Tuesday, March 19, 2019

March 18th Weekly Blog

Senior Vs. Staff Basketball Game - The game is this Friday, March 22nd. Will the Seniors finally win this year? The faculty keeps getting older but our Senior students are the same age, yet year after year we seem to be unbeatable! I have a strong feeling staff will conquer once again! Please see another recent picture I found of me in training as I have been working hard all year to be ready for this competition... I am 89% sure that may be me participating in the local Waukesha city slam dunk contest last week on a 7-foot hoop... though I seem to have lost quite a bit of hair in a short amount of time. I did not realize the Waukesha Expo Center could hold that many people, I took 1st out of one player (me) for my age bracket... bring it on Seniors!!


West Talent Show - This is one of the best events that take place at West High School. I have enjoyed the talents of our students when this show has been put on. Please sign up and try out as we want to see students shine! See the information below:

It is time for our students to sign up for the 2019 Waukesha West Talent Show! Students, if you have a passion for singing, dancing, spoken word, athletics magic tricks or anything unique to you, this is the show for you!! Sign up sheets are available in either the office (see Mrs. Dominick) or Mr. Jonas in F033. Both students and faculty are welcome to perform. If you have questions, see Mr. Jonas for details. Let's put on a great show, West!


Forensics - The Waukesha West Forensics team had their district festival/state-qualifying event at Waterford Union High School this past Saturday. Congrats to the following students who have qualified for the Wisconsin State Speech Festival in Madison on April 12: Tristan Watson, Maddie Roubik, Josh Calgaro, Ellie Shelley, Morgan Roberts, Brennan Kocovsky,Grace Felde, Parker Hellman, Matt Ballesteros, Tayler Kozlowski, Anna Flaherty, and Sophia Hoggatt. Congrats and best of luck at State!!



Student Recognition Part 1 - Naveen Albert has excelled as a student at West High School and has ventured into an elite company by standing out on the State and National levels. Naveen is a state record holder for categorical points in the Social Sciences for Academic Decathlon which means he is either tied with or has the best score for this category in the 36 years of event competition. Naveen has qualified as a National Merit Finalist which means out of 1.6 million students who took the PSAT nationwide, he is one of the 15,000 finalists (approximately top 1% of the country) who remain in the running to be one of the 7,500 to receive the distinctive scholarship that comes with being National Merit Scholar Recipient. Naveen has also been selected as a candidate in the 2019 United States Presidential Scholars Program. He is one of 116 candidates in the state of Wisconsin. Three million Senior students throughout the country are eligible to apply and scholarships will be awarded to 161 potential candidates of which Naveen is in the running. Again this is a top 1% of the country territory. Congratulations Naveen!!

Student Recognition Part 2 - Vinesh Janarthanan was awarded a 2019 Herb Kohl Student Excellence Scholarship. The Student Excellence Scholarship recipients have demonstrated excellence in the academic arena and high motivation to achieve, have displayed a broad range of activity and leadership outside the academic setting, and have shown strong promise for succeeding in college and beyond. This award goes only to 188 graduating Seniors state-wide. Congrats Vinesh!


Grades & Fees - January 18th, marked the end of Semester 1 and grades for the first semester have been posted. Please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to view your student's grades. While you are in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal, please review your student's fees.  All 2018 - 2019 fees were due October 1st.  Please use the online RevTrak Portal accessible through Infinite Campus to pay your student's fees as soon as possible.  Outstanding fees are subject to collections by our Business Office. Thank you!

Principal Advisory Council - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council for 2018-2019. We will meet this Wednesday, March 20th. Please access the minutes for more information about our discussions for this school year and connect with any of the listed representatives prior to our upcoming meeting with any questions you have or clarifications you need. The meeting minutes are linked here:

Cheryl Jeffers
cmjeffers@yahoo.com
Bret Reichert
br@wi.rr.com
Bridget Clementi
clementi101@wi.rr.com
Deanna Krell
dkrell@wi.rr.com
Deshondria Baggett
dbaggett@wi.rr.com
Gail Young-Lane
jlane1@wi.rr.com
Jon Eckmann
Jon@promarkpainters.com
Kim Keller
kim.keller@wecenergygroup.com
Krista Bitzan
smileyfish76@hotmail.com
Lawrence Oberbruner
loberbruner@gmail.com
Lee Ann Jaskolka
Ljaskolka@wi.rr.com
Lori Johnston
ljohnstongd@gmail.com
Marilyn Toshner
mtoshner71@gmail.com


Graduation Information 2019 - Graduation day for the all three Waukesha legacy high schools will be Saturday, June 8th, 2019. Waukesha West High School will be holding graduation ceremonies in the West Fieldhouse on this date beginning at 2:00 P.M. As we are one community divided into three high schools, graduation times among all three high schools are staggered per usual to enable friends and family to attend multiple ceremonies if they so choose. South High School ceremonies will begin at 10:00 A.M. and North High School ceremonies will begin at 12:00 P.M. on this date. Please begin informing friends and family who will be attending.

