WHS Family Newsletter
November 15, 2021
Off to a Great Start!
We continue to be excited about the success of our students! From the middle of trimester one to the end, we saw a great decrease in the amount of course failures and a strong commitment on the part of our staff and students to see learning levels rise.
As you think about the holidays, please take a look at our athletic and event calendars and plan to support our students in the festivities. This weekend, please come out and support The Wizard of Oz production and also our football team for the Semi-State Championship! Go Rocks!
New Information This Week
2022-23 Scheduling Begins!
This week, the WHS Counselors will meet with the Junior Class to discuss academic planning and scheduling for 12th grade. All students in Grade 11 will meet with their counselors on Thursday, November 18, 2021 during either 1st or 2nd period.
Students will learn more about:
- Academic requirements for each diploma track, as well Graduation Pathways
- Opportunities for career-based classes, as well as work release periods
- Mid-term Graduation
- College planning, including starting the college search, taking the SAT/ACT, college visits, etc.
PowerSchool will be open at the end of the school day on November 18th for students to request their senior courses. Students will have until November 29 to enter their course requests into PowerSchool, and counselors will meet individually with all students from December 1-17 to discuss their requests.
P.S. Remember to mark your calendars for the College Planning Night on December 14, 2021 from 6:30-8:30 PM!
Meet The Teacher on Canvas
This trimester, as we did during first trimester, we will be hosting Meet The Teacher videos via our Canvas platform. We hope that all parents will take a few minutes to log in and become familiar with your student's second trimester Canvas pages. Take a look at the syllabus and learning objectives for the courses. Most will also have introductory videos you can watch to become familiar with the teacher. These videos will be available through Thanksgiving Break.
To learn how to login and much more, please view this Canvas Parent Guide.
Early Dismissals Before the Holidays
If a last-minute early dismissal situation comes up, please know that it may take up to 15 minutes or longer to get your student out the door to leave.
Once you have called our attendance line, your student will receive an early dismissal pass. It is the student's responsibility to communicate with his or her teacher about the early dismissal.
We appreciate your cooperation. Our WHS Front Office staff does a phenomenal job with classroom attendance, early dismissals, and absences, but with over 2600 students in our building, last-minute requests are not able to be granted quickly. Thank you for your understanding.
Rocks Spotlight
Congratulations to our Trimester One Leadership Award Winners
Today we are celebrating our first trimester Student Leadership Award winners! At the end of each trimester, our teachers have the opportunity to nominate one student who they felt showed positive leadership in their classroom during the trimester. The positive leader is not necessarily the “A” student or the student who is recognized for many other things. (This student may be those things, but that is not the basis of the criteria in selecting a student to honor.) The attributes considered are associated with our Guiding Principles – the student completes work on time, is considerate to others, compassionate toward others, respectful to peers and teachers, hardworking and attends school regularly, etc.
These students were honored via a virtual first trimester Leadership Celebration shared with their families. Each teacher shared why he/she nominated the student. The students will be presented with a certificate. Congratulations to these students! They ROCK!
Sending a heartfelt and sincere THANK YOU to our Shamrock Staff Members who are United States Veterans for their service to our country!
We Are Happy To See Our WHS Dance Team Back In Action!
Reminders
The Wizard of Oz - November 18th, 19th, and 20th
Join us for the WHS musical Wizard of Oz on Thursday, November 18th, and Friday, November 19th at 7 pm and Saturday, November 20th at 2 pm and 7pm.
We invite YOU to follow them down the Yellow Brick Road as they venture from WHS to the Merry Old Land of Oz. This year’s production of Wizard of Oz involves over 125 students from not only WHS but includes 4th graders from every WWS Elementary School. They will soar to new heights as they take you on Dorothy’s classic journey to find that there is no place like home. So have some brains and get your tickets today at whsperformingarts.com. We are sure your heart will be overflowing to watch these courageous students give it their all.
Students Should STAY HOME if Experiencing Symptoms of Illness
WHS has seen a recent increase in students coming to school when they are sick. We would like to remind parents that WHS Students should NOT come to school if they are sick - regardless of vaccination status. There are a number of illnesses going around (not just Covid). It is very important for ill staff and students to stay home. Students can stay current on classwork by utilizing Canvas when they are absent and assessments can be made up in our Testing Center upon the student's return to school.
Please review the list of illness symptoms on the district website. If your student has ANY of those symptoms- again - regardless of vaccination status and even if they do not have a fever, they should STAY HOME and contact a healthcare provider.
People who are fully vaccinated still test positive for Covid. The Covid vaccine does not necessarily prevent you from getting Covid but lessens the chances of severe illness. Thank you for your help in limiting the spread of all illnesses by having your student STAY HOME when they are ill. That is vital for keeping in-person learning going strong this school year.
For information on symptom screening and return to school guidelines, see the district web page. Questions can be directed to the nurses via WHSNURSE@WWS.K12.IN.US.
Graduation Cap and Gown and Class Ring Orders
Jostens will be in our main Shamrock Cafeteria during all lunches and from 4-7 pm THIS Wednesday, November 17th to take orders for graduation items (seniors) and class rings (freshman and any other interested students).
Jostens will be sending all freshman and senior families ordering packets in the mail so be on the lookout for those.
Senior Families: The cap, gown, and your 2022 tassel are the only required purchase. In the meantime, feel free to check out Jostens website to see several senior class items like announcements, jewelry, and clothing items.
About Us
Email: webmaster@wws.k12.in.us
Website: https://www.wws.k12.in.us/whs
Location: 18250 North Union Street, Westfield, IN, USA
Phone: (317)867-6800
Facebook: facebook.com/westfieldhighschool
Twitter: @WWSWHS