WHS: Feb. 2023 News You Can Use

• February - Black History Month
• February 16 - Pierce County Skills Center Open House for current 10th & 11th graders, 5:30-7pm
  
• February 20-24 - Midwinter Break/No School
• February 28 - Pierce County Skills Center @ WHS Lunches
• March - Women's History Month
• March 20-23 - Spring Student Led Conferences Week, 10:25am release for students
  
• March 21 & 22 - Evening Conferences available + 2023-24 Course Pre-Registration for current 9th-11th graders
• March 24 - FULL DAY OF SCHOOL (snow day make-up day)
• See Athletics info below for sports schedule
  

Upcoming Assemblies:

• February 17 - Class of 2026 Election
• March 3 - Academic Awards honoring 1st semester
• March 10 - Counselors Appreciation
• March 17 - Women’s History Month
• March 31 - ASB Elections (9th-11th) & Senior Class Meeting (12th)
  

There is no school February 20-24!

Navigation

Parents/Guardians - be sure to check in with your student(s) about their assignments on Canvas for Homeroom/Navigation. These assignments are REQUIRED to earn the 0.25 credit at the end of the year.

Spring Student Led Conferences are also a requirement towards earning credit for Homeroom. Students need a parent/guardian or caring adult to sit down with them on March 21 or 22 for their spring conference with their Homeroom teacher.

2023-24 Course Pre-Registration is also going to be part of the Spring SLCs this year. Instead of going into classrooms, students will pick up their course registration sheet during conferences and complete the form as part of their student led conference. This will allow students and parents/guardians to ask questions or get clarification on courses and course selection.

Black History Month is an annual celebration of achievements by African Americans and a time for recognizing their central role in U.S. history. The story of Black History Month begins in 1915, half a century after the Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery in the United States. Since 1976, every U.S. president has officially designated the month of February as Black History Month. Other countries around the world, including Canada and the United Kingdom, also devote a month to celebrating Black history.

The Black History Month 2023 theme, “Black Resistance,” explores how "African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms, especially the racial terrorism of lynching, racial pogroms and police killings," since the nation's earliest days.

Source: https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month

Senior Quotes DUE by February 14th!!! Submit them here:
https://forms.office.com/pages/responsepage.aspx?id=zqbbXvHufE-tndcueBeeqr4Eij_nQ3JAplI3NPFFUpJUMFpIMFVYOEU4RkFEMVdIRlZJSzZFM1RQSi4u

Prom will be on Saturday May 13th at Slovenian Hall in North Tacoma’s Old Town. Exact time & ticket prices TBD.

WHS graduation will be on Saturday, June 10th at 1:30pm at the Washington State Fairgrounds in Puyallup.

Seniors -- you will be required to attend rehearsal on Friday, June 9th at 1pm.

If you would like to be considered for scholarships from Washington HS and/or the Franklin Pierce Schools Foundation, you will need to complete a Senior Scholarship Notebook.

COMPLETED SCHOLARSHIP NOTEBOOKS ARE DUE MARCH 31ST. NO EXCEPTIONS.

• Attendance at Fall and Spring SLCs along with completion of senior checklist are required to earn credit for Homeroom.
• Senior SLCs are a practice interview with advisor and parent/guardian/caring adult.
• After completing your SLC you will have the opportunity to sign up for your Senior Interview.

To meet the State High School and Beyond Plan graduation requirements all seniors must adequately complete and submitted all required documents and successfully complete a Senior Interview.

April 24 – 28th – Senior Interviews for seniors who want to be considered for the Foundation Scholarships (5 WHS students will earn $1000 scholarships each)

• All requirements and essays must be completed/submitted to advisor by 3/30 to interview for scholarship consideration (see Distinguished Requirements)

• All requirements must be completed and submitted to your advisor by May 4th.
• Interviews will be conducted by a panel of adults.
• Students are responsible to bring a printed copy of their resume to the interview. We will not print resumes when you arrive for your interview.
• Best Dress is expected for the interview.
• Be prepared - no notecards or notes during the interview.

• 20 hours of documented service is the minimum requirement.
• Community Service tracker must be signed by supervising adult for verification of hours.
• Community Service reflection must be completed and submitted to your advisor for verification and signature.

Greetings from the WHS Counseling Center! We've been very busy here working out second semester schedules, meeting with Seniors for post-secondary plans, and already starting to prep for pre-registration and courses for next year!

