The WJHS Panther Update

I hope you are having a wonderful summer and are enjoying it with friends and family. It's hard to believe it's the beginning of August. Where did the time go?

We hosted our annual ice cream social on Wednesday for incoming 6th-graders and new students.

If you weren't able to attend, do not worry, teachers will be available to assist students with their supplies, lockers, and navigation on the morning of the first day. We strongly suggest you have your student practice opening their locks at home so the transition to using their locker at school will be easier for them.

Maps of the school were given out at this social. For safety purposes, we do not post them online and ask that families do not, as well. If you did not attend the social, you can stop by our office to pick up a copy.

We want to welcome our newest staff members to our WJHS family.

Rebecca Borg is our new ESL/Spanish teacher. Josh McLeod will be teaching 8th-grade math. Jonathan Ruth will join our special education department, and Christine Knight will take over the duties of a school nurse.

We also have Heidi Nardini and Curtis Green Saunders, already a staff member of CUSD201, joining us for part of the day teaching 8th-grade Integrated math.

We are thrilled to have you join our team and look forward to the unique contributions you will bring to WJHS. Welcome aboard!

As we transition from summer to another new school year, I want to share some helpful information about WJHS. Some of this information covers the basics, and some will be new. Whether you are a new or returning family, I encourage you to take the time to read it thoroughly and save it for future reference.

Consistent daily attendance at school is crucial for achieving success. in all aspects of a student's education. In CUSD 201, we strive for students to miss five (5) or fewer days throughout the school year. Students cannot learn if they are not in school to access their education.

In 2023-2024, Westmont Junior High School students showed unprecedented academic growth and success across the content areas.

At Westmont Junior High School, we are proud to report that our students have the lowest chronic absenteeism rate in CUSD 201, a clear indication of our dedication to student attendance.

The data is clear - WJHS students come to school every day. The benefits of maximizing access to daily high-quality instruction are shown across the board, from classroom assessments to iReady to IAR.

Legitimate absences happen, but instances of chronic absenteeism should be rare.

Please familiarize yourself with the Attendance information in the WJHS Student Handbook on page 4. Additionally, please review the school calendar which provides ample time to plan vacations with family without missing time at school.

Thank you for supporting your students in their academic endeavors. We look forward to our continued partnership as we prepare them for the journey ahead!

Registration for returning CUSD 201 families is processed through Skyward Family Access and is now done online.

For all new students, please contact the individual schools your student will be attending. For more information and registration documents, visit our registration page on our District website at https://www.cusd201.org/about/registration.

Student schedules are now available in Skyward. Please note that as we are still a couple of weeks away from the start of the year, circumstances may arise that cause a student's schedule to change. We understand that the student schedule is important and will do our very best to minimize disruption once released while best serving the needs of the students and the school.

If you would like a paper copy, you can stop in the school office Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 3 PM, and one will be provided.

Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri. - 8:20 AM -3:12 PM (we ask students to arrive by 8:15 AM at the latest) and Wed. - 8:20 AM -2:14 PM for Professional Learning Community days. The doors open for all students at 7:45 AM. Please check our school calendar on our website for non-attendance and SIP days.

Our first day back is Wednesday, August 14.

We like to celebrate our first day back to school in a BIG way. If you drop your student off, you will see a blue carpet rolled out for students to walk on, music playing, staff members clapping our students into the school, and First Responders from our Village greeting everyone before the school day starts. Both fire and police vehicles will be in the parking lot at drop-off. This is normal protocol for us, it is not an emergency.

Parent/ Guardian Volunteers for the First Day

We are in need of parent volunteers on the first day of school from 7:40-8:30 to assist us in handing out schedules to our students who may have forgotten them at home. Bring a friend and we will pair you together at a grade level table. If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Sue Maloney, our Principal Secretary, at smaloney@cusd201.org.

This is scheduled for Wed. Aug 21. Make sure you come ready to take your picture!

Health Requirements - All incoming 6th-grade students need a physical and dental exam. Any student who will be participating in after-school sports will need a physical. More information and health forms can be found in the registration link.

We communicate in several ways. Our district and school website is the first place we encourage you to visit regularly. Our calendar is listed there and is the source of truth for all things happening at WJHS. We also have a Facebook page for WJHS; however, please know that we do not answer questions on our FB page. FB is used for one-way communication only. Our PTO also has a FB page. I send out a Smore newsletter every Friday via text and email. Please update your information in Skyward so that you receive it. Staff communicates via email, phone, Otus, and Skyward.

If you are looking for general information about the school, school day, activities, etc..., our front office at 630-468-8200 is always open and ready to assist. Any of our Administrative Assistant staff in the front office are happy to help you.

Please call the attendance line at 630- 468-8291 if you need to report an absence.

If you are looking for more specific information, the staff is responsible for the following:

Kelly Smith - Registration, attendance, busing and general information

Sabrina Reimann - Athletics, Student Council, student schedules, general information

Sue Maloney - Principal's Administrative Assistant, general information

Here is the 24/25 WJHS Supply List. The supply list can also be found on our school website.

Please note the P.E. uniform requirements as we have updated them this year. If you need to purchase a uniform, they can be purchased directly through Holy Cow Sports. in Downers Grove.

All students will have a District-issued Chromebook to use during and after school. Students will sign a Technology Agreement (AUP) after they review our Handbook policies with us at school on Friday, Aug. 16th.

Bus routes and pick-up/drop-off times will be emailed to you as soon as they are finalized. We do not post our routes or stops online for safety purposes. We offer after-school buses for clubs and sports student attendees. They leave WJHS at 4:15 PM and 5:00 PM. After-school bus routes are NOT the same as our regular bus routes. Students must tell the driver the address and cross the street. Please check with your student to make sure they know both their address and their nearest cross streets and your cell phone number.

Students can have their cell phones on them during school but must keep them stowed away during classes and hallway passing periods. Cell phones can be used in the Commons at the supervisors' discretion. If a student's cell phone is seen during class, they will receive a warning to put it away. A second warning (on any given day after the 1st warning) will result in the student's cell phone being sent to the office to be picked up by the student at the end of the day. A third warning will result in the cell phone being left in the office and picked up by the parent/guardian at the end of the school day. This is school policy.

Backpacks cannot be carried in school due to limited space in some of our classrooms. Trapper Keeper-type binders that have straps on them are welcome, as they do fit under the students' desks. We recommend to all students that they grab their morning belongings out of their locker before the morning bell rings and then switch them out for their afternoon belongings at lunchtime. This system keeps students organized and has them carrying minimal items in their hands.

We understand that styles change as well as the weather. Tank tops can be worn, but shirts that expose the midriff area are prohibited. If a student has a midriff that is exposed, we will ask them to put a garment on over it or to change it into a different shirt. Complete information can be found in our WJHS Handbook on our school website.

If your student needs to store and/or take their medicine at school, a parent/guardian must sign off on a CUSD 201 medication form. All students must have a pass from a classroom teacher to visit the nurse. If a child is ill and needs to go home, this must be cleared through the nurse and communication must occur between the family and our nurse, Ms. Knight.

We provide daily agendas to students to keep them organized. We encourage them to use them.

Each year, WJHS staff explain our behavioral expectations during a day we like to call "Standards Day" on Fri., Aug. 16. Our three overarching expectations are to Be Responsible, Respectful, and Safe. Please ask your students what that means to them and what they learned on Standards Day.

WJHS believes in the power of volunteerism. Students must complete 36 hours of volunteer time during their years at WJHS to walk the stage at graduation. SSLC tracking forms can be found on our school website and must be completed by the student through their school email account. Outside emails, such as parent emails, will not work.

Students can earn hours in many ways, both in and out of school. If your child has already started volunteering this summer, those hours count! Just ensure they add them to our online tracker on our website under the Student Resource tab.

Our School Resource Officer for the district is Detective Jeremy Durst. He helps to keep us safe and also runs our Jr. Citizen's Police Academy in the fall. More information to come.

If your student(s) need extra help after school, we provide a homework club supervised by staff to help them. The club meets after school until 4:15 PM every day, but Wed. We provide busing to take students home.

Each morning, our Student Council begins announcements over the intercom at approximately

8:17 AM. Students must be in school on time to hear them, as this is where we advertise sports tryouts, upcoming dates, and any other important information relevant to our Panther's Day.

Parents can view the daily announcements on the WJHS website. We suggest you bookmark it to easily access daily happenings at the Jr. High.

Our fabulous PTO put together a New Parent Guide for all new families. We will have paper copies available at the Ice Cream Social. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tt5ctod4x-3q-w1WVXeb9YE9PzINJuIKQVK4abM7rHM/edit?usp=sharing

Locker numbers have been assigned. Students' main locker numbers can be found on the top of students' schedules in Skyward. PE lockers will be assigned to students on the first few days of PE class. Returning students will use the same locks they used in previous years. If they have lost their locks, they can purchase new ones at school on the first day. New students to WJHS (including 6th graders) who did not attend the Ice Cream Social can pick up at the school office Mon.- Fri. 8:00 AM-3:00 PM. beginning Aug. 1. If you have a returning student who lost their locks new locks can be purchased in the front office for $7 each.

If you will be dropping off and/or picking up your student, please adhere to the signs on Oakwood and Blackhawk Dr. that indicate where you can and cannot park while waiting for your student. Safety is our utmost concern and you must follow the law. Remember, failure to adhere to the signs may result in a ticket from the Westmont Police Department.

This is a reminder that you cannot stop or idle on Oakwood Dr. north of our school or anywhere on Blackhawk Dr. when picking up your student after school. If you arrive early and cannot fit in the drive-through, please park on a side street, drive past the school, and park, or drive around until your student is ready to be picked up in front of the school.

WJHS will be hosting Curriculum Night on Thursday. Sept. 5th. Additional information will be emailed out in the next couple of weeks.

For the 2024-2025 school year, incoming 6th, 7th, and 8th-grade students are asked to read one book over the summer and to provide evidence of their comprehension when they return to school in the fall.

**New students to the district do not have to participate.

Click on the preferred language link below and download it.

Once you do, it will open a document like the one pictured below. That document will give you the three book options to read. Three clickable links within that document will allow you to:

-Sign up for the book of your choice

-View your evidence and choice board- English Spanish Ukrainian

-Submit your evidence in English/Spanish

Please look over the three book choices and choose your adventure, but choose wisely. You can only select one. Select a slot based on your book selection and click the sign-up button.

Do you still need to purchase the book? Click on the picture of your book, and it will take you to an Amazon link where you can purchase it.

Boys baseball round 2 tryouts will be on Aug. 6, @ 4 PM. (You must have completed round 1 to attend).

Tryouts for girls' softball will be on the second day of school, Thurs. Aug. 15 and Fri. Aug 16th from 3:15 PM - 5:15 PM. If you enjoy softball, come out and give it a try!

WOW - I know that was a lot of information to digest, and I appreciate you hanging in until the end. It is always nerve-wracking sending your students back to school, especially if it is new to them. Don't worry, we've got this - together! I look forward to my fourth year as Principal of WJHS and am excited to get to know every one of you.

Sincerely,
Amy Quattrone

WJHS Principal