The Warhawk Weekly
#WestISBest #WarhawkNation, Volume 2, Issue 3
Welcome to the Nest!
Office/Student Services Staff
Dawn Salisbury - 785-330-2229 (dawn.salisbury@usd497.org)
Administrative Assistant/Finances:
Patti Taylor - 785-330-4620 (ptaylor@usd497.org)
Registrar/Student Services Secretary -
Lynne Oyler - 785-330-4884 (lynne.oyler@usd497.org)
Website: usd497.org/west
Location: 2700 Harvard Road, Lawrence, KS, USA
Phone: (785) 832-5500
Facebook: facebook.com/westmswarhawks
Twitter: @westwarhawks
From the Desk of Kathy Branson
There are two expressions that we teach all of our students as they come through West, “Once a Warhawk, Always a Warhawk” and “West is Best.” Today those two expressions we celebrated as our Team Thunder Science Teacher, Ms. Mary Krieger (WMS Class of 2012), received the secondary Lawrence Horizon Award.
The Horizon Award honors exemplary novice educators in their second year of teaching. Truity Credit Union, a Lawrence Education Achievement Partner, supports the district’s staff recognition program and provided Ms. Krieger a check for $250. In addition to being recognized locally, Ms. Krieger is now nominated for the Kansas State Department of Education’s Horizon Award program.
It could be argued that every teacher that taught during the 2020-2021 school year deserves an award, new teachers being especially worthy. During the pandemic school year of 2020-2021, Ms. Krieger taught sixth grade science to approximately 90 students. From teaching totally online, to the hybrid model, and finally to students in the classroom Mary met each “pivot” with enthusiasm and positivity. Whether in person or in WebEx, Ms. Krieger made a personal connection with each student in her charge. Her enthusiasm for teaching and working with kids is infectious.
There are many things that Ms. Krieger does that make her the favorite teacher to so many students. She has two bearded dragons as class pets that students like to observe and hold. TikTok videos help her engage students, teach science concepts, and have fun with her classes (@creatingkindnesswkrieger). From having LED lights strung around her entire classroom to dressing as Miss Frizzle the week before Halloween, Mary takes everything she does to the next level. We can’t wait to see what Ms. Krieger has in store for the 2021-2022 school year!
CONGRATULATIONS MS. KRIEGER
*****School News*****
School Expectations
School Expectations
How can parents help support this learning?
- Set a daily schedule and expectations; Post the schedule
- Reward your student for following the schedule and meeting expectations
- Make sure your notifications are turned on in PowerSchool so that you are notified of any attendance issues
- Set a weekly time to check Power School for grades AND attendance with your student
- Help your student contact teachers via school email if there are questions about school work or grades in Power School
- Communicate with the teacher(s) if you or your student need clarification of expectations
*****Student Happenings*****
2nd Hour - 6th Grade
2nd Hour - 6th Grade
*****Sports News*****
*****Quote of the Week*****
QOTW - Quote of the Week
Education is not the filling of a pot but the lighting of a fire.
~W. B. Yeats