The Owl Observer

Dear Students and Families,

Happy First Week of School WYWLA Families! Our theme this year is #ChangingHerstory! We are proud of the achievements and accomplishments of our OWLs and we believe that our work as a school community will change our students, families, community, city, state, and world one story at a time. You are an essential part of this work. This year, we hope you will serve as a partner in our mission to make each OWL realize their potential, success, and light that is already shining bright within their heart and mind. It takes a nest to raise an OWL, and we are counting on you, just as much as you are counting on us! Let's do this!

Quick Notes

• Junior & Senior Families: Please be sure to review the Junior & Senior News Update
• Does your child take medication at school? Don't wait reach out to our nurse to ensure your paperwork is updated for the year. Any student who needs medication on campus must bring in an completed 1702 Medical Form from a doctor. Visit the WCPSS Health Page for more! WYWLA School Nurse: Mrs. Maureceia Brewington (mbrewington@ wcpss.net)

• Do you need to update your contact information? You can note your requests here: Contact Update Page!
• Does your child need a medical or religious uniform consideration? If so, please complete this form before the first day of school. Uniform Exemption Requests 24-25 Full uniforms are expected beginning Day 1.

Sincerely,

Mariah Walker,

Principal

General Information

Open House is Monday, August 5! This event is optional for all returning students. Students can access their schedule through PowerSchool on August 2 after 5pm or swing by the office to pick up a printed copy. Students should report to their 1st period and proceed to follow their schedule to meet staff. This is not a time for teacher conferences, as rooms will be frequented by many families during this short period of time. Please send your teacher and our team an email if you have immediate considerations for your student's well-being.

Where to Park for Open House

Parking on the GMS campus is important as we share space with both GMS and other state entities. Please park in the general parking zone. The general parking zone is located directly to the right after turning in on the main entrance. When you turn in off Ashe Ave into the main entrance, immediately turn right and park. This is the back row closest to Pullen Park. You will then need to walk down the hill to Lineberry Hall.

Agreeing to attend WYWLA includes agreeing to our school uniform. All students in Grades 6-10 are expected to arrive in uniform beginning on the first day of school. Details for our uniform can be found on our uniform page linked here, and below. Uniform exemptions should be connected to documented medical need. For example, requesting to wear sneakers for plantar fasciitis. Approved sneakers for uniform exemptions must be walking support, heel support, or arch sneakers such as New Balance, Hoka, or some other true support sneaker. Exemption sneakers should meet the guidelines provided on the uniform page. Fashion sneakers such as Jordans, Hey Dudes, etc are not support sneakers and therefore are not be allowed as an exemption.

Please note that bonnets, bandanas, wrap caps, and durags are also prohibited as a part of our uniform.

Parents and Seniors,

For Senior Portraits, we partner with Prestige Portraits! As you know we will be at your school to offer Makeup portrait sessions for the Class of 2025. We're excited to announce that this year seniors will be able to sign up for an appointment through a new website called Vagaro. This experience promises to be much simpler than what we've done in the past.

The link to schedule a session at school is www.prestigeportraits.com/bookappointment. Begin by selecting your school under School Photography. This year seniors will be able to sign up for either a Deluxe Session, which includes casual poses, or a Basic Yearbook Session. All scheduling and payments should be made through the website.

In addition to the events at your school, seniors can also schedule to have their images done at one of our senior portrait studios by going to the same link above.

Please join us in welcoming our new staff!

• Ms. Molly Street, Middle School Counselor
• Ms. Michele Gregg, ALC and AIG Coordinator
• Ms. Nicole Connelly, HS Special Education
• Ms. Allison, Jaillet, Middle School Science
• Ms. Kristin Zelenakas, High School Science
• Ms. Joellen Benson, High School Math
• Ms. Jayme Whitehead, Administration
• Ms. Letisha Bailey, Receptionist

Head over to our PTSA Spirit Wear Store to get your beginning of the year orders in! Day of the Girl Shirts are ALREADY available. You will need these by October 11, so be sure to include those in your order. There are so many awesome shirts and designs to pick from. Get those orders in!

Yellow Rose Ceremony

WYWLA will host our annual Yellow Rose Ceremony on Wednesday, August 8, 2024.

• Students in Grades 6-10 report to first period **Bookbags should be left in 1st period.
  
• Early College (11-12) students report to the auditorium.
  

Parents, if you plan on attending Yellow Rose, there is limited parking available on campus. You may park in the back lot. The back lot entrance is located immediately to the right of the main entrance. You can see this lot from Ashe Avenue along the backside of the Cole Building and Fisher Building. There are also parking spaces across the bridge, in the pay lot immediately on the right (right after crossing the bridge). Please park in the back lot or off campus and then walk safely to the parent area for the Yellow Rose Ceremony.

• Students in grades 6-10 should arrive in full uniform.
  
• Juniors and seniors should arrive dressed as positive role models (no pajamas, no sweatpants, no ripped jeans, and no mid-drift/crop tops)
  
• Juniors and seniors will be on main campus for the entire day.

We love cheering our OWLs on! Last year we were home to over 40 student athletes!

WYWLA students who are eligible may try out and participate in interscholastic athletic programs at Broughton High School and Oberlin Middle School. Interested students should visit each school’s website for more information.

Students interested in Oberlin Athletics should visit this link: https://www.wcpss.net/domain/15566

Students must complete a physical prior to the start of tryouts and must meet all WCPSS athletic eligibility standards. Physicals must be uploaded by designated team deadlines to the WCPSS DragonFly Online Portal.

To learn more visit https://www.wcpss.net/oberlinms or http://broughton.wcpss.net

As consistent with all WCPSS secondary (middle & high ) schools, extensive time was spent developing a master schedule that provides the best educational opportunities for our students. Schedule changes have serious effects on staffing, class sizes, and academic programs and will only be made under certain conditions. We are continuing to work on schedules, so anything in PowerSchool is not considered final during the month of July. The following is a list of schedule consideration conditions:

• Incomplete schedules (missing a class)
• Failure of a prerequisite course or incorrect course (English II instead of English I)
• Completion of course during summer school
• Master schedule conflict (two courses in the same period in the same semester)

The following reasons are NOT considered appropriate reasons for schedule changes and will not be honored:

• Dropping or adding a course because you changed your mind
• Block (class period) preference
• Peer preference
  
• Please remember we are a small school, there is only one teacher of each subject at each grade. When required we must also honor teacher license for specific courses.

Scheduling conflicts often result in incomplete schedules. We do our best to give every student a complete schedule. Please note that you may not get your ideal schedule, but you will have what you need to be eligible for graduation when the time comes.

CARPOOL PROCEDURES

If your child is not riding the bus, please review the following carpool procedures. Carpool will move slower during the first few weeks of school, but it will quickly get back to a swift pace. DO NOT SPEED THROUGH. SPEEDING PUTS LIVES IN DANGER!

WHERE DO WE ENTER/EXIT?

WYWLA families must use the Western Boulevard entrance and follow the designated carpool route. The Western Boulevard entrance is located next to the NC. Dept. of Agriculture Building. Enter through the gate that is labeled Western Blvd Gate and turn right at the first intersection onto Perimeter Rd. Follow the road until you reach the stop sign. Wait at the stop sign until a staff member motions for you to turn left onto Campus Rd to enter the carpool circle. After you unload/load, you will continue around the circle, turn right onto Perimeter Rd and exit following the same route that you used to enter. Drivers will enter and exit from Western Boulevard.

WHERE DO WE UNLOAD/LOAD?

Carpool drivers should release ALL students in front of Lineberry Hall during morning arrival.

Drivers should pull all the way around the circle to allow as many cars as possible to unload. Drivers should follow the same procedures in the afternoon. Campus Security and WYWLA staff will direct traffic during drop-off and pick-up. High School students use the same route. Parents may not drive directly to Currin.

WHY CAN'T WE USE THE MAIN ENTRANCES?

The main entrances are reserved for school buses and the employees who park on campus. Although we are a small school, the main entrance does not allow enough cars to enter and load or unload without blocking Ashe Avenue. We understand that this route may not be the most convenient for some families, but it is the safest for all students and employees who use the GMS Campus. This is the identified route from WCPSS safety management.

WHAT ELSE DO WE NEED TO KNOW?

To ensure the safety of WYWLA and GMS students, carpool drivers should follow the guidelines below:

• Drive slowly on campus and follow the directions of staff members who are assisting with carpool.
• Yield right-of-way to school buses and pedestrians moving about the campus.
• Follow the designated carpool routes; do not create different transportation routes to expedite your drop-off/pick-up. This is extremely important for the visually impaired GMS students who must adjust to our traffic routes as they are moving about campus.
• Do not drop off in areas not identified such as the dining hall, gym, or high school building.
• Pull around the entire circle as far as possible to allow as many cars to load/unload as possible.
• Encourage your student to load or unload as quickly as possible.
• Families should not park near the dining hall, gym, Currin or the parking lot next to the Lineberry to pick up students. Parking spaces are for parents and guests who are visiting.
• It is important to follow these procedures in the morning during drop-off and in the afternoon for pick-up. These procedures should be followed even if staff members are not present to direct traffic.

WHAT TIME CAN WE DROP OFF AND PICK UP?

Staff members report to work at 7:05am each morning and will report to carpool duty at 7:10am. If you arrive prior to 7:10am, please wait at the stop sign until a staff member directs you to pull into the circle.

School dismisses at 2:10pm. Cars can line up and stop at the stop sign prior to 2:10pm. Please wait at the stop sign until a staff member directs you to pull into the circle. Your student must be picked up on time. Carpool ends at 2:30 pm. Any student riding carpool MUST be picked up by 2:45 pm. Failure to pick up on time and continually late pickups will result in a referral to Student Assignment.

ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION?

If you are coming from the Cary or 440 side of Western Blvd, you will need to make a u-turn to access the Western Blvd. entrance. If you are coming from the downtown area, stay in the right turning lane as you pass Central Prison.

ABOUT EARLY COLLEGE STUDENT AT SAU?

Early college carpool students may arrive no earlier than 7:05am. Parents should enter through the main entrance and drop off in front of Boyer Hall. SAU security officers will be on site to provide directions.

Thank you in advance for your cooperation!

Transportation Reminders

The Wake County Public School System provides bus transportation to all eligible students based on their school assignment. The system's transportation department is a separate entity. WYWLA does not create bus routes and cannot approve bus route additions or changes.

WYWLA students will use the Southeast Raleigh High School Express Bus transportation system. Each student will be assigned a bus and route number. Students will only be allowed to ride the assigned bus.

Please visit the WCPSS website and click on Transportation for more information.

Families can find up-to-date transportation information (including route number and stop location) in your student’s Home Base/PowerSchool account. https://www.wcpss.net/Page/41

We are thrilled to announce a new partnership between Wake Young Women's Leadership Academy and Shaw University, beginning in the fall of 2025 for the 2025-2026 school year. This collaboration will provide our students with exceptional opportunities for dual enrollment, collegiate coursework, and exposure to college-level academics. Partnering with Shaw University, a prestigious institution with a rich history, will enhance our curriculum and empower our students to pursue their academic and leadership goals with greater confidence and preparation. We look forward to the many benefits this partnership will bring to our school community.

Shaw University is the first historically Black university in the Southern United States. As a private liberal arts institution, Shaw is one of the oldest HBCUs in the nation. Founded in 1865, Shaw University boasts a rich history of tradition, activism, and service. It was the first college in North Carolina to offer a four-year medical school, the first institution of higher learning established for freed men after the Civil War, and the first historically Black college in the nation to admit women.

Shaw University has produced outstanding professionals who have significantly contributed to American society. Their distinguished graduates include college presidents, academic vice presidents, judges, lawyers, recording artists, school principals, pastors, and other notable individuals, such as:

• Ella Baker (1927), civil rights activist & co-founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)
• Willie E. Gary (1971), multi-millionaire attorney, motivational speaker, businessman
• James “Bonecrusher” Smith (1975), first heavyweight boxing champion to earn a college degree
• Shirley Caesar (1984), Grammy Award-winning Gospel singer
• Shawn “CoCo” McMillan (1995), 2010 Stellar Award winner

Shaw University is home to about 1,100 students. It is located in the heart of downtown Raleigh and has become a staple figure in the Raleigh community. Shaw University is affiliated with the Baptist Church, but is home to students, staff, and faculty of all backgrounds!

Shaw University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award the associate, baccalaureate, and masters degrees.

It's time to start thinking about PTSA Reflections. We are home to regional and state recognition in Reflections, so let's keep the celebration going this year!

Please take a moment to share this with a WYWLA Alum! The information for our OWL ALUMNI PAGE will be launching later this summer. Please use the link below to above to information!

August

August 5: 7-10th Grade Open House

August 6: Teacher Workday

August 7: First Day of School

August 7: Yellow Rose Ceremony, 7:45 AM

August 7: Senior Breakfast

August 13: WYWLA Picture Day

August 14: Senior Portrait (WTCC Day)

August 14: Staff PLT Grounding

August 15: First Day of WTCC Classes

Website: www.wcpss.net/wywla
Location: 303 Ashe Avenue, Raleigh, NC, USA
Phone: (919) 508-9088
Twitter: @WakeGirlsLead