WHS Gladiator News
Back to School 2022-2023
Welcome Back!!
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year! I am the principal of Widefield High School; a building with a long history of academic excellence, pride, tradition, family, and commitment. I am so excited to once again have the opportunity to lead this community of outstanding students, staff, and families and cannot wait to have all of our students back in the building!
The staff at Widefield High School is committed to and proud of our 63 years of tradition and commitment to excellence. We offer our students a top-notch education in a safe and structured learning environment. Widefield has evolved throughout the years from the flagship of the district to the iconic symbol of a community where the small town feel and attitude is still very much alive. We hold ourselves, and our students, to high standards, and we believe in doing whatever it takes to help our students be successful in all aspects of the school community.
We are excited that you and your child are part of the Widefield High School community, and we encourage you to take part in our school activities and educational programs. We recognize the importance of partnering with parents and guardians, and it is through the cooperation of home and school that we can truly foster success for all students.
I am honored to serve as the principal of Widefield High School, it is truly a privilege to be a part of such an outstanding community. If you or your child have any questions regarding this coming school year, please do not hesitate to call us at (719) 391-3200.
Go Glads!
Dr. Jessica Bitting
Principal
Upcoming Events:
Monday, August 1st:
- 8-10am: 11th & 12th Grade Registration, Schedule & ID Pick Up, and Student Pictures
- 12:30-2:30pm: 10th Grade Registration, Schedule & ID Pick Up, & Student Pictures
Tuesday, August 2nd:
- 7am-1pm Freshmen Orientation
- 10am: Sports Physicals -$20 (Bowers Gym)
Monday, August 8th:
- Fall Sports Begin
Monday, August 15th:
- 2-3:30pm: Open Building Hours for Students & Families
Tuesday, August 16th:
- First Day of School for All WHS Students!
Thursday, August 25th:
- 6pm: Open House Night
Back to School Information
Registration, Schedule Pick Up, and Pictures
We look forward to seeing all of our students next week at school to pick up their schedule, complete any missing registration information, have their school pictures taken, and purchase their student ID ($2-cash or check). 10th-12th graders will do this on Monday 8/1 in the performing arts building and our incoming 9th graders will do these things during freshmen orientation on Tuesday 8/2 (times are above).
Class Schedules for 22-23
You will pick up a paper copy of your schedule on 8/1 (10th-12th) or 8/2 (9th). Schedules will also be viewable through infinite campus beginning on 8/1. When you pick up your schedule on 8/1 or 8/2, please review it carefully. If you have a blank hour in your schedule or find an error in your schedule, please email your counselor no later than Thursday 8/4 to make any corrections.
Building a master schedule is a complex task and changing student schedules is very difficult as it creates imbalances in classes and disruptions to our overall schedule for all students. As a result, we will only make schedule changes if:
- There is an empty class period(s) on your schedule.
- You are missing a graduation requirement.
- You would like to drop down a level of a course (ex: drop from Honors Bio to Biology)
- You find an error made when entering your course requests.
If you need a change made for one of the reasons above, please email your counselor no later than Thursday, August 4th.
- 9th Grade Counselor: Greg Morris - morrisgregory@wsd3.org
- 10th Grade Counselor: Noelle Vancil - vancilshirley@wsd3.org
- 11th Grade Counselor: Ben Baldwin - baldwinb@wsd3.org
- 12th Grade Counselor: Emily Christensen - christensene@wsd3.org
Open Building Hours
On Monday, August 15th, the building will be open from 2-3:30pm for students and families to come walk the halls, find classroom, and set up lockers. Feel free to come by and orient yourself the night before classes begin! Administrators and secretaries will be available by the main office to answer questions and to help you find your classrooms. We hope to see you there!
An Update Regarding Cell Phones & Headphones at School
At WHS, we are committed to helping our students to be as successful as possible, and a component of this is being able to remain focused and engaged during class periods. Over the past several years, we have seen a significant increase in student use of cell phones & head phones during class time, which can lead to missed content & poor engagement. We want to encourage our students to make the most of class time, to converse and engage with their peers, and to remain engaged in their classes. To help ensure this takes place, beginning this year, students will not be allowed to use their cell phones or headphones at anytime during their class periods. (The only exception to this will be for academic projects that have been pre-approved by administration.) Students will also be expected to leave their phone in the classroom when leaving the classroom during class time. They may secure it with their teacher, leave it in their bag, or secure it in their school locker prior to the start of class.
Students may still utilize their phones and headphones before school, during passing times, during lunch, and after school. If you have an urgent need to reach your student during a class time, please call the main office and they will take and deliver the message to your student or can have them come to the main office to call you on our office phone.
We have outstanding students at WHS and are confident that they will rise to these new expectations, but we also want to clarify, up front, the consequences, should a student attempt to use their phone/headphones during a class period (including classrooms, hallways, offices, and bathrooms during class periods). Students that attempt to utilize their phone &/or headphones in class will be asked to give the phone/headphones to their teacher for the duration of the class period. If the student refuses to give their device to the teacher or if they attempt to use their phone in offices, bathrooms, or hallways during class periods, they will be sent to the office and will be subject to disciplinary consequences including a warning, in school detention, daily cell phone check in with administration, and potentially, out of school suspension for repeated infractions.
We know this will be a change that requires a bit of adjustment, but are confident that it will have a positive impact on student learning and interaction with their peers and teacher. We appreciate the support of our students and families as we work to increase student engagement in learning and with those in the classroom.
Lockers
If you would like a locker for the 22-23 school year, please click here to complete the locker request form.
Phone Extensions
To help streamline your calls to WHS, we have added to the options when you call our main phone number (719-391-3200). This will help to quickly direct you to the person that you need. The new phone options when you call are listed below. You do not have to wait for the message to play before selecting your extension.
- Attendance-Press 1
- Counseling Center-Press 2
- Registrar-Press 3
- Athletics/Activities-Press 4
- Dean’s Office/Discipline-Press 5
- Nurse’s Office-Press 6
- Administrative Office-Press 7
- All other questions-Press 8
Athletics Reminders
A few updates from our athletics office:
- Golf starts on 8/1; All other sports on 8/8
- The athletics office has moved to a new suite in the performing arts building! If you need help from athletics & activities, please go directly to the Performing Arts building and ring the buzzer!
- This year we have transitioned to online registration for athletics (instead of paper packets). Please see the graphic below to show you how to access the online athletics registration.
See you next week for schedule pick up & pictures!!!
Widefield High School
Email: bittingjessica@wsd3.org
Website: whs.wsd3.org
Location: 615 Widefield Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: (719) 391-3200
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WidefieldHSAthletics
Twitter: @GoWHSAthletic