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 here: West Main Page Calendar (Link)


Next blog post will be April 8th, 2019

Tuesday, March 12, 2019

March 11th Weekly Blog (Tuesday Edition)

The Best of West - I wanted to share with the West community through the video linked below a very thoughtful and uplifting act that occurred at our "West All Choirs" concert last week Thursday, March 7th. A member of our choir has family members who are hearing impaired and communicate primarily through sign language. As you can imagine coming to a concert presents many barriers for the hearing impaired. In supporting this family the choir learned some sign language from our choir member and as he signed the entire song for his family, the choir joined him in support for a verse by signing without audibly singing. I am so proud of our students and their support for each other!!! 


Please click here to access this 0:56 video

Academic Decathlon - The West Academic Decathlon team traveled to Wisconsin Dells last week after earning their trip during regional competition to the 36th annual State Competition. West continued its strong tradition of success by earning more than ten medals which highlighted by receiving four gold medals in math. The team placed second in Division I and fifth overall out of twenty teams. Congratulations to the team for all its hard work! Thank you to seniors Naveen Albert, Christian Brantner, Lucy Schroeder, and Jackson Otto.



Robotics Team CORE 2062 - The Waukesha School District High School robotics team CORE 2062 (Community of Robotics Engineers) was awarded a most prestigious award, the Regional Chairman’s Award at the Midwest FIRST Robotics Competition held in Chicago, IL this past weekend.  This award recognizes a top team’s accomplishments over a five year period.  Many criteria are taken into account, such as STEM outreach events, community involvement, and our top-notch safety program. The description of the award from FIRST is:

“The Chairman’s Award is the most prestigious award at FIRST, it honors the team that best represents a model for other teams to emulate and best embodies the mission of FIRST. It was created to keep the central focus of FIRST Robotics Competition on the ultimate goal of transforming the culture in ways that will inspire greater levels of respect and honor for science and technology, as well as encouraging more of today’s youth to become science and technology leaders.”
 All of the mentors on the team and the West community are proud of all of the students we have and are impressed by all that has been accomplished through their hard work and dedication. With this award, the team has been invited to compete at the FIRST Championship – Detroit, April 24th-27th in Detroit Michigan! Way to go CORE 2062!!


West Athletic Leadership Conference - When I am asked what sets West apart from other schools, I have a list that is long of which the entire West community contribute to and should be proud of. Towards the top of this list is our "Athletic Leadership Conference." This event is planned by student leaders with the collaboration of Assistant Principal/Athletic Director Kyle LeMieux and involved 200 student/athletes along with numerous coaches and staff members. This event has a positive impact on our athletic programs and a big thank you to all who contributed to its success!! WTMJ 4 did a story on the event which captures it well. Please see the pictures and enjoy the video news story...

Please click here to access this new story video





Varsity Boys Basketball - The 2018 - 2019 Classic 8 Conference Champions lost a hard fought battle this past Saturday at Waukesha South in a WIAA Sectional final to the West Allis Central Bulldogs in double overtime. I have witnessed many high school athletic competitions over the past 20 years as an educator and this rates up there as one of the best games I have witnessed because of the sheer level of grit and determination our Wolverines displayed. Keep your heads held high as you should be proud of a great season and all that was accomplished!!


Leap of Faith!! - A shout out to the West End Players for their work on the musical "Leap of Faith." It was an outstanding show that overcame some obstacles to knock it out of the park. if you were not aware, our students missed some class time to perform a matinee show for some local community members who were lifted up by the power of our student's performance!! Mr. Berish even made it rain on stage without it getting wet...a miracle maybe? You would have to ask him to find out!!
 

West Talent Show - This is one of the best events that take place at West High School. I have enjoyed the talents of our students when this show has been put on. Please sign up and try out as we want to see students shine! See the information below:

It is time for our students to sign up for the 2019 Waukesha West Talent Show! Students, if you have a passion for singing, dancing, spoken word, athletics magic tricks or anything unique to you, this is the show for you!! Sign up sheets are available in either the office (see Mrs. Dominick) or Mr. Jonas in F033. Both students and faculty are welcome to perform. If you have questions, see Mr. Jonas for details. Let's put on a great show, West!



Senior Vs. Staff Basketball Game - The game is on Friday, March 22nd. Will the Seniors finally win this year? The faculty keeps getting older but our Senior students are the same age, yet year after year we seem to be unbeatable! I have a strong feeling staff will conquer once again! Please see a recent picture of me in training as I have been working hard all year to be ready for this competition... I am 99% sure that may be me playing for the Waukesha Celtics a local team this past winter on a 9-foot hoop... though my hair is a little shorter now... bring it on Seniors!!



Grades & Fees - January 18th, marked the end of Semester 1 and grades for the first semester have been posted. Please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to view your student's grades. While you are in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal, please review your student's fees.  All 2018 - 2019 fees were due October 1st.  Please use the online RevTrak Portal accessible through Infinite Campus to pay your student's fees as soon as possible.  Outstanding fees are subject to collections by our Business Office. Thank you!

