Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for March 3
Hello WGHS Families,
We enjoyed our two days of All Write here at the high school. It is akin to being in Florence during the Renaissance: musicians, visual art, and spoken word are all around our building. The school bell noting the end of an hour reluctantly moves us from a place we want to linger in an idea, a production, or an artist sharing their journey. So many of our artists shared additional time and influence with our students. Professionals in all artistic formats share the stage with our many talented students to make us ponder the world around us more deeply and perhaps in a new way. We are grateful for our Chelsea Center team, faculty (particularly Todd Schafer), and students that bring us this celebration--it is truly a team effort.
Please see the information below on our upcoming parent conferences. I hope you have a chance to connect with your child's teachers if warranted.
Best,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: Late-Start A, A, B, C, A
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- 3/7: Late-Start A Day; School starts at 9:15, and doors open at 8:30.
- 3/8: Choir Concert, 7pm, Webster Groves Presbyterian Church
2021-22 Late-Start Days
Junior Lydia Urice won third place in MIPA-MJEA's February Photo of the Month contest!
Spring Parent Conferences
Please join us! March 14, 15, and 16 via Zoom
Monday, March 14 & Tuesday, March 15
4:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, March 16
1:30 – 3:30 p.m.
(Departments will have a rotating 10-minute break on Monday/Tuesday evening.)
We're looking forward to meeting with you virtually. This spring, all conferences will be held virtually via Zoom and scheduled using PTCFast.com.
The purpose of the conference is to give parents and teachers an opportunity to discuss student progress and to work together to ensure student achievement. Parents should know the names of the teachers they wish to visit within each department. We urge you to schedule as many of your child’s teachers as time permits. Up to SEVEN minutes will be allotted for each conference.
We will be using the PTCFast system for scheduling conferences. Please see instructions below on how to schedule conference times.
As you prepare for conferences, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Teachers will call all parents who they have the greatest need to meet.
- Teachers who are with us part-time or work at other schools in the district may only be available one evening during conferences. PTCFast will only display available times.
- Please check your child's progress online in the Parent Portal. This will assist in determining whether you need to schedule a conference/meet with a teacher.
- You may choose not to see all or any of your child's teachers, depending on their progress.
- For specific questions, an email to the teacher may suit your needs.
We look forward to meeting with you via Zoom. If you desire more than the seven minutes allowed at these conferences, please set up an individual teacher conference.
How to Schedule Conferences with Your Child's Teachers
Conferences will be scheduled online using www.ptcfast.com. Please note that you must have a personal email account (ex. Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) in order to schedule a conference for your student. Conferences will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. You must register your student for each teacher with whom you wish to meet.
1. Please click on or enter the following web address into your browser window to get started: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Webster_Groves_High_School_1
2. Next, select your child's teacher; you can select more than one if applicable to your family.
3. You will then register your child's name, then your name and contact information. This creates a registration for each child and sends you a confirmation email with a link to choose a conference time for that teacher. It is a two-step process, as the first registration just gets you into the system. Going to the email that is generated from your registration and clicking on the active link will allow you to choose a conference time for the teacher.
4. Once you have chosen a time for each teacher with whom you wish to visit, you will receive a confirmation email with the schedule.
Click here to view the privacy policy for www.ptcfast.com.
Teachers will send the Zoom link via email to all parents, and post the link on their Canvas page.
2022-23 Bus Transportation
The Webster Groves School District is currently determining transportation needs for the fee-based service for the 2022-2023 school year. If your student will be attending Webster Groves High School or Hixson Middle School and you would like bus transportation for your student for the 2022-2023 school year, you must complete the application at the link below. Even if your student rode the bus last year, you must fill out a new application for the 2022-2023 school year. Please read the information in the link and fill out the form if you want your student to ride the bus for the 2022-2023 school year.
Application deadline is May 15, 2022.
Thank you,
WGSD Transportation
314-963-6413
Summer School Learning/Opportunities at WGHS
WGHS 2022 Summer School Opportunities/Program Information and Expectations
Summer School Session: June 6 - July 8, 2022 (Monday - Friday)
Registration
The online application for WGHS Summer School will open on Thursday, March 17, 2022 at 8:30 a.m.
Completing an application does not guarantee enrollment as enrollment is conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Please note that we will be offering online (100% asynchronous) and in-person courses at WGHS for the 2022 Summer School program. Courses with fewer than 15 students will not be offered.
