Monday, December 18, 2017

December 18th Weekly Blog (Next Blog on 1/8/2018)

"Purpose Corner" - Please enjoy the pictures below of our staff engaging in the first round of their PLC inquiry group share-outs. All staff are part of a group that is focusing on a topic related to one of the three pillars of our Theory of Action for increasing rigor at West High School. During this share out, groups have to share their story on how they impacted student learning by showcasing change data and sharing student work that exemplifies that change. It was an excellent morning for collaboration among our staff!! More to come on this process....



     
                                   


NEW Parent/Teacher Conferences in February
 - 
We will be having two nights of Parent/Teacher conferences at West High School on Tuesday February 20th and Wednesday February 21st. Conferences will start at 4:00 P.M. and go until 6:00 P.M. on both nights of these back-to-back evenings. We will be trying a new format for these conferences with Tuesday February 20th by appointment only and Wednesday the 21st at a drop in format the same as we did this past fall for Parent/Teacher conferences. More information will be coming out about the sign up process for Tuesday the 21st.

"Random Acts of Kindness" Club" - This club is new and has been amazing and I want to recognize them for their effort to keep positivity at the forefront of West everyday! I got something on my chair today and it makes a difference if even for just a moment! This club has decorated student lockers with encouraging sayings and reflective phrases throughout the school.....keep up the great work and what will they do next?               





Grade 10 "Practice ACT" - There may be a possible option for any/all 10th grade West students to take a practice ACT on February 27th which is the same day all 11th grade students will take the state sponsored ACT assessment. I will know more soon if this will be a reality, and I am sending out this info that it has a great chance to happen. There will be no cost for students and they will receive excellent feedback on their academic skill set. More to come on this possibility!


West Annual Food Drive - This event has truly been a community effort. A huge thank you to Student Council and their advisor Mrs. Emily Ortega for an amazing outcome. Their goal was to advertise and incentivize this food drive to make it bigger than ever for supporting our local food pantry. To give you a context to this feat, by estimates most schools have between 1,000 and 2,000 items, where for West this year there was an estimated 7,000 items!!! How many local families will that help to have a quality meal during this holiday season? A shout out to staff who got on board and made it happen day to day in your classrooms to keep kids engaged and feeling great about giving, and a shout out to our families who donated items and money when they were able to ensure a successful drive! Enjoy the pictures below.











Debate! - The Debate club recently went to the state debate competition and finished in the middle of the pack among the competitive teams. They did not go in with aspirations to be the top team, but went in to gain the experience of competition as they look to learn and grow as a team. It was a great experience where all learned a lot....great work!

 "NEW - Empowering Parent Series The first session of the empowering parent series is in the books and the next one is coming up on January 9th, 2018. please see the flyer below for more information.



The "West Woods Project" - This has been a project that I have showcased on this blog and has had positive momentum with a good start to the project. The West Woods club is looking to go further in their quest to complete the project and are asking for support. Please see the detailed description of the project followed by the flyer.

The West Woods is located on the property of Waukesha West. It is a beautiful natural area consisting of a pond, a stream, various species of trees and plants, and wildlife. The project’s mission is to establish an area and one mile path in which all students can learn about the environment and provide recreation opportunities for the community. This area is intended to be open to everyone of all ages: families, students, the elderly, adults, children, and the disabled. Indeed, one of the West Woods’ primary goals is to have the one mile trail be handicap accessible.

Currently, the trail
- is partially graveled
- has only one bridge (not well-built)
- is lacking boardwalks and benches
- has poor pond drainage infrastructure

In order for the West Woods to be used to its full potential, the trail needs improvements so that all visitors can enjoy the area. Improving the West Woods will be beneficial to a variety of people and for a variety of purposes. Students from Waukesha West High School will get to utilize the woods for various classes, including science and art. People from the community will be able to enjoy the trails, take photos or simply appreciate being in nature. Regardless of intended purpose, all visitors will be able to enjoy some time in nature, away from technology, and reconnect with the natural world. If you would like to donate to help offset the cost of the projects that will need to be completed, please deliver a check written out to West Woods Project to the main office. Questions regarding the project can be emailed to Fred Jonas at frjonas@waukesha.k12.wi.us



Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year!!
 -
Wishing all staff, students, parents, and community members a wonderful holiday season, Merry Christmas and an even better new year! I am thankful for the wonderful staff and students I get to experience everyday and am proud of the West community as a whole for all of the great things that happen everyday in our part of this big world!!




AP Test Registration...it has changed from last year..... - Please access the link below to our website for all the information you need to register fro AP tests and understand the changes that have occurred to that process for this school year. 


Archived Announcements (Link) Please access this link to find all of the information in our daily announcements from previous weeks.

