Middle School Orientations: ALL Fifth-Grade Students and NEW Sixth- through Eighth-Grade Students
We look forward to welcoming ALL fifth-grade students and NEW sixth- through eighth-grade students to the Middle School on Tuesday, August 11 from 2-3:30 p.m. These orientations will be a time to celebrate the big step of officially joining the Middle School and a time to ease our students into the transition of Middle School. Specific information regarding arrival locations and other details will be emailed in an upcoming communication.
Prior to entering the Middle School building, students will have their temperatures checked. They will also sanitize their hands prior to entering. Please be sure your student has his or her mask on during the temperature check. Masks must be worn at all times while indoors. During orientation, there will be times when students will be outside and can take a break from wearing the mask.
- 2-3:30 p.m. Orientations
- 3:30-6 p.m. Welcome Back, WolfPack for all Middle School students (more details to come)
Please Note: If you are unable to attend this orientation, please email Cordie Swift and we will provide an alternative way for your child to receive the information covered during this experience.
Welcome Back, WolfPack!
In light of COVID-19 and in lieu of Back-to-School picnics, you're invited to Middle School Welcome Back, WolfPack night on Tuesday, August 11 from 3:30 to 6 p.m. Middle School students and their families are invited to grab a quick dinner and sweet treat, set-up their lockers, and meet their teachers. More details about how to RSVP for your family's desired time slot, safety protocols for this event, and options for touring Brostrand Hall will be coming soon!
Schedules and Textbook Ordering
Sixth- through eighth-grade schedules are currently viewable on Parent Portal under “My Student Info.” Fifth-grade homerooms will be posted on August 10. A few important considerations regarding schedules:
-
Your child’s advisor and locker will be assigned by Monday, August 10.
-
If you received an email about a scheduling conflict and have not yet resolved it, please contact Linda Thomas to finalize your schedule via email.
-
Students’ courses will be viewable on Schoology beginning Monday, August 10.
A comprehensive list of textbooks for the upcoming school year is available on Parent Portal under “Academic Information,” “Textbooks.” Whenever purchasing textbooks from anywhere outside of our virtual store (explained below), be absolutely sure that the ISBN number of the book ordered matches exactly with the ISBN number on the book list contained on Whitefield’s website.
Textbook Ordering:
1. An easy way to order all textbooks is through the virtual Whitefield Academy bookstore at BNC (formerly MBS Direct).
2. You may use the booklists and search for textbooks using the listed ISBN number and purchase from any online vendor such as Amazon, Chegg.com, Half.com, etc. Just be certain to perfectly match the ISBN identified on our book lists. Some book sellers automatically substitute other ISBNs if they don’t have an exact match.
3. The Whitefield Book Exchange committee will be holding a mini-book exchange on Saturday, August 1 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. in front of Mod 300. There is a limited inventory of textbooks for the upcoming school year. Books will be available on a first come, first serve basis. Payment options are check, Venmo, PayPal and Zelle.
Please email wabookexchange@whitefieldacademy.com with any questions.
Carpool Routes
As we work to keep our campus safe, having clear carpool procedures can help to facilitate traffic flow through campus and protect our students as they walk to their classrooms. New carpool routes will be shared in an upcoming communication.
Marching Band Camp Cancellation
Unfortunately, Whitefield Marching Band Camp (July 27-31) is canceled this year. Please reach out to Stacy Quiros with any questions.
Retreats Update
Each year, the Middle School students launch the year with a one-day retreat/field trip specific to the grade level. The leadership team continues to evaluate the COVID-19 situation carefully as we make decisions regarding these retreats. For now, these retreats have been postponed, and we will reevaluate the potential of taking them in the future. Please stay tuned for more information.
Locker Use and Set-up
We will assign lockers this year. However, we ask students not to congregate in those areas, and rather to simply use the locker as a place to store and exchange school materials. We will have faculty in the hallways to direct students to maintain physical distancing while using the lockers. Also, while we know that many students enjoy decorating their lockers, we ask that students minimize internal decorations to those items necessary for school and those that can be easily cleaned. External decorations will not be allowed. We appreciate your support as we work to ensure the health and safety of our students.
Chapel
With the adjustment in schedule for the 2020-21, Middle and Upper School chapel will take place on Wednesdays. With the exception of the first day of school, students will wear their chapel uniforms on Wednesdays. Whitefield t-shirt and bottoms will now be worn on Fridays. While large group meetings are not able to occur, chapel will be redesigned.
Dress Code
If your kids are like mine, they have grown a lot since quarantine. Prior to the start of school, please have your child try on his or her uniforms to be sure they align with dress code requirements. See the resources section for the link to the Campus Store information and uniform guidelines. Please note, chapel (and chapel uniform) will now take place on Wednesdays, with the exception of the first day of school (when students should wear their regular uniform). On Fridays, students may wear a Whitefield t-shirt with a uniform skirt/pants.
As we return to school, we also appreciate your partnership in ensuring your child’s hairstyle aligns with our requirements (no unnatural hair dye; gentlemen have hair above the eyebrows, tops of ears, and collar). While we (myself included!) enjoyed the more casual days of quarantine, it is important that when we return to school, we are in dress code.
Suggested Supplies for COVID-19 Readiness
While all Middle School students should come with standard school supplies and a mask, there are a few other supplies that could be helpful as we adapt to COVID-19 norms. These are simply suggestions and are in no way mandatory.
-
Since masks are required for all students while indoors, it will be very helpful for students to have multiple masks ready to go for the week.
-
There have been some inquiries as to whether or not students can wear a face shield as opposed to a mask. The Department of Health has identified that a face shield alone is not as effective as a face mask. If you prefer for your child to wear a face shield, here is an example of a school-approved option.
-
There will be hand sanitizer stations throughout campus and in classrooms. It is also helpful for students to come with their own personal hand sanitizer.
-
A plastic zipper pouch allows students to keep their masks and such in one spot for easy access and cleanliness. Also, we encourage large zipper pouches for art students to store supplies.
-
In an effort to minimize shared supplies, the extra chrome books in the Middle School office will only be available on a limited basis. We encourage students to bring their fully charged devices, along with their chargers, to school each day.
Congratulations, Spring 2020 Head of School and Principal’s List Honorees!
We are so proud of our Middle School students who earned Head of School and Principal’s List honors for spring 2020. Way to pursue a passion for learning during virtual learning!
Spring 2020 Head of School's List
Spring 2020 Principal's List
|