Panther Nation Newsletter #7
October 9th, 2020 #PANTHERSTRONG
A MESSAGE FROM THE PRINCIPAL
Panthers:
So glad to talk to you through our newsletter this week. Things are moving along nicely here at school. Our in-person students are doing such a terrific job of protecting each other by wearing our masks. I’m very proud of them. We’ve been steadily receiving more and more students who are becoming comfortable with the in-person environment. Where once we were about two-thirds in-person...we’re now nearing four-fifths. We will continue to give our support to our online and remote learning students who are getting more and more adept at the platform and the style of learning.
Our BIG NEWS of the week is the decision by the CHSAA which has granted permission to schools as they decide whether or not to play football later this fall or next spring (Seasons A or C). WPHS will be playing this fall. Our first game will be this week on Friday at Alamosa. We will play 6 games (with the opportunity to play a 7th during the first week of playoffs). We will have limited access for fans at both home and away games. Access will be granted through advance distribution of access bracelets for player's family and cheer family. The total number of individuals in our stadium (including players, coaches, officials) during the contests will be heavily monitored. So look for us to provide information regarding a limited number of tickets to the general public available to each game. Our first priority is to make tickets available to family members of our student athletes and that will be our major filter.
If you plan on coming to a home game or attending an away game, you must commit to wearing a mask at all times. No exceptions. You can see some of the guidelines below.
We’re just about through the first nine weeks of school. This also means that we’re nearing the end of our 1st semester with the four classes our students are currently enrolled in. The last day for 1st nine weeks is October 23. We need all of our Panthers to be buckling down and staying ahead of their coursework. This condensed learning period is really packed full. I encourage you to stay up to speed. Our second nine weeks begins on October 26 with a new set of 4 courses.
The second half of the year (mid-January to late May) will consist of the same type of schedule as we're currently on. We will continue with the 9am-2pm academic day including the self-directed learning times before and after our academic day. Teacher office hours will remain 2pm-3:30PM. Please respond to the survey that will soon be coming your way via email. This survey will help us make adjustments in our second half of the year.
Juniors will be taking the PSAT next Wednesday (October 14th). This is also the test for those Juniors hoping to qualify for the National Merit Qualifying Standard. Juniors are the only students who will be attending school on that day. Busses will run for those Juniors as normal and we'll have lunch for them as they exit the exam. All other students will have at-home learning assignments that will be due on Thursday as they return to school.
Until next time - keep working hard and keep tracking student progress and course participation. We need your help keeping students caught up.
Mr. Burr
END of FIRST NINE WEEKS
Improved Grades and Coursework Continuation.
REGULAR CLASSES- In Person & Remote:
October 23rd = Last Day of 1st Nine Weeks learning and new content.November 6th = Last Day for any Q1 re-takes or updated DOL's to your teacher.
November 13th = Grades for first nine weeks posted by teachers.
The next opportunity to update a NY to a C will be up to students to arrange with the teacher. Normally, this will occur in Summer School.
REAL Platform Courses:
The 1st nine weeks remain "open" for continued work on Power Focus Areas. Any PROJECT work may be turned into the teacher as well, but it may not be scored right away as teachers will be focusing on their second nine week courses.
Online Edgenuity Courses:
Keep on track with your courses. End of Semester 1 is January 15.
AP Courses:
Students will continue their AP studies in their 2nd nine weeks in the optional "Early College Academic Success" course. See your counselor to add this class to your schedule.
WPHS 2020 Home Football Game Attendance Procedures
Kevin Burr, Principal WPHS
Joe Roskam, Head Football Coach/AD
151 Panther Way
Woodland Park, Co 80863
719-686-2067
Game Day Information
Game Time: 7:00 PM
1) Admission: Adults - $5; Students $3
2) Parking and Entrance: On our website, you will find a map explaining parking for each team and each set of fans.
a) Home fans will park in the Student Parking lot on the NW corner of WPHS Campus.
b) Visiting fans will park in the Gateway/HS parking lot on the SE corner of WPHS Campus.
c) Visiting fans will enter through the South Gate to the FB stadium. Their seating is restricted to the East Stands. Portable restrooms will be made available.
d) Home fans will enter through the Panther Entrance and through the school. Home fan seating is restricted to the West Stands only.
South Gate Entrance: Only authorized vehicles are permitted to use the South Road (gated)
entrance and park inside the stadium. Vehicles must obtain authorization through the WPHS Activities Office and include (but not limited to):
a) Maintenance and emergency vehicles
b) Vehicles with handicapped permits that call ahead (686-2016) to reserve space.
c) Officials, team buses and other game operation staff.
