance Hotline

513-947-7404

Absences will be unexcused unless the school has

received a phone call from the parent or guardian

on or before the day of the absence, a parent/

guardian note, or a doctor’s note within two school

days of the student’s return to school.

The educational program offered by this district is

based upon the presence of the student and re-

quires continuity of instruction and classroom par-

ticipation. Attendance shall be required of all stu-

dents enrolled in the schools during the days and

hours that the school is in session or during the

attendance sessions to which she/he has been

assigned.

A student is considered tardy if he/she is not in

advisory by 7:00 am. A tardy becomes a 1/2 day

absence when a student arrives at 10:21 am.

Chronic unexcused tardiness could result in court

referral, out of school suspension and/or expulsion.

Five (5) unexcused tardies are equivalent to one

unexcused absence day when considering days for

truancy and court referral.

To have an excused tardy, the student must bring a

note from a parent/guardian stating the reason for

the tardiness or a parent/guardian must call the

school or sign the student in at the front desk. The

criteria for excused absences also apply to tardi-

ness.

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The Athletics

Program at

WCMS

The following sports are offered at WCMS:

Fall: Football

Girls’ Volleyball

Cheerleading

Cross Country

Winter: Boys’ Basketball

Girls’ Basketball

Wrestling

Cheerleading

Spring: Track and Field

All sports have a participation fee. The fee is $250

per sport and is payable using the West Clermont

School District EZPay system accessed on the

WCMS website. Athletes in 2 or more sports will

pay no more than $500 annually. An athletic infor-

mation packet can be picked up in our Main Office.

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Athletic Eligibility

1. Preceding quarterly (not final) grades deter

mine athletic eligibility for the following quar-

ter. 7th and 8th grade students must be pass-

ing, at the end of each quarter, five (5) of those

subjects for which they received a letter grade.

Athletes are also required to maintain a mini-

mum quarterly GPA of 1.51

2. Athletes must be in school at least 1/2 day

(10:21 am-2:15 pm) on the day of the contest

to be eligible to participate or practice.

3. All incoming 7th grade students are eligible

to participate for the first grading period.

(Fall Season Only)

4. Cumulative GPA’s from a 7th grader’s

school year are not used in determining eligi-

bility for the beginning of 8th grade. It is the

last quarter’s grade used to determine eligibil-

ity.

5. Middle school students may not turn 15 pri-

or to August 1st to participate in 7th and 8th

grade athletics.

The Athletic Handbook contains additional

information concerning rules and regulations

governing the school’s athletic program. Par-

ents and student athletes are urged to review

the handbook carefully, and direct eligibility

questions or other concerns to the Athletic Di-

rector.

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