Hello WHS Families, Students, and Staff,

I want to begin this month's newsletter by thanking everyone for such an amazing homecoming week. The school spirit demonstrated by our students, and staff, and families was awesome! It made me so proud to be a part of this West High family!!!

We are quickly approaching the end of first quarter, which ends October 24th. Next week our school will host parent teacher conferences. I encourage our students and their families to visit all of their teachers during this opportunity. It is such a great way to learn about ways students can get back on track, and to also learn about all of the great things they are accomplishing as well!

I continue to be reminded everyday by the random acts of kindness shown by the students here at West High. We truly have the best of the best kids here at West High. They are kind, thoughtful, and respectful. These values start at home, so thank you to the families for all you do to raise such great kids!

Sincerely,

-Ms. Rebecca Rieken

riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

West High School Principal

#WeAreWEST

Congratulations to Ms. Erica Olson, our West High staff member of the month! Ms. Olson's classroom is an active classroom of students where her patience extends to all corners of the classroom. She is kind and caring with her students. Ms. Olson strives hard for a safe learning environment. Congratulations Ms. Olson!!!

If a student was not able to get their picture taken during our early laptop check out days, there will be another opportunity on October 18.

Our fall parent-teacher conferences are scheduled for Tuesday, October 22, 3:05pm-7:25pm and October 24, 8:00am-4:00pm. Parents have three options for attending conferences this fall: virtually, by phone, or in person. Parents are invited to choose the option that works best for them and their families.

• In-Person Conferences
• Phone Conferences: Please be sure to provide the correct phone number for the teacher to call. Your student’s teacher will call you at that number at your designated time.
• Virtual Conferences: A link to connect with your child’s teacher will be sent to you in a confirmation email.

To view the conference schedules, please visit this link:

https://www.myconferencetime.com/wolverine/

The Sioux City Community School District (SCCSD) plans to offer a Fall session of driver education class this Fall at West High School. The class will start on Tuesday November 18th, 2024 running for 6 weeks finishing on Saturday December 21st , 2024. Dates could change due to weather or COVID regulations. Class times and driving sessions will be assigned after student registrations are completed.

Classroom sessions will be held Mondays through Thursdays after school from 3:10 to 4:30 pm with driving lessons happening on Mondays through Saturdays to ensure we end in six weeks. Students will be assigned 1 driving day session per week in addition to the classroom sessions. Start and End dates could change or vary due to weather or illness outbreak.

Registration for Spring Traffic Education will begin on Monday, October 28h , 2024 at 7 pm with the deadline for all registrations ending on Friday November 1 st , 2024, or once spots are all filled. Spots are filled on a first come first serve basis. Cost for the class will be $385. (School fee waivers are accepted for reduced price of $175 or free).

YOU MUST MEET THE FOLLOWING GUIDELINES In order to register:

1. The student must be 14 years of age.

2. The student must have a valid Iowa learner’s permit. (Spots will not be held or granted to any student not having a permit before registering).

3. A complete deposit for the class fee must be made to the high school you are registering at in order to be completely registered.

Registration forms must be filled out online only and will be processed in the order in which they are received. Our bookkeepers will call to process payment. If the class fills, students may be put on a waiting list in case someone decides they are unable to take the course. Students put on a waiting list are not guaranteed a spot but will be notified if a place opens.

Registration is limited to 24 available spots. Enrollment will be accepted, based on the date and order in which registration forms are received and time stamped, until capacity is met. Students placed on a waiting list are not guaranteed a place in the class.

For questions, contact John Torno at (712) 239-7000 x3511

A priority of our school must be student safety, both emotional and physical safety. Students must feel and be safe at all times, both in and out of school.

It is important to remind our students and families of our student handbook which outlines district expectations for our student code of conduct. In this code of conduct, item 12 states:

12. Disobeys Classroom Rules or Engages in Disorderly Conduct or Fighting — Classroom and/or school rules include written rules, teacher and/or administrative instructions, and the general educational prohibition against all forms of cheating, fighting, or material disruptions to the learning environment.

If students engage in fighting at school or on a school campus before or after school, or if they engage in acts that jeopardize school safety, the student will receive school consequences. Such consequences may include being suspended from school until an intermediate school hearing at which night school may be recommended. Students who are found to be promoting school fighting, or school violence, by posting on social media will receive school consequences.

West High School is a school all should be proud of, and a place where all should be safe. Our students, families, and staff should not be tolerant of school fighting or school violence. We need to work together to continue to demonstrate West High Pride by engaging in behaviors that are Welcoming, Engaged, SAFE, and Trustworthy.

Please help our school achieve this safety in the following ways:

• When students, families, or staff become aware of unsafe situations, they will notify the school administration and staff immediately.
• If unsafe situations arise, students will seek school staff assistance immediately and they should not be a bystander who encourages or records such unsafe situations.

West High School Administration always welcomes communication regarding school safety. Staff may call the school during school hours at 712-279-6772, or they may email school administration directly:

Rebecca Rieken, principal: riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

Gabe Hoogers, assistant principal hoogerg2@live.siouxcityschools.com

Anthony Henriks, assistant principal: henrika@live.siouxcityschools.com

Pam Husk, assistant principal: huskp@live.siouxcityschools.com

School Picture retakes on October 18, 2024.

Senior Parent Meeting – October 22, 2024 at 6pm in the West High library.

Senior pictures due @3pm on December 20, 2024

Yearbooks on sale for $40 until October 26. After October 26, prices increase to $45. Yearbooks can be purchased online at www.yearbookforever.com or in the library.

Cap and gown/tassels on sale for $60 until January. The price raises to $70 in January.

Online entry passes for all school sports events tickets being sold on BOUND August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025.

COLLEGE APPLICATION DAY

Senior counselor Ashley Benson said our College Application Day on October 9 was very successful. She said it was amazing to see the kids get excited to get ready for the next steps in their life. We had over 30 representatives and it went very well!

We are having the Senior Parent Meeting on October 22 to discuss FAFSA information. At the end of October, counselors will be going into classes to discuss financial aid and college planning for transcripts. West also has a Trio representative; Autum is very helpful in financial aid discussions.

In regard to applying to college, Ms. Benson says “Apply early and apply to as many colleges as possible to get the best outlook on your future.”

West High had a great Homecoming Week! We kicked off our homecoming week with Coronation on September 29 and crowned our homecoming queen and king Ashley Moreno and Jaelonni Small. The next day, September 30, we had our annual parade which involved plenty of different activities such as football, dance, and even Liberty Elementary’s Head of House. Then on October 2, we had our PowderPuff game, in which the freshmen and seniors beat the juniors and sophomores with a score of 44-12. On October 4, we had our Homecoming football game against LeMars. The team fought hard, but they ultimately fell short in the end. The homecoming game was also Senior Night for all our fall sports, and Homecoming Court was formally announced. Finally, we had our homecoming dance on October 5. Our theme was A Night in the Emerald City. This dance was insanely successful with decorations and participation; we had over 400 attendees! Overall, the week was a success, and we’re looking forward to keeping up the school spirit.

Fall athletics have been working hard this season. Everyone started practicing in August before school started.

Our new volleyball coach Steph Henriks said, “The volleyball season has had it’s up and downs with injuries and other obstacles. The team has come together and has been fighting through everything that has been thrown at them. They are showing tremendous growth and grit through this season.”

Senior Arath Pinedo said the football team is doing well. He said they’ve been scoring more throughout the season and they’ve improved from last year to this year.

Senior Nele Reynolds said Dance is also going well this season. The team is working on their Hip Hop routine, and they are looking forward to State Solo Qualifiers on October 24 and 25. The State competition will be held December 4 in Des Moines.

Coach John Susie said Cross Country has been a fun group to coach this year and they’ve worked very hard. The girls are doing fantastic, and Bailee Hansen and Lilly Whiteshirt have won medals are currently ranked 3rd and 4th in the Conference. The boys are a young team, but their working and we’re excited for their future.

Senior Alondra Prieto Rodriguez said Cheer has been exciting this year. The team has started doing stunts, and that made it more fun. The team has gotten bigger, and they’ve improved since last year. We’re so grateful to have them leading our fans during the games!

The boys golf team did well this year. It was a young team with lots of freshmen, but they performed admirably all season. They finished 3rd in the Council Bluffs Invitation with their lowest team score of the year. Three freshmen competed in Districts this year, and they all shot under 100. Congratulations, Boys Golf!

Many of our fall activities are on their way. Marching band and color guard have been practicing since mid-August, and our choir and orchestra are getting ready for their first concerts of the year. This fall’s play is A Mid-Summer Night’s Dream, and it will be shown November 7, 8, and 9.

West High’s creative writing club, Scribblerz, has already had a few meetings this year. Scribblerz is a place for students to get away from schoolwork and express their creative writings. Most of the meetings are writing, but it’s not to serve a purpose to the school, but for their creativity. Their big project is for their book to be published at the end of the school year for West High.

The student council is off to a good start, as they just finished up with Homecoming Week. This year's theme was “There’s No Place Like West” which included a Wizard of Oz feel. They had a great week of activities for students and the staff. They had activities such as: Coronation, the parade, the PowderPuff football game, the Varsity football game, and the dance. Up next for our student council is Truck or Treat on October 21, followed by their annual trip to the state leadership conference in Ames, IA on October 27-28. The students are excited to go to the new venue this year at Iowa State University.

The West High Dungeons & Dragons Club had their first meeting (or Session Zero, as they would say) earlier this month. Everything's going great so far. Students began to make their own characters and each had to choose a different race. Races include halflings, humans, orcs, tree folk, rabbit folk, elves, dwarves and much more. They also had to choose from different classes such as fighter, paladin, wizard, ranger, and so on. Mr. Hunnel encourages the group to be as diverse and hilarious as possible for an adventure party! So far there are 14 members, and Mr. Hunnel is looking forward to more great story moments, fun social interactions, and epic combat with all manner of beasts and creatures.

The West High Gaming Club kicked off, as well, and Mr. Hunnel is excited for the season. He’s hung up posters in the Gaming room, and he’s looking forward to meeting all the interested players. Any students who want to join will need to have a grade of a C or above in all their classes, good attendance, and no referrals. Students will be playing games like Mario Kart, Super Smash Bros., League of Legends, and many more. We can’t wait for the wild moments they will have.

English Department
Back row: Jane Rebensdorf, Payton French, Cody Proctor, Joan Logue, Kate Schiller
Front row: Cristobal Francisquez-Antonio, Hailey Jensen, Mattie Lane, Jamie Ripperda, Mike Lewis

ESL Department
Todd Siefker, Sandy Stewart, Gaylene Kunzie, Susana Castaneda, Steve McHugh, Austin Freiberg, Jen Gengler, Berlyn Loza

Not pictured: Amy Baker, Tyrell Blakey, Ben Hunnel

The first departments we’d like to highlight are our English department and our ESL department. Our English teachers and ESL teachers focus on teaching skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

Ms. Jensen teaches English II, and she said she is most excited for getting to know her students better and for the spooky stories she tells her students as it gets closer to Halloween. Mr. Blakey teaches English II with Ms. Jensen, and he’s excited for his first year teaching—especially since it’s at West High.

Hello Westside!!!

Your teachers and your students are working hard during every block. We had a lot of fun with Homecoming week. We are re-focusing as many subjects are taking their first DCA's (district common assessments (tests)). Come to see us on October 22 or October 24 for conferences!

Here is what each content is doing:

American History-

Unit 2 - American Imperialism & World War 1

During this unit, we will be focusing on breaking down constructive response questions and our written responses to those questions. We will work on writing strategies to help us answer those questions and use vocabulary terms in our answers. We will use the R.A.C.E. Writing strategy (Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain.) Formative assessments/CFA will be due throughout the unit in the form of bell ringers, quick writes and exit tickets.

Timeline - 3 weeks

Week 1: Vocabulary & Intro to American Imperialism

Week 2: U.S. policies (Latin America)

Week 3: World War 1

English I-

Now that it is October, students are getting started with their personal narrative essays. This type of essay requires students to write about something they experienced in their lives and write in depth about what had happened and what they learned like they're telling a story. Since we're practicing story telling skills with this essay, we will work on building up their skills in writing dialogue, sensory details, and plot development. Students will turn in their essays on October 28 before we take the Writing DCA on October 29-30. In November, we will move on to our class novel unit, reading Of Mice and Men. In this unit, we will focus in depth on characterization, historical context, vocabulary, and theme.

Biology I-

Biology will be learning about the fascinating processes of photosynthesis and cellular respiration. There will be a mix of independent work, labs, lectures, and collaborative small group activities. From there we will move into cell growth and division.

Algebra I-

In Algebra we will be taking DCA #1 on October 15th and October 16th. Assignments will be locked on October 15th and 16th at midnight so if an assignment is a zero it will remain a zero. Then we will begin Unit 2 learning how to graph linear functions.

Honors English I-

In Honors English we are reading the novel Fahrenheit 451. Students will analyze character motivation, expand their vocabulary, and compare/contrast the futuristic dystopian society with our own. There will be reading required outside of class, although time is provided in the latter half of each class period for reading. There will be daily quizzes over their required readings, vocabulary tests at the end of each part/section of the novel (3 parts total), and comprehension questions for students to fill out over the plot, characters, and setting.
All of these assignments can be found on the classroom canvas/writable pages.

Honors Geometry-

Our Honor Geometry students just finished up with their first DCA, and they Rocked it! Over the next few weeks, we are going to be working on Angles and Transversal Theorems. We will follow up with Translations and Reflections, which will lead us into Rotations and Dilations with Congruence and Similarity with Transformations.

Freshmen Seminar-

The skills that we are going to learn through the end of the quarter is Individual strengths, What is important, Well-Being, Personal Power and we will have Siouxland Mental Health coming in to talk about mental health and social media.

