Malachi Wilkerson Middle School

116 11th Court West Birmingham, Alabama 35204

205-231-2740

Parent/Student Handbook 2015-2016

“Where Teaching and Learning is our Core Business”

Mrs. Davida H. Johnson

Principal

Ms. Connie White Assistant Principal

Wilkerson’s School Song

Wilkerson our dear old school

Again we sing to thee. We will always hail thy name,

With pride and loyalty. Wilkerson, Wilkerson

(Your) teaching tried and true; we’ll forever hold them near

in everything we do. Wilkerson, Sweet mater dear, Oh, how we love thee school

(Thy) precepts we will not forget nor thy golden rule.

Hallowed halls, stately walls (Thy) colors bright and bold

Far or near we’ll stand and cheer All hail the green and gold.

By Dr. Earnest L. Colvin

FACULTY AND STAFF:

Principal Davida H. Johnson

Assistant Principal Connie White Counselor Patrick Fuller Bookkeeper/Secretary Naomi Green

Assistant Clerk Brenda Perry

Sixth Grade Claressia Boone

Steven Smith Franchell Thomas

Vivian Waller

Seventh Grade Douglas Clayton Jason Dunning

Jerry Strickland Brittani Wilder

Eighth Grade Andrea Johnson Melissa Oneal

Tanaha Sharp LaQuita M. Holmes

Special Education Kevin Holston

Shannon Rivers

Media Specialist Susan Courington

Band Bryan Nalls

Family Consumer Science Edna Hill

Physical Education Jimmy Tyus

Technology/Instructional Asst. Shundra Davis

Head Custodian Michael Cox

Custodial Assistant Dorothy Williams

Read 180 Vacancy

Drama Jocelyn White School Nurse Sherri Eichhorn

CNP Manager Eliza Means

CNP Assistant Roderick Kelley

Annie Smith (sub.)

Itinerant Instructional Assistants Shundra Davis

Phyllis Williams

Malachi Wilkerson Middle School

Mission Statement

To empower our students with a Sense of Worth To educate the Whole child

To take a Well-grounded approach to success in life To instill in our students a strong Work ethic

Malachi Wilkerson Middle School’s Beliefs…

Students’ learning needs should be the primary focus of all decisions impacting the work of the school.

Students learn best when they are actively engaged in the learning process.

The family, school, and community working together is crucial to the

development for students.

Mutual respect, responsibility, and caring create the best learning environment for students.

All individuals are accountable for the choices they make and for understanding

that with each choice comes responsibilities and consequences.

High expectations, quality teaching, and positive attitudes promote higher levels of achievement.

Learning in the 21st century is a life-long process which promotes and improves

the quality of life and is essential for continuous growth.

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE:

Dear Parents,

What a pleasure and honor it is for me to serve you as the principal of Malachi Wilkerson Middle

School! I look forward to working with you this school year. I know the entire staff of Wilkerson

Middle School is excited and eager to get the school year off to a great start.

Please take the time to review this handbook in conjunction with our Student Code of Conduct.

The enclosed information will answer many questions you may have about our school and the

various policies we will follow at Wilkerson Middle School. If you have any additional questions

after reading this handbook, please do not hesitate to contact me. We are here as servant

leaders ensuring that “teaching and learning” is our primary focus. Without you, there would be

no Wilkerson Middle School.

I thank all of you for the strong support you show and have shown in making our school one of

the premier school’s in our district. We ask that you commit to continuing that support this

school year by staying in touch with your child’s teacher and offering suggestions in our wishing

well at the main entrance of the school. Educating children requires teachers and parents

working together in a supportive and friendly manner. We can accomplish so much more when

we work together as a team. Have a wonderful year!

Believe. Create. Succeed.

Davida H. Johnson, Ed.S.

Principal

The Parent Role

As a parent or guardian, it is critical that you are familiar with the contents of this handbook so

that you can support your son or daughter in following the rules and policies of Wilkerson Middle

School. Working together, we can be a strong influence on students’ academic success by

modeling adult working relationships based upon civility, honesty and respect to one another.

Expectations We expect for any visitor that enters our school to be respectful of school policy and procedures.

We hold our students to a higher standard; therefore, all visitors that enter our building will

maintain professionalism even in the midst of adversity. For those that do not adhere to school

policy and procedures and display unwarranted behavior, you will be banned from the school for

the remaining of this academic school year. Absences

Students who are ill, running a fever, or have any contagious condition must not attend school.