Principal Advisory Council - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council for 2018-2019. We met most recently on Wednesday, February 20th. Please access the minutes for more information about our discussions for this school year and connect with any of the listed representatives prior to our upcoming meeting with any questions you have or clarifications you need. The meeting minutes are linked here:

Cheryl Jeffers
cmjeffers@yahoo.com
Bret Reichert
br@wi.rr.com
Bridget Clementi
clementi101@wi.rr.com
Deanna Krell
dkrell@wi.rr.com
Deshondria Baggett
dbaggett@wi.rr.com
Gail Young-Lane
jlane1@wi.rr.com
Jon Eckmann
Jon@promarkpainters.com
Kim Keller
kim.keller@wecenergygroup.com
Krista Bitzan
smileyfish76@hotmail.com
Lawrence Oberbruner
loberbruner@gmail.com
Lee Ann Jaskolka
Ljaskolka@wi.rr.com
Lori Johnston
ljohnstongd@gmail.com
Marilyn Toshner
mtoshner71@gmail.com


Graduation Information 2019 - Graduation day for the all three Waukesha legacy high schools will be Saturday, June 8th, 2019. Waukesha West High School will be holding graduation ceremonies in the West Fieldhouse on this date beginning at 2:00 P.M. As we are one community divided into three high schools, graduation times among all three high schools are staggered per usual to enable friends and family to attend multiple ceremonies if they so choose. South High School ceremonies will begin at 10:00 A.M. and North High School ceremonies will begin at 12:00 P.M. on this date. Please begin informing friends and family who will be attending.

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 here: West Main Page Calendar (Link)

Monday, March 4, 2019

March 4th Weekly Blog

New look blog theme!! - A big thank you to Mr. Jim Brennan for designing my updated blog theme and background! It was a welcome change! Thank you, Mr. Brenann!


Post Lockdown Video - This video talks about our most recent lockdown and shares what we have done in response to feedback we have received.


Please click here for this 3:02 video

Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF) - On March 12th, 2019 Waukesha North will be hosting the Wisconsin Education Fair (WEF).  Students will be able to connect with admission counselors from technical, 2 & 4 year public and private institutions, and military recruiters.  All Waukesha West 11th grade students are scheduled to participate in the event.  If you do not want your child to attend, please complete the opt-out form.  By not completing the opt-out form you are giving your student permission to be transported via bus and to attend the event. The event is approximately two hours from 9-11 A.M. on March12th. Parents are welcome to walk through with their student starting at 9:55 A.M. on this day. See the list of schools attending the event below:





West Cheer -  Congratulations to the Waukesha West Cheerleaders for taking Second Place in the Non-Stunt Division at the WACPC State Varsity Cheer Competition in La Crosse this past weekend! Thank you to seniors: Sydney Kell, Mackenzie Norem, Lucy Schroeder, and Ashley Travanty!





Gymnastics - It was a great weekend for Waukesha Gymnastics as they placed 5th as a team at the WIAA State Gymnastics meet in Wisconsin Rapids! Congratulations to Gracie Moran as she placed 4th on the bars and Erin Wagner placed 4th on floor exercise! Congrats on a great season!






Leap of Faith - If you missed the opening weekend of Leap of Faith, you can still catch it this weekend on Friday, March 7th at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, March 8th at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, March 9th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are available online at westdrama.com or in the main office and are only $3 with your West ID!!


Grades & Fees - January 18th, marked the end of Semester 1 and grades for the first semester have been posted. Please log in to your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to view your student's grades. While you are in your Infinite Campus Parent Portal, please review your student's fees.  All 2018 - 2019 fees were due October 1st.  Please use the online RevTrak Portal accessible through Infinite Campus to pay your student's fees as soon as possible.  Outstanding fees are subject to collections by our Business Office. Thank you!

Principal Advisory Council - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council for 2018-2019. We met most recently on Wednesday, February 20th. Please access the minutes for more information about our discussions for this school year and connect with any of the listed representatives prior to our upcoming meeting with any questions you have or clarifications you need. The meeting minutes are linked here:

Cheryl Jeffers
cmjeffers@yahoo.com
Bret Reichert
br@wi.rr.com
Bridget Clementi
clementi101@wi.rr.com
Deanna Krell
dkrell@wi.rr.com
Deshondria Baggett
dbaggett@wi.rr.com
Gail Young-Lane
jlane1@wi.rr.com
Jon Eckmann
Jon@promarkpainters.com
Kim Keller
kim.keller@wecenergygroup.com
Krista Bitzan
smileyfish76@hotmail.com
Lawrence Oberbruner
loberbruner@gmail.com
Lee Ann Jaskolka
Ljaskolka@wi.rr.com
Lori Johnston
ljohnstongd@gmail.com
Marilyn Toshner
mtoshner71@gmail.com


Graduation Information 2019 - Graduation day for the all three Waukesha legacy high schools will be Saturday, June 8th, 2019. Waukesha West High School will be holding graduation ceremonies in the West Fieldhouse on this date beginning at 2:00 P.M. As we are one community divided into three high schools, graduation times among all three high schools are staggered per usual to enable friends and family to attend multiple ceremonies if they so choose. South High School ceremonies will begin at 10:00 A.M. and North High School ceremonies will begin at 12:00 P.M. on this date. Please begin informing friends and family who will be attending.

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 here: West Main Page Calendar (Link)