Wolfpack Howler
Volume 21 Issue 1 - Aug 16, 2022
BACK TO SCHOOL IS HERE!
School Supplies:
We don’t publish a traditional school supply list since every class usually requires something specific. If your student brings some basic supplies on the first day, teachers’ syllabi will give specific supply lists.
Start of school events:
Wednesday, August 17 -
- West Valley PREVIEW Day
- WHO: Freshmen and students NEW to West Valley are invited
- WHEN: 7:30am - 2pm (Lunch is being provided by PTSA!- Sign up to help with this form)
- WHAT: A sneak preview for students 'new' to West Valley. Students will be able to meet all of their teachers and know where their classes are located.
Thursday, August 18 -
- First Day of School for ALL students (we will follow a Mon/Fri 1-6 schedule)
- Students can pick up schedules in the gym starting at 7:15am.
Tuesday, August 23 -
- West Valley Open House
- WHO: ALL West Valley Students and their Families
- WHEN: 6-7:30pm
- WHAT:
6-6:30pm - Parent Orientation in the PAC.
6:30-7:30pm - Meet teachers, learn about activities/sports, and join our PTSA!
If you ever miss a Howler Newsletter - you can find all of the past issues here.
COVID Information
Districtwide COVID testing provided by Beacon Health will end on Friday, August 19 due to funding ending and a significant decrease in demand. Free at-home COVID tests for students and staff will be available at school front offices while supplies last.
The Wellness Check for Students & Staff has been updated. Please help keep our schools healthy and symptom free by following the guidance on the Wellness Check.
In the event of a positive COVID test, students and staff should follow State of Alaska guidelines.
Counseling Office Update - Schedules not yet complete.
Up until the first day of school, schedules will continue to be adjusted to balance class size. Please be patient as we continue to enroll new students and work to create the best schedule possible for everyone.
Message from Administration and Counseling Regarding Schedules
Schedules are not finalized - Classes still need to be balanced/leveled which may result in schedule changes. Keep in mind when requesting schedule changes, they're not guaranteed.
Please see below the list of priorities we follow when dealing with schedule change requests:
- Student has an incomplete schedule.
- New student enrollments.
- Change is needed for senior missing graduation requirements and/or college and career entrance.
- Student has been scheduled into a course out of sequence (i.e., Spanish 3 before Spanish 1).
- Student did not pass a class that was a prerequisite for another.
- Student has been scheduled into a course previously passed.
- Class sizes must be balanced.
Please understand that all of these priorities come BEFORE requested changes based on preferred teachers, periods, or classmates.
WVHS Counseling Office: 479-4221 ext. 46520
Willie Blackburn | A-F (10th-12th) ext 46525
Colleen Johnston | G-O (10th-12th) ext 46524
Anna Sprague | P-Z (10th-12th) ext 46527
Teesha Lane | all Freshmen ext 46523
PREVIEW Day Q & A
Who can come?
- Freshmen and students new to West Valley HS are invited to attend.
What time is Preview Day?
- Preview Day runs regular school hours: 7:30am-2pm.
Are buses running?
- Because of limited staff, we’re not doing that this year. If you would like your child to take advantage of bus transportation, please check the Transportation website and click the Find Your School Bus Stop button to find the bus stop closest to you. Make sure to have your child at the bus stop five minutes before the scheduled time.
Will lunch be served?
- Yes! Our amazing PTSA is providing lunch. They are asking for donations and volunteers, sign up here with this form.
What will we do?
- Students will get their schedules and lockers. Everyone will have a chance to run through a mini-schedule - attending each class for 45 minutes to start to get to know classmates, and their teachers.
What should I bring on Preview Day?
- Yourself! No need to bring any school supplies, you'll hear more about what you'll be doing in classes later in the week.
1:1 devices for every student at WVHS
All students will be able to check out a Chromebook for school this year (both in person and eLearning students) if needed. We will be prioritizing students who do not have a device when checking out devices the first week of school.
Students can check out their Chromebooks from the library when getting textbooks.
Plan to bring your Chromebook or other device to classes each school day. Be sure it is fully charged for class.
*If you have not returned your Chromebook from last year, you will not be able to check out a new device. Please return your Chromebook. It will need to be updated for this school year.
Click here for the FNSB School District Acceptable Use Policy & Agreement
Other Languages: 中文, Español, Tagalog, Tiếng Việt
Open Campus Lunch Policy:
It is a student's responsibility to return from lunch on time and prepared for class.
Students who enter the building late from lunch will need to get a tardy unexcused and will not be allowed to take food or drink into their classrooms or to their lockers.
NO Door-Dash, Grubhub, etc..food deliveries to the front office.
Military Connected Family Newsletters
How do I excuse an absence?
If the student has a note from a parent/guardian excusing them, trade it for an excused admit in the front office before going to class.
Students will not be excused without checking into the office first and picking up this pass.
If a student is leaving the building a TownPass must be called in by a parent or have a note with specified time of needing to leave the building (students must sign out in the front office in order to get excused.
