Panther Print for Parents 🐾

I am hoping that you were able to take time last weekend to come and see this year's spring musical. It was a wonderful performance. The students and staff who dedicated the last couple of months of their lives to this production are truly appreciated!

STUDENTS: Chris Parkhurst, Lilly Summers, Eider Fernandez, Susannah Weckwerth, Nolan Weckwerth, Sarah Leoni, Sienna Harris, Leanna Lovell, Gabby Wisdom, Vivienne Sexton, Alissa Briley, Claire Moore, Sophie Grear, Riley Preston, Coral McGuffey, Bella Clark, Ariana Elsworth, Mya Hood, Lilliana Kirby, and all of the art student who contributed to the set design.

STAFF: Tami Brush, Jen Hollandsworth, Mary Sibley, Marcella Hunt, Jessica Tyler

COMMUNITY MEMBERS: Chris Harris (parent), John Oliphant (board member), Ella Harris (2024 grad), Amy Lovell (parent), Angie Harris (parent), Melanie Leoni (parent)

Students who are dual enrolled at LMC, get admission for free and may not know this.

We have some Watervliet past and present in this production! Sienna Harris, Ella Harris, and Ben Farac.

Tickets are $15 general admission and $5 for students under 18.

LMC students, faculty, and staff are admitted free. Tickets are available at www.TheMendelCenter.com/events

https://www.lakemichigancollege.edu/about/news-events/2025-02/lake-michigan-college-visual-performing-arts-department-present-rockin

If your child has a concern regarding anyone's safety in the building (student or staff), the Panther Hotline is an anonymous way to report the information to the building principal immediately. It is always preferred that the student come to the office to talk face to face about the concern, however if that is not possible, the Panther Hotline is the best way to get the information to building administration immediately. All students have been emailed this link. It is also posted around the school building.

https://forms.gle/iy8Nep5DZDjZYwsF7

The Debate Class recently completed a Public Forum Debate. Public forum competes with teams taking part in constructive speeches, rebuttal speeches, summaries, and final focuses. Included in the debate is "crossfire" in which debaters question and poke holes in each other's logic and reasoning. Students discovered that while rebuttals are difficult, it forces them to listen actively to their opponent's framework and develop their critical thinking skills. The two winning teams include: Team #! with a resolution that "AI does more harm than good": Hanna Ice, Lily Collins, Joseph Stanisci, and Jackie Brito-Lorenzo. Team #2 with a resolution "Intelligence is more important than creativity": Bryce Teitsma, Liam Allerman, and Taylor Green. The class will compete next in the Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

Spanish 1 classes have spent the week creating their personal superhero and then writing sentence (in Spanish) about their hero. This was a lesson in understanding the two different verbs that mean “to be”, ser and estar, we learned when to use one over the other. Our students are so talented!!

We are currently learning thermochemistry and determining how heat transfers differently between different materials. We did a lab where the students got to design their own insulation to try and retain heat as well as a lab where they calculated specific heat.

Monday and Tuesday with Mr. Arter.

Tuesday and Thursday with Mrs. Hunt.

Monday and Tuesday with Mr. Dimino (math).

STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION HOME AT 4 PM.

REPORT TO THE TEACHER'S CLASSROOM BY 3:15 PM.

STUDENTS CAN MEET WITH ANY TEACHER FOR ASSISTANCE--NOT JUST THE TEACHERS THEY HAVE IN CLASS.

Seniors who wish to earn community service honor cords to be worn at graduation must complete and submit those 40 hours to Teri in the main office no later than Friday, April 25th. You may obtain Community Service Forms in the office.

Math myth number 3 from Sarah Stecher

3. Math skills are being made obsolete with calculators, computers, AI, etc.

This is often the argument made by students questioning the relevance of what they’re learning. The “you won’t always have a calculator” argument has been by and large abolished in today’s technological age, which is likely the motivator for this perpetuated myth.

Kernel of truth: If math is taking inputs, executing an algorithm, and spitting out an answer, then yes, technology can do the job for us.

Why it’s a myth: Humans are much more than calculators. Calculators don’t have discretion; they don’t make choices. They do exactly what they’re told and only that. They are not creative; they do not form conjectures or pose new problems. They can easily understand commands like “If _____, then do ____.” But they don’t ask “What if…?”. Technology may produce data, but it cannot interpret the data or use the data to create change.

