Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for January 27
Hello WGHS Families,
I was recently asked how we might make decisions about upcoming events and communicate them to our students and families.
We have adopted the default stance of "how might we make this work with the given conditions?” In the last two years we either move forward on plans, adjust aspects, or cancel the event. Those decisions are impacted by timing, trajectory of pandemic, and flexibility of the program. Most, if not all, are done in consultation with district leadership, our school nurse, and the Department of Public Health (for example our pep rally this Friday). With Friendship Dance this fall, we were directed to be independent of Kirkwood and consider two of the three: outside, masked, or distant. We went with a change of date in order to be outside and masked and felt we could safely offer that important school event. As for our basketball this winter, we have adjusted crowd parameters in the effort to continue to host games. With the winter dance, we did not feel that would be a manageable event with the available information. We hope to share out information when final determinations are made.
This is not perfect, surely, with continued challenges ahead, but hopefully we can arrive at safely holding as many events as possible for our students.
Best,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: Late-Start A, A, B, C, A
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- 1/28: Renaissance Recognition
- 1/28: Winter Activities Assembly, 7th hour (see details below)
- 1/28: Mx Webster Pageant, 7:30pm, Virtual
- 2/2: Parents' Club Meeting, 7pm, Library
2021-22 Late-Start Days
Winter Activities Assembly Adjustments Due to COVID
Due to CDC and STL County Health Department recommendations, we will allow 30 minutes of assembly time within Roberts Gymnasium. We will release all winter varsity student-athletes, scholar bowl team, chess team, robotics team, cheerleaders and dance team at the end of 7th period in order to get them to their seats promptly for introductions.
Who will be the next Mx. Webster?
Coming soon to home theaters near you...
Log on to watch the Youtube Premier of the Mx.Webster Virtual Pageant on January 28 at 7:30pm! Support our ten talented seniors who will entertain you with a free family-friendly performance. This event is sponsored by several amazing local businesses: O+O Pizza, Tsquared, Mash Pit, and KimHec. We, the WGHS Marketing Students, can’t wait to showcase these students’ hard work, and for you to vote on the next Mx. Webster. Connect to our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MxWebsterGroves/ and our Instagram @mx.webster2022. Thank you!
Did You Know?
Absences Add Up! School attendance seems to dip in winter months. The link below has helpful information about absences and what you can do to ensure successful attendance at school.
https://attendanceworks.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/AW_HS-flyer-1-pager.pdf
School Closing Information Due to Inclement Weather
Communication
Should bad weather or other adverse conditions prompt us to consider closing schools, the District will make a decision as early as possible. Information will be available through the following outlets:
- Phone calls to all families through School Messenger
- Local media: KMOV TV (Channel 4), KSDK TV (Channel 5), KTVI (Channel 2) and KMOX radio (AM 1120)
- District website www.webster.k12.mo.us
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WebsterGrovesSD
- Twitter @WebsterGrovesSD
Late Start due to Inclement Weather
The District will consider opening schools with a late start or calling for an early dismissal depending on weather conditions. A late start would keep children off the street during the busy morning rush hour if roads are expected to be clear within a few hours; early dismissal would allow students to get home safely before bad weather moves into the area. Quick breakfasts would be available when school doors open before classes begin. Students should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of school. (This doesn’t include Ambrose Preschool children.)
All schools would close at their regular times and there would be no Adventure Club.
School Start Time Staff Arrival Time Student Arrival Time
Webster Groves High School Start Time: 9:40 a.m.
Staff arrival time: 9:10 a.m.
Student arrival time: 9:25 a.m.
Early Dismissal: 12:30 p.m.
All other schools can be found here.
** Late starts will be announced through the same communication outlets listed above **
Late Start Bus Times
With a late start, bus schedules will run one hour and 15 minutes later than the regularly scheduled time.
To Report an Absence, Please Call:
Counseling Office Updates
Mentors4College Hosting Webinar on College Admissions Testing
What is the best way to prepare for the ACT/SAT? Do I take both exams? When should the ACT/SAT be taken? How many times should it be taken? Should I send my test scores to colleges? How do test scores impact college admissions and scholarships? Is Test Optional admission different from Test Blind admission? If you are a freshman, sophomore or junior, these may be questions you are asking. Join Mentors 4 College for a brief webinar on Thursday, February 10 to get answers to these questions related to standardized testing and college admissions!
Mentors 4 College Zoom Webinar-Thursday, February 10; 5:30-6:00 pm CST
ACT/SAT and College Admissions
Register here for the webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2616419174905/WN_Gqv72UcFRIuMKRPP1hElTQ
College Admissions Testing
We have fielded a lot of questions regarding the ACT and SAT lately. Here's an article with answers to some of the top questions we hear.
Missouri Department of Higher Ed Rolls Out New Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment Scholarship for Juniors and Seniors
Beginning with the spring (January) 2022 semester, high school juniors and seniors may be eligible to receive a scholarship that covers the tuition and fees for their dual credit or dual enrollment courses. The priority application deadline is February 1st. Click here for more information and to access the application.
2022-2023 Course Selections
Counselors are meeting individually with all students (during their Science class) to review student transcripts and finalize course requests for the 2022-2023 school year. Parents can view their child’s course requests in the parent portal by selecting the 2022-2023 school year (dropdown menu in upper right hand corner) and selecting “Course Requests” (menu on left). Please reach out to your child’s counselor if you have any questions.
College and Career Night is February 8th from 6:00-8:00pm
All students and their parents (grades 9-12) are invited to join us for a virtual College and Career Night on February 8 from 6:00-8:00pm. Stay tuned for more information! We'll send out a separate email to families with details.
Upcoming ACT and SAT National Test Dates (Saturdays)
Junior parents: Is your child planning to attend a four year college or university? While many colleges have been “test optional” for the past two years as a result of covid, plans for next year are not yet clear and many colleges will still require ACT or SAT scores for admission and/or scholarships. Here are the ACT and SAT test dates for the rest of the school year.
Please support our THRIVE student businesses!
Shop the Parents' Club Spirit Store!
The Spirit Store is open! Hours are 8-9:15 a.m. daily.
The online store is open 24 hours a day at https://wghsparentsclub.org/collections.
Every time you shop at the Spirit Store, you are supporting student scholarships and teacher grants!
Webster Groves High School
Email: erb.mickey@wgmail.org
Website: hs.webster.k12.mo.us
Location: 100 Selma Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 963-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/WGAlumni
Twitter: @WebsterGrovesHS