Notification Process
You will receive an email regarding your enrollment status (enrolled or wait listed) by the beginning of April. If enrolled, a course schedule with teacher information will be mailed home one week prior to the start of summer school with classroom numbers.
Attendance Policy
During the summer session, attendance is most important because of the condensed period in which we have to work. Doctor appointments are unexcused for summer school and count towards absences and tardies.
With this in mind, the following attendance regulations have been adopted:
A student may not accumulate more than 3 absences in a class.
Any students arriving after the start of a class (5 minutes) will be considered tardy.
Any students leaving prior to the end of class (less than 30 minutes) will be considered tardy.
Any student arriving/leaving more than 30 minutes after the start/end of a class will be given an absence for the class even if he or she remains/stays the rest of the class period.
Three (3) tardies to a class will be equal to one absence.
Any student exceeding the three (3) absences for a class will receive a grade of “F” for the class and will be withdrawn from the class with no credit.
Any student who is withdrawn from a class after three (3) days of summer school will be issued and “F” for the specified class.
PE - Students will be graded on attendance and participation. Due to the length of summer school classes, please note that if a student sustains an injury while enrolled in PE and needs to miss more than 3 days of class participation due to the injury the student will need to be withdrawn from the summer PE course.
ALL WGHS SCHOOL RULES WILL BE ENFORCED DURING SUMMER SCHOOL
Please note that consequences for discipline issues may be increased due to the short length of summer school. Disciplinary infractions may include withdrawal from summer school. If withdrawn, students will receive no credit for their course(s).
For additional questions please contact
Ms. Stacia Giulvezan Summer School Principal, 314-918-4118 or email giulvezan.stacia@wgmail.org
Board Approves Late-Starts for 2022-23
The Board of Education has approved adding “late-start” days to next year’s school calendar. Webster Groves High School currently uses late starts and this change would expand the model districtwide. Late starts will allow teachers collaborative planning time to look at data and monitor student progress. We believe the expansion of this model for Hixson and our elementary schools will positively impact instructional planning, as we continue to support the academic needs of every student.
Late start days will be the second and fourth Mondays, allowing teachers one hour at the beginning of the day to work together. On these days, the district will offer supervision for students at no cost. This opportunity is reserved for students who require supervision during this time. Supervision will be staffed by instructional aides and everyday substitutes who work in each building.
Families can register for supervision through the parent portal beginning later in the spring. Local school buses will shift their schedules for late start days to a late start schedule; VICC buses will stick to their normal schedules. Breakfast will be offered in two shifts so that all students who wish to eat will have that opportunity.
The schedule is as follows;
For kindergarten through fifth grade, supervision will be offered beginning at 7:40. Arrival begins at 8:50 and school starts at 9:05.
For Hixson and the High School, supervision will be offered at 8:15. Arrival will be at 9:25 a.m. and school begins at 9:40.
News from the Chelsea Center: WGHS’ In-house Experiential Learning Center
What is Experiential Learning?
Experiential Learning (ExL) is the process of creating knowledge from direct experience. Chelsea Center students engage in ExL learning through community-based experiences & reflection on those experiences.
How can my child get involved?
All students now have access to a Chelsea Center course that connects them to our new online platform, GivePulse. Within GivePulse, students can search for opportunities in service learning, internships, and leadership programming, as well as summer opportunities. We also meet with students one on one and in small groups to coach them through finding the just-right experiences for them. We are in Room 200 at WGHS and are eager to help!
Opportunity Spotlight
Check out these new opportunities available through GivePulse via the Chelsea Center Canvas course.
Summer Camp for Future Medical Professionals
This five-day overnight camp is for Missouri high school rising seniors who are interested in a career in medicine. Students will attend lectures and do the same Patient Based Learning (PBL) curriculum that our medical students do. We will have a lot of hands-on experiences, and social events in the evenings. This is a great experience for anyone who is considering medical school after college. The application opens on February 7, 2022, and is due March 11, 2022!
Webster Groves Parks & Rec Internship
Webster Groves Parks and Rec department has a skilled and approachable Maintenance Manager who would be willing to work with high school students interested in exploring work in this career field. Students interested in an experience with hands-on building maintenance including exposure to electrical and mechanical systems and repairs, HVAC systems and repairs and general building upkeep. If you are interested in learning more, come visit the Chelsea Center.
