Monday, January 29, 2018

January 29th Weekly Blog

Purpose Corner - Please enjoy this video as I briefly touch upon next steps in our professional development plan for the second half of this school year.


Click here for this 1:33 video


Student Scheduling  -  Current 9th through 11th grade students will be scheduling next years classes on either Thursday February 8th or Friday February 9th in their Science classes. We encourage all families to discuss scheduling options with their students. All students have to select a minimum of seven classes with a study hall and three alternate courses they would be interested in taking. Please access the Waukesha West Student Services web page for the course selection guide and information to support you in the selection process. Our counselors are ready to answer any questions you may have,  

Parent/Teacher Conference Sign Up - 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. You can sign up to meet with teachers or counselors on a first come first serve basis for Tuesday February 20th by accessing the Sign-Up Genius link.


AVID for West High School - Today we sent out letters to approximately 90 freshmen families who may be a fit to join the rigorous college preparation program known as AVID which will kick off next school year at West and focuses on our current freshmen students only. The selection process for being part of the AVID family is a journey and students have to earn their place within the program through meeting specific criteria. The same letters that were sent to families will also be hand delivered to each selected student over the next couple of days. The letter invites them to our February 12th lunch for learning more about AVID from current students who are part of it within our district. The letter also invites parents to learn more about this program through our AVID Showcase night which will be from 5:00 - 6:00 P.M. on Tuesday, February 13th in the West Media Center. The AVID Showcase is open to any and all parents and students to come and learn more about this program if they so chose. We will be expanding the program to 9th and 11th grade students for the 2019 -2020 school year. Learn more at "What is AVID?"

   


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. The sign up for registration for this test is linked here. Please sign up by February 1st, 2018 as the registration closes after this date. This assessment has no charge and there is not a writing component to this assessment. Contact me (Mr. Patt) with any questions.

Homelessness - Homelessness is continuing to affect more students an families in the School District of Waukesha. The affect of homelessness on students is vast and we want to ensure families can define their situation against criteria and receive support if needed.... please see the flyers below:


                

    


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



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: