The WJHS Panther Update
February 16, 2024
Principal's Letter
Panther Families,
NO SCHOOL - Monday, February 19th, in observance of Presidents' Day
Love was in the air this week at WJHS. Kicking things off, our Student Council hosted our Valentine's Dance last Friday evening, which was a great time for the students. Throughout the week, students and staff enjoyed daily activities during our Spirit Days. To top things off, they received their Cupid Grams on Valentine's Day! Thank you, Student Council, for all the fun activities you plan for us!
PANTHER NEWS- Congratulations to 8th Grader, Tim C., who participated and WON 1ST PLACE in the Junior Division (16 and under) of the Fat Tire Bike Race in Chicago last Saturday! He took 1st place even after crashing in the mud; he got up and continued! Tim’s not sure the exact number of participants but it was A LOT. WE ARE VERY PROUD OF YOU TIM!
On Saturday, the Panther Chess team participated in the Conference Meet and brought home the 3rd-place trophy. It was a true team victory as all 10 players contributed points. Kai H. won 3 matches and was the board 10 champion. Max M. also won three times. Liam D. added 2 victories. Emmett H. had three wins and was the board 7 champion. Harrison R. and Will G. each added 3 more victories. Abraham J. added 2 more wins. Andrew H., Max H., and Adam L. also added points to the total. Congratulations to the team for a successful meet and a great season!
Another huge congratulations to our wrestlers! WJHS Wrestling Team took home their first trophy in Westmont history placing 3rd in Conference! It was a great meet and they battled through some tough matches. Talk about students who are strong and know how to persevere!
What a tremendous week our Panthers had! We are so proud of all of you!
EARLY ACT - Thanks to all panthers who participated in the Pastabilities food drive! We took over 3 carloads of food already! The following students were the winners of the chance to hang in the Panther Perks Café with 7 friends during lunch: Kevin S., Ian T., and William G.,. Congrats to all 3 winners!
5 ESSENTIALS - We value your feedback! For us to receive our parent feedback on the 5 Essentials, we need 20% of our families to take the survey.
Please take just a moment to complete this survey about WJHS. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness.
To take the survey please visit https://survey.5-essentials.org/Illinois/ and select the appropriate survey to begin.
8TH GRADE PARENTS - This coming Tuesday & Wednesday, February 20th and 21st, your students will be meeting with a high school counselor to select their classes for next year. You are invited to attend the meeting with your student. Since meetings are only 10 minutes in length, please be sure to 1) Arrive on time and 2) Bring the completed documents that you received at the high school's incoming parent night. Please see the message sent by the High School earlier today.
ATTENDANCE - The second semester is well underway and teaching and learning are strong at WJHS! As we continue with the 2023-2024 school year, we want to re-emphasize the importance of student attendance and the impact absences can have on students. Students with accumulating absences will continue to be contacted by the WJHS attendance team so that we can help problem-solve. You may receive communication even if your student's absences are excused or due to medical reasons. We aim to partner with you and collaborate together.
Additionally, with a new semester underway we want to remind everyone of the tardy policy at WJHS. Class at WJHS begins at 8:20 am. Please review the tardy policy below from the WJHS Student Handbook:
To maximize instructional time, all students must arrive at class on time. All students must be in their classroom before the beginning of instruction. Students who are continually tardy to class will face disciplinary action which will jeopardize the student’s ability to be successful in the classroom. Three or more tardies during a semester constitute an after-school detention.
You can find the entire Attendance Policy beginning on page 4 of the WJHS Handbook. Please reach out if you have any questions or concerns related to attendance.
PTO NEWS - It’s time to spread some kindness! Random Acts of Kindness Week is happening Feb 14-20, and that's the perfect time for us to kick off the WJHS PTO's Panther Paws for Kindness fundraiser.
