St. Clare Walker Middle School

ST. CLARE WALKER MIDDLE SCHOOL

6814 General Puller Hwy., P.O. Box 9

Locust Hill, VA 23092

Office (804) 758-2561, Fax (804)-758-0229

http://scw.mcps.k12.va.us/

Elizabeth Sanders, Principal

Kimberly Parks, Assistant Principal

Office Hours: 7:45-4:00

School Hours: 8:15-3:15

PHILOSOPHY

The community of St. Clare Walker Middle School, which includes faculty, administration, and parents, recognizes that every child entrusted to our care is a unique individual. Each child comes to us at a different stage of growth – socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. With these differences in mind, we will challenge the child to reach his or her maximum potential in all areas of growth. The child will be able to mature in a protective, trusting, child-centered environment that understands and meets the needs of early adolescence.

While concentrating on the core curriculum of language arts, math, social studies, science, and physical education as essential to the middle school program, we realize that each student has different needs to be fulfilled. By complementing our core curriculum with the exploratory arts program, we will endeavor to meet those needs in a climate that encourages students to explore the many facets of the world around them. In addition, we recognize the importance of extra-curricular activities and offer a variety of clubs and sports appropriate for middle grades students.

The school community will be molding the future of our democratic nation because our students of today are our leaders of tomorrow. St. Clare Walker Middle School will provide a caring atmosphere of acceptance, understanding, and respect for students while helping them make a smooth transition from elementary to high school as they move through early adolescence. Every child will be given the opportunity to learn, to understand, to grow, and to realize his or her potential.

WHO IS JOHN HENRY ST. CLARE WALKER?

John Henry St. Clare Walker was born in 1876 in Middlesex County as one of 15 children. There were no schools for black children in those days, but he learned to read and gained a passion for learning. St. Clare Walker joined the army and received two degrees in Education from Hampton Institute. He returned to Middlesex County where he created the county’s first school for black students as a teacher for 20 years, and then became an administrator for an additional 20 years. We are honored to carry on his namesake as we look to instill his passion for education, and his courage and dedication to make this world a better place for all who walk into St. Clare Walker Middle School.

ATTENDANCE

Punctual and regular attendance is extremely important to your child’s success in middle school. Please plan for your child to be at school on time every day during the school year. Our school day does not end until 3:15 each day and students will not be dismissed unless it is for an appointment. Students must be present half of the instructional day to be counted present (11:45 a.m.). -Unexcused or excessive absences exceeding 5 days or more may result in the development of an attendance plan during a scheduled attendance conference with school administration and truancy officer.

GRADING, TEACHER CLASSROOM POLICY

St. Clare Walker Middle School consistently maintains excellence through a learning community that is relevant, challenging, integrative, and exploratory. As your child’s teachers, we are committed to doing everything we can to help your child succeed. To ensure students are receiving the required content, it is necessary to assess progress and understanding. This assessment can be in the form of tests, projects, quizzes, class work, including labs or journals. We want to make sure you and your child understand our general grading procedures, which are outlined here.

Percentages and Categories:

● Summative Assessments (25%)

○ Unit Tests, Major Assessments, Major Tasks, Presentations, Final PBAs, Essays, Research Projects/Papers

● Formative Assessments (75%)

○ Mini tasks, Daily Assignments, Purposeful Independent Practice, Quizzes, Quick Writing Assignments, Exit Tickets, Blog Entries, Quick Checks, Individual PBA Components

*Please note that this is a weighted average and, therefore, cannot be figured by adding the grades together and dividing by the total number. Actual averages are reflected on midterm reports and report cards.

Reading is vital to a successful education. Students are encouraged to read at least 20 minutes each night. Please check with your child’s teacher for specific details.

More specific and detailed information about class requirements will be provided by your child’s teacher on the first day of school.

If at any time you have a question or concern, do not hesitate to contact any one of your child’s teachers. Your child’s teacher should be your first line of communication if you have a question or concern about a specific class or assignment. Meetings can be arranged during teacher’s planning periods by contacting that teacher directly. If you require a meeting with the grade level team, this can also be arranged through any one of your child’s teachers.

CURRICULUM OFFERINGS

6^th Grade 7^th Grade 8^th Grade

U.S. History I U.S. History II Civics and Economics

Grade 6 Science Life Science Physical Science

Language Arts Language Arts Language Arts

PLUS Language Arts PLUS Language Arts PLUS Language Arts

Math 6 Math 7 Math 8

Career & Life Readiness Career & Life Readiness Algebra I

PE/Health PE/Health Career & Life Readiness

Exploratory Arts Exploratory Arts PE/Health

Exploratory Arts

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

All students are required to participate in a physical education class. An SCW gym uniform is optional for participation and is available for purchase at the beginning of the year. Any family who requires assistance in obtaining a gym uniform should contact the school counselor. Failure of a student to actively participate in this class may be treated in the same manner as failure to participate in any other required subject.

A notice from a physician is required when a student is unable to participate in PE for an indefinite or extended period of time.

ADDRESS/PHONE NUMBERS AND MOVING

Please complete the emergency form information for each child attending SCW. Additionally, if you move within the county or change your phone number please update this information with the office immediately. This information is our only source for contacting parents or guardians in an emergency situation, and it is imperative it is updated with the school. If your family moves outside of the school division, please contact the office with this information, return all textbooks and library books, and pay any remaining fees.

BUS/CAR RIDER CHANGES

During the 2021-2022 school year we are unable to make any changes to your child's bus transportation.

VISITORS AND PARENT/TEACHER CONFERENCES

During the 2021-2022 school year and in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, visitors must seek administrator's permission. Parents may be allowed with prior approval but will have limited access to the building (such as special education meetings, 504 meetings, pre-scheduled meetings, etc.). Parents will be subject to a health screening and are required to wear face coverings.

We sincerely encourage parent/guardian visitors to SCW and know that the best schools have active parent involvement! That said, the safety of our students is a priority for our school and our school division, so we must establish orderly procedures to make sure we have identified all visitors.

In order to protect the safety of our students and ensure the maximum engagement in the learning environment, the following procedures must be followed at all times:

1) Upon entering the school, visitors are required to report directly to the main office to sign in and obtain a visitor’s badge.

2) Visitors will be escorted by school staff to their destination.

3) *Before being taken to a classroom during instructional time, the teacher(s) must be notified of the visitor. We ask that you please do not disrupt instruction while visiting the classroom. If you would like to discuss your child’s progress with the teacher, it is appropriate to schedule a parent-teacher conference.

4) When visiting classrooms, cell phone use is not permitted (phone calls or texting). Additionally recording (video or audio) of other students is not permitted.

5) Visitors may not cause a disruption to the learning environment or any other area of the school.

6) Appointments are not required, but are highly suggested.

7) Lunch visitors other than parents/guardians must be approved by parents/guardians with the office staff.

*There may be times when visits to classrooms are denied by the office staff after a teacher is contacted; for example, during assessments, etc. If you wish to discuss your child’s progress with a teacher, please call the school so that we may arrange a conference time that will not conflict with the teacher’s scheduled class instruction. If a problem or conflict of any sort evolves during the school year, a parent-teacher conference should be the first strategy used in formulating an effective solution.

CLASSROOM FOOD

Sharing of student food inside and outside of the classroom is not permitted. This includes bringing in cupcakes, candy, etc. for student celebrations.

WIN (What I Need)

The WIN period is provided to offer remediation, enrichment and extra-curricular club activities for all students. Students with identified skill deficits in any academic area will be assigned a WIN schedule that provides support in these areas.

CLUBS

There are various club opportunities for students at SCW. The list below may not capture all clubs, as the options vary from year to year based on student interest.

Art Club

Builders Club

H2O for Life

*National Junior Honor Society

Stock Market Club

Running Club

SCW News Show Club

Skating Boarding Club

STEM Club

Student Council Association

Technology Student Association

Yearbook

NATIONAL JUNIOR HONOR SOCIETY

The National Junior Honor Society is the nation's premier organization established to recognize outstanding middle level students. More than just an honor roll, NJHS serves to honor those students who have demonstrated excellence in the areas of scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship and character. These characteristics have been associated with membership in the organization since its beginning in 1929. The National Junior Honor Society chapter at St. Clare Walker Middle School expects all student members to maintain the standards used in the selection process. Members failing to maintain all 5 standards will have their membership reviewed by the NJHS committee. Members who do not meet the standards and expectations of the National Junior Honor Society may be disciplined by the society’s committee and may have their membership revoked. The option to apply to the St. Clare Walker Chapter of the National Junior Honor Society is by invitation only. The committee selects students who have excelled in all five areas designated by the National Junior Honor Society Constitution: scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and character.

SOAR (Safety, Ownership, Attitude, Respect)

St. Clare Walker has adopted Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS). Staff members have identified a set of school-wide values and behavior expectations to better teach and model appropriate behaviors to our students. The acronym SOAR will be a common focus throughout all areas of the school.