3) Masks: All patrons will be REQUIRED to wear a mask or face covering throughout the game.
4) Seating: Home seating is on the west side of the stadium. Visitor seating is on the east side of the stadium. Please practice the 6 feet apart mandate. Families are to sit together.
5) Pets: Pets (with the exception of service animals) are not permitted at any District athletic facilities.
6) Safety: Families are expected to sit together and practice social distancing. Children and students under high school age are expected to be supervised by their families. Un-supervised students/children will be required to leave.
7) After game: After the game, fans will need to exit the stadium immediately through the same entrance they entered and are not allowed on the field. No gathering of fans in the HS Commons after the game.
8) Concessions: No concessions available at this time.
9) Dressing: Locker rooms will not be available for use. Student/Athletes will exit the field and stadium to meet with their parents in private locations rather than common areas. Please make arrangements to meet after the game in socially distanced manners.
10) Press Box: Each team is allowed to have one person in the press in addition to the announcer. Everyone in the Press Box is required to wear a mask.
Contacts: Principal—Kevin Burr—719-686-2067
Head Coach/AD—Joe Roskam—719-686-2067
REMOTE LEARNERS: Troubleshooting Remote Issues
Be ready for class 5 minutes or more before so you can deal with issues as they arise.
Have a hard copy of your schedule to ensure you are going to the correct class
Check your school email for important notifications
Check your classroom/platform to plan accordingly for work completion
Make sure you don’t have extra tabs open as they are taking bandwidth (such as Youtube, Spotify, Discord, etc)
Find the google classroom for the class you will be attending and check out the stream for any updated messages from your teacher.
When the time for the class comes, click on the google meet link that is posted at the top of your classroom. (If you try to enter the class before the teacher arrives, you probably won’t be allowed in at that time)
Find a quiet spot to work with your Chromebook close to your router to get the best signal,
If you are having trouble with your signal, or it keeps freezing, limit the number of devices on that router (turn off smart TV, streaming devices, or other things that could be taking bandwidth).
You may want to try quitting the meet and restarting your Chromebook as this can help (notify your instructor in the chatbox of what is happening).
If you continue to struggle to hear what is happening in class, you can use a phone to call in. Click the link for “Join and use a phone for audio”. You will be prompted to enter your phone number and will receive a phone call when the class begins. Press 1 on your phone to join the meet.
Another thing to try if your Chromebook seems to be struggling to keep up, make sure that video settings are on SD and not HD. You do this by
Click on the 3 dots on the bottom right corner of the meet video that appears when you move your cursor to the bottom of the screen
Click “settings”.
Set send and receive resolution to “standard resolution 360p”
Additionally, you can set your receive resolution to receive “one video at a time”
There are many apps on the market you can download on your cell phone to see how your internet is performing. Search for a “speed test”, choose an app, and download it to see how your internet is working. This will give you information that you can share with your internet service provider if your internet is not running as quickly as it should. If it is considerably slower than what you are paying for, call your internet service provider for assistance, and explain the situation.
Cell phones can sometimes be used as a “hot spot” using data. Warning- this will consume a lot of data, so only try this if you have unlimited data. This hot spot can be used with your Chromebook the same way that you would connect to your wifi.
Try using your Chromebook on different wifi (coffee shop, library, or a relative’s house within your comfort zone) to see if it improves.
Communicate with your teachers and your counselors about what is happening. We are not mind readers and may not even know that you are having a difficult time.
If these solutions are not effective for your situation, you may want to reconsider your choice of remote learning. Your attendance and participation in classes is crucial for your ability to be successful! With our modified schedule, our time is limited, so we need to make the most of it. Feel free to contact your counselor or our administration if you would like to discuss this further. We are all in this together and want you to succeed!
SENIORS!!!
CONTACT YOUR SALES REP
JEWELRY, DIPLOMAS, CAPS AND GOWNS, ANNOUNCEMENTS, LETTER JACKETS
Joe Adducci
800-JOSTENS (567-8367)
Counseling Corner
Parent Shout Out!
The shout out goes to Kathleen Carter for raising three high school students at one time. Your dedication to these students, as evidenced through emails, phone calls, and meetings with teachers and counselors has not gone unnoticed. Keep up the great work!
Financial Aid Informational Virtual Meeting
Schedule Changes for October 2020
We want to remind you of some upcoming dates and their schedules over the next two weeks here at the High School.
October 12th- Teacher Work Day - No students in attendance
October 14th- PSAT Testing for 11th Grade ONLY - All other students will work at home on assignments
October 23rd- District Closed - No School"