Notes from the WGHS Principals
February 27, 2023
Message from the WGHS Admin Team
Dear Parents, Guardians, and Caregivers,
We hope everyone had a fantastic February break and are ready for the next 5 weeks of classes, extra curricular activities and unpredictable weather before we have Spring Break in April! That's right, only 5 weeks before our next week off so please make sure you are staying on top of academics (mid-marking period ends March 10th), checking Synergy and reaching out to teachers and staff for support!
This is also an exciting time of the year wrapping up successful athletic seasons and celebrating success through post-season play. Congratulations to all of our athletic teams who have completed their seasons and continued success to our athletes who continue to represent West Genesee in sectionals and states - Go Wildcats!
Let’s continue to work hard both in the classroom and out. The end of the year is going to be here before we know it! Please, take some time to catch-up on a few important topics we have presented in this blog. We want to celebrate our success here at WGHS, but that takes a commitment from everyone. Together, we can make sure that all of our students at WGHS find success. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to us!
Sincerely,
The WGHS Administrative Team
Social Media and Cell Phone Usage
Cell phones continue to be the center of many issues at WGHS. Our administrative team spends an extraordinary amount of time investigating incidents that stem from the inappropriate use of cell phones and social media. We encourage you to monitor your students' social media use. We have found that while your student may not be contributing to the inappropriate messages, images, and content shared, they are likely being exposed to it through group chats or their social media feeds.
In addition, cell phones continue to be a huge distraction for students in class. Most of us can admit to struggling to disconnect from our devices, and this is especially true for high school students. The constant notifications and calls, and a student’s desire to respond immediately, makes focusing on class discussion and activities difficult. Please note that the use of cell phones in a classroom is currently at the discretion of the classroom teacher. Students may be asked to keep them put away during class and they are expected to follow the classroom rules. In addition, they may be asked to remove earbuds/AirPods while they are in a classroom. Students have all been provided with Chromebooks and they should bring them each day to school charged and ready to work. Phones are not a necessary school tool.
We understand the desire for families to be able to contact their children in the event of an emergency, which is why students are allowed to have them on their person. However, they do not need to be out and in a student’s hands. Please advise your student that phones should be put away and earbuds/AirPods removed during classroom instruction unless otherwise directed by their classroom teacher. As always, if you need to contact your student during instructional periods when their phone is away, you can call one of the WGHS offices and we will deliver the message. Please help us in prioritizing this valuable instructional time.
Safety
Please note that students are not permitted to be excused by a parent to leave the building for the purpose of getting lunch. Students who attend the afternoon BOCES program are required to eat lunch in the building. Afternoon BOCES students are not permitted to leave to get lunch and return to campus to ride the bus to BOCES. Lastly, the use of any food delivery services (doordash, UberEats, GrubHub, etc) to West Genesee High School are also prohibited in our WGHS Code of Conduct.
Sports Sectional/State Updates
Congratulations to all of our WGHS athletic teams who have been participating in post-season play!
Cheerleading: The West Genesee Cheerleading team became Section III Class A Champions on February 18 and will now move on to the state competition on March 4 in Binghamton. Samantha Bowles and Victoria Collins were also selected as Section III Class A All-Star Award Winners. Congratulations!
Boys Basketball: The Boys Basketball Basketball team is headed to the Section III Finals after defeating Nottingham 65-56. They will play in the Section III Class AA final against Liverpool on March 5 at 7 p.m. at SRC Arena. Congratulations!
Boys Hockey: The Boys Hockey team were scheduled to play Baldwinsville in the Section III final on Monday, February 27 and it has been postponed until this Thursday, March 2, at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5:00 p.m. and on ice at 5:30 p.m.
Indoor Track: Congratulations to the following athletes who competed at the Section III Indoor Track Championships held on February 9: Claire Griffin who won the girls 600; Boys 4x2 of Dom Burris, Dylan Frost, Rhison Williams and Chris Moser; Girls 4x2 of Mya Rufus, Grace McInerney, Claire Griffin and Molly Doran who came in 2nd; Molly Doran placed 2nd in the 55; and Peyton Long took 2nd in the 1500. Several runners will now be competing in the NYS Championships on March 4 at Ocean Breeze in Staten Island.
Boys/Girls Bowling: WG Bowler Lorelai Leskoske finished 3rd out of 37 at the Section 3 bowling shootout on February 16. Congrats, great job!
Wrestling: Congratulations to Maxx Fesinger and Austin Fesinger who competed at the NYS Championships after placing at the Section III Championships! Also to Logan Willis who placed at the Section III Championships.
Swimming/Diving: Congrats to the following WG swimmers for placing at the Sectional Championships held on February 15: Gavin Flanagan-3rd, 500 free, Ryan Goshow-7th, 100 backstroke, WG Medley Relay-8th, and the WG 400 free relay-7th!
Good luck to WG Diver Ethan Martin who will be competing at the NYS Championships on March 4 at Ithaca College.
Mark your Calendar for the West Genesee 14th Annual Culture Fair
The 14th Annual Culture Fair will be held at West Genesee High School on Saturday, March 4 from 12:00-3:00 p.m in the upper gymnasium.
Join us as we celebrate our community’s diversity at this fun event featuring dance performances, live music, cultural demonstrations, food samples, artwork, T-shirts, kids crafts, and more!
After Ball Party
The PTSA has begun preparations for the After Ball Party, which follows the Senior Ball on the evening of May 12. This event is designed to encourage students to enjoy the night in a safe environment. All seniors attending receive a door prize. There are also drawings for grand prizes at the end of the night (students must be present to win). Please consider making a donation to this event as we need to raise $14,000 to cover our expenses. If every senior family donated just $10, we could raise close to $3500. Any monetary donation is truly appreciated.
Donations can be made online at https://wghsptsa.memberhub.com/store/items/751790 or checks can be made out to WGHS PTSA and mailed to WGHS PTSA, 5201 West Genesee St, Camillus, NY 13031
National Honor Society - Graduation Stoles
Dance a Difference Week
In preparation for "Dance A Difference" Week (March 5-11, 2023), the WG Chapter of the National Honor Society for Dance Arts is putting together Comfort Cases for children in foster care and those serviced through the McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center. Thousands of teens and youth are moving from house to house carrying their few belongings in a garbage bag. Comfort Case was created to help end this tragedy.
West Genesee NHSDA dancers are accepting donations of:
(priority needs are backpacks and blankets)
- backpacks
- pajamas
- socks
- soft blankets
- stuffed animals
- coloring books/crayons
- books
- journals/pens
- travel-sized toiletries (shampoo/conditioner, toothbrush/toothpaste, soap/bodywash, deodorant, hair brush/comb/pik, hair ties/headbands)
- gift cards to purchase additional items
Items may be dropped off at the HS Main Office, HS Library, or Fine Arts Office, Monday-Fridays from 8:00-3:00 now through February 28. If you would like to volunteer to help assemble the bags, please email cbrackett@westgenesee.org for complete details.
Help our dancers help others!!
Important Dates
March 4: Culture Fair 12:00- 3:00 PM WGHS Upper Gym
March 11: SAT Exam
March 13: NO SCHOOL-Superintendent’s Conference Day
March 23: WG’s Got Talent at 6:30 PM in the WGHS Auditorium
March 27-31: WGHS Spirit Week and Spring PEP Rally