WHS Gladiator News

Greetings Glads!

While you are enjoying your last bit of summer, we are busy at school gearing up to welcome our students back! Below are important dates, reminders, and updates to help you prepare for the year. There are a couple of important and time sensitive "to-dos"...please take a moment to complete those asap.

We can't wait for all of our students to fill the halls very soon! If you or your child have any questions regarding this coming school year, please do not hesitate to call us at (719) 391-3200 or send me an email.

Go Glads!

Dr. Jessica Bitting

Principal

Monday, August 5th

• 10th-12th Grade Check-In Day--Important!! Come up to get your computer, schedule, ID/School Photo, & get a student parking pass. (Bring $5 for your ID)--See flier below for details
• 8am: 10th Grade Check-In
• 9am: 11th Grade Check-In
• 10am 12th Grade Check-In

Friday, August 9th

• 2-3pm: Open Campus Hours--Come up to find your classrooms, test your locker, and say "Hi!"

Monday, August 12th:

• 7:25am-2:45pm: First Day of School for 9th Grade WHS Students! Freshmen Orientation Day! (Bring a backpack to hold your laptop and handouts) See flier below for details.

Tuesday, August 13th:

• First Day of School with All WHS Students!
• Gladiator Day (7 Period Day)--Students Report to Home Advisory during L1

Wednesday, August 14th:

• Blue Day (Periods 1, 3, 5, 7)

Thursday, August 15th:

• Silver Day (Periods 2, 4, 6, 8)

Friday, August 16th:

• Gladiator Day (7 Period Day)

Wednesday, August 21st:

• Picture Make Up Day: Bring $5 to purchase your IDs
• 6pm: Open House Night: 6:00-6:30--Welcome Assembly for 9th Grade & New to District Families; 6:30-8:00: Class Rotations/Meet the Teachers for All Grade Level Families

Computer Registration: Due by 8/4 for 10th-12th Grade and 8/11 for 9th Grade

Laptops will be handed out on Monday 8/5 to 10-12th graders and on Monday 8/12 to 9th graders. In order to receive a device, a parent/guardian of each student is required to complete this device agreement. You will need your student’s ID number. Go to the IC Parent Portal if you have an IC account. If you don’t have an IC account, send an email to IChelpdesk@wsd3.org and they will get you parent login information. You can also call 719-391-3557. Parents, please complete this as soon as possible, but no later than Sunday night prior to their pick up day! You can also click here for directions on how to complete the form. Thank you!

If your child does not pick up their computer on 8/5 or 8/12, our librarian will schedule them an appointment/time to pick it up at a later date. Please do everything you can to pick up on your assigned date.

Locker Sign Up

You will only be assigned a locker if you request one. If you would like a locker for the 24-25 school year, please click this link to sign up for a locker. Once you sign up a locker, your locker number and combination will become visible in your Infinite Campus portal after 8/8/24. If you sign up after 8/7, it will take 24-48 hours after completing the request form for this information to be in Infinite Campus.

Open Campus Hours

If you would like to come up and find your classrooms, test out/set up your locker, ask questions or just say "hi!", the building will be open to students and families from 2-3pm on Friday, August 9. Admin and support staff will be available by the main entrance to answer questions or help you find your classrooms.

Student Parking Permits

All students that intend to drive to school must park in the student parking lot at the end of Norman Drive. Students caught parking elsewhere on campus will risk losing parking privileges and/or disciplinary action. In order to park on campus, all student vehicles MUST be registered and have a parking sticker permit in the rear window. Vehicles without a parking sticker will receive a warning. Repeatedly parking without a parking permit will result in school discipline and risk your vehicle being towed. To register your vehicle and get a parking sticker permit, please bring your license and insurance card to check in day on Monday 8/5. After 8/5 you can register and get a parking sticker during school hours in the Dean's Office.

Students can be dropped off in the front loop by Discovery High School or the staff parking lot between WHS and Widefield Elementary. To drop off by Discovery, you will enter off of Widefield Drive north of Charlie and exit on the north side of Discovery. When you exit, you will need to turn right if it is during the am/pm drop off windows. To drop off on the south side of Widefield, please enter and exit between WHS and Widefield Elementary. To improve student safety and traffic flow and to address parking issues, drop off is no longer available behind the Charlie statue and behind performing arts (via the alley entrance). Please DO NOT attempt to drop off in the small parking lot in front of Widefield High School. This causes traffic backups and unsafe conditions for those trying to access the handicapped parking area. Finally, please drive carefully when dropping off/picking up and remember that school parking lots are cell phone free zones for drivers.

This year we are excited to begin using Minga – a digital hall pass, digital ID, and communication tool. You can install the Minga app on mobile phones or access on the web. Minga will allow us to:

• provide you with a digital ID card in addition to your physical ID card that can be used to quickly and easily access school events and activities. (Your $5 ID payment on check-in or orientation day will cover the cost of both your physical ID and your digital ID.)
• provide you with a digital hall pass (you'll also be able to request your own hall passes).
• easily track tardies, cell phone, and dress code violations and quickly communicate these infractions to parents/guardians via email or text message.
• provide you with digital "POWER Tickets" to earn incentives, privileges, and prizes!
• create events and club pages on an online community page for WHS students so you can get updates and communications quickly and easily about extracurricular activities at WHS!

You will learn more about Minga in advisory during the first week of school but if you would like to learn more about it now, you can read more here. (Note, we are not using the check in or flex time features)

• Here's a copy of our bell schedule...no changes from last year.
• A backpack/bag, your school laptop, folder, notebook, and pens/pencils are all you need for a successful first day! You will get a supply list from your teacher in the first few days of class.
• Lunch will continue to be free this year.
• The temperature in the building can vary widely...it's always a good idea to dress in layers/carry a sweatshirt just in case.

• Dress Code Reminders: It is the expectations that students follow dress code at all times. The basics to remember: No hats/hoods, No content on clothing that violates the student code of conduct (drug images/reference, weapons, hate messages, etc), and it is expected that stomachs, full backs, buttocks, chests, and underpants are covered at all times.
• To keep our students focused: cell phones and headphones may only be used before/after school, at lunch, and during passing time. If they are seen outside of these times, they will be confiscated and on the 2nd offense, a referral will be sent to the office.

• Class Schedules for 24-25:
  

  Schedules will be viewable through infinite campus on 8/5. Please remember, building a master schedule is a complex task and changing student schedules is very difficult as it creates imbalances in classes and disruptions to our overall schedule for all students. As a result, we will only make schedule changes if:

  1. There is an empty class period(s) on your schedule.
  2. You are missing a graduation requirement.
  3. You would like to drop down a level of a course (ex: drop from Honors Bio to Biology)
  4. You find an error made when entering your course requests.

To help streamline your calls to WHS, please select from the following options when you call our main phone number (719-391-3200). This will help to quickly direct you to the person that you need. The new phone options when you call are listed below. You do not have to wait for the message to play before selecting your extension.

• Attendance-Press 1
• Counseling Center-Press 2
• Registrar-Press 3
• Athletics/Activities-Press 4
• Dean’s Office/Discipline-Press 5
• Nurse’s Office-Press 6
• Administrative Office-Press 7
• All other questions-Press 8

Email: bittingjessica@wsd3.org
Website: whs.wsd3.org
Location: 615 Widefield Drive, Colorado Springs, CO, USA
Phone: (719) 391-3200
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