Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for October 6
Hello WGHS Families,
I am so grateful to be an educator with the access to the work our staff does with children. As will undoubtedly be the topic of conversation next week at conferences, students don’t always find qualified success in the first attempt. Learning, especially something complex, requires repeated exposure and corrective feedback. I saw a great example of this yesterday.
In orchestra class, students were playing a piece called “Lion City” by American composer Soon Hee Newbold. Mr. Pulliam provided a burst of individual and group feedback during the lesson. Not just the mechanical playing of notes but their intention and tone. He exhorted the students to “drive the intensity,” punching his hands across his body to exhort their energy into the piece. His instruction and their work lead to improvement in their playing that even my novice ear could detect in a short window. In the room filled with vigorous bowing and focus, there were also smiles over a shared joke from Mr. Pulliam or for what they had accomplished. The best settings have that balance of purpose and joy that move our work closer to understanding a concept, a skill, or perhaps another person.
I am always impressed by our students' thinking and skills they display each day. I advocate for students to leave us as Artisans, Citizens, and Scholars. Perhaps most especially in the arts, which I implore them to continue when they depart WGHS. Music and other mediums share the beauty, angst, and complexity of the lived experiences in a unique way.
One of our assistant principals spent her formative years playing violin and has converted the same 4-string architecture to a mandolin (Mrs. Craig). She still gathers with fellow musicians, and playing connects her to that intimate community in a way a conventional spoken conversation cannot. Another administrator played violin for two years after promising to practice each day. After hearing the product of that practice for 24 months, his mother released him from that pledge, thus giving her ears a reprieve (me).
Please note our Street Fair tonight that will feature some of the many areas of our students’ talents. In the coming weeks, be sure to check out our fall musical Grease. I predict this will sell out so secure your seats early!
We're looking forward to meeting with you next week in person or virtual during Fall Parent Conferences. Please see detailed information a little further below on how to sign up. We still have plenty of spots open on Thursday evening.
Regards,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: Late-Start A, A, ED B, C, NO SCHOOL
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- 10/6: WGHS Community Open House/Chelsea Center Learning in Action Street Fair, 6 pm
- 10/7: Progress grades available on Parent Portal
- 10/10: Late-Start A Day; school starts at 9:40, and doors open to students at 9:25
- 10/11: In-person Fall Parent Conferences, 4-8 p.m.
- 10/12: Early Dismissal B Day, school dismissed at 12:05 p.m.
- 10/12: PSAT Test, 8:30 a.m.
- 10/12: Virtual Fall Parent Conferences, 1:10 - 3:10 p.m.
- 10/13: Virtual Fall Parent Conferences, 4 - 8 p.m.
- 10/14: NO SCHOOL
Fall Parent Conferences
Tuesday, October 11
In-person at WGHS, scheduled
4 - 8 p.m.
Wednesday, October 12
Virtual, via Zoom
1:10 - 3:10 p.m.
Thursday, October 13
Virtual, via Zoom
4 - 8 p.m.
This fall, conferences will be held in person on Tuesday evening and virtually via Zoom on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday evening. All conferences are scheduled using PTCFast.com.
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. Parents should know the names of the teachers they wish to visit within each department. We urge you to schedule as many of your child’s teachers as time permits. Up to SEVEN minutes will be allotted for each conference.
We will be using the PTCFast system for scheduling conferences.
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.
We look forward to meeting with you. If you desire more than the seven minutes allowed at these conferences, please set up an individual teacher conference by contacting the teacher directly.
Please Take our Family-School Relationships Survey
Helping students do their best in school requires a team effort. Parents, families, students, staff, and schools all play important roles in this process. To help all of us learn how to make your child’s school experience as positive and beneficial as possible, please give us your honest, thoughtful responses to the questions below. Your responses will be completely anonymous. If a question does not apply to you or you do not want to respond, then you may skip to the next question. If you have children in different schools within the WGSD, please complete one survey for each school.
Take the anonymous Webster Groves High School survey here - https://surveys.panoramaed.com/webstergroves/7625642597/surveys?language=en
Important Calendar Change
We recently learned from DESE that we need to administer an EOC testing window in the fall. Due to some changes from DESE, our students will benefit from taking the math EOC before the end of 2022. We will need to give approximately 500 students the math EOC before the end of the semester.
