A recent broadcast from the Harvard Graduate School of Education noted the need to take a holistic approach to student wellness by schools. Dean Bridget Long said, “Healthy kids translates into the opportunity for high-quality learning. And the opposite is most certainly true. . .simply put, it’s hard to concentrate and to learn when your health is suffering.” That residue of stress and duress from the most recent conditions have driven some difficulties we have experienced previously.

In our fourth year, we hope that our advisory system can support traditional classroom settings with student relationships and support. Below are some key concepts from the broadcast to allow us to support student vibrancy:

• Re-establish and repair trust. Institutions, such as schools, have suffered from varied levels of distrust internally and externally. “To combat mistrust at all levels, listen to concerns first.” We hope over the next few years, Advisory (and when students don’t travel during Academic Networking) allows opportunities to connect and listen to our students.
• Create psychologically safe spaces for students. Rates of anxiety and depression increased substantially in the last three years. Advisory can be a “building it” (preventative) model to support student wellness rather than a “fix-it” program. Teachers can support students with “creating space for check-ins, talking about and normalizing discussions of students sentiments, and following up with students who are struggling.” Teachers are not counselors for students but can aptly serve to connect to needed resources, model problem-solving skills and create space to students to feel care and support.

We look forward to continuing to grow our program on behalf of students.

Best,

Matt Irvin

Please mark your calendars for our fall conferences below:

October 15

4:30 -8:30 p. m.

In-person, scheduled

October 16

4:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Virtual, scheduled

October 17

8:30 a.m. - 3:20 p.m.

Virtual, scheduled

All conferences will be scheduled through PTCFast. Please watch for your invitation to schedule them in early October!

Congratulations to Quill and Scroll, who was awarded the a First Place International rating for its comprehensive news multimedia platforms!

We’re incredibly thankful for the support of Proposition S and the For the W Capital Campaign, which have made the enhancements at Moss Field possible. We know you’re eager to check out Moss Field at Alumni Stadium.

As we open the track to community use, please keep in mind the following:

To ensure our students safety, the track will be closed during school hours and It will also be unavailable during any district or school event taking place on the field. The track will automatically lock at 8 p.m., with lights on only during district events. Public access during school days will be available in the mornings from 5 a.m. to 8 a.m. and in the evenings from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Individual community members are welcome to use the track during public access hours. We ask that groups who want to use the track or field use the district's facility usage request. To help us maintain the track’s condition, please avoid wearing metal spiked shoes, bringing food, smoking, or bringing pets (certified service animals are welcome) and bicycles on the track.

Thank you for your support.

Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremony

May 17, 2025 6:30pm

Chaifetz Arena

• Doors will open for guests at 5:30 p.m.

• Guests: We are not limiting the number of guests per graduate.

• Tickets: There will be no tickets for entry to Chaifetz Arena.

• Parking: Parking is paid by guests in the Olive/Compton garage. Fees will be announced in the spring. Street parking is available but limited.

• Duration: The ceremony lasts approximately 1.5 hours, depending on the size of the class.

A $60 fine has been assigned in Infinite Campus to all seniors. If you've already paid the fee, your fine will be removed. Payments in Revtrak are reconciled each business day.

The preschool is run by our Advanced Child Development students and supervised by a FACS teacher who is certified in both FACS and early childhood. The preschool will offer young students in our community a hands-on learning experience in a nurturing environment.

The program operates Tuesday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. for children ages 3-5. Students can enroll for any number of days and each day is $5. For enrollment information, please reach out to Mrs. Alissa Griffing at statesmenpreschool@wgmail.org.

Thank you to all who attended Junior Parent Night on Tuesday! In case you missed it, Here is a link to the recorded presentation.

Here are the presentation slides with information for you to note as you begin the college search process with your students.

We will share this information with Juniors during their Government classes before the end of the month.

• The registration deadline for the October 26th ACT is tomorrow, Sept. 20th! If you plan to take the test, please register at www.act.org. If your student qualifies for Free/Reduced lunch, we can provide a fee waiver to cover the cost of the test. Please let us know and we're happy to get that information to them as soon as possible.
• College Representatives visit WGHS during the regular school day to meet with Juniors and Seniors. Check out our visit calendar on our website and please send your student ahead of time for a pass to visit with the representative.

• The St. Louis County Collaborative College Fair will be held on Oct. 2nd, 2024 at 6 p.m. at Lindbergh High School. Over 90 schools will be represented this evening. All WGHS students and families are welcome to attend! Students can pre register at www.StriveFair.com
• Seniors! College applications are open and we are encouraging you to apply early! Please check your email for instructions on how to request transcripts, test scores and letters of recommendation. Here is a document for your reference. College Application Guide.

