Wolverines News- Sept. Newsletter

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Hello Wolverine Students, Staff, Family, and Friends!

I want to begin my message this month by acknowledging what a GREAT start it has been to our school year this year! Staff have shared with me that this is the best start of the school year that they can remember, and so many have commented on what AMAZING students we have... AND I AGREE!!!

I am always sharing with others how proud I am of our school, of our students, of our staff, and of our community! West is truly the BEST place to be and I am privileged to be your principal!

As we move ahead into September, next week will bring a fun week of Homecoming events and memories! I encourage everyone to participate and share in that fun. For our students- your high school memories will stay with you for years to come! Make the most out of it! For our families- we hope to see you at all of our Homecoming events this week sharing in those memories with our students and staff! Homecoming is a time to come HOME! Let's feel the West High Pride this week!!!

Sincerely,

-Ms. Rebecca Rieken

#WeAreWEST

Mr. Johnson joined the West High family last year as a Chemistry Teacher. During that year he also taught at VIBE Academy and was honored there by being nominated their Teacher of the Year!

This year Mr. Johnson is with us full-time and teaches our Physics classes! We are so fortunate to have him as a part of our team!!!

• West High School will dismiss all students at 11:22 after Advisory. Only 1A, 2A, and Advisory classes will meet on Thursday, September 21.
• Students will not travel with their classes or teachers to the Homecoming Parade, but West High staff will be present at the parade to provide supervision.
  
• Students who would like to eat lunch at school may do so during 1st lunch following Advisory.
• Busing will still follow normal scheduled pick-up times at 2:55pm.
• Students who do not wish to go to the parade, or who do not have permission to leave for the parade must report to the Media Center after 1st lunch. Families who do not wish to have their child dismissed for the parade must notify West High School. We will take attendance in the Media Center for those students.
• The Homecoming Parade will begin at 1pm at the Heartland Church, travel on West 19th ending at West Middle School.
  

Student Council is excited to announce our Homecoming 2023 Dance!

1. The dance will be on Friday, September 22nd-7:00-10pm on the WHS Tennis Courts.

1. Tickets will go on sale the morning of Monday, September 18th and will conclude Thursday, September 22nd in the morning at 7:50am.

Below are the eligibility requirements (BEGAN Tuesday, September 5th):

1. No truancies on the student's attendance record from September 5th through ticket purchase date. This includes any tardies that are 5 minutes past the starting bell which turn into an absence.

1. No behavior referrals resulting ISS or OSS on the student's behavior record from September 5th-22nd.

1. Student must be passing all classes with a 60% or above percentage at the time of ticket purchase.

1. Students who plan to bring a guest must complete a guest permission form and have it available at the time of guest ticket purchase. Guest permission forms are available at the Activities desk.

1. Guests must be between the ages of 9th grade through 20 years old. No middle school students are allowed.

Any questions or concerns regarding Homecoming eligibility must be discussed with the Activities Director, Mr. Gabe Hoogers: hoogerg2@live.siouxcityschools.com

We are looking forward to celebrating our Homecoming week with the annual Homecoming Dance- We Are WEST!!!

The Sioux City Community School District and the Missouri River Activity Conference uses BOUND for tickets and season passes to all regular home high school athletic events.

Sioux City Community School District season athletic passes provide entry to sporting events at East High, North High, and West High —excluding postseason games and postseason activities (concerts, plays, performances, etc.). A pass can be used for all home events for the school in which the pass was purchased.

Pass options and prices are as follows:

1. Student Pass (K-12) - $30
2. Adult Pass (18+) - $100
3. Senior Citizen Pass (62+) - $30
4. Family Pass (2 Adults and Children) - $240

Individual tickets for all high school athletic events are also available for $7/each.

All season athletic passes and individual tickets can be purchased through gobound.com or in the BOUND App. Fans can download the BOUND App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store. Once a purchase is made, the ticket or pass will appear in the BOUND App. The ticket or season pass must be presented in the BOUND App at each athletic event for entry.

