Cougar Connections

November 1st - 7th Grade Open Gym 5:30 - 7:00

November 2nd & Feb 8th - Get Air Fundraiser

November 4th - Craft Fair

November 5th - Kalahari Night

November 6th - Family Contact Time / No School

November 7th - Professional Developement / No School

November 9th - Whitmer Preview Night

November 14th - Family Forum Meeting 6 pm

November 22nd - Ohio Skate Night 6-8 pm

November 22 to 24th - Thanksgiving Break

Please use the following links to sign up for conferences for Band, Choir or Orchestra students.

Band

Choir

Orchestra

Washington Local Schools is committed to raising awareness about the importance of school attendance and reducing our chronic absenteeism rate (30.4%). WLS recognizes that good attendance is essential to academic achievement and future success beyond school. However, far too many students are at risk academically because they are chronically absent. Chronic absence is described as missing 10% of the school year or about 18 days per year (two days a month) for any reason, excused or unexcused. Research shows that the 10% threshold is when absenteeism can substantially affect a child. As we start quarter 2, let’s make a renewed effort to insist that students come to school and come on time. Please contact us if you need help getting your child to school.

HOMEWORK HELP

Washington Junior High School

offers homework help every Monday through Thursday after school until 3:35

Monday/Wednesday: Math

Tuesday/Thursday: All Subjects

The location will be announced each day.

TRANSPORTATION MUST BE ARRANGED PRIOR TO STAYING AFTER SCHOOL.

The late bus is available in front of Whitmer at 4:00 pm

Hello Washington Families,

As we are wrapping up the first quarter of 7th grade, I wanted to review some things we are seeing at school. Students are carrying everything in their backpacks and not utilizing their lockers. We have had some backpacks rip at the bottom because they are packed so full. Students must use their locker for their cell phones, smart watches, lunch boxes and coats/jackets. We are encouraging the students to go to their lockers three times a day, before Academic Advisory in the morning, before/after lunch and at the end of the day. This will help with the amount of items they are carrying in their backpacks. If they are not regularly cleaning out the backpack and organizing it, this is also a good time to have them start doing this on a weekly basis.

I am seeing an increase of students being mean to other students for no apparent reason. They are name calling, body shaming or making fun of how they look. This is not okay for any reason. We work endlessly to address issues as they arise but we really need our parents/guardians to also have conversations with their students at home on why this is unacceptable. Please sit down with your student and have conversations about their school day. Opening up that communication allows for them to freely express how they feel. We are here to support all of our students and we want every student to come to school and feel safe and accepted.

I have been a junior high counselor for many years and I am also a mom to two teenagers. Please feel free to reach out to me with questions on navigating conversations with your student or any concerns that may arise.

Thank you,

Molly Toney

School Counselor

mtoney@wls4kids.org

All 7th and 8th grade students will be required to use a clear backpack this school year. Washington Local Schools will provide the first backpack for students. This will be given to students at open house or on their first day of school. This pilot is starting at the middle school level only. Please see the fact sheet for the most updated information: FAQ

Please note: Normal non-transparent lunch boxes are allowed. There has been a lot of confusion about that particular item. Please see the FAQ sheet for details.

Please see the drop off procedures below for car riders. Once students are dropped off they will head to door two at the front of the building.

If your student is a walker they will arrive at door 2 in the front of the building. There they will wait to be let in at 7:30am.

Start the new year with a Strong Commitment to improving school attendance.

It's never too late to start learning!

Washington Local Teachers now have access to a Chromebook management tool called Lightspeed Classroom, which gives teachers the ability to:

• See views of student browsing activity and status

• View student screens in real time, pull browsing histories, and record device activity

• Send quick messages (e.g., “Are you done?” and “Need help?”) and receive replies from students

• Lock device screens and send content links

• Limit student web access to a website or group of websites for the class period, and release students when they change their status to “done.”

• The use of Lightspeed Classroom by teachers is restricted to school hours only

Please remember if students bring a device to school (cell phone, smart watch, air pods, headphones) they are the sole responsibility of the student. Our policy states that should a student bring these devices to school they are to be turned off and stored in their locker during the school day. We are learning more and more about the anxiety produced by devices and social media. Our goal is to support healthy lifelong learners!

Parents and Guardians, we would like to remind you about the protocol for K-8th grade students for games and events in WLS.

● All students 7-12 students must have a WLS LIVE HIGH5ID on their phones or a 2023/24 school provided ID (available only to students who do NOT have an electronic device) to enter the game or event.

● Children in grades K-8 must be accompanied by an adult into the game (the adult must stay, purchase a ticket and remain in the game for the entire time).

● WLS Students 7-12 can sit in the student section but must have an ID.

● All fans will be wanded by security personnel prior to entry.e game (the adult must stay, purchase a ticket and remain in the game for the entire time).

● Backpacks and large bags are not permitted.

● Outside food & drink are not permitted.

● Once a spectator leaves, there is no re-admittance.

Unaccompanied students loitering inside the stadium will be escorted out of the event. If a student is removed from the game due to breaking rules, they are prohibited from attending any future WLS events.

COUGAR ASSIGNMENT MATRIX (CAM)

WJHS STUDENT & FAMILY QUICK REFERENCE HUB

PAYSCHOOLS CENTRAL

JUNIOR HIGH STUDENT HANDBOOK

2022-2023 DISTRICT CALENDAR