Wilkes Central High School Student Handbook
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Dear Eagle Family
Welcome to Wilkes Central High School and the 2025-2026 School Year!
In serving as your principal, I am incredibly proud of the strong **growth mindset culture** and **#EaglePride** we foster here at WCHS. Our mission is for ALL Eagle leaders to be **CONNECTED, EMPOWERED, AND PREPARED** to achieve our vision that ALL Eagles will be prepared to **ENLIST, ENROLL, and/or EMPLOY** after high school. We are committed to working together to **Unlock Potential** in each of our students and continue **Reaching New Heights**!
Student Responsibility: Your Commitment to Excellence
Being an Eagle comes with great responsibility. We challenge each student to partner with us to maintain and elevate WCHS's tradition of excellence by committing to the following goals:
- Show Up and Be On Time: Attendance is the **#1 factor** in determining student success and graduation track. Having **more than 6 absences** in any class each semester may result in **loss of credit**. (6 absences in each class over two semesters equals 4,320 minutes of missed instruction!)
- Commit to a Growth Mindset: Embrace new challenges and actively work on areas for growth.
- Be Resilient: Acknowledge that success requires capitalizing on strengths, accepting challenges, and learning to respond positively to occasional failure and setbacks.
- Uphold Safety and Expectations: Student and staff safety is our top priority. Utilize the WCHS Student Handbook (available on the school website) to understand how you can partner with us to maintain a safe and equitable learning environment.
Key Back-to-School Dates & Reminders
- **Freshmen JumpStart:** Thursday, August 14th (Student drop-off 12:00 PM; Parent meeting 4:00 PM)
- **WCHS Open House Block Party:** Tuesday, August 19th (5:30 PM - 7:30 PM) - For all students and families!
- **Online Registration:** Must be completed in Infinite Campus **no later than Friday, August 15th**. Schedules and Parent Portal access depend on this step.
- **Parent Portal Access:** Opens to families who have completed online registration on **Friday, August 15th**.
- **Messaging:** When completing registration, ensure you select to receive **"general" messages** from Infinite Campus to avoid missing school phone calls or emails.
- **Remind:** Sign up for the SCHOOL REMIND, YOUR STUDENT’S CLASS REMIND, and bus Remind (if applicable).
Family Engagement and #EaglePride
- Get Involved: Encourage students to participate in the myriad of extracurricular activities offered (clubs, athletics, fine arts, JROTC, and more).
- Free Admission: All Wilkes Central students will be admitted **free** into any home athletic event this year (excluding NCHSAA playoff games), in honor of the Cheer Loud Eagle Proud program.
- Spirit Shirt Donations: We are seeking donations to provide every student with a free WCHS spirit shirt. Please contact Mrs. Reece at 336-667-5277 if interested in donating.
Let’s all strive to be a part of Reaching New Heights together at WCHS. If anyone stumbles, let’s extend grace and help them stay on their path to greatness! Our students deserve nothing less, and working closely together, we can guide them to reach new summits as they prepare to be **#Limitless at The Nest!**
Sincerely,
**Dr. Heather M. Freeman**
WCHS Principal