To accomplish this, we are modifying the school calendar during the weeks of November 28 and December 5 to accommodating testing. Please see the attached EOC calendar for details.
Week of November 28: Late-Start A,B,C,B,C
Week of December 5: B,C,B,C,A (B days will be 1,3,7,5; C days will be 2,AN,6,4)
The Webster Groves School District Foundation is accepting preliminary applications for Innovation grants. Grants are available to any teacher, staff member, parent or student of the Webster Groves School District. Students and parents interested in applying for an Innovation grant must have a teacher or principal as the grant contact for each application.
Have grant ideas or questions? Join the foundation at their open house on October 6 from 3:30-4:30 p.m., at the WG Service Center. Learn more and apply today!
2022-23 Late-Start Days
Run for Webster
The Webster Groves School District Foundation is hosting the Ivory Crockett Run for Webster, Saturday, October 15 at 8:30 a.m. in both 5k and 1-mile fun run options. The 5k route is here. Please register by September 28 to be guaranteed a t-shirt.
In addition, there is also a series of virtual 5k runs, with one starting from every WGSD school and a special Ivory Crockett Challenge 5k, starting from Ivory Crockett Park in historic North Webster. Registration for all activities begins on September 1.
You can learn more and register here.
Did You Know?
If your child feels ill during the school day, encourage them to see the school nurse.
If your student contacts you directly to report an illness please ask them to go to the nurse. She is able to excuse students with guardian/parental consent, and this will allow for better disease surveillance that will ultimately enhance control efforts.
Also, please note that any medications for your child must be administered by you or the school nurse. You cannot drop off any medications.
Counseling News
Selective College Admissions Virtual Event
Brown, Columbia, University of Chicago, and Vanderbilt are hosting a virtual admissions information event for students (and their parents) on October 19, 2022 at 7pm CST. They will discuss their individual schools and programs, financial aid, campus life, and the admissions process at selective schools. Register here
National College Fair @ St. Louis University on 10/30/22
The National College Fair is on 10/30/22 from 1:00-4:00pm in the Simon Recreation Center at St. Louis University. Here is a list of schools attending. Students should register ahead of time here.
College Application Workshops
Seniors! Do you need help completing your college applications? Sign up for our College Application Workshops held during Academic Networking. Sign up for one or both Academic Networking sessions. Workshops will be held in computer lab 320 and are limited to 20 students per session. Click here to register.
College Admissions Representative Visits
Juniors—are you ready to start learning about colleges? Seniors—do you have questions about the application process for schools on your list? College representatives will visit WGHS through November 1st. This is a great opportunity to hear from colleges all across the country in the comfort of your own school. A list of colleges visiting will be posted on our Counseling Department calendar, in Naviance, and shared in our daily announcements. Students should stop by the Counseling Center to sign up to meet with schools they are interested in and to receive a pass to be excused from class. Be sure to check the calendar regularly as visits are being updated daily.
The St. Louis Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Alumni Association’s 5th Annual Scholarship Summit is November 5th
You are invited to the St. Louis Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) Alumni Association’s 5th Annual Scholarship Summit on Saturday, November 05, 2022 at the Harris Stowe State University Community Impact Education Center. Morning sessions will include student and parent workshops on essay writing, ACT/SAT prep and finding scholarships. Afternoon sessions include an HBCU panel and an HBCU fair with local HBCU Alumni representatives. The Scholarship Summit is fun, educational, free and open to the public. For more information and to register visit http://www.stlhbcualumni.org/ by October 31, 2022.
Shop the Parents' Club Spirit Store!
The Spirit Store is open! Hours are 8-9:15 a.m. daily.
The online store is open 24 hours a day at https://wghsparentsclub.org/collections.
Every time you shop at the Spirit Store, you are supporting student scholarships and teacher grants!
Yearbook Information
Important Dates
October 28: Last Day for $60 Early Bird Pricing
January 27: Last Day for $65 Pricing
January 27: Last Day for Guaranteed Pre-Order
Important Senior Dates & Links
October 28: Senior Ads (Click here to purchase! School #: 8459) & Baby Photos Due (Click here to submit)
October 28: Senior Quotes Due (Click here to submit)
Senior Baby Photo Submission Form
https://forms.gle/zayqdSKTsVugH1dF9
Senior Quote Form
WGHS Attendance Contacts
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