Registration/Emails Sent: February 14 – 23
Acts of Kindness Dates: February 26 – March 15
Our Goal: $5,000 + 1000 Acts of Kindness
This is a unique twist on fundraising – we’re not just collecting money for our school, we’re also making a difference in the community. Our students will email family, friends, and neighbors asking for donations through Raise Craze, a secure, online platform. At the same time, they’ll be doing good deeds for others by performing Acts of Kindness (AOKs). It’s an awesome way to show our kids how much kindness and saying ‘thanks’ matter, all while bringing in the funds we need. Students will spend time serving, not selling!
Online registration is now open. For students under the age of 13, a parent must help them register at home following the steps listed below. Students over the age of 13 can register for Raise Craze starting today at home or during their STAR period. Students have already heard about Raise Craze this week during their lunch period.
7th and 8th grade students must register again. They can re-use their CUSD 201 email address. For security and privacy reasons, Raise Craze deletes and wipes all student account information after the fundraiser concludes.
We are hoping to have all students registered by Friday, February 23rd. Our goal is to have 100% student participation.
Please use your student’s chrome book to setup the account OR help your student login via their Chromebook after the account is registered. This is very important so that they know how to login after the fact and record their Acts of Kindness.
Registration Link: https://my.raisecraze.com/AQ52RAW/
- Click on WJHS
- Click "Use Personal Email”
- Click On "Create Account”
- Click on WJHS
- Enter your student’s school email address that ends in @g.cusd201.org. You can find your student’s email in Skyward under the Student Info tab.
- Enter the parent’s date of birth
- Enter your student’s name
- Upload photo not required (this will make the email to the donors more personal and will only be sent to the email addresses you provide.)
- Select 3+ Acts of Kindness (AOKs) that your student would like to do between 2/26 – 3/15. Students will be encouraged to select more AOKs during Panther Paws for Kindness. Students can also add their own AOKs to the list during or after registration.
- Enter the email addresses for family members, neighbors, or friends. Raise Craze will automatically send all emails, reminders, and thank you notes making it so easy for your students. Emails will never be shared with third parties or used for marketing.
- Click next and your account should be set.
Please be sure your student knows how to login to Raise Craze and check off their AOKs once completed. Last year, many of the 6th graders did not know how to access their account. Your student can also add their own AOKs. You can also choose to do this with them at home.
When we hit our goal, the entire school will be in for a special surprise!
Need help getting started? Check out the Raise Craze Instructional Video at https://raisecraze.com/instructional-video/ with questions please contact Maren Graham at maren@mjgraham.com.
Thank you for supporting WJHS!
GRADUATION -Ms. Quattrone and Mr. Lipinski will be speaking with parents/guardians of students who are currently in jeopardy of not participating in graduation activities due to requirements for academic standing or SSLC hours.
By working together as a team to create a plan both with and for your students, we will provide them with the tools and direction necessary to succeed.
WESTMONT PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWS- Looking for something fun to do this winter? Be sure to check out the library's events for all ages!
Remember to check the WJHS calendar for up-to-date information on Clubs, Events, & Athletics.
Sincerely,
Amy Quattrone
WJHS Principal
Pizza Wars is coming to town! Save the date for Wednesday, 3/13. More details to come.
Pre-order your tickets NOW available through Revtrak!
Our District STEM Night is coming up on Wednesday, February 28th from 6:00 to 8:00 at the High School.
Freaky Friday is coming to WHS! Mark your calendars for February 23rd- 25th to see the WHS students perform. You will not want to miss it!
We are thrilled to announce that Brian K. Butler, an esteemed educational presenter with over 30 years of experience, will visit our schools on
Wednesday, February 21st
Parents, we invite you to attend and engage in this enriching experience. Join us as Brian shares his expertise on the PLC at Work and RTI at Work models, drawing from his extensive experience working with thousands of schools across the U.S.A., Australia, and Canada.
Schedule for the day:
8:15-9:00: Manning
9:15-10:00: Miller
10:15-11:00: WJHS
1:00-1:45: WHS
Click here to register.
Seating is limited. Please register by Friday, February 16th.
Dental Screening for School Age Children
Friday, March 1, 2024 To Make an Appointment Call: (630) 221-7776