Warrior Bulletin
Westside Parent & Student Newsletter for December 21, 2022
UPCOMING CALENDAR DATES
December 21, 2022 - Last Day of 1st Semester
December 22, 2022-January 4, 2023 - Holiday Break
January 5, 2023 - First Day of 2nd Semester
January 9, 2023 - 1st Semester Grades Due
January 16: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
January 23, 2023 - WHS 8th Grade Open House
February 1: First Day of Black History Month
NOTES FROM ADMINISTRATION
ACT TEST PREP OPPORTUNITY (3 MOMS & A TEST)
Pleaser check out the information HERE regarding ACT Test Preparation.
1ST SEMESTER FINAL EXAMS & GRADES UPDATE
Due to school being canceled today based on the forecasted inclement weather, I wanted to share some important information with you.
Final exams for the first semester were still in progress and were to be completed today. Westside High School teachers were given the following options:
OPTION #1 - Exempt all exams that have not been completed unless a student needs the exam to pass the class or raise their grade. Communicate to families that you have made this decision and then reach out to individual families that will be impacted by this decision to arrange a time to complete the exam.
OPTION #2 - Utilize open mods, before or after school, or class time (year long courses only) on Thursday or Friday, January 5 and 6 for students to complete exams that are incomplete or in-progress.
Teachers will need some extra time to finish grading since there is no school today, so first semester grades will now be submitted by Monday, January 9, 2023. Once grades are processed, report cards will be emailed home and will be available on PowerSchool.
Thank you for your flexibility as we put together this plan to finalize the first semester. If you have specific questions about your child’s final exams or grades, please do not hesitate to contact their specific teachers for information. On behalf of the faculty and staff of Westside High School, I wish you all a happy holiday season and look forward to seeing you in the new year.
MIGRATION TO POWERSCHOOL FOR STUDENT SCHEDULES - IMPORTANT
Over the holiday break, Westside High School will be migrating over to PowerSchool for our master schedule instead of Scheduler. This means that students will access their daily schedules using the PowerSchool app instead of the Scheduler app they are accustomed to. Here are some important informational items that you will need to know.
- The Scheduler app is going away at the conclusion of the 1st Semester. We will not need it as all the information it provided will now be in PowerSchool. Students are already familiar with PowerSchool because it is how they check grades, attendance, and pay for lunch. Additionally, the app is already installed on their iPads. This will allow students to access one app instead of two.
- Students should take a screenshot on their iPad of their current 1st semester schedule using the scheduler app so they have access to their schedule next week. Students have been reminded all week during homeroom, daily announcements, and the school PA system to do this.
- The migration to PowerSchool from the Scheduler app will allow Westside High School to maintain the modular schedule at Westside High School for the long term using our student information system rather than an outside, 3rd party resource that is outdated.
INTRODUCTION TO GAGGLE
We want to keep you updated on a new technology program we will be using at Westside High School starting 2nd semester. Gaggle is a highly-rated digital tool used across the country to better enhance student safety through analysis and alerts on student accounts. This monitoring system will allow us to watch for concerning behavior related to emotional health, bullying, and online threats on school-owned devices and through student accounts.
Our goal is to be as proactive as possible to support our students’ well-being; we are confident this tool will help us do that. If you’d like to learn more about Gaggle, we encourage you to visit the company website here: https://www.gaggle.net/.
As always, if you or your child have any concerns (about themselves or others), please reach out to a school administrator or counselor at any time. You can also use our Safe2Help hotline, anonymously and 24/7, by calling 402-390-2118. We also have links posted on our website and district app.
HOMEROOM/COUNSELOR CHANGES FOR 2023-2024
There have been a number of questions about why we are making changes in homerooms and counselors beginning next school year. In an effort to be transparent and provide the “WHY” behind why these changes are necessary, I want to share the following information with you.
S.H.I.E.L.D Time: S.H.I.E.L.D is an acronym for Service, Health , Inclusivity, Excellence, Learning, Discipline. All of these are qualities and attributes that we want our students to aspire to while attending Westside High School. S.H.I.E.L.D time is more than just a homeroom gathering, it is a way to provide our students focus on what being a Warrior is all about. A shield is a necessary part of a Warrior’s armor, so Westside High School wants to help our students learn the skills necessary to be resilient in the world they will enter after high school.
Customer Service: Right now, students are randomly assigned to counselors and administrators based on homeroom placement. This means that families who have multiple children at WHS may have multiple counselors and administrators they need to contact in order to get information about their children. By moving to alpha-based homeroom, counselor, and administrator assignments, families will have exactly three adult contacts at school who should know their child better than any other adult. This move is to benefit you, our families, and our students. We also understand that some families are blended and have different last names. Westside High School will make every effort to keep families together with the same counselor and administrator.
Homeroom: Our current homeroom structure means there are several grade levels in one class, which makes it extremely difficult to provide instruction to students regarding social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and grade-level specific information that is relevant to students. By moving to an alpha-based and grade-level specific homeroom structure, we have the ability to be intentional about counselors going into homerooms and delivering instruction in a smaller setting where students have the ability to ask questions. Under the current organization, this happens in a large group setting known as seminar, which is a graduation requirement, however, the lessons don't always get through because they are done in a larger setting and delivered by adults who may not have a relationship with your child. More evidence that this move is to benefit your child, ensuring instruction is specialized for them at their level.
Relationships: Having students in grade-level specific homerooms allows them to build a community among their peers who are working through specific issues that are common for their respective grade levels. As parents and families, you know better than anyone that a 14-year old may experience a situation much differently than an 18-year old classmate. This new type of community will allow students to lean on their peers for help and guidance because they can relate to one another. In our current structure, there may only be a handful of students in each grade level in each homeroom instead of everyone, which makes it difficult for students to have a community of peers who can relate to their specific circumstances. Our families have been clear in communication that social and emotional support is a priority; this will allow us to emphasize those aspects of our school environment.
Continuity: Homeroom advisors will loop with their students and stick with them their entire high school career. While our current homeroom model does offer mixed grade levels, juniors and seniors who have open mods in the morning often do not attend homeroom because of their schedule and this defeats the purpose of having mixed grade-level homerooms. Again, this continuity of relationships and support is vital to building trust, and supporting all aspects of our students’ growth and development, academically and emotionally.
x2VOL ACCOUNTS NOW AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS
Westside High School will start using x2VOL to track service learning hours required for graduation starting in the 2nd semester. All students have access to an x2VOL account and can log their service hours into their account on their school issued iPad or on their mobile device. The instructions HERE have been put together to provide students with an easy way to log in and track their hours. Please click on the links in the document to view video tutorials or get answers regarding commonly asked questions.
FIRE LANE PARKING
We have noticed an increase in fire lane parking in the main lot at Westside High School after school hours. Please use available parking stalls instead of the fire lane when picking up students so we can ensure a safe parking lot at WHS. Additionally, when waiting for students after school, please do not park in numbered stalls because we may have teachers moving from building to building at the end of each day.
WHS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
Westside High School has seen an increase in unexcused and excused chronic absenteeism over the course of the first semester. Consistent, daily attendance at school is the biggest indicator of academic success for students, therefore WHS will be implementing some new attendance practices at the start of second semester.
When absenteeism is becoming an issue for a student, teachers will first contact parent(s)/guardian(s) to let them know that they are seeing a negative trend and then assign students mods to help get the student back on track. If the absenteeism continues, administration and counselors will work with the student and their family on an attendance contract. Finally, a student may be dropped from a course with a withdraw/failure (WF) if their attendance still does not improve. A WF will be a permanent mark on a student’s transcript and will count towards a student’s overall GPA. PLEASE NOTE: School Excused, OSS, and ISS absences WILL NOT be figured into this total. Additionally, any extenuating medical conditions and long-term illness will be considered mitigating factors by administration and counselors with doctor's notes or documentation when discussing a WF.
If you have any questions about this new attendance practice, please consult with your child’s assigned administrator or counselor.
WESTSIDE ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS
- Download the Warrior App for your smartphone on the App Store or Google Play
- Scan the QR Code in the picture to the left
- Download the Hometown Fan App on the App Store or Google Play
- Go to the Westside Community Schools Box Office HERE
We want to make attending athletic and activity events as easy as possible for our families, so we hope you will take advantage of this digital option to purchase tickets in advance so you can avoid the lines at events.
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The counseling center wants to highlight our WHS students that receive any scholarships from colleges or universities. Please provide a copy of the award letter, via email or in person to:
Mrs. Acevedo at: acevedo.tina@westside66.net or
Mrs. Smith at: smith.shannon@westside66.net
If you have any questions please contact:
Dr. Londer at londer.vicki@westside66.net or
Mrs. Archie at: archie.teunnia@westside66.net
Make sure to check out the WHS Counseling website for all the latest news and updates!
SCHOLARSHIPS
Seniors and parents should check out the Scholarship Website put out by the WHS School Counseling Department on a regular basis to see what scholarships may be available for Westside students.
PARENT & STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
40 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS
Asset 15: Positive Peer Influence
The power to be positive
Too often, people jam the words peer and pressure together and think of it as a bad thing. Truth is, that’s only part of the story. Sure, peers have power. But this pressure is only negative when young people feel they’re pushed to do something they know is too risky. Peers can also help young people become more independent by encouraging and supporting healthy choices. Peers can invite one another to join teams or clubs, help with homework, or simply listen. You can help young people choose the kind of peer power they want in their lives and what kind of friends they want to be. If young people and their peers are responsible, positive, and supportive, they are more likely to succeed. Positive Peer Influence is Asset 15 of Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, the qualities, experiences, and relationships that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Here are the facts
Research shows that young people whose closest friends behave responsibly do better in school, get into less trouble, and choose activities that give them the best chance of future success. It makes sense for young people to surround themselves with people who bring out their best qualities. In return, they can multiply the benefits by being friends who are also positive influences. About 63 percent of young people, ages 11–18, say their best friends model responsible behavior, according to Search Institute surveys.
Tips for building this asset
Peer pressure is especially strong in school. When you notice trouble brewing or young people who are about to make a poor choice—in school or elsewhere—remind them that they have the power to say no—even to a peer or a friend.
Also try this
- In your home and family: Identify people, stories or images that exemplify the positive power of peers. Use these examples to help your child make a collage of inspiring quotes and images for a friend.
- In your neighborhood and community: Talk with young people in your neighborhood about the qualities you admire in each of them. Encourage them to be a positive influence in the lives of their friends and peers.
- In your school or youth program: Pair off students and participants. Have them take turns discussing a time when they positively influenced a friend or peer. After each story, talk about how it felt to use positive peer pressure.
-------------------------
Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.
Westside High School
Email: dostal.jay@westside66.net
Website: https://www.westside66.org/whs
Location: 8701 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE 68114, USA
Phone: (402) 343-2600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestsideHigh66
Twitter: @WestsideHigh66