Good afternoon West Rowan Middle School Families,

This is Principal Lydia Richmond calling to share our reentry plan for students. Students will return to the West Rowan Middle School building on Monday, September 19.

Our contractors are nearing the end of the cleaning and mitigation work needed to ensure that West Rowan Middle School is ready for our students to return. This timeline will allow for cleaning and sanitization to be completed and for staff to put things back in order.

The safety of our students is our top priority. We will continue to monitor the air quality in the building through regular environmental testing after students and staff return to the building.

Starting Monday, September 12, teachers will hold Zoom classes Monday through Wednesday (9/12-9/14) using our regular bell schedule. We will post these times in Canvas messages, announcements, and on social media. On Thursday and Friday (9/15 & 9/16), teachers will return to the virtual office hours we’ve used during our temporary closure while teachers prepare their classrooms for the return of our students.

Weekly Meal Delivery
If your child needs meals for the week of September 12-16, please fill out this form by Monday morning (9/12) at 6 a.m. You do not need to fill out this form if you are already receiving weekly meal deliveries. Meals will be delivered mid-morning on Monday, September 12. Someone must be home to receive the delivery.

Learning Support at West Rowan High School
West Rowan High School will offer learning support led by teachers and WRHS students for our WRMS students the week of Sept. 12-16 from 4-6 on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Students will need to enter at the outside media center door. 

Technology Help & Resources
If you need technology help, please reach out to our Technology Facilitator, Ashlynn McNeely, or the Technology Help Desk (980-330-1078).
Mrs. McNeely will be available to help students and parents with technology and virtual learning issues in person at West Rowan High School from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Sept. 12-14).

Click the hyperlinks for help accessing Canvas Observer and PowerSchool information.

We are so excited to see all of our students in person on Monday, September 19. Thank you, and have a great weekend.

Good evening, Families - 

This is Principal Lydia Richmond with an update on the temporary closure of West Rowan Middle School.

We are pleased with the progress that our contractors have made on this monumental project. Crews have been working 12 to 14 hours a day, seven days a week, cleaning the facilities, making repairs and implementing mitigation strategies to ensure our students return to the physical building as quickly as possible. As cleaning progresses, we are receiving promising reports from initial testing, and we will provide a firm timeline for reentry to families on Friday, September 9.

I want to remind you that technology help and tutoring are available in-person for students and families at West Rowan High School this week. Please see the dates and times below. The Temporary Closure page on our website will also be back up and running tomorrow.

Technology Help & Resources

Mrs. McNeely will be available to help students and parents with technology and virtual learning issues in person at West Rowan High School from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Technology technicians will be available 4-6 p.m. those days as well. Please enter the WRHS media center from the outside door for these services.

Click the updated hyperlinks for help accessing Canvas Observer and PowerSchool.

Tutoring at WRHS

West Rowan High School will offer tutoring led by teachers and WRHS students for our WRMS students this week from 4-6 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students will need to enter at the outside media center door. Technology technicians will also be in the media center during this time for anyone with iPad issues.

Thank you for your cooperation and support throughout this time. Keeping our students healthy and safe is our top priority, and we are committed to working with our families to help our students succeed. Thank you, and have a great night.

Good evening, Families - 

This is West Rowan Middle School Principal Lydia Richmond. Our staff has been very busy today as they work to put additional support in place for our students during this temporary school closure and virtual learning format.

Weekly Meal Delivery

In an effort to feed as many students as possible, tomorrow (Tuesday) will be the last day we offer lunch pick-up at West Rowan Elementary School. On Wednesday, we will begin weekly meal deliveries directly to our students’ homes. Someone must be present to receive the meals when they are dropped off because there are perishable items in the meal kits.

This week, meals will be delivered mid-morning on Wednesday, August 31, and will include meals for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Next week, meals will be delivered on Tuesday, September 6, and will include meals for the rest of that week. We will reevaluate future meal drop-offs that week when we know more about the completion timeline for the WRMS cleaning project.

In order for your student to receive meals on August 31, please fill out this form by noon on Tuesday, August 30. You can also call Deisy Carbajal-Lopez at 704-636-7500.

Technology Help & Resources

Mrs. McNeely will be available to help students and parents with technology and virtual learning issues in person at West Rowan High School from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week. Technology technicians will be available 4-6 p.m. those days as well. Please enter the WRHS media center from the outside door for these services.

Click the hyperlinks for help accessing Canvas Observer and PowerSchool.

Tutoring at WRHS

West Rowan High School will offer tutoring led by teachers and WRHS students for our WRMS students this week from 4-6 on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Students will need to enter at the outside media center door. Technology technicians will also be in the media center during this time for anyone with iPad issues.

We are also working on a plan to get personal items, such as PE locker contents and instruments, back into the hands of our students as soon as possible. I expect to have more information on that later this week.

We are excited to be able to offer these additional supports, and we will continue to look for more ways to enhance your child’s learning experience over the next week. Thank you, and have a great night.

Good evening Bulldog families!

This is principal Lydia Richmond calling with some updates for the week ahead.

As you have read and seen, we are still virtual this week and through Friday, September 9th. The Rowan-Salisbury Schools team will reassess our building and update our community the week of September 6. Be sure to check our school website for updates and links to helpful information as your child works remotely.

This week, West Rowan High School is offering space for our students to receive tutoring and additional help. Students can be brought to West Rowan High School from 4-6 pm on Tuesday, Wednesday, and/or Thursday this week. 

School pictures were originally scheduled for this Thursday, September 1. We will reschedule pictures as soon as we have a plan to be back in person. We will share that information once it is decided.

Students who qualified for National Junior Honor Society should complete their application on Canvas. No dues will be required until we return to in-person learning.

Good luck to our tennis, football, and softball teams in their matches and games this week.

Thank you, again, for your patience and support! Have a great night.

Good evening, West Rowan Middle School Families.

This is Principal Lydia Richmond calling you with updates for Friday, August 26.

Thank you to everyone who attended our parent meeting this morning. We recorded the meeting for anyone who was unable to make it. You can find that recording here or on our website.

During the meeting, we mentioned a document of frequently asked questions about WRMS’s facilities and the microbial growth.  We have linked that document here.

Parents, we tried to answer as many questions as we could, but many of you had questions about circumstances that specifically affect your child. Please contact the following individuals if you have any further questions:

• For questions about technology, please reach out to Ashlynn McNeely, WRMS Instructional Technology Facilitator
• For questions about virtual learning or academics, please reach out to Lydia Richmond, WRMS Principal 
• For questions regarding student illnesses, please contact Robin Shoe, RSS Operations Department
• For questions regarding WRMS facilities, please contact Robin Shoe, RSS Operations

We will continue to offer no-cost meals at West Rowan Elementary School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day due to this unanticipated school closure. In order for your student to receive these meals, please fill out this form. You can also call Deisy Carbajal-Lopez between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 704-636-7500.

If your child still needs their iPad, we will contact you to create a plan to make sure your child gets it.

We are working to get our students back to the WRMS building as quickly and as safely as possible. We will continue to update the West Rowan Middle School website as we have more information. 

Thank you for your investment in your child’s education and for your support as we work through these challenges.

Dear West Rowan Middle School Families,

This is Principal Lydia Richmond calling to share an update about the temporary closure of West Rowan Middle School (WRMS).

We are working to get our students back to the WRMS building as quickly and as safely as possible. In order to allow time for our facilities to be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized, we will remain virtual until September 9. We will reevaluate the status of the WRMS building on September 6, and will update parents that week. Athletic games and practices will continue as scheduled at West Rowan Middle School, however, students will not be able to use the locker rooms.

We will host an informational webinar for our families tomorrow (Friday) at 11 a.m. (click here to join). This webinar will be recorded for those who can’t make it to the meeting. Please submit any questions you may have at this link during this webinar. We are looking forward to sharing more details with you and answering the questions we know you have.

Don’t forget, due to this unanticipated school closure, no-cost meals will be available to your students at West Rowan Elementary School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Friday. In order for your student to receive these meals, please notify us by 9 a.m. on Friday by filling out this form. You can also call Deisy Carbajal-Lopez between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 704-636-7500. We will continue to offer these meals

If your child still needs their iPad, they can pick it up at the exterior door to the media center at West Rowan High School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. on Friday.

We will continue to update the West Rowan Middle School website with the most current information for our families, such as teacher office hours and technology support. 

Thank you once again for your patience and support. We look forward to talking to you tomorrow.

Good Afternoon WRMS Families,

I’d like to thank you, yet again, for your patience over the past few days as we have worked to rapidly pivot our plans and methods of instruction. I know it has been a stressful transition for us all, but I’m so grateful for our amazing staff and students (and for our football and tennis wins this week!).

I’m excited to share that we will host an informational webinar for our families Friday at 11 a.m. This webinar will be recorded for those who can’t make it to the meeting. We are looking forward to sharing more details about our short-term solution (we’ll share more information tomorrow) for student learning. Once we share our plan, we will provide you with a link to submit questions for us to answer during this webinar. We are looking forward to sharing more details with you and answering the questions we know you have.

Just a reminder, due to this unanticipated school closure, no-cost meals will be available to your students at West Rowan Elementary School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Breakfast for the following morning will be provided with lunch on Thursday. In order for your student to receive these meals, please notify us by 9 a.m. on Thursday by filling out this form. You can also call Deisy Carbajal-Lopez between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 704-636-7500.

Also, if your child still needs their iPad, they can pick it up at the exterior door to the media center at West Rowan High School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. or 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. today, Thursday or Friday.

We are continuously updating the West Rowan Middle School website with the most current information for our families, such as teacher office hours, school lunches and technology support. 

Thank you once again for your patience and support. We will continue to update you each day on our plans to provide instructional support to your students.

Good evening WRMS Families,

I am writing to update you on the West Rowan Middle temporary building closure.

First of all, I would like to thank you all for your patience with the quick adjustments that had to be made today. 

On Monday evening, we informed you that out of an abundance of caution, West Rowan Middle School shifted to an online format to allow for the thorough cleaning and sanitizing of the school. This unexpected shift in how we provide instructional services was based on results we received Monday from recent environmental testing at the school.

We are continuously updating the West Rowan Middle School website with the most current information for our families, such as teacher office hours, school lunches and technology support. 

Please note, due to this unanticipated school closure, no-cost meals will be available to your students at West Rowan Elementary School between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Breakfast for the following morning will be provided with lunch on Wednesday and Thursday. In order for your student to receive these meals, please notify us by 9 a.m. on Wednesday by filling out this form. You can also call Deisy Carbajal-Lopez between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m. at 704-636-7500.

Thank you once again for your patience and support. We will continue to update you each day on our plans to provide instructional support to your students.

Lydia Richmond
Principal, West Rowan Middle School

Dear West Rowan Middle School Families,

This is Chief of Schools Dr. Gregg Slate calling to inform you that effective immediately, West Rowan Middle School will be shifting to an online format to allow for the thorough cleaning and sanitizing of the school.  This unexpected shift in how we will be providing services is the result of results we received late this afternoon from recent testing at the school that confirms microbial growth that is present in the HVAC system that cannot be addressed effectively at this stage if students and staff are in the building.

We apologize for this inconvenience.  Earlier this month, custodial staff reported some microbial growth in the school and immediately reported to our district operations staff.  Initial tests by an independent consultant came back negative for mold, and additional janitorial crews were brought in to thoroughly clean and sanitize the impacted areas.  For reasons that are still being investigated, new evidence of microbial growth appeared on August 17, and new tests were initiated on that same day.  Further testing has shown that additional cleaning is necessary, and the building must be vacant to effectively complete this process. Due to this, we will be shifting to remote learning for the rest of the week.

Thank you for your patience and support as we work through this issue.