The Warrior
Washington High School Newsletter
Mission: To Develop Lifelong Learners To Succeed In A Changing World
Newsletter Date:
October 2021
________________________
Principal's Comments
Greetings, Warrior Families!
As the October newsletter comes out, we are wrapping up a fabulous Home Sweet Homecoming week with a football game versus the Brookings Bobcats on Thursday, Sept. 30 at 6:00 p.m. at Howard Wood Field, and an activity filled Friday (please hold off, rain!). We love celebrating the rich history and tradition of the “House We Built” (the theme of our Homecoming t-shirts that all students and staff receive!) with a week of great fun. We crowned a wonderful King - Angok Akot and Queen - Ellie Walker - at coronation on Monday and they have reigned proudly all week. We are especially proud of the Homecoming Royalty going out to our feeder schools to inspire future Warriors!
We have also proudly celebrated great academic achievement this last month with the announcement of Noah Morgans and Davis Shafer as National Merit Semi-Finalists. They qualified for this honor because of their PSAT scores from their sophomore year. We are proud of this incredible achievement for them! Go, Warriors!
Now that we are cresting the 25 day mark, it is a good time to remind your student of some of our school expectations found in the Student Handbook. The Handbook link was emailed out in the first days of school, but it is included again here and also published in this newsletter: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TMxrQQpVn0KAOV3yNI5wbmSP-O_QyZwp/view?usp=sharing
Pages 9 - 13 contain the majority of day-to-day policies for students. We hope you will review those and familiarize yourself with them. Students cover them in Ad Room the first days of school.
With the increased focus on how students are utilizing social media, we would encourage you to alk to your students about the importance of limiting screen time. As a reminder, in trying to promote a healthy learning environment, we ask that students have their cell phones off and put away during the school day. We have also included a really good article for parents on the benefits of reduced screen time for kids of all ages. It includes strategies for how to monitor and structure limited screen time. Check the article out here:
https://www.verywellfamily.com/cut-kids-screen-time-for-health-621154
We know that it takes effort by all of us to encourage our students to be the very best they can be in the classroom and out of the classroom. We so appreciate your partnership with us to discuss items that transfer into the professional world as well. Share with your students what the professional expectations of your workplace are and how the school setting is helping them prepare for life outside of school. We appreciate all you do!
A reminder that there is no school for students on Monday and Tuesday, October 11 and 12. We encourage you to be involved in the Indigenous Persons celebrations around town on October 11th. October 12th is a professional development day for teachers. You will be receiving more information on parent / teacher conferences, which will be held at the end of the month on October 25 and 26th. Monday, October 25th will be an in-person opportunity for parents to meet with teachers, while Tuesday, October 26th, teachers will host virtual or phone conferences. Look for more information to come via email in the next couple of weeks.
Go, Warriors!
The WHS Admin Team
Mrs. Papke, Mr. Kooima, Mrs. Jorgenson, and Mr. Malchow
________________________
Working Together to Be the Best
Once the first jitters of the year wear off, the start of a new school year often marks the start of new friendships, new experiences, and new opportunities. At the District and school levels, we are excited to launch some new and innovative practices and projects with a goal of putting our schools on track to become the best in the nation.
To do that, we have developed District Priorities for the coming year. Our focus is on five key areas: Academic Success, Well-Being, Community Engagement, Staff Excellence, and Effective Use of Resources. SFSD staff own this work collectively and we are committed to continuous improvement in these areas. We invite parents/guardians to partner with us in these efforts because we are stronger when we work together.
One such initiative is simple, yet powerful. We are teaming up with the Siouxland Libraries to elevate and promote literacy. Our “Reading Together” initiative is just starting to take shape and will be a year-round effort to strengthen the community focus on this important and enjoyable skill. There are many reasons to read: to learn and increase knowledge, to expand vocabulary, to improve focus and comprehension, to reduce stress, and to improve your overall health and wellness. You will hear more about our plans through your schools and through your local libraries.
Another goal we have is to link every student with an out-of-school activity that is meaningful to them. Research tells us engaged students are more successful and more hopeful about their future. Sioux Falls has so much to offer, and we’ll be encouraging students to get connected through clubs, fine arts or sports opportunities at school, the various after-school programs throughout the community, doing volunteer work, and mentoring.
When students know a caring adult is in their corner, cheering for their success, research tells us they are less likely to participate in risky behaviors. Instead, they are more likely to see value in activities that propel themselves into a positive future. We hope you will join us in these efforts. It will take all of us working together to become the best school district in the nation. It is a big goal. With your help, we know we can achieve it.
_________________________
_________________________
Important dates to remember
_________________________
Congratulations to King Angok and Queen Ellie. There is no nation like Warrior Nation.