Zoo ALIVE Volunteer Educator Program
Love animals and kids? Passionate about wildlife and conservation? Want to help others appreciate the natural world? Got a knack for talking to groups? Have some time to give? Then check out the coolest opportunity for teens in St. Louis -- Zoo ALIVE! Zoo ALIVE is the Saint Louis Zoo’s volunteer educator program for high school age students. (ALIVE stands for Active Leaders In Volunteer Education.) If you are interested in learning more, come visit the Chelsea Center.
Zoo Teens Volunteer Opportunity
Do you want to contribute to the Zoo’s mission this summer? Do you want to learn more about conservation, Zoo animals and Zoo careers? Do you need to complete service hours for your school? Share your knowledge and passion with our guests by joining the ZooTeens program! ZooTeens is a summer volunteer program for teens, ages 15-18. Teens will have opportunities to volunteer in three areas throughout the summer. In each role, teens will learn about conservation and share information with our guests.
New Faces for 2022-23!
Did You Know?
March 4 is Maintenance Appreciation Day!
Special thanks to our WGHS Maintenance team, Mr. Mark Sweet and Mr. Willie Bates, for keeping our historic building beautiful and functional!
To Report an Absence, Please Call:
Statesmen Service Awards
Spring will be here soon and so will the annual Statesmen Service Awards - our celebration of students who are aware, thoughtful, and committed to making a difference in their community through volunteering.
So now is the time for our students to take full advantage of giving to others so they can be honored for all that they do for other people. We understand that this year has not allowed for as many in-person volunteer opportunities so the minimum number of hours required for the award are 25 (50 hours were required pre-Covid).
Students can find a variety of service opportunities (as well as internships, summer programs and more!) via a new online platform called GivePulse. Students (and parent observers) can access GivePulse via the Chelsea Center Canvas page, which is on every WGHS student's Canvas dashboard.
Forms are due by 3/17/22 – just before Spring Break. Questions? Contact Julie Simonson, Administrative Assistant, (simonson.julie@wgmail.org) or John M. Thomas, Assistant Principal. Forms are in Office 124.
Counseling Office Updates
Digital Strike Will Award Online Google Career Certificates
Local digital marketing firm, Digital Strike, has announced they will be awarding 20 area high school students an opportunity to complete an online Google Career Certificate.
Upon completion, this certificate will propel students on the fast track to in-demand jobs within fields that are and will continue to be crucial to our country’s economy, including technology, science, business, finance, energy, and more.
For more information and to apply visit https://www.digitalstrike.com/google-growth-with-digital-strike/
RGA Hosting Actuarial Day for High School Students, Tuesday, March 29, 2022 from 3:30-5:00pm (via Zoom)
Do you love Math? High school students interested in learning about the actuarial field should consider attending RGA's Actuarial Day. They will hear presentations by RGA actuaries and have opportunities for Q&A via Zoom. To register, click here.
College Admissions Testing
We have fielded a lot of questions regarding the ACT and SAT lately. Here's an article with answers to some of the top questions we hear.
2022-2023 Course Selections
Counselors are meeting individually with all students (during their Science class) to review student transcripts and finalize course requests for the 2022-2023 school year. Parents can view their child’s course requests in the parent portal by selecting the 2022-2023 school year (dropdown menu in upper right hand corner) and selecting “Course Requests” (menu on left). Please reach out to your child’s counselor if you have any questions.
In Person College Visits are Back
Beginning this week, admissions representatives will visit to meet with prospective juniors and seniors to share information about their institutions. Students who would like to meet with admissions representatives should sign up in the counseling office ahead of time and will receive a pass from class. To visit the full calendar, click here. Check back frequently as visits are being added daily.
College and Career Night Recordings
Thanks to those who joined us for College and Career Night on February 8. Couldn’t make it? Here’s a link to view the recorded sessions.
Upcoming ACT and SAT National Test Dates (Saturdays)
Junior parents: Is your child planning to attend a four year college or university? While many colleges have been “test optional” for the past two years as a result of covid, plans for next year are not yet clear and many colleges will still require ACT or SAT scores for admission and/or scholarships. Here are the ACT and SAT test dates for the rest of the school year.
Shop the Parents' Club Spirit Store!
The Spirit Store is open! Hours are 8-9:15 a.m. daily.
The online store is open 24 hours a day at https://wghsparentsclub.org/collections.
Every time you shop at the Spirit Store, you are supporting student scholarships and teacher grants!
Webster Groves High School
Email: erb.mickey@wgmail.org
Website: hs.webster.k12.mo.us
Location: 100 Selma Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 963-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/WGAlumni
Twitter: @WebsterGrovesHS