Two parents/guardians and children (K-12) living at the same residence are eligible for the family season pass. When placing an order online, families should indicate the number of family members in the "Number of Tickets Needed" box. Once a family pass is purchased, passes must be assigned to each family member in the BOUND App.

Fans who are unable to make a purchase online or through the BOUND App are encouraged to visit the main office at East High, North High, or West High from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm Monday through Friday for assistance.

West High Students are encouraged to become involved and join an activity or club! If you have questions about our activity and club offerings, please email our Activities Director, Mr. Gabe Hoogers: hoogerg2@live.siouxcityschool.scom

West High Drama

This year's fall play, The Beverly Hillbillies, will be presented by the West High Drama Department, November 2nd, 3rd, and 4th. Auditions will be held Monday and Tuesday after school, in the auditorium. We will need a cast of 21 actors and several people for backstage crew and technical help. If you want to be a part of this hilarious comedy, but can't make it to the audition times, you can email Ms. Gibson to arrange a different time. Rehearsals will be scheduled in such a way that everyone can participate, regardless of their other activity commitments.

West High Debate Team

Will start meeting every Monday after school, beginning September 25th. There are no tryouts to join. If you like to argue, let's put those skills to good use and win some awards! For more information, email Ms. Gibson.

Mrs. Gibson: gibsona@live.siouxcityschools.com

The Robotic season is about to begin!

Anyone who is interested in joining the Robotics team please stop down and see Mr. George in Room 263 or you can email him as well to let him know!

georgek@live.siouxcityschools.com

West high has not received proofs from School Picture Day on September 5th. When we receive all proofs for each student that took pictures, we will hand them out to the students to take home for parents\ guardians to look at. Parents and guardians will be notified when this happens so they can watch for them. Each proof will have a code for students and families to go online to order pictures. If a student or family doesn't like the pictures, they can retake them on our retake day which is October 9th, 2023.

You can order online at www.yearbookforever.com or see Mrs. Schiller in Room 236 before school, during Homeroom, or after school.

The cost is $40 right now and increases $5 at the end of every quarter. Sales run until April 30, 2024.

Now-October 25: $40

October 26-January 15: $45

January 16-March 19: $50

March 20-April 30: $55

Senior photos are due to Mrs. Schiller by 3 pm on December 21 in order to be included in the Yearbook: schillk@live.siouxcityschools.com

Photo requirements:

1. Portrait-orientation (up and down; not wide)
2. High resolution JPG file
3. No costumes, pets, props, or hand gestures in the photos
4. No "selfie" photos or photos with social media filters
5. Attire for photographs must comply with West High School’s dress code

Ordering for Cap and Gown has already begun. Please go to Jostens.com and search Sioux City West High to order.

Orders due by December 20th. Fee will increase after that so order TODAY!

For Questions or Assistance, please see Ms. Chauncey in the Main Office.

The West High School Food Pantry is available to meet the needs of the West side community. We can assist families with food, limited toiletries, and diapers.

Please call West High School with any requests, 712-279-6772 ask for Mr. VanBuren or Mrs. Husk.

*We are no longer will have clothing except for homecoming and prom dresses, thank you!

We are observing some concerns with the flow of traffic after school dismisses, as well as the speed at which some cars are driving. We would like to share the following reminders:

• Student drivers- please use caution at all times and reduce your speed when driving through parking lots. If concerns with your driving arise, you may risk losing your privileges to drive on our campus.
• Families who pick up their students after school: Our buses that pick up students in the back of West High must be able to leave and drive East out of the drive that borders the back of our building. Please do not use this road after school from 2:45-3:15 so that our students may board the buses safely and the buses may leave safely. Thank you!
  

Since school has started West High has engaged in two safety procedures to practice precaution when possible concerns have arisen. The safety of our students and staff is our number one priority. During lockout procedures, we will not be able to let students leave the building. Once we have been given the all-clear, we will resume allowing students to leave the building. Our procedures are in place to keep everyone safe and we appreciate everyone's patience and understanding when our buildings operate under these modes of safety.

Our staff are continuously monitoring student interactions to ensure peer conflict does not escalate to unsafe levels which may result in bullying, harassment, hazing, or physical fighting. If parents or guardians are aware of such concerns, we ask that they notify school administration immediately so that we can partner with families to keep everyone safe, both emotionally and physically. There are specific district procedures in place to address bullying, harassment, and hazing. We encourage families to closely monitor the social media activity and cell phone activity of their students. Most peer conflict originates with social media and cell phone communication.

If peer conflict results in physical altercation, there will be school consequences for all involved. This includes consequences for students who record fighting on their cell phones instead of seeking out adult support to intervene. West High School is supported by our school resource officer, and at times, there may be legal consequences in addition to the school consequences.

The Sioux City Community School District has outline specific expectations for student code of conduct. This code of conduct is outline in our Student Handbook. We encourage all families to review this code of conduct with their children. There are specific consequences outline in the code of conduct related to cell phone and personal technology use during the classroom, as well as vaping.

Iowa law requires that children enrolling in 9th grade are required to provide proof of a dental screening to their school. As an update on the screening rules, please note the following:

1. A screening for 9th grade is valid if it occurs one year prior to enrollment to four months after the enrollment date.

12th grade students must have their meningitis vaccination up to date before starting school. If you have questions regarding this, or any other health related matters, please contact our school nurse, Mrs. Mary Mason: masonm@live.siouxcityschools.com

Attention Sophomore and Junior students:

If you are interested in taking the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholar Qualifying Test) see Mrs. Still in the Media Center by the end of the week.

ASVAB is scheduled for Thursday, November 2nd @ 8 AM.

At West High our counselors loop with their grade level class throughout all four years, and students identified as TAG will loop with Mrs. Still. As students and families have questions, please contact the counselor for that student's grade level, or the TAG counselor, either by email, or by leaving a voicemail for that counselor.

Our team invites parents and guardians to connect with them anytime throughout the school year so we can partner with you as we guide our students to success. All are welcome to call West High School to schedule an appointment, or email the administrator directly:

West High School, 712-279-6772

11th & 12th grade primary contact, Rebecca Rieken, Head Principal- riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

Gabe Hoogers, Activities Director- hoogerg2@live.siouxcityschools.com

10th grade primary contact, Brant Bemus, Assistant Principal- bemusb@live.siouxcityschools.com

9th grade primary contact, Pam Husk, Assistant Principal- huskp@live.siouxcityschools.com

Stay connected with family-friendly activities, programs, and clubs in the community through Virtual Backpack. The e-newsletter, which includes information from various Siouxland organizations, is sent out monthly to all district families. Or, view the most up-to-date lists of events and activities on the Virtual Backpack website.

If your student qualifies for free or reduced meals, you will need to complete the online application if you have not done so already.

Families that do not qualify for free or reduced meals can deposit money into their student’s MySchoolBucks account. Information on meal prices for the 2023-2024 school year is available on the District’s website.

For questions or assistance with school meals, please contact the District’s Food Service Department at 712-279-6860 or 712-279-6862.

The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW.

The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices. The District is required by Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs, activities, or employment.

Inquiries or grievances under Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to Dr. Dora Jung, Director of Student Services & Equity Education/Title IX Coordinator at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, jungd@live.siouxcityschools.com. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, or both. Please see District Board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.

Contact us!

Principal: Rebecca Rieken

Website: https://west-high.siouxcityschools.org/
Location: 2001 Casselman Street, Sioux City, IA, USA
Phone: 712-279-6772
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestHighSchoolSCCSD
Twitter: @WHS_SCCSD