Warrior Bulletin
Westside Parent & Student Newsletter for January 6, 2023
UPCOMING CALENDAR DATES
January 9, 2023: 1st Semester Grades Due
January 16, 2023: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
January 17, 2023: Board of Education Meeting
January 23, 2023: WHS 8th Grade Open House
February 1: First Day of Black History Month
February 6, 2023: Board of Education Meeting
February 10, 2023: Teacher Work Day (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
February 17, 2023: Winter Formal/Battle of the Bands
February 20, 2023: Professional Learning Day (NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS)
February 21, 2023: Board of Education Meeting
March 1, 2023: First Day of Women's History Month
March 6, 2023: Board of Education Meeting
March 12, 2023: Daylight Saving Time Starts (spring forward 1-hour)
March 15, 2023: Parent/Teacher Conferences (4-8pm)
March 16, 2023: Parent/Teacher Conferences (8-4pm)
March 17, 2023: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS
March 20, 2023: Board of Education Meeting
March 21, 2023: State ACT Exam for 11th Graders
March 22, 2023: Ramadan starts
April 3-7, 2023: Spring Break
NOTES FROM ADMINISTRATION
SCHOOLSTATUS
Westside High School staff will be piloting SchoolStatus this semester to improve communication between home and school. Teachers will be able to send text, emails, and call parents directly from their computers or a cell phone app without using their personal cell phone number. PLEASE NOTE: Parent(s)/Guardian(s) DO NOT need to download an app or do anything other than to know that you may see an unknown number come across your phone. No worries though, because SchoolStatus will announce itself and teachers will be instructed to leave messages so you know how to reach them.
ACT TEST PREP OPPORTUNITY (3 MOMS & A TEST)
Please check out the information HERE regarding ACT Test Preparation.
STUDENT x2VOL SERVICE LEARNING ACCOUNTS
Westside High School has started using x2VOL to track service learning hours required for graduation starting. The instructions HERE have been put together to provide students with an easy way to log in and track their hours. Please click on the links in the document to view video tutorials or get answers regarding commonly asked questions. PLEASE NOTE: Service Learning paper forms will not be accepted after January 20, 2023.
STUDENT SCHEDULES
We are now using the PowerSchool app for our schedule. A link to PowerSchool can be found on students' digital IDs. Additionally, if students/parents would like to download the PowerSchool app on their phone to view schedules, instructions can be found in the Daily Announcements on the school website. A few points of emphasis about PowerSchool:
- If you download the app on your phone, you will only be able to see the schedule a week at a time.
- On the iPad app or computer, students/parents can see a matrix view of the schedule by clicking on matrix schedule. This option will give a full view of the weekly schedule organized by days and mods.
- There have been a number of questions about WHY we made the switch to PowerSchool and the answer is that we had to in order to maintain the modular schedule at WHS into the future. The technology that Westside has used to build our master schedule is from the early 1980’s and was on its last leg. We really had no other choice. Thank you for your flexibility as we go through this transition.
2nd SEMESTER SCHEDULE CHANGES
There will be NO schedule changes unless a student meets at least one of the following criteria:
- Computer Error
- Misplacement
- Health condition relating to class
- Missing a lunch mod
- Failed a prerequisite
- Incomplete graduation requirement (Seniors Only)
INTRODUCTION TO GAGGLE
We want to keep you updated on a new technology program we will be using at Westside High School starting 2nd semester. Gaggle is a highly-rated digital tool used across the country to better enhance student safety through analysis and alerts on student accounts. This monitoring system will allow us to watch for concerning behavior related to emotional health, bullying, and online threats on school-owned devices and through student accounts.
Our goal is to be as proactive as possible to support our students’ well-being; we are confident this tool will help us do that. If you’d like to learn more about Gaggle, we encourage you to visit the company website here: https://www.gaggle.net/.
As always, if you or your child have any concerns (about themselves or others), please reach out to a school administrator or counselor at any time. You can also use our Safe2Help hotline, anonymously and 24/7, by calling 402-390-2118. We also have links posted on our website and district app.