_________________________
october student of the month
Ndjakalenga Mwenentanda & Jose MoncadaNatareno
Juniors
Olivia Berry & Nick Olson
Sophomores
Vanyshia Williams & Owen Boyd
Freshmen
Rosalia Szameit & Jimmy SaraviaRivas
_________________________
Congratulations to Davis Shafer and Noah Morgans on being National Merit Semi-Finalists.
_________________________
Youth Chess Tournament
Youth Chess Tournament for Grades K-12 to your upcoming newsletters. (by October newsletter as early registration ends Oct 31)
Tournament play is divided into grades. (K-1) (2-3) (4-6) (7-12)
Individual, team and school awards are included in the tournament so tell your friends to sign up too!
Held at Robert Frost Saturday Nov 20th
Early registration ends October 31.
link to register for the Tournament:
https://comed.sf.k12.sd.us/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=21WGAME648
link for the Chess Classes that can be taken before and after, for individuals or families:
https://comed.sf.k12.sd.us/wconnect/CourseStatus.awp?&course=21WGAME864
*Parent/Staff Volunteers will also be needed that day. You do not need to know about chess to help. Please email your thrilled willingness to volunteer to Melanie at Community Ed.
_________________________
Welcome new counselors
We are excited to announce that DeAndra McCarthy and Shelli Wiese are joining the WHS Counseling team! They bring a wealth of experience to Washington High School and are ready to meet students and parents. Welcome DeAndra & Shelli!
_________________________
dental care at no cost
Your student’s teeth are important. Dental disease (cavities) can threaten a child’s health, wellbeing, and achievement. Children with oral health problems can have difficulty eating and sleeping and paying attention in school. Nearly 1 in 4 South Dakota children has untreated tooth decay.
The Delta Dental mobile truck will be at Washington High School November 29th – December 3rd. If your student has not seen a dentist in the last two years, please call Student Services (605) 367-7970 or have your student stop by Student Services and pick up the required paperwork.
Thank you!
Nurse Clarke
_________________________
School Meals
Welcome back to a new school year where we believe you will see many new things from Child Nutrition Services. We are thrilled to share with you the fact all meals, Breakfast and Lunch, are FREE again this year. This makes it easier for your checkbooks and for all students.
Please note that if your child brings a lunch and wants to purchase a milk, there will be a $.40 charge for the milk. Want to avoid the milk charge? “Pick 3 Free” - If your child chooses a fruit and vegetable to go with the milk, federal rules say we can make that count as a meal and not be required to charge you for the milk.
Even though meals are free, we are encouraging families to complete the Free/Reduced application online if you believe you may qualify for the benefit. This will help you with some of the other discounts you have counted on in the past if you have that confirmation.
https://www.nlappscloud.com/Welcome.aspx?api=1f26b27eba241f8c89fa1f74af232754#loaded
If your student is in Middle or High School and they wish to purchase Ala Carte’ items, money can be put on their accounts through My School Bucks or by sending money or check with them to put on the account. If they do not have any money on the account, extra items cannot be purchased. To keep the lunch lines moving, we would appreciate if the money is dropped off at the beginning of the day so it is available in your child’s account. Change will not be given in the serving lines; all money will be placed on the student account.
_________________________
flu shot clinic at WHS
_________________________
2021 yearbook update
The reprinted yearbooks have just arrived. We no longer have sixteen pages from a high school in Ohio in our book! Please be patient as we work to sort and distribute books in the most efficient way possible.
Cindy Heckenlaible
Washington High School
Journalism: newspaper & yearbook
American Film History
Reading
_________________________
library news
The WHS Library is open Monday-Friday from 7:00 am-4:00 pm. Students are welcome to be in the library to study, check out library books, read, charge devices, and find a safe and welcoming place to call home at WHS. The library has many great resources for students. Along with thousands of print books and graphic novels, WHS students can access free ebooks and audiobooks through SORA. They can download the free SORA app or access it on ClassLink. The username and password to access all library resources, including SORA, is the same. The username is the first part of their email address: ie - ks1234, and their password is the same as their Chromebook password: initials upper/lower, ID number, and birth year - ie - Ks1234561974. On ClassLink, students can also access the library catalog to place holds on books, research databases to find credible sources of information, and Noodletools to help them cite sources. I also host an anime club and book club that meets once a month during Warrior Halftime. If your student needs help finding a great book to read, completing research, citing sources, or utilizing technology, please have them talk to me.
WHS Librarian - Ms. Kerri Smith
________________________
the warrior zone's october "deal of the month"
The WHS women’s sherpa is the October “Deal of the Month” in The Warrior Zone. These cozy sherpas come in both ivory and black colors and are marked down 50% to the low price of $19.99 for the entire month. You can view these sherpas and all the rest of the merchandise that is available in The Warrior Zone at www.whswarriorzone.weebly.com
_________________________
_________________________
WHS Booster Club
_________________________
_________________________
Contact us
Website: http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/washington/home
Location: 501 N. Sycamore Sioux Falls SD, 57110
Phone: (605) 367-7970