Why this myth is problematic: As with many of the above myths, this myth perpetuates ideas about math being primarily about calculations, which is a distorted and limited perspective. Mathematics is collaborative and deeply human.

Earth Science Students are working on an Engineering Tomorrow Project.

Bridges: A Key Engineering Concept in Our Classroom Projects

Bridges are an essential part of our everyday lives, and they come in all shapes and sizes! Whether large or small, every bridge follows the same basic design principles to ensure it can safely carry heavy loads.

In our current project, students are learning how engineers balance forces to keep stresses and strains within safe limits. They are exploring how compression and tension work throughout a bridge structure, especially under the most extreme conditions.

Understanding the relationship between stress and strain is crucial when choosing the right materials and design for building a bridge. This knowledge is helping students develop their skills in engineering and design, as they dive into real-world applications of science and math.

We are excited to see how they apply these concepts and come up with innovative solutions in their bridge projects!

Because Ms. Powers has hosted 4 other parent informational meetings in March, there is no PAC meeting this month. Look for one at the end of April. The PAC is an opportunity for parents to meet with Ms. Powers, ask questions, share concerns, and learn about what is happening at the high school. All high school parents are invited.

We do not want your child to come back from spring break to find bugs or rotten food in a locker. Please encourage your child to bring everything home from a locker before spring break. Just to help with that, students can earn a clean locker ticket from any teacher this week.

Team 9758 Pantron-X completed their regular season in their second of two competitions.

The first competition was at St. Joseph sponsored by Whirlpool against 40 teams from across the state - many of which compete not just at the Michigan State Championships but Worlds as well. This past weekend was the Berrien Springs Invitational sponsored by Edgewater Automation also against 35 teams from across the state. The team's trajectory is pointed upward and improved not just from event to event but year to year. We are currently ranked 99th in the state (out of 529 teams).

We now wait until the final competitions complete over the next few weeks to see if we qualify for state competition.

I am just so proud of this team and the GRIT they showed during adversity and just how far they have come in just one year. We proved once again, in just 2 short years that we can hang with some of the best. We want to continue to cultivate and grow this program.

St. Joseph Competition Mar. 6-8

Record : 5-6-1

Ranked 22nd out of 40 teams

Selected as the 2nd pick on Alliance 4 - eliminated in the 3rd game of the playoffs

Berrien Springs Invitational Mar. 14-16

Record : 7-5

Ranked 15th out of 35 teams

Selected as the 1st pick for Alliance 6 - eliminated in 2nd game of playoffs by a single point

Received the Gracious Professionalism award

Description of Gracious Professionalism Award

Celebrates outstanding demonstration of FIRST Core Values such as continuous Gracious Professionalism and working together both on and off the playing field.

Definition of Gracious Professionalism

• Gracious Professionalism is part of the ethos of FIRST. It’s a way of doing things that encourages high-quality work, emphasizes the value of others, and respects individuals and the community.

• with Gracious Professionalism, fierce competition and mutual gain are not separate notions.

Gracious professionals learn and compete like crazy, but treat one another with respect and kindness in the process. They avoid treating anyone like losers. No chest thumping tough talk, but no sticky-sweet platitudes either. Knowledge, competition, and empathy are comfortably blended.

This is the currency of robotics.

Friday, March 21

5:00 PM Girls Varsity Soccer vs Constantine at Watervliet High School

2:00 PM Varsity Boys and Girls Track at Grand Valley State University

Monday, March 24

4:30 PM High School Track Meet vs Bridgmen, Fennville, Michigan Lutheran at Watervliet HS

4:00 / 6:00 PM JV Softball vs Hartford at Watervliet HS

4:00 / 6:00 PM Varsity Softball vs Harford at Hartford HS

Tuesday, March 25

5:00 PM Varsity Soccer vs Schoolcraft at Watervliet HS

Wednesday, March 26

4:30 PM Varsity Baseball vs Dowagiac High School at Dowagiac HS

7:00 PM Student Advisory Council to the Principal meeting location High School Media Center

Varsity Most Valuable Player: Jacob Pleyer

Varsity Defensive Player of the Year: Jacob Querfurth

Varsity We Over Me Leadership Award: Owen Epple

JV Maroon Most Improved Player: Jessie Desjardin

JV Maroon We Over Me Leadership Award: Aaron Alvarado

JV White Most Improved Player: Kevin Johnson

JV White We Over Me Leadership Award: Ayden Domingo

This presentation will be repeated to all students with an IEP or 504 plan this coming Monday at 2:15 PM (7th hour) We will make an announcement during the passing time for any students with an IEP or a 504 plan who want to hear this information to report to the media center for the presentation. This will be counted as a school related absence from class. If you have a student with an IEP or a 504 plan, please encourage him/her to attend this session, especially if you have a junior or a senior. Thank you.

Come look at all of the great projects that high school students have been creating in their Industrial Arts classes across the Southwest Michigan Area. We could use your help judging the projects on Thursday May 1st from 5:30-8:00pm. Please email Allen.steele@watervlietps.org

All juniors will participate in SAT prep in March 25th in both their English and Math classes courtesy of a program called Superior Tutoring. All juniors should be in school this day to receive this free support.

Some of the items to be covered in English and Reading are:

semi colons

periods

colons

indirect quotes

commas

closing phrases

connectors

subject/verb agreements

who/whom

possessives

modifiers

Some of the items to be covered in math are:

triangles

distance

slope

midpoints

equations

drawing out figures

perimeter

sin/cosine/tan

ratios

factoring

and lots of testing tips

How to Compare Financial Aid Offers Video for Students and Families

As colleges and universities begin processing and sending award offers to students, we thought it would be helpful to share a short video created by MiLEAP's Office of Higher Education. We know award offers can be confusing, so the How to Compare Financial Aid Offers video is focused on helping students and families understand and compare award offers in order to find the best financial fit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWwrVquMAYQ&t=9s

Mr. Coburn can also meet with seniors and families to compare and discuss financial aid offers.

Kelsey’s Law Scholarship Provider: MichiganAutoLaw.com
Amount: $2,000
# of winners: 4

MIR Foundation Academic Scholarship Provider: Big Future
Amount: $1,500
# of winners: Varies

MAPA Educational Development Scholarship Provider: Big Future
Amount: $1,000
# of winners: 1

Char Doerr Memorial Scholarship Provider: Shamrock Invitational
Amount: $2,000
# of winners: 1

Michigan Retailers Association Scholarship Provider: Michigan Retailers Association
Amount: $3,500
# of winners: 13

Darooge Family Scholarship Provider: Grand Rapids Community Foundation
Amount: Varies
# of winners: Varies

Ernest J. Bohn Education Scholarship Provider: North Central Regional Council (NCRC)
Amount: $1,000
# of winners: Varies

MI NAHRO Scholarship Provider: National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO).
Amount: $500
# of winners: Varies

Wallace and Joann Ozog Scholarship Provider: Big Future
Amount: Varies
# of winners: Varies

download full list (csv) SEE LIST ON GOING MERRY

https://gifted.msu.edu/

Officer Thornsbury grew up in Kalamazoo, Michigan and graduated from Kalamazoo Central. After high school, he served in the US Army for eight years. During that time he was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. After his military service, Officer Thornsbury worked at both Kalamazoo Public Safety and Benton Harbor.

As the school resource officer for 8 years now in Watervliet, he is responsible for the safety and security of all of the schools buildings, both inside and out. He also serves as a teacher, mentor, advocates for students, participates in bike rodeos, and also particpates in the impact Watervliet projects.

In his free time, Officer Thornsbury, likes to build legos, fish, and participate in community service opportunities.

He is proud to be a WHS Panther because of the sense of community that we have with people always looking out for each other. He also enjoys seeing positive changes in our students over time.

You might be surprised to know that Officer Thornsbury was a cheerleader in high school and also had the opportunity to sing for former President, Bill Clinton as a part of a national Honor's Choir.

Prom's theme is "Light up the Night"

Tickets are $40 each. Seniors are free if they paid their dues. There will be a S'mores and Pretzel bar available also. Prom is at Union & Social in Saint Joseph from 8-11pm on May 10th. Freshmen are not permitted to attend. Sophomores can attend as a guest of a Junior or a Senior. Guest forms should be picked up in the main office and returned. WAY students can only attend as a guest of a WHS Junior or Senior.

Student Council is selling braided bread, cinnamon rolls, and pretzels as our only fundraiser this school year! Please visit our store at https://store.myfundraisingplace.com/ab55055d-3819-41b5-af78-a193728e07d9 to support Student Council. All orders are due on March 31.

Your child met with Mrs. Dawson to plan for next year's schedule. The four year plan that you see below must have your signature on it when students return it to the counseling office. Students had 48 hours to input their scheduling requests electronically. Additionally you can see all of the electives below that students have to choose from for the 25-26 school year. If you have any questions or concerns about your child's potential schedule, please reach out to Mrs. Dawson, our school counselor at jdawson@watervlietps.org.

Are you interested in getting FREE ADMISSION to ALL FALL 2025 HOME ATHLETIC EVENTS??? If so, here is how you can earn it!

• You must be a current 9th, 10th, or 11th grader.
• You must play a Spring sport at WHS this year. (Spring 2025)
• Spring Sports include: Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, Golf, and Girls Soccer
• You must maintain a spot on the roster of your respective team at the end of the season.
• Students who are removed, kicked off, or cut from a team will not receive free tickets.
• Any student who attempts to join a team after the first week of practice (after 3/14) will not receive free tickets.
• You must not be suspended from school at anypoint this spring.
• You must be enrolled at WHS for the 2025-26 school year.

If you successfully meet all of those requirements, the athletic department will issue you a season pass good for ALL HOME FALL ATHLETIC EVENTS (excluding any post-season tournaments we host.) Home Fall Athletic Events include: Cross Country, Boys Soccer, Football, and Volleyball. Passes will be good for MS, JV, and Varsity events. Passes will be issued in August, 2025.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

As we approach Spring, it is time to think about your students scheduling plans for the 2025-2026 school year. During this and next week, I will be in the English classrooms to go over schedule options for next school year with. your student. At that time students will be given a high school graduation checklist, —a snapshot of their high school. transcript listing classes that they have passed, failed, or still need to take, a copy of their Graduation Progress. Report and a list of classes that will be offered in the new school year. Students will be guided through manually. auditing their transcripts against the graduation checklist and then be asked to make informed decisions concerning. the upcoming school year based on the graduation requirements that they still need to complete. Students will have

two days to submit their official requests within PowerSchool allowing them time to bring the above listed items home. and discuss them with you before submitting their final requests. The graduation checklist requires a parent/guardian. signature and will come home on the day that I am in your students' English class, so please be on the lookout for. this document. Additionally, course offerings are listed on the back of the graduation checklist and can be found in

our Course Catalog which is posted on the school website at:

https://www.watervlietps.org/o/high-school/page/student-services.

Here are the dates that I will be in English classes:

Freshman - March 6th, 2025 (schedule requests to be submitted in PS by March 10th)

Sophomores - March 10th, 2025 (schedule requests to be submitted in PS by March 12th)

Juniors - March 11th, 2025 (schedule requests to be submitted in PS by March 13th)

Once schedule requests are submitted, I will work through meeting with students individually to resolve any questions. concerning scheduling. With that being said, please feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns with. your students schedule for the upcoming school year. Students can additionally email to set up a time with me to go. over scheduling questions.

As you consider your students schedule for next year please account for the following graduation requirements:

● 4 credits of Mathematics (or a math related course senior year)

● 4 credits of English

● 3 credits of Science (a 4

th year is encouraged for those attending a four year college; this can be an

additional year of Chemistry, Physics, Advanced Placement Biology, Anatomy & Physiology )

● 3 credits of Social Studies

● 1 credit of Fine Arts (band, choir, art, woods or Van Buren Tech Center or Berrien CTE 11th or 12th grades)

● 1 credit of PE/Health

● 2 consecutive credits of the same Foreign Language (we offer Spanish at WHS or online foreign language

courses for 10, 11, 12 with a qualifying GPA)

● 24 total credits are required to earn a Watervliet High School Diploma

Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns and be advised that requests are not final schedules and are. subject to be adjusted based on student need to complete graduation requirements or due to student/parent request.

Thanks,

Jamie Dawson

jdawson@watervlietps.org

269-463-0735

Watervliet High School Counselor

SUMMER LEADERSHIP CAMP REGISTRATION IS OPEN!

High School Camp
(Grades 9-12)
Dates: July 20-25, 2025 at Albion College
Investment: $525 per camper

Middle Level Camp
(Grades 7-8)
Dates: July 15-18, 2025 at Albion College
Investment: $250 per camper

Register Here! https://mascmahs.org/camp/register/

DON'T WAIT!
Registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Camp registration will close once capacity is reached for each level.

Mar 10th Local scholarship applications available

Mar 27th Deadline for Teacher Pie in the Face for FAFSA completion

Mar 28th Senior picture due to yearbook

April 11th Local scholarship applications due

April 17th--NO SCHOOL FOR SENIORS DUE TO TESTING INTHE BUILDING

April 25th community service hours are due to Mrs. Richcreek to wear a cord at graduation

May 5th Decision Day 10 am auditorium DATE CHANGE!!

May 5th Memory Board Poster due to the HS

May 6th Senior class photos due for Baccalaureate presentation

May 10th Prom 8-11 PM Union and Social St. Joe

May 11th After Prom 12 AM -5:30 AM Mishawaka

May 14th Senior Scholarship/Academic Awards 6 PM Auditorium

May 16th Graduation speeches are due to Ms. Powers for review

May 20-23 Senior Exams

May 21st Senior check-out sheets are due to Mrs. Richcreek

May 23rd 3:10 Deadline for grades and passing all classes to walk at graduation

May 23rd All fees and fines due

May 23rd 10 AM process through school buildings

May 23rd Car Parade 4 PM Old Mill Site

May 23rd Senior Sunset Silver Beach

May 28th Baccalaureate 6 PM Auditorium

May 29th Senior Field Day

May 29th Senior Picnic 2 PM

May 29th Graduation Practice 3:15 PM in the media center (required in order to walk at graduation)

May 30th Graduation– Students meet in the media center by 5:30 PM; group photos begin at 5:45 sharp, graduation start at 6:30 PM in the stadium

SENIORS PICTURES FOR THE YEARBOOK!

It's time to submit Senior Portraits to ring in the 2025 graduates in our Yearbook. Our deadline is March 28, 2005 (Spring Break)

Please upload your portraits through https://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=49098

Senior portraits must be a VERTICAL headshot, but hands and/or upper body may be visible if desired. No props, hats that obscure the face, or distracting backgrounds, please.

Portraits must be of professional quality, at least 300 DPI, and 500 KB or larger. We CANNOT accept screenshots, proofs, links to photographer’s websites or portraits with the photographer’s logo.

Below is a help in navigating the upload process.

We will take a group of interested students by school bus on this trip. Look for a permission slip in the guidance office soon.

We are excited to announce that 2025 Yearbooks are now on sale. Dec. 1 - 20.

Discounted presale price is $45 which includes a free name stamp on the cover. Students may purchase during school from a yearbook staff member or Mrs. Brant. Make checks payable to Watervliet Public Schools.

Yearbooks can also be purchased online through this link: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/2956

After Dec. 20, yearbooks will be $50 and optional name stamps an additional $5.

Mr. Coburn is the Michigan Adviser college adviser that is assigned to work with seniors in both the Watervliet and Coloma school districts. He has already met with each Senior at least one time this year in order to establish how can assist each in achieving their plans for life after high school. Seiors and their parents can meet with him as needed. Feel free to reach out to him at christopher.coburn@watervlietps.org.

Do you want to know more about our standards based learning and grading initiative? Be sure to visit our informational page that explains how we assess and grade in the standards based system. If you have questions, please be sure to speak with your student's teacher or principal.

Each week of the school year, the faculty at the high school will review with your child the expectations in one area of the building. The purpose of teaching and reviewing these expectations with your child is to 1. Make sure they understand the expectations in the building and 2. Assist them in having success at the high school. Please review the expectations below with your child. The expectations below will be reviewed during this coming week.

Parent/guardian input and feedback is always important at the high school. We are always in search of parents to serve on the Student Advisory Council to the Principal for the 24-25 school year. All meetings are held in person. Any high school parent is welcome to attend anytime. Mark your calendar now to attend these meetings and provide your input. All meetings are held at 7 PM in the high school media center.

April 30

May 21