After an absence, the student must bring a written excuse stating the reason for the absence and

the excuse must be signed and dated by the parent or legal guardian. Prior permission must be

obtained for absences other than illness. When students are absent, parents may request

assignments by emailing the teacher, calling the main office, or checking the teacher’s webpage

on the school’s website. Requested work may be picked up at the end of the school day.

Accidents

Parents will be notified of accidents requiring immediate attention. Parents must provide the

teacher and the school office with a list of current emergency phone numbers.

Arrival of Students

School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. each day. Students who arrive at school before 7:20 a.m.

will not be allowed in the building. Students who arrive between 7:55 a.m. and 8:00 a.m. should

go directly to their classrooms. The building opens for breakfast at 7:20 a.m. Students who are

not eating breakfast will report to the gymnasium for supervised study and reading. Reminder:

Students who arrive before 7:20 a.m. will be unsupervised outside the building.

Assemblies

Assemblies are held throughout the school year. Students are expected to exhibit courteous

behavior at assemblies. Any student that behaves inappropriately will be subject to immediate

disciplinary actions. Parents are always welcome to attend. Watch for announcements

concerning planned assembly programs.

Attendance

The importance of regular attendance cannot be over-emphasized. Good attendance has a

direct effect on a student’s learning and grades. Students who have perfect attendance for

the whole school year are given special recognition during our end-of-the-year Recognition

Programs. Students that have excessive tardies or absences will be referred to Early Warning

Court.

Awards

Students will be recognized throughout the school year for the following:

Principal Award, Honor Roll, Perfect Attendance, Citizenship, Most Improved, Extra-Curricular

Activities, and Highest G.P.A. in core subjects.

Breakfast

Breakfast is served from 7:20 a.m. until 7:50 a.m. Students who arrive at 7:50 a.m. or after

will not be served breakfast. If you wish for your child to eat breakfast at the school,

please make sure they arrive by 7:40 a.m.

Checkouts

There are no student checkouts after 2:30 p.m. Parents are not admitted into the building

after 2:30 p.m. unless there is an emergency. This is in place to protect the students’

instructional time. If you have an appointment scheduled for your child or need to get your child

from school before 3:00 p.m., you must check them out before 2:30 p.m.

Concerns / Complaints

It is important to follow the proper protocol if you have any concerns regarding an issue at

Wilkerson Middle School.

First Step: Please contact your child’s homeroom teacher regarding the concern. If the concern

is with someone other than the child’s teacher, please contact that individual. Allow him/her

reasonable time to respond.

Second Step: If you feel your concern was not addressed in the first step, please call the office

to schedule an appointment or phone conference with the principal or assistant principal. The

school administration requests you attempt to resolve the concern before contacting the office.

The principal or assistant principal will meet with you and any other individuals involved in

resolving the issue.

Third Step: After you have made all efforts to resolve your concern at the school level through

the above process, your next level is the Director of Schools (zone 2). The Director is a liaison

between the local school and the superintendent. Please be prepared to inform the Director of

your efforts to address the problem at the school level. The number for the Director’s office is

231-4600.

Discipline Policy

Please refer to the Birmingham City Schools’ Student Code of Conduct to familiarize yourself and

your child with the behavior expectations your child is held to by the Birmingham Board of

Education and Wilkerson Middle School. Any behavior or actions disrupting or interfering with

the educational process is considered a discipline problem. The principal and assistant principal

will follow the guidelines specified in the suggested disciplinary actions listed in the Student

Code of Conduct Students who continuously commit minor violations or Class II Offenses will be subject to 1 to 3

days suspension. A mandatory parent conference regarding a child’s continuous violation of

Class I Offenses will be held before the student is suspended. All students will be provided due

process. In the event that an infraction does not warrant a suspension, Parent Shadowing will be

mandatory.

We appreciate your support and cooperation in helping us maintain an orderly and peaceful

learning environment for all of our students.

Dismissal

Students are dismissed each school day at 3:00 p.m. unless it is an Early Dismissal Day at which

time students are dismissed at 1:00 p.m. Children must be picked up by 3:15 p.m. Parents

will be called for those students remaining at school after 3:30 p.m. If you are a repeat

offender, the police department will be contacted and a child negligence report will be

made.

Students are not allowed back in the building after they have been dismissed at 3:00 p.m. Please

encourage your child to get needed items from their classrooms before they leave.

Please send any changes in the manner in which a student will go home in writing to your child’s teacher. Please plan ahead and insert this information into the child’s school

folder. Thank you for your cooperation and understanding regarding this matter.

All students who are car riders are escorted out of the building by their teachers. It is the

teacher’s responsibility to make sure their students are picked up by the proper individual. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this policy, please contact your

child’s teacher.

Emergencies

It is important that the office be able to contact you as quickly as possible during the school day

in case of an emergency. Please make sure that all telephone numbers and emergency

contact persons are kept up-to-date with the school office and your child’s teacher. If

it is impossible to reach you or someone listed as an emergency contact person, the school will

call 911 and your child will be transported for treatment while we continue to try to contact you.

Field Trips

Field Trips will be planned with the principal’s approval. Parents are encouraged to allow their

children to participate in these trips. Written permission from the parent or legal guardian must

be obtained before a student may leave the school grounds to participate. Teachers reserve

the right to ask that a parent or adult family member attend the field trip in order for

a child to attend. If this is the case, the teacher must inform the parent at least two

weeks prior to the scheduled field trip. Additionally, parents who chaperone may not

bring younger children on field trips.

Fire, Severe Weather, and Code Red Drills

Fire drills, severe weather drills, and code red drills are conducted monthly at the school.

Students are instructed on the procedures to follow in case of a drill.

Grading Policy

The following grading policy was adopted by the Birmingham Board of Education in March 2003.

The K – 12 school year is broken into four (4) nine-week grading periods. At the end of each

grading period, academic marks are entered into the computer and report cards are generated

for dissemination to students. The grading scales adopted by the Birmingham Board of

Education are:

Grades 1 – 12: Kindergarten:

A 100-90 E Excellent

B 89-80 S Satisfactory

C 79-70 N Needs Improvement

D 69-60

F 59 and below

Report cards will be distributed every nine weeks. Please refer to the Birmingham City

Schools’ academic calendar posted on the district’s and school’s website for the dates that report

cards and progress reports are sent home.

Homework

Homework assignments are made at the discretion of the teacher. The instructional level of the

student is taken into consideration when determining the length and amount of homework given.

All students are expected to read or be read to for at least 20 minutes every night.

Students are responsible for taking home the books and materials necessary for completing

assignments. Some assignments may require technology or carry over into the weekend. Please

make the necessary preparations to adhere to all required assignments.

Inclement Weather

If snow or icy conditions necessitate the closing of school for the day, an announcement will be

made as early as possible on the district’s website, local television stations, radio stations, and

you will receive a call from the school’s messenger system. When early dismissal is necessary

due to inclement weather, the same procedure is followed.

Lunch Program

All students are provided free breakfast and lunch until further notice. Students are welcomed

to bring monies to purchase snacks not included with their meals. Parents and other relatives

are welcomed to join their child for lunch after obtaining a visitors pass from the office. Guest

lunches are $3.50

Breakfast and lunch from fast food restaurants are not allowed. No drinks can be

brought in glass bottles or containers. Also, children may not bring canned sodas to

school. This is a district-wide regulation.

Students are expected to eat and act mannerly in the lunchroom. They are to leave their seat

and table clean as instructed by their teacher.

Medication

No prescription medication will be administered without the written permission and instructions

from the child’s physician. A form can be obtained from the school office that must be completed

by the child’s doctor before we can administer prescription medication. We cannot administer

any over-the-counter medications nor can the child bring it to school to self-administer. If a child

requires over-the-counter medication, the parent may come to the school and administer it as

needed.

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Teachers have specific times that they are available for parent conferences.

Appointments should be made through the school office and requested at least 24 hours in

advance. Teachers cannot take up instructional time for parent conferences.

Additionally, teachers cannot conference with parents during student arrival or

dismissal times.

Problem-Solving Team The Problem-Solving Team (PST) reviews referrals for special education and makes recommendations regarding accommodations for a student who is experiencing academic difficulty and/or behavioral

difficulty. Additionally, the PST determines whether or not a student is referred for testing for special education services. The Problem-Solving Team (PST) meets with individual teachers who have concerns regarding a particular student’s academic or behavioral progress. The team offers suggestions to a teacher to help improve the child’s performance and/or behavior and also

determines if further action should be taken beyond regular classroom intervention. Students who already receive Special Education services are not eligible to be referred to the PST.

The PST is scheduled to meet twice a month beginning in September through April on the second and fourth Thursdays.

