WARRIOR WEEKLY
Week of Monday, December 12 - Friday, December 16, 2022
BAND CONCERT DATE CHANGE
The #WaunakeeWAY High School Band Concert originally scheduled for this evening (December 8) will be on Monday, December 19th at 7:30 p.m., in the High School Performing Arts Center (PAC). Please mark your calendars! And, tell your friends and families! We hope to see you there!
Stay up-to-date with our calendar on our district website: https://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/about-us/calendars
STUDENT COUNCIL organizes "Call an Elf"
Student Council Shares in the Holiday Spirit
Mark your calendars! The High School Student Council will again team up with the elves of the North Pole to bring holiday spirit and magic to the children in the Waunakee community. The elves will accept calls on Sunday, December 11 from 3:00-5:00 PM for the children to share all of their holiday wishes. To reach an elf, please call 608-849-2100, Extension 0.
A Quick How-to: Checking In With Teens About Their Mental Health
As we enter the holiday and final exam season, your student(s) may be experiencing higher than usual levels of stress. Check out this quick guide for supporting their mental health!
GREETINGS FROM THE HEALTH OFFICE
It’s safe to say we’re officially in the cold and flu season. If your child is not feeling well and may have a hard time participating in learning, please keep them home to rest and recover.
Here are some ways to keep each other safe and healthy!
Stay home when you are sick. If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.
Practice good hand hygiene often
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Germs spread this way.
Clean and disinfect surfaces or objects. Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces at home, work or school, especially when someone is ill.
Click on the links to learn more:
Waunakee Community School District Health Guidelines for Attendance
Covid 19 Testing Information:
Adults can order a free package of five rapid antigen tests for their household at Say Yes Covid Test! Households can order one package of five rapid antigen tests each month.
For help with any health related needs, please contact the Health Office at 608-849-2100, Ext. 2055.
A Reminder from WHS Health Office & Attendance
We're in the thick of cold and flu season, and thought it would be a good time to remind our district families of our policy regarding sicknesses during the school day.
When a student feels ill, they should go to the Health Office where health staff will attend to the student and/or contact a parent for permission for the student to go home. Parents should not be calling Attendance to "call their student out." All health-related departures need to be routed through the Health Office where the student receives the blue pass to leave school.
By following the policy of the student coming to the Health Office first, and health staff then contacting the parent, we will be better able to monitor the health concerns in the school, the whereabouts and excused absences of our students, and the division of labor between Attendance and the Health Office where it should naturally lie.
Thank you very much for your support!
CESA 2 DRIVER EDUCATION UPDATE
Unfortunately, CESA 2 Driver Education has temporarily closed Behind the Wheel (BTW) registrations for Waunakee School District due to the negative pandemic effects/impact on BTW scheduling effective 12/6/2022. We will continue conducting BTW lessons for teens who were already registered for their BTW by 12/06/2022. We apologize for the inconvenience for this temporary closing of BTW registrations in your district. We will update our website and the school when we reopen BTW registrations.
During this time we are focusing on the students we already have registered for BTW in your district. Our classroom and online course is recognized and accepted by the DMV and DPI as approved Driver Education courses which can transfer to commercial schools for BTW instruction.
Please email us at driversedsupport@cesa2.org if you have any questions.
YEARBOOK ORDERING INFORMATION
Order the 2022-2023 yearbook before prices go up on January 31, 2023. Click HERE (school code 3927) to see what options are available. For more information on all things yearbook please visit our website: https://whs.waunakee.k12.wi.us/familiesstudents/yearbook
Yearbook order center:
https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/?event=general.displayLanding&jobnumber=3927
EXTENDED GRADUATION ORDER DEADLINE
Senior Orders Due
The deadline has been extended for Jostens graduation 2023 senior orders! Place your order through the following link http://jostens.com/ by December 11, 2022 to avoid any late fees. Questions? Please call 1-800-854-7464 OR EMAIL: www.jostens.com/contact.
Seniors! When you buy your Class Jewelry on or before Extended Grad Order Deadline SUNDAY, DECEMBER 11 you will receive a promo code for a free Cap & Gown Unit to use on a separate purchase. Some exclusions apply. (Up to a $31.99 value).
A WINTER'S NIGHT CHOIR CONCERT
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF MUSIC EDUCATION
Mark your calendars for Monday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. as there is much to celebrate! The WHS choirs will celebrate 100 years of music education in Waunakee Schools by highlighting some of the major events of the past century. From the Depression to World War II to the Cold War, we will highlight composers and poets that created art in the ever-changing landscape of the past century.
We are excited to collaborate with Madison and Waunakee area artists including:
* Sonia Driskill on Harp
* Leonardo Arturo Quintero on classical guitar
* Sam Robinson on percussion
* Ellen Traeger on piano
Come enjoy an eclectic mix of music and grab family members or friends to join you in the Waunakee High School Performing Arts Center.
Winter Weather Procedures
From the Desk of Anne Blackburn, Communications & Engagement Specialist
As we enter the winter months, it is important for us to watch weather patterns more closely, particularly when we are trying to make decisions that impact transportation and the safety of our students and staff. Our winter weather procedures can be found under the Family tab (School Closings/Weather) on our district website.
We’d like to provide you with a short overview of the process for determining school closures, and what is considered when making these decisions.
We watch the weather very closely in the winter months. On nights when the weather is forecasted to cause any issues that might impact our students arriving safely at school, we are assessing the situation at 4:45 a.m. and try to decide by 6:00 a.m. that morning. Once a decision is made about a closure or a delayed start, this information is added to our website and posted to local television and radio stations. We will also share information via email and text with parents once a decision is made to close/delay school.
For snow-related weather, Lamers Bus Company has individuals checking the roads in different parts of our school district. The timing of the snow and/or ice, how much snow/ice is predicted, how it impacts getting students to and from school, and consultation with Lamer’s Bus Company are all key factors when deciding for our school district.
For cold weather-related closures, the main indicator is the wind chill factor. If the wind chill factor generates a Wind Chill Warning (-35 sustained wind chill), as determined by the National Weather Service, we will close for the day or will consider a delayed start if the warning is lifted in the mid-morning hours. We will hold school during a Wind-Chill Advisory.
Finally, if there is ever a time that we hold school and you do not feel that it is in the best interest of your child to attend based on your assessment of the weather, please know that we respect your decision as a parent and will excuse those absences. Please communicate with the school office if you make this decision for your child.
We are asking each family to review their contact information in Infinite Campus. Staff were asked to review their information in Skyward at the beginning of the school year. If you’d like to receive text messages from WCSD and haven’t opted in, please send a text with the subject “Y” or “YES” to 67587 from your cellular device. You will not receive text messages from WCSD if you do not opt-in.
We appreciate your support. Stay warm and enjoy the wonderful Wisconsin winter.
THANK YOU for Your Support & Trust
The Waunakee Community School District Board of Education would like to thank the community for your support of the November 8th referendum. Your questions, attendance, and engagement throughout the process was appreciated. This investment into building two new schools and supporting our staff and programs is something we do not take for granted and plan to bring forward projects of which you can be proud.
We are committed to keeping all our stakeholders informed about the referendum as we continue forward with the planning and building process. We promise to continue to be transparent and focus on creating exceptional educational experiences for our children. The district website will continue to be a place where you can find updates on our progress. Please check back often for pictures and updates - the next update will be in January after we move plans for a new Heritage Elementary School through the Village and Joint Plan Commissions.
On behalf of the Board of Education and a grateful school community, we thank you for your support and commitment to our mission, staff, and most importantly, the 4,300 children who rely on us each day. We have a lot to be proud of in the Waunakee Community School District.
Waunakee Community School District Board of Education: Joan Ensign, President; Ted Frey, Vice-President; Jack Heinemann, Treasurer; Judy Engebretson, Clerk; Mark Hetzel, Director; Brian Hoefer, Director; Katie Dotzler, Director
🔸🔸COUNSELING DEPARTMENT CONNECTION🔸🔸
Wisconsin Tuition Promise Program
The Wisconsin Tuition Promise program is a new initiative to ensure underserved Wisconsin students can attend any of the 12 public universities (excluding UW-Madison). This initiative is an extension of UW-Madison’s Bucky’s Tuition Promise. Please visit the UW System website to see eligibility requirements or stop by the Counseling Office with questions.
Transcript Request Fee Due
A reminder to Seniors to please pay the one time $15 Transcript Fee in the Infinite Campus School Store if you have requested, or plan to request, a transcript to be sent via Naviance to a college(s) you are applying to. Please stop in the Counseling Office with any questions.
Students from 12 Local High Schools Perform
Here is the lineup -
- Stoughton High School Madrigal Singers and Concert Choir: “Ding-A-Ding-A-Ding” by Greg Gilpen and “Sweeter Still” by Eric Barnum
- Mount Horeb High School Concert Choir: “Blow, Blow Thou Winter Wind” by John Rutter
- Waunakee High School Sonoro: “Procession” and “Wolcum Yole” from A Ceremony of Carols by Benjamin Britten
- Beloit Memorial High School Jazz Orchestra: “Overture to the Nutcracker” arr. Billy Strayhorn & Duke Ellington and “Cool Yule” by Louis Armstrong.
- Evansville High School Vocal Jazz: “Once Upon A December”
- Oregon High School Percussion Ensemble: “Carol of the Bells”
- Sun Prairie High School Combined Choirs: “A Merry Christmas” arranged by Arthur Warrell
- Verona Area High School Concert Choir: “Gloucestershire Wassail”- Traditional English Carol
- Sauk Prairie High School Wind Ensemble & Chamber Singers: “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin
- Janesville Craig High School A cappella Choir: “White Winter Hymnal”
- Edgerton High School Concert Choir: “Christmas Waltz”
- Middleton High School Symphony Strings: “Winter Wonderland”
FBLA AND DECA REMINDER
ATTENTION FBLA AND DECA STUDENTS
Your Bucky Books need to be either returned or paid for by Tuesday, December 13th. We still have a large number of unaccounted for books that need to either be returned or paid for. If you do not return any unsold books by then, you will be responsible for paying the $35 per book that you have checked out. You can return the Bucky Books or the payments to Ms. Meinholz, Ms. Holmes, Ms. Heck or Ms. Serum. If you have any questions or are unsure if you have any unaccounted for Bucky Books, please ask any of the teachers mentioned above.
SEMESTER EXAMS/FINALS SCHEDULE
The High School will follow the Skinny Day schedule on Friday, January 13, 2023 (Students will complete both their A-Day and B-Day Schedule during a skinny day).
The following are general reminders: Open Campus-Students are not required to be in the building when not taking a test. Students who remain in the building should be in the commons, field house, or the LMTC. Test Preparation-Staff prepare for administering tests or offer review sessions for upcoming tests. Test Periods-Staff/students complete finals for their class during the listed hour. Staff are expected to: a) offer a final test/project/etc.; b) hold a class or; c) bring in students who have work to complete. Break-Breaks will look like a passing time. Lunch-Students should be in the commons or outside of the building during lunch unless they are with a teacher. Make-Up Tests-Students who need to complete missed tests, projects, or other work.
Making a Difference with Every Meal
See the DECEMBER Calendar for all the delicious offerings by Taher Food Services. To apply for free and reduced price meals or milk, please visit the Campus Parent portal. This is the preferred method. The 2022-2023 school year application is available in Campus Parent.
Contact Us
Website: https://www.waunakee.k12.wi.us/schools
Location: 301 Community Drive, Waunakee, Wisconsin, USA
Phone: (608) 849-2100, Ext. 2046