Wolverines News

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I often reflect on my path in life and think about all of the turns that have led me to where I am now. As many parents and staff members can relate, even though it's been awhile, I still remember back to my own high school years. It feels like it was yesterday. When I think of those times, I am reminded of fond relationships, lessons learned, hopes of what was next, as well as uncertainty regarding what the future held.

As that once high school student, I never in my wildest of dreams would have ever placed myself as the principal of West High School. Some days it still seems so surreal. I am a true believer in that your path in life leads you to where you need to be at that time. While principal of West High, I can say for certainty that I will continue to fulfill this role to the best of my ability. I have reflected on 1st quarter, thinking about what went well, and what did not. I have set goals for ways to continue to grow so that I can better serve and meet the needs the students, families, staff, and school district. I welcome your feedback regarding ways that I can improve in my role as your principal. Please share with me your thoughts, questions, and ideas so that we, together, can collectively continue to make West BEST!

Sincerely,

-Ms. Rebecca Rieken

riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

Congratulations to our October Staff Member of the Month, Mr. Kent Martin!

Students at WHS had these things to say about Mr. Martin...

• "This teacher deserves staff of the month because they are fun and understanding. He is very nice and easy to talk to and not just about class work."

• "This teachers is accepting and welcoming of all students no matter their backgrounds. His teaching style captures people's attention and he always makes sure all students understand what is being taught."

Congratulations to Reid Jansen for being honored as Rotary Club Student of the Month for October!

The following students were selected and named to the 2020 Iowa All State Chorus, WHS is proud of their accomplishments!

Dalany Dolan - 1st year All Stater

Erin Henn - 1st year All Stater

Kelsie Mahnke 1st year All Stater

Matthew Pauling - 3rd year All Stater

Reid Jansen-1st year All Stater

Phuong-Anh Huynh was selected as a National College Match finalist in the QuestBridge College Match. Over 18,000 applications were reviewed. Finalist chosen exhibit outstanding academic achievement. Congratulations Phuong!

Teachers have been engaging in professional development in order to provide students and families with consistency in regards to the communication of activities and assignments in CANVAS.

Moving ahead into 2nd quarter, teachers will all be developing a common CANVAS home page available to students and families. The week will be represented Monday through Friday, and within each day, teachers will detail the activities and assignments for that day.

If a student is absent, or will be gone for an extended absence, it is our hope that this common design will assist student and families as they access the activities and assignments that were assigned when the student was not able to attend class. If a student falls behind, they can also search back through archived weeks to locate assignments that are past due.

Come one, come all to this year’s Fall Show produced by the West High Theatre Department. We are trying something a little different this year, and are giving you the chance to see the variety of talent our students have and what makes them shine! Watch some short group scenes, some Readers’ Theatre, and some amazing music! Performance dates are November 6th and 7th. Doors open at 7pm and the show starts at 7:30pm. We will have a Facebook Live Event broadcasting the show as well so if you have any family or friends who live far away, or prefer the comfort of their own home, they can still watch the incredible show our students have created for you. Tickets will be $5 at the door, but donations are also appreciated to help fund our future shows.

Seating will be in the auditorium and spaced out to coincide with Covid measures to keep everyone safe. Masks are required to enter the audience and must remain on for the entire duration of the show. If you do not have one, one will be given to you upon entry.

It is time to order your graduation cap & gown, custom school graduation invitations, and other items. Informational packets can be picked up from Ms. Bernard in the Freshman House office. West High School and Jostens are encouraging you to place your orders online. If you can not place your order online, return your order form that is in the packet in a sealed envelope with correct change to Ms. Bernard in the Freshman House office.

*All orders need to be placed no later than December 1st*

Please call 1-800-Jostens with any questions.

It is time to submit your Senior Pictures for the yearbook. Senior pictures are due by Jan 15th. Please read the following requirements for the senior pictures to be used in the yearbook.

1. The yearbook photograph must portrait and not landscape. (up and down and not wide)

2. High resolution

3. Costumes, pets and props such as hats must be approved.

4. No hand gestures in the photos.

5. “Selfie” photos will not be accepted.

6. No social media filters.

7. No masks

8. Attire for photographs must comply with West High School’s dress code.

Senior pictures can be delivered to Ms. Stephens in room S108 before school or sent via email:

stephet@live.siouxcityschools.com

Electronic submission is preferred but not required. The final date for accepting senior pictures will be January 15, 2021.

The West High 20-21 yearbooks are being sold now!

Now-November 16: $40

November 17-January 31: $45

February 1-March 31: $50

April 1-15: $55

You can purchase books in person with cash or check in Ms. Stephens' Room S108 before school or during 1st period. You can buy yearbooks using a debit or credit card online at www.yearbookforever.com

If you forgot to order your 2019-2020 Yearbook, there are still some remaining, the cost is $50. Please email Ms. Stephens to inquire about availability and purchasing, stephet@live.siouxcityschools.com

ACT
West High will be hosting the ACT on Saturday, December 12th. The deadline to register for the December 12th ACT is November 6th. Please contact your school counselor for assistance with registering for the ACT.

ASVAB

Any juniors or seniors interested in taking the ASVAB test can sign up through Wednesday, November 11th in the counseling center. The test is being held on Thursday, November 12th at 8:00am in the Media Center . The test is free and issued for entrance into the military or as a tool for career exploration.

FAFSA Assistance

Attention seniors and parents of seniors: Do you need help filing your FAFSA, the federal financial aid application for college? Local college financial aid experts will be at West High to work with senior students and their families on Thursday, November 12th between 1:00 and 7:00pm by appointment only. Call the West High counseling office at 712-279-6746 to set up your appointment and get more details.

