Wiss Watch

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Wissahickon High School is seeking 40 volunteers to support our Financial Reality Fair sponsored by TruMark Financial Credit Union. This event is an opportunity for every student in our junior class (300+) to learn budgeting basics – a critical and necessary life skill. During the Financial Reality Fair, students visit 14 different booths, manned by volunteers, to figure out their budgets for housing, utilities, transportation, clothing, and food - and some not-so-basics like technology, entertainment and travel.

No experience is necessary to volunteer! Your job is to support students in making realistic and informed financial decisions based on the salary that they will be assigned. Learn more by watching the video from the Financial Reality Fair in 2019. Click the blue button below to volunteer.

Shout out to our school community members for participating in the WSD Board Racial Equity Oversight Committee’s Listening Session on December 19. Nearly 40 people, comprised of board members, staff, students, alumni, and parents/guardians, shared their insights and experiences regarding a few of the district’s priority areas of focus, including Belonginess, District Responses to Racial Disparities in Discipline, and Teacher/Staff Diversity. The Board Racial Equity Oversight Committee debriefed about the listening session and noted the recommendations during the January committee meeting. The District Equity Planning Committee, which includes staff, students, and administrators, will also review and discuss the recommendations.

Congratulations to the 131 new inductees to the WHS National Honor Society! On January 19, the students were recognized for their academic achievements, co-curricular involvement, leadership, and strong character during a ceremony facilitated by NHS President Saachi Mehta. Four teachers were also recognized and celebrated for their positive impact on our students – Mrs. Leister, Dr. Williamson, Mrs. Falatek and Mrs. Butt.

Congratulations to Lower Gwynedd Elementary fifth grader Omkar Das, our January District Artist of the Month, pictured with his Kaleidoscope Lettering. In this unit, fifth grade artists explored the concepts of reflective symmetry and positive/negative space. Students used their names to create their reflective symmetry shapes for their final project. Omkar was congratulated by Assistant Superintendent Dr. Dawan, Art Teachers Ms. Soto, and Mrs. Barnes, and Principal Mrs. Kanopka (pictured left to right).

Wiss Nation Art Lovers: you're invited to the Woodmere Art Museum to view an exhibition featuring the artwork of more than 111 WHS students. The exhibit - "Telling the Stories of Philadelphia Art and Artists" - is open January 14 - March 5, 2023.

The exhibition showcases the diverse and distinctive artmaking strategies embraced by Wissahickon High School students, ranging from 2D to 3D, sculpture, graphic design, and photography. The focused selection primarily includes the work of our National Art Honor Society and Art Club, but the exhibition pays tribute to all the students and the passion they dedicate to exploring, questioning, processing, and creating.

Congratulations to Mr. DeRuosi, second grade teacher at Blue Bell Elementary, and author of a new novel, Holding Back the Tide, being released in May 2023. Set in Ocean City, NJ, Holding Back the Tide, is young adult fiction that follows the story of 16-year-old Charlie McIntyre who is struggling to come to terms with his father’s abandonment and the changes taking place with his friends and in his life. Read more on the Black Rose Publishing website.

It was an exciting weekend as our home team took on the New York Giants in the NFL playoffs. Ms. Murphy's 4th graders at Lower Gwynedd Elementary wrote and recited their own poem to cheer on the Eagles! Check out the video below.

Learning the ABCs is a reason to celebrate! Over the last month, kindergarten students at Stony Creek and Shady Grove shared their big achievement during an Alphabet Parade, marching through the school hallways, wearing colorful handmade vests decorated with the ABCs.

During the friction lab in Mr. MacMinn's physics class, students use force sensors to measure static and kinetic friction force. In each subsequent trial they add mass to the block, which increases the normal force. They investigate what happens to friction force when normal force increases. After collecting their force data, they create a graph to determine the coefficients of static and kinetic friction. This lab verifies the friction equation that the students learned about in class, f=uN.

In social studies, Stony Creek third graders are learning about how communities grow and change, including their own school community. Retired third grade teacher, Mrs. Reardon, visited to talk to students about changes to the school building, transportation, technology, and more. Huge thanks to Mrs. Reardon for sharing her knowledge about our history!

Mrs. Pirolli’s kindergarten class fastened their seat belts for a trip around the world. As part of the tour, Shady Grove Airline transported students to learn about the culture and holidays being celebrated at this time of the year in several countries, including Australia, Mexico, India, Israel, and the United States. Each student created a passport filled with country stamps to place into their suitcase.

