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
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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!!
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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: