Let's Go Bulldogs! February 4, 2024
Welcome to Semester 2 of the 2023-24 school year!
Semester 1 of the 23-24 school year ended on January 29, marking our halfway point through the school year.
Our timeline for posting grades was delayed to provide additional time due to the weather closures, but will be posting this week, and will be mailed out soon. Please check with your student about their progress toward graduation requirements- this is a good practice for all HS students, not just seniors. We will also be sending home attendance reports to show how much school your student has missed. Missing 10% of the school year is considered "chronically absent". We are sending these reports to you so that you can have a proactive conversation with your student.
We started the new semester by reviewing our school safety expectations and our school-wide expectations, our Bulldog Way. Our school-wide expectations are part of PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports), which includes developing expectations, teaching expected behaviors to all students, and then reteaching expectations when students are not meeting them. Last year, student focus groups provided input on our Bulldog Way.
WHS Theater production of The Importance of Being Earnest
2/9/24, 2/10/24, 2/15/24, 2/16/24 and 2/17/24 at 7:00pm, Matinee on 2/10/24 at 2:00pm, WHS auditorium, tickets are $8.00 at the door, starting 30 minutes before each performance
Saturday School tutoring
2/10/24, 9:00-12:00, open to all WHS students
WHS Site Council
2/15/24, 5:30-6:30, WHS Library
Parents of senior students, please take a moment to check in with your child regarding their progress towards meeting graduation requirements. If there are concerns about their graduation status, we will be reaching out to you in the near future to discuss a plan of action. All graduation requirements must be fulfilled by May 31st for students to participate in the graduation ceremony. There will be no petition to participate with incomplete requirements. If you have questions or concerns, please reach out to your student's counselor or to Duane Sinn (dsinn@woodburnsd.org), our admin for grade 12.
The Senior website is now live here and on the Woodburn High School website. Visit the site for important updates on upcoming events and dates for seniors. We've also included a form on the website for seniors to provide input on the 2024 Senior Class Trip destination.
We are excited to share that we will be having a Career Connections day on Feb 12th in the Lectorium. This Career Connections opportunity is one of several we are hoping to have available for students this year.
On Monday Feb 12th, we will have four career presentations from guest speakers who will also be available during lunches to connect with students. See the schedule below:
9:30- WOU Nursing Program
10:30- Women in Construction- Portland Chapter
11:30 -Lunch Connections
1:00- Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers
2:30- Oregon Fish and Wildlife Department
More information regarding sign ups will be shared with students in Advisory Lessons.
Winter Sports is off and running with athletes involved in Basketball, Wrestling, Dance and Cheer. Girls Basketball competed in the Lakeridge tournament this year where they faced stiff competition in Tigard. Boys Basketball traveled to Willamette University and battled in the Capital City Classic, pulling off big wins against West Salem and Wilsonville. Both teams have started league games within the Mid Willamette Conference and expect to have a solid year. The WHS Wrestling team has been traveling throughout the valley and competing in many different tournaments. The team faced SIlverton last week in their last home dual. Cheer and Dance teams have been working hard at their routines and expect to be performing throughout the year during our Varsity basketball games.
Spring sports begin February 26, 2024, so interested students should swing by the athletic office to pick up a registration form. During this season, WHS offers Track, Tennis, Golf, Baseball and Softball.
How to earn the Seal of Biliteracy-
Seal of Biliteracy
How to earn the Seal of Biliteracy- Remember, to earn the Seal of Biliteracy, students must show proficiency in two languages at the intermediate high level. See below to find out more about test opportunities to show proficiency.
9th-11th grade students who are enrolled in Spanish Language Lit 2, AP Spanish, or Russian Language Lit 2 have a built-in opportunity to test for the partner language through their culminating assessment. Those assessments are coming up this spring- be sure to encourage your student to take their time and put in full effort.
11th grade students have the opportunity to test in English in the spring through the Oregon State Assessment-be sure to encourage your student to take their time and put in full effort.
12th grade If your student has not been enrolled in these courses, or did not pass at the proficiency level needed, we also offer the STAMP language test or a comprehensive interview for seniors. Interview options will be available in March and April. STAMP language test opportunities are available during Saturday School sessions 9:00 am-12:00 pm. See upcoming dates below:
Feb 10
Feb 24
Please email lkoenig@woodburnsd.org with any questions about these upcoming events.
Forecasting Coming Soon for Grades 9-11
Students will soon be reviewing their transcripts, and forecasting for which classes they would like to take during the 2024-25 school year. In the next few weeks, they will be learning about different electives and CTE options that are available for them to choose. This information will be shared during Advisory lessons.
Financial Aid and Scholarship reminders - for those planning to attend trade school, community college, and university.
Oregon Promise Grant (pays for up to two years at any community college in Oregon)
Seniors with at least a 2.00 GPA (or are very close to it), go to www.oregonstudentaid.gov, create a profile, and then apply for the Oregon Promise Grant. Register using a personal email address.
Your high school is Woodburn High School (previously called Wellness, Business, Sports School).
I will verify your GPA for you. You don’t need to upload your transcript.
To receive the grant you also have to complete either the FAFSA or ORSAA.
FAFSA - The FAFSA is finally available! Go to www.studentaid.gov.
Seniors, create your account and your FSA ID. Once you have your FSA ID you can begin the application process. Use your personal email address, never your school district email address.
Students should start the application process first, not the parent. This is very important and will help avoid confusion and delays.
At least one parent will also have to create their own account/FSA ID (the FAFSA application will help students determine which parent or parents need to complete their part). Parents must use their own email address, not the students. If a parent already has an FSA ID, they SHOULD NOT create a new one. Doing so will only create confusion and delays.
Make sure you are applying for the 2024-25 school year.
ORSAA - Students not eligible for the FAFSA can complete the ORSAA at www.oregonstudentaid.gov
OSAC Scholarship Application (1 application for over 600 scholarships) - Early Bird deadline is March 1. Go to www.oregonstudentaid.gov.
Make sure you are signed up for the College & Career Center Google Classroom and log in at least once or twice a week so you don’t miss out on important announcements, field trips, guest speakers and scholarship opportunities. Parents can sign up too.
12th graders classroom code: ziz6oue
11th graders classroom code: uie5pip
10th graders classroom code: r4iyu5j
9th graders classroom code: hnsjicu
Mr. Manetti - College & Career Counselor
Email: tmanetti@woodburnsd.org
Come by anytime or make an appointment at: manetti.youcanbook.me
WHS College & Career Center website: tinyurl.com/whs-ccc for links and information on all Oregon colleges and universities, scholarships, trade schools, and military options.
Students and staff recently completed the DESSA, which is a screening tool to identify students’ social and emotional (SEL) strengths and needs. The area that both students and staff identified as a high priority for support was in the area of responsible decision-making. This includes topics like prioritizing responsibilities and goals, shifting their mindset when encountering setbacks, adopting an organization system that works for them, and problem solving with solutions in mind.
We will be focusing on responsible decision-making, and the other SEL areas in our Advisory lessons between now and the Spring when we will do our next round of DESSA.