Zebra Family Update!

Happy Fall, Zebra Families! We are in a unique time where we are figuring out how to navigate a new normal with COVID and we are approaching the holidays. For some students and families, the holidays are a joyous time, but for some, it can be a difficult season.

In order to support our families and students, our district is collecting resources designed to provide support for positive mental health, substance use, and community engagement.

If you visit our website (lhs.wpusd.org) and click on "Families" and then on "Resources" there are three sets of links with various resources:

• Mental Health Resources with both Crisis and Non-Crisis resources including webpages and emergency phone numbers that students and families can use when there is risk of mental health crisis or suicide
• Resources for Teens and Families with information about support groups, counseling resources, resources to support foster or runaway youth, as well as information about substance use and potential abuse. There are resources related to alcohol, marijuana, prescription drugs, fentanyl and vaping. There are also wellness resources and advocacy resources for families to access
• Additional Resources in our Schools with information about health services, food & nutrition services, before/after school care options and more

In addition, if your student is struggling with mental health concerns, please let your student's counselor know. They have passive and active resources that they can share with you/your student based on your student's needs. We have multiple levels of mental health supports that we can offer depending on your student's needs. Students can schedule a time to meet with their counselor by stopping into the office to make an appointment or by emailing their counselor directly.

If more consistent support would benefit your student, we offer in person counseling services at no cost via Wellness Together (WT). These services are available during the school day on a referral basis for a series of weeks (usually 8-10 sessions). These trained family therapists are on our campus five days a week to support students.

If your student is struggling, let us know so we can help craft a plan of support. We are here to help without judgement and with positive outcomes for your student driving our support offerings.

The holiday season is upon us! Please make note of these uniquely scheduled days:

• Monday, 11/1 - non student day/staff development day (no students; office is closed)
• Thursday, 11/11 and Friday, 11/12 - non school days in honor of Veterans Day (no staff or students; office is closed)
• Monday, 11/22-Friday, 11/26 - non school days in honor of Thanksgiving (no staff or students; office is closed)
• Tuesday, 12/14-Friday, 12/17 - finals - school is dismissed at 12:30 pm; finals schedule will be shared soon!
• Monday, 12/20-Friday, 12/31 - non school days in honor of the winter holidays (no staff or students; office is closed)
• Monday, 1/17 - non school day in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day (no staff or students; office is closed)

Senior Meetings are in full swing - ask your senior if they have scheduled their meeting with their counselor yet. College visits are happening, the FAFSA just opened up for application, college application windows are opening, and career fair and job shadowing opportunities are available for students.

It's time to order Caps and Gowns! Families can review information about caps, gowns, rings, and more here. Orders can be placed 24/7 here.

Spring Traditions!

• It is our plan to host a Spring Prom for our juniors and seniors. We are finalizing plans on a location, so stay tuned for details on the date and other prom related details soon. Certainly our plans may shift and evolve as we get closer given COVID, but we are working to secure a location that will give us opportunities for indoor and outdoor spaces so we are ready for whatever comes our way!
• We are hoping to host a Sober Grad Night for our seniors on the evening of graduation - this is 100% a parent run activity, so if you are interested in helping, please contact the Sober Grad Night Committee via Facebook!
• We will finalize plans regarding a graduation date in the coming weeks. We will keep families posted about specific graduation plans in the spring

Stay informed! We strongly encourage students and families to keep an eye on the Schoology Activity Feed (on Schoology Main Page) and the College & Career Schoology Page for information about college & career visits (in person and virtual); access it via: Schoology > Groups > College & Career

Currently, our Frosh, Sophomore and Junior students are giving us important feedback about their experiences at LHS, and giving us insight into their potential as honors or AP students (even if they don't see that for themselves!). We are committed to providing academic opportunities for all Zebras at high levels whether through CTE pathway completion, AP courses, AP exams, honors classes, and Dual Enrollment classes with Sierra College. College and Career Readiness is our aim!

