Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for October 10
Hello Parents and Guardians,
I hope you have had the chance to connect with your child's teacher over this week. If you are unable to do so, please reach out via phone or email to support the shared work in the classroom. It is our collective hope that students do more than achieve the scholarly minimum but rather to have our students thrive--be engaged with others around shared passions and be prepared for all they will encounter.
Thanks to all our parent volunteers that have made such a difference on behalf of our staff and students. The Spirit Store, athletics, and activities are enriched with the talent and time so generously shared. Many thanks to all that have and will participate.
Best,
Matt Irvin
NO SCHOOL TOMORROW!
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- October 11: NO SCHOOL
- October 14: Late Start, 1/7; School starts at 8:57 a.m.
- October 16: WGHS PSAT (juniors) and Practice ACT (sophomores)
- October 16: Fall Choir Concert, WG Presbyterian Church, 7 p.m.
- October 17: 2nd Quarter Bus Money is Due
2019-20 Late-Start Days
Monday, October 14 is a Late-Start Day
School begins at 8:57 a.m. on late-start days.
This is just a reminder that we will have a late-start schedule on Monday, October 14. Students will miss two class periods to accommodate time for teachers to meet in their PLCs, or Professional Learning Communities. For all late-start schedules, school will begin at 8:57 a.m., and two class periods will be dropped.
On Monday’s Late Start, the building opens at 8:00 a.m. Students should enter through the Senior Entrance. Between 8-8:30, students may go to the library or cafeteria. After 8:30, students may enter the building via the Senior, Junior or Roberts entrance and transition to their regular morning routine. Please see the schedule below for a Day 1/7:
Tonight is the Last Night for Parent-Teacher Conferences
Available Times:
Thursday, October 10
5-7 p.m.: Scheduled via PTCFast
7-8 p.m.: Walk-up
Locations
Cafeteria
Academic Lab (Dontrail Johnson), English, Drama, Music, Art, Social Studies, Chelsea Center, Makerspace
PV Commons
World Languages, SSD
Library
Science, FACS, Business, Industrial Technology, Webster Academy
Multi-purpose Room
Math, P. E.
We will be using the PTCFast system for scheduling conferences. Please see instructions below on how to schedule conference times.
How to Schedule Conferences with Your Child's Teachers
Click here to view the privacy policy for www.ptcfast.com.
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.
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
Next, select your child's teacher; you can select more than one if applicable to your family. 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.
Once you have chosen a time for each teacher with whom you wish to visit, you will receive a confirmation email with the schedule.
We're looking forward to meeting with you.
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. All teachers will be grouped by academic departments and will be located in the cafeteria, PV Commons, Multi-purpose room, and library (look for the colored banners). Parents should know the names of the teachers they wish to visit in each department. We urge you to visit as many of your child’s teachers as time permits. Please bring a printed copy of your child’s progress report with you or review on your device prior to attending.
Conferences will be a combination of scheduled and unscheduled. Up to SEVEN minutes will be allotted for each conference. We believe we can serve more people with this arrangement. For walk-up times, sign-up sheets are available on each teacher’s table for parents to register if they wish to see that teacher.
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.
- 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.
If you desire more than the seven minutes allowed at these conferences, please set up an individual teacher conference.
How to maximize your conference time during walk-up hours:
1. Sign up with all teachers first; then wait. Stop and sign-up at each table for every teacher you wish to visit.
2. Visit the electives tables while you wait—they most likely have the shortest wait times.
3. Go back to the tables at which you signed up and wait for your name to be called. It’s a good idea to visit science and math together and communication arts and social studies together, since they are grouped in the same areas.
Shop at Our Spirit Store and Support Funding for Scholarships!
The Webster Groves Spirit Wear Store is open to all Students, Staff, Parents and Community Members. Shop the Spirit Store for all your Webster Groves Apparel and Accessories.
Spirit Store Hours of Operation
Monday – Friday: 7:30 am – 10:00 am
Late Start Monday: 8:30 am – 10:00 am
All Spirit Wear Apparel and Accessories are also available online at the Parents Club website.
Orders placed online will be available for pick up at the WGHS Front Office.
(for a fee all items can be shipped to your home)
WGHS Front Office Hours: 7:30 am – 3:00 pm
You can also find Spirit Wear at our “Pop-Up” Shops at many school sponsored events.
Thanks for your support!
Other Important News
The 2nd quarter bus money is due on October 17. Please turn in money to Office 308.
Senior Parents: Everything you need to know about graduation and your child's senior year can be found here.
WGSD Parent Safety Information Night
What: The Webster Groves School District will provide families with information about district safety initiatives, including:
- WGSD School Resource Officers will present an overview of 4E (intruder) training that we conduct with district staff and preview an elementary student presentation
- WGSD Superintendent Dr. John Simpson will provide updates on Prop E safety, accessibility, and space measures
When: Wednesday, October 30th at 7:00
Where: Steger Auditorium
701 N. Rock Hill Road
Ivory Crockett Run for Webster
The annual Ivory Crockett Run for Webster is quickly approaching. We are in need of Race Day Volunteers! If you can volunteer on Saturday, October 19th, please click here, or go to the Webster Groves School District Foundation website, click on “Community Events” and then select “Run for Webster” from the drop-down menu. You will find the volunteer link on that page.
You will be contacted with your placement and responsibilities the week before the race. If there is a particular volunteer role or course monitor location that you would like to do, please email me directly (curtis.d.gilker@gmail.com). Also, if there is a person that you want to volunteer with the day of the event, email me that as well.
Races will start and end on Selma, right in front of Webster Groves High School. The pancake breakfast and activity fair will take place inside the high school. More information can be found on the Webster Groves School District Foundation’s website, including online registration and the race routes.
Food collected will benefit our WGHS community closet and/or WRHM!
Did You Know?
We hate to sound like a broken record, but. . .
If you are checking your student out of school early, your child should bring a written, signed note from a parent stating the time at which they are to check out. Students should present their request to the assistant principal’s office before school. Parents may also call in to the Assistant Principal's office ahead of time and have students check out at the designated time. When leaving school during the day, students must check out through the assistant principal’s office. If students do not follow this procedure, their absence will be considered cutting class. In case of sickness, students check out through the school nurse. In case of emotional upset, students should see their counselors or an administrator to discuss whether or not to remain in school.
When students need to check out of school early:
- Call the Assistant Principal's office before the designated time and report the absence. You may also send a note with the student to be presented to the Assistant Principal's office before school.
- At the designated time, your student will receive a pass to check out if you called ahead. The student will check out in the Assistant Principal's office.
- You do not need to enter the building if you have called the absence in and communicated a pick-up location with your child. However, if you choose to pick up your child in the building, you must do so in the Assistant Principal's office. Upon entering the building, sign-in in the reception desk and proceed to the Assistant Principal's office.
All attendance procedures are outlined in detail in the Student Handbook. To report your child's absence, please call your child's assistant principal's office directly:
Dwight Kirksey--918.4139
Shiree Yeggins-Campbell--918.4132
Angela Thompson--918.4127
John E. Thomas--918.4131
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