June 20, 2024

Wildcat Families,

WE ARE BACK!!! I cannot tell you how excited I am to start Year 2 together in a few weeks! It's hard to believe that at this exact time last year we had not even stepped foot inside our amazing school! We still had over 300 construction workers at The Grove getting it ready for our opening day. That seems like a lifetime ago and it's crazy to think that that was our starting point of absolutely incredible year!

I'm not going to go into how many district championships we won or the number of times we made our trip to Austin to compete in the state finals (which were both a lot!!) OR how our kids absolutely crushed it on their AP tests, STAAR and pretty much any other academic measure they throw at us! It goes without saying that THE STANDARD has been set here at Walnut Grove for high schools across the country and it is now our challenge to keep moving forward and continue to raise that STANDARD of excellence!

Our school motto this year is to go "All In for The Standard". The start of this began last year when we had Mr. Gian Paul Gonzalez (a clip of his message is below) come in to speak with our kids at the end of the year. His message of "All In" fit perfectly into what we are about at Walnut Grove in striving to be the absolute best version of yourself and be committed to serving others to not only raise your standard of excellence but of those around you. We will be continually reminding our students and staff about this message and I'm excited to share that we have added the Character Strong Curriculum which we will be using in our Advisory Class during Grove Time this year.

For this year we have three main areas of focus. The first is that we want to continue to strive to provide innovative learning opportunities in our classes. Our Prosper ISD parents and community have blessed us with an incredible learning space through their support of our bond programs. Because of that investment in our kids and schools, we are fortunate to have every imaginable resource and space to educate our students. We want to ensure that our parents are getting a return on that investment! We understand the changing dynamics of the 21st century workforce and want to equip our students with the skills and knowledge they need to not only get into their school of choice if that's the path they choose but also be at an advantage once they enter the workforce. With that being said, our challenge to our teachers will be to continue to break out of the traditional mold in education and develop new, unique, challenging and exciting innovative learning opportunities for our students.

Our second campus focus will be to continue the work of building and equipping our students with the skills needed to adjust mentally and protect their mental health in a digital world that puts an enormous amount of stress and pressure on our kids each and every day. This is where our Character Strong Curriculum comes in as we will be sharing these lesson with our students. We will also be adding a section in our weekly newsletter so you can extend these conversations at home as well. Secondly, we are going HIGHLY ENCOURAGE our teachers to implement a no cell phone policy in their classrooms were students have to check in their phones at the beginning of each class. Research has been shared over and over, that cell phones in the classroom for teenagers do not benefit them educationally. It is becoming an even greater distraction to student learning and if our goal is to provide our students with the absolute best possible education then we do not have time for distractions that keep them from that. I do understand that this is something not everyone will agree with and we can definitely have a conversation to share those concerns. However, our goal is to have all our classrooms at WG be cell phone free.

Lastly, our third area of focus will be to continue to partner with our parents to make them an integral part of what we are doing here at Walnut Grove and share all the amazing things your kids are doing in class on a daily basis. We do a fantastic job promoting our sports, fine arts, academic competitions and organizations. They make it pretty easy with all the success they have! However, we want you to have a better understanding of what goes on daily in our classrooms and the exceptional learning environment our staff has created for your students. We are excited to launch a new app this year called Thrillshare. Our Prosper ISD parents will be getting more info about that soon but we hope this platform will make it a little easier for us to share more instructional content from The Grove.

Thank you all again for your continued support and it's going to be an amazing year! As always, if there is anything I can do to help or you have questions do not hesitate to reach out! That's what we are here for! Have a great rest of your summer and GO CATS!

Dustin Toth - Principal - Walnut Grove HS

We are excited to implement the High School Character Strong Curriculum Please take a few moments to view the video below and learn more about this program. Students will be completing these lessons each week on Mondays during their 2nd/6th period class. We will also be doing a weekly "To Be" challenge that your student can extend home.

Each week we will include a summary of that week's Character lesson in this newsletter so you can also see what was discussed that week. Our hope is that this will not only make a significant impact on the overall climate and culture of our campus but also equip our students with the skills needed to cope with the raising levels of stress they are facing. Moreover, this extension will help us continue to set THE STANDARD for education and truly exemplify what it means to educate the whole child.

One of the aims at our school is to equip young people for all the realities of today’s world. With that in mind, we have partnered with CharacterStrong – an organization that provides training for educators and curricula for students. Their work in grades 6-12 focus on 3 main outcomes: increasing a sense of belonging for all students, improving skills that support student well-being, and deepening student engagement in their academics, in their school, and in their community.

Here’s what the data tells us:

• A sense of belonging in school is one of the most important conditions for learning and a fundamental support for social and emotional well-being. Nearly ⅓ of all students report a weak sense of belonging in their schools. Roughly half of 6th – 12th grade students say they don’t enjoy coming to school most of the time.
• Mental health challenges for teens have been increasing and 7 out of 10 teens in the U.S. (between 13 and 17 years old) have named anxiety or depression as a major problem among their peers.
• Student engagement drives learning and supports school success.

This curriculum was created to support school communities as they engage in the work of preparing young people to thrive in the 21st century. The research supports the effectiveness of this content to increase student’s academic success and college & career readiness. The lessons focus on developing skills and mindsets around building positive habits, understanding our emotions, improving teamwork, and increasing empathy.

One of the key parts of nearly every lesson is the ““To Be List”. These are invitations near the end of most lessons to put the content that they are learning into action in the real world. If you ever want to play an active role in the CharacterStrong curricula, simply ask your student about the most recent CharacterDare or To Be List challenge. Maybe they’ll invite you to try one yourself!

Congratulations to all our Wildcat Athletes and Coaches on capturing the PISD Academic Cup for the 23-24 school year by having the HIGHEST percentage of Academic All State and All District selections in their programs! Way to go ALL IN for THE STANDARD!

We are going to be rolling out our 12 Days to Greatness Back to School infographic soon! Staring on August 1st we will push out a new graphic with important back to school info so you can get all the information you need in short segments instead of one giant piece. Make sure to be checking our socials for the info!

Have you ever wondered what exactly is The Standard? This past year we also had our Principal's Advisory Council help define what actually is The Standard. Here is what they came up with!

With the addition of two additional Assistant Principals and Counselors we had to make some adjustments to the alpha split below. Please double check who your AP/Counselor Pairing is. We have also update our contact sheet if you need to reach out to them.

Bus routes are now being added to Skyward, so please check there for the latest updates. This year transportation services are utilizing the StopFinder app, which is fully integrated with Prosper ISD routing software, GPS and other communications tools to provide accurate, real-time data. The app includes bus schedules and allows parents to set up notifications to track their child’s route, view the bus’s location and receive updates on arrival times and delays.

Use this link to find out if your child is eligible for transportation.

Prosper ISD is launching a parent/guardian app called Stopfinder this year that will allow parents and guardians to accurately track their children’s school bus in real-time. The easy-to-use app is secured so only authorized users will have access to school bus information.

Stopfinder, created by the district’s routing software company, Transfinder, is free to parents and guardians and allows users to customize when they receive alerts about their children’s bus location. The app is also a two-way communication tool, providing parents with an easy way to communicate quickly with district transportation officials and receive notifications instantly.

Because Stopfinder works seamlessly with the district’s routing system, Routefinder Plus, district transportation leaders can target communications to specific regions that may only be relevant for that area. For example, if a road is closed and a bus will be late, only parents/guardians of students affected by that road closure will be contacted.

There will be no changes to the Bell Schedule for the upcoming school year.

1. Give yourself enough time! Traffic will be tough both before and after school the first few days
2. Supplies Needed - Something to write with and paper - Teachers will tell you what you need for the year when you first go to their class. We will also distribute Chromebooks to any students who need them the first two days of school
3. Review the Student Dress Code - Click this link if you need a refresher
4. Review the Drop Off and Pick Up Map - See Below
5. If you are picking up your student after school make sure to discuss where you are picking them up so they know to meet you there
6. Check your Schedule in Skyward on the FIRST and SECOND Day of School - We will not have printed schedules for you AND DO NOT take a screen shot!
7. WGHS is a CLOSED campus and Does NOT accept food deliveries from Grubhub, DoorDash, etc. This is for student safety so please DO NOT utilize these services during the school day.

Please click on the link above to see a presentation on some important information about the first few days of school at The Grove.

Welcome Back to school from the Walnut Grove Clinic!

I’d like to share some information to ensure your student has a healthy and successful school year!

During registration, all parents completed a student health information form to inform us of any health conditions or changes of existing conditions. If you indicated your student has diabetes, a seizure disorder, an allergy that may require emergency medication, or other potentially life-threatening conditions, Prosper ISD has additional health forms that are needed to help us manage your student’s health care needs during the school day. Please refer to our new Prosper website to locate these forms.

https://www.prosper-isd.net/documents/departments/health-services/forms/607738

These forms require both parent and physician signature. Please complete the forms as soon as possible and return them to the clinic so that we can plan appropriate care for your student and train staff accordingly. This paperwork is required each school year, even if your student is typically independent in their care.

If your student will need medication during the school day, a medication request form is required for each medication. Over the counter medications will require a physician signature. Refer to this link for the new medication authorization form. https://www.prosper-isd.net/o/pisd/page/medication-administration

We look forward to meeting you and getting to know your student! Please feel free to contact me at vmschwegmann@prosper-isd.net if you would like to discuss your student’s health concerns or medications, or to schedule time to drop off health plans, medication, or medical supplies. We have lots going on the weeks before school, but I will be available on campus to receive those items beginning August 1, from 8:30 am- 3:30pm.

Use this link to view immunizations required for K-12.

It’s going to be an amazing year! GO WILDCATS!

