Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for May 22
Hello WGHS Families,
Well, we have collectively reached a marker of the end of the school year. As we pivot to summer mindset, I have shared some items below around continued learning throughout the summer.
Many years of research has estimated that after the summer slide, the average student loses a little more than one month’s worth of skill or knowledge in math and reading by the time school resumes in the fall. Some initial looks at the "Covid slide" indicate a similar impact. How might we support our children's time?
- Read a book. My mother is a retired reading teacher, so this is a familiar directive, but we are now competing with ubiquitous devices for attention and time. This is a struggle in my home that I fear I am losing, but no white flag yet from me.
- Summer can be the perfect time for high school-aged children to engage in passions they are developing in music, art, or other activities that allow them to explore, express, and progress.
- Summer is also a good time to sit down and discuss financial aid and other expenses. The Office of Federal Student Aid has prepared checklists geared toward students of all ages.
- Many high school students might also want to take the time to start developing their skills of collaboration and communication. Finding a safe part-time job can help students gain valuable experience--being directed by an adult that is not their parent can promote growth in teens.
- Volunteering is also an option, albeit not what it was in previous summers. Youth-oriented summer camps, local museums, animal shelters, and, of course, libraries are often looking for extra help during warmer months. This experience is not only valuable for personal and professional development, but it often looks good on college applications. Find opportunities at our Chelsea Center.
Final report cards will be available on the parent portal on May 27. If you have any questions about your child’s grades, please keep in mind that teachers are out for the summer. The high school main office is open virtually during the entire summer from 8:00 a. m. - 3:00 p. m. Counselors and teachers will not officially return until late July/early August. If you leave a message on voicemail, please keep these dates in mind, as you may not receive an immediate response.
As you plan ahead, students will pick up schedules as follows:*
Students with no fines and who are current on immunizations =
Class of 2021, 8:00 -11:00 a. m., August 10
Class of 2022, 12:00 - 3:00 p. m., August 10
Class of 2023, 8:00 - 11:00 a. m,. August 11
Class of 2024, 12:00 - 3:00 p. m., August 11
Students with fines or those not current on immunizations =
All Classes, 8:00 a.m. - 12:00 p. m., August 19
Orientation for the Class of 2024 will take place 1-3:30 p.m. on August 19.
Summer School: June 1 - July 2
*Dates are contingent upon the health and safety of our students during COVID.
Check out our E-learning page for information on the remainder of the school year:
https://www.webster.k12.mo.us/Page/23157
Best,
Matt Irvin
Wrapping up the School Year: Final Grades, Lunch Accounts, Donations
Please remember to check the Parent Portal on May 27 for your student's final grades.
Lunch Accounts
- If you have a senior with a negative balance, please log into the parent portal and pay the fine. Otherwise, your senior's diploma will be held.
- If you have a senior with a positive balance, you can either request a refund or donate to another sibling/student. To do this, email Chartwell's directly at pelant.nancy@wgmail.org.
- All positive balances for underclassmen shall roll over to the next school year. If you wish to request a refund, please email Chartwell's at pelant.nancy@wgmail.org.
Donations
COVID-19 has put a financial burden on so many of our families. If you would like to donate to a general fund to cover student fees/fines, please call Roro Cotner, bookkeeper, at (314) 626-3393, between the hours of 12 - 4 p.m. Monday-Friday (She cannot accept calls on May 11-12 due to senior returns). If you would like to donate to a specific student, please mention when calling.
Once a donation has been made, you will receive a receipt and tax letter if requested. We're sorry, but she can only accept credit card payments at this time.
Students: Did You Miss the Textbook/School Returns May 19-22?
Due to state and district guidance on limiting the number of students/staff in the building during the pandemic, we are unable to allow any more make-up dates for students to return school-issued materials. Processing of all returned items from the underclassmen will be a lengthy process, due to having to leave boxes untouched for at least three days. After today, we will have over 950 boxes to process.
If you have not turned in any items by the end of today, or if you find any items that you thought were lost, please set them aside in a safe place until August. You may incur a fine over the summer, but once those items are returned, we will be able to expunge those fees at that time.
Thank you for your continued patience during this unprecedented time.
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- May 22, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Any remaining students who missed their assigned date may return school-issued items. Must sign up for a 10-minute spot on Sign-up Genius (sent to all student email accounts)
WGHS Summer Reading Expectations
In a typical school year, the WGHS English Department would assign specific summer reading novels for each of our classes. However, due to the COVID-19 outbreak and our inability to access the building over the summer, we are unable to distribute books to our students this year. However, we fully expect and enthusiastically encourage ALL incoming students to engage in summer reading on their own. We are expecting students to read at least one novel of their choice before school starts again in August. Please see the Library webpage for links to online access to books and to see a list of suggested titles. A list of summer reading is also available at the link below.
https://tinyurl.com/2020-WGHS-Summer-Reading
The library will also participate in the District Webster Reads program. Any student who reads a minimum of 3 books can turn in a form by Sept. 11, 2020, to be recognized. The form will be available on the Library webpage as well.
Summer Courses for Experiential Learning Credit
We’re offering some exciting courses this summer like geocaching and baking. This is a great chance to earn credit and have some fun! Click the link below to learn more and apply!
Seniors/Graduation
Graduation Updates
Senior Fines
World Languages Department Honors Senior Class
Senior Parent is Requesting Your Pictures for a Video Tribute
Chaney Hagemann, senior parent, is requesting any pictures you may have for a video tribute project for our seniors.* She is looking for individual or group photos of our senior class. Please email all photos to wghsseniorpic2020@gmail.com.
*This is not a school-sanctioned project.
Important Announcements
Yearbook Information As We Know It
Good news! The yearbook staff finished the book before spring break. After a hiatus, the Herff Jones printing plant is back up and running, and the books will be delivered soon. For those of you who have already ordered books, we are working with administration to figure out distribution. As of now, we are planning to distribute to seniors at graduation gown pickup, date TBD. For underclassmen, books will most likely be distributed at registration day in August. As soon as we have more specific details, we will announce them : )
If you still want to order a book, online sales have been reopened (yearbookordercenter.com; #8459) and will stay open until we sell out. And, lastly, if you would like to donate a yearbook to a senior whose family might be experiencing financial hardship, there is an option to donate a book online, also at yearbookordercenter.com. We will work in coordination with counselors and administrators to determine who those donated books will go to. If you wanted to donate a book to a particular senior, simply input their name upon "regular" purchasing.
If you have any questions, please reach out to Amie Keane at keane.amie@wgcloud.org (My apologies for anyone who has tried to email me-- my wgmail account was hacked/disabled earlier this year).
14 student staffers and countless student photographers worked hard to get this book finished, and they are excited for you to see all their hard work on distribution day. Thank you all so much for your flexibility!
Summer School 2020 Announcement
At this point in time, we are still planning to have educational programming for our students this summer. However, and with respect for the health and well-being for all, our summer programming will be online.
Our high school students (rising 9th through rising 12th grade) will take online classes in a virtual format. High school summer school courses will run from June 1st through July 2nd. WGHS students who have already enrolled in a summer class will maintain enrollment in these virtual courses. Space is still available in some courses and interested students should reach out to their counselors regarding enrollment.
All summer school programming is dependent on full state funding. Any possible cuts to funding may cause us to alter what we are able to offer.
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