Monday, December 21, 2020

December 21st "Bonus" Blog

 Purpose Corner - I stated last week that I was not going to send out a blog this week, but there are some things I wanted to share with our community, thus the blog post!! Please see my message below as our purpose as a school community is to support our students in difficult times, so please read  what we have been experiencing and be sure to join us in reassuring confidence in our students:

Recently we have noticed an increase in students who are overwhelmed. We need all families to know that our students have much to juggle with everything that is being thrown at them and ask that grace is given as they work through face-to-face and virtual formats. Below are some things for students, parents, and families to consider regarding this school year with the purpose that we take into consideration all of these factors when seeing results that may not meet expectations!!!

  • This school year has had three completely different schedules (hybrid, 4-day face to face, all virtual) in about 10 weeks!  That has never happened before!  
  • Students experience six to eight different classes and teachers daily! 
  • If you have spotty wifi, or the district platforms (Infinite Campus, Webex, BB9) are glitchy, your ability to learn is GREATLY impacted!
  • You may have been sick with COVID, had a loved one who was sick with COVID, or quarantined due to contact tracing.  These things can be unsettling!
  • You may have felt scared or sad about the things happening in our world.
  • If you want to improve your grade, there is still time!  See your teachers for "Just in Time" or make arrangements to meet with teachers during a free period. 

Waukesha West Wind Ensemble "Sleigh Ride" - Please enjoy the musical talents of our students!!



Master Choir Cohort 2 - Please enjoy the musical talents of our students!!




Jazz EnsemblePlease enjoy the musical talents of our students!!




Holiday Spirit - Our Student Council sponsored some dress-up days last week and I wanted to recognize Mr. Brian Foley (Math Teacher) for always showing his school spirit on dress-up days!! He is always festive!!




Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!!!

Wednesday, December 16, 2020

December 14th Weekly Blog (Wednesday Edition)

Purpose Corner - This week I once again provide encouragement for families and students to access our Welcome to West resources that are now available on our website and below in this blog. Here is a link to the transcript of this video if you prefer to read the message.




Welcome to West Resources
 -
Please click here to access all of the resources from our Welcome to West Night. Below is the message you should see at the top of the webpage prior to scrolling down to access the information. Thank you!!



Schedule for 12/21 & 12/22 - Please see the schedule we will be following on Monday, December 21st, and Tuesday, December 22nd. This was sent to all students and families via email as well and is available through our website.




Semester 1 Final Exam Schedule - Below is our final exam schedule for semester 1. This will be emailed to all families and students and posted on our website in the near future. Thank you!!




One Act Play - The West End Players are at it again in showcasing they are the premeire drama program in the state after their annual dominant performance at the state competition. Bravo to the cast and crew of "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," who competed in the state one act play contest this week. West once again came away as the most awarded show at State, winning the awards for Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Crew, and Outstanding Directing, as well as the contest's top overall award: The Critics' Choice. Special recognition also goes to Zach Radebaugh who won the award for Outstanding Actor and to Aishwarya Nagasunder who won the award for Outstanding Actress. Congratulations to all involved for an incredible final performance!



Lunch Program - The school lunch program has been providing free lunch to all students. This will continue through the end of this school year. Please see English/Spanish flyer information below:




Student & Family Support - The reality is that the holiday season is filled with joy and hope for many, but it also brings difficult times for many. This year is so very different with the effects of COVID on students and families in multiple ways. Please see the information below if you or anyone you know are in need of support:



COVID Process - Now that we are having to deal with isolation and quarantine processes that come along with living in the COVID era, I wanted to share a district  FAQ document that may help families understand that all the processes that West High School follow, come from our district and are not individually created by West. My role is to consistently follow these processes along with every other school in our district. 




School District COVID Dashboard - Our school district does have a COVID dashboard that is public for anyone to follow.

