Wildcat Wisdom Newsletter
Wesley Chapel High School 1/19/24
WCHS Vision
Wesley Chapel High School provides a community in which students become life ready citizens with confidence, empathy, and perseverance.
To ensure our students are college, career, and life ready, we are:
Accountable
Resourceful
Compassionate
Principled
Inspirational
Message from Mr. McDermott
Wildcats,
Congratulations to our Girls Basketball team who defeated Land O Lakes High School to win the SAC East Conference Championship. We also want to wish all of our winter sports good luck as they enter district play. Go Wildcats. Also, next week is Literacy Week, see below for the fun activity for our students. Please help us encourage your students to participate.
Thank you,
Mr. McDermott
24/25 Course Selection Timeline
- January 22-25- Counselors will be in English classes to discuss and hand out course cards
- January 26- Counselors and Assistant Principals will be in the grade level hallways to answer student questions regarding courses
- January 29-February 7- PERT sign ups for students wanting to take Dual Enrollment in the fall (see Mr. Walensky or the grade level counselor)
- February 1- AP, AP Capstone, and DE Family night (cafeteria) 6PM-7PM
- February 16-PERT test for students who signed up
- February 16- All signed course cards due to English teachers
NAVIANCE 4-YR PLANNING TIMELINE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS!
Students can now use Naviance to create four-year high school coursework plans. This is a great resource to chart desired courses from freshman to senior year, see coursework already taken and credits earned, and see what is still missing towards graduation.
HOW TO ACCESS:
1) In MyPascoConnect, students will click Naviance icon and then select "Log in with SSO"
2) Under the "Courses" heading, select "Manage Course Plans"
3) Some students have already created a plan that can be used to plan coursework; others will need to click the pink + button and create a "24 Credit Plan"
4) Enter the plan and chart your path toward graduation!
NAVIANCE: COLLEGE/CAREER READINESS FRAMEWORK
Pasco County Schools has partnered with Naviance, a customizable online planning tool for students in grades 6-12. With Naviance, students can discover personal interests & strengths, research career & college opportunities, & connect learning to academic goal setting & planning.
Naviance is an esteemed College, Career & Life Readiness program that will assist high school students plan for post-secondary success. It allows students self-paced opportunities to:
Learn about themselves – their strengths, interests, and learning styles,
Match careers, colleges and majors to their unique characteristics, academic profile and
preferences,
Build and revise their academic plan and analyze the rigor of their schedule/plan with that of their choice colleges’ entrance requirements or career plans and
Create a resume showcasing their experience, skills, and goals.
Students can access Naviance anytime, anywhere by logging in through myPascoConnect Apps, looking for the Naviance icon, and then clicking Single Sign On (SSO). An account has already been created for students.
Softball Tryouts
Softball tryouts are on Monday and Tuesday (01/22-01/23) at 2:15 pm. Athletes must have all paperwork in HomeCampus. See Coach Mumaw for assistance.
WCHS Winter Athletics Challenge
Our athletic department is seeking your help so we can keep our athletes in the best uniforms and training with the best equipment. Please consider helping out with the Winter Athletics Challenge. All raised funds will go directly to supporting our athletic teams. Click Here to Donate.
Seniors (Grad. Bash)
Grad Bash is Friday, April 12, 2024. Tickets will go on sale during A and B lunches starting February 5, 2024, until Friday, February 23, 2024. Tickets will be $110. Please see Mr. Walensky with any questions.
Senior T-Shirts and Hoodies on sale
Senior T-Shirts and Hoddies may be ordered via the student fees portal. T-Shirts are $25 and Hoodies are $35. For any questions, please contact Mr. Walensky.
Classic Learning Test Opportunity (MEET GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS)
The Classic Learning Test (CLT) is a new oppoprtunity for students to meet the concordant scores in ELA and/or Algebra in order to graduate. WCHS will be giving this assessment on Thursday, 2/15/24, for juniors and seniors who have not met their ELA and Algebra 1 testing graduation requirements. Students must pay for the exam in the student fees online portal. The cost for the exam is $29.50. Please see Mr. Walensky with any questions.
School Day SAT
The SAT School day will be given March 5th & 6th . The SAT this year is digital. The test is free to Juniors, and is open to Freshmen, Sophomores, and Seniors. The cost for Seniors, Sophomores and Freshmen is $33 and is payable on the online student fee system. If you see a cost of $60, please add the test to your cart and take it to the payment screen. It should reflect with the correct price at that point.
NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY APPLICATIONS
Sophomores, juniors, and seniors who have a 3.2 unweighted GPA have already been emailed an application invitation to apply to NHS. These applications are due back to Mrs. Salter (emailed or hand delivered) no later than 2pm on January 26th. (Students should click on the Outlook icon in their PascoConnect account to view their school email.)
Extended School Day (ESD)/Test Prep/Tutoring
ESD is for students who need to recover a semester course failure to get back on track for graduation. Many course are offered in the ESD program, please know that not every course a student fails is offered in ESD. ESD occurs every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:15PM-4:15PM and transportation is not provided. Students will need to be picked up each day at 4:15PM. Students can also attend math tutoring in room 132 on these days. Bootcamps for students needing to pass the FAST assessment or earn a concordant to meet graduation requirements may also attend for test preparation. We also offer Math tutoring every Tuesday and Thursday from 2:15PM-3:15PM through Extended School Day, see you grade level administrator if you need help. If you are interested in your students attending ESD to recover a failed semester course, please reach out to your grade level administrator.
