Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for February 29
Hello WGHS Families,
Our son is now a junior at DePauw in Indiana where he is studying business and playing football. The school has been a wonderful fit for our son, and we are appreciative of the teachers and coaches that supported his development and this opportunity. Like most colleges, it is evolving to the needs of students and the world they will emerge into after graduation. It also has had a history of navigating fluctuations of well over a century of existence.
For several years prior to the pandemic, the school was rocked to its foundation during a period of required austerity and leadership tumult. After some time in the wilderness, one of the school's professors wrote an article ("DePauw’s Big Mess On Campus" by Lili Wright) that shared the story of the institution's reckoning with multiple issues. Her perspective relays the ultimate ability of the school to regain its storied stride:
“DePauw will find a solution. A new president will bring fresh energy and ideas. The remaining faculty members are devoted, and alumni still love the school—and open their wallets. The college just finished a fundraising campaign, netting $380 million. What’s more, DePauw rose 10 spots in the annual U.S. News & World Report rankings, landing back in the top 50. As the legendary English professor Raymond Pence liked to write on student papers: ‘This is too good not to be better.’ ”
This message resonated with me in that DePauw had some hurdles but was resolute in their beliefs and ultimately, optimistic in their outlook. It also tells of a recognition of where growth can and should occur. I shared the above quote with our faculty this week as I see many parallels with Webster Groves. We have realities, like any institution, we must navigate. Many are larger waves--not of our making--that crash into our bow and require steady seamanship. I am grateful for our leadership team and our staff to have the chance to be good and also seek better.
Best,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: AABCA
A Peek at the Week Ahead
- 3/4: Spring Parent Conferences, 4:30-8:30, in-person
- 3/5: Spring Parent Conferences, 4:30-8:30, virtual via Zoom
- 3/6: WG Orchestra Chamber Concert, 7pm, WG Presbyterian Church
Scholastic Art Winners
Congratulations to the following students who received recognition in the Scholastic Art Contest:
Anna Dorsey - Silver Key for "Front Porch" painting, and Honorable Mention for "Elegant Blue Webcap" Digital art
Gracie Giles - Silver Key for "Stitchwork" Oil Pastel on paper
Lily Justis - Honorable Mention for "Caffeine" Mixed Media on paper
Anna Pierce - Honorable Mention for "Clothed" Mixed Media on paper
Audrey Poppen - Honorable Mention for "Lake Lady" Mixed Media on paper
Sophia Wagnon - Gold Key for "I am not delicate" Mixed Media on board
They will be honored at the regional reception at the University of Iowa in March, our Gold key will go onto the national competition.
Legislative Updates
District families who would be interested in learning more about legislation being proposed that would impact public education, including our district, we’re providing you with two opportunities to do so.
First, we are hosting three in-person meetings on the following Fridays from 8-9 a.m. at our district service center (3232 S. Brentwood Blvd): March 8, April 5, and May 10. Participants will learn about bills that have been proposed and/or are working their way through the legislative process. If you plan to attend, please make sure to bring a drivers license or MO ID so that you can be checked in through our visitor management system.
Next, we’re going to be sending out a regular email which will allow you to get updates on education-related bills being presented and discussed in Jefferson City. In order to not overwhelm our readers, it’s our intent for this communication to be no more than 1-2 pages in length. For this reason, we will limit the number of bills included in the weekly update.
In addition to the weekly communication, we will also provide readers with special legislative “alerts” so that one can be informed when significant action has been taken with a bill. In order to receive these updates, you must sign up here. Only those who join will receive the weekly updates and alerts.
Spring Parent Conferences in March
Spring Parent Conferences are scheduled for March 4-5 and will be a combination of in-person and via Zoom. Conference times are below:
March 4: 4:30 - 8:30, in person
March 5: 4:30 - 8:30, virtual
We're looking forward to meeting with you.
This spring, conferences will be held in person on Monday evening and virtually via Zoom on Tuesday evening and Wednesday afternoon. All conferences are scheduled using PTCFast.com.
The purpose of the conference is to give parents and teachers an opportunity to discuss student progress and to work together to ensure student achievement. Parents should know the names of the teachers they wish to visit within each department. We urge you to schedule as many of your child’s teachers as time permits. Up to SEVEN minutes will be allotted for each conference.
We will be using the PTCFast system for scheduling conferences. Please see instructions below on how to schedule conference times.
As you prepare for conferences, here are some things to keep in mind:
- Teachers will call all parents who they have the greatest need to meet.
- Please check your child's progress online in the Parent Portal. This will assist in determining whether you need to schedule a conference/meet with a teacher.
- You may choose not to see all or any of your child's teachers, depending on their progress.
- For specific questions, an email to the teacher may suit your needs.
We look forward to meeting with you. If you desire more than the seven minutes allowed at these conferences, please set up an individual teacher conference by contacting the teacher directly.
How to Schedule Conferences with Your Child's Teachers
All conferences will be scheduled online using www.ptcfast.com (even in-person conferences on Monday evening). Please note that you must have a personal email account (ex. Yahoo, Hotmail, Gmail, etc.) in order to schedule a conference for your student. Conferences will be scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis. You must register your student for each teacher with whom you wish to meet.
- Please click on or enter the following web address into your browser window to get started: https://www.ptcfast.com/schools/Webster_Groves_High_School_1
- Next, select your child's teacher; you can select more than one if applicable to your family.
- You will then register your child's name, then your name and contact information. This creates a registration for each child and sends you a confirmation email with a link to choose a conference time for that teacher. It is a two-step process, as the first registration just gets you into the system. Going to the email that is generated from your registration and clicking on the active link will allow you to choose a conference time for the teacher.
