The Wolverine Word
Monthly Community Newsletter -- vol. 1, ed. 3
A Note from Dr. Archambeau
Good afternoon, Wolverine Families!
Happy Friday! It's been a fantastic first few weeks here at West and it is so great having the building full of students again!
Please read below for information regarding transportation, parking, Wolverine Time/Wellness, ICON Teacher & Support Staff of the Month, Class of 2025, yearbooks, school pictures, Homecoming and more!
Have a great weekend!
Dr. Aaron Archambeau
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West Forsyth HS Counseling Dept Instagram
August 30th - Early Release Day
Friday, August 30th, is an Early Release Day for all students in Forsyth County Schools. We will be running an alternate bell schedule and ALL students will be dismissed at 12:55 PM. Please see below for the bell schedule for August 30th.
Transportation
Bus Information
Our transportation department works very hard to ensure all of our students have transportation and arrive to school/home safely. Just know that routes for both morning pick-up and afternoon drop-off will run late every now and then. This is no fault of our transportation department but more a result of being short drivers and transporting tens of thousands of students each day.
Your student's bus information, including pick-up and drop-off times, can be accessed in Parent Portal. Please be patient for the first few weeks of school as drivers solidify their routes. If you have questions about bus transportation, please contact our District Supervisor -- Mrs. Kelly Kurisko (770-667-2580 ext. 230508).
- Forsyth County Schools Transportation Webpage
- Bus Route Information
- Student Transportation Verification Form
- Job Opportunity for Bus Drivers
Car Rider Line
We have shared this information previously but wanted to continue to share it. Over these first few weeks, the majority of vehicles have done a great job with following our procedures for drop-off and pick-up. However, we are still having issues with some vehicles dropping off and picking up in the wrong areas or not pulling all the way forward and holding up the cars behind them. Please be sure to follow the car rider line rules and process (video shared below) to ensure a safe and smooth drop-off/pick-up for our students. Thank you!
Mandatory Car Rider Line Rules:
- There will be no student drop-off or pick-up in the following areas: gym lot, bus lot, stadium lot, or in the back by the tennis courts. All vehicles must enter through the main lot off Drew Road.
- Students must remain in cars until they reach the appropriate drop-off spot.There will be no drop-off in the middle of the line (even if your child is running late).
- Drivers must be fully attentive to traffic directors at all points of the car rider line. If using your phone, drivers must be hands-free.
Below is a link to a first-person look at how our car rider line operates.
Car Rider Line - First Person Video
Additionally, please see the map below to help navigate student drop-off and pick-up.
Parking
The parking application is still open with limited space available in the Gold Lot. The parking application can be found using this link: West Forsyth High School Parking Application & Payment (please click on the gold button that says “Parking Fee $135”). Once you have completed the application, the parking fee will be added to your student account through School Pay. After payment has been received, students may visit the front office with a copy of their drivers license and proof of payment to pick up their parking pass.
At this time, students who drive to school should have already picked up their parking permit. In the event that your permit has not yet been picked up, please see the front office. WFHS Admin will patrol parking lots to ensure students have a valid parking permit and are parked in the correct lot. Students are only allowed to park on campus after purchasing a valid permit. If a student does not park with a valid permit or in their assigned lot, WFHS administration will apply appropriate consequences. Additionally, students must follow ALL parking signage related to speed limits and no parking. This is an important measure for student safety on the WFHS campus.
Cell Phones in the Classroom
Please be aware of the cell phone policy that will be implemented beginning this school year. In order to limit distractions during instruction and ensure students are engaged in their learning, cell phones and headphones/AirPods should be put away during instructional time unless directed by the teacher.
While we understand this will be an adjustment for our students, we appreciate your support in helping communicate this new policy to your students prior to the first day of school!
Attendance Matters!
1st Quarter Grading Window - Due Date for Late/Missing Work
Students who have late or missing work for a course need to utilize Wolverine Time to get caught up! What is Wolverine Time?? See below!
What are Wolverine Time & Wellness?
Wolverine Time
Wolverine Time (WT) is an academic period built in to the daily schedule that is designed for students to complete missing work, receive assistance from teachers, make up tests, or engage in activities such as study halls or subject-specific remediation. WT sessions are held every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, with Thursdays reserved for WT Homebase, during which no sessions are offered. Each session can accommodate up to 30 students, and teachers are required to plan and schedule their weekly sessions by Wednesday afternoon, covering the period from the following day (Thursday) to the next Wednesday. Students must sign up for sessions each Thursday during WT Homebase through Student Support Time (found on MyFCS), and those who fail to sign up are auto-assigned into a session with one of their current teachers. During this auto-assigned session, students are asked to register for WT sessions for the remainder of the week.
The following expectations for Wolverine Time were shared with students throughout the first seven days of school:
All students who are on campus during WT will be expected to attend a session.
All students will use the Student Support Time program to sign up for sessions.
If a teacher assigns you to their session, you must attend that session.
If a teacher hasn’t assigned you to a session, you get to choose which session you want to attend.
Students will only be able to attend one WT session per day.
Students must go where they are listed in Student Support Time.
Not attending an assigned Wolverine Time session is considered skipping.
Wellness Wednesday
Wellness occurs for 45 minutes on Wednesday after our two Wolverine Time sessions. Wellness is a non-academic period of time designed for students to “unplug” and get involved with a variety of activities. Every teacher offers a session that provides an opportunity for students to attend. From “Taylor Swift Karaoke” to "Cross Stitching" to “Walk and talk”, there are a wide variety of sessions for students to attend.
Students must sign up for a Wellness session each Thursday during WT Homebase through Student Support Time (found on MyFCS), and those who fail to sign up are auto-assigned into a session with one of their current teachers. During this auto-assigned session, students are asked to register for the next week's Wellness session.
What is Student Support Time?
Student Support Time (SST) is the system we utilize at West to schedule students for Wolverine Time and Wellness Sessions. SST is located in MyFCS Classlink and is accessible on any device. SST allows students, teachers and administrators to easily schedule and track which sessions students are signing up for and attending during WT and Wellness.ICON Teacher & Support Staff of the Month - Nominations
Have you noticed a teacher or support staff doing a great job this month? Please take a moment to nominate one of our faculty and staff members for our August Teacher ICON of the Month and Support Staff ICON of the month! Support Staff includes secretaries, counselors, paraprofessionals, custodians, cafe workers, administrators, instructional coach, ETC, Media Center Specialist, Graduation Coach, Student Support Coordinator, and Athletic Director.
The winners of our Teacher of the Month for this school year will be in the running to become our 2025 - 2026 Teacher of the Year!
August Teacher of the Month Nomination Form
August Support Staff of the Month Nomination Form
Thank you in advance for your nomination!
New Meal Payment System
Forsyth County Schools has transitioned to utilizing a different meal payment system. Payments for lunches will no longer be paid through My Payments Plus. The new system is called My School Bucks and information regarding this new system can be found below
School Announcements
Students can find our school announcements within Canvas in their student information course. They can also be found on our school website under "Quick Links."
Homecoming Information
We are so excited for this year's Homecoming Festivities! On Saturday, October 5th, we will be hosting our Homecoming Dance at WFHS from 7:30 PM - 10:00 PM.
Please continue reading for VERY important information.
- Tickets are now available for purchase for ALL CURRENT West students using the link on Go Fan.
- Tickets are only $15 per ticket between now and August 26th! After August 26th, the price will increase!
- Their student ID is the access code for their ticket.
- If someone purchases a ticket under a different student ID, they will not be permitted to enter as we use our master list from Go Fan with matching student ID numbers.
- We will not scan tickets or take physical tickets at the door; students must show a form of ID AND be on the master list to enter.
- As stated on Go Fan, tickets are NON-refundable and NON-transferable .
- In order to bring a date who DOES NOT attend West, there are several steps your student will need to follow. More information regarding tickets for non-WFHS students will be shared at a later date.
- ALL regular ticket sales will end October 1, 2024 at 11:59 PM!
- Finally, a messenger will be sent out the week of Homecoming with dance reminders.
Thank you!
Class of 2025 Information
Senior Parents - Graduation is Sunday, May 18, 2025, at 7:30 PM at the Gas South Arena. The link to pay Senior Dues is now open online at www.3rdascent.com.
The Senior Dues include your child’s diploma and cover, his/her cap and gown, the Senior Breakfast, and other items specifically related to graduation. Senior Dues do not cover the cost of Senior pictures, graduation announcements, a yearbook and/or ad, or a Senior yard sign.
Please be sure to place the order under your child’s name, not yours. You will also need to know your child’s height and weight when placing the order. Senior Dues are currently $160, but the cost will increase after December 1, 2024.
If you have questions, please contact Donna Duncan at dduncan@forsyth.k12.ga.us.
Yearbook Information
Yearbooks and Senior ads are for sale now at westforsythyearbook.com or jostensyearbooks.com. The early bird Senior ad deadline is September 9, 2024 with a final deadline of November 1, 2024.
Share student life pictures with the yearbook staff at westforsythyearbook.com or scan the QR code below.
School Picture Information
Underclassmen Portraits: Underclassmen portraits are September 4th & 5th during your child’s English class. Students without an English class should get their pictures taken during Wolverine Time.
Senior Portraits: Seniors need to be photographed by Cady on or before August 31st to be guaranteed the ability to choose your yearbook photo. The final deadline to be photographed and to choose your portrait is October 1st. Per our contract, all photos both formal and casual must come from Cady in order to be in the portrait section of the yearbook. This does not apply to senior ads.
