Happy Wednesday, Tigershark Families!

It's hard to believe that we are almost 1/2 way into the First Quarter! Please make sure that you are checking your child's grades on Canvas to make sure they are staying caught up with their classes and turning in assignments. Canvas is also a great way to stay connected to your child's teachers.

This is a reminder that ALL Middle school students MUST be accompanied by a parent to attend any High School Sporting event!  

IMPORTANT INFORMATION AND UPDATES

HIGH SCHOOL CREDITED COURSES
If your child is enrolled in a high school level course, please see the attached HS Credit Course Letter to Parent.docx  for important information.

HCPSS HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS
Per HCPSS expectations, anyone under high school age must be accompanied by a parent/guardian to attend a ticketed event at any HCPSS high school. Wilde Lake HS will be checking student IDs at the gate. We invite students and families from our Wilde Lake community schools to join us, and middle school students MUST be accompanied by a parent or guardian to attend.

EMERGENCY CARD PROCEDURES - FAMILY FILE
HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to supply emergency information.  We still have 162 students without a completed Family File.  Parents/guardians must verify and/or update information for each child every year. Details on Family File are available online.. If you haven't had time to complete, please take the time this weekend. If you need assistance, please call 410-313-6960.
 

• View breakfast and lunch menus
• Make online payments to their child’s meal account
• Monitor their child’s accounts
• Schedule recurring payments and/or low balance alerts
• Submit an online application for the Free and Reduced Meals program

Please review HCPSS meal information and find information on FARMs (Free and Reduced Meals). Applications must be completed every year. Students whose families do not qualify for the free or reduced lunch program will be required to pay the daily meal price for lunch - $3.30. Students are welcome to bring their own lunch, however we do not accept food deliveries from other vendors (DoorDash, Grubhub, Uber Eats, etc.). 

Breakfast will be provided to all students at no cost. Breakfast will be served from 8:15 - 8:30 a.m. All outside breakfast items (including Starbucks drinks) are prohibited from being consumed in school during this time.
 

HCPSS BLACK STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM
The HCPSS Black Student Achievement Program Saturday Math Academy Fall Session is approaching! This year, the BSAP Saturday Math Academy will offer an in-person enrichment program for Howard County Public School System students in all levels of math for grades 3-12 based on course availability. Registration opened September 16, 2023 and will be open until capacity is reached. Class space is limited. Families can register by accessing the HCPSS Connect Website. For more information, please visit: https://news.hcpss.org/news-posts/2021/09/bsap-saturday-math-academy-virtual-fall-2021-program/  

Flyers for distribution:
BSAP SMA Fall 2023 Flyer (English)
BSAP SMA Fall 2023 Flyer (Spanish)
BSAP SMA Fall 2023 Flyer (Chinese)
BSAP SMA Fall 2023 Flyer (Korean)

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 2024. Students have full access to the RTA system and are not limited to transportation to and from schools or to school-related activities. If you are interested, email Andrea_Harmon@hcpss.org to request a free pass.

ATTENDANCE REMINDERS
Need to report an absence? Please email your absence notes/questions to: WLMSabsence@hcpss.org or send in a signed parent/guardian note. The email should include the student's name, the parent's name, the date(s) or period(s) (if absence is a partial day) of the absence, and the reason for the absence. The email must be received within 5 days of the absence. Requests for changes to attendance submitted after the 5 day deadline cannot be honored.
Please Note: Absences are unexcused until an email or note is received.
For Discretionary Absences (up to 3 per school year), please complete the linked form and email it to: WLMSabsence@hcpss.org. This form must be completed one week prior to absence.

For Religious Observances, please complete the linked form and email to: WLMSabsence@hcpss.org
 

Medication and Sharps Disposal Take Back Day - October 28 in the Wilde Lake Village Center Parking Lot from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Safely dispose of prescription medication, over-the-counter meds, sharps, vitamins, pet meds, vape devices, inhalers, and more!  Also, 100 medication lockboxes purchased by HCPSS will be given away for FREE!