The WJHS Panther Update
Mar. 22, 2024
Panther Families,
Spring break can be a wonderful time to relax, recharge, and enjoy some leisure activities. Whether it's traveling to a new destination, spending time outdoors, catching up on hobbies, or simply taking a break from the routine, I hope you have a fantastic spring break! Be safe and we will see you back on April 2nd!
No School - March 23rd - April 1st
IAR Testing - Students will take the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in English Language Arts on April 4th and 5th. Please remind your kids to get a good night's rest, eat breakfast, and come to school with a fully charged Chromebook. The IAR test in Math will be given on April 9th, 11th and 12th.
**Please make sure your child has working headphones they will need them for IAR testing.
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Incoming 6th Grade for 2024 Dual Language Family Meeting - Thursday, April 4th from 6 PM - 7 PM in the Media Center.
PTO NEWS
We need a new President, Treasurer, and Secretary for next year. You can also team up with a friend and co-chair these positions. Our last general meeting of the year is on April 3rd at 7 pm and we are hoping to vote in and install a new board. PLEASE reach out to the PTO email at westmontjrhighpto@gmail.com if you are interested/willing to serve in one of these positions.
If we cannot install a new board, the PTO will take steps to dissolve or temporarily suspend activities and hand over control of the funds to Ms. Quattrone for the 2024 academic year and beyond.
A new board can bring fresh ideas and a new approach. You can work together to shape it how you want it to be. Choose the fundraisers you want (or don't want), set your meeting schedules, and determine the level of involvement that works for all of you. The newly written by-laws from last year offer a lot of flexibility. It does not require a huge time commitment - it does require at least 3 people stepping up.
Please consider getting involved and helping out!
Raise Craze Final Update:
While we did not achieve our school-wide goals, our students did help raise over $3,600 and performed over 120 acts of kindness within the Westmont community. We celebrated with a tug-of-war contest on March 8th and will be holding a freeze dance contest in the coming weeks.
We’d like to thank Kim Heller Real Estate and McIntyre Family Medicine for sponsoring our Raise Craze activities! Their generosity allowed us to award 6 students with Amazon gift cards, 15 students with lunch from Wendy’s (3 winners could select 4 friends to have lunch with), 4 students with McDonald’s gift cards, and 3 $50 grand prize awards.
Shout Out to Mrs. Richey📣📣📣📣📣📣📣
Our very own Literacy Specialist, Mrs. Richey, was a guest speaker at the Statewide Illinois Reading Conference last week. Her two presentations were reading-focused and helped other literacy teachers hone their craft. We are so fortunate to have Mrs. Richey as part of our Panther Family! She did an amazing job!
WJHS 2024 Yearbooks
Have you ordered your yearbook? Just a little peek at what's inside!
Yearbooks are currently available for purchase until May 1st. The cost is $21. You can purchase a yearbook through your Skyward account or by paying cash in the school office.
🏀💓Hoops for Heart💓🏀
Our Annual Hoops for Heart Tournament is coming back! The tournament will take place during PE classes during the weeks of 3/18 - 3/22 and 4/2 - 4/5. If you are interested in supporting our fundraiser and would like to donate to the American Heart Association, the cost is $10 for a t-shirt and $25 for both the shirt and socks. Payments can be made in cash, check (payable to the American Heart Association), or an online donation on our school fundraising site below. Thank you in advance for your consideration in supporting a great cause!
WJHS is Hosting 5th Grade Step - Up Night!!
Do you have a 5th-grader??? Know someone who does??? Be sure to let them know about the 5th grade Step-Up Night! We are excited to introduce our soon-to-be Panthers to the Junior High and all the fun things WJHS has to offer!
Attendance Matters
Student attendance has a direct impact on student success, and students with accumulating absences will continue to be contacted by the WJHS attendance team so that we can help problem-solve. You may receive communication even if your student's absences are excused or due to medical reasons.
Attendance & Tardy policy: Class at WJHS begins at 8:20 am. Please review the attendance & tardy policy (pages 4-6) in the WJHS Student Handbook and reach out if you have any questions or concerns related to attendance.
Attendance FAQ
Why am I receiving a letter about my child's attendance?
As our team continues to monitor and support student attendance, you may receive notification in the mail of accumulating absences. Some reminders of how these absences add up:
- Students will be excused up to 7 times with parent/guardian contact. 3 days of illness in a row may require a physician's excuse.
- Student illness beyond 7 times will be excused with medical documentation or determination by a school nurse.
- Chronic Absenteeism from school is considered to be absent, for any reason, for 10% or more of the school year.
We aim to partner with you and collaborate together.
l
Aladdin Jr. coming soon!
Need SSLC Hours???
Great opportunity to have fun AND earn some SSLC hours!
🌎🌍🌏International Night 🌎🌍🌏
Here is your chance to experience cultures from all over the world at this amazing event sponsored by CUSD201 BPAC and EB Staff!
You are NOT going to want to miss this!
CUSD 201 Spring Edition Released
Check your mail because the Spring 2024 district newsletter is on its way, bursting with news, events, and exciting updates from our schools! Stay tuned and stay connected with #CUSD201.
DuPage County Health Department Urges Residents to Stay Up to Date with MMR Vaccine to Prevent Measles
DuPage County – The DuPage County Health Department (DCHD) is reminding all
residents to ensure they are up to date with their measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR)
vaccine to protect against measles due to recent cases in Chicago.
DCHD emphasizes the importance of timely vaccination for individuals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) schedule for MMR vaccination states children should receive their first dose of the MMR vaccine between ages 12-15 months and a second dose between ages 4-6 years. Teenagers and adults with no evidence of immunity should get vaccinated as soon as possible.
Many older adults have immunity against measles since the majority of people born in the U.S. before 1957 are likely to have been infected naturally and therefore are presumed to be protected against measles, mumps, and rubella. If you don’t have -More- -Page 2- presumptive immunity and are unsure whether you’ve been vaccinated, you should first try to find your vaccination records. If you do not have written documentation of MMR vaccine, you should get vaccinated. The MMR vaccine is safe, and there is no harm in getting another dose if you may already be immune to measles, mumps, or rubella. MMR vaccine is available at most clinics, medical provider’s offices, and pharmacies.
DCHD provides the MMR vaccine to eligible children through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program for children who do not have insurance, with insurance that does not cover immunizations, or children who are Medicaid eligible.
To find additional providers who offer vaccines through the VFC Program, please visit the VFC Provider Search. For more information about measles or the MMR vaccine, residents can visit the CDC website at www.cdc.gov/measles/index.html.
Are you looking for something fun to do over spring break? Be sure to check out the Westmont Library's list of events, as well as the Westmont Park Districts.
Remember to check the WJHS calendar for up-to-date information on Clubs, Events, & Athletics.
Sincerely,
Amy Quattrone
WJHS Principal