Windsor Charter Academy Middle School
2023-24 BACK-TO-SCHOOL INFORMATION
We are excited to start preparing for the 2023-24 school year! To ensure a seamless start to the school year, parents are asked to review the following information carefully and ensure that each action step is complete prior to returning in August. This webpage serves as a single point of communication for everything our Firebird families need to begin the school year!
Important Dates
Please download our 2023-2024 School Calendar for all official dates. Some important dates to remember are:
July 31st: Athletic Registration Night for Fall Sports from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.--MS/HS Commons
Required for All Fall-Sport Athletes - Choose One Session Only
August 3rd: Athletic Registration Night for Fall Sports from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.--MS/HS Commons
Required for All Fall-Sport Athletes - Choose One Session Only
August 14th: Fall Sports Meeting @ 5:30 p.m.
MS Cross Country - Room #145; MS Boys’ Soccer - Room #147
August 16th: 6th Grade Student Orientation at 3:00 p.m.--MS/HS Gymnasium
August 16th: Back-to-School Open House from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.--MS Classrooms
August 18th: First Day of School for 6th Graders
August 21st: First Day of School for 7th & 8th Graders
August 29th: Picture Day
Formal Dress Uniform Required with French Toast Tie
Summer Office Hours
The front office of our middle school will be closed from June 8th to August 3rd. While our offices are closed to the general public, parents may have questions around enrollment and/or registering for classes. If you have enrollment questions, please email our registrar, Tammy Fagler or call 970-833-5190 ext. 218. Our Registrar’s Office will be closed from June 30th through July 14th.
If you have course registration questions, our middle and high school counselors, and early college academic advisor will be back in the office on July 31st. If you would like to set up a meeting with one of our counselors or advisor, please email:
Lydia Boyes, Middle School Counselor
Serena Seneca, High School Counselor
Josie Ringlein, Early College Advisor
Back-to-School Open House
Our Back-to-School Open House is one of our favorite events of the year! It is a time for students to meet new teachers, rekindle old friendships, and prepare for a new school year. The Middle School Back-to-School Open House will be held on August 16th from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
At this event, students will receive their schedules, walk to find their classrooms, and meet their teachers. Students will also receive their locker number and combination so they can drop off their school supplies and decorate their lockers. At the bottom of the school supply list, there is a section titled “Shared Supplies - Bring to Back to School Open House on August 16th.” These items will be brought to the gym. All other supplies are for the student to keep.
Parents/guardians can also stop by our informational booths to learn more about volunteer opportunities, committees, food services, Infinite Campus, complete their background check, and pay registration fees. At Windsor Charter Academy, a Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) background check is required for entering the building. To complete this process, please click here. All new parents and parents who need to update their CBI check should bring a current photo ID to complete a background check. We can’t wait to see you there!
6th Grade Student Orientation
We are excited to welcome our Firebirds to middle school! Our 6th Grade Student Orientation will be held on August 16th at 3:00 p.m. The first 20 minutes will be a presentation for students and parents to attend in the gym. Following the presentation, students will:
meet their teachers and practice walking to class based on their school schedule.
drop off school supplies to the gym. At the bottom of the school supply list, there is a section titled “Shared Supplies - Bring to Back to School Open House on August 16th.” These items will be brought to the gym. All other supplies are for the students to store in their locker.
If students are unable to attend the orientation, students will be able to receive similar information at the Back-to-School Open House from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m.
required for all parents: submit Parent Agreement Form
Each year, our parents are asked to complete a Middle School Parent Agreement Form for each of their students enrolled at our school. To make the process convenient, everything is in one simple place. This agreement form gives permissions and acknowledgements for:
Acceptable Use of Technology
Student Data Privacy
Walking Field Trip Permission Form
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act
Code of Conduct
Once you have looked through our Windsor Charter Academy Parent & Student Handbook, please complete the Middle School Parent Agreement Form. Parents are asked to complete one form for each student enrolled before the start of the school year. Any student who does not have a signature form on file by the last day of August may have their account access revoked.
required for all parents: set up or update Infinite Campus Account
Infinite Campus, commonly referred to as IC, is a student information management system used by Weld RE-4 School District and Windsor Charter Academy. All families have an IC account - one for each parent and one for each student. Windsor Charter Academy uses IC to assess student fees, post grades, track attendance, send report cards, communicate with parents, and send emergency messages (snow days, infectious disease spread, building closures, etc.). It is imperative that parents access their IC accounts often and also keep their contact information up-to-date. If you have any questions regarding your IC account, please contact Tammy Fagler or Paula Ridout.
Infinite Campus Links: Please bookmark the links below.
Returning WCA Families: All returning families are asked to verify that their contact information is current in Infinite Campus. Instructions on how to update this information can be found on our website.
New WCA Families: New families to WCA will receive information on how to create an Infinite Campus account at our back-to-school events. At these events, new families will be issued an activation key. Once an activation key is issued, please visit our website for information on how to set up your account.
Required for all parents: Review Important Information
Please review the following important information for next year.
New Start and End Times for MS/HS Students:
Start Time: 8:15 a.m.
End Time: 3:21 p.m.
Pink Days on 2023-2024 School Calendar: Pink Days have been added to the elementary school calendar only. Elementary school students will not attend school on Pink Days. Middle and high school students will attend school on designated Pink Days.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up Procedures: A new MS/HS parking lot will be constructed over the summer. To review our new drop-off and pick-up procedures, please click here.
Middle/High School Backpack Policy: As stated in the Windsor Charter Academy Parent & Student Handbook, students are allowed to bring backpacks, string bags, purses, and lunch boxes to school. These bags must be placed in student lockers at the start of the school day. For student and staff safety, bags will not be allowed in the classroom. Student safety is valued over student convenience. If a student brings a bag to class, teachers will ask students to return it to their locker.
Middle/High School Cell Phone Policy: All student cell phones and smart watches must remain on silent and not visible throughout the school day, unless requested by a teacher for a specific activity. If students choose to carry their cell phone it must be in their pocket. Additionally, if a cell phone is a distraction to student learning or normal school operations staff may use discretion to implement consequences as outlined in our handbook.
Dress Code: Review the Middle School Dress Code
Health Services: If your child has had a change of health status since the last school year, please contact Sara Ibarra, School Nurse.
Student Attendance: In an effort to align with Executive Board Policy JE: Student Attendance that was revised in 2020, we want to remind parents/guardians about student attendance at Windsor Charter Academy. It is the obligation and responsibility of every parent/guardian to ensure that every child under their care and supervision attends school as required by Colorado statutes, Executive Board policies, and school regulations.
The following will be considered excused absences:
A student who is temporarily ill or injured or whose absence is approved by the administrator of the school of attendance on a prearranged basis. Prearranged absences will be approved for appointments or circumstances of a serious nature only which cannot be taken care of outside of school hours.
A student who is absent for an extended period due to a physical disability or a mental or behavioral health disorder.
A student who is pursuing a work-student program under the supervision of a public school.
A student who is attending any school-sponsored activity or activities of an educational nature with advance approval by the administration.
A student who is suspended or expelled.
An unexcused absence shall be any absence that is not found within the foregoing exceptions listed in this policy.
Tardy Policy: As stated in Executive Board Policy JE: Student Attendance, the only tardy that shall be considered excused is for a medical or dental appointment. Each student will be allowed five unexcused tardies every semester. Additional unexcused tardies will be addressed with the student and parents/guardians.
FOOD SERVICES
Windsor Charter Academy students will receive free breakfast and lunch starting the 2023-24 school year!
In November 2022, Colorado voters passed the Healthy School Meals for All program (Proposition FF). Below is a summary of what families should know about this program:
Breakfast and lunch for the 2023-24 school year will be free.
Meals will continue to be free for students who qualify for free and reduced meal benefits.
Linq Connect (Formerly Titan) School Lunch Accounts
Windsor Charter Academy uses the Linq Connect (formerly Titan School Solutions) software program for student meals. Students are asked to have active accounts on Linq Connect. Although breakfast and lunch are free to all students this year, keeping funds in their lunch account is recommended for purchasing:
An extra entree
Items from the MS/HS snack shack
Milk
Cookies
A la carte items
If a student does not have a Linq Connect account, they will need to pay for these items with cash.
To Create an Account:
New WCA Families: Click here to set up your family portal. Please enter “Windsor Charter Academy” as the school district.
Returning WCA Families: Your family’s username and password from Titan will be the same for Linq Connect. All funds will automatically transfer from the previous school year.
Free or Reduced-Price School Benefits
The Healthy School Meals for All Program will provide the opportunity for students to access free breakfast and lunch. Even though the Healthy School Meals for All Program provides free meals, it is important for families who qualify to still apply for the Free or Reduced-Price Program to access additional benefits. Families who qualify may receive additional discounts on:
school fees;
class materials;
field trips;
bus passes;
and other city recreation discounts.
Families who are eligible can apply for Free and Reduced Benefits. Click here to learn more. On the application, please enter “Windsor Charter Academy” as the school district.
Please note that if your family has been approved for this program in the past, you are required to reapply every year. Paper applications and instructions are also available at the front desk of each of our schools. For questions, please contact Jeannine Davison, Director of Food Services.
Food Allergies
Students who need their school meals modified to accommodate food allergies or preferences will be required to submit a Meal Modification Form signed by their medical provider. The Food Services Department will only modify meals if this form has been completed.
School Supplies
Please review the school supply lists for each grade level:
This year, we are also starting a school-wide Health & Wellness Amazon Wish List to help provide necessary health and wellness products to our students. If you choose to purchase from this list, all items can be shipped to the school. For questions, please reach out to Sara Sanders, Director of Communications.
School Fees
School fees for Windsor Charter Academy students are due at the start of the school year. The 2023-2024 Student Fees were approved by the Executive Board. Fees can be paid online through Infinite Campus, or by cash/check to our office. For new families to our school, fees can be paid at our back-to-school events. Fees may be waived/reduced for those families that qualify for our Free and Reduced Price Benefits Program. For more information on how to apply to this program, please click here.
Students who participate in certain electives or clubs will be required to submit additional fees. Parents will be able to see which electives their students are registered for and the associated elective fees once students receive their schedules at our Back-to-School Open House. Fees will be applied to student Infinite Campus accounts approximately 2 weeks after the start of school, when schedule changes are completed and all schedules are finalized. Any prior outstanding fees will need to be paid before a student can register for a new fee-based elective or club.
Navy and Green Day Schedules
Our middle school has a rotating block schedule. This year, navy and green days will rotate on a daily basis. The new schedule can be downloaded here.
Academic Support
Students with D’s or F’s or with multiple missing assignments will be required to attend school academic support groups during WIN/Advisory on Wednesdays.
Athletics
We are excited for our Firebirds to participate in middle school athletics! This year, our season dates are:
To register, please follow the Athletics Registration Instructions. More information can be found on our athletics webpage. For questions, please reach out to Chris West, Athletic Director.
Picture Day
Picture Day will be held on August 29th. Students are required to wear formal dress uniforms for picture day and wear a tie. Since school ties are only worn for picture day, the middle school has ties available to borrow. Parents can also purchase a French Toast school tie for their student to wear but purchasing a tie is not required. Ties can be ordered via the links below:
Order Uniforms & Spirit Wear
Parents have the opportunity to purchase uniforms at any store but all garments must follow our Dress Code Policy. Parents generally purchase uniforms at Old Navy, Target, Kohls, Costco, or A Children’s Place. Items can also be purchased online through our official WCA French Toast Online Store.
At the elementary and middle school, students are allowed to wear WCA spirit wear tops in lieu of uniform shirts. WCA spirit wear can be ordered online from K&W Printing. The online store for K&W Printing will open July 7th and will close on July 28th. Orders that are placed in July will be delivered to your child’s homeroom teacher by August 16th at our Back-to-School Night.
During the school year, K&W Printing will open up the school store during the first two weeks of every month. Ordered items will be delivered to the school during the first week of the following month.
In addition, Firebird Fan Apparel can also be purchased from our BSN Sideline Store. Purchases made through this site are shipped directly to your home. Please note that all spirit wear worn during the school day needs to comply with our Dress Code Policy. For instance, sweatpants or hats may be sold in our spirit stores, but may not be allowed to be worn during the school day.
AVID T-SHIRT ORDERS
Windsor Charter Academy is proud to be an AVID school! Our teachers incorporate AVID strategies in our classrooms on a daily basis. To help promote the importance of AVID with our students, parents are invited, but not required, to purchase an AVID t-shirt for their student. Students can use their same AVID t-shirt throughout their middle and high school experience. Please click here to order a t-shirt.
Early Bird Cost: $12.50 per shirt if purchased by August 31, 2023
Regular Cost: $25.00 per shirt if purchased after August 31, 2023
Email lists & facebook groups
All families are automatically subscribed to our email list with the email address provided during enrollment. Relatives can also subscribe to our email list to receive newsletters. If you would like to confirm that you are on our email list, please contact Sara Sanders, Director of Communications with the email address you would like added and the current grade level of your student(s).
Parents and legal guardians can also join our private, grade-level WCA Facebook Pages. Please make sure to complete the 3-question membership form when requesting admission to our private Facebook groups.
Student Service & Volunteer Committments
Community service is an integral part of the culture of WCA and students are required to complete a certain number of volunteer hours each school year. Students record their hours on the Community Service Form which is also available in the front offices. Forms are due on May 1st. Service hours can be accrued between May 1st of the current year and April 30th of the next year.
6th Grade: 10 Hours
7th Grade: 15 Hours
8th Grade: 20 Hours
Parent Volunteer Hours
Parental involvement and volunteerism are strong components of WCA. Every family is expected to serve 35 hours per school year. All hours should be logged here.
A few important points about volunteering:
A 35-hour commitment is required per family, not per student. Grandparents or other relatives can help fulfill a family’s service commitment.
If you plan to run for WCA’s Executive Board in the spring, an individual volunteer account needs to be created for the candidate running. Service hours fulfilled must be by the candidate themselves, and not other family members. WCA volunteer hours will be verified via our HelpCounter Volunteer Portal.
Making a donation to the school can count towards your family’s volunteer commitment. Every $10 counts towards one volunteer hour. In other words, a one-time $350 donation would cover your volunteer hours for the year. To make a donation, please fill out our online form, and in the notes section, specify that your donation is to cover volunteer hours.
Board & Support Committees
Board committees support Executive Board members in their work in governance and oversight. There are four Executive Board committees—School Accountability, Student and School Safety, Education, Finance and Election.
Safety Committee: The Safety Committee’s purpose encompasses a variety of areas, including, but not limited to: physical safety, environmental safety, internet safety, and emotional safety. The committee focuses on diligent exploration and research to develop appropriate options and safeguards to increase the level of safety at our schools.
Education Committee: The Education Committee serves to strengthen the overall educational program of the school. This committee assists the administrator and teachers to provide students with the highest quality educational program possible by: 1) researching new and existing curricular and instructional approaches; 2) evaluating and synthesizing information; and 3) sensing parent and school/community needs.
School Accountability Committee (SAC): If you are interested in serving on the School Accountability Committee, please email Dr. Rebecca Teeples, Executive Director of Schools.
Finance Committee: If you are interested in serving on the Finance Committee, please email SarahGennie Colazio, Director of Finance & HR. Members of this committee need to have a background in finance. This committee is by invitation only.
Election Committee: The Election Committee is responsible for oversight of the annual Executive Board Elections. If you are interested in serving on the Election Committee, please email Dr. Rebecca Teeples, Executive Director of Schools.
Additional committees meet each month that support our school that are not Board committees. Support committees support the day-to-day work of staff at Windsor Charter Academy.
Parent-Teacher Club (PTC): Our Parent-Teacher Clubs support our students with memorable activities throughout the year such as Sweets with Santa, Halloween Trunk-or-Treat, Mayfair, After-Prom and other events. There is one PTC per school.
High School Athletics Booster Club: The High School Athletics Booster Club supports our athletics program. If you are interested in joining the Booster Club, please contact Hannah Mancina.
If you are interested in serving on any of the above committees, please sign up below.
Transportation
Parents who are interested in joining our Way-to-Go Schoolpool carpool program can register online! Join Windsor Charter Academy’s Schoolpool program to connect with other families to drive, walk or bike to school together. This is a free service and there is no obligation to participate. Schoolpool is a service of Way to Go, a federally funded program of the Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG).
Before & After-School Care
Parents who are interested in having before or after-school care can register with ABC Bright School Age Centers. Please note that after-school care is only offered at our elementary school building so middle school students will have to walk to the elementary school each day to participate in this program.