Wolverines News- August Newsletter

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The future is bright at West High! My name is Rebecca Rieken, and I am your West High School Principal. This school year we are welcoming back over 1,250 students, and over 200 staff!

Excitement is the best way to describe my feelings over the anticipation of this new school year! I am excited to welcome the new freshman to our West High family, the Class of 2026! I am excited to celebrate with our Class of 2023 as they will soon experience all of the memorable events of their senior year! I am excited to see our sophomore and junior classes continue to grow and pursue classes and activities they enjoy. I am excited to have all of our returning staff and students meet the new staff who will join our team this year. At West High we have welcomed 36 amazing new staff members to our team. 15 are brand new to the district, 3 are transferring here from another SCCSD school, and 18 are new coaches and sponsors... as I said, the future is BRIGHT!

This school year we will continue to focus on math and literacy achievement, college & career readiness, as well as strengthening our focus on attendance and positive behavior. