WBHS Family Newsletter

October 2024

Message from Administration

Dear WBHS Families,

I hope this message finds you and your family well. We are now officially into the new school year, and it’s a great time to reflect on the progress our students have made and share some important updates and reminders for the months ahead.

Academic Progress & Parent-Teacher Conferences

We have seen tremendous growth in our students since the beginning of the year, and we are excited to continue working together to support their learning. Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on October 24th from 4:00-7:30 p.m. New this year, we are also hosting informational sessions for families. Please see below for more details on this evening’s events.

Fall Activities & Events

October brings a variety of extracurricular events and activities, including our homecoming celebrations, and several club, co-curricular and athletic events. We now have the FANX app that will allow you and your child access to see when some of these wonderful events and activities will take place. Please see below for more information on how to download the FANX app.

Supporting Positive Behaviors

Our school continues to prioritize creating a positive and supportive environment for all students. As part of our WBSD Way initiatives, we are focusing on reinforcing the values of respect, responsibility, and kindness throughout the school. We have just completed our first month of grade level assemblies and our students are amazing!

Attendance Matters

Finally, I want to stress the importance of regular attendance. We are working hard to work with our students who continue to miss learning time. Please continue to emphasize the importance of attendance and make sure to connect with our attendance office (335-5550) if your child is unable to make it to school.

Thank you for your continued partnership in making this school year successful. Together, we can help all our students achieve their best!

Sincerely,

Jennifer Potter

WBHS Executive Principal

Important Dates

October 7-12: Homecoming Week (see flyers below for all the details!)

October 12: Homecoming Dance

October 16: West NHS Induction Ceremony (6:30-8:00 p.m. in the Auditorium)

October 18: No School for Students | Staff Professional Day

October 21: Fall Choir Concert (7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Auditorium)

October 22: Fall Orchestra Concert (7:00 - 8:00 p.m. in the Auditorium)

October 23: East NHS Induction Ceremony (7:00-8:30 p.m. in the Auditorium)

October 24: Parent-Teacher Conferences (4:00 - 7:30 p.m. - more info below)

October 25: Picture Retake Day (7:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Auditorium)

October 29: PSAT/NMSQT Test

October 30: Indoor Marching Band Scholarship Concert (7:00 - 9:00 p.m. in the Auditorium)

November 1: End of Quarter 1

*Click upper corner of photos to enlarge.

Important Reminders & Updates

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Parent-Teacher Conferences provide an opportunity for us to work together in support of your child’s education. We invite you to attend the Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences on Thursday, October 24, from 4:00-7:30 p.m. Parents and guardians will be able to sign up for 10-minute conference time slots with your student’s teachers in Skyward following these steps:

Login to Skyward Family Access.
Click on the tab “Conferences” on the left hand side of the page.
There will be 2 links by your child’s name….”View Scheduled Times” and “All conferences”

“Viewed Scheduled Times” – This will list any scheduled conference date(s) and time(s)
“All Conferences” – Sign up for conference

Click on “All Conferences” and find the class that states your child’s teacher.
Click on “Select a Time” and choose your date and time to meet with the teacher. Once you click “select”, your conference is scheduled.

Reminder - If no date(s) or time(s) appear, please contact your child’s teacher and a conference can be scheduled through him/her.

Conference sign-ups will open at 3:00 p.m. today, October 1, and will close at 3:00 p.m. on October 17.

If you feel you may need a longer discussion with your child’s teacher(s), please reach out to set up an appointment at a different time. Conferences are essential for building a strong partnership between home and school that will benefit the student. In fact, your student is encouraged to attend the conference with you as the most successful conferences involve student participation.

New this year, we will be holding a few family engagement sessions during Parent-Teacher Conferences. Please see below for details:

Do you have questions about Arbiter Sports (formerly known as Family ID)? If so, stop by the Athletics Offices between 4:00-4:30 p.m. for more information!
Do you have questions about RevTrak, our new method of payment for student fees? If so, stop by our bookkeeper between 5:00-6:00 p.m.
Do you have questions about Canvas? If so, stop by the West Cafeteria between 4:30-5:00 p.m. Please Note: Your student must attend this session with the parent/guardian to log in.

What Not to Bring to School

As we work together to ensure a safe, productive, and positive learning environment for all students, we ask for your help in reinforcing some important guidelines about what items should not be brought to school.

Certain items, while seemingly harmless at home or in other contexts, could be viewed as threatening or cause concern if brought to a school environment.

Please go over this list with your child to ensure they understand these expectations.

Items NOT Allowed at School:

Toy Weapons or Replicas: Toys or replica guns, swords, knives, or water guns or related toys. Even if an item is a toy, it can always be mistaken for a real weapon.
Costume Accessories: Items such as fake knives, handcuffs, or other costume props that resemble dangerous objects
Pocket Tools (Multitools, Pocket Knives): Real tools like Swiss Army knives, even if intended for practical purposes, can be considered dangerous in a school setting.
Sharp Objects: Items like nail clippers, scissors, or even certain art supplies could be seen as hazardous if used or handled improperly. Teachers usually provide any necessary supplies for class activities to avoid these concerns.
Laser Pointers: Although often used for presentations, laser pointers can cause distractions and may be harmful if pointed at someone’s eyes.
Medication: Any medication (even over-the-counter items like ibuprofen or allergy pills) should be managed through the school nurse. Students should not carry (unless authorized) or share medications.
Lighters or Matches: While sometimes brought to school innocently by students who may not understand their potential danger, they can obviously be very dangerous.
Self-defense items: Items meant for personal protection, such as pepper spray or small tasers, could be alarming to many as they are typically viewed as weapons in a school environment.
Hunting Equipment, Ammunition, or Ammunition Casings: Hunting equipment like bows, arrows, knives, and guns are always prohibited at school. Keep in mind that bringing a single bullet or bullet casing to school, even without a gun, can also raise serious concerns.

