Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for October 3
Hello Parents and Guardians,
Anthony Kennedy served as an Associate Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court after Reagan nominated him from 1988 until stepping down in 2018. After retiring, he spoke of a “crisis of civility” facing our nation--a lack of devotion to responsibility and rationality. Historically when the nation has been in a real or perceived predicament, education has served to salvage our republic. Part of the effort relates to the developing character in individuals and the collective. However, character cannot be downloaded; it resists swift attainment in spite of the desire by parents and schools. Character is "engraved" and "deeply etched” according to Kierkegaard and the product of years of imprinting.
That imprinting happens in small moments, guiding conversations, and in response to difficult events in life and in schools. Those moments happen at WGHS, fostered in the classroom, outside during athletics and activities, and at times, completely independent of us. This work and responsibility is so much larger in scope, then preparing for an intervening period of four years to attend a university, enter a career, or calling to service. We work with our students with ambition of launching a life of purpose and kinship. I had the honor of attending the program at the St. Louis County Governmental Center to witness senior Mary Claire Wolk be recognized as a 2019 Outstanding Student Leader. She has spent years devoted to service, clubs, and schooling. She, like many other students at Webster Groves, possess both the capacity and will to not only continue to be virtuously marked but to leave her mark on Webster and the wider community.
In this week alone, we had students working to support our Steger students at camp, giving blood in the memory of a classmate’s sibling, and serving our community through our Chelsea Center experiences. I am heartened by the journey our students are on at Webster Groves High School.
Best,
Matt Irvin
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- October 3: WGHS College Kickoff Night for Juniors, 7 p.m., Auditorium
- October 5: SAT Test
- October 7: Late Start 1/7: School starts at 8:57 a.m.
- October 7 & 10: Parent-Teacher Conferences, 5-8 p.m. (5-7 is scheduled via PTCFast; 7-8 is walk-up)
- October 8: Early Dismissal (1-5-6-7); Parent-Teacher Conferences, 12:50-2:45 p.m.
- October 11: NO SCHOOL
2019-20 Late-Start Days
Monday, October 7 is a Late-Start Day
School begins at 8:57 a.m. on late-start days.
This is just a reminder that we will have a late-start schedule on Monday, October 7. Students will miss two class periods to accommodate time for teachers to meet in their PLCs, or Professional Learning Communities. For all late-start schedules, school will begin at 8:57 a.m., and two class periods will be dropped.
On Monday’s Late Start, the building opens at 8:00 a.m. Students should enter through the Senior Entrance. Between 8-8:30, students may go to the library or cafeteria. After 8:30, students may enter the building via the Senior, Junior or Roberts entrance and transition to their regular morning routine. Please see the schedule below for a Day 1/7:
Conferences: We still have plenty of spots available to schedule on Thursday evening. If you’re still looking to schedule your conferences, be sure to check PTCFast for availability.
Parent-Teacher Conferences Next Week
It's not too late to schedule conference times!
Available Times:
Monday, October 7 & Thursday, October 10
5-7 p.m.: Scheduled via PTCFast
7-8 p.m.: Walk-up
Tuesday, October 8
12:50—2:45 p. m.: Walk-up
Locations
Cafeteria
Academic Lab (Dontrail Johnson), English, Drama, Music, Art, Social Studies, Chelsea Center, Makerspace
PV Commons
World Languages, SSD
Library
Science, FACS, Business, Industrial Technology, Webster Academy
Multi-purpose Room
Math, P. E.
We will be using the PTCFast system for scheduling conferences. Please see instructions below on how to schedule conference times.
How to Schedule Conferences with Your Child's Teachers
Click here to view the privacy policy for www.ptcfast.com.
Conferences will be scheduled online using www.ptcfast.com. Please note that you must have a personal email account (ex. Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) in order to schedule a conference for your student. Conferences will be scheduled on a first come, first served basis. You must register your student for each teacher with whom you wish to meet.