Upcoming Dates:

October 2nd - College Fair @ Lindbergh High School 6-7:30p.m. All are welcome to attend.

October 9th - PSAT testing date (Sophomores only) 8:00 a.m.

October 10th - PSAT testing date (Juniors Only) 8:00 a.m.

Please don't hesitate to contact your student's counselor.

Our Counseling Team:

Academic & Personal Counseling

Ellen Dorsey (A-D)

Ken Winingham (E-K)

Dr. Jennifer Gross (L-Ri)

Bianca Haghighi (Ro-Z)

College & Career Counseling

Cassie Aschinger (A-K - Class of 2025) (L-Z - Class of 2026 and beyond)

Jennedy Lombard (L-Z - Class of 2025) (A-K - Class of 2026 and beyond)

Counseling Department Chair

Rick Cusumano, Webster Academy Counselor, 504 Coordinator

Barb Smith, Counseling Center Secretary

Anne Gibbs, School Social Worker

The Chelsea Detrick Experiential Learning Center works to match students with experiences aligning with careers they want to explore, passion areas of interest, and service learning opportunities. We ask students: "What lights you up inside?" Then we work together to take that interest further.

Our elective-credit classes, diverse array of opportunities, and personal assistance are available to ALL students. By providing students with the chance to wonder, design, tinker, collaborate, adapt, and communicate, experiential learning prepares students for the excitement and challenges of their current and future lives. Students can come see us anytime upstairs at WGHS in room 200 to learn more. Follow along with our current opportunities via our newsletters posted at bit.ly/chelseacenternews.

This week’s featured experience is for student election judges.

Experience democracy in action helping veteran Election Judges run the November 5th General Election as voters choose the next President of the United States. Election Judges help make it possible for citizens to exercise their right to vote. You must be between the ages of 15 and 17, and the election board wants to match WGHS students with Webster Groves polling places. Choose to earn Service Hours or receive payment for your time. This looks great on college applications! Find more information and register on the GivePulse event at bit.ly/2024judge, or come see us in the Chelsea Center room 200 and we will get you set up.

The next Senior Party Parent Meeting is set for Thurs, Sept 26--7pm at Llewelyns.

WGHS Parent Equity Committee invites you to join us 10/1 at 6:30pm in the high school library for our first meeting of the year.

1. Lost and Found on south entrance to Cafeteria: Water bottles, school supplies, clothing, and other "non-valuable" items
2. Office of Officer Bell, SRO (students should visit him in the main office): Phones, personal devices, earbuds, watches/jewelry, and other valuable items

Call your child's AP office to report an absence, late arrival, or early departure. Checking out early? When leaving school during the day, students must check out through the assistant principal’s office.

Student Early Release:

1. We require at least one hour notice when calling your student out early. Call the Assistant Principal's office before the designated time and report the absence. You may also send a note with the student to be presented to the Assistant Principal's office before school.

2. At the designated time, your student will receive a pass to check out if you called ahead. The student will check out in the Assistant Principal's office.

3. You will NOT enter the building if you have called the absence in and communicated a pick-up location with your child. However, if you choose to pick up your child in the building, you must do so at the main entrance on Selma Avenue. Upon entering the building, check in with the receptionist. Please bring your driver's license if you are checking in. The receptionist will contact the Assistant Principal’s office to send for your student. Please be aware that not calling ahead to schedule an early release can take up to 30 minutes to send for a student.

Webster Groves School District uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.

Parents & Guardians Getting Started Guide

To stay connected with the learning in our classrooms, please create a Canvas Observer Account which is our district's learning management system. You will find three helpful documents below:

1. Canvas Informational Letter
2. Creating an Observer Account, Logging into Canvas, and Setting Notifications
3. Student Accessing Canvas

If you have any questions please contact Tim Brown, Director of Student Assessment, Data and Learning Technologies at brown.tim@wgmail.org.

The Spirit Store is open! Hours are 8-9:15 a.m., Tuesday - Friday.

The online store is open 24 hours a day at https://www.wghsparentsclub.org/spiritwear.

Every time you shop at the Spirit Store, you are supporting student scholarships and teacher grants!

Email: erb.mickey@wgmail.org
Website: www.webster.k12.mo.us/wghs
Location: 100 Selma Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 963-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/WGAlumni
Twitter: @WebsterGrovesHS