Keep Your Contact Information Current
Keep Your Emergency Contact Information Up-to-Date. Please remember to update any address/phone or email contact information as soon as possible with the office. We need to know how to contact parents/guardians in case of emergencies or to share things about your student.
If you have Skyward Family Access, your information will be shown there and you call or send a note with the changes.
We Need to Stay Alert - Teach Your Kids About Strangers and Safety
In this day and age, we can never be too vigilant. Parents, please remember to speak with your children about strangers and safety. There have been occurrences at schools around the country where someone attempts to lure students into a vehicle by stating, "I just got off the phone with your mom and she wants me to take you to her." It is important to teach our kids to quickly turn and run away!
Please make sure your child understands that he/she should not communicate with a stranger, nor get in a car with a stranger. If we all "keep our eyes open" we can help keep our kids safe!
For more information about safety at school, visit our School Safety Center.
Homeless Student Rights and Services
The goal of the Wahkiakum School District Homeless Program and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act is to keep students in school. We also want to assist families in staying involved in their children's education and reducing risks they may face. For detailed information, forms and resources related to Policy 3115/Homeless Students, please visit our Homeless Rights and Services/McKinney-Vento Act Program page.
Wahkiakum District's staff member, Renea Freeman, serves as our Homeless Liaison. Her office is located within Wahkiakum High School at 500 S. Third St/B398, Cathlamet, WA 98612. Renea can be reached at 360-795-3971. Homeless Rights and Services
Policies
Absence Policies & Making Up Work: As studies have shown, regular school attendance helps students to be successful in school. If your child is absent for more than one day, please make arrangements with the teacher or office to pick up their work. We also ask that you always send a note or call the office anytime your child is late or absent from school, so that we can mark them excused and have proper documentation in our records. If you know ahead of time that your child will be absent, please prearrange the absence with the office. For more detailed information on attendance and tardiness policies, please refer to the Elementary and Middle School Student Handbook
Wondering Whether or Not to Keep Your Child Home from School? Here are Guidelines for Keeping Children at Home, which are the same ones our schools use in determining when to send a child who is ill home from school. This is one reason why it is so important that the school office has current home, work, and emergency telephone numbers.
Bus and Change of Plans - Procedures for Notes: When students are going somewhere other than home or their regular drop off site (i.e. daycare), students MUST bring a note to school that morning. Teachers will collect parent notes in the morning and send them to the office. All bus notes for the day will then be written.
If plans change and you need to pick your child up, please come to the foyer area of the office at 3:00, so you can meet your child as he/she is dismissed at 3:05. Please, only call the office if an unexpected emergency arises. We really appreciate your cooperation with these procedures. It helps us a great deal in the office.
Computer/Internet Use at School: Internet use has become a standard part of the educational process. A parent/guardian may request an internet opt-out form in the office if they do not want their child to use the internet at school. The students are to use the internet for research and other classroom activities as directed by the teacher. Any misuse of the internet will be considered a Category 1 discipline infraction. Repetitive misuse will result in loss of privilege.
Cell Phone Policies and Warning About Sexting: Students may not use their cell phones at recesses that are not before school or at lunch. This means students may not use cell phones during passing time, in the restrooms during class, or in the hallways during class. Also, please review the policies about sexting and its consequences on page 7 of the Student Handbook
Medications at School: There are state laws regarding medications at school. Any medications, prescription or over the counter, taken at school must be stored in the office in its original container and must be accompanied by an "Authorization for Administration of Medication" form. If your child needs to take medication of any kind at school please pick up and complete the form. A physician's signature is required for all medications on this form. These forms need to be updated every school year. Some students who use inhalers can carry them with them, but still need to have the paperwork on file in the office.
Restraining Orders/Parenting Plans: If you possess a restraining order against another person or if you have a parenting plan, it is very important that you provide the office with the most current documents bearing the signature of or stamp of the judge. We are legally unable to deny parent contact with a child unless the proper documents are on file in our school.
Annual Parent Notice/Opt-Out of HIV/AIDS Curriculum for Grades 6-12:
Presented May/June Each Year
During late May/early June of each school year, the Wahkiakum School District Nurse presents the HIV/AIDS Curriculum to students in Grades 6-12. For more detailed information about this curriculum, please read this letter about the HIV/AIDS curriculum.
If you do NOT wish to have your child participate in this HIV/AIDS unit, please complete and turn in the bottom portion of this letter to the school office by early May of each school year.
Home Schooling for All Grades, K-12
The District offers an Alternative Learning Option for Homeschool families, incorporating learning at home with parents as teachers, yet having a connection with our District, which includes having communication and some instructional assistance provided by one of our certificated teachers. For more information, call our K-8 building (360-795-3261).
Washington State Homeschooling