Preview of this week: Please check the calendars by clicking on these two links to preview what is happening at West High School this week:


Tuesday, December 12, 2017

December 11th Weekly Blog

"Welcome to West" Success! - A huge thank you to all staff, students and families who attended our "Welcome to West Night" last evening. We had a great turn out and were excited to welcome current and future West students and their families for a night to explore West a little more in depth. We did record all of the sessions and will post these videos for accessibility soon. Below is some of the feedback from the approximately eight exit surveys that were gathered:



Parent/Teacher Conferences in February - Please access the video below to hear information about additional parent/teacher conferences that have been added at West from 4:00 P.M. to 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday February 20th and Wednesday February 21st. More information will be coming about these conferences. 

Please click here to access this 2:25 video

 "NEW - Empowering Parent Series - The first session of the empowering parent series is in the books and the next one is coming up on January 9th, 2018. please see the flyer below for more information.



The "West Woods Project" - This has been a project that I have showcased on this blog and has had positive momentum with a good start to the project. The West Woods club is looking to go further in their quest to complete the project and are asking for support. Please see the detailed description of the project followed by the flyer.

The West Woods is located on the property of Waukesha West. It is a beautiful natural area consisting of a pond, a stream, various species of trees and plants, and wildlife. The project’s mission is to establish an area and one mile path in which all students can learn about the environment and provide recreation opportunities for the community. This area is intended to be open to everyone of all ages: families, students, the elderly, adults, children, and the disabled. Indeed, one of the West Woods’ primary goals is to have the one mile trail be handicap accessible.

Currently, the trail
- is partially graveled
- has only one bridge (not well-built)
- is lacking boardwalks and benches
- has poor pond drainage infrastructure

In order for the West Woods to be used to its full potential, the trail needs improvements so that all visitors can enjoy the area. Improving the West Woods will be beneficial to a variety of people and for a variety of purposes. Students from Waukesha West High School will get to utilize the woods for various classes, including science and art. People from the community will be able to enjoy the trails, take photos or simply appreciate being in nature. Regardless of intended purpose, all visitors will be able to enjoy some time in nature, away from technology, and reconnect with the natural world. If you would like to donate to help offset the cost of the projects that will need to be completed, please deliver a check written out to West Woods Project to the main office. Questions regarding the project can be emailed to Fred Jonas at frjonas@waukesha.k12.wi.us



"Annual Food Drive" -The​ West Annual ​Food​ ​Drive​ has started and ends on Friday ​December​ ​15th!!​ ​ ​Please donate your non perishable goods to donate to the Waukesha Food Pantry by bringing them to the main atrium area at West and dropping them into the clearly labeled bins. West staff has been instrumental in offering incentives for their classes to donate big....thank you staff and keep it up. Annually this is the Waukesha Food Pantry’s largest donation! We typically collect more food at West than all other high schools in Waukesha County combined! Lets make this year the biggest yet!



Drama Department - I have shared out the accolades before and have just recently received this letter...congratulations to all involved!



AP Test Registration...it has changed from last year..... - Please access the link below to our website for all the information you need to register fro AP tests and understand the changes that have occurred to that process for this school year. 


Archived Announcements (Link) Please access this link to find all of the information in our daily announcements from previous weeks.

Preview of this week: Please check the calendars by clicking on these two links to preview what is happening at West High School this week:


Monday, December 4, 2017

December 4th Weekly Blog

" Welcome to West!" - We will be having our "Welcome to West Night" for all current Waukesha West families and prospective families on Monday, December 11th,  2017 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. The night will allow all in attendance to choose from a variety of break out sessions for acquiring information prior to scheduling for next year. Please check out our flyer below for an overview and click on this link for more in depth information about the sessions that are available. Look forward to seeing you there!



"Welcome to West" Session Descriptions - The session descriptions are linked above and also can be seen below:

     

"Christmas Clearing Council" - The past several weeks the Class of 2021 and Ignition Mentors collected $3453.00 for Christmas Clearing Council. West was able to adopt 16 families with 40 children between them. The students involved with fund raising then called each family for gathering wish lists of the children. Sixteen West students went shopping for each of the families. These students are currently double checking that the children are receiving the gifts on their lists, are beginning to wrap the gifts, and will soon deliver the gifts to the families! If there are funds left over, families will get a movie night that will include a movie, popcorn, hot chocolate, and marshmallows. Per usual students have worked hard to give back locally and have once again set an example of unselfishness in the community! 

"Purpose Corner" - Please enjoy this video as I discuss the continuation of our inquiry group work and bringing back "Pineapple Charts!"

Please click here to access this 2:54 video

"Annual Food Drive" -The​ West Annual ​Food​ ​Drive​ starts ​TODAY,​ ​Monday,​ ​December​ ​4!!​ ​ ​Please donate your non perishable goods to donate to the Waukesha Food Pantry by bringing them to the main atrium area at West and dropping them into the clearly labeled bins. West staff has been instrumental in offering incentives for their classes to donate big....thank you staff and keep it up. Annually this is the Waukesha Food Pantry’s largest donation! We typically collect more food at West than all other high schools in Waukesha County combined! Lets make this year the biggest yet!

Winter Coats, Snow/Parking, & iPad Restrictions - Please access the video below as I seek to provide clarity around our dress codes as it pertains to winter coats, our parking lots when it snows, and supporting us with parental iPad restrictions:

Please click here for this 2:44 video


Principal Advisory Council - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council. We met as a group most recently on Wednesday November 15th. We will be meeting again during our monthly time next on Wednesday December 20th. Please contact the representatives with questions/comments for our next meeting. The meeting minutes are linked here:


Amy Holzinger

aholzinger@sbcglobal.net
Ann Pascavis
mapascavis@hotmail.com
Cathy Frantz
cathyk21@gmail.com
James Boling
jmbjrboling@gmail.com
Jennifer Engel
j_rengel@sbcglobal.net
Jim Karpowitz
karpman@aol.com
Mark McGinnis
wxmarkmc@gmail.com
Mercedes Rawson
Rawson96@wi.rr.com
Sarah Bristol
north_physics@yahoo.com
Wendy Hamilton
wendyhamilton4@gmail.com
Betsy Peters
bpeters1247@gmail.com
Michelle Werner
michelle@hatchstaff.com

AP Test Registration...it has changed from last year..... - Please access the link below to our website for all the information you need to register fro AP tests and understand the changes that have occurred to that process for this school year. 


Archived Announcements (Link) Please access this link to find all of the information in our daily announcements from previous weeks.

Preview of this week: Please check the calendars by clicking on these two links to preview what is happening at West High School this week:





Monday, November 27, 2017

November 27th Weekly Blog

" Welcome to West!" - We will be having our "Welcome to West Night" for all current Waukesha West families and prospective families on Monday, December 11th,  2017 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. The night will allow all in attendance to choose from a variety of break out sessions for acquiring information prior to scheduling for next year. Please check out our flyer below for an overview and click on this link for more in depth information about the sessions that are available. Look forward to seeing you there!



"We Are Waukesha"This event is this Saturday, December 2nd and features booths, displays, games and activities for kids. Representatives from all schools will be on-hand to help answer questions about the enrollment process. "We are Waukesha" is specifically timed and targeted to reach parents who are making decisions about school for next year. See info below:

Purpose Corner - Please enjoy this video as I touch upon our direction as a school and go deeper into our classroom look for's to increase student achievement.

Please click here for this 3:07 video 


"West End Players" (West Drama) - ....were at it again with a recently successful trip. Forty-one students traveled to UW Stevens Point the weekend of November 17th to perform at the State Theater Contest, and for the second straight year, they swept all of the awards.  For the the seventh consecutive year, West brought home the weekend's top award: The Critics' Choice!  West also received the contest's awards for Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Crew.  Regan Carter won the award for Outstanding Actress (her second!) and Evan McGinnis won the award for Outstanding Actor. Mr. Berish was fortunate enough to win the contest's award for Outstanding Direction. West Drama has developed quite the reputation in the state.  This year, they received the honor of being asked to bring the lone full-length play to the state contest. Nearly 600 people saw their Showcase production of "Noises Off" on Thursday.  Spectators were very impressed by the quality of the production, but completely blown away by students' ability to travel with such a complex set and show. The following day, West's "one act" performed in front of a completely packed house.  Both shows were given deafening standing ovations! Enjoy the pics below"


                                   
                                               
                        



"Interact Club" - ... rummage sale was a HUGE success!! Interact made a grand total of $1800.00 at the rummage sale!! They will present a check in that amount to the "Viper Ride" which serves blind and visually impaired veterans. What is left from the rummage will be donated to the Milwaukee Homeless Veterans Initiative and the Hope Center. Thank You to all who donated and/or came to our sale!

Lunch Release, Neighborhood Parking, Release - Please access the video below in which I clarify school expectations around lunchroom behavior, lunch release, parking and students with release...

Please click her for this 2:52 video

Principal Advisory Council - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council. We met as a group most recently on Wednesday November 15th. We will be meeting again during our monthly time next on Wednesday December 20th. Please contact the representatives with questions/comments for our next meeting. The meeting minutes are linked here:


Amy Holzinger

aholzinger@sbcglobal.net
Ann Pascavis
mapascavis@hotmail.com
Cathy Frantz
cathyk21@gmail.com
James Boling
jmbjrboling@gmail.com
Jennifer Engel
j_rengel@sbcglobal.net
Jim Karpowitz
karpman@aol.com
Mark McGinnis
wxmarkmc@gmail.com
Mercedes Rawson
Rawson96@wi.rr.com
Sarah Bristol
north_physics@yahoo.com
Wendy Hamilton
wendyhamilton4@gmail.com
Betsy Peters
bpeters1247@gmail.com
Michelle Werner
michelle@hatchstaff.com

AP Test Registration...it has changed from last year..... - Please access the link below to our website for all the information you need to register fro AP tests and understand the changes that have occurred to that process for this school year. 


Archived Announcements (Link) Please access this link to find all of the information in our daily announcements from previous weeks.

Preview of this week: Please check the calendars by clicking on these two links to preview what is happening at West High School this week: