A message from the principal
Hello Westlake Families!
I hope this message finds you well! We have happily finished our first month of school and interims are coming out Monday. I'm excited to share the latest updates, achievements, and important information with you. Thank you for your ongoing support and partnership for the success of our incredible students.
The Teal Diamonds, Varsity Cheer Squad, Drumline, and EBM
Westlake had several performances at the Ribbon Cutting for the Grand Re-opening of Dash In on 301
Dr. Navarro presents State of the Schools - October 12, 2023
State of the Schools set for Oct. 12
Superintendent of Schools Maria V. Navarro, Ed.D., is hosting a State of the Schools event for parents and community members 6 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 12, at St. Charles High School.
The event will open with Navarro sharing a short presentation on the state of the school system and how it relates to the three focus areas of the CCPS Strategic Plan. The strategic plan includes three priority areas: student learning and achievement; access and opportunities; and culture and climate. Each priority area includes goals and strategies with measurement metrics identified to evaluate progress.
Following the presentation, guests will have the opportunity to visit breakout rooms where staff of each CCPS school will talk about school improvement plans and how they tie into the CCPS strategic plan. Guests will be able to ask questions and provide feedback to staff of their child’s school. St. Charles is at 5305 Piney Church Road in Waldorf.
Fall Chess Tournament
Fall chess tournament
The annual fall chess tournament for students in kindergarten to 12th grade is Saturday, Oct. 14, at Thomas Stone High School. Players must register in advance to participate. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Oct. 11. Walk-in registrations are not accepted.
Winter Sports Start Date
Winter sports will start on November 15th. All paperwork needs to be submitted before November 15th to participate in Winter Athletics. Online registration will open on November 6th.
Winter Sports Requirements for incoming 9th Graders
All incoming freshman students are eligible for the beginning of Winter Sports. To continue be eligible incoming freshman student athletes will need No Fs from the 2nd grading period No more than 4.5 unexcused absences allowed, and GPA cannot be lower than 2.0. Also, every student athlete needs to take an impact and have physical. Physicals are good for one year.
Homecoming - Game Friday Oct. 6 Vs. Lackey HS
HOMECOMING DANCE:
The homecoming dance is on Saturday, October 7, 2023, from 7pm – 11pm in the gym. The theme is Disco. Doors close at 9pm.
TICKETS:
Tickets will be sold during lunch Monday 9/25 – Thursday 10/5. Tickets are $20. Please direct students to the cafeteria lobby to buy tickets during lunch. They can see Ms. Coburn in room 204, Ms. Merryman in room 249, or an administrator for guest application request forms. Guest forms are also located in the front office.
CCPS juniors and seniors to attend College Fair Oct. 3
The Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) College Fair is set for 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 3 at North Point High School. CCPS high school juniors and seniors visit the fair during the day for the opportunity to meet with more than 75 representatives of colleges and universities — including historically Black college and universities (HBCUs), trade schools and the U.S. military.
Parents and students not enrolled in CCPS cannot attend the fair during the day, however they can attend from 6 to 8 p.m. to learn financial aid procedures and gather information from college and university representatives. Christian Zimmermann, director of financial assistance at the College of Southern Maryland, will hold financial aid workshops at 6:15 and 7:15 p.m.
Scholarship information will be available at the college fair. Seniors can learn more about scholarships at https://www.ccboe.com/departments/student-services/student-support/college-scholarshipsfinancial-aid. Students and their families should visit the page frequently for scholarship deadlines. The Charles County Scholarship Fund application will open in mid-January and close March 1.
Students and their families can get tips, advice and assistance from their school’s college and career advisor.
FAFSA Date Change
Historically, the FAFSA has been available beginning October 1st each year. However, because of significant changes to the application and the rebuild of the FAFSA processing system, the 2024-25 FAFSA will not be available until sometime in December 2023. Updates on an exact date will be posted here when announced.
Extended day program offered to students at five high schools
Students in Grades 9 through 12 who attend Henry E. Lackey, La Plata, Maurice J. McDonough, Thomas Stone and Westlake high schools can earn high school graduation requirements outside of the regular school day by completing an extended-day course for original credit. Courses are taught using the online APEX/Edmentum learning platform with deadlines set for unit completion.
As North Point and St. Charles high schools operate on a block schedule versus a period schedule used by the five other high schools, students at North Point and St. Charles are currently eligible to complete eight credits per school year.
Semester 1 courses begin Monday, Oct. 16, and end Thursday, Jan. 19. Semester 2 courses begin Monday, Feb. 26, and end Friday, June 7 (May 17 for seniors). Students can enroll in and earn one credit per semester through this program.
Mark your Calendar
September 15 - October 15 - Hispanic Heritage Month
October - National Bullying Prevention Month
October - Learning Disabilities Awareness Month
October 2 - Interims reports posted
October 2 - Building Service Worker Day
October 6 - Westlake's Homecoming game and Tailgate
October 7 - Homecoming Dance
October 8-14 -Fire Prevention Week
October 9 - No School for Students Columbus/Indigenous Peoples Day
October 9 - Parent Teacher Conference Day
October 9-13 National School Lunch Week
October 10 - Board meeting
October 14 - Chess Tournament
October 16-20 National School Bus Safety Week
October 18 - CCPS Unity Day - Wear Orange
October 23-31 Red Ribbon Week
October 25 - Two hour early dismissal
October 31 - Happy Halloween - no costumes