Timberwolf Times

Timberwolf Families,

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for Chalk the Walk on Monday! While the rain cut our fun a bit short, we loved seeing the fantastic photos sent in before the storms hit. Today, we had the special privilege of welcoming our rising sixth graders to Shirley Heim Middle School as they officially stepped into this exciting new chapter. We are equally thrilled to welcome back our returning Timberwolves! Seeing our hallways filled once again with their energy, leadership, and vibrant school spirit sets the tone for our entire community. As our returning students step up as mentors, tackle fresh challenges, and grow academically, we know this year will be extraordinary. Thank you for your continued partnership and dedication—together, let’s make this school year our best one yet!

Sincerely,

SHMS Admin Team

Wed., Aug. 12: First of school for everyone!

Thurs., Aug. 13: first day of football tryouts for 7th & 8th grade students

School Year Calendar

This is your guide to the year. Print and/or save the link to the approved 2026-2027 school year calendar and X/Y calendar to help avoid missed instructional time during the school year when planning family activities. Please note that this is the official link to the current school calendar.

You can subscribe to the SHMS Community Calendar: SHMS Community Calendar. The X/Y calendar and activities are listed on the Community Calendar.

English Video for Parent Vue

Spanish Video for Parent Vue

Access your student’s attendance records, grades, and assignments at any time with ParentVUE. Once you have activated a ParentVUE account for a Stafford Schools student, you will keep the same account until the student graduates. You will see information about all of your students through one ParentVUE account. ParentVUE is also available using an app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android devices.

Update Your Contact Information: Be sure you receive important information from your schools and the school division. Update your phone numbers and email addresses in the Parent/Guardian section of ParentVUE.

Please be patient with transportation for the first few weeks as we navigate the start of the school year. Due to the high number of incoming calls to our Transportation Services Department, we encourage you to report any issue through our Issuetrak online form.

Please remember to download the transportation app, My Ride K-12, and check for updates to route numbers and pick up/drop off times. Routes are continually updated and optimized during the first few weeks of school. Your pickup or drop off time may change frequently. This video will help you set up your MyRide K-12 app.

For the safety of our students, staff and other drivers, please review best practices on passing stopped school buses and understanding bus lights. You should also review the Stafford Schools B.U.S. Rules with your riders to ensure smooth operations for everyone.

As members of our school community, our students have certain responsibilities. Stafford Schools' need your help encouraging excellent attendance, behavior, and conduct so all can benefit from our comprehensive educational program and variety of extracurricular activities. The Stafford County School Board annually adopts a Student Code of Conduct to help us reach this goal. The Student Code of Conduct is available for review in ParentVUE and on the division website.

Stafford Schools' "Off and Away" personal device policy (which applies to items such as cell phones, iPads, ear pods, and smart watches) aims to minimize distractions and enhance the educational environment for students in all grade levels. Understanding and cooperation from both students and parents are crucial for successful implementation. While there are specific, limited exceptions to the policy, consequences for non-compliance will be enforced. Silencing and stowing cell phones has been a practice in middle and elementary schools, and the updated policy now applies this practice to students in all grade levels. We appreciate your support in creating a focused and productive learning atmosphere for our students. Frequently asked questions and a video on the updated Personal Device Policy are available on the division website.

To apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits for the 2026-2027 school year, families can choose from multiple submission options. Applications can be filled out online at Schoolcafe.com, or completed via paper forms, which are available in person at each school’s main office or can be downloaded from the Nutrition Services webpage. Additionally, a new initiative this year ensures that paper copies of the Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application will be distributed directly to all students, except for those attending Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools. These copies will be delivered to each school prior to open house. Each school is asked to provide a copy to each student.

Additional language options are available through the online application portal. Please note that meal applications from the 25-26 school year are no longer valid.

Stay connected with your student's nutrition needs by downloading the SchoolCafé app, a free mobile app compatible with most Android and iOS phones. With SchoolCafé, you can pay online, view and monitor student meal purchases, set purchase restrictions, and apply for free and reduced meals. We strongly encourage all families to set up low balance alerts and regularly check meal account balances. Download the SchoolCafé app today from the App Store or Google Play. Stay informed and ensure your student is well-nourished and ready to learn!

Accessing nutritious meals is vital for students' health and well-being. Our Free and Reduced Meal Application program strives to provide eligible families with access to wholesome meals, supporting students' nutritional needs throughout the school year. Families must submit a new free or reduced student meals application each school year. Although paper applications are available in English and Spanish at your school's front office, we encourage the use of our convenient online application platform for swift and efficient submission. This online process streamlines your application and expedites the review process.

