Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for February 17
Because of impending bad weather and in the interest of safety for all, the district will follow its early dismissal schedule today for all schools. After-school activities are cancelled. The high school will release at 12:30 p.m.
Hello WGHS Families,
The below quote is from a book centered on pre-school age children but it still rings true for adolescents:
“The children we know who are confident and feel socially and intellectually competent are the children whose parents support them by: loving them unconditionally…setting limits and expectations for behavior…teaching respect for others, the difference between right and wrong and the importance of taking responsibility for actions…being a good role model…and having fun, maintaining a sense of humor, and knowing that there’s no such thing as the perfect parent.” --Nancy Schulman and Ellen Birnbaum, Practical Wisdom for Parents
I am sharing this quote as a directional point for myself and the collective community as we all navigate the challenges of parenting adolescents. Administrators are pushing into classes to discuss some of the developmental aspect of the adolescent brain, and it needs a "frontal lobe assist" from time to time from caring adults. I know I am challenged to be high on both the nurturing and challenging axis, looking to balance those aspects that are at times in tension with each other. I take refuge in the ability to find humor in my fallibility, as does the rest of my family, particularly our 18 and 15 year old children. I know I am culpable as I provide plenty of fodder.
I hope we all seek and find the best answer for your child here at Webster Groves High School as we look to push, challenge, and grow young people in a caring, educational ecosystem that is a 21st century high school.
Best,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: NO SCHOOL, A, B, C, A
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- 2/18: NO SCHOOL; Progress grades available in Parent Portal
- 2/21: NO SCHOOL (Presidents' Day)
- 2/24: Band Concert, 7pm, Auditorium
2021-22 Late-Start Days
National Merit Finalists Named
Student Celebrations
Five Echo staffers have been approved for membership for Quill and Scroll, the international honorary society for high school journalists. The new Quill and Scroll members are junior Owen Crews, junior Maren DeMargel, senior Emily Goben, junior Izzy Poole and sophomore Calum Shank. Quill and Scroll was founded at the University of Iowa in 1926 to encourage and recognize “individual student achievement in journalism and scholastic publication,” according to its website.
Congratulations to Jocelyn Reiss, art teacher, and Rachel Sebastian-Asbed, 12th grade, for having work selected to represent our senate district! The work will hang in the Senate hallway gallery from March 2022 through Feb. 2023. Ms. Reiss and Rachel will be honored at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, March 23 at the Missouri Capitol in Jeff City.
All Write 2022: Metamorphosis
We are excited to share the return of the All Write festival for our students on 2/28 and 3/1. During the All Write Festival, the Webster Groves School District celebrates the word: the written word, the spoken word, the word as poetry, the word as prose, the word as image. In all these forms, words have the power to create and strengthen community, and our celebration embraces this power. During All Write, a variety of guest speakers will visit WGHS to discuss their craft and share their work with students from English classes.
The festival also features talented student writers and musicians at every author assembly during the event. The Jonathan Franzen (WGHS 1977 alum) Excellence in Student Writing contest searches for the best in student writing. The Art Write contest gathers the best student artists to create the annual Art Write gallery featuring original works to be shared with our powerful guest speakers.
A limited supply of All Write hoodies and t-shirts will be available for purchase the day of the event. Hoodies are $25 each and t-shirts are $15 each.
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.
Mercy Hospital Volunteer Opportunity
The TLC volunteers will interact with medical professionals such as doctors, nurses and therapists to see first-hand, the inner workings of Mercy Hospital St. Louis. The teens will also explore non-clinical positions, such as administration and marketing, to learn more about what it takes for a hospital to successfully serve its patients.
Police Community Engagement Board Internship
The Police Community Engagement Board was created in 2018. Its purpose is to strengthen and build upon positive relationships between the Police Department and the Webster Groves community through collaboration, partnerships, and outreach.
New Faces for 2022-23!
Spring Parent Conferences
March 14 & 15: 4:30 - 8:30
March 16: 1:30 - 3:30
Families will receive an invitation later this month to sign up for their conferences.
Did You Know?
Students are not allowed to order lunch from an outside delivery service or restaurant. We've seen an increase in students ordering out for food. If we receive a local food delivery for a student, we will turn away the order and report the infraction to the Assistant Principal's office.
Breakfast/lunch is free for all students this year. Please visit Chartwell's FAQ page for more details. If you drop off a lunch for your student, you will be instructed to place the lunch on the delivery table and send a text to inform your child. We do not deliver lunches that are dropped off. Thank you for your help on this matter.
School Closing Information Due to Inclement Weather
Communication
Should bad weather or other adverse conditions prompt us to consider closing schools, the District will make a decision as early as possible. Information will be available through the following outlets:
- Phone calls to all families through School Messenger
- Local media: KMOV TV (Channel 4), KSDK TV (Channel 5), KTVI (Channel 2) and KMOX radio (AM 1120)
- District website www.webster.k12.mo.us
- Facebook https://www.facebook.com/WebsterGrovesSD
- Twitter @WebsterGrovesSD
Late Start due to Inclement Weather
The District will consider opening schools with a late start or calling for an early dismissal depending on weather conditions. A late start would keep children off the street during the busy morning rush hour if roads are expected to be clear within a few hours; early dismissal would allow students to get home safely before bad weather moves into the area. Quick breakfasts would be available when school doors open before classes begin. Students should arrive no earlier than 15 minutes before the start of school. (This doesn’t include Ambrose Preschool children.)
All schools would close at their regular times and there would be no Adventure Club.
School Start Time Staff Arrival Time Student Arrival Time
Webster Groves High School Start Time: 9:40 a.m.
Staff arrival time: 9:10 a.m.
Student arrival time: 9:25 a.m.
Early Dismissal: 12:30 p.m.
All other schools can be found here.
** Late starts will be announced through the same communication outlets listed above **
Late Start Bus Times
With a late start, bus schedules will run one hour and 15 minutes later than the regularly scheduled time.
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
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.
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