The WJHS Panther Update
August 11, 2023
Principal's Letter
Dear Panther Families,
Just a few more days and school will be underway!
As in the last newsletter, this one will also be filled with more information about our school year. All of our newsletters are posted on our website, so if you miss any of them, you can find them there.
Before the school year officially begins, I want to make sure to stress the positive impacts both reading at home and attendance make on the trajectory of your child's educational path. You're going to hear this message from all of us at WJHS over and over again for many years to come. It is that important to us! While more specific information will follow in future newsletters, please see the flyers at the bottom of this newsletter for a preview.
New Staff - We are pleased to welcome the following new staff to our Panther Family this year:
Isabelle Donile - Media Assistant
Arisa Grevan - Math Interventionist
Sue Maloney - Principal Admin Asst.
Kristin Richey - Literacy Specialist
Justyna Kapustka - PT Social Worker
Staff Changes
Sabrina Centeno - Media Coordinator
Brian Johnson 7th grade Science
Amy Strobl - Industrial Arts
First day of school - Staff will greet our students both inside and outside the building on the first day. The police and fire department will be there as well. Do not worry, there is no emergency, it’s simply a tradition for us to welcome our students back in an exciting way.
HVAC renovation- Good news! We will start school on our intended date and will have air! Since we still have a main air chiller en route, each of our classrooms will have individually operated air units to start the year. Once the chiller makes its way to WJHS, we will then be using one main air supply. More specific, detailed information about this will be provided by the business office soon.
We also have new lights throughout our school, which gives us a whole new look!
A big thank you to Joe Smith, Anthony Ruelli, Mike Nilles, and our entire CUSD 201 custodial staff for making this happen!!
Supply Drop-Off - While we wanted to be able to provide your students with a date to drop off supplies, unfortunately, our renovation schedule won't allow for it this year. We're sorry for the inconvenience. We will make certain to have teachers near the lockers to help students with their lockers and supplies. Feel free to help your student walk to the front doors of the school on opening day, but for safety (and social) reasons, we ask that parents refrain from entering the school building. We do, however, encourage first day of school pictures outside near the signboard and the front entrance.
School Safety - We have a crisis plan that we update each year as an Administrative staff along with the police and fire departments. We run drills throughout the year and will inform you when our Armed Intruder Drill will occur. We also have cameras inside and outside the building that cover our hallways and outside our washrooms (not inside). The purpose of the cameras is twofold; they will enable our police to actively monitor our school in case of an emergency situation and will allow us to monitor hallway behavior in the event that it is necessary.
Buses - Bus routes and stops were emailed yesterday. If you did not receive the email in your Inbox, be sure to check your Spam folder. We have assigned bus stops to the students that are closest to their home address. You are able to view the bus stop that we assigned to your child in Skyward under the Bus tab. Please make sure that your child knows their address and bus stop (it's a great idea to put it in their phone or write it in their notebook).
Bus stops are not posted on our website for safety reasons. NOTE: activity buses at 4:15 & 5:15 do not stop at all of the regular route stops. If your child will be participating in an after-school activity and will be taking the late bus home, please review the 4:15 & 5:15 routes and make sure that your student knows the stop that they will exit closest to your home (and that they know how to walk home from that stop).
Student Drop-off/Pick-Up - Our drop-off/pick-up procedures are put into place to ensure the safety of our students, families, and the general public. They will be enforced more than ever this year, so if you are planning to drive your student to/from school, please read this section carefully.
Drop-off - Please use the drive-through lane in front of our school to drop off your student between 7:45-8:12 a.m. Drop them off at the curb directly next to the sidewalk in front of the school. Do not form two lanes in the drive-through area.
Pick-up - Please also use the drive-through lane in front of the school for pick-up purposes. If you have to wait for your student, please do not use our parking lot, or park/ idle on Oakwood Dr. north of our school and/or on Blackhawk Dr. We have consulted with a traffic pattern expert, the Village, and the Police and the safety risks that are posed by stopping there are too great to ignore. This is why you will see no parking signs posted by the Village and CUSD 201. We will also have yard signs posted during the first few weeks of school to show you the spots that you cannot park/stop in. If the signs are ignored, tickets will be issued. While this may be inconvenient, the safety of our students is paramount.
Standard Day - On Friday, 8/18, staff will review WJHS behavior expectations and procedures with students. This review will include an overview of lockers, hallways, bathrooms, buses, technology, safety, etc. School day start and dismissal times remain the same - 8:15-3:12.
Student ID’s- Students will receive a school photo ID on Picture Day, 8/24. They will be given a temporary ID for the first few days of school. Students are required to have their ID with them every day at school, so they should keep them in a safe place. Should your student lose their ID, they will need to purchase a new one for $10.00.
Locks - Students must have a school-issued lock on both their commons & PE locker. They can use the same locks for all three years. If your student loses their lock/s, they can purchase replacement ones at the office for $7.00. If your student forgets their locker combinations, the office can assist them. It's a good idea to have your student put their locker combinations in their phone or write them in a notebook.
Supply Lists - Supply lists are posted on our website under the Student Resources tab. Uniforms that have already been ordered will be delivered to the school & given to your child. If you do not order online, be sure to check out the in-store hours listed at the bottom of the supply list.
Lunch - Students will receive assigned lunch tables by STAR until lunchroom supervisors are certain that all expectations are met by students. This process lasts a bit longer for 6th graders. It is up to the discretion of the lunchroom supervisor.
Due to state & local regulations and allergy restrictions, outside food can not be brought in and shared with others.
Food Delivery/Car Service (Uber, etc..) - These services are also not allowed at Westmont Jr. High.
Curriculum Night - Curriculum night will be held on Thursday, Sept. 7 from 6:00-7:30 pm. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our staff and learn about our curriculum.
E-period Classes - The first day of E-period classes will begin on Sept. 18th. Students will pick these classes at the beginning of September. Until then, the grade-level teams will keep their students and engage in activities that will allow students to get to know each other, our school, and themselves!
Locker Numbers - These are now viewable on the top of your child’s schedule in Skyward. We also have a master list that we will post by the locker banks for students to see on the first day of school.
Picking Up a Student During the School Day - For safety purposes, we do require a state ID when picking up your child early or attending an event during the school day. Only family and emergency contacts are allowed to pick up your student. Siblings under 18 are not allowed. Please make sure to update your emergency contact list.