Happy Thursday, Tigersharks!

All schools are closed for students on Monday, October 9th for Professional Learning day for staff.  On Tuesday 10/10- Friday 10/13, we will have our MAP testing.    To alleviate the stress of having all testing in two days, it is now four days. ELA on 10/10-10/11 and Math on 10/12-10/13. These tests will take place during your child's ELA and Math classes.

Beginning Oct. 13th- October 27th, WLMS, will be participating in a fundraiser.  The money raised will go to support our Positive Behavior Intervention System.  

National Bullying Prevention Month

October is the start of National Bullying Prevention Month! We wanted to use this opportunity to share with our students, parents, guardians, and families some information and definitions to better help you understand bullying. It is important that you understand what bullying is to ensure you are able to report it when you see it or are told about it. Thank you for helping to ensure our school is a safe place for all students!
How do I know if something is bullying?
Conflict between students is inevitable, but it’s not always easy to identify whether the conflict is bullying or mean/rude behavior.   Understanding the difference is important so we know how to respond.  Here are a few key points to consider when determining if something is bullying:

• Bullying - Repeated, harmful, and involves an unfair power match 
• Mean - Hurt is intentional/purposeful, but not part of a larger pattern or a mismatch
• Rude - Accidentally hurting another person’s feelings

All of these behaviors require attention.  Addressing mean/rude behavior early can help prevent a student from turning their behavior into a pattern of bullying. What are some of the different types of bullying? Bullying can appear in many different forms.  Below are a few examples.
Verbal bullying is saying or writing mean things.  Verbal bullying includes:

• Teasing
• Name Calling
• Inappropriate sexual comments
• Taunting
• Threatening to cause harm
• Social bullying, sometimes referred to as relational bullying, involves hurting someone's reputation or relationships.  Social bullying includes:
• Leaving someone out on purpose
• Telling other children not to be friends with someone
• Spreading rumors about someone
• Embarrassing someone in pubic
• Physical bullying involves hurting a person’s body or possessions.  Physical bullying includes: 
• Hitting/kicking/pinching
• Spitting
• Tripping/pushing
• Taking or breaking someone’s things
• Making mean or rude hand gestures. 

Cyberbullying is bullying that takes place over digital devices like cell phones, computers, and tablets. Most common places cyberbullying occurs are: social media such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Tik Tok, text messages, direct messaging, chat rooms, emails and online gaming communities. Includes sharing personal or private information about someone else causing embarrassment or humiliation. At times can cross the line into unlawful or criminal behavior. More information on Cyberbullying can be found on the Stopbullying website.
How do I report bullying?
When you believe bullying has taken place, you should report it through the Bullying, Cyberbullying, Harassment and Intimidation (BCHI) reporting form. Reporting can take place in one of three ways:  Complete a BCHI online reporting form
BCHI paper reporting form (available in the main office, staff workroom, school counseling office, media center, and health services office
An oral report to a staff member
It is important to note that policy states “in the event the reporting party does not complete a BCHI Reporting Form, school administrators/supervisors will take the appropriate steps to address and document the incident.”  Therefore, if you or someone else makes an oral report, it then must be documented (i.e. through a BCHI reporting form) by the administrator.

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***Students will not be able to attend field trips and events without a completed family file****
HCPSS utilizes Family File for parents/guardians to supply emergency information.  We still have 153 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.

SCHOOL MEALS  HCPSS no longer is using Nutrislice for school menus or MySchoolBucks* for meal payments and instead is offering a new parent site for all things food and nutrition. LINQ Connect is a secure, online portal that allows families to:

• 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 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

READ THE RAINBOW - REGISTRATION OPEN NOW  Read the Rainbow is back with Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger on Tuesday, December 5th at 7:00PM. This program is open to middle and high school students, parents, educators, librarians, and community members. Read the Rainbow is an inclusive, virtual, and free book club that brings readers together to discuss books with the author who wrote them. Darcie Little Badger will be present at the meeting. While this book club is open to all, please note that students drive the discussion questions. Students in grades 8th-12th grade are eligible to receive a free book (first 50 registered students). Register here to participate.