Please click on or enter the following web address into your browser window to get started:
https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Webster_Groves_High_School_1
Next, select your child's teacher; you can select more than one if applicable to your family. You will then register your child's name, then your name and contact information. This creates a registration for each child and sends you a confirmation email with a link to choose a conference time for that teacher. It is a two-step process, as the first registration just gets you into the system. Going to the email that is generated from your registration and clicking on the active link will allow you to choose a conference time for the teacher.
Once you have chosen a time for each teacher with whom you wish to visit, you will receive a confirmation email with the schedule.
We're looking forward to meeting with you.
The purpose of the conference is to give parents and teachers an opportunity to discuss student progress and to work together to ensure student achievement. All teachers will be grouped by academic departments and will be located in the cafeteria, PV Commons, Multi-purpose room, and library (look for the colored banners). Parents should know the names of the teachers they wish to visit in each department. We urge you to visit as many of your child’s teachers as time permits. Please bring a printed copy of your child’s progress report with you or review on your device prior to attending.
Conferences will be a combination of scheduled and unscheduled. Up to SEVEN minutes will be allotted for each conference. We believe we can serve more people with this arrangement. For walk-up times, sign-up sheets are available on each teacher’s table for parents to register if they wish to see that teacher.
As you prepare for conferences, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Teachers will call all parents who they have the greatest need to meet.
- Please check your child's progress online in the Parent Portal. This will assist in determining whether you need to schedule a conference/meet with a teacher.
- You may choose not to see all or any of your child's teachers, depending on their progress.
For specific questions, an email to the teacher may suit your needs.
If you desire more than the seven minutes allowed at these conferences, please set up an individual teacher conference.
How to maximize your conference time during walk-up hours:
1. Sign up with all teachers first; then wait. Stop and sign-up at each table for every teacher you wish to visit.
2. Visit the electives tables while you wait—they most likely have the shortest wait times.
3. Go back to the tables at which you signed up and wait for your name to be called. It’s a good idea to visit science and math together and communication arts and social studies together, since they are grouped in the same areas.
Shop at Our Spirit Store and Support Funding for Scholarships!
The Webster Groves Spirit Wear Store is open to all Students, Staff, Parents and Community Members. Shop the Spirit Store for all your Webster Groves Apparel and Accessories.
Spirit Store Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday: 7:30 am – 10:00 am
Late Start Monday: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
All Spirit Wear Apparel and Accessories are also available online at the Parents Club website.
Orders placed online will be available for pick up at the WGHS Front Office.
(for a fee all items can be shipped to your home)
WGHS Front Office Hours: 7:30 am – 3:00 pm
You can also find Spirit Wear at our “Pop-Up” Shops at many school sponsored events.
Thanks for your support!
Upcoming Counseling Department Events
South Technical High School Open House
South Technical HS provides students with career and technical education (CTE) that prepares them for continuing education and the workforce. Their 26, tuition-free, CTE majors allow students to explore their career interests while earing industry certifications, college and high school credit, and skills that will last a lifetime. Partial day schedules keep students engages in their home high school academics and activities while they make new friends with similar interests from all over South and West County. Students interested in applying to South Tech will do so in their sophomore year of high school in order to start attending when they are a junior. Interested in learning more? South Technical High School is hosting an Open House for freshmen and sophomore families on Thursday, November 7th from 5-7 pm. For more information about South Tech and their programs visit www.southtechnical.org.
Other Important News
Senior Parents: Everything you need to know about graduation and your child's senior year can be found here.
Did You Know?
If your child feels ill during the school day, encourage them to see the school nurse.
If your student contacts you directly to report an illness please ask them to go to the nurse. She is able to excuse students with guardian/parental consent, and this will allow for better disease surveillance that will ultimately enhance control efforts.
Also, please note that any medications for your child must be administered by you or the school nurse. You cannot drop off any medications.
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