Meal Service Prices

Immunizations are required for all students to attend school in Virginia. This is an important part of protecting them from certain diseases and keeping them healthy.

Please check with your healthcare provider to make sure your student is up-to-date on the immunizations required by the state of Virginia as soon as possible. If your student needs a vaccine, please make an appointment with your healthcare provider, visit the Rappahannock Area Health Department website for a list of immunization clinics.

Remember to request your student’s immunization record and bring that to your school’s front office.

Families may complete this form to indicate a religious exemption from immunizations. The form must be notarized and returned to your school nurse.

Welcome, Timberwolves family! Please review the important health and emergency requirements below to get ready for a safe and amazing school year.

IMPORTANT MEDICATION POLICY / POLÍTICA IMPORTANTE DE MEDICAMENTOS

Students are NOT allowed to carry any medication on them that is not emergency medicine. Los estudiantes NO tienen permitido llevar ningún medicamento consigo que no sea un medicamento de emergencia.

All medication must have a medication administration form completed and signed by a physician. This includes over-the-counter medication.

• Emergency Contact Information / Información de Contacto de Emergencia: Please ensure your emergency contact information is completely updated in the parent portal before the first day of school. / Por favor asegúrese de actualizar completamente su información de contacto de emergencia antes del primer día de clases.

• Immunization Records / Registros de Vacunación: Provide up-to-date immunization records to the school main office. / Proporcione los registros de vacunación actualizados a la oficina principal de la escuela.

🩺 Health Action Plans & Forms / Planes de Salud y Formularios

Click on the form links below to download and fill out the required documents for your student:

Students entering 7th grade are required to receive the following vaccines after their 11th birthday: Tdap, Meningococcal, and HPV (optional). Immunization records must be provided no later than the first day of school August 12 th , 2026. Students without proper immunizations or updated records will be sent home and cannot return to school until documentation is provided. If you have questions contact the school nurse at reyesfordej@staffordschools.net

Los estudiantes que ingresan al 7.º grado deben recibir las siguientes vacunas después de cumplir los 11 años: Tdap, Meningocócica y VPH (opcional). Los registros de vacunación deben entregarse no más tardar del primer día de escuela, el 12 de agosto de 2026. Los estudiantes que no tengan las vacunas correspondientes o los registros actualizados serán enviados a casa y no podrán regresar a la escuela hasta que se proporcione la documentación. Si tiene preguntas, comuníquese con la enfermera escolar en reyesfordej@staffordschools.net

If your student needs school supplies, clothing, or socio-emotional support during the school year, please reach out to your school’s counseling team, social worker, or school administration team. We are all here to help ensure every student has what they need to succeed. Don't hesitate to connect with staff for assistance.

Tryout dates: Thursday, Friday, and Monday, August 13, 14, & 17th

Time: 4:00-6:00 pm

Who: rising 7th and 8th grade students

Must have completed VHSL physical form on file before you try out.

Completed forms can be emailed to lewiskj@staffordschools.net or dropped off in the main office.

Tryout dates: Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, August 17, 18, & 19th

Time: 4:00-6:00 pm

Who: rising 6th, 7th, and 8th grade girls

Must have completed VHSL physical form on file before you try out.

Completed forms can be emailed to lewiskj@staffordschools.net or dropped off in the main office.

It takes a Pack to make SHMS extraordinary! Join the Timberwolves Volunteer Team today!!

The school year is upon us and we have some openings within the PTO. Come join our amazing group of volunteers to make the 2026-2027 the best it can be!

Stafford Schools has implemented emergency procedures and options that provide our administrators and law enforcement personnel greater flexibility during a potential emergency. This school year, we will use the following emergency procedures:

HOLD: Can be initiated when an area needs to be cleared of students. This could include a medical emergency that requires hallways to be cleared to allow for Emergency Medical Services response. Students and staff will remain in their room or area with the doors closed. Instruction will continue.

SECURE: Will be initiated when there is something considered to be dangerous outside of the building. For example, this could include serious criminal activity in the area. All students and staff will return to the building. Exterior doors will be locked and no one will be allowed to enter or exit the building. Instruction will continue.

LOCKDOWN: Will be initiated when there is an active threat or something dangerous inside the building. Students and staff will enter or remain in a room that can be locked and maintain silence. No one will be allowed to enter or exit the building.

EVACUATE: Will be initiated when there is a need to exit the building. For example, during a fire emergency students and staff will be directed to evacuate the building to a designated area.

SHELTER: Will be initiated during an event requiring students and staff to take shelter during an emergency situation. For example, a tornado warning would require students and staff to move to shelter locations within the school and follow established safety procedures.

Please familiarize yourself with this language as we will use these phrases to communicate with you during an incident.