Welcome to a new school year at William James Middle School. We are looking forward to another great year! No matter where you are in your middle school journey, this year is full of opportunities to grow, lead, and succeed.
Middle school is a unique and exciting time. It’s when students begin to find their voice, develop independence, and build lasting relationships. At William James, we’re here to support that growth with clear expectations, meaningful learning, and a school culture that values the whole student. We believe every student deserves to feel safe, connected, and capable, and our team is committed to making that happen every day
This handbook is your guide. It includes the tools, protocols, and support needed for a successful year Please read through it carefully and reach out if you have any questions. We’re honored to be part of your middle school journey We are so glad you chose us.
Looking forward to the great things that we will do together,
Kristen Ferree, Principal Kferree@dcstn.org
INTRODUCTION
William James Middle School is committed to maintaining a safe, secure, and positive learning environment where teachers are able to teach and students are able to learn. We encourage all students and families to review the Dickson County Schools Student and Parent Handbook, as it outlines the expectations, responsibilities, and district policies that apply to every student in Dickson County Schools.
The Dickson County Schools Student and Parent Handbook is organized into three sections:
1. Student Code of Conduct, Consequences, and Due Process
2. Policies Related to the Administration of Schools
3. Notices to Students, Parents, and the Community
Additionally, all Dickson County middle schools follow the District Middle School Discipline Matrix, which outlines behavioral expectations and disciplinary consequences. While the discipline matrix provides consistency across the district, school administrators reserve the right to evaluate each disciplinary incident on a case-by-case basis and determine the behavioral intervention and/or disciplinary consequence that is most appropriate based on the individual circumstances of each situation.
The remaining pages of this handbook contain procedures, expectations, and information specific to William James Middle School and are intended to supplement the Dickson County Schools Student and Parent Handbook.
Links
Dickson County Schools Student and Parent Handbook https://www.dcstn.org/page/district-student-handbook
Dickson County Schools Middle School Discipline Matrix https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/14UCLRQbQE2NiVl6geF0QrMfq2KnH5kFRyXSUuRNdu Zg/edit?usp=sharing Revised 07/21/2026
At William James Middle School, we believe success is about more than academics. We want every student to develop the character and interpersonal skills that prepare them for success in school, the workplace, and life. Our S.P.E.C.I.A.L. expectations provide simple, practical ways to show respect, build confidence, and create positive relationships every day.
SCHOOL DAY
Opening of School
7:00 A.M. Doors open to all students.
7:45 A.M. Moment of silence, pledge of allegiance, and morning announcements.
7:50 A.M. School day begins. Students entering class after the bell rings will be asked to present a tardy slip from the office.
Closing of School
2:55 School day ends.
3:30 The front office closes.
4:00 Campus closes (with the exception of after school events).
MEAL COST 2026-2027
Breakfast and Lunch will be free for students for the first two weeks of school (Aug. 3 -14)
DICKSON COUNTY SCHOOLS ATTENDANCE PROCEDURE
State Compulsory Attendance Law (T.C.A. 49-6-3001) requires all students between the ages of 6 and 18 years of age to attend school each day. The Parent/Guardian of each student has the legal responsibility to educate a minor child. Failure of a minor child to attend school will subject the Parent/Guardian to truancy penalties and consequences.
Dickson County Schools believe the consistent attendance of a student is critical in the academic achievement and success for each student. Students who are repeatedly absent and/or late to school are at risk to miss concepts that are taught and provided during classroom instruction time. Student attendance is also one of the federal and state educational factors used to evaluate schools to determine adequate yearly progress. Therefore, it is of mutual benefit to maintain consistent school attendance.
Parents are encouraged to monitor the attendance of their student with the Skyward Parent Portal. This access to our student database system will allow the parent/guardian to access student attendance and grades on a daily basis. This will ensure parents/guardians are knowledgeable concerning the need to take action regarding their student.
Student Absence from School
When a student is absent from school the parent/guardian will need to notify the school of the absence. A call or email to the schools attendance secretary will alert the school of the absence. It will then be required for a written note to be provided to the school upon the students return. The school will accept up to five (5) parent notes per semester before additional documentation will be required to excuse the absence. The parent note(s) MUST be turned in during the semester of the absence.
The written parent note shall include the students name, grade, date(s) of the absence, reason for absence, parent/guardian signature. Parent notes may be used for:
● personal illness when the student did not visit a doctor,
● Illness of immediate family member (mother, father, brothers or sisters in the same household). Parents will be required to notify the school administration as soon as possible and provide written verification of the need to tend to immediate family members health.
● Recognized religious holidays observed by the student’s faith and set aside as sacred by a religious denomination. The school administration may require a statement from the minister or other person recognized by the religious group to verify the cause for absence.
● Other matters which have been pre-approved by the school administration on a case by case basis. Revised 07/21/2026 7
Other absences may be excused without parent notes. These absences would be include:
● Death of an immediate family member including grandparents (up to three days);
● Deployment of or the return from deployment of a military parent/guardian (one day per occurrence);
● Any required attendance in court provided appropriate documentation is provided;
● College visits which are pre-approved by the school administration and limited to three (3) per year may be considered as field trips provided appropriate documentation is returned to the school.
A student who becomes ill during the school day shall report to the school nurse. When required the parent will be contacted to determine the best care for the child. In the event the student is sent home this absence, for that day, will be excused and will not require or count as one of the parent notes for the semester. However, any additional days absent will require a parent note or doctor's notes to be excused.
Extra-curricular activity that is non-school related may also be excused provided the absence is approved by the school administration seven days in advance and a review of attendance, grades, and discipline warrant an excused absence. Absences approved as non-school related, extra-curricular activity will be counted as parent notes and only five per semester will be allowed.
Due to the passage of Public Chapter 844, mid-year transfer students previously enrolled in a public school during the same year will be held accountable for their current year unexcused absences in their entirety Unexcused absences will be requested from their previous schools. The receiving school must document the total to be included with the accumulated total in the current district. The entirety of unexcused absences for the current year will be used to implement the appropriate truancy intervention tier
Tardy – Late Arrival and Early Dismissal
When a student arrives after the designated time for classes to begin they are tardy to school. In the event the tardy was due to bus transportation, the tardy will be excused and not count toward the student attendance. The student will be required to sign in with the school attendance secretary according to the school procedure found in the handbook provided by your student’s school. Any arrival to school after fifteen (15) minutes of the school start time will be considered a late arrival.
Late arrivals or early dismissals will be processed according to the school procedure found in the handbook provided by your student’s school. No early dismissals may be processed within thirty (30) minutes of the end of the school day Students requesting an early dismissal shall provide written notice from the parent/guardian according to the school procedure found in the Revised 07/21/2026 8
handbook provided by your student’s school. Schools will verify the note prior to dismissing and may require signature by parent/guardians prior to release of the student.
Parents are urged to schedule dental and medical appointments outside of school hours. When such appointments cannot be arranged, parents must send a written request for an early dismissal as previously explained. It is expected a student will return to school after these appointments when possible. Appointments which require early dismissal or late arrival should also be scheduled to avoid missing more than half the school day. A full day absence is recorded if a student is not in attendance for more than half of the school day.
Tiers of Truancy Intervention
Once a student has five unexcused absences within the school year the attendance laws of the state have been violated. At which point the Tiers of Truancy Intervention will be implemented. Dickson County Schools has implemented the three tier system required under state law Tier 1 is for all students which requires the school to promote school attendance for all students. When a student accumulates three unexcused absences, the parent/guardian will be notified by phone or email.
Upon five (5) unexcused absences Tier 2 Truancy Interventions will begin. A meeting will be held with the parent/guardian, student and the juvenile court liaison, to discuss support for school attendance and an attendance contract will be developed. Follow up meetings will be scheduled as needed and attendance will be monitored for improvement.
If additional unexcused absences or a lack of improvement with Tier 2 Truancy Interventions is observed then the Tier 3 Truancy Interventions will be implemented. These interventions will include referrals to the Student Support Specialist and possible other assessments to determine the need for additional student support. A follow up meeting will be scheduled as needed and attendance will be monitored for improvement.
Once the three Tiers of Truancy Intervention have been completed and no progress or improvement has been observed the parent/guardian is then subject to a juvenile court referral. If the parent/guardian does not respond or cooperate then the next Tier of Intervention is automatically applied. Educational Neglect may also be considered at any point in the process resulting in a referral to the Department of Children Services.
Chronic Absenteeism
Chronic Absenteeism is defined as missing more than ten percent (10%) or more of the days enrolled in school. This threshold is generally 18 days for a full school year or 9 days by the end of the first semester. Students who miss more than the 10% of days enrolled, regardless of excused or unexcused status, are identified as Chronically Absent and are reported to the state.
Revised 07/21/2026
DCSTN Grading Scale
A 90 - 100
B 80 - 89 C 70 - 79
D 60 - 69 F 0 - 59
A Note About P.E.
All students are expected to participate regularly in P.E. A parent note is required for short-term non-participation, and a doctor’s note is needed for ongoing medical exemptions Students must wear closed-toed tennis shoes to participate Failure to follow this rule will result in lost participation points If your student needs help meeting this requirement, please contact school administration
A Note About Being in the Hallway Students in the hallway during class time MUST have a hall pass. These will be provided by the teacher.
PARENT-SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
The best way to contact any school staff member is e-mail. If you do not have access to e-mail, please call the school and leave a message for the staff member.
All persons desiring to meet with staff will be required to have a scheduled appointment that is made at least 24 hours in advance. You may email the staff member or call the office to schedule an appointment.
Group Name Role
Email
Office Staff Kristen Ferree Principal kferree@dcstn.org
Jessica Southerland Assistant Principal jsoutherland@dcstn.org
Tasha Anderson Attendance tanderson@dcstn.org
Sherry Perry Bookkeeping sperry@dcstn.org
Stacey Green Nurse sgreen@dcstn.org
Jennifer Patterson School Counselor JPatterson@dcstn.org
Melissa Nicholson Social Studies mnicholson@dcstn.org
Related Arts Wendi Work Art wwork@dcstn.org
Dan Salley Band / Comp Sci dsalley@dcstn.org
Adam Bogle Careers / CTE abogle@dcstn.org
Kayley Christian Music kchristian@dcstn.org
Paige Head PE / Health phead@dcstn.org
Tanya Williams Library / Writing tanyawilliams@dcstn.org. Revised 07/21/2026
Remote Learning Plan Information
If we are unable to be in school due to inclement weather, students will need to be ready for remote learning days. To help families prepare, students will have remote learning assignments already downloaded on their Chromebooks, so internet access is not required at home to complete the work. Assignments will be connected to what students are currently learning in class. Student attendance will be taken based on completion of assignments provided by teachers for remote learning.
Teachers will be available during scheduled office hours on remote learning days to answer questions and provide support for students. Information about how students can reach their teachers during these times is listed below. Thank you for your continued support and flexibility as we work to keep learning - even when weather impacts our school schedule.
● Mrs. Jennifer Patterson, Guidance Counselor: JPatterson@dcstn.org Revised 07/21/2026
PROHIBITED ITEMS
Items Not Allowed at School
To help maintain a safe, focused, and respectful learning environment, the following items are not permitted on campus unless part of a documented support plan (IEP, 504, or behavior plan).
● No Chewing Gum Allowed
● Energy Drinks & Highly Caffeinated Beverages or Snacks
(e.g., Red Bull, Celsius, Monster, Bang, Prime Energy, Energy Gum)
● Toys & Collectibles
(e.g., plushies, trading cards, slime, action figures, hot wheels)
● Electronic Devices Not for Learning
(e.g., gaming systems, smartwatches with messaging, Bluetooth speakers)
● Fidget Toys
● Blankets, Pillows, & Similar Comfort Items
● Personal Grooming Sprays
(e.g., perfume, body spray, aerosol deodorant, nail polish)
● Excessive Candy, Large Bags of Chips, or Two-Liter Drinks To reduce mess and classroom distractions
● Vapes, Tobacco, Lighters, or Matches
All are strictly prohibited and result in disciplinary action
● Sharp Objects or Unsafe Tools
(e.g., pocket knives, laser pointers, or tools)
● Medications Not Approved by the School Nurse
All medication must be stored and administered by the nurse.
Any prohibited item brought to school is subject to confiscation and may result in disciplinary action. Revised 07/21/2026
DSCTN Personal Communications Device Violation Consequences
● 1st Offense – Phone Taken Up/Warning/Parent or Guardian Pick-up
● 2nd Offense – Phone Taken Up/1 Day ISS/Parent or Guardian Pick-up
● 3rd Offense – Phone Taken Up/2 Day ISS/Parent or Guardian Pick-up
● 4th Offense – Phone Taken Up Daily for 3 days/ Given Back at the End- of-the Day
● 5th Offense – Phone Taken Up Daily for 5 days/ Given Back at the End-of-the Day
● 6th Offense – Phone Taken Up Daily for 10 days/Given Back at the End-of-the Day
Persistent Violation of School Rules May Result in 10 or more days at New Direction Academy
STOPit App – Anonymous Reporting
Our school uses the STOPit app to promote a safe, supportive environment. STOPit allows students to report concerns anonymously—including bullying, threats, harassment, or anything that makes you or others feel unsafe. Your reports will text and email your school principals.
You can use the app to:
● Report incidents with text, photos, or video
● Communicate anonymously with school staff
● Help keep our school safe
Download the STOPit app and enter our school access code: GoColonels.
Signature Page for WJMS Student Handbook 2026-2027
Review the WJMS Student Handbook before signing this page.
My student and I have reviewed the William James Middle School Student Handbook for the 2025-2026 school year and are aware of the information and procedures it contains