Parties

Birmingham City Schools Board Policy allows for one class party per year which is

scheduled prior to the Christmas Break. Goodie bags may be provided by parents on

Halloween and Valentine’s Day. Birthdays may be celebrated with cupcakes at lunchtime

only. Please do not send flowers, balloons, or any other items that may disrupt the

learning process.

School Pictures

Individual school pictures are made in the fall and spring. Proofs are sent home for parents’

inspection. Parents are under no obligation to purchase the pictures.

Notification will be sent home with students at least a week prior to the pictures.

Tardies School begins promptly at 8:00 a.m. Students are considered tardy if they are not in the

classroom by 8:05 a.m. Students coming into school after 8:05 a.m. but before 8:10 a.m. should

report to class and the teacher will mark him/her tardy from the classroom.

Students coming in at or after 8:10 a.m. must be signed in by the parent or legal guardian in the main office and receive a tardy slip. Afternoon checkouts are also coded

as PM Tardies. Excessive tardies will result in contact from the district’s Attendance Officer.

Telephone

The telephone may be used by students in case of an illness or emergency. Messages for

students will only be delivered in case of an emergency. Please be sure that your child

understands any afternoon plans or instructions before you drop him/her off at school. Please

send any changes in your child’s after school pick up in writing to the teacher.

Textbooks

Textbooks are issued to students free of charge; however, a student must have a signed Textbook

Policy form on file in order to be issued any state owned textbooks. Additionally, since the

textbooks are the property of the State of Alabama, any damage or loss of books will result in

payment or replacement by the parent or legal guardian. No books will be issued until all fines

are paid in full.

In the event that a teacher does not have enough textbooks to issue each child, the book will not

be sent home for homework use. Teachers will use additional resources such as worksheets for

homework until enough books have been issued for each child in the classroom.

Uniform Policy

The Birmingham City Schools’ Uniform Policy is enforced at Wilkerson Middle School. Students

are expected to dress in conformity with the uniform policy. The policy is explained in detail in

the Birmingham City Schools’ Student Code of Conduct. At the principal’s discretion, all

students must wear solid black or white socks only with no prints, and uniform

colored solid belts with no prints. No belts with studs can be worn at any time.

Visitors All visitors must report to the main office upon entering the building to sign in and receive a

visitor’s pass. This is for the safety of all children, teachers, and staff.

Volunteers

We are grateful for the hundreds of volunteer hours given to our school by parents and

community members. A register is located on the office counter for volunteers to sign in and out.

If you need any information regarding volunteer opportunities at Wilkerson Middle School,

please contact the school’s Counselor, Dr. Patrick Fuller at 231-2740.

Counseling Services

Counseling services will be offered to all students. Small group counseling will be provided

weekly to specified groups. Referrals to the counselor can be made by the classroom teacher and

parents. All services provided are confidential.

Technology Agreement

All parents and students must sign the technology agreement. The school will follow

Birmingham City Schools’ Student Code of Conduct as it pertains to technology.

Students that receive a 2nd violation notice, their device will be turned in to administration, and

only the parent will be allowed to pick up the electronic device. Confiscated devices will be

returned after 30 days. No exceptions!

After-school activities

All students participating in after school events, whether on the school campus or at another

venue, will adhere to the Birmingham City Schools’ Student Code of Conduct.

Lockers Locker fee is $10.00 annually. All students are required to purchase a locker. No student will be

allowed to share a locker. Failure to comply will result in loss of locker privileges and monetary

refund.

P.E. Uniforms

P.E. uniforms are $20.00 (set includes top and bottom). All students are required to purchase a

uniform. Failure to purchase the uniform, participate, and dress out daily will result in a failing

grade.

Pre-AP Prerequisites

All students participating Pre-AP course work must meet the following guidelines:

Reading above grade level

Strong study skills and self-motivation

Proficient oral and written communications skills

Self-discipline to plan, organize, and carry out tasks to completion

Grade of 85 or higher in an academic class

Aspire assessment data of Level 3’s or 4’s for all students

Teacher recommendation based on formative assessment data and student work samples

Student I.D.’s Student ID cards are provided by the school. It is mandatory that all school ID’s are worn daily. All ID’s are to be worn on the right side of the student’s shirt or blouse. ID’s should not be altered by any means. Any student

that enters the building without his/her ID will be given a temporary ID for $2.00. These ID’s must be returned at the end of the day. Replacement ID’s will be granted for a $15.00 charge.