We are also thrilled to be expanding our College and Career team. Our counselors work hard with our students to set them up for success! In addition, we have a College & Career Team that is getting established:

• Jenn Horton is our district College & Career Coordinator
• Theresa Wilson is our Counseling Intern focused on College & Career Initiatives
• Sruiti Vadgama is our newly hired College & Career Technician - she'll be starting with us later in November!

Our first Site Based Leadership Team meeting is scheduled for Thursday, 11/4 at 5 pm via Google Meet. This meeting might be postponed (Mrs. Hladun is scheduled for Jury Duty!), but see details in our public calendar at lhs.wpusd.org.

Our site ELAC (English Learner Advisory Committee) is scheduled to meet four times this year. Be watching for agenda topics from Jen Hladun and Paola Gachet (our amazing LHS Community Liaison). We'll be looking at our site plan as well as talking about items of interest to our English Learner Student/Family community. Mark your calendars now:

• Wed., 12/18 at 6 pm - format TBD
• Wed., 2/23 at 6 pm - format TBD
• Wed., 4/27 at 6 pm - format TBD

Our Peer Tutoring Program is up and running and is a wonderful resource for students. Our tutors are matched with students based on content area specialization and can support with concept review, homework help, quiz/test prep, organization, just a quiet place to get work done, and even test retakes if your student was absent!

If your student is on a Quarantine, this is an INVALUABLE opportunity for your student to stay up on their lessons!!

Tutoring is available in person (in the library) and online (Google Meet Code: LHSTutoring):

• Mondays from 2-5 pm
• Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 3-6 pm
• Thursdays from 3-8 pm (this extra time is a new feature - we hope it's helpful for student involved in sports and other activities or who work right after school!)

For more info, check out this link! Big thanks to our tutors and to Mrs. Edwards, Mrs. Gonzales, Mrs. Ward and Mrs. Jocoy for their efforts to provide this amazing service!

Two important reminders regarding COVID:

• students are expected to wear a mask indoors - the mask must rest on the bridge of their nose and cover their nose and mouth. If your student does not wear their mask properly, they will be reminded, but if they are a close contact, they may not have the opportunity to be on modified quarantine and instead may be told to quarantine at home for 10 days. Thank you for your support to keep our community safe and healthy

• if your student is not feeling well, please just keep them home and call us for advice on sending them to school - we are here to help you navigate the system.

Have your student stay home and call us for next steps if your student exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 which cannot be explained by an underlying chronic condition documented by a healthcare provider (e.g., allergies or asthma).

Symptoms consistent with COVID-19 include:

• Fever or chills
• Cough
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Fatigue
• Muscle or body aches
• Headache
• New loss of taste or smell
• Sore throat
• Congestion or runny nose
• Nausea or vomiting
• Diarrhea

More information about our protocols for COVID can be found here - take a look at pages 16-19.

We can be reached from 7:30am-4pm at 916 645 6360 if you aren't sure if you should send your student to school and still have questions after reviewing the district's materials (linked above).

Vandalism has lessened significantly in the last month. THANK YOU! We are aware that 'licks' may change or evolve. A reminder that inappropriate behavior and vandalism are not the Zebra Way and they will be managed with school and (potentially) legal consequences. Thank you for helping us to keep LHS a safe and fun place to learn, grow and work!

"You become strong by lifting others up, not pulling them down."

- Matshona Dhliwayo

Social Media

• Facebook @LincolnHighSchoolWPUSD
• Insta @lhsfightingzebras

Calendars

• School and Athletics Calendars are here!

Staff Directory

• This directory contains some staff who are no longer at LHS, but it also includes all of our current staff

Specific Course Information

• All of our teachers posted information about their class on Schoology - parents and students can always go back to revisit syllabi and a video introducing your teacher on their Schoology pages: https://wpusd.schoology.com/ > Courses > Select tile for the class you want to learn more about!

General School/Course Information

• Website: lhs.wpusd.org
• Course Catalog: https://lhs.wpusd.org/academics/course-offerings/course-catalog
• Handbook: https://lhs.wpusd.org/our-school/about-us/student-handbook

Email: jhladun@wpusd.org
Website: lhs.wpusd.org
Location: 790 J Street, Lincoln, CA, USA
Phone: 916 645 6360