 

Please click here to access this link



COVID-19 Testing - Please access the information below regarding COVID-19 testing:

Link to Waukesha County COVID-19 Testing Information

Waukesha County has notified our district of new COVID testing opportunities where children and their families can receive testing. The additional testing times and locations are as follows:


1) Waukesha Free Clinic in partnership with Carroll University 
     237 Wisconsin Ave
     For ages 5 and up
     10/13 12-4PM
     10/15 12-4PM
      10/16 11AM-4PM

2) Village Primary Care (600 tests per day)
     Waukesha County Expo
     10/13 10AM-4PM
      10/15 10AM-4PM
      
3) National Guard Testing (300 tests per day)
    Waukesha County Expo
     Every M, W, F through Dec. 9th (except Veteran's Day) 
     10AM-6PM 


Principal Advisory Committee - The Principal Advisory Council for 2020-2021 met with me virtually on Wednesday, November 18th. We will be meeting again on December 16th, 2020. Please contact any one of the representatives (below) with feedback and/or questions about anything West related. Please access the meeting minutes linked here:

Angela Schaaf
Cheryl Jeffers
cherylmjeffers@gmail.com
David Clark
superdavefive@gmail.com
Deshondria Baggett
deshondriabaggett@gmail.com
Karen Anderson
Kathleen Phelan
Talldoc@wi.rr.com
Michelle Kuokkanen
mkuokkanen@yahoo.com
Carri Marlow
carrimarlow@yahoo.com
Mercedes Rawson
Rawson96@wi.rr.com
Patti Bloom
pbloom27@wi.rr.com
Rebecca Flaherty
Becflaherty@gmail.com
Susan Fogelstrom


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


GO WOLVERINES...WHOOP!!

Tuesday, December 8, 2020

December 7th Weekly Blog (Tuesday Edition)

Purpose Corner - This week I provide encouragement for families and students to access our Welcome to West resources, which will be coming out in the next few days. I also provided my presentation for families from last night for all to access. Here is a link to the transcript of this video if you prefer to read the message.





Schedule for 12/21 & 12/22 - Please see the schedule we will be following on Monday, December 21st, and Tuesday, December 22nd. This was sent to all students and families via email as well and will be posted on our website tomorrow.




COVID Process - Now that we are having to deal with isolation and quarantine processes that come along with living in the COVID era, I wanted to share a district  FAQ document that may help families understand that all the processes that West High School follow, come from our district and are not individually created by West. My role is to consistently follow these processes along with every other school in our district. 




School District COVID Dashboard - Our school district does have a COVID dashboard that is public for anyone to follow.

 

Please click here to access this link



COVID-19 Testing - Please access the information below regarding COVID-19 testing:

Link to Waukesha County COVID-19 Testing Information

Waukesha County has notified our district of new COVID testing opportunities where children and their families can receive testing. The additional testing times and locations are as follows:


1) Waukesha Free Clinic in partnership with Carroll University 
     237 Wisconsin Ave
     For ages 5 and up
     10/13 12-4PM
     10/15 12-4PM
      10/16 11AM-4PM

2) Village Primary Care (600 tests per day)
     Waukesha County Expo
     10/13 10AM-4PM
      10/15 10AM-4PM
      
3) National Guard Testing (300 tests per day)
    Waukesha County Expo
     Every M, W, F through Dec. 9th (except Veteran's Day) 
     10AM-6PM 


Principal Advisory Committee - The Principal Advisory Council for 2020-2021 met with me virtually on Wednesday, November 18th. We will be meeting again on December 16th, 2020. Please contact any one of the representatives (below) with feedback and/or questions about anything West related. Please access the meeting minutes linked here:

Angela Schaaf
Cheryl Jeffers
cherylmjeffers@gmail.com
David Clark
superdavefive@gmail.com
Deshondria Baggett
deshondriabaggett@gmail.com
Karen Anderson
Kathleen Phelan
Talldoc@wi.rr.com
Michelle Kuokkanen
mkuokkanen@yahoo.com
Carri Marlow
carrimarlow@yahoo.com
Mercedes Rawson
Rawson96@wi.rr.com
Patti Bloom
pbloom27@wi.rr.com
Rebecca Flaherty
Becflaherty@gmail.com
Susan Fogelstrom


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


GO WOLVERINES...WHOOP!!