Your PISD health care team,

Valerie Schwegmann, BSN, RN

Kim Carey, Health Aide

Here are a few reminders:

• Doors will open at 7:30am
• ALL parent pick up and drop off is IN FRONT of the school
• Students may park ANYWHERE in Front or Side of the school by the Auditorium or Arena
  
• PARENTS please coordinate with your student where you pick them up AFTER SCHOOL before the first day
• All Bus Riders will be picked up in the BACK of the building
• Please note the change with AFTER SCHOOL DISMISSAL in that our EAST EXIT/ENTRY will turn into an EXIT ONLY to allow for quicker dismissal on to First Street

This message is for all parents of students who plan to drive/park on the Walnut Grove High School campus during the 2024-2025 school year. All students are required to purchase a parking permit and hang it on their rearview mirror. If you have already made this purchase during registration through your Skyward Family Access, we have a record of that and you may pick up your permit at the times designated below.

Once you complete the form in Skyward, please ensure payment has been submitted for both the Parking Permit and the Student Activity Fee (links for payments are included in the Skyward form as well as listed below). Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email. We will not be able to distribute any parking passes this year to those who have not completed the Skyward Family Access request form and submitted both payments. Because of this, walk-ins without having pre-requested a permit through Skyward will not be able to pick up a permit.

2024-2025 Walnut Grove High School Student Parking Links:

Pick up Date, Time and Location For All Grade Levels:

• Tuesday, Aug. 6th, 9:00 am -3:00 pm
• Location, Walnut Grove High School Library

Additional pickup times at the Walk Your Schedule Events either night:

• Wednesday, Aug. 7th, 5:30 pm -6:00 pm
• Thursday, Aug. 8th, 5:30 pm -6:00 pm
• Location, Walnut Grove High School Library

Parking Permit Information

• High school students must have a current parking permit to be able to park in campus parking lots. 2024-2025 High School Parking Permits can be requested through Skyward Family Access. Complete the form in Skyward and ensure payment has been submitted for both the Parking Permit and the Student Activity Fee. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.

• Year, Make/Model, color, and License Plate of the vehicle that will be driven by the student and parked on campus.

• If the student has an additional vehicle, you will need the same information for that vehicle as well. Only ONE parking permit tag will be provided for each paid permit.

2024-2025 High School Parking Permits can be requested through Skyward Family Access. Complete the form in Skyward and ensure payment has been submitted for both the Parking Permit and the Student Activity Fee (links for payment included in form). Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email.

Step-by-step Instructions

1. Login to Skyward Family Access using your current Skyward Family Access username and Password.
   ***Note: Only the Primary Family can complete the Parking Permit Request Form.

2. Click the ‘Online Forms’ tab, then click ‘Fill Out Form’ next to the 2024-25 Parking Permit Form.

3. Review message, then click ‘Next.’

4. Click ‘Yes’ to complete the Form.

5. Complete all fields and pay (link provided in form). Click ‘Complete Step 1 and move to Step 2.’

6. Click ‘Submit 2024-25 Parking Permit’ once complete.

Please take a few moments to review the WGHS Student Handbook Addendum with your Wildcat Student. This is a supplement to the PISD Student Handbook as it relates to many items that are specific to our policy and procedures at Walnut Grove.

Get ready for our 1st pep rally of the year with our Welcome Back to The Grove HOWDY RALLY!! We are excited to welcome back our World Famous MC Coach DBL G AND we are bringing back the crowd favorite DFW DJ Productions team this year!

If you are a new student or incoming Freshman it would be great to see you on BOTH nights of our Walk your Schedule event this year! This will give you an opportunity to make sure you know where you classes are before the start of school on August 13!

Of course, ALL our Wildcats are welcome to attend both or either night! Schedules will be released in Skyward sometime at the beginning of August. We will share a more firm date as we get closer to the start of school

Legacy Studios is pleased to be Walnut Grove High School’s official Senior portrait photographer. Schedule your appointment today! Senior appointment availability is opened one set of dates at a time, so please check the website periodically for updated information. Your school has specific yearbook deadlines for senior portrait submission and your senior portrait schedule is based on those deadlines. Scheduling your session as soon as possible will ensure that you secure a spot in the yearbook and allows ample time for retakes, if desired. By signing up early, you will have the advantage of more options and flexibility in choosing the image that best represents you. Your senior yearbook portraits= No sitting fee for graduation only requirements. Two (2) photos will be required for your senior yearbook submission: 1. A traditional head and shoulder pose in the required formal attire 2. A cap and gown photo (specific Walnut Grove cap and gowns are provided by Legacy Studios during the session)

Parents please take a moment to join our PTO! This amazing team supports our staff throughout the year and we want to continue to show our love and appreciation for our amazing teachers. Just click on the link below to join!

Senior Parents,

It is time to order Senior Yard Signs! These are the official signs that support the Class of 2025 Graduation Celebration.

All signs are 24" round corrugated plastic and come on a metal post.

Orders will be delivered, so please verify you have entered the correct mailing address.

https://projectcelebration.membershiptoolkit.com/

Thank you,

Prosper ISD Graduation Celebration

Lori Puckett

Co-President

Graduation Celebration 2025

We have made a wish list to better showcase the types of materials that are used by our students in the innovation lab. We will accept items in new or used condition.

Email: datoth@prosper-isd.net
Website: https://www.prosper-isd.net/Domain/6843
Location: 3500 E First St, Prosper, TX, USA
Phone: 469-219-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WalnutGroveHS/
Twitter: @WalnutGroveHS