Panther Nation Newsletter
March 18, 2022
From all of us at WPHS, we wish you a restful, relaxing and fun Spring Break! See you on March 28!
WelCo by Breah Clark
We are all still recovering from the pandemic and the changes it brought to us. Almost everything was affected by COVID and although most extracurricular activities here at Woodland Park High School are back up and running, there’s a club that’s still trying to regrow: WelCo.
16 years ago, WelCo was just starting up at Woodland Park High School and Mrs. Becker was asked to be a part of it. The main priority behind it was student nutrition and physical health. Mrs. Becker met with students close to school hours, that way everyone could be involved no matter if they rode a bus, and they focused on whatever the students needed for that day. Their daily activities ranged from coloring, meditating, going for walks, playing board games, or whatever else they thought would be a good break. Once a week, they would be provided with a healthy snack such as avocado toast, egg roll in a bowl, and hiking snack packs. Welco has had many different challenges and events to include everyone outside of the club as well. They have done exercise competitions to engage students in physical activity, done a “Chopped” challenge to engage students and staff in healthy cooking, a “harvest of the month” throughout the school district to engage students in healthy eating that’s locally sourced, and more.
When COVID hit, WelCo was disrupted, much like everything else. Despite this, Mrs. Becker still continued to check in on WelCo students through Google Meets to catch up. Sometimes they would drink hot chocolate or try to do other small activities like that just to take a fun break. However, she was never able to bring WelCo back together like norma. This is why starting the 3 weeks after we come back to school from spring break, Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Vetter will be hosting rock painting on Tuesdays, yoga on Wednesdays, and coloring with meditation and a healthy breakfast on Fridays. These events will take place during mornings from 7:30-8:00 and will be a way for Mrs. Becker and Mrs. Vetter to see students that may be interested in helping restart WelCo.
Mrs. Becker states, “I want to meet kids where they're at and help them get where they need.” All around, WelCo is a club prioritizing wellness throughout Woodland Park High School. It has had many positive effects on students in the past, and hopefully will have more to come.
Activities and Clubs March 18 - 28
- Forensics Speech and Debate STATE Tournament
Saturday, March 19
- Forensics Speech and Debate STATE Tournament
Visit our Instagram and Facebook pages to learn more about our Sponsor of the Week, Mr. Becker.
Athletic Events March 18-28
- Track and Field vs. Pueblo Centennial @ Pueblo Centennial High School
Tuesday, March 22
- Girl's Soccer vs Summit @ Meadowood Sports Complex in Woodland Park 4:30 pm
Visit our Instagram and Facebook pages to learn more about our Coach of the Week, Mrs. Smith.
Trinity Diamond by Jordan McCaslin-Thomas
Exceptional athletes deserve exceptional recognition. This is why it is important to recognize Trinity Diamond, who has recently excelled in her wrestling skills she has practiced over the season. Trinity Diamond is a female wrestling student at Woodland Park High School, and has already made a name for herself through her many accomplishments. Recently, after the Colorado HS Girls Regional Tournament and an amazing performance given by Trinity, she has qualified for the wrestling State Championships. She is one of the two first female state qualifiers at Woodland Park. Not only this, she is the only female student attending Woodland Park that has qualified for state not only once, but twice. She has been extremely successful for her entire wrestling career thus far and everyone is only waiting to see what she conquers next. She has been doing this sport for a large period of time now and has shown her dedication throughout. Trinity attributes much of her enormous success to her supporting teammates and her coaches, as she said when asked who her biggest motivation is to continue pushing. This positive environment has done so much for Trinity, and it’s only a matter of time before we see even greater success unfold for this young woman.
5 Tips to continue learning over the break
1. Keep to a routine. Keeping up a similar method during the break will help keep your child focused. All learning activities or reading should occur in the morning when kids are fresh. Be careful to avoid words like homework, learning, or requirement. We want to essentially sneak in some learning under the guise of fun. Instead, suggest your child pick a book and read aloud while you make breakfast. Let them know each day in the morning they will be doing a fun activity with you or on their own to share daily. That way, they know what they will be doing each day and it keeps them to a routine. That routine for just a small part of the day during the break can help reduce vacation fog.
2. Explore your surroundings. Make a word game in the car while driving to the in-laws during the holidays. Your child can read signs on the road or turn it into a fun math game. Make a bingo card of fun words to spot while driving!
3. Ask math questions. “If your toy costs $4.95, how much change do you give the cashier?” Math can be in everyday life activities. Purchase a math workbook and complete four math problems on a daily basis. Play War with a deck of cards and have your child identify greater than/ less than. Challenge older students to find geometric shapes in everyday items.
4. Write twenty minutes a day. Keep a writing journal. Ask your child to write to someone or write about a topic of interest in the journal. Even better, have them write about their vacation, their plans, and their goals.
5. Focus on a specific learning idea. Identify your child’s challenge areas in learning and create exercises to strengthen their skills set. If they struggle with math facts; make a game out of flash cards. Do they struggle with reading fluency or comprehension? Have them read aloud in the car or while you cook. Ask them questions such as "who, what, when, where, and why?" about what they have read aloud. If they make a statement about something they've seen on tv; ask them their opinion and encourage them to research the topic.
Over the break, students and parents who practice the above suggestions can see improvement and reduce digression in their child’s learning. Students have the opportunity to build self-esteem and confidence in education by overcoming their pain points in learning. Engaging in fun activities outside of class assignments and lessons makes learning fun and honestly they won't realize it's learning but a fun time with family sharing and playing.
https://www.methodschools.org/blog/5-tips-for-learning-during-the-holiday-break
Woodland Park High School
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Email: slee@wpsdk12.org
Website: https://wpsdk12.org/wphs/
Location: 151 Panther Way, Woodland Park, CO, USA
Phone: 719-686-2068