Counselor's Corner
The WFHS Counseling Department will be hosting a 12th grade Parent Info Night on Tuesday, August 27th starting at 6:00 pm. Join us in the Auditorium as we review LOTS of important information about Senior year. We hope to see you there!
Georgia Tech will be visiting our students on August 28th during the Wellness session. This is one of our most popular visits each year. In order to attend, students must sign up prior to Wednesday through Student Support Time!
Beginning in September, the WFHS Counseling Department will hold college application work sessions, and many other sessions related to college and career preparation, in the College and Career Center during Wolverine Time. Students must sign up in Student Support Time to attend. We have a new calendar that will be updated periodically with sessions that can be found at tinyurl.com/wfhsccc.
Campus Not Open for General Use
While we love having visitors on campus for planned events, please be aware that our track, fields, and other areas of campus are NOT open for general public use. Our county has many public parks and greenways for recreational use, but our schools and the space and equipment that make up our campus and support our extracurriculars are for our students, under the direct supervision of trained staff. In order to keep students safe and maintain our grounds and facilities, we ask that our community works together to support these rules.
West Forsyth HS PTO Updates
Here are a few updates from the WFHS PTO:
The PTO team will be onsite next Wednesday, August 28th for our first Student Appreciation Event during all three lunch periods! If you are an active PTO member, your student could be eligible to win a prize! See details below.
WFHS PTO has a few custom made stadium blankets for sale via Cheddar Up for $30 each; will come in handy for those chilly nights during games! All details are online at Cheddar Up and through our social media platforms.
Haven't joined WFHS PTO yet? Sign up for your PTO membership by December 2024 to ensure your student is eligible for a PTO scholarship! JOIN HERE
If you've already joined WFHS PTO, be sure to pick up your thank you gift from the front office! If you can't make it up to the school, your student can pick up the gift during their lunch period.
To stay up to date on all things WFHS PTO, follow us on social media!
Local School Council Representatives
We greatly appreciate the nominations received from parents interested and willing to serve on West Forsyth's Local School Council. We were looking for one parent representative, and we received five new nominations. Thus, we are happy to expand and welcome all those who were nominated to the LSC.
- Stephanie Cardenas (returning representative)
- Kris Ricks (returning representative)
- Grant Schmeelk (new representative)
- Britt Kitchen (new representative)
- Amanda Rivera (new representative)
- Berk Jolly (new representative)
- Latresha Jackson (new representative)
- Sankar Ramaswamy (returning representative)
- Christopher Topa (returning representative)
Thank you, in advance, to these parents for partnering with us for advisory and improvement!
Important Dates to Know for the 2024-2025 School Year
Here a list of important dates for you to know throughout the 2024-2025 school year. It's never too early to add these to your calendar!
As the year progresses, we will keep these dates in the newsletter and will add any additional ones.
Fall Semester Dates
Tuesday, August 27th
12th Grade Parent Night in WFHS Auditorium (6 PM)
Friday, August 30th
Early Release Day - all students dismissed at 12:55 PM
Monday, September 2nd
Labor Day - No School for Students and Staff
Monday, September 9th
9th Grade Parent Night in WFHS Auditorium (6 PM)
Tuesday, September 17th
11th Grade Parent Night in WFHS Auditorium (6 PM)
Monday, September 23rd - Friday, September 27th
Fall Break - No School for Students and Staff
Tuesday, October 1st
West Fest on WFHS Campus
Saturday, October 5th
Homecoming Dance in WFHS Gym
Friday, October 18th
Online Learning Day - PSAT Testing Day
Monday, October 21st
Student Holiday - Professional Development Day for Staff
Monday, October 28th
WFHS Trunk-or-Treat
Tuesday, October 29th
10th Grade Parent Night in WFHS Auditorium (6 PM)
Tuesday, November 5th
Election Day - Student Holiday
Monday, November 25th - Friday, November 29th
Thanksgiving Break - No School for Students and Staff
Tuesday, December 17th - Friday, December 20th
Midterm Exams
Monday, December 23rd - Friday, January 3rd
Winter Break - No School for Students and Staff
Spring Semester Dates
Monday, January 20th
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day - No School for Students and Staff
Friday, February 14th - Monday, February 17th
Student and Staff Holiday
Tuesday, February 18th
No School for Students - Professional Development for Staff
Friday, March 14th
No School for Students
Monday, March 31st - Friday, April 4th
Spring Break - No School for Students and Staff
Saturday, April 12th
Junior/Senior Prom at The Ramsey Conference Center (7:30 PM - 10:00 PM)
Monday, May 5th - Friday, May 16th
Advanced Placement Testing
Monday, May 12th
9th & 10th Grade Underclass Awards Ceremony
Tuesday, May 13th
Senior Awards Night in the WFHS Auditorium
Wednesday, May 14th
11th Grade Underclass Awards Ceremony
Sunday, May 18th
Graduation at Gas South Arena (7:30 PM)