Notes from Dr. Irvin
Your WGHS Weekly eNews for January 23
Hello WGHS Families,
Saying a preliminary goodbye to our seniors at our senior night events solicits emotions from parents, teammates, and coaches. These initial programs remind us that the time that we have is finite with each other.
I greatly appreciate our dedicated staff that prepare and deliver so much during the day and share their time and talents after school to maximize the student experience. Teaching, like most professions, is fraught with challenges that have been made more difficult in recent years. In spite of that, our staff engages with students in the effort to support them in being their best selves and to do their best work. Students have 7 opportunities each day and then another potential round after school to engage in affirming settings and lasting influence. That is the great value to be mined in a way that is not often recognized as it is difficult to measure.
I will close with a statement that I have reworked from a former student from MICDS that sadly passed away after being ill for some time.
You have every right to dismiss what I’ve laid forth as lofty, impracticable, or outmoded, but I think that to do so would be to risk squandering the opportunity educators have each day: the privilege to do something of lasting importance.
Best,
Matt Irvin
Next Week's Schedule: Late-Start A, A, B, C, Assembly Schedule
Winter Formal--Last call for tickets!
We are excited to send out information regarding this year's 2025 Winter Formal Dance.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 25
TIME: 7:00-9:00 P.M
LOCATION: WGHS- Roberts Gym
COST: $10
TICKET INFORMATION
- Tickets will be on sale Tuesday, January 14 7:00 a.m - Thursday, January 23 at 11:59 p.m
- They will be $20 if bought after Jan 23rd.
- ALL TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED ONLINE. Link to purchase
- Students will use their LUNCH PIN when purchasing tickets online .Tickets will NOT be sold at the door.
FINES:
In order to attend this event, students must NOT have an outstanding school fine. If they do, their lunch PIN will not be active when attempting to purchase a ticket. You can pay your fine online in the Infinite Campus portal or stop by the main office and see Teresa Adams to pay your fine in-person. If you are uncertain of your fines status, please login to your Infinite Campus account and check before trying to purchase tickets. Stop by the Activities Office for additional assistance.
OUTSIDE GUEST TICKET INFORMATION for Non-WGHS Students:
There will be up to 100 outside guest tickets allowed for this event. Any outside guest must have a completed outside guest form on file before being allowed to purchase a ticket. These forms can be picked up outside the Activities Office. Please return completed forms to the Athletic Office once tickets go on sale (Jan 14-23). After an outside guest form is approved, a code will be distributed to the student to purchase their outside guest ticket online. A new guest form must be filled out for this dance, forms from the Friendship Dance are not valid. *All outside guests must be accompanied by the WG student who purchased their ticket.
DRESS CODE:
Winter Formal is a semi-formal event and you are expected to wear semi-formal attire. Examples of semi-formal attire may include a dress, dress pants, suitcoat, tie, or collared shirt. Dresses may be strapless (if they fit properly) or include spaghetti straps. Head coverings must be appropriate for the occasion. Inappropriate attire would include jeans of any color, shorts of any type, t-shirts or baseball caps. If a student or guest is not within the dress code they will be asked to change before being admitted to the dance. Thank you for your cooperation with this.
We look forward to a fantastic & memorable evening for everyone.
Snow Days Update
The snow days provided a chance for students to enjoy the season, but we know they may have also caused disruptions for your family. Thank you for your patience and adaptability.
With four traditional snow days now used, any future snow days will transition to our Alternative Methods of Instruction (AMI) plan, allowing students to continue learning from home without extending the school year.
What to Expect on AMI Days
- Assignments will be posted on Canvas, focusing on review activities (no new content) and designed to take no more than 30 minutes per course.
- Teachers will be available from 8:25 a.m. to 3:25 p.m. via email, ParentSquare, and Zoom.
Attendance
Attendance is based on completed assignments. Students who do not submit work will be marked absent for the AMI day.
This plan ensures learning remains flexible and accessible, even when we can’t be together in person.
Thank you for your partnership and trust as we work to support our students in every way possible. If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Last Chance to Order a Yearbook!
Parents - the deadline to order a 2024-25 Yearbook is Friday, January 24. This is the LAST DAY to guarantee your child will get a yearbook. Quantities after this date are not guaranteed. Go to www.yearbookordercenter.com to place your order today. Not sure if you've already bought? Go to the website above and click "Find Existing Order."
Counseling Center Updates
Before the end of January, we are planning to meet with all students to discuss and finalize course requests for the 25-26 school year. Please contact your student’s academic counselor with any questions or concerns.
All Students:
College and Career Night @ WGHS, Tuesday, February 4, 2025 6:00-8:00pm
You’ll have the opportunity to choose from a variety of session topics and hear from a panel of college admissions professionals. Session topics may include: Pathway to College, The College Search: Developing Your List, Earning College Credit While in High School, Financial Aid 101, College Admissions Testing: The ACT and SAT, and Careers in Trade Unions. More details will be emailed closer to the event. This event is available for all students 9-11th grades!
St. Louis County Apprenticeship and Career Pathways Showcase (three dates and locations to choose from)
Interested in learning about careers that don’t require a traditional four-year college degree? Consider attending a St. Louis County Apprenticeship and Career Pathways Showcase in February or March. Visit this website for more information.
Seniors:
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is now available to fill out at www.studentaid.gov. Some colleges & universities have priority deadlines as early as February 1st.