A few items to note:

• Extended Semester Deadline is Friday, March 3rd
  Parent/guardians, please check with your student(s) or on TeacherEase to determine if your student was given an INC/Extended Semester to complete a class and earn credit. The deadline to submit work for extended semester is Friday, March 3rd. Grades that are marked "U" on the transcript will convert to F that following Monday, March 7th.
  
  
• Pierce County Skills Center Open House will be IN-PERSON on Thursday, February 16th from 5:30-7pm. Learn about PCSC programs, meet instructors & current students, and learn about our online application process for the 2023-24 school year.
  --> Check out their website HERE
  --> Check out their informational video HERE
  
  
• Pre-Registration/course selection for next year will occur for all current 9th-11th graders DURING Spring Student Led Conferences week. Evening conferences will be available on March 21 and 22.
  

National School Counseling Week 2023, “Helping Students Dream Big,” sponsored by the American School Counselor Association (ASCA), will be celebrated from Feb. 6-10, 2023, to focus public attention on the unique contribution of school counselors within U.S. school systems and how students are different as a result of what school counselors do. National School Counseling Week highlights the tremendous impact school counselors can have in helping students achieve school success and plan for a career.

School counselors are certified, experienced educators with a master’s degree in school counseling. School counselors design and deliver school counseling programs that improve student outcomes. They lead, advocate and collaborate to promote equity and access for all students by connecting their school counseling program to the school’s academic mission and school improvement plan. They uphold the ethical and professional standards of ASCA and promote the development of the school counseling program based on the following areas of the ASCA National Model: define, deliver, manage and assess. The combination of their training and experience makes them an integral part of the total educational program.

• Jamie Zapanta, School Counselor, students last names A-G, jzapanta@fpschools.org
  
• Eduardo Ortiz, School Counselor, department lead & students last names H-O, eortiz@fpschools.org
  
• Matt Summers-Smith, School Counselor, students last names P-Z, msummerssmith@fpschools.org
  
• Annie Plutko, Grad Coach & Running Start students, aplutko@fpschools.org
• Taneesha Jenkins, Social Worker, tjenkins@fpschools.org
• Brian Rice, School Psychologist, brice@fpschools.org
• Alyssa Vangundy, MTSS Lead & Instructional Coach, avangundy@fpschools.org
• Savali Tuivaiave, Intervention Case Manager/Family Resource Support, stuivaiave@fpschools.org

• Kimberli Pacheco, Records & Enrollment Specialist, 253.298.4744
  
• Bonnie Wiklund, Registrar & Data Manager, 253.298.4713
  
• Sheryl Moore, College & Career Specialist, 253.298.4871

Friday, February 10th is Rivalry Day!!

Good Luck tonight to Patriot Basketball as they wrap up the regular season against Franklin Pierce HS.

• JV Boys and Girls Varsity play at 5:15
• JV Girls and Varsity Boys welcome the Cardinals to the Dome at 7:00

Good Luck to Patriot Wrestling at Regionals on February 10th Girl’s head to Sedro Wooley High School while the Boy’s travel to North Mason. Matches start at 8:00.

Spring Sports start February 28th

• Boys Baseball
  Preseason Baseball Meeting on Monday, Feb. 13th after school in the boy's locker room.
  
• Boys Soccer
• Boys & Girls Track & Field
• Girls Fastpitch
• Girls Tennis

The South Puget Sound League (SPSL) has partnered with VNN to provide a streamlined experience for students, parents, and community members to get information about Patriot Athletics!

Goodwill has partnered with Associated Ministries to provide free assistance with filing personal and small business Federal Income Taxes through our VITA Tax Center. Our trained staff and community volunteers will assist you with completing any necessary forms and file your completed taxes electronically. You may also use this service to file past tax returns for tax years 2019, 2020 and 2021.

File your 2022 federal income taxes for FREE at Goodwill’s VITA Tax Center

Feb 4 – April 15

Saturdays | 9:00am – 3:00pm

Goodwill Milgard Work Opportunity Center

714 S 27th St, Tacoma, WA

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY

https://goodwillwa.org/career-pathways/offerings/financial-opportunity-center/

Call us at 253.573.6750

Office Hours: 7:00am-2:30pm

Closes at 1pm on Early Release Wednesdays

• Phone: 253.298.4700
• General Email: washington@fpschools.org
• Office Manager: Nancy Barber, nbarber@fpschools.org
• Assistant Principals' Secretary: Madison Phipps, mphipps@fpschools.org
• Attendance Coordinator: Annie Jaquez, ljaquez@fpschools.org
  *Report an absence - 253.298.4714
• Financial Coordinator/Cashier: Lana Pedrique, lpedrique@fpschools.org
• Fax: (253) 298-4715