Online Passes and Ticketing

Purchase activity passes to our sporting events through Bound to get into all home games hosted by West High School between August 1, 2024 – July 31, 2025. Use the link below to purchase yours today!

Student Pass - $30

Adult Single Pass - $100

Family Pass - $240

Senior Pass - $30

Reminder: the #SCCSD will continue to use the BOUND Sports App for tickets and season passes to all regular home high school athletic events. Cash will not be accepted at the gate.

All season athletic passes and individual tickets can be purchased through https://bit.ly/missouri-river or in the BOUND Sports App.

To purchase tickets on https://bit.ly/missouri-river, click on "Home" under Sioux City East Black Raiders, Sioux City North Stars, or Sioux City West Wolverines, and select “Tickets” in the main menu.

Fans who download the BOUND Sports App from the Apple App Store or the Google Play Store can purchase tickets in the app and present their mobile pass at the gate.

Questions? Call the East High, North High, or West High office for assistance.

If you'd like to get a head start on ordering your cap and gown, please scan the QR Code below! If you have questions, please contact our Counseling Secretary, Ms. Kassing: kassins@live.siouxcityschools.com

Students will need the Cap, Gown, Tassel, and Stole to participate in commencement. Those items will all come together in the Cap and Gown unit. You have choices from Packages or individual items depending on your needs for graduation.

Email a .jpg file to her at schillk@live.siouxcityschools.com or bring a physical copy of your photo to her in the library.

Photo Requirements:

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

Any West High senior parents and guardians who are interested in leading the after prom committee efforts for the Class of 2025 should please email Principal Rebecca Rieken: riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

Preorder your 2024-2025 yearbook now! Order online at yearbookforever.com or see Mrs. Schiller in the library 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, 2025.

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.

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 Mrs. Husk.

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

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

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

11th Grade primary contact, Gabe Hoogers, Assistant Principal & Activities Director- hoogerg2@live.siouxcityschools.com

10th grade primary contact, Anthony Henriks, Interim Assistant Principal- henrika@live.siouxcityschools.com

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

What does this mean for you? You will need to call your physician’s office and make an appointment. If you have no insurance, you may call the Siouxland District Health Department at 279-6119 to schedule an appointment. Records can be faxed to West High at 712-279-6790 with attention to the school nurse.

West High School Nurse Contact Information:

Mary Mason, RN

School Nurse, West High School

712-279-6772

masonm@live.siouxcityschools.com

Iowa law requires students to have certain immunizations, vision screenings, and dental screenings before starting school in the fall.

Your student will not be able to attend school without proof of the required immunizations and screenings.

Iowa law requires that students entering 12th grade have two doses of the meningococcal vaccine. Students must have one dose of the meningococcal vaccine and proof of the vaccination turned into their school before the first day of school on August 23, 2024. Students who do not have their first dose of the meningococcal vaccine or their immunization record turned in by August 23 will not be able to start school until those steps are completed.

Students have until September 23, 2024, to get their second required dose of the meningococcal vaccine and turn in their completed immunization record to their school. Students who do not complete their second dose or turn in their immunization record will not be able to attend school after September 23 until those steps are completed.

If your student needs vaccinations, we highly recommend you call your family doctor to schedule their vaccinations today. If you do not have insurance, you may call Siouxland District Health Department at 279-6119 for assistance.

The District is committed to providing all students with a safe learning environment in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect. The District’s Anti-Bullying, Harassment, and Hazing policy defines bullying and harassment as well as the procedures for reporting and investigating bullying or harassment complaints.

Bullying and harassment are defined as any electronic, written, verbal, or physical act or conduct toward a student which is based on any actual or perceived trait or characteristic of the student and which creates an objectively hostile school environment that meets one or more of the following conditions:

· Places the student in reasonable fear of harm to the student’s person or property.

· Has a substantially detrimental effect on the student’s physical or mental health.

· Has the effect of substantially interfering with a student’s academic performance.

· Has the effect of substantially interfering with the student’s ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or privileges provided by a school.

If your student feels they are being bullied or harassed, encourage your student to visit with the student involved and tell them to stop. They should also tell a teacher, principal, or trusted adult at their school. An online discrimination, bullying, harassment, and hazing complaint form is also available on the District’s website and may be completed by the student, parent, or school employee.

Parent/teacher conferences will be held on Tuesday, October 22, and Thursday, October 24. There will be no school for students on Friday, October 25.

Thank you for partnering with us in your child's education.

Parent volunteers are needed to join the District’s Grassroots Advocacy Committee. As a volunteer, you will receive email updates about important legislative events that could impact public education and be asked to contact our legislators to advocate for our schools. Tips are provided to help volunteers connect with legislators. Volunteer today and let your voice be heard! Contact Communications@live.siouxcityschools.com to volunteer.