Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for October 27
Hello WGHS Families,
As we look ahead to our annual Friendship Dance, I pause to think of my own daughter's experience. As a parent of a high school student, I want most for her to have a memorable and safe night with her friends on a night when some might see the opportunity to engage in substance use. As a school community, we are making efforts to help educate our students in health classes, coordinating visits from Preferred Family Healthcare, and educating students in other settings about the concerns of underage drinking and related activities.
Several years ago I attended a presentation by Clayton Behavioral, a facility that offers many mental health services, including treating substance use disorders. Part of the presentation dealt with the impact of substance use on the developing brain of adolescents and how the mix of families, school, and communities can partner to prevent teen use of drugs and alcohol. They shared data from survey questions were determined to be more predictive of teen substance use. The first question focused on parenting disposition and the child’s ability to approach the parent for needed support, and the second centered on supervision. If students responded with “most of the time” or “always,” there was considerable decrease in the likelihood of consistent use of substances.
Question: “I can talk to my parents about my problems”
a. Never
b. Rarely
c. Sometimes
d. Most of the time
e. Always
Question: “My parents know where I am after school”
a. Never
b. Rarely
c. Sometimes
d. Most of the time
e. Always
Some conversation topics to ask your child prior:
· Before - Know the plans. Ask the important questions: Who’s driving? Who’s going with you? What is their contact information?
· After – Support from the community. Local police departments will be alert and active our respective communities enforcing social hosting ordinances, MIPs, DUIs, etc. to help keep our kids and the community safe.
Few of the above are without conundrums, such as responding to their growing independence while monitoring their safety as well as the knowledge of high stakes around substance use and allowing learning from their mistakes. While a teen's engagement in substance use is not the measurement of good parenting nor is it fully determinant of our children’s worth, we are hopeful to keep our children safe and being their best self at school and at home. If you are seeking resources in this work, please contact your child’s counselor.
Regards,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: AABCA
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- 10/31: First day of Boys'/Girls' Basketball and Girls' Wrestling
- 11/3: Senior Panoramic Photo
- 11/5: WGHS/KHS Friendship Dance @ Kirkwood, 7pm
Halloween Dress Code
Friendship Dance Ticket Information
DATE: SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 5
TIME: 7-10PM
LOCATION: Kirkwood High School
COST: $10
TICKET INFORMATION:
Tickets will go on sale starting Monday, October 24 and end at 11:59pm Thursday November 3. ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED ONLINE AT Friendship Dance 2022. Note - tickets WILL NOT be available the day of the dance or at the door.
*Students will use their lunch PIN code when purchasing tickets online. If parents are purchasing tickets for their student, you must use their lunch PIN.
FINES:
In order to attend this event, students must not have an outstanding school fine for sports, clubs, text books etc. If you do, your lunch PIN code will not be active when purchasing tickets online. You must stop by the Athletic Office to pay your fine OR pay it online through the portal. If you choose the online option, you must either email the athletic office at edwards.kim@wgmail.org or stop by to let them know. At that point, they will activate your lunch PIN code to buy a ticket. If you are uncertain of your fines status, please login to your SIS account and check before trying to purchase tickets.
OUTSIDE GUEST TICKET INFORMATION for Non-WGHS Students:
There will be up to 75 outside guest tickets allowed for this event. Any outside guest must have a completed outside guest form on file before being allowed to purchase a ticket. These forms can be found attached to this email or in the Athletic Office. Please return completed forms to Kim Edwards in the Athletic Office as soon as possible. Once forms are turned in and approved, a code will be distributed to the student to purchase their outside guest ticket online. Any outside guests must be accompanied by the WG student who purchased their ticket.
DRESS CODE:
Friendship Dance is a semi-formal event and you are expected to wear semi-formal attire. Examples of semi-formal attire may include a dress, dress pants, suitcoat, tie, or collared shirt. Dresses may be strapless (if they fit properly) or include spaghetti straps. Head coverings must be appropriate for the occasion. Inappropriate attire would include jeans of any color, shorts of any type, t-shirts or baseball caps. If a student or guest is not within the dress code they will be asked to change before being admitted to the dance. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
We look forward to a fantastic & memorable evening for everyone.
REMINDERS:
-Tickets must be purchased online at Friendship Dance 2022
-Student cannot have any outstanding fines for school
-Students will use their lunch pin code to purchase tickets online
-Outside guests forms are limited to the first 75 who submit them in the Athletic Office. Forms can be picked up at the athletic office at any time.
-Ticket sales end at 11:59pm November 3
Tickets will NOT be sold the day before or the day of the Dance.
Senior Panoramic Photo Next Week
The Senior Panoramic Photo will be taken on Thursday, November 3 at 10:04 a.m. Please click on the order form below if you would like to order.
Mark Your Calendars: Spring Semester Calendar Changes
Please note the following calendar changes for spring:
March 8 Early Dismissal is now 12:32 p.m.
To align with the Board approved district early dismissal time, we are changing our March 8 early dismissal time to 12:32 p.m. (spring conference week). This will change our class periods slightly. Our online calendar has been updated.
