Tuesday, December 17, 2019

December 16th Weekly Blog

Purpose Corner - This week I talk about the evidence that West shows around collective teacher efficacy and how that benefits students. Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!

Click here to access this 3:24 video

West Holiday Concert - This past Tuesday night our band, choir, and orchestra students put their talent on display during our collaborative Holiday Concert. I am always blown away by our student's talents during this concert, it is one of my favorite holiday events! Here is a little clip of our student's musical skills!


Student Council Food Drive - The Food Drive is in full swing!! Student Council cannot wait to collect your non-perishable goods to donate to the Waukesha Food Pantry. The collection started Wednesday, December 4th and will end Wednesday, December 18th. You can donate by dropping off non-perishables in the atrium near the front of the main staircase, through your classroom teacher, or directly to room C020. The food is starting to accumulate!! We are hoping to beat last year’s donation record again! Thanks again for helping in the largest donation to the Waukesha Food Pantry every year!

                       


Stretch Class - Our data has been clear at West for the past several years in that 90% of West students state they will go on to a two or four-year college for their post-high school education, yet, only 50% of students will make it past year one and that is why we push as a school to prepare our students better. A big part of preparing students to meet the challenges of the next level is course selection. With course scheduling coming up in a couple of months it is time to think about stretching your academic resume. A stretch class is rigorous, possibly AP or Honors, a class that a college admissions counselor would find impressive, and/or a class that will help you reach your fullest potential as a student. You could also choose to take an additional class instead of a study hall. This is a goal class for you. Think about what content area you excel in and stretch in that area or try something new and challenging!!




Looking for work....become an AVID tutor! - The School District of Waukesha and West High School are continuing to look for AVID tutors. We are looking for people who want part-time work and are seeking to make a difference with our students. We have a consistent need district-wide to fill tutoring positions as AVID is continuing to bring success and is spreading throughout our district. Please consider joining our successes with AVID or pass this information along to someone you think would be a great fit. The flyer and information for the position are below:


Principal Advisory Committee - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council for 2019-2020. We will be meeting this Wednesday, December 18th. Please contact any one of the representatives with questions about anything West related. Please access the minutes for more information about our discussions for this school year. The meeting minutes are linked here:


Nate Houlton
Nvhcoach@yahoo.com (Gr. 10)
Cortney Youngblood
cortneyyoungblood@gmail.com (Gr. 10)
Jackie Papageorge
jackie@gpg3.com (Gr.10)
Michelle Cameron
tiki424ma@gmail.com (Gr. 10)
Jennifer Schmeichel
jschmeichel@bethany.org
(Gr. 11)
Wendy Dahl
wdahl@gswise.org (Gr. 12)
Michelle Kuokkanen
mkuokkanen@yahoo.com
(Gr. 12)
Carri Marlow
carrimarlow@yahoo.com
(Gr. 9)
Clifton Hoffman
Clif.hoffman@att.net (Gr. 9)
Katie Pantzlaff
pantzkat@gmail.com (Gr. 9)
Kristi Fischer
kristifischer17@gmail.com
(Gr. 9)
Wendy Hamilton
wendyhamilton4@gmail.com (Gr. 11)

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 on Monday, January 6th

Tuesday, December 10, 2019

December 9th Weekly Blog (Tuesday Edition)

Welcome to West Night - Last night, Monday, December 9th was our "Welcome to West" night, thus the reason for my Tuesday edition blog. Please access the video below to learn more about the events of this evening.

Click here for this 2:47 video


Christmas Clearing Council - The time and energy that goes into sponsoring 69 children for Christmas this year within the Waukesha community is astronomical, but an afterthought for West students, under the guidance and direction of Mrs. Sue Purpi, with great support from Mrs. LeeAnn Dominick orchestrated the fundraising, buying, wrapping, and delivering of gifts to these children thus brightening the Holiday's for these families...thank you for modeling the spirit of giving for the Holiday season!








Arabian Nights - It is a well-known folk tale: King Shahryar, after finding his first wife in the arms of another, murders her and her lover. Left alone, the King decides to marry a new woman each night -- only to kill her in the morning. That is until Scheherezade courageously marries the King and begins telling a wondrous tale each evening and continuing through until dawn -- when she is supposed to be killed, except that the King always allows her to live in order to finish the next story. In this way, she suspends her death sentence for one thousand and one nights, and slowly heals King Shahryar’s broken heart, in the process. Come join us this weekend!!