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

November 30th Weekly Blog (Tuesday Edition)

Purpose Corner - This week I provide information around a shift in our building goals as we navigate the various instructional models we have used or may be used in the future. Here is a link to the transcript of this video if you prefer to read the message.



Welcome to West Night!!! - Our virtual “Welcome to West” Night is scheduled for Monday night December 7th, 2020 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. This event is for ALL current and prospective West students/families. Our expectations are that students have a rigorous course schedule which is a key contributor for being, college, career, and community ready. We push on this by expecting all students to take a “stretch” course which can be defined as rigorous, possibly an AP or Honors course. A class that a college admissions counselor would find impressive. A class that will help you reach your fullest potential as a student. Take an additional class instead of a study hall. A goal class. Ask yourself what subject area do you perform best in and stretch yourself in that area!

I encourage all of our current students/families to attend the Welcome to West night and check out the sessions we offer or connect with teachers live by department and ask questions for making decisions on a rigorous course schedule that stretches you as a learner! Information on Welcome to West Night is below in the blog. Go Wolverines!






Hybrid Schedule - Please see the hybrid schedule we will be following through the end of the semester in late January.


Waukesha West Orchestras - Please enjoy the musical talents of our orchestra students as they perform their "We Give Thanks" concert virtually. Job well done!!



West Football - Congratulations to the Waukesha West Varsity football team for having an outstanding season in a crazy year! The Wolverines finished their season with two playoff wins, solidifying them once again as a premier program in the state!



Youth Substance Use & COVID-19 - This Thursday, December 3rd from 6:30 P.M. to 7:30 P.M. all families are invited to learn about the impact of COVID-19 and youth substance use. This is a free parent event made possible by our district partnership with Elevate, Inc. The meeting will be recorded and will be available for viewing after the live session as well. Parents/community members need to register to avoid any "zoom bombing." See the flyer below for details...



COVID Process - Now that we are having to deal with isolation and quarantine processes that come along with living in the COVID era, I wanted to share a district  FAQ document that may help families understand that all the processes that West High School follow, come from our district and are not individually created by West. My role is to consistently follow these processes along with every other school in our district. 




School District COVID Dashboard - Our school district does have a COVID dashboard that is public for anyone to follow.

 

Please click here to access this link



COVID-19 Testing - Please access the information below regarding COVID-19 testing:

Link to Waukesha County COVID-19 Testing Information

Waukesha County has notified our district of new COVID testing opportunities where children and their families can receive testing. The additional testing times and locations are as follows:


1) Waukesha Free Clinic in partnership with Carroll University 
     237 Wisconsin Ave
     For ages 5 and up
     10/13 12-4PM
     10/15 12-4PM
      10/16 11AM-4PM

2) Village Primary Care (600 tests per day)
     Waukesha County Expo
     10/13 10AM-4PM
      10/15 10AM-4PM
      
3) National Guard Testing (300 tests per day)
    Waukesha County Expo
     Every M, W, F through Dec. 9th (except Veteran's Day) 
     10AM-6PM 


Principal Advisory Committee - The Principal Advisory Council for 2020-2021 met with me virtually on Wednesday, November 18th. We will be meeting again on December 16th, 2020. Please contact any one of the representatives (below) with feedback and/or questions about anything West related. Please access the meeting minutes linked here:

Angela Schaaf
Cheryl Jeffers
cherylmjeffers@gmail.com
David Clark
superdavefive@gmail.com
Deshondria Baggett
deshondriabaggett@gmail.com
Karen Anderson
Kathleen Phelan
Talldoc@wi.rr.com
Michelle Kuokkanen
mkuokkanen@yahoo.com
Carri Marlow
carrimarlow@yahoo.com
Mercedes Rawson
Rawson96@wi.rr.com
Patti Bloom
pbloom27@wi.rr.com
Rebecca Flaherty
Becflaherty@gmail.com
Susan Fogelstrom


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


GO WOLVERINES...WHOOP!!