Important News

Newsletter 10/24/24

WLMS Newsletter 10/24/24 Hello Tigershark Families, Thank you to all the families who placed an order for our Gifts and Things/Yankee Candle Fundraiser. We greatly appreciate your support. Our monthly PTSA meeting will take place at WLMS in room B29 tonight at 7pm. If you are unable to attend in person, please join us virtually Any questions, contact us at wildelakemiddleschoolptsa@gmail.com. As a reminder on November 1st we will be asking all students in Grade 7 and 8 to take a brief survey to tell us about their social-emotional skills and access to supportive relationships. A communication was sent home in paper form last week with additional information and the opportunity to opt out. This communication can be accessed through this link: Copy of Family Survey Notification Letter (English) - Spring 2024 If you have any questions about the survey administration, please don’t hesitate to contact Ms. Keck. Make-up sessions will be provided as needed School Store: Thank you for your generosity. We have received several items from our School Store Wishlist. We greatly appreciate your kindness. We are gearing up for our next School Store on Wednesday, November 6th Interested in volunteering for the School Store? Interested in volunteering or chaperoning on a field trip? Please complete the Volunteer training and send a copy either via email to Heather_Godwin@hcpss.org or send in hard copy with your students. Upcoming dates: HCPSS Calendar WLMS Calendar October 24th- PTSA Meeting B29 7pm October 30th- End of 1st Marking Period October 31st- Schools Closed for Professional Work and Development Day November 1st- Club Day for Students November 5th- Schools Closed for Election Day November 8th- Report cards on HCPSS Connect November 11th- Boosters Fundraiser at MOD Pizza November 15th- 8th Grade Lock in More details coming from Ms. Drakes November 25-26- Schools close 3 hour early for PT conferences November 27th- School Closed for PT Conferences November 28th-29th- Schools Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday HCPSS FREE STUDENT RTA BUS PASS PROGRAM Thanks to a continued partnership between HCPSS, Howard County Government, and Regional Transportation Agency (RTA), all HCPSS middle and high school students have access to free RTA bus passes through summer 2025. Students have full access to the RTA system and are not limited to transportation to and from schools or to school-related activities. If your child is interested, they can visit our front office to request a free pass. UPDATE FAMILY FILE TODAY! We are only at 81 % completion. All families must update their emergency contact information annually. While we recognize many of you may not have any changes, you must transition through each screen and click submit at the end for this task to be completed. The completion of the Family File is essential to your student’s participation in field trips, dances, and other fun activities throughout the year. Please visit HCPSS Connect today and click submit on the final screen! Family File Directions: FAMILY FILE USER GUIDE (ENGLISH) FAMILY FILE USER GUIDE (SPANISH) APPLY FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS-DEADLINE IS OCTOBER 31 Please visit https://www.hcpss.org/food-services/farms/ to apply for Free and Reduced Meals. Families must submit a new application every school year. If you have additional questions regarding the FARMs program, please review the FAQ Section or email foodsvc@hcpss.org. Participation in FARMs qualifies students for a wide range of opportunities and resources beyond breakfast and lunch, including free college applications, free or reduced JumpStart tuition, discounted internet through the Comcast Internet Essentials program, and more. Student Services and Administration: Our Counselors and Administration are actively involved in classroom lessons and taking care of the needs of our students and staff during the school day. Should a need arise and you need to speak with your student's counselor, please contact Nakia_Hill@hcpss.org (Student Services Secretary) or call 410-313-6960 to make an appointment. Student services staff and administration may not be available for pop up visits. Please keep this in mind when visiting the school. To schedule an appointment with Administration, please contact Heather_Godwin@hcpss.org. Spiritwear is available year round! WLMS will have a year round fundraiser with Spiritwear Direct. Orders will be delivered directly to your home. https://www.wildelakespiritwear.com/ The WLMS Boosters: One of the things that makes WLMS such a great place for our kids is the amazing performing arts program. Whether your kiddo is enrolled in Band, Orchestra, Theatre, Chorus or Dance, the Boosters make sure they have what they need and get those extra resources that make the programs thrive. The Boosters help arrange and pay for everything from the WLMS afterschool theatre program, to purchasing dance shoes, costumes, and instruments, to bringing in actors and musicians to work with the students. But to do this, we need your support! Please become a member of the Boosters today! Just go to our sign up page at this link (https://form.jotform.com/242294952012150). We welcome all parents, guardians, grandparents, aunts, uncles and friends to join us in supporting our performing artists! Mark your calendars! In addition to membership, we have an exciting Restaurant Night coming up, where a portion of the proceeds will go directly to supporting our performing arts programs. These events are a fantastic way to enjoy a meal with family and friends while helping us raise much-needed funds. Here are the details: Mod Pizza: @ Columbia Mall Date: November 19th all day. Location: 10000 Town Center Ave C, Columbia, MD 21044 Details: Mention Wilde Lake Middle School Boosters when you check out so that we receive a portion of the proceeds. Interested in learning more or volunteering? Email us at wlmsartsboosters@gmail.com Spring Break 2026 Are you interested in traveling to Spain for Spring Break 2026? All WLMS students and their families are invited on this amazing trip. Join some Wilde Lake teachers and your friends as you visit Madrid, Granada, Seville, Toledo, and Barcelona. If you missed the informational meeting, don't worry. Here is the presentation I shared. Review it and email me with questions at cheryl_gwynn-haymes@hcpss.org. Explorica is the party organizing and responsible for this trip. This trip is NOT a Howard County Public School System, Wilde Lake Middle School, or PTSA sponsored trip, and the individuals chaperoning the trip are not acting as agents for the Howard County Public School System.