High School Weekly Update
January 8, 2021
New Items
- Quarter 2 ends on January 20th. Grades will be live for parents to view at the end of the day on January 26th.
- Last Chance to order School Pictures. Due date is January 31! Click on the following link for more info: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1C6n8cFRgK7SOOpu-5kApJWNiroVTAPnr/view
- Click on the following link for the January Guidance Newsletter
- The Westwood Public Library will be hosting practice ACT/SAT exams with Revolution Prep in February and March. See the attached flyer for more details.
- Click on the following link for Free SAT/ACT Prep program
- Reminder: We'd love to hear from you! Please take ~15-20 minutes of your time to complete an anonymous online survey that will help us improve your child’s school and our districts. We have asked YouthTruth – a nonprofit organization that supports hundreds of schools and districts across the country – to conduct the survey on our behalf. In addition to providing results that can be used to compare over time, this year's survey will also include additional questions aligned to our district goals regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as items related to hybrid and remote learning.
Please take the survey before it closes at midnight on January 22 by clicking this link ytsurvey.org/wwrsdfamily21.
Please note:
- The survey needs to be completed in one sitting.
- We ask that one member of each household fill out the survey.
- If you have more than one child who attends the same school, you may respond to the survey multiple times - one time per child.
- If you write any comments, please do not include your name or anything else that might identify you. Your responses are anonymous, and they will be combined with the responses of other parents and guardians before being shared back with school and district leadership.
We sincerely thank you for taking the time to provide your feedback. Your response is incredibly valuable to us.
Drug and Alcohol Theme of the Month: January Theme: MDMA
MDMA is a synthetic drug that alters mood and perception. MDMA increases the activity of brain chemicals including serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. This sudden surge can have immediate negative effects causing users to have an increase in heart rate and blood pressure, higher body temperature, anxiousness, chills, muscle tension, teeth clenching, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision and feeling faint or dizzy. Even days or weeks after use, people can experience confusion, depression, sleep problems, drug craving, and anxiety.
Please see the following links for more information:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/mdma-ecstasymolly
https://www.drugs.com/illicit/mdma.html
- Wellness Theme of the Month: January Theme: Building Self-Esteem
Self-esteem refers to one’s attitude towards oneself or the person’s overall sense of his or her value or worth. This sense of self changes over time and is influenced by many factors such as: age, personality, life experiences, perspective, social interactions and health.
“Loving yourself…does not mean being self-absorbed or narcissistic, or disregarding others. Rather it means welcoming yourself as the most honored guest in your own heart, a guest worthy of respect, a lovable companion.”- Margo Anand
- Diversity and Inclusion Theme of the Month: January Theme: Practicing Self Awareness
Practice self awareness by asking yourself questions such as:
“How does diversity impact me?”
“What stereotypes or prejudices have I learned from society and what are my personal thoughts?”
“What opportunities or challenges have I faced due to my race, ethnicity, gender or sexuality?”
Everyone has biases, whether acknowledged or hidden. In return, these biases affect our perception of the world and how we behave. Being aware of one's own biases and privilege allow us to identify discrimination around us and promote acceptance.
Supports/Resources
- WE ARE HERE TO HELP! PLEASE, if your child is struggling in any way have them or you reach out to their counselor for support! Click on the following link to find the contact information for our counselors: High School Counselors
- Please see the attached flyer below regarding a virtual workshop for parents titled, " Social Emotional Learning" scheduled for December 8th at 7:00 PM. Please RSVP on the flyer.
- Thank you to those who attended our presentation titled, " Social Emotional Learning" on December 8th. The presentation is attached. Please reach out to your child's counselor if you have any questions.
- Please see the attached document for self-care tips for teens during COVID-19.
- If you were not able to attend our Care Plus parent and student presentation on November 17th titled, "Mental Health & Coping with the Challenges of a Pandemic", click on the following link for the recording of the presentation. Use this Passcode: !1H+D6me https://zoom.us/rec/share/Xw6yr5r9CfKfFyYlNDEPHAa1rsNkX_y-CeLZ1hq1ObGjVlpotvRkebTNA9Fh2WU.EE-Dhe4HusKqqbIZ Click on the following link to be able to click on the links in the presentation: Mental Health & Coping with the Challenges of a Pandemic
- Westwood Regional High School will be offering confidential virtual check in sessions with Care Plus for any parents/guardians who are struggling with the current situation and would like therapeutic support from our Care Plus Mental Health Clinicians. Drop in hours: Daily 2:30 -3:00 pm via Zoom or phone call Please email either Jessica Byers or Alexa Squire to schedule your confidential virtual check in session. Jessica.Byers@wwrsd.org or Alexa.Squire@wwrsd.org
- Click on the following link for the Bergen County Mental Health resource document.
- FREE PEER Tutoring: The following was sent to students: The National Honor Society is pleased to once again provide free peer tutoring throughout the academic year. During our hybrid schedule, student tutors will be available to meet via Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime, or phone call. Students will arrange scheduling directly and can meet as needed throughout the year. If you are having difficulty in a particular class, want to review before an assessment, or need help with a particular topic, NHS students are here to help. NHS students are seniors who have taken many of the same classes as you and can provide explanations and advice directly from their experiences. Please complete the new NHS Tutor Request form and we will do our best to find an available student tutor. Please allow for 72 hours (3 days) from when you send a request to hear back. If you do not receive a response within 3 days, please email me (Mrs.Wren) directly. This form is also available on the NHS website. Please complete a new request for each subject in which you wish to receive tutoring. If you have a request for a specific tutor, please write the student's name in the correct section. If you do not have a specific student in mind, you can leave that section blank. *Please note: The old form from last year has been disabled. Please use this new form during our hybrid schedule. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.Thank you, Mrs. Wren
- See the attached doc for tips regarding how to protect your vision with added screen time.
Reminders
- Please conduct this short home health check each morning to determine whether your child should attend school in-person or remain home. You do not have to bring it to school. Daily COVID-19 Home Screening for Students
The Class of 2021 is selling calendar raffle tickets to help raise funds for Project Graduation. Total cash prizes are worth $2021.00.
The raffle will run from February-April of 2021. All tickets must be purchased by January 16th, 2021.
Tickets can be purchased from any senior family or by sending an email to ssmoma@verizon.net.
In an effort to offer our students an increased accessibility to PSAT and SAT prep materials, we would like to direct you to the following FREE Khan Academy links. Through these links, you will find practice examinations, answer explanations, and other relevant resources.
- January 18: School Closed for Students (Staff PD)
- January 20: End of quarter 2
- January 21: BOE Meeting @ 7:00 PM
- January 26: Grades live for parents to view at the end of the day
- January 31: Last chance to order school pictures
Schedule/Groups
High School Reopening Plan
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wwrhs/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WestwoodRegHS
Community Flyers: Community Flyers