Madame Blau and Madame Lowenstein’s French classes at WMS entered into “Café Troyen” (Trojan Café), where they ordered and served un petit-déjeuner français (a French breakfast). Students practiced their food/ordering vocabulary by ordering and serving in French. Miam! Yum!

Ms. Meehl, Ms. England-Gordon, Ms. Quatratro and Ms. Stahl’s English Language Arts classes at WMS have been reading folktales and researching the culture in which they are passed down from generation to generation. Students enthusiastically shared what they learned by showing related artifacts and PowerPoint presentations to their classmates. More than 50 different cultures were explored!

Applause filled the Blue Bell Elementary gymnasium for third, fourth, and fifth graders who shared their musical talents with staff and students in their winter assembly. Members of the strings, directed by Miss Lamoureux, the band led by Miss Rushton, and the chorus, directed by Mrs. Swillo and assistant director Mr. DeLuca, prepared during before-school practices about once or twice a week. Bravo!

Students In Mr. Ashdale's WHS academic biology class used a carbon dioxide sensor to measure the amount of carbon dioxide used by plants under different colors of light to determine what color allows plants to do photosynthesis the best. Did you know the word “photosynthesis” comes from Greek root words that combine to mean “to put together with the help of light?” Neat lesson for students to explore how the world functions as an ecosystem!

Mrs. Tecce’s 4th grade class at Stony Creek took a virtual field trip to the Metropolitan Waterworks Museum in Boston, MA. Their tour guide explained the water cycle, showed the Waterworks, past and present, and provided a virtual tour of the museum! The field trip ended with a water system map craft.

Ms. Williams, fourth grade Lower Gwynedd Elementary teacher, and her mom, SEPTA dispatcher at the Ambler Police Station, worked some magic to have SEPTA visit the school with their winter extravaganza contest winners. Buses were decorated with a theme and riders voted for their top choices. Check out Witches Holiday and Black Panther below. Students were so impressed with the decorations, lights, and colors.

Wiss Link and National Honor Society students teamed up to tutor and prep freshmen for upcoming midterms at the annual Cocoa & Cram event held in the WHS library. Lots of learning and cocoa were shared by all who attended. Fun way to study and set goals together, especially since students had not taken midterms since before the COVID pandemic closed schools!

Shoutout to our Stony Creek families who supported multiple community organizations during an MLK Day of Service event! Together, they made more than 150 "first-night" kits for Laurel House, collected supply and teddy bear donations for Mission Kids, and created uplifting cards for our senior neighbors at Spring House Estates.

WHS ninth graders Marely Cortes-Martinez, Ryleigh McKeever, and Kingston Souriac participated in an MLK Day of Service Project with 9th Grade Spec Ed Teacher, Miss Castillo, and Home and School Visitor, Mr. Witchey. The students collected new blankets and comforters, socks, pajamas, and winter coats to donate to the Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard of Ambler.

Ms. Beth Specker, Executive Director of the Rendell Center, visited Ms. Tecce's class at Stony Creek as a guest reader for an MLK Jr. read-aloud. She talked about Dr. King's impact on our nation and why we celebrate and honor him. It was an awesome experience for the students!

To celebrate the Lunar New Year, Shady Grove enjoyed a visit from a Chinese acrobat who dazzled students with a spectacular performance and shared her culture, skills, and language with our students. Thanks to the Home and School Association and WEOF for funding this great experience!

Did you know that Lunar New Year is one of the biggest international holidays with over two billion people across the globe celebrating new beginnings. The holiday is celebrated by various Asian countries, regions and cultures with different traditions and customs. The start of the holiday is determined by the lunar calendar — the cycles of the moon's phases. This year, Lunar New Year began on Saturday, January 22 and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 5.

Ring in the new year at the Wissahickon Asian Cultural Committee’s first annual Lunar New Year Celebration! The free event is open to all Wissahickon students and families and will take place on Saturday, January 28 from 5-7pm at First Korean Presbyterian Church of Philadelphia in Ambler. Enjoy home cooked traditional foods, play cultural games, and watch students’ music and dance performances - fun for all ages!

Each month this year, our schools are incorporating lessons and activities that support social emotional learning (SEL) skills - self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills and responsible decision making. The SEL theme for January is Goal Setting. Check out a few of the great learning activities below.

In alignment with January's SEL theme of goal setting, students in Mrs. Donohue's ELA class at WMS started the new year by reflecting on last year, then choosing one word as their focus for 2023. They will write papers to help them think about where they can apply this focus at home, school, and other areas of their life.

Congratulations to the LGE LEAP winners announced bi-weekly by Principal Kanopka! Two students are selected from each classroom in recognition of their ability to Listen, Empathize, Appreciate and Persevere. Each student is given a special certificate, signs their name on the LEAP Wall of Fame and choose a prize. LEAP winners: keep up the great work!