Week of April 3
To accommodate the Junior ACT test date at WGHS, we have made Tuesday, April 4 a C day, and Thursday, April 6 an A day. The week will now be ACBAA.
Counseling News
High Demand Occupations
Section 167.902 RSMo, requires that the department of economic development shall annually identify occupations in which a critical need or shortage of trained personnel exists in the labor markets in this state. Additionally, each high school shall provide its students with the information before November first of every school year.
For a direct link to the FY24 High Demand Occupations list, please click here.
High School Actuarial Day
Designed specifically for high school students, this virtual event will feature presentations from several RGA actuaries who will talk about their education and careers in the actuarial field. The event will conclude with a Q&A session.
Event Details
RGA High School Actuarial Day
Tuesday, November 22
3:30-5:00 p.m. CST
Zoom meeting (Link provided upon registration.)
Registration
To reserve a spot for a student, click here to complete the registration form or scan the QR code in our registration flier. Space is limited, so make your reservation today!
Contact
Questions about RGA's High School Actuarial Day should be directed to Jake Davis.
AP Exam Reminder
For more information and to register, please visit: www.TotalRegistration.net/AP/263573
AP Exam registration ends on November 11th. Any registrations or cancellations after this date will incur a $40 fee per exam.
Please contact Jennedy Lombard, AP Coordinator with any questions and concerns.
National College Fair @ St. Louis University on 10/30/22
The National College Fair is on 10/30/22 from 1:00-4:00pm in the Simon Recreation Center at St. Louis University. Here is a list of schools attending. Students should register ahead of time here.
College Application Workshops
Seniors! Do you need help completing your college applications? Sign up for our College Application Workshops held during Academic Networking. Sign up for one or both Academic Networking sessions. Workshops will be held in computer lab 320 and are limited to 20 students per session. Click here to register.
College Admissions Representative Visits
Juniors—are you ready to start learning about colleges? Seniors—do you have questions about the application process for schools on your list? College representatives will visit WGHS through November 1st. This is a great opportunity to hear from colleges all across the country in the comfort of your own school. A list of colleges visiting will be posted on our Counseling Department calendar, in Naviance, and shared in our daily announcements. Students should stop by the Counseling Center to sign up to meet with schools they are interested in and to receive a pass to be excused from class. Be sure to check the calendar regularly as visits are being updated daily.
The St. Louis Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Alumni Association’s 5th Annual Scholarship Summit is November 5th
You are invited to the St. Louis Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Alumni Association’s 5th Annual Scholarship Summit on Saturday, November 05, 2022 at the Harris Stowe State University Community Impact Education Center. Morning sessions will include student and parent workshops on essay writing, ACT/SAT prep and finding scholarships. Afternoon sessions include an HBCU panel and an HBCU fair with local HBCU Alumni representatives. The Scholarship Summit is fun, educational, free and open to the public. For more information and to register visit http://www.stlhbcualumni.org/ by October 31, 2022.
Science Fair Information
Do you love science? Come learn how to do a science fair project via Zoom on Thursday, November 10th from 6:30-7:30 pm. You will need to register prior to attending. If you have any questions, please visit our Science Fair website or contact Shayla Pott, District Science Fair Coordinator, at pott.shayla@wgmail.org.
Help Evaluate Our Programs
During the 2022-2023 school year, multiple programs and curricular areas are under review as part of a process known as program evaluation. Program evaluations are directly tied to Board of Education Policy IM: Evaluation of Instructional Programs and Policy IF: Curriculum Development. The program evaluation process includes a review of data, researching current and future practices in that area, and collecting and analyzing feedback from our stakeholders. Following a program evaluation, recommendations are then made to the Board of Education for next steps.
This year the following curricular areas and programs are under review:
Curricular Areas:
K-12 Math
K-12 Counseling and Guidance
Non-Curricular Areas:
Technology
Safety Program and Emergency Response and Intervention Plan
Programming for McKinney Vento (Homelessness) and Migratory Students
As part of each program evaluation, we are requesting feedback and input from the community. The results of the surveys will be one data point used in evaluating the entire program and determining recommendations for the future. To share your feedback, please click the specific surveys below:
K-12 Counseling and Guidance Survey
Safety Program and Emergency Response and Intervention Plan
McKinney Vento (Homelessness) and Migratory Program
All surveys will remain open for feedback until Tuesday, November 1 at 4 p.m. At that time, surveys will close and the feedback will be collected for the program evaluation process.
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us!
2022-23 Late-Start Days
Did You Know?
November 8 is a PD Day; there is no student attendance!
Here are the remaining days in which there is no student attendance due to professional development:
November 8, PD Day
January 3, Records Day
February 17, PD Day
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!
Deadline is This Week!
Yearbook Information
Important Dates
October 28: Last Day for $60 Early Bird Pricing
January 27: Last Day for $65 Pricing
January 27: Last Day for Guaranteed Pre-Order
Important Senior Dates & Links
October 28: Senior Ads (Click here to purchase! School #: 8459) & Baby Photos Due (Click here to submit)
October 28: Senior Quotes Due (Click here to submit)
Senior Baby Photo Submission Form
https://forms.gle/zayqdSKTsVugH1dF9
Senior Quote Form
WGHS Attendance Contacts
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