- Once you have chosen a time for each teacher with whom you wish to visit, you will receive a confirmation email with the schedule.
Class of 2024 families...Graduation is fast approaching! Follow this link for details on ALL things Senior:
- Order yard signs
- Donate to Graduation Lock In via amazon wish list
- Elementary School walk throughs
- Parent Line dance details and practice dates
Please contact Joanna Lodes or Sherri Fowler with any questions.
Additional Student Parking Now Available
WGHS staff and students are now allowed to park in the Peace UCC lot at 204 E. Lockwood Avenue on school days from 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Parking is available on both lots; one lot is accessible from Lockwood Avenue and one is accessible from Plant Avenue.
All Peace UCC parking spots will be first come, first served. Students: Please be respectful of the space and privilege that comes with using the Peace Church lot. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!
Check out our website for tickets (starting Feb. 1) and more information!
Families of Seniors: Place your Senior Ads
Hello seniors and families! Here is your chance to congratulate your favorite senior by placing an ad in the May 2024 SENIOR issue of the Echo. Complete the online form (we also accept camera ready ads and photos). If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at 963-6400, ext. 11157 or wgecho@wgmail.org. *All mailed photos will be returned when we are finished.
The ads are due by Monday, April 24. Sample Ads can be seen here
Payments can be mailed to Echo Newspaper, Webster Groves High School, 100 Selma Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63119.
Size (on page) and Special Senior Ad prices:
- 1/16 $30
- 1/8 $45
- 1/4 $65
- 1/2 $105
- Full $180
Thank you,
The Echo Staff
Statesmen Service Awards
Spring will be here soon and so will the annual Statesmen Service Awards - our celebration of students who are making a difference in their community through volunteering.
Students can find a variety of service opportunities (as well as internships, summer programs and more!) via GivePulse. Did you know if you were a camp counselor at Camp Wyman, you would qualify for this award? Please verify with the Chelsea Center that volunteer hours are entered into GivePulse prior to Spring Break!
Questions? Contact Julie Simonson (simonson.julie@wgmail.org) in Office 124 or Jenny Willenborg (willenborg.jenny@wgmail.org) in Chelsea Center with any GivePulse inquiries.
Additional information can be found here:
Chelsea Center Opportunities
Looking to get your student valuable experience over the summer? Check out some of the STEM opportunities offered by the Chelsea Center this summer 2024!
If you or your student are interested in learning more about these opportunities through the Chelsea Center, please contact Dr. Arens at arens.kerry@wgmail.org or have your student stop by the Chelsea Center in room 200 at Webster Groves High School. Likewise, your student can scan the QR codes and log in with their school gmail to learn more.
Counseling News
Practice ACT for Sophomores- register now!
Sophomores (Class of 2026) are encouraged to sign up to take a practice ACT exam at school on Wednesday, March 13, 2024 (C Day).
This is an optional, but highly recommended test to prepare all students for the ACT. Test will be taken digitally on each student's own device.
Students will be excused from 2nd hour, advisory, and academic networking for the test.
Sign up by March 1 by providing your student’s name and school email address here: ACT Practice Test Sign Up.
Save the date!
All Juniors will take the ACT on Tuesday, April 9th at WGHS during the regular school day. More detailed information will be shared soon - no registration required.
College Visits at WGHS
Our spring college visits have begun! Juniors and Seniors may sign up to see a college by visiting the counseling office for a pass ahead of time. See the calendar of visits here.
Seniors!
The Parent’s Club Scholarship deadline has been extended to March 8th. Please fill out the application here, or visit the counseling office for a paper copy.
Did You Know?
March 4 is Maintenance Appreciation Day!
Special thanks to our WGHS Maintenance team, Mr. Mark Sweet and Mr. Willie Bates, for keeping our historic building beautiful and functional!
WGHS Attendance Procedures
Call your child's AP office to report an absence, late arrival, or early departure. Checking out early? When leaving school during the day, students must check out through the assistant principal’s office.
Student Early Release:
We require at least one hour notice when calling your student out early. Call the Assistant Principal's office before the designated time and report the absence. You may also send a note with the student to be presented to the Assistant Principal's office before school.
At the designated time, your student will receive a pass to check out if you called ahead. The student will check out in the Assistant Principal's office.
You will NOT enter the building if you have called the absence in and communicated a pick-up location with your child. However, if you choose to pick up your child in the building, you must do so at the main entrance on Selma Avenue. Upon entering the building, check in with the receptionist. Please bring your driver's license if you are checking in. The receptionist will contact the Assistant Principal’s office to send for your student. Please be aware that not calling ahead to schedule an early release can take up to 30 minutes to send for a student.
For attendance, please call 314.963.6400 and listen to the prompts.
ParentSquare
Webster Groves School District uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
Create a Canvas Account to Stay Connected
To stay connected with the learning in our classrooms, please create a Canvas Observer Account which is our district's learning management system. You will find three helpful documents below:
- Canvas Informational Letter
- Creating an Observer Account, Logging into Canvas, and Setting Notifications
- Student Accessing Canvas
If you have any questions please contact Tim Brown, Director of Student Assessment, Data and Learning Technologies at brown.tim@wgmail.org.
Shop the Parents' Club Spirit Store!
The Spirit Store is open! Hours are 8-9:15 a.m., Tuesday - Friday.
The online store is open 24 hours a day at https://www.wghsparentsclub.org/spiritwear.
Every time you shop at the Spirit Store, you are supporting student scholarships and teacher grants!
Webster Groves High School
Email: erb.mickey@wgmail.org
Website: www.webster.k12.mo.us/wghs
Location: 100 Selma Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 963-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/WGAlumni
Twitter: @WebsterGrovesHS