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The Wolverine Word

Monthly Community Newsletter -- vol. 1, ed. 4

The Wolverine Word Monthly Community Newsletter -- vol. 1, ed. 4

A Note from Dr. Archambeau

Good afternoon, Wolverine Families!


There is a lot of information in this month's newsletter that pertains to the remainder of this semester and into next semester. Please be sure to read through the newsletter in its entirety to be sure you keep up with all things West!


It's officially Thanksgiving Break! I hope you all have a great week filled laughter, love, and good food!! Safe travels to those heading out of town!


We will see your students back here on Monday, December 2nd!!


Gulo Gulo!


Dr. Aaron Archambeau


Follow us to keep up-to-date with all things West Forsyth!

West Forsyth HS Website

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West Forsyth HS Twitter - the link is currently not working; to find us on Twitter/X, search @WestForsythHigh

West Forsyth HS Instagram

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West Forsyth HS Counseling Dept Instagram

West Forsyth HS Athletics Twitter

West Forsyth Community Schools Facebook

Midterm Exam Schedule

Please see the Midterm Exam Schedule below. If your student misses an exam, the exam make-up date is January 3rd at 9 AM in the cafe. Make-up exams must be started by 10:30 AM in order for students to have the appropriate amount of time to finish their exams. If you have questions, please reach out to your student’s teacher(s).

2025 - 2026 Course Registration Timeline

Course registration for is right around the corner! Please see the important dates below. More details will be sent in messenger and in the December Community Newsletter.

Peer Tutoring

In preparation for Midterm Exams, we will be offering peer tutoring every Monday in December during Wolverine Time. To attend, students must sign up for Ms. Carder’s session in Student Support Time.

2nd Quarter Grading Window - Due Date for Late/Missing Work

When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we only have three weeks remaining in the Fall Semester! Please be aware that if your student has any missing or make-up work for a course during the second nine weeks, it must be turned in by Wednesday, December 11th. Missing or make-up work that is not turned in by December 11th will be marked as a zero in the gradebook. This late or make-up work will not be accepted after Wednesday, December 11th.


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 and Support Staff of the Month Winners

One of the best parts of my job is having the opportunity to recognize the staff members in our building for a job well done! Each month we collect ICON Teacher of the Month (TOTM) and ICON Support Staff of the Month nominations from students, faculty/staff members, parents, and community members.


Nominations are grouped by month and the person with the greatest number of nominations each month is named our Teacher and/or Support Staff of the Month. Our Teacher of the Year is selected from among our 10 ICON TOTM nominees from the previous school year. If you are named the Teacher of the Month during the 2024 - 25 school year, you will be a nominee for Teacher of the Year next year.


Congratulations to Chelsea Jacoby and Kelley Morawsky for winning the ICON Teacher and Support Staff awards for the month of October!


ICON Teacher of the Month - Chelsea Jacoby

  • Ms. Jacoby is new to West this year. I have seen her be Noble in that students from her previous school come by to visit her and she is always so welcoming to them asking about their weekends and classes.
  • Chelsea is involved and takes ownership in that she communicates with me constantly about how to engage her students with new and innovative resources.
  • Ms. Jacoby is compassionate: I saw her engaging a violin "stand off" over sheet music and it was very moving to see her and the student each playing an instrument.
  • Chelsea takes Ownership in that her students are encouraged to do their best and she wants them to feel safe in their, oftentimes, new environment and new country.
  • Ms. Jacoby goes above and beyond for us all the time....she is very noble and has compassion! She teaches us great lessons that are interactive and don’t make our minds get bored and restless. (Submission from a student)
  • Ms. Chelsea doesnt care about just school work she asks us about our personal lives and she makes sure our grades in her class are well she does everything in her power to help her students out and to make them feel special and welcome. (Submission from a student)


ICON Support Staff of the Month - Kelley Morawsky

  • Kelley exudes a great deal of compassion for the students she serves. They are always welcome in her office, she reaches out to them constantly via text or calls them in, and is aware of how they are doing socially, emotionally, and academically.
  • Mrs. Morawsky is literally a lifeline for many of our students.
  • Kelley is also involved in many of the "behind the scenes" things that go on within our building and does this all while working with our most at-risk students.
  • She goes above and beyond for our kids at west. She is involved in the school and their lives. She has compassion for each case as well!
  • Kelley is very involved in the lives of her students at many levels. She is a support that many of them do not have outside of school. She has much compassion for them.
  • Kelley takes ownership in that she makes the phone calls, visits the homes of our students, calls teachers and outside community members on their behalf.
  • She called Canada to track down a student. I mean, who does that?!?


Thank you to Chelsea Jacoby and Kelley Morawsky for being ICONs!

ICON Teacher and Support Staff of the Month Nominations

Do you or your student notice someone doing a great job this month? Take a moment to nominate them for November Teacher ICON of the Month and Support Staff ICON of the month! As a reminder, Support Staff includes secretaries, counselors, paraprofessionals, custodians, café workers, administrators, Instructional Coach, ETC, Media Specialist, Graduation Coach, Student Support Coordinator, and Athletic Director.


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.


Teacher of the Month Nomination Form


Support Staff of the Month Nomination Form


Thank you!

The Place of Forsyth's Holiday House

West Forsyth High School will once again be spreading cheer this year by collecting donations for those in need to support The Place of Forsyth’s Holiday House.


The holidays will soon be here, and The Place of Forsyth needs our help making the season a joyful event for those who need a little help. Last year, with the help of our generous community, the Holiday House provided gifts for over 2,000 children. They are expecting that number to increase again this year.


This joyful season, we would like to focus on gifts for teens (grades 6-12). A list of ideas is included. Gift cards are a great idea as well, but ALL gift donations are appreciated.


We will be accepting donations in the Counseling office as well as the front office from Monday, November 4th - Wednesday, December 4th. Students will also be accepting donations in the WFHS car line on the following dates/times:


  • Tuesday, November 12th from 8:00-8:30
  • Friday, November 17th from 8:00-8:30
  • Tuesday, November 19th from 8:00-8:30
  • Friday, November 22nd from 8:00-8:30
  • Tuesday, December 3rd from 8:00-8:30


All donations will be delivered to The Place on Thursday, December 5th. If you have any questions, please contact Sharon Ryles, WFHS Counselor, at: sryles@forsyth.k12.ga.us


Thank you so much for your support!

We are so proud to be part of this generous community!!!

United Way Campaign

It is time for our annual United Way Campaign! United Way helps to provide funding for Forsyth County students and families in need. This includes helping with costs for food, hygiene products, school supplies, field trips, clubs, tutoring, transportation, and so much more. To contribute to our campaign, please use the link below.


United Way Campaign - Donation Link


Our campaign ends December 15th, so we hope you consider contributing!

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 is being implemented 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 ensuring our students are adhering to this policy!

Attendance Matters!

While we understand absences are occasionally necessary for students, we implore our West families to make class attendance a priority. There are numerous reasons for this:


  1. School attendance is vital to academic success. The research behind academic achievement and school attendance is undisputable. Our state and district leaders put laws and policies in place to support this correlation.
  2. Our attendance rates impact our CCRPI scores. This means that we are evaluated, as a public school in Georgia, based on our attendance rates. West is a premiere school, and we want to maintain that standing.
  3. Our district publishes school calendars well in advance for families to make travel plans, and we have many long breaks throughout the year, in addition to a long summer, for extended trips.
  4. Student attendance is a spotlighted data point at the top of student transcripts for colleges to consider in the application review process. Colleges want students with healthy attendance practices.


Before asking the WFHS Attendance Office to excuse an absence, please consult the list of approved reasons, determined by state law and FCS Board Policy, HERE.

Tardies to School and Classes

Speaking of attendance.....we have a large number of students who are accumulating tardies, both to school and to classes within their school day. All students at West are expected to be in school and/or classes on time. This means that students are expected to be in the classroom before the tardy bell rings. Students who accumulate excessive tardies will receive disciplinary consequences. Below we have outlined more specific information about the progression of disciplinary consequences students will receive.


Consequences for Unexcused Tardy to Class (*cumulative total of tardies, not per class):

  • 5th - 6th Offense: Warning / parent phone call made by tardy team.

  • 8th – Offense: 1 day of Lunch detention assigned by tardy team

  • 10th - Offense: 2 days of Lunch detention assigned by tardy team

  • 12th Offense: referral to administrator – Friday Night School and parking warning for student drivers.

  • 15th Offense: referral to administrator - In School Suspension or possible one week suspension for student drivers.


After the 15th offense:

  • the consequence issued to a student will be at the discretion of administrator

  • Possible suspension of parking privilege for student drivers.


Please speak with your student(s) about the importance of getting to school and class on time. As the graph above shows, students who miss even a few minutes of class could be missing important instruction occurring in the class.


Thank you for your attention to this important matter!

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).


Car Rider Line

Thank you to those that are following our car rider line procedures because the flow of the car rider line has continued to improve week to week! The only thing I would like to continue to stress is the importance of not utilizing other parking lots to drop-off or pick-up your student(s). We have found parents/guardians parking in student parking spaces while waiting for their student(s) to be dismissed from school. As we have outlined below, drop-off or pick-up should only occur in the main lot off Drew Road. 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.

Out of District Information

If you are considering applying for an Out of District (OOD) application for your Rising 9th grader to attend high school at a location other than the one you are districted for, please be sure to thoroughly read the rules and guidelines outlined on the FCS website HERE.


OOD Requests will be marked ineligible if you request a pathway offered at your districted school. For instance, the Healthcare Cluster is now offered at all high schools with the exception of East Forsyth High School. So, a request, for example, to out-of-district from Forsyth Central High School to West Forsyth High School for the Healthcare Pathway is an ineligible request. Also, computer science is not a pathway and cannot be a reason for an out-of-district request. For a list of CTAE Pathway Availability at each school, please click HERE.


Once you have consulted all of the linked resources, if you still have questions, please direct them to the high school you are interested in attending. Please be aware that the portal closes Friday, November 29th.

New Meal Payment System

FCS Food & Nutrition website is the best source of information regarding school breakfast and lunch. To access, click here.


FCS has switched to MYSCHOOLBUCKS for student lunch accounts. Please click HERE for more information and to set up your account. We are happy to announce that meal prices will remain the same for three years in a row!


The application for Free and Reduced meals is available HERE.


Should you need any assistance, please reach out to our Assistant Cafeteria Manager, Susan Garmon at f40654@forsyth.k12.ga.us.

School Announcements

Students can find our school announcements within Canvas in their student information course. They can also be accessed by clicking here. Check them out so you can stay in the know!

Class of 2025 Information

The deadline to pay Senior Dues and order your child’s cap and gown is December 1, 2024. Failure to order by this date will result in an additional late fee and could delay delivery of your child’s graduation items. Please visit www.3rdascent.com to place your order and to pay online. You will need your child’s height and weight when placing the order. 3rd Ascent is currently running a Grad Swag Sale for all additional graduation swag. If you have any questions, please contact Donna Duncan at dduncan@forsyth.k12.ga.us.

Class of 2025 Yard Signs

For information regarding Senior Yard signs, please contact West Ink at west.ink.printing@gmail.com.

Yearbook Information

Yearbooks on Sale Now!

You can purchase your student’s yearbook at JostensYearbooks.com or WestForsythYearbook.com. Order early to save!


Reminder!!

Share student life pictures with the yearbook staff at westforsythyearbook.com or scan the QR code below.

WFHS PTO Updates

Here are the latest happenings from our wonderful PTO!


  • Winter Holiday Teacher Giveaway – It's the most wonderful time of year to show our teachers/staff some Holiday Cheer! WFHS PTO will be hosting a drawing for prizes at the Teacher and Staff Holiday Lunch on December 18, 2024. If would like to donate a gift card or money towards the purchase of items or gift cards or if you are a business owner who would like to donate items or gift cards, please sign up here. **Drop off all goods and gift cards to the front office, labeled ATTN: WHFS PTO, by December 13, 2024.**


  • We strongly encourage our Parents to sign up and pay for PTO memberships. All students are eligible for a PTO scholarship from 9th to 12th grade(s) when the application window opens next semester. More information to follow in the New Year, but students must be a registered and paid member by December 31st 2024 by 11:00 pm to be eligible for a scholarship. Please note - only *paid members are eligible to enter the essay contest.


  • PTO has joined and paid to be a member of the Forsyth County PTO/A Council. This means all students at West Forsyth High School are eligible to participate in the “Honoring Our Heroes Essay Contest” next year. More details to come from the Counseling Department!


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.

Tech Fair

Register now for the Tech Fair!

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


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)

Aaron Archambeau
Aaron is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters