WKMS Back POCKET

Monday, Aug. 31 and Tuesday, Sept. 1
iReady Reading Diagnostic

Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 7

School closed.

Tuesday, Sept. 8

Fire drill during 1st Pd.

Wednesday, Sept. 30
Fire drill during 2nd Pd.

Term 1 Midterms, Friday, Sept. 18

2-Hour Early Dismissal

Yom Kippur, Monday, Sept. 21

School closed.

Fair Day, Friday, Sept. 25

3.5-Hour Early Dismissal

There is something exciting about the beginning of a new school year. On August 19th, we were thrilled to welcome almost 900 Wolverines back to Windsor Knolls for another great year. The start of the school year provides us with a fresh opportunity to set goals, build relationships, learn new things, and grow together.

As we prepare for the year ahead, our staff is reflecting on an important question: How can we make an already strong school even better for every student? To begin answering that question, over the summer our School Leadership Team carefully examined our academic achievement, attendance, discipline, and student survey data. We celebrated areas where our students and staff continue to do well. We were also very honest about the areas where we need to improve. Our message to the WKMS staff and community is simple: Expect More! Support More! Achieve More! We know our students, staff, and families are capable of great things.

Be Your Best,

Brian P. Vasquenza

Principal

Windsor Knolls Middle School

To serve others in order that they may learn, grow, & be their best!

FCPS' Food and Nutrition Services participates in the School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. Free and reduced-price meal benefits are available at WKMS. Online applications for the 2026-2027 school year are available at https://linqconnect.com/public/meal-application/new.

We encourage families who think they qualify or are unsure if they qualify to complete the application to determine your child’s eligibility. Eligibility for free or reduced-price meals is based the annual income eligibility guidelines effective from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027.

Interested in volunteering at WKMS this school year? FCPS launched a new volunteer registration process that combines the required training and application into one convenient online experience. There is no separate training platform or additional account to create.

Before beginning, please note that the required training video must be viewed in its entirety before the application becomes available. The training takes approximately 25 minutes in English and 31 minutes in Spanish.

Apply today:

• English Volunteer Application

• Spanish Volunteer Application

Once approved, contact the school to learn more about volunteer opportunities.

Questions? Contact the FCPS Volunteer Center at FCPSVolunteers@fcps.org or visit the FCPS Volunteer Webpage for additional information.

Join us for an important conversation about keeping our students safe online!

We are pleased to welcome Lindsey Carpenter, Chief Assistant State’s Attorney, Special Victims Unit (SVU), Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, who will present to WKMS parents on navigating online safety for children.

This informative presentation will provide parents with helpful information and practical guidance for supporting children as they navigate the digital world, including ways to promote safe and responsible online habits.

We encourage all parents and guardians to attend this valuable presentation. We look forward to learning together and working as a school community to help keep our students safe online

The Frederick County Health Department will be hosting back to school vaccination clinics until September 30 for children who do not have health insurance, have health insurance that does not cover the cost of vaccines, or who are unable to get vaccinated by their healthcare provider. Vaccinations will be at no cost for these children and appointments are required. Call 301-600-1733 or fill out this online form to request an appointment.

Parents and guardians are responsible for ensuring their children meet Maryland's required school immunization requirements. Immunization records can be dropped off in the Front Office throughout the summer or submitted with your student on the first day of school.

Schoology is an important home-school communication tool for WKMS families. Parents/guardians are encouraged to set up a Schoology account and link to their student's profile. The most up-to-date information regarding grades and assignments are accessible through Schoology.

Need help setting up or linking accounts? View the Schoology Parent Guide.

WKMS is mandated by MSDE, MCSS and FCPS to conduct 15 drills each school year. In addition to 8 fire drills, the following drills will take place:

1. Evacuation such as a bomb threat or chemical spill
2. Shelter
3. Reverse Evacuation
4. Lockdown
5. Drop, Cover, Hold
6. Severe Weather
7. Active Shooter/Active Assailant

Please refer to FCPS Safety and Emergency Management for more information. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us!

The reviews are in and WKMS families are loving the new morning carline! As a reminder, cars will use the lane to the left of the bus drop-off and exit from the parking lot at the far right. Please be aware of staff members directing traffic and follow their directions for a safe and efficient drop-off. There are minor occurrence of distracted drives on cell phones, so please refrain from using devices in car line to ensure a safe environment for all students and staff. Thank you for your support!

Greetings from the English Language Arts Department! We are so very excited to welcome your learners back into the building this year. Students have been busy in LA classes learning new routines and discussing the first-quarter ELA priority standards. Students in Read180 classes have been reviewing the expectations of independent reading and software rotations, and students have received their new workbooks for this year's R180 workshops. Students in foundational reading courses have "hit the ground running" by seamlessly transitioning back into their respective programs.

All students will "Show What They Know" by completing the i-Ready Reading Assessment next week. For your planning purposes, mid-term is on Friday, September 18, and the ELA department is anticipating a fabulous first term with your students. Please reach out to your student's ELA teacher or to the WKMS Literacy Specialist, Ginny Hines, with any questions or concerns.

2026 Bernard "Pappy" Lorenzen Memorial Cross Country Meet

The 2026 Bernard "Pappy" Lorenzen Memorial Cross Country Meet is on Wednesday, September 23rd (Rain Date - Tuesday, Sept 29 or Wednesday, Sept. 30) at Harry Grove Stadium in Frederick, MD. This event is open to all 6th, 7th, and 8th students in FCPS, students will be running a 1-mile course and will compete against other middle school students from around the county.

Unified athletes will be running approximately 1,000 feet around a designated area.

Students interested in attending the meet need to return a completed permission slip to the PE department. Parents and/or guardians have to provide transportation to and from the event and stay with their child for the duration of the event. Below are links to the permission slips. Let me know if you have any additional questions.

2026 MS Pappy Permission Slip

2026 MS Pappy Unified Permission Slip

Ryan Burkey, Christine Donohue, Nicki Conlon, Evan Wolcott, Ishah Malik, and David Stevens

Save the date: Wednesday, Oct. 21st (rain date Thursday, Oct. 22rd) from 3-4:30

All grades invited!! 8th graders will have an opportunity to be a zombie this year :) 6th and 7th graders will be runners.

More information to come at the beginning of October.

Information for the Family Life Preview will be coming in mid September.

Students who were members of the archery team last year will have first priority to rejoin the team this year. Permission slips for returning archers will be distributed in mid-October.

New 7th and 8th grade students will have the next opportunity to join the team. The team roster is limited to 60 students.

If spots remain after returning team members and new 7th and 8th grade students have the opportunity to sign up, permission slips will then be sent home with interested 6th graders. 6th graders will be selected based on their participation, effort, sportsmanship and behavior during the archery unit, as well as other relevant factors.

We’re so excited to be back and working with your children! Please meet the members of our guidance department below.

GUIDELINES FOR A NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Each month, we try to focus on a resource that we hope provides parents with strategies to support your child. Check out the article Starting Middle School for ways to help students successfully handle the expectations and challenges of a new grade level.

Getting back on the school schedule can be difficult after a long summer break and some kids may ask for caffeine to help them get through the day. Please check out this article Energy Drinks and Kids: What You Need to Know to see Johns Hopkins recommendations on teenagers drinking energy drinks.

We are committed to making sure that our students and families are aware of the many resources available if your child is struggling with a mental health challenge. Please check out this RESOURCES link on the WKMS Counseling website for support services as well as information on the Mental Health Association’s walk-in clinic in downtown Frederick.

UPCOMING: Camp Jamie - Teen Grief Camp in September

Frederick Health Hospice is sponsoring a day camp on September 26, 2026, at Thorpewood Retreat Center in Thurmont, MD, for grieving teens in grades 1 - 8 to come together to talk about their feelings and learn coping skills for dealing with death. There is no cost for this event, but there is an application to complete as space is limited. All applications are due September 11, 2026. For more information or to register, please contact 240-566-3030 or go to www.frederickhealthhospice.org/grief-loss/camp-jamie/

Kids Like Us

Here at Windsor Knolls Middle School, we offer an award-winning program called Kids Like Us (KLU). We are now enrolling new participants in our 6th,7th,8th grade groups, so I wanted to get the word out. Participation is a choice and requires permission from a parent or guardian.

KLU is for students that are impacted by someone in their household who: Is using alcohol or drugs in a harmful way, has a substance use disorder, or is in treatment or recovery.

To respect family privacy, I do not need to know who the household member is or details about the situation for a student to participate. KLU participation is private and confidential. Other students and staff are not told who is in KLU.

KLU is engaging, positive, and fun. KLU helps kids build resilience skills so that they can make healthy choices.

If you would like to enroll a student or get more information, please contact me at William.Migliorini@fcps.org or call 227-203-2750.

IN NEED OF SCHOOL SUPPLIES?

Please contact the counseling office at 227-203-2750, extension 47515, if we can help your child with any needed materials.

Back to School Logistics

As we begin this school year, it is crucial for our registrar to have the most current information on your child. Please review the following to make sure that WKMS has all needed information. Thank you!

Additional changes in phone numbers or email address:

Please contact Ms. Burkey, as soon as possible at Amy.Burkey@fcps.org if you need to update your phone number and/or email address.

Change in residence or mailing address:

You will need to supply Windsor Knolls with an updated proof of residency. This may be a lease or sales contract, water, gas or electric bill with your new address listed. Any bill should be dated within the last thirty days.

Welcome back to School WKMS! The Career Coach has already begun working with students by introducing herself to 6th graders during Social Studies classes. Students in 7th and 8th grade can keep an eye on their grade level Schoology Career Coach groups for invites to guest speakers and other workshops having to do with the Industry of the Month. September is all about Agriculture...take a look!

Families, please note the upcoming basketball open gym and tryout dates:

Open Gym

• Sept. 22: Girls JV, 5–7 PM | Girls Varsity, 7–9 PM

• Sept. 23: Girls Varsity, 3–5 PM | Girls JV, 5–7 PM

• Sept. 24: Boys JV, 5–7 PM | Boys Varsity, 7–9 PM

• Sept. 25: Boys JV, 3–5 PM

Tryouts

• Sept. 28: Boys Varsity, 7–9 PM

• Sept. 29: Boys JV, 5–7 PM | Boys Varsity, 7–8:30 PM

• Sept. 30: Boys JV, 3–5 PM | Girls Varsity, 5–7 PM

• Oct. 1: Girls Varsity, 7–9 PM

• Oct. 2: Boys JV, 3–5 PM

• Oct. 6: Girls JV, 5–7 PM

• Oct. 7: Girls JV, 5–7 PM

Please plan accordingly and make sure students arrive on time and ready to participate.

WKMS is excited to announce our fifth year participating in the Maryland State Police Cool Schools Polar Bear Plunge!

This January, our 8th-grade students will once again have the opportunity to take part in this exciting event while raising money to support Special Olympics Maryland. More information will be shared with 8th graders in September, but the community is welcome to help us get an early start on fundraising by using the link below.

We are proud to continue this meaningful WKMS tradition of service, school spirit, and support for an incredible organization!

WKMS Wolverines Cool Schools Donation Link