HOMEROOM/COUNSELOR CHANGES FOR 2023-2024
There have been a number of questions about why we are making changes in homerooms and counselors beginning next school year. In an effort to be transparent and provide the “WHY” behind why these changes are necessary, I want to share the following information with you.
S.H.I.E.L.D Time: S.H.I.E.L.D is an acronym for Service, Health , Inclusivity, Excellence, Learning, Discipline. All of these are qualities and attributes that we want our students to aspire to while attending Westside High School. S.H.I.E.L.D time is more than just a homeroom gathering, it is a way to provide our students focus on what being a Warrior is all about. A shield is a necessary part of a Warrior’s armor, so Westside High School wants to help our students learn the skills necessary to be resilient in the world they will enter after high school.
Customer Service: Right now, students are randomly assigned to counselors and administrators based on homeroom placement. This means that families who have multiple children at WHS may have multiple counselors and administrators they need to contact in order to get information about their children. By moving to alpha-based homeroom, counselor, and administrator assignments, families will have exactly three adult contacts at school who should know their child better than any other adult. This move is to benefit you, our families, and our students. We also understand that some families are blended and have different last names. Westside High School will make every effort to keep families together with the same counselor and administrator.
Homeroom: Our current homeroom structure means there are several grade levels in one class, which makes it extremely difficult to provide instruction to students regarding social and emotional learning (SEL) skills and grade-level specific information that is relevant to students. By moving to an alpha-based and grade-level specific homeroom structure, we have the ability to be intentional about counselors going into homerooms and delivering instruction in a smaller setting where students have the ability to ask questions. Under the current organization, this happens in a large group setting known as seminar, which is a graduation requirement, however, the lessons don't always get through because they are done in a larger setting and delivered by adults who may not have a relationship with your child. More evidence that this move is to benefit your child, ensuring instruction is specialized for them at their level.
Relationships: Having students in grade-level specific homerooms allows them to build a community among their peers who are working through specific issues that are common for their respective grade levels. As parents and families, you know better than anyone that a 14-year old may experience a situation much differently than an 18-year old classmate. This new type of community will allow students to lean on their peers for help and guidance because they can relate to one another. In our current structure, there may only be a handful of students in each grade level in each homeroom instead of everyone, which makes it difficult for students to have a community of peers who can relate to their specific circumstances. Our families have been clear in communication that social and emotional support is a priority; this will allow us to emphasize those aspects of our school environment.
Continuity: Homeroom advisors will loop with their students and stick with them their entire high school career. While our current homeroom model does offer mixed grade levels, juniors and seniors who have open mods in the morning often do not attend homeroom because of their schedule and this defeats the purpose of having mixed grade-level homerooms. Again, this continuity of relationships and support is vital to building trust, and supporting all aspects of our students’ growth and development, academically and emotionally.
FIRE LANE PARKING
We have noticed an increase in fire lane parking in the main lot at Westside High School after school hours. Please use available parking stalls instead of the fire lane when picking up students so we can ensure a safe parking lot at WHS. Additionally, when waiting for students after school, please do not park in numbered stalls because we may have teachers moving from building to building at the end of each day.
WHS CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM
Westside High School has seen an increase in unexcused and excused chronic absenteeism over the course of the first semester. Consistent, daily attendance at school is the biggest indicator of academic success for students, therefore WHS will be implementing some new attendance practices at the start of second semester.
When absenteeism is becoming an issue for a student, teachers will first contact parent(s)/guardian(s) to let them know that they are seeing a negative trend and then assign students mods to help get the student back on track. If the absenteeism continues, administration and counselors will work with the student and their family on an attendance contract. Finally, a student may be dropped from a course with a withdraw/failure (WF) if their attendance still does not improve. A WF will be a permanent mark on a student’s transcript and will count towards a student’s overall GPA. PLEASE NOTE: School Excused, OSS, and ISS absences WILL NOT be figured into this total. Additionally, any extenuating medical conditions and long-term illness will be considered mitigating factors by administration and counselors with doctor's notes or documentation when discussing a WF.