Mr. Milunic’s first graders at Stony Creek sure know how to make someone feel special for their birthday! What a great celebration for students to show how much they care for their teacher!

One of the Shady Grove Elementary goals for January is to show the character trait of caring. In remembering what the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?’”, all SGE students decorated placemats for residents of the senior living community, Gwynedd Estates in Ambler.

WHS staff enjoyed some laughs with their co-workers in a holiday photo booth set up by students in the Functional Skills class. Such a fun way to wrap up the season!

Thanks to all of our staff who supported the Mattie Dixon fundraiser and Toys for Tots drive. In total, $390 was raised for gift cards to Mattie Dixon and dozens of toys were picked up by a Marine for Toys for Tots. A big shout out to the SADD club, staff, and students of our Functional Skills class who used the donations to shop for additional toys. Your kindness will make the holidays great for less fortunate children and families!

Before winter break, the Health Careers Club hosted a breakfast for students to enjoy healthy treats, relax through meditation/yoga, and spend time with friends! Students in Interact, National Honor Society, Feminist Club, and Bullet Journaling Club earned credits for attending and bringing food.

School Board Brief

The Wissahickon Board of School Directors welcomes residents and community members to attend its monthly public meetings (e.g., work sessions, regular meetings, and committee meetings). These public meetings are held in-person at the District Administration Office and/or virtually via Zoom and YouTube. Click here to learn more about the school board.

Two Things to Know about the January 9 Board Meeting (click here to watch the meeting)

• Five high school students were recognized for their induction into North Montco Technical Career Center’s Technical Honor Society: Jael Ansu, Jim Lucas, Shawn Nardi, Carson Pasko, and Kayla Weeks (start watching the meeting at two minutes, thirty seconds)
• WHS students, Kaili Kniffen, Emma Eby, and Kade Kniffen, shared a presentation about the benefits for later school start times (start watching the meeting at eight minutes, fifteen seconds)

Upcoming Board Meetings

• January 30, 2023, Work Session Public Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• February 6, 2023, Regular Public Board Meeting, 7:00 p.m.
• February 21, 2023, Board Racial Equity Oversight Committee Meeting, 7:00 p.m. (virtual format)

SAVE THE DATE – WEOF will host its annual Trivia Night event on Saturday, March 25, 2023 at the Upper Gwynedd Firehouse. Trivia Night features several rounds of fast-paced Q&A and community-building for Wiss Nation. This is an adults-only event. Must be 21+ years old to attend. Ticket sales begin in February. Please visit the WEOF website for more information about this upcoming event: www.weof.org.

Children who will be age 5 on or before September 1, 2023, are eligible to enter kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year in the Wissahickon School District. Visit our Kindergarten Registration webpage to learn more about registration and hold the date for our in-person Kindergarten Overview meeting on January 24 at 6:00 p.m. at Blue Bell Elementary, Lower Gwynedd Elementary, Shady Grove Elementary, and Stony Creek Elementary. These meetings will include a welcome by the building principal, an overview of the kindergarten program, and information from the school counselor and nurse.

As a reminder, the district is sharing bi-weekly health and wellness tips and resources with families to help support our students' physical and emotional well-being. Follow us on social media or subscribe to our Wiss Well-being News to receive this important information.

The District is excited to begin the WMS pool repurposing project to develop an additional six classrooms to better serve our growing school community. Demolition of the pool area began this January and the project is slated for completion by summer 2024.

In the event of inclement weather or a school emergency that results in early dismissal, late arrival of students or the closing of schools, the district will notify the community via a number of different communication methods. More details can be found here on the WSD website.

Nominations are now open for the 2023 WHS Alumni Hall of Fame which honors alumni with exemplary post-graduate achievements. By induction in the WHS Alumni Hall of Fame, they will forever be recognized as representing the best of Wissahickon. Their post-graduate success is a reflection of the opportunities provided them throughout their high school experience as a Wissahickon Trojan.

Inductees are recognized at an induction ceremony in October and on the WHS Wall of Honor featuring an interactive digital display containing information about our Hall of Fame inductees; alumni veteran spotlights; and staff alumni interviews. Our Hall of Fame includes more than 150 alumni from Ambler High School and Wissahickon High School.

• January 30 at 7:00 p.m.: Work Session Public Board Meeting
• February 6 at 7:00 p.m.: Regular Public Board Meeting
• February 16: Early Dismissal (K-12)
• February 17: Schools Closed/Staff In-Service
• February 20: Schools Closed - President's Day