The Warrior
Washington High School Newsletter
Mission: To Develop Lifelong Learners To Succeed In A Changing World
Newsletter Date:
January 2020
Principal Comments
Happy New Year! We are all hopefully optimistic that 2021 will be a better year. As I look back on all that we have endured and overcome this past year, I am proud and in awe of our students, staff, and Warrior community. The Warrior spirit is alive and well! I am so thankful to be a part of this amazing community. Thank you for all you do to make WHS such a great place to be!
We will conclude first semester with semester tests on Wednesday, January 13th and Thursday January 14th, with an 8:10 am start time and a 1:30pm dismissal time. Teachers will also be available both days until 3:05 for any student needing extra time to make up missing work. Please see the Semester Test Schedule in the newsletter. A reminder that sack lunches will be served to all students on both days (no open lunch). Busses will run at the 1:30 pm dismissal time and again at the regular 3:05 end time. A student’s semester test performance will comprise 15% of their final grade. We encourage students to study, get enough sleep the night before, and get to school on time so that they can finish the semester strong.
The registration process for the 2020-2021 school year will begin in January and
conclude in February. Incoming freshmen will begin the registration process in January, and current WHS students will register for next year’s classes in February. All information will be housed on the WHS Counseling website found at www.whscounseling.com. We encourage each student to take at least one Advanced Placement (AP) course or dual enrollment course during their high school career if they are planning on going to college. We ask parents to be involved in the course selection process for their child. Parental interest in course selection will assist in ensuring your child will be prepared for learning beyond high school.
The academic excellence and extra-curricular experiences make Washington High School a great place to earn an education. We appreciate your support and thank you for being an active part of our school!
Go Warriors!
Kari Papke, Principal
Superintendent Message
Mentoring Matters
By Dr. Jane Stavem, Superintendent
A quick search of the internet reveals no shortage of inspiring quotes about the value of a quality mentoring relationship. Leaders, past and present, recognize the power of walking along side someone to share in the learning and growth for ourselves and others.
· “The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” - Director/Producer Steven Spielberg
· “Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.” – Poet and Philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson
· “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement and mystery of the world we live in.” – Scientist and Ecologist Rachel Carson
· “Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember involve me and I learn.” – Inventor and Founding Father of the United States Benjamin Franklin
Positive mentoring relationships exist throughout business and industry, on the fields and courts of sports activities, and perhaps most importantly, in the classrooms and hallways of our public schools.
The Sioux Falls School District is better because our seasoned teachers support new teachers leading a classroom for the first time. Veteran principals guide aspiring administrators, and thanks to established programs like Lutheran Social Services School-Based Mentoring and TeamMates, community volunteers build meaningful relationships with students through regular mentoring opportunities.
While COVID-19 has limited in-person meetings between mentors and mentees at schools this year, those who understand the value of mentoring relationships have been working hard to overcome challenges for second semester.
With the support of the Sioux Falls Downtown Rotary Club, which is championing Mayor Paul Ten Haken’s “Sioux 52 Initiative,” virtual mentoring will be piloted in a few schools during the second semester. This means students will be able to re-connect with their mentor to continue to learn and grow with the support of another caring adult. I could not be more pleased with the way in which our community has responded to finding a way to make mentoring happen, even amidst the pandemic.
In my short time in Sioux Falls, not only have I been impressed with the community’s philanthropic support for our public schools, I have also been impressed by the fortitude of the many genuinely caring individuals who recognize that time continues to be a valuable gift for those most in need. Where there is a will, there is a way!
January is National Mentoring Month, and as a long-time mentor myself, I encourage you to consider being a mentor. If you have time to listen, share your own personal experiences, appreciate honest conversations, and want to make a difference in the life of a child, you will be a great mentor! Contact one of our schools to get started.
The immediate rewards are smiles, laughter, and friendship, and the real return on investment is the kind of personal growth that is hard to learn from a book. .
REMEMBER YOUR MASK
CONGRATULATIONS NOVEMBER ACTIVITY LEADERS OF MONTH
2021-2022 Online Open Enrollment Information
The District will begin accepting open enrollment applications for the 2021-22 school year on Tuesday, December 1, 2020 at 7:30am.
NEW THIS YEAR: There is no need to stand in line. The District has developed an online portal to take applications. More information can be found at the following webpage: http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/parents/school-registration-enrollment-bussing/open-enrollment-procedures-application.
The link is not currently available. It will be active at 7:30am Tuesday, December 1, 2020.
Applications will also be accepted at the Instructional Planning Center, 201 E. 38th Street starting at 7:30am on December 1.
All applications, both online and in person, will be accepted in date and timestamp order.
IMPORTANT UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER:
SEMESTER TEST DAY SCHEDULE CHANGE
The Sioux Falls School Board approved a plan to eliminate the early start/early dismissal schedule on semester test days at the high schools. The change was brought forth by high school principals, with input from teachers, parents, and students. The District’s Calendar Committee, representing all employee groups, supported this decision, and it was unanimously passed by the School Board.
This means January 13 and 14, 2021 will follow the normal start of the day and end of the day times. The testing schedules for each day will be set by the principals and communicated to families. There will not be a 7:30am or 12:30pm dismissal on those days. The same is true for May 24 and 25, 2021, which will also follow normal start and end of the day times.
HS COURSE REGISTRATION
www.whscounseling.com
Yearbook Information
The 2020 yearbooks have arrived. Graduates can pick up their yearbook at Student Services. There are a limited number of 2020 yearbooks still available to purchase. If you are interested please contact Cindy Heckenlaible at: cindy.heckenlaible@k12.sd.us.
The 2021 yearbook can be purchased at: www.jostens.com.
All senior pictures are due by December 22nd.
SIOUXLAND WINTER READING PROGRAM
Visit https://siouxlandlib.org/winter-reading-program for more information and to download a Bingo card. Play online by registering here: https://siouxlandlib.readsquared.com.
CHECK OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE LIBRARY
IT'S COLD OUTSIDE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL!
As the days get shorter and the weather turns colder, please remember that students are not allowed in the building before 7:50 AM. Breakfast is served AT 7:45 am on Monday and 7:30 AM Tuesday - Friday. If a student is required to be in the building before 7:50 AM (making up a test with a teacher), students need to sign in at the Welcome Window to be recorded for health tracking purposes. Please stay where it is a warm and safe atmosphere before the school opens at 7:50 AM. Thanks for your cooperation.
WINTER ACTIVITIES PLAN
Sioux Falls School District Families –
Last week, the Sioux Falls School Board acknowledged the recommendation for continued operating of activities in Tier 3 of the District’s Return to Play for Activities plan. These guidelines and protocols have provided the opportunity for safety at activities and ultimately support the primary goal of continuing a traditional school setting in the Sioux Falls School District. The Activities Department’s top priority is, and will be, the health and safety of our student participants, staff, and spectators as we continue to provide activities for the 2020-2021 school year.
Under the Tier 3 Return to Play plan:
• Events will be made available in digital format when possible. All Spectators will be highly encouraged to watch the live stream for these events when offered.
• High School Students are welcome to attend. If a Sioux Falls School District High School Student wishes to attend events they will be required to purchase an activity symbol to be printed on their student ID. The student ID with the printed activity symbol, admits one, the bearer, to all SFSD regular season athletic contests. This type of pass is secured at the respective high school’s activities office.
• Adult, 0 to Pre-Kindergarten aged Children, Elementary and Middle School will have restrictions on who may or may not attend.
If you have specific questions pertaining to this plan, visit our frequently ask question’s document (Specified Event Attendance FAQ Sheet), submit your question or comment on our athletics website or contact your respective school’s activities principal/athletic coordinator.
For more information, please see the links below:
SFSD Return to Play for Activities (Winter Activities) - Click Here
SFSD COVID-19 High School Spectator Plan (Winter Activities) - Click Here
SFSD COVID-19 Middle School Spectator Plan (Winter Activities) - Click Here
SFSD Athletic Webpage
We encourage you to visit the Sioux Falls School District Athletic website at https://sfsdathletics.k12.sd.us. The site is a one stop shop for forms, answers you are seeking and contact information you need. Find also: activity calendars, coaches information, live stream links, student/parent resources and much more.
THE WARRIOR ZONE'S JANUARY "DEAL OF THE MONTH"
The Warrior Zone’s January “Deal of the Month” is 25% off all discount rack items. That’s right, the low discount rack prices are now even lower for the entire month of January.
WHS BOOSTER CLUB
Contact us
Website: http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/washington/home
Location: 501 N. Sycamore Sioux Falls SD, 57110
Phone: (605) 367-7970