Greetings EMS Parents and Students,
Welcome back to another exciting year at Edgewood Middle School. As we approach the start of school, you will find some key information below to help you and your students begin preparing.
Open House
6th Grade will be on Monday, August 12th from 6:30-8:00 pm
Due to the expected crowd please limit attendance to students and parents/guardians.
Students will first check the main entrance doors to determine their homeroom teacher.
Students will either attend a Welcome session or report to their homeroom and pick up their schedules. Students may visit their classrooms, lockers, etc. to become familiar with the building.
6th graders and parents are asked to attend one Welcome Session. All sessions will be in the auditorium.
Session 1: 6:00-6:30 pm (if you attend this session report directly to the auditorium, schedules may be picked up after)
Session 2: 6:30-7:00 pm
Session 3: 7:00-7:30 pm
Session 4: 7:30-8:00pm
7th and 8th Grade will be Tuesday August 13th from 6:30-8:00 pm
Due to the expected crowd please limit attendance to students and parents/guardians.
Students will first check the main entrance doors to determine their homeroom teacher.
Students may attend an optional Welcome session or report to their homeroom and pick up their schedules. Students may visit their classrooms, lockers, etc. to become familiar with the building.
7th and 8th graders and parents new to the building or with questions may attend one of the Welcome Sessions in the auditorium.
Session 1: 7:00-7:30 pm
Session 2: 7:30-8:00 pm
Students who do not attend either open house will receive their schedules from their first period teacher on the first day of school. First period teachers will be posted on the doors and throughout the building for the first day.
Schedules and the School Day
We are working hard trying to make last minute adjustments to schedules for this year. Schedules will be ready to be picked up at Open House on August 12th and 13th, depending on the grade, but not before. We appreciate your understanding and patience.
The school day for students this year will be 7:20 am -2:10 pm. Please take note as this is a change from last year!
Lockers/Backpacks
Students will be assigned a locker. Lockers will be used to store backpacks, coats, school supplies, and personal belongings. Locks will be available to purchase in the main office. Students will not be permitted to carry backpacks to classes.
Dress Code
The following is the dress code taken directly from the student handbook:
Dress Code
The primary purpose of the school is education, and all matters of dress and grooming must be weighed against that single objective. To that end, students should avoid styles of dress and grooming (including hair styling and makeup) which are bizarre and flamboyant, distract attention from the orderly pursuit of knowledge, disrupt the educational process or constitute a threat to individual safety or the safety of the group. In addition, students are expected to maintain high standards of personal cleanliness and hygiene by making sure they are neither offensive to others nor a threat to the health of the school community. The administration will make final judgment on the appropriateness of any mode of student dress. The following guidelines are to be adhered to:
Students should not wear any article of clothing that is distasteful by language or sign.
Students should not wear clothing that is overly distracting.
Students should not wear shorts that are overly revealing. Because school age students vary greatly in height and weight, it is difficult to establish an absolute standard length for shorts/skirts/dresses. The recommended length for shorts, skirts, and dresses will be 4” from the top of the kneecap. Please refer to the dress code ruler on the back of this planner.
Students should not wear clothing or hats advertising alcohol, tobacco, or drugs, or look-alike labels.
Students must wear shoes to school and to class.
Clothing must be modest, not skimpy or over-revealing, and must adequately cover the shoulders, back, midriff, and undergarments. Tank tops or sleeveless shirts are not appropriate attire for school. Midriffs are not to be exposed. All shirts should be long enough to be “tucked in”, although they are not required to be tucked in.
Pants must be worn at the waist. No undergarments should be seen. Jeans with excessively large holes or holes above the thigh are not acceptable.
No pajamas or sleepwear (including blankets) may be worn to school (unless part of a school-sanctioned spirit or incentive day).
No headgear may be worn in the building. This includes, but is not limited to hats, toboggans, bandanas, headbands with protruding ears, hoodies, or any other type of head covering (unless part of a school-sanctioned spirit or incentive day).
No costumes may be worn in the building. This includes, but is not limited to halloween costumes, animal costumes, face painting, flags, or any other type of costume (unless part of a school-sanctioned spirit or incentive day).
Consequences
First offense: Warning and correct the infraction
Second offense: Lunch detention and correct the infraction
Third and subsequent offenses: After school detention and correct the infraction
If a student fails to follow the aforementioned dress code and it is brought to the attention of the school administration and/or staff, they will be required to correct the infraction prior to returning to class. Each violation will be documented and will result in an incident report as part of the progressive discipline plan.
⭐Cell Phone/Earbud Policy
Edgewood Middle School - Cell Phone Policy
Teaching students to use technology safely and appropriately continues to be a part of everyday learning; however, cell phones have proven to be a distraction in the classroom, a disruption to the educational environment and are detrimental to the learning environment.
Therefore, students will not be allowed to carry or use cell phones during the school day at Edgewood Middle School. Phones are available in the offices should a student need to contact their parent/guardian. Additionally, if a parent/guardian needs to get a message to a student, they may do so by contacting the main office. If a student brings a cell phone to school for after school use, it will be the student’s responsibility to ensure that their cell phone remains powered off and is stored in their locker during the school day.
Expectations for Storage of Cell Phones (if brought to EMS)★:
Devices are REQUIRED to be powered off and stored inside the student’s locker and must remain powered off and in the locker until the end of the school day.★
EMS is not responsible for any lost, damaged, or stolen devices.★
Students are not allowed to carry cell phones in their pocket and/or use their cell phones during the school day.★
Students violating the EMS Cell Phone Policy will face disciplinary consequences.★
For the reasons listed above, it is recommended that cell phones remain at home. ★
Consequences for misuse:
Should a student choose to violate the EMS Cell Phone Policy, the following will occur:
1st offense: The device will be confiscated and turned into the main office. The student will receive a one hour after-school detention. A parent will be required to pick up the device from the main office.