Yearbooks
Yearbook Sales will end on January 23rd! Cost is $90 and you can make your purchase at www.yearbookforever.com or https://www.studentquickpay.com/pasco/ on or before January 23rd. We have to submit our final count to our publisher on January 24th, and we cannot guarantee we will receive extra copies. This is the only way to ensure your student gets a copy! On Friday, Mrs. Ingram will post a list of those who have ordered on her door (Room 327) so your student can double-check! Or, email her at pingram@pasco.k12.fl.us and she can let you know if you have already ordered a book.
We have TWO remaining dates for PHSC applications in the Spring. Our PHSC advisor will come out and guide us through the PHSC application from start to submission. Students only need to sign up for one of the sessions below. They will need to bring a Social Security number and the Florida Residency form: https://admissions.phsc.edu/sites/default/files/documents/2023-residency-classification.pdf
All students are considered "dependent" and residency is established by one parent and that parent's documents. Please fill out, print, and bring to the application session.
SCHOOL DAY SAT AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE FOR ALL GRADE LEVELS!
On March 5th and 6th, WCHS will offer a college-reportable SAT. All juniors will take this for free and do not need to register.
Freshman, sophomores, and seniors are also invited to test should they be interested in using the SAT for college, graduation requirements, or Bright Futures. The test is $33 for all students and no waivers are available. Students will pay through their Student Quick Pay account where they pay school fees (do not register through College Board). The School Day SAT and all SAT tests moving forward are digital.
*The Ryco portal will show $60, please disregard. When you add SAT to your cart and check out, you will see the $33 fee reflected.*
FAFSA NOW OPEN! FINANCIAL AID GRANTS AND LOANS!
The 2024-25 FAFSA is OPEN!
The FAFSA helps students pay for college through federally funded grants and loans. All families should complete this free application to see the types of aid for which they may qualify. The 2024-25 FAFSA offers potential funding for Fall 2024, Spring 2025, and Summer 2025. If a student will be starting college coursework in the summer, they should ALSO fill out the 2023-24 FAFSA to cover the Summer 2024 semester.
Applications are available at FAFSA.gov. The student and one parent will first create their FSA IDs and then they will be directed to the FAFSA form. FAFSA offers a robust Help Center with frequently asked questions, online chat, and a toll-free number to speak with FAFSA representatives (1-800-433-3243). All of this is available at the FAFSA.gov website. In addition, the FAFSA YouTube channel includes many how-to videos: https://www.youtube.com/user/FederalStudentAid
Wesley Chapel High School will offer a Financial Aid Night on January 30th at 6 pm in the cafeteria for any students and parents who would like to attend. A PHSC Financial Aid Advisor will be hosting the presentation.
Please reach out to Mrs. Faysash with any questions.
BRIGHT FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION OPEN FOR SENIORS!
The Bright Futures Scholarship application is now open for the Class of 2024! Please complete this as soon as possible. You do not need to have met the requirements to complete the application. This application will allow me to track your progress and also let the State know you would like to be evaluated throughout the year for eligibility. This is a very short application and will take about 10 minutes to complete.
Several other scholarships are included in this Florida Financial Aid Application including First Generation Matching Grants, Hispanic Scholars, and the 100% Military Disability Scholarship for those with parents deemed 100% disabled from military service.
https://www.floridastudentfinancialaidsg.org/SAPHome/SAPHome?url=home
PERT TEST FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT 2/16: MUST SIGN UP BY 2/7
Students who wish to take the PERT test for Dual Enrollment eligibility must sign up with a counselor, Mr. Walensky, or Mrs. Faysash by February 7. All counselors will be classrooms next week for sign ups. Students must have a 3.0 unweighted GPA to test.
The test will take place at WCHS on 2/16 at 7:10 am in media. It is a digital, untimed adaptive test. Students must pass both the reading and writing sections to be eligible for their first 12 hours of dual enrollment.
All juniors will attend automatically with their 2nd period class.
Wesley Chapel High School Clubs
Testing Central
WCHS COLLEGE AND CAREER S'MORE
Are you College and Career Ready? Check out Mrs. Faysash’s Smore for events, scholarships, and planning resources for all grade levels!
Free SAT prep available through Khan Academy
Stay in the know, never miss an activity
WCHS ABC Program
If your family needs supports or has any needs from the WCHS ABC program, please fill out the following form. If you would like more information about the ABC program, the flyer is attached and/or call the front office, 813-794-8702.
Advertising Opportunity for Local Businesses (Please make sure you are dealing with a WCHS staff member. We have had a few local businesses give money to an outside company not affiliated with Wesley Chapel High School.)
District School Board of Pasco County Intent to Advertise
Need more customers? Advertise with WCHS! Each year thousands of people come to events on our campus and see advertisements for local businesses. This is an opportunity to get affordable advertising and help out the students of WCHS. Banners are printed by the school using your artwork with several sponsorship options. The term of the advertisement is one full year.
Please make sure you are dealing with a WCHS staff member. We have had a few local businesses give money to an outside company not affiliated with Wesley Chapel High School.If you have any questions, please reach out to the Assistant Principal over Athletics, Mr. Emperator at aemperat@pasco.k12.fl.us or call the school at 813-794-8700.
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Wesley Chapel High School
School Information
Principal:
Mr. Matt McDermott
30651 Wells Road
Wesley Chapel, FL 33545
Phone: (813) 794-8700
(352) 794-8700
Fax: (813) 794-8791
Office Hours:
M-F 7:00AM – 3:30 PM
Website: https://wchs.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel, FL, USA
Phone: 813-794-8700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildcat.pride.63
Twitter: @WCHS_Wildcats