West High School is currently seeking interested and qualified staff for the following employment opportunities:

• Special Education Instructional Assistants (Compass Academy & Foundations)
  
• Building Assistant
• Secretary Substitute (long term for 12 weeks)
• Teaching Substitutes
  

For more information about these positions, please contact Ms. Rieken: riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

To apply, please visit:

https://www.applitrack.com/siouxcity/onlineapp/default.aspx

All SCCSD high schools operate closed campuses. This means that students are not allowed to leave campus unless they are scheduled out of the building, or unless they are attending an off-campus class.

Students are not allowed to bring outside food back into the building, and students are not allowed to have outside food delivered. Food that is delivered will be held until after school for pick up.

After school tutoring, Night School, and Saturday School are all located in the WHS Media Center.

After school tutoring-

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, & Thursdays 3:00-4:00

Night school-

Tuesdays 3:00-7:00

Wednesday 3:00-5:00

Thursday 3:00-7:00

Upcoming Saturday School Dates-

November 14th, 9:00-12:00

December 5th, 9:00-12:00

December 12th, 9:00-12:00

January 9th, 9:00-12:00

The West High School Food Pantry & Clothing Closet is available to meet the needs the West side community. We can assist families with meals, clothing, toiletries, and some household goods. We are limiting building access at this time, but would be happy to prepare a pick-up order to meet your needs. Please call West High School with any requests, 712-279-6772, or email Mr. Van Buren: vanburm1@live.siouxcityschools.com

Please keep students home and contact West High School if:

• student is experiencing symptoms related to COVID
• student is awaiting the results of a COVID test
• student has been exposed to someone in the home who has tested positive for COVID
• student has been in close contact (less than 6 feet for more than 15 minutes) with someone who has tested positive for COVID and they were not wearing a mask during that time
  

All students, staff, and guests entering the building must be wearing a mask or face covering that covers both the mouth and nose at all times. If someone needs assistance with obtaining a mask, please communicate those needs with the school.

Greetings from the Activities Department! Winter activities are upon us. Girls basketball, boys/girls bowling, and boys swimming all start on Monday November 9th. If you have questions about playing basketball please contact Coach Boetger, for bowling contact Coach Nelson, and for boys swimming contact Coach Hoak. Boys basketball starts on Monday November 16th, please contact Coach Cofield for questions. Students must have a physical, concussion form and all paperwork on file in the activities office before they can practice. Please contact Mrs. Miller in the activities office with questions.

As a reminder, all student code of conduct expectations apply to any students who are in attendance at our activities. Elementary and Middle School students are expected to be accompanied by a parent/guardian at all activities.

We are no longer allowing students to move from On-Site: Elected Learning to Virtual School unless the student, or a student's same-residence family member, has a medical need and can provide documentation of that need from a medical provider. For requests to discuss these considerations, please contact Assistant Principal, Mr. Bemus:

bemusb@live.siouxcityschools.com

To request technology assistance or learn about solutions and information regarding CANVAS, we encourage students and families to visit the SCCSD Freshdesk.

The District is committed to connecting our students and families to important community resources. View a comprehensive list of local services including information about food access, housing assistance, and mental and physical health resources. Learn more: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/community-resources-in-sioux-city/

The Sioux City Community School District is currently hiring for the following positions:

· Substitute School Bus Drivers and Substitute Bus Assistants

· Substitute Building Service Technicians

· Substitute Teachers and Substitute Instructional Assistants

· Substitute Food Service Workers

The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. To learn more about job qualifications and our available opportunities, please visit our website: www.siouxcityschools.org

With cold weather upon us, it’s important to plan for inclement weather. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the colder weather. Suggested apparel includes a warm coat, hat, scarf and gloves. If a student needs access to these cold weather apparel items, please contact the school office.

Even during the winter season, the District allows recess and outdoor activities to continue as usual. However, if a student does not have appropriate winter clothing, a school official may ask a student to remain inside.

When the atmosphere reaches a temperature that feels like 15 degrees or less, then all students are kept inside for recess/activities. The “feel” of the temperature is determined based on the National Weather Service’s report.

Thank you for helping us keep students safe and warm this season.

The winter in Iowa provides us with some days that make it a challenge to hold classes at the regular time, and sometimes we must close our schools early, late, or for the entire day. As you know, our weather is not only challenging at times, it is constantly changing.

Please remember that parents and guardians have the right to decide to keep their child home on any day that they feel it is unsafe for their student to be in school because of weather conditions. If you believe the weather provides a genuine reason why you may have to keep your students at home, or take your student home when classes are scheduled to continue, you as a parent or guardian will simply need to contact your child’s school to let them know.

If a decision is made on the day of school to cancel classes or to have a late start, a call goes out at 6:00 AM to all parents and guardians. Parents can also check the following sites for closure information.

1. GovDelivery https://public.govdelivery.com/accounts/IAEDU6039/subscriber/new?qsp=CODE_RED
2. District’s Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SiouxCityCommSchools
3. District’s Twitter @siouxcityschool
4. All media outlets

If the schools are dismissed early or if school is called off entirely, there will be no evening activities. If you have before and after school care, please check with your provider about their procedures.

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 Jen Gomez, Director of Student Services & Equity Education/Title IX Coordinator at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, gomezj2@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://www.siouxcityschools.org/west-high-school/
Location: 2001 Casselman Street, Sioux City, IA, USA
Phone: 712-279-6772
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxCityWestHighSchool/
Twitter: @WHS_Activities