Your Guide to Our School

Advisory is a time for students to connect with staff and friends, get important school updates, learn about expectations, and sign up for Encore. Encore is a chance for students to get extra help or try fun and challenging activities with teachers.

The use of personal electronic devices is strictly prohibited during instructional time and assessments at all high schools. The school administration may permit the use of personal electronic devices during lunch, passing time, and before and after school. Devices may be stored in caddies during instructional time, and devices confiscated during the day will be securely stored in the office. 

• If you need to communicate with your child during instructional time, contact the school office. 
• In an emergency, the school will contact the parent/guardian.

Exemption: Personal electronic devices specifically authorized under a current individual education plan (IEP), a Section 504 plan, or an Individual Health Plan (IHP) are exempt from this policy.

Petition: You may request to building level administration that your child retain access to a personal electronic device if there is a legitimate reason related to their mental or physical health. 

Refer to Board Policy 503.09: Student Use of Personal Electronic Devices for more information.

If your student will be late or needs to leave school early, please send a note with them to the main office in the morning. You can also email swattendance@wdmcs.org to report absences, including your student's name, student number, date/time, and reason for the absence.

If your student has a class at Valley High School on the day they are absent, let Valley know at vhsattendance@wdmcs.org.

Letting us know about the absence in advance or on the day of the absence will stop emails, texts, or calls about unexcused absences. When arriving late or leaving early, students must sign in and out at the office and get a pass.

For missed assignments, students should contact their teacher. They have two days to make up work for each day they're absent, up to six days for multiple absences. Teachers may allow more time if needed. It's best to talk to teachers before planned absences.

Students are expected to be respectful of the rights of others and comply with school and district rules and policy regarding behavior. We believe each student deserves the right to a fair and appropriate education in which race, ethnicity, culture, religion, and abilities will be valued, celebrated, and used as a vehicle during academic instruction. 

All employees of the district share the responsibility for seeing that behavior of students meets the standards of conduct conducive to a learning environment. Practices that are restorative in nature (repairing the harm to the victim and the school community caused by a student's misconduct) will be given first consideration to remediate offenses. 

Students are subject to these policies:

• while on school premises, 
• while using school-provided transportation, 
• while attending or engaging in school-sponsored activities, and
•  while away from school grounds.

See all Board policies at discover.wdmcs.org/board-policies. Some important topics addressed in policies are:

• Student behavior, including public displays of affection: Board Policy 503.01 Discipline
• Student dress and appearance: Board Policy 502 Student Conduct
• Cell phone privacy: Board Policy 502.08 Search and Seizure

You can also find student handbooks online: discover.wdmcs.org/handbooks