Help Us Keep School Safe!

This is a great opportunity to remind your children about the importance of school safety. Thank you for your cooperation and support in helping us maintain a positive school environment! Click here for a message from West Bend Police Chief Dehring regarding school safety as well.

Reminders About Student Lunches

Students may not bring in outside vendor’s food for lunch or order food to school (i.e. Door Dash, etc.). Our nutrition department follows Wisconsin DPI nutrition guidelines to ensure health and safety compliance and meet nutritional standards. These rules support the school's meal program funding and prevent logistical issues.

Family Engagement Meeting

If you are interested in joining a group of parents and guardians interested in advising on upcoming initiatives and ways to assist our staff and schools, we would greatly appreciate your support if you are willing to participate! Your involvement will be invaluable as we work together to plan for things like teacher celebrations throughout the year and gather insight on how we can be more effective in our school to home relationship.

We look forward to collaborating with you and making this year a success! Our first meeting will be on October 15th from 5:30pm - 6:30pm in the Presentation Room in the Library (Room 2519). Please RSVP here if you are able to attend!

At this meeting, we will be seeking feedback on the following:

High School Communication to families
Ideas for engagement at Parent-Teacher conferences
Staff and student celebrations- dates, times, and ideas

Counseling Office Updates

Hello and Happy October!

We hope your student’s year has gotten off to a good start. We welcome and encourage your involvement in their high school success. Please feel free to connect with your student’s teachers if you have questions or concerns regarding their classes. If you need additional support, you are always welcome to call or email their school counselor.

All students participated in 2 Class Meetings during September to kick off the year and we look forward to meeting with them monthly moving forward. The below slide was shared with students in 9th and 10th grades as reminders on how to have a successful year. These tips are useful for ALL students and we appreciate your help in following up with yours regarding these things.

Additionally, we appreciate your support in encouraging regular attendance and avoiding missed learning time (absences, tardies, etc.). Our students are much more likely to be successful in their classes if they are there and ready to learn. If your child is sick or excused for another reason, please ensure to call the attendance office 262-335-5550 to ensure their absence is coded properly. Per state law, students are only allowed to miss 10 days of school per year. If there are other circumstances impacting your students' attendance, please connect with their counselor so that we may provide appropriate support.

Parents/Guardians of Seniors

Senior year is full of emotions and to-do-list items as students begin the end to their K-12 journey and start to make some big decisions about their future! This can be a very overwhelming process–but their school counselors, along with the staff in the career readiness center are here to help! Here are some Resources that you may find helpful over the next few months:

Career Readiness Calendar – Check back often for updates on visits, programs, and sessions!
College Information Slideshow – Know the timeline and the terms to keep on track in the college process!
Direct Admit Next Steps – You received your offer letters….now what?

Career Readiness Center Updates

Students who are exploring college options are encouraged to participate in the Wisconsin Education Fair at Mount Mary College on October 14, 2024. Bus transportation will be provided. Students should register using this form and pick up a permission slip/preplan in room 2417 or the Career Readiness Center (by the East cafeteria). This event is limited to the first 40 students who sign up. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors; however, sophomores are welcome to register.

The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) is a comprehensive and completely FREE career planning resource that aligns students' strengths and interests with an after-high-school plan. Last year, over 70 high school students took advantage of this resource and learned about themselves and started planning their future based on the results. The ASVAB will be administered at West Bend High School on October 16 beginning at 7:15am in the East library to any interested juniors or seniors. It will last approximately 90 minutes. If students want to explore their career interests and find colleges that have their intended majors, the ASVAB is a great resource. Students interested in taking the ASVAB will need to register before October 16.

Contact Ms. O’Brien at bobrien@wbsd-schools.org or 262-306-4603 with any questions.

WBSD Way Team Updates

September has started out GREAT here at WBHS! Students participated in our new monthly Grade Level Meetings which included a review of expectations, class celebrations, and even some fun community building activities! This month we celebrated the responsible use of personal technology with 95.2% of our student body having ZERO PERSONAL TECH REFERRALS! As we head into October we are continuing to focus on responsibility, highlighting how to follow the expectations in extracurricular activities (sports, pep rallies, spirit week, etc.).

Each quarter we use data to set a goal and celebrate the accomplishments of our students. During the First Quarter, we are striving to see 90.5% of our students with 0-1 major referrals. If we accomplish this, the students can look forward to a fun celebration during the November Class Meetings–stay tuned!

Athletics Info & Updates

Come cheer on your Spartans and Suns at all of their home sporting events! You will earn points by checking in with the new West Bend Athletics FanX App. Download the App for free and follow your favorite teams! Points will be redeemable for prizes in the athletic office for East and West high school students ONLY on Thursdays right after school from 2:25 pm to 3:15 pm. Parents, guardians, and community members, please download this App to follow your favorite teams. Click Here to download the App.