Principal Blog Week of November 27th, 2023

Purpose Corner - This week I provide information on the "Welcome to West" open house on Monday, December 4th, 2023 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. at Waukesha West. The transcript of the video can be accessed through this link

Welcome to West Night - It is an expectation for students at West High School to stretch themselves and select a rigorous course schedule. For all underclassmen, the scheduling process happens in early February, but we encourage our students and families to begin thinking about that schedule today! All current families are welcome to attend our “Welcome to West Night” on Monday, December 4th, 2023 to connect with teachers and learn more about the courses and programs we offer at West. Below is the one-page flyer for this event, we hope to see you there!! If you are not coming please tell a friend to ensure anyone who is attending West knows about this opportunity!!

Rigorous Course Schedule for 2024-2025 - Our data has been clear at West for the past several years in that approximately 90% of West students state they will go on to a two or four-year college for their post-high school education, yet, only 60-plus% of students will make it past year one of college 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 their college and/or career path is high school course selection. Course scheduling is not far away and is coming up in early February 2024! It is time for students to think about stretching their academic resumes!

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 like one of our many elective classes in the areas of Business, Family & Consumer Science, Technology Education, Art, Music, World Languages, or Drama!! Now is the time to think about your STRETCH class as part of your rigorous course schedule for next school year. Attending our "Welcome to West" event on Monday, December 4th (see info above) can be helpful to learn more about the areas you want to stretch in, that is what the night is for!

State One-Act - The cast and crew of Macbeth took home 10 awards from the Wisconsin Interscholastic One-Act Theater Festival held at UW-Green Bay the weekend of November 18th, 2023. Per usual, the West End Players received more recognition than any other school in the contest! West was recognized for outstanding achievement in "Technical Theater and Directing," and received an "Outstanding Ensemble and Critics' Choice award." "Outstanding Actor" honors were awarded to Zach Radebaugh, Brooke McCaskey, Abby Chalmers, Ethan Vanden Heuvel, Kieran Plautz, and Layne Kulig. 

Elf The Musical - This is a delightful and heartwarming show that brings the beloved holiday movie to life on stage. Join Buddy the Elf on his hilarious and heartwarming journey from the North Pole to New York City as he spreads Christmas cheer and discovers the true meaning of family. With catchy songs, dazzling choreography, and plenty of festive spirit, Elf The Musical is a must-see for all ages during the holiday season! The show opens on Thursday, December 14th, 2023, and runs through Sunday, December 17th. Please go to https://www.westdrama.com for more information and to purchase tickets!!

Yearbook Ordering - You can still order your 2023-24 Yearbook! Preorder one now while they're still available! Click HERE for the link to order yours today!!

Principal Advisory Committee - The Principal Advisory Council for 2023-2024 met on Wednesday, November 15th. The meeting minutes are linked here. Please contact any one of the representatives (below) to bring up topics or questions you have to bring forward for the meeting in December which will be on Wednesday the 20th at 6:00 P.M.

Manisha Nabke	mynabke@hotmail.com
Robin Herbner	rherbner@gmail.com
Audra O'Connell	audraoconnellis@gmail.com
Melissa Shera	Melissa_marie423@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Mcdowell	elizabeth.mcdowell526@gmail.com
Kari Doepke	Teamdoepkewarnes@gmail.com
Wendy Hamilton	wendyhamilton4@gmail.com

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

GO WOLVERINES...WHOOP!!

Principal Blog Week of November 13th, 2023

Schedule for Week of November 20th, 2023 - On Monday, November 20th, and Tuesday, November 21st we are running "Monday" schedules meaning we have all 8 hours of classes each of these days. On Wednesday, November 23rd there is NO SCHOOL for staff or students prior to the Thanksgiving holiday break! There will be no blog post for the short week next week. Happy Thanksgiving to the West community!

Girls State Swim - Congratulations to the Girls Swim Team for placing 6th overall at the State competition this past Saturday held at Waukesha South! Livi Wanner was outstanding earning individual State Championship medals in the 50 and 100 free! Additionally, Livi Wanner, Itsy Beam, Karlee Marusik, and Avelyn Brown earned a team State Championship medal in the 200-free relay. Isty Beam placed 6th in the 100-yard backstroke and 13th in the 50-yard free. Karlee Marusik placed 5th in the 200-free and 4th 100-yard Backstroke. In the 400 free relay, Livi Wanner, Itsy Beam, Karlee Marusik, and Avelyn Brown placed 2nd and broke the school record by 2.5 seconds!

Welcome to West Night - It is an expectation for students at West High School to stretch themselves and select a rigorous course schedule. For all underclassmen, the scheduling process happens in early February, but we encourage our students and families to begin thinking about that schedule today! All current families are welcome to attend our “Welcome to West Night” on Monday, December 4th, 2023 to connect with teachers and learn more about the courses and programs we offer at West. Below is the one-page flyer for this event, we hope to see you there!! If you are not coming please tell a friend to ensure anyone who is attending West knows about this opportunity!!

Rigorous Course Schedule for 2024-2025 - Our data has been clear at West for the past several years in that approximately 90% of West students state they will go on to a two or four-year college for their post-high school education, yet, only 60-plus% of students will make it past year one of college 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 their college and/or career path is high school course selection. Course scheduling is not far away and is coming up in early February 2024! It is time for students to think about stretching their academic resumes!

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 like one of our many elective classes in the areas of Business, Family & Consumer Science, Technology Education, Art, Music, World Languages, or Drama!! Now is the time to think about your STRETCH class as part of your rigorous course schedule for next school year. Attending our "Welcome to West" event on Monday, December 4th (see info above) can be helpful to learn more about the areas you want to stretch in, that is what the night is for!

School Report Cards - The state's school report cards have been released for public consumption. Please see the information below in regards to West's 2022-2023 School Report Card. Here is the live link to the letter pictured below:

Principal Advisory Committee - The Principal Advisory Council for 2023-2024 is meeting on Wednesday, November 15th. The meeting minutes are linked here. Please contact any one of the representatives (below) to bring up topics or questions you have to bring forward for the meeting:

Manisha Nabke	mynabke@hotmail.com
Robin Herbner	rherbner@gmail.com
Audra O'Connell	audraoconnellis@gmail.com
Melissa Shera	Melissa_marie423@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Mcdowell	elizabeth.mcdowell526@gmail.com
Kari Doepke	Teamdoepkewarnes@gmail.com
Wendy Hamilton	wendyhamilton4@gmail.com

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

GO WOLVERINES...WHOOP!!

Principal Blog Week of November 6th, 2023

Purpose Corner - This week I talk about dress code expectations and school safety as we move into colder weather. You can access the transcript of this video through this link. 

Boys State Soccer - Congratulations to our Boys' Varsity soccer team who made it to the Division 2 state semi-final match against West De Pere High School. It was a tough loss with West De Pere winning 3-2 in overtime. It was a great season and this is the second year in a row that our Varsity Boys Soccer team has been to the state semi-final match, equaling the furthest any Boys Varsity soccer team in West history has made it! Stand tall and be proud!!

Girls State Swim - Congratulations to the Girls Swim Team for winning their 3rd consecutive Sectional Championship! Outstanding performances were: Ellana Brown, Sam Reese, Lauren Neis, Madeleine Deede 4th in the 200 Medley Relay; Karlee Marusik 2nd in the 200 free and 100 Back; Livi Wanner 1st in the 50 and 100 free; Elizabeth Beam 1st in the 100 back and 5th in the 50 free; Lauren Neis 3rd in the 200 IM and 2nd in the 100 Fly; Mary Gruber 12th in the 200 IM and 9th in the 100 free; Madeleine Deede 6th in the 200 IM and 10th in the 500; Sam Reese 17th in the 100 Fly; Ava Labinski 3rd in Diving; Livi Wanner, Karlee Marusik, Avelyn Brown, Elizabeth Beam 1st in the 200 and 400 free relay. Way to go and congratulations to Elizabeth, Livi, and Karlee for making it to the WIAA State Championship this Saturday, November 11th at South, come and cheer them on!

Welcome to West Night - It is an expectation for students at West High School to stretch themselves and select a rigorous course schedule. For all underclassmen, the scheduling process happens in early February, but we encourage our students and families to begin thinking about that schedule today! All current families are welcome to attend our “Welcome to West Night” on Monday, December 4th, 2023 to connect with teachers and learn more about the courses and programs we offer at West. Below is the one-page flyer for this event, we hope to see you there!! If you are not coming please tell a friend to ensure anyone who is attending West knows about this opportunity!!

Rigorous Course Schedule for 2024-2025 - Our data has been clear at West for the past several years in that approximately 90% of West students state they will go on to a two or four-year college for their post-high school education, yet, only 60-plus% of students will make it past year one of college 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 their college and/or career path is high school course selection. Course scheduling is not far away and is coming up in early February 2024! It is time for students to think about stretching their academic resumes!

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 like one of our many elective classes in the areas of Business, Family & Consumer Science, Technology Education, Art, Music, World Languages, or Drama!! Now is the time to think about your STRETCH class as part of your rigorous course schedule for next school year. Attending our "Welcome to West" event on Monday, December 4th (see info above) can be helpful to learn more about the areas you want to stretch in, that is what the night is for!

Student of the Month - We love to celebrate the great work our students do here at West! We have each of our departments choose a Student of the Month to be recognized for their hard work and efforts in class. When they are chosen they have to run the gauntlet of being recognized, here is what that looks like in the video below:

Student Fees - Please take a few minutes to log into your Infinite Campus Parent Portal to pay any unpaid fees from this year and/or past years.  Any unpaid fees at the end of the year will be sent to collections by the Business Office. If you would like to apply for a fee waiver for the current year, please fill out the Household Fee Reduction Request Form.  Thank you.

AP Letter & Information for Exams! - A reminder that AP exam registration is due by November 8th, 2023! Here is a link to the "AP Letter" that has all of the information students and families need about this process. This information has been sent to all families and is also in our daily announcements!!

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 - The Principal Advisory Council for 2023-2024 met for the first time on, Wednesday, October 18th. The meeting minutes are linked here. Please contact any one of the representatives (below) to bring up topics or questions you have to bring forward for our meeting next meeting which will be on Wednesday, November 15th, 2023:

Manisha Nabke	mynabke@hotmail.com
Robin Herbner	rherbner@gmail.com
Audra O'Connell	audraoconnellis@gmail.com
Melissa Shera	Melissa_marie423@yahoo.com
Elizabeth Mcdowell	elizabeth.mcdowell526@gmail.com
Kari Doepke	Teamdoepkewarnes@gmail.com
Wendy Hamilton	wendyhamilton4@gmail.com

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

GO WOLVERINES...WHOOP!!