Our role in preparing our students for postsecondary learning, careers, and life is best fulfilled when we are all HERE. We want your student to feel connected and that they belong HERE in WDMCS.

What is chronic absenteeism?
A student is considered chronically absent if they miss 10 percent of school, which is 18 or more days in a year. This equals only two days a month.

Why do we need to talk about it?
Research shows consistent attendance:

• helps children reach early
• academic and developmental milestones,
• helps students develop positive relationships with peers and staff,
• prevents students from falling behind academically,
• connects families to additional community resources, and
• increases graduation rates.

If your student needs to stay home or be late for school, please call the school office before the start of the school day and report your student’s name and reason for the absence or tardiness. In the case of excessive absences, a physician’s note, school nurse, or building administrator’s documentation may be required to excuse the absence. If there is anything our school can do to help your student attend school regularly and on time, please contact us.

Attendance communications may only be reported by parents/guardians listed in Infinite Campus. If your student will be late or needs an early release, please send a note with your student to bring to the main office in the morning before the start of school.

You may also use the Southwoods attendance email swattendance@wdmcs.org to report your student’s absences. Please remember to include your student’s first and last name, student number, date/time and reason for the absence.

If your student also has a class at Valley High School on the date of their absence, please remember to inform Valley at vhsattendance@wdmcs.org.

Communication of the attendance event prior to, or on the day of, the absence will prevent unexcused absence emails, text messages, and/or phone calls. Whenever a student arrives late or needs to leave early during the school day, students must always sign in and out in the office and obtain a pass to class.

Make-Up Work
Student should contact the instructor about assignments missed. They will have two days to make up the work for each day of an excused absence, for up to six school days for multiple, consecutive, excused absences. The time allowed for make-up work may be extended at the discretion of the teacher. Students should see teachers in advance of planned absences.

If there is a family emergency, please contact the school office, and they will reach your student. If there is an emergency at school, we will call the parent/guardian.

• Students may be asked to place their device in a caddy for the duration of the class.
• Cell phone/handheld electronic device usage is only allowed before or after school unless permitted by the teacher. This includes the use of earbuds,
• Smart watches can be worn as long as they are not a distraction.
• If a phone or other device becomes a distraction, a teacher or staff member may keep the device until the end of the day.
• WDMCS is not responsible for lost, damaged, or stolen cell phones or communication devices.
• To learn more about cell phone privacy, please read Board Policy 502.09 - Search and Seizure

Students are allowed to bring individual, small snacks and drinks to consume during the school day at appropriate times as long as they are responsible for keeping our school clean. Sharing snacks is not allowed. Families can drop off lunch or school materials when needed at the school office. Please do notdeliver food for anyone other than your student, and students are not allowed to order food delivery (UberEats, GrubHub, etc.)

Students who want to drive to school once they have completed driver’s education must complete the online Minor School License Parking Permit Form and the IA DOT Affidavit form. These can be found online. The online Parking Permit Form will automatically be emailed to the secretaries once completed.

The IA DOT Affidavit form will need to be printed and brought into the Southwoods main office OR your student can pick up a packet in the main office. Bring completed forms, along with the student permit, to the main office for approval from a school administrator.

Students are not assigned parking, but the lot is organized with white line spaces for students and green line spaces for teachers. Students are to park only in spaces with white lines.

https://discover.wdmcs.org/minor-school-license

(Board Policy 502) Students and their parents/
guardians hold the primary responsibility for what a student chooses to wear to school each day. When a student is comfortable in what they wear, including expressing their individuality and/or personal and family culture, they can better focus on learning. WDMCS expectations for student dress and appearance are based on safety and showing respect for others.

• Students are asked to dress appropriately for the weather, including coats, hats, gloves, and boots. Any family who needs support in obtaining clothing or shoes should contact the office.
• Shoes must be worn at all times for student safety.
• Clothing or other apparel promoting products illegal for use by minors or displaying obscene material, profanity, or reference to prohibited conduct are not allowed. If worn, a student will be asked to change or be given something different to wear.

School administration will work with the parent/guardian and student to address any concerns and create a positive solution. Board Policy 502 gives administration final discretion.

WDMCS welcomes visitors and volunteers to its school buildings. Visitors are individuals who come to watch an assembly, eat lunch with their student, or visit their student’s classroom. Typically, visitors arrange 24 hours in advance when they wish to meet with a classroom teacher and limit their visits to a short period of time. It is important that they do not interfere with the class in progress or discuss individual concerns when students are present. Young children and/or students must be accompanied by an adult when visiting.

Volunteers are often asked to help with a project at school. There are many choices for volunteers, including classroom assistance, participation in building and activity support groups, and service on districtwide or
building committees. You may obtain more information about sharing your time and skills by calling our office.

Volunteers may be subject to additional screening processes. Both visitors and volunteers enter the building through the front door and check in at the office to pick up a visitor badge every time they visit. Please bring your personal identification with you. Examples of personal identification include a state-issued ID, passport, military license, Mexico Consular ID card, and Permanent Resident card. Your ID will be run through a screening process called Raptor. They will also be asked where they will be in the building. This helps school staff understand where individuals are in the event of an emergency. Individuals who do not pass the Raptor screening process will not be allowed into the building.

Because WDMCS adheres to state and federal laws, all visitors and volunteers on school grounds must comply with the State of Iowa’s Senate File 482, which states individuals must use the restroom of their assigned gender at birth. All schools have multi-stall, gender-specific, and individual
restrooms available.