Student Council Food Drive - The Food Drive is in full swing!! Student Council cannot wait to collect your non-perishable goods to donate to the Waukesha Food Pantry. The collection started Wednesday, December 4th and will end Wednesday, December 18th. You can donate by dropping off non-perishables in the atrium near the front of the main staircase, through your classroom teacher, or directly to room C020. The food is starting to accumulate!! We are hoping to beat last year’s donation record again! Thanks again for helping in the largest donation to the Waukesha Food Pantry every year!

                       


One Act Play - Per usual our West End Players dominated the state competition for 2019 and received the Critic's Choice Award for their play Proof which is the top honor for the festival! The letter below says it all...



See It Live!! - The flyer tells the story of the "See It Live" opportunity to come and check out West High School on December 16th!! Click here to access the sign-up page.




Stretch Class - Our data has been clear at West for the past several years in that 90% of West students state they will go on to a two or four-year college for their post-high school education, yet, only 50% of students will make it past year one and that is why we push as a school to prepare our students better. A big part of preparing students to meet the challenges of the next level is course selection. With course scheduling coming up in a couple of months it is time to think about stretching your academic resume. A stretch class is rigorous, possibly AP or Honors, a class that a college admissions counselor would find impressive, and/or a class that will help you reach your fullest potential as a student. You could also choose to take an additional class instead of a study hall. This is a goal class for you. Think about what content area you excel in and stretch in that area or try something new and challenging!!




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, December 2, 2019

December 2nd Weekly Blog

Safety Corner - I will be adding more content to this blog possibly tonight into tomorrow, but wanted to send out this brief video to the community regarding the events that occurred at Waukesha South High School this morning. 


Please click here for this 2:31 video



Welcome to West Night - We will be having our "Welcome to West Night" for all current  and prospective Waukesha West families on Monday, December 9th, 2019 from 5:30 - 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 the flyer below for an overview and click on this link to get a closer look at the information about the sessions that are available. Look forward to seeing you there!




BSU (Black Student Union) - A Black Student Union is being started at Waukesha West High School. North and South High Schools have also recently started a Black Student Union. Students and parents from West attended a district event that included students and parents from North and South to learn more about what BSU organizations look like at the collegiate level as this group looks to create it's mission, vision, and values. This kickoff event was the first step to gauge interest from students. As with all student groups, this group is open to any West student. Please connect with our clubs/activities advisor Ms. Burton with any questions.



See It Live!! - The flyer tells the story of the "See It Live" opportunity to come and check out West High School on December 16th!!





GOT a welcoming attitude? - Mr. Mueller sure does, check out how he greets his advisory students...




Stretch Class - Our data has been clear at West for the past several years in that 90% of West students state they will go on to a two or four year college for their post-high school education, yet, only 50% of students will make it past year one and that is why we push as a school to prepare our students better. A big part of preparing students to meet the challenges of the next level is course selection. With course scheduling coming up in a couple of months it is time to think about stretching your academic resume. A stretch class is rigorous, possibly AP or Honors, a class that a college admissions counselor would find impressive, and/or a class that will help you reach your fullest potential as a student. You could also choose to take an additional class instead of a study hall. This is a goal class for you. Think about what content area you excel in and stretch in that area or try something new and challenging!!



Principal Advisory Committee - Below are the names of the individuals on the Principal Advisory Council for 2019-2020. We met recently on Wednesday, November 20th. Please access the minutes for more information about our discussions for this school year. The meeting minutes are linked here:


Nate Houlton
Nvhcoach@yahoo.com (Gr. 10)
Cortney Youngblood
cortneyyoungblood@gmail.com (Gr. 10)
Jackie Papageorge
jackie@gpg3.com (Gr.10)
Michelle Cameron
tiki424ma@gmail.com (Gr. 10)
Jennifer Schmeichel
jschmeichel@bethany.org
(Gr. 11)
Wendy Dahl
wdahl@gswise.org (Gr. 12)
Michelle Kuokkanen
mkuokkanen@yahoo.com
(Gr. 12)
Carri Marlow
carrimarlow@yahoo.com
(Gr. 9)
Clifton Hoffman
Clif.hoffman@att.net (Gr. 9)
Katie Pantzlaff
pantzkat@gmail.com (Gr. 9)
Kristi Fischer
kristifischer17@gmail.com
(Gr. 9)
Wendy Hamilton
wendyhamilton4@gmail.com (Gr. 11)

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)