West High Newsletter
West High School - Sioux City, IA
April 2020
Stay Connected
We miss seeing all of you each day at school. In this pandemic, it is important to stay connected. We have staff working each week to make connections with students, calling to check in and answer questions. Please don't hesitate to call the office M-F 8-3 with any questions or concerns. We hope you have a safe Spring Break!
-Mrs. Tidwell, Mr. Koch, Mr. Pace & Ms. Rieken
Voluntary Learning Updated every Wednesday
These tasks will not be graded or be for credit.
The intent of these tasks is to reduce the impact on the loss of learning. We understand that internet connectivity is a barrier. More information will be coming about additional connection points throughout the city.
Questions regarding the school closure? Click below to download an FAQ
Outdoor Fields/Facilities Closed
Student Grades Update
Teachers were asked to update gradebooks last week.
Here is some clarification regarding the gradebooks moving forward:
- Students may still submit missing work from Jan 20 - Mar 13 to be graded
- Voluntary work submitted moving forward may not be graded, and cannot count as "Extra Credit"
- Students should not retake, or makeup DCAs at this time
- Teachers will be contacting students that are not passing
- If a student is struggling with making up work, please don't hesitate to contact the teacher and/or an administrator in the office 712-279-6772.
Western Iowa Tech Classes
- WIT classes that were already online continued on as before.
- WIT classes that were face to face have been moved to online.
- Students should be in contact with their instructor for specific requirements.
Edgenuity Classes
- All students in an Edgenuity course have been granted "free movement."
- The Governor's task force has given us the ability to award credit for Credit Recovery
- Students will be able to take quizzes on Edgenuity.
- Please email your teacher regarding Edgenuity quizzes
- Tests will remain locked at this time.
WiFi Access
The District is looking at adding some more wifi options in the very near future. We will be sure to let everyone know about the specific locations.
Laptop/Tech Help
Students and Staff of the Month
April Update from Mr. Pace and the Athletic Department
As we look to spring and summer sports here at West High School, we have gotten further guidance from the Iowa High School Athletic Association and the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union. The MRAC Activities Directors are looking to May, June and the July schedules that we can modify so that our athletes have the greatest opportunity to participate. The following schedule is the most current we have gotten from the State Association & Union in regards to moving forward with spring sports. If you would have questions, certainly don’t hesitate to contact our office.
Thanks for your patience and understanding at this time. We are trying to provide you with the most current information as it comes available to us. Stay safe, stay socially distant, stay healthy, and We Are West!
-Mr. Pace
Food Pantry & Clothes Closet
ACT Update
The April 21st ACT date for all students has been cancelled. We are working to come up with other options for our 11th grade students to still be able to take the ACT at no cost.
More information will become available soon.
New Transcript System
Please visit https://www.parchment.com/u/registration/11598/account to request transcripts.
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Immunization Information for the Class of 2021
Iowa law requires that all students entering 12th grade have a Meningococcal vaccination. The requirement is 2 doses of meningococcal (A,C,W,Y) vaccine for students in grade 12, if born after September 15, 1999; or 1 dose if received when students are 16 years of age or older are required before school starts in the fall.
The meningococcal vaccine has been required since the start of the 2017/18 school year. Meningococcal disease is a life threatening illness that is caused by bacteria that infects the brain, blood, and spinal cord. It easily spreads in crowded settings.
What does this mean for you? You will need to call your physician’s office to make an appointment. You will need to check your home records or call your physician’s office to see what your student’s status is. If you do not have insurance, you can contact the Siouxland District Health Department at 279-6119. Please send a copy of your student’s updated immunization record to the school nurse prior to the first day of school in August 2020. Thank you in advance for your cooperation in this matter.
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2020 Census – Every Person Counts
Census Day is observed on April 1, 2020. Households begin receiving invitations to participate in the Census in mid-March. There are three ways to complete the census – online, by phone, or by mail – and the Census Bureau provides forms in 14 languages. It’s important that every household participate and that every person is counted.
What is the Census? Get the Facts.
How Census Data Is Used
The 2020 Census will determine congressional representation, inform hundreds of billions in federal funding for public programs like schools, and provide data that will impact communities for the next decade. Learn More.
Confidentiality
The answers you provide are used only to produce statistics. You are kept anonymous. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in any way that could identify you or anyone else in your home.
Under Title 13, the Census Bureau cannot release any identifiable information about you, your home, or your business, even to law enforcement agencies. The law ensures that your private data is protected and that your answers cannot be used against you by any government agency or court. Learn More.
Census Data And The Impact on Public Schools
Public schools in Iowa will be directly impacted by the 2020 census. The 2010 census estimated there were 731,975 children in Iowa ages 0-18. Children ages 0-4 are typically undercounted, and Iowa estimates 4,726 children were not included in the census.
Iowa receives over $8 billion annually from the federal government based on population estimates from the 2010 census, including funds for Special Education Grants, the National School Breakfast & Lunch Programs, Head Start, and many other education programs vital to the success of Iowa’s children. Those 4,726 children who weren’t counted in 2010 are now in grades 6-9, and the state has lost out on millions of dollars in federal funding each year for those children’s education.
We cannot let the census become another barrier to the funding of our student’s educations. The Sioux City Community School District is asking for the help and support of all families in our district to ensure that every child is counted.
Help us make sure the students of our district receive the funding they deserve. Help us make sure all kids are counted!
Census Contact
If you have questions about the U.S. Census Bureau, contact their office directly by calling (301) 763-INFO.
Maintaining A Safe and Healthy Environment
The Sioux City Community School District is committed to providing an environment where students and staff members are treated with dignity and respect. We recognize that we are not unique, in that we experience the challenges of school and community-based bullying, yet we want to be unique in serving as a District that works to make a significant and positive difference in this arena. Please, join us in the effort to maintain a safe and healthy school environment. Visit our website, www.siouxcityschools.org/anti-bullying-harassment-hazing/, to learn more about our anti-bullying policy, view resources to help us combat bullying, or report concerns. We also welcome your feedback. Consider sharing your ideas or concerns using the Let’s Talk tool on our website.
Let's Talk
An engaged community makes our District stronger. That is why we have made it easy for you to connect with us whenever it is convenient for you. We encourage you to take advantage of Let’s Talk!, our 24/7 online submission site. Reach out with your ideas, questions, concerns, and praise. To make a submission, please visit http://www.siouxcityschools.org/lets-talk/.
Communication and Preparedness
Student and staff safety is of paramount importance in the Sioux City Community School District. For this reason, the District exercises a host of crisis prevention and planning tactics. Should an emergency occur, the school notifies you through our Blackboard phone system. In an emergency, the system calls every phone number associated with your child in order to reach you. The message will give you details about the emergency and provide directions on when/where to pick up your child if the normal school day is altered. Learn more about school safety.
Focus 2022 Strategic Plan
Non-Discrimination Statement
The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW.
The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. It is an unfair or discriminatory practice for any educational institution to discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices.
Inquiries or grievances, including Section 504 grievances and grievances under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act, may be directed to Jen Gomez, Director of Student Services & Equity Education at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, gomezj2@live.siouxcityschools.com. Please see District Board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.
West High School
Principal: April Tidwell
Website: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/west-high-school/
Location: 2001 Casselman Street, Sioux City, IA, USA
Phone: 712-279-6772
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxCityWestHighSchool/
Twitter: @WHS_Activities