If you have any questions about this new attendance practice, please consult with your child’s assigned administrator or counselor.
WESTSIDE ACTIVITIES & ATHLETICS
- Download the Warrior App for your smartphone on the App Store or Google Play
- Scan the QR Code in the picture to the left
- Download the Hometown Fan App on the App Store or Google Play
- Go to the Westside Community Schools Box Office HERE
We want to make attending athletic and activity events as easy as possible for our families, so we hope you will take advantage of this digital option to purchase tickets in advance so you can avoid the lines at events.
COUNSELOR'S CORNER
SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION
The counseling center wants to highlight our WHS students that receive any scholarships from colleges or universities. Please provide a copy of the award letter, via email or in person to:
Mrs. Acevedo at: acevedo.tina@westside66.net or
Mrs. Smith at: smith.shannon@westside66.net
If you have any questions please contact:
Dr. Londer at londer.vicki@westside66.net or
Mrs. Archie at: archie.teunnia@westside66.net
Make sure to check out the WHS Counseling website for all the latest news and updates!
SCHOLARSHIPS
Seniors and parents should check out the Scholarship Website put out by the WHS School Counseling Department on a regular basis to see what scholarships may be available for Westside students.
PARENT & STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS
40 DEVELOPMENTAL ASSETS
Asset 16: High Expectations
Help young people reach their potential
Young people have all kinds of hopes and dreams: winning a contest, going to college, or flying to the moon. When caring adults show they believe in young people and help them reach their potential, youth are better able to do just that. Express your expectations to young people as a hope you hold for them. After all, would you want people to doubt your abilities, not expect much of you, or even give up? Offer encouragement, but avoid applying unreasonable pressure. Remember: Few people succeed at everything they try. High Expectations is Asset 16 of Search Institute’s 40 Developmental Assets, the qualities, experiences, and relationships that help young people grow up healthy, caring, and responsible.
Here are the facts
Research shows that young people whose families and teachers have high hopes for them have higher self-esteem, try harder, do better in school, and believe they’ll be able to get good jobs. About 48 percent of young people, ages 11–18, say parents, teachers, and other adults encourage them to do well, according to Search Institute surveys. As a caring adult, you play an important part in setting and adjusting expectations for young people.
Tips for building this asset
Are you clear about the expectations you have for your children, students, or other young people? Discussing their hopes and dreams with them is the first step in making sure expectations bring out their best.
Also try this
- In your home and family: Talk with your child about a hope or dream you hold for her or him. State a clear expectation that reflects that hope. Ask your child what he or she expects of himself or herself. Ask how you can support her or him in reaching goals. Discuss how together you can find the resources necessary to make that hope or dream a reality.
- In your neighborhood and community: When you talk to young people in your community, be sure to ask them about their goals and how they plan to achieve them. Praise young people for doing the best they can and encourage them when they encounter setbacks. Use setbacks as an opportunity to discuss what they might do differently next time.
- In your school or youth program: Talk with students and participants about a time when they met an expectation that at first seemed too high. How did it make them feel? What did they learn from any mistakes along the way?
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Developmental Assets® are positive factors within young people, families, communities, schools, and other settings that research has found to be important in promoting the healthy development of young people. From Instant Assets: 52 Short and Simple E-Mails for Sharing the Asset Message. Copyright © 2007 by Search Institute®, 877-240-7251; www.search-institute.org. This message may be reproduced for educational, noncommercial uses only (with this copyright line). All rights reserved.
Westside High School
Email: dostal.jay@westside66.net
Website: https://www.westside66.org/whs
Location: 8701 Pacific Street, Omaha, NE 68114, USA
Phone: (402) 343-2600
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WestsideHigh66
Twitter: @WestsideHigh66