2nd offense: The device will be confiscated and turned into the main office. The student will receive a two hour after-school detentions. A parent/guardian will be required to pick up the device from the main office. The student will forfeit the privilege to bring his/her phone to school for the remainder of the school year.
3rd offense: The device will be confiscated and turned into the main office. The student will receive a one (1) day out of school suspension for insubordination.. A parent/guardian will be required to pick up the device from the main office.
4th and subsequent offenses: The device will be confiscated and turned into the main office. The student will receive additional days of day out-of-school suspension (3, 5, 10) for insubordination. A parent/guardian will be required to pick up the device from the main office. .
Certain infractions will result in students immediately losing the privilege to carry a cell phone on campus and will receive additional consequences including out of school suspension. The penalty will be decided by school administrators and includes, but is not limited to, infractions such as:
Taking photos/videos or recordings of students or staff without their knowledge and/or permission.
Videotaping a fight will result in a minimum of three day out of school suspension.
Using a cell phone in any way that might reasonably create in the mind of another person an impression of being threatened, humiliated, harassed, embarrassed, or intimidated.
Using a cell phone to transmit material that is threatening, obscene, disruptive, or sexually explicit or that can be construed as harassment or disparagement of others based upon their race, color, national origin, sex, (including, sexual orientation/transgender identify) disability, age, religion, ancestry, or political beliefs.
Using a cell phone to engage in “sexting” - i.e., sending, receiving, sharing, viewing, or possessing pictures, text messages, emails or other material of a sexual nature in electronic or any other form.
Using or possessing a cell or electronic device during testing or other student assessments.
Refusing to give the device to a school official who requests it.
Transportation and Start of the School Day
Bus Services
Bus Routes and schedule will be posted On Thursday, August 1 on the district website here: https://www.edgewoodschools.com/page/transportation
Parent Drop Off
In an effort to make morning parent drop off safe and efficient, last school year, EMS added a second morning drop off location. The goal of the second drop off location is to prevent traffic from backing up on Busenbark and State Route 73. Sitting backed up in traffic is not only frustrating, it is unsafe. Having observed this new traffic pattern for the second half of the school year, I am confident that morning EMS drop off can be safe and very efficient, but I need your help!!
If you are not personally driving your child to school, please take the time to make sure that whoever is driving your students to school are aware of the traffic pattern and are utilizing BOTH drop off locations. There were times last year that I observed drivers waiting to turn left, blocking traffic behind them, creating unsafe conditions for everyone. When confronted, I was told by multiple drivers that their students prefer to be dropped off in the front versus the back of the school. Sorry to be blunt, but those teenagers will be fine walking a few extra steps to ensure that everyone gets to school on time SAFELY!
As you approach the southwest corner of the building (yellow star on the map below), you may turn left to drop off students in the front of the building, or you may continue straight and drop off students at the Auditorium entrance. Both entrances are supervised by EMS staff and are convenient for students and drivers alike.
Drivers should pull as far forward as possible before stopping to drop off students. This will allow as many cars as possible to fill in to maximize drop off space. Do not stop and drop off before pulling as far forward as possible!
Drop and go! Have your students prepared and ready to step out and exit as quickly as possible. If your student is not prepared or you anticipate a longer than usual drop off, please pull out of the drop off lane and park in one of the parking lots to prevent causing a back-up.
Be courteous and mindful of your surroundings. Morning drop off should be quick and efficient but safety must be paramount! Anyone observed behaving in an unsafe and discourteous manner will be addressed accordingly.
Please review the map carefully and share the map with anyone who will be transporting your child.
Lunch
Below you will find meal prices for the year. Students may pay with cash or money may be added to their account through PaySchools Central. Applications for free and reduced lunch can be found on the district website or picked up in the main office. Please see the food services section of the district website for more details: https://www.edgewoodschools.com/page/food-services For the 2024-2025 school year, only those families who complete the applications will be eligible for free and reduced lunch.
For the 2024-2025 school year meal prices are as follows:
Breakfast - $1.75
Reduced Breakfast - $0.30
Lunch - $3.50
Reduced Lunch - $0.40
Lunch Schedule and Edge Time- There will be 6 total lunches this year at EMS in the following order: 6th Grade A, 6th Grade B, 7th Grade A, 7th Grade B, 8th Grade A, 8th Grade B. Each 26 minute lunch period will be paired with an Edge period for 26 minutes either before or after lunch. This time will be used for PBIS lessons, career education, small group help and interventions, and homework.
To start the school year, all students will be issued assigned seats in the lunchroom. Lunch supervisors will revise seating assignments as needed throughout the school year.
PBIS and Student Handbooks
PBIS (Positive Behavior Intervention and Supports)- This year our staff will be using the same digital system as last year called PBIS Rewards to award students points for displaying our building character traits of respect, responsibility, safety, and kindness. Students can accumulate points to buy prizes at the school store and to qualify for our quarterly incentive days.
Handbook Review- The first days of school, students will be given their planners for the year and asked to review the student handbook with their teachers during Edge Time.
Yearbook Pick Up
2023-24 Yearbooks have not yet arrived at EMS. As soon as they arrive, pickup information will be sent out.
We look forward to another exciting year and if you have any questions please feel free to contact us. Enjoy the rest of your summer and we will see you soon.
Respectfully,
Curtis Philpot
Edgewood Middle School Principal
curtis.philpot@edgewoodschools.net
Alex Ahlers
Edgewood Middle School Assistant Principal
alex.ahlers@edgewoodschools.net