Applications for Webster Groves local scholarships are now available and are due in early February.
Juniors:
Individual College/Career Planning Conferences are now available for Juniors and their families!
Please join us for an individual planning conference this semester! This meeting will be centered on your student as you begin to make plans for life after Webster Groves High School.
Our conference will be catered to the needs of each individual student and family including topics such as:
· post-secondary education planning/developing a list of schools or programs that fit you
· college admission testing information
· strengths/interest areas/major/career planning
· developing your "to-do" list
Please schedule using the links provided for your College & Career Counselor
Last Names (A-K) Click HERE to schedule your meeting with Mrs.Jennedy Lombard
Last Names (L-Z) Click HERE to schedule your meeting with Mrs. Cassie Aschinger
WGHS Counseling Team
Jennedy Lombard - Counseling Department Chair, College & Career Counselor (A-K)
Cassie Aschinger - College & Career Counselor (L-Z)
Ellen Dorsey - Academic & Personal Counselor (A-D)
Ken Winingham - Academic & Personal Counselor (E-K)
Dr. Jennifer Gross - Academic & Personal Counselor (L-Ri)
Bianca Haghighi - Academic & Personal Counselor (Ro-Z)
Rick Cusumano - Webster Academy Counselor & 504 Coordinator
Did You Know?
Stay up-to-date on events by visiting our school calendar.
We update our school calendar regularly to reflect last-minute and monthly changes. Please visit our official School Calendar on our website to stay informed.
Have you...
Donations needed to the Class of 2025 Senior Party!
Our Amazon Gift List is Live. Black Friday and Cyber Monday are just around the corner.
This is the perfect opportunity to snag Senior Gifts at unbeatable prices!
Every Senior who attends the party on 5/17/25 goes home with a gift.
That's a lot of gifts needed!
Select Andrea Osdieck as the delivery address.
Thanks so much for your help!
https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/22S6H1GCE7G9O
Class of 2025 Commencement Ceremony
May 17, 2025 6:30pm
Chaifetz Arena
Doors will open for guests at 5:30 p.m.
Guests: We are not limiting the number of guests per graduate.
Tickets: There will be no tickets for entry to Chaifetz Arena.
Parking: Parking is paid by guests in the Olive/Compton garage. Fees will be announced in the spring. Street parking is available but limited.
Duration: The ceremony lasts approximately 1.5 hours, depending on the size of the class.
Chelsea Center Corner
Explore Medical and Veterinary Careers
The Chelsea Center is thrilled to help students dive into two exciting summer opportunities for healthcare education on Mizzou's campus: Mini Med School and the Advanced Veterinary Academy. These programs feature a competitive application process and look fantastic on college applications and workplace resumes alike. If students choose to enroll in coordinated Chelsea Center summer coursework, we can sponsor the total cost of the program. For more complete information, please see the most recent newsletter posted at bit.ly/chelseacenternews. Interested students can register on GivePulse, or you can send them to us in room 200 to learn more. Please email Dr. Kerry Arens at arens.kerry@wgmail.com with further questions.WGHS Attendance Procedures
Call your child's AP office to report an absence, late arrival, or early departure. Checking out early? When leaving school during the day, students must check out through the assistant principal’s office.
Student Early Release:
We require at least one hour notice when calling your student out early. Call the Assistant Principal's office before the designated time and report the absence. You may also send a note with the student to be presented to the Assistant Principal's office before school.
At the designated time, your student will receive a pass to check out if you called ahead. The student will check out in the Assistant Principal's office.
You will NOT enter the building if you have called the absence in and communicated a pick-up location with your child. However, if you choose to pick up your child in the building, you must do so at the main entrance on Selma Avenue. Upon entering the building, check in with the receptionist. Please bring your driver's license if you are checking in. The receptionist will contact the Assistant Principal’s office to send for your student. Please be aware that not calling ahead to schedule an early release can take up to 30 minutes to send for a student.
For attendance, please call 314.963.6400 and listen to the prompts.
ParentSquare
Webster Groves School District uses ParentSquare for school communication, primarily with email, text and app notifications. ParentSquare automatically generates an account for each parent, using their preferred email address and phone number. We encourage parents to access their accounts so they can download the mobile app and update their preferences on when and how they are notified.
Create a Canvas Account to Stay Connected
To stay connected with the learning in our classrooms, please create a Canvas Observer Account which is our district's learning management system. You will find three helpful documents below:
- Canvas Informational Letter
- Creating an Observer Account, Logging into Canvas, and Setting Notifications
- Student Accessing Canvas
If you have any questions please contact Tim Brown, Director of Student Assessment, Data and Learning Technologies at brown.tim@wgmail.org.
Shop the Parents' Club Spirit Store!
The Spirit Store is open! Hours are 8-9:15 a.m., Tuesday - Friday.
The online store is open 24 hours a day at https://www.wghsparentsclub.org/spiritwear.
Every time you shop at the Spirit Store, you are supporting student scholarships and teacher grants!
Webster Groves High School
Email: erb.mickey@wgmail.org
Website: www.webster.k12.mo.us/wghs
Location: 100 Selma Avenue, Webster Groves, MO, USA
Phone: (314) 963-6400
Facebook: facebook.com/WGAlumni
Twitter: @WebsterGrovesHS