If a student is planning to be absent the whole school day, a parent will need to call the front office to excuse the absence within 2 school days of that absence.
Nutrition Services Information
NEW!!! Our online breakfast & lunch menu provider has changed. We now have everything you need at https://www.schoolcafe.com . No account is needed. You can view the menus as a guest!
School meals are a great value and huge convenience for busy families. Full elementary price breakfast is $2.00 and lunch is $3.50. Middle and high school price breakfast is $2.25 and lunch is $3.75. If your child qualifies to receive meals at the reduced price, breakfast is free and lunch is $.40. Free and reduced price meal benefits do not extend to additional milk or milk only purchases or partial meal purchases. All portions of a meal can be purchased by paying the ala carte prices. Milk comes with breakfast and lunch but if your child purchases additional milk with his/her meal or one to drink with his/her lunch from home, the cost is $.1.00. Visit https://www.schoolcafe.com to make payments, view the menus, and see what your child purchases.
If your child received free or reduced price meal eligibility last school year as the result of a completed 21-22 meals application and were enrolled on the last day of school, the grace period will expire on September 28, 2022. On October 1, 2022, students receiving meal benefits due to the grace period will revert to full pay status. You have the convenience of completing the application online at https://www.schoolcafe.com or you can get a paper application from your child’s school. Submit a completed meals application for the 2022-2023 school year as soon as possible as it can take up to ten (10) days for application processing.
Set up an account in SchoolCafe to complete your meals application, make payments, view breakfast & lunch menus, and see what your child is purchasing. Just follow these 3 easy steps:
Visit https://www.schoolcafe.com and select your state (Alaska) & school district (FNSBSD)
Click “create a new account” - this is your account. You will add your enrolled child(ren) to it.
Add your child(ren) to your account. You will need to know their student ID # (S#) and the school they attend. Enter just the 6 digits of the S# - no need for the ‘S’.
You can get the S# from your child(ren)’s school
If you have any questions or need assistance, call 907-451-1004
Upcoming Events:
Link to School District Calendar | Link to West Valley Calendar | Link to Special Rotation Weeks
AUG 17 | FIRST DAY for Freshmen & New Transfer Students
AUG 18 | First Day for ALL Students - Period 1-6
AUG 23 | Wolfpack OPEN HOUSE: 6-7:30pm
eLearning for the 2022-2023 School Year
Check out the courses offered through our eLearning Program.
For more information about eLearning classes, please visit the district website at https://www.k12northstar.org/Page/10750. To sign-up for eLearning or to discuss options, please contact your Counselor.
TRANSPORTATION UPDATE
In the past we have asked families to register to ride the bus. Because of limited staff, we’re not doing that this year. If you would like your child to take advantage of bus transportation, please check the Transportation website and click the Find Your School Bus Stop button to find the bus stop closest to you. Make sure to have your child at the bus stop five minutes before the scheduled time.
Adequate staffing for school transportation has long been a dilemma and, as we experienced last year, has reached new levels of intensity and become a nationwide quandary. Moving into this school year it’s important to know that there will be NO rotating route schedules. Our goal is to deliver safe, consistent, and reliable transportation to support families in getting their children to school. Bus transportation will look a bit different than in pre-pandemic years–no one strategy will solve a problem of this magnitude, so we have put several solutions in place to alleviate the situation.
The first strategy is a system of pick up locations along the main road arteries in the Borough. Instead of buses going through neighborhoods and stopping at individual houses, students will be picked up at one location in a zone area. Families across the district have been using this school transportation method and now more buses will participate in the routine this year. Because buses will be sticking primarily to main routes, we are anticipating an increase in on-time arrivals and fewer delays.
If your designated pick up location is further than 1.5 miles from your home, you may qualify for the “in lieu of'' option. This option allows compensation to families for getting their children to the bus stop. This option is available only to students attending their home attendance area school. Students attending schools of choice will not qualify for the option. For more information, please contact the Transportation Department at 907-452-2000 option 4 or visit the transportation website.
Secondly, we will be partnering with Durham to utilize minivans to supplement the bus system. These vans will give us flexibility in how we address transportation needs in the more remote portions of the district as well areas of need. We are working with Durham to use current district staff as drivers in this unique option.
It is important to note that all Special Education routes will run on a regular schedule across the district.
Finally, Durham will continue their aggressive recruitment efforts. We are fortunate to have a transportation partner that, in the middle of a nationwide bus driver shortage, has been able to consistently recruit, train, and hire school bus drivers. They will continue their efforts and keep buses running and delivering students to school. If you or someone you know is interested in driving a bus, apply here.
West Valley High School
Email: contact-wvh@k12northstar.org
Website: https://www.k12northstar.org/westvalley
Location: 3800 Geist Road, Fairbanks, AK, USA
Phone: (907)479-4221
Facebook: facebook.com/wvhWolfpack/
Twitter: @wvhWolfpack