Principal's Welcome Letter

WELCOME BACK, JAGUAR FAMILIES!

Every Learner.  Every Voice.  Every Day.

Dear William Wirt Students and Families,

As the final days of summer begin to wind down, I am thrilled to welcome you to the 2026–2027 school year!  I hope your summer has been filled with rest, laughter, adventure, and meaningful time with family and friends.  In just a few short days, the halls of William Wirt Middle School will once again be filled with the energy, excitement, and Jaguar Pride that make our school community so special.

We cannot wait to welcome our students back!  As I begin my 11th year serving the William Wirt Middle School community, I remain incredibly humbled and honored to serve as your principal.  Each year brings new opportunities, new challenges, and new reasons to celebrate, but one thing remains constant: our commitment to ensuring that every student feels known, supported, challenged, and empowered to succeed.

This year, Prince George’s County Public Schools is moving Forward by Design: Acceleration 2029, a new strategic direction centered on intentional decision-making, measurable outcomes, and continuous improvement.  At William Wirt, Forward by Design means that we will be intentional about everything we do.  We will intentionally design learning experiences that challenge and engage students.  We will intentionally use data to identify what students need and provide support before they fall behind.  We will intentionally create opportunities for students to lead, collaborate, create, explore, and discover their strengths.  We will intentionally strengthen our partnerships with families because we know our students are most successful when school and home work together.  Our goal is simple: Every Learner.  Every Voice.  Every Day.

A Strong Start Begins with Attendance:

One of our most important priorities this year will continue to be daily attendance.  Students cannot benefit from great instruction, intervention, enrichment, clubs, athletics, friendships, and the many opportunities available at William Wirt if they are not in school. PGCPS continues to prioritize reducing chronic absenteeism, providing early attendance interventions, building a positive attendance culture, engaging families, and regularly monitoring attendance data.

Last school year, our William Wirt community made tremendous progress with attendance, and this year we want to build on that momentum.  Daily attendance will be closely monitored.  We will fully implement the County attendance procedure.  Last school year, we lowered our chronic absentee rate by 5.9%, but 25% of our students were still chronically absent.  Students who miss more than one day per month are at risk of not meeting the State attendance requirement and will be recommended to our Truancy Reduction Program for family support.  Families can help by establishing consistent bedtime and morning routines, scheduling appointments outside of the instructional day whenever possible, having a backup transportation plan, and communicating with the school whenever circumstances prevent your child from attending.  Most importantly, we want every Jaguar to know: You belong here.  You matter here.  Your presence makes William Wirt better.

Staying Connected:

Strong communication between home and school is essential.  We encourage every family to stay connected throughout the school year and to keep all telephone numbers, email addresses, and emergency contact information current.  Families should maintain regular communication with classroom teachers, professional school counselors, student advocates, grade-level administrators, and other members of your child’s support team.

Please become familiar with the following communication resources:

• ParentVUE allows families to view student schedules, grades, attendance, school information, and transportation details.
• The Chipmunk Transportation App provides student transportation information. Families must have an active ParentVUE account and should use the same email address associated with ParentVUE when establishing their Chipmunk account.
• William Wirt ClassDojo will continue to provide school announcements, reminders, celebrations, and important updates throughout the school year.
• Families should also regularly visit the William Wirt Middle School website and follow our school social media platforms for additional information and celebrations.

Please remember that staying informed is one of the best ways to remain actively involved in your child’s middle school experience.

ARRIVAL, DISMISSAL & OUR NEW TRAFFIC PATTERN:

Families should be aware that our campus traffic pattern has changed. The primary campus entrance is located near 63rd Avenue and Tuckerman Street. Some GPS systems may incorrectly direct drivers to the campus exit road, so please pay close attention to school signage and traffic directions.

A second campus entrance is at Norman Place and 60th Avenue, which served as our primary entrance last school year.  Once on campus, the service road behind the building will operate as a two-way road.  Families traveling to the parent drop-off area should enter the parking lot and follow the designated traffic pattern to the right.  After dropping off students, drivers should continue along the established route toward the designated one-way exit onto 62nd Avenue.

We ask everyone to remain patient during the opening weeks of school as our community becomes familiar with the new traffic configuration.  The Instructional day will begin each morning promptly at 8:30 am. Please plan for students to arrive with enough time to enter the building, eat breakfast if needed, and report to class prepared to begin learning.

Students should also be picked up promptly at dismissal unless they are participating in a supervised after-school activity.

UNIFORMS & STUDENT EXPECTATIONS

William Wirt Middle School is a uniform school, and students are expected to arrive each day dressed appropriately and prepared for learning.

Students should wear:

• 6th Grade: Light blue polo/collared shirt
• 7th Grade: Goldenrod/gold polo/collared shirt
• 8th Grade: Black polo/collared shirt
• Bottoms: Khaki or navy blue pants, knee-length skirts, or knee-length shorts
• Tennis shoes or other appropriate closed-toe footwear

For safety reasons, students should not wear Crocs, slides, or other open-back/open-toe shoes throughout the building.  Students may wear solid-colored cardigans, sweaters, or crewneck sweatshirts.  Hooded sweatshirts are not permitted throughout the building.  We appreciate families helping us establish strong routines from the very first day of school.  You can purchase crewneck sweatshirts at the school for $25 each.

SCHOOL SUPPLIES:

William Wirt students will continue to receive school supplies to support their academic success.  Families should also make sure students come to school each day with their clear backpack, charged Chromebook when applicable, and any classroom materials requested by teachers.  We will share additional information about supply distribution with families through our school communication platforms.

SCHOOL MEALS:

William Wirt Middle School participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, allowing eligible students to receive breakfast and lunch during the school day at no cost.  Our Universal Breakfast Program gives students the opportunity to begin their day with breakfast before instruction begins.  Students will receive **6-digit PIN numbers,** which will remain with them until they graduate.  Students should know their assigned cafeteria PIN and follow all cafeteria procedures and expectations. 

As an Innovation School, the Superintendent has selected our school to pilot the Fresh Food Initiative.  This initiative was inspired by Dr. Joseph's mother, who worked in food services, and is designed to provide scholars with healthier meals while increasing the variety of lunch options. In addition to the hot meal options scholars traditionally receive, they will now have access to a self-serve station featuring fresh fruits and vegetables.  The hot meals will also include more scratch-made items rather than simply reheated processed foods. 

IMMUNIZATIONS:

Under Maryland State Law, all students must be current on their immunizations to attend school. For the upcoming school year, scholars must complete all necessary vaccinations by September 14, 2026, or they may be excluded from classes.  We urge families to secure a time for their child immediately at one of the following locations:

 

Upcoming Immunization Fairs (9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.)

• August 22, 2026 | Kenmoor Middle School — 2501 Kenmoor Drive, Landover
• September 12, 2026 | High Point High School — 3601 Powder Mill Road, Beltsville
• September 26, 2026 | Eleanor Roosevelt High School — 7601 Hanover Parkway, Greenbelt

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

Cheverly Health Department Clinic Services

3003 Hospital Drive, Suite 2082

Cheverly, MD 20785

Available August 10 through October 31, 2026

Monday through Friday

9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

CLICK HERE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT

PARENTVUE:

ParentVUE will remain one of the most important tools families use throughout the year. Stay connected and informed by creating a ParentVUE account.  ParentVUE allows families to view their child’s schedule, grades, attendance, school information, and transportation details. If you need help setting up your ParentVUE account, please contact the school.

Through ParentVUE, families can monitor:

• Grades
• Attendance
• Class schedules
• School information
• Transportation information

If you have not established a ParentVUE account, please do so as soon as possible.  Families needing assistance should contact the school office.

CHIPMUNK TRANSPORTATION APP:

 

• Parents must have an active ParentVUE account through Synergy to access their child’s transportation information in the Chipmunk app.  When setting up their Chipmunk account, they should use the same email address connected to their ParentVUE account.

 

WILLIAM WIRT CLASSDOJO:

• Stay connected with William Wirt Middle School through ClassDojo! Click the link below to join and receive important school announcements, reminders, and updates throughout the school year.  Join our ClassDojo: https://www.classdojo.com/ul/p/addKid?target=class&class=69c51ffb36dd63908d49bb2b

IMPORTANT DATES:

Please mark your calendars with these important beginning-of-year dates:

August 21, 2026 | 11:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
William Wirt Welcome Back Party: Come meet members of our administrative team, staff, and community partners as we prepare for another exciting school year.

August 24, 2026
New Student Orientation: This is an important opportunity for students who are new to William Wirt to become familiar with the building, procedures, expectations, and members of our school community.

August 25, 2026: FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR ALL STUDENTS!

We cannot wait to see our Jaguars!

September 16, 2026
Professional Development Day — No School for Students

September 24, 2026 | 5:30–8:00 p.m.
Back-to-School Night: Families can visit the school, meet teachers, learn more about courses and programs, and hear how we can partner throughout the school year.

FORWARD BY DESIGN:

Jaguar families, as we begin this new year, I want you to know that our entire team is committed to showing up each day prepared to educate, empower, encourage, and support your children.  Middle school is an incredibly important time. Our students are discovering who they are, identifying their interests, developing independence, building friendships, and beginning to imagine what their futures might hold.

We take our responsibility to guide them through this journey seriously.  This year, we will continue challenging our Jaguars academically while also providing opportunities to explore leadership, technology, the arts, career interests, athletics, enrichment, entrepreneurship, and new experiences that help them see possibilities beyond the classroom.

• We will celebrate their accomplishments.
• We will support them through challenges.
• We will hold them accountable.
• We will listen to their voices.

And we will continue creating a school where every child knows that there are adults who believe deeply in their potential.  But we cannot do it without you.  Families, we need your partnership.

• Ask your child what they learned.
• Check ParentVUE.
• Communicate with teachers.
• Attend school events.
• Celebrate progress.
• Address concerns early.
• Encourage your child to attend school every day, arrive on time, follow expectations, work hard, ask questions, and take advantage of every opportunity available.

Together, we can make the 2026–2027 school year our strongest year yet.  To our returning Jaguars: Welcome home!  To our new Jaguars: Welcome to the family!  And to all of our parents, guardians, and caregivers: thank you for trusting us with your most precious gift—your children.  Enjoy the remainder of your summer, and get ready for an incredible year of learning, growth, achievement, and Jaguar Pride.  We look forward to seeing our students on Tuesday, August 25, 2026!

With excitement and appreciation,

Dr. Rhonda Simley

Forward by Design.

Every Learner.  Every Voice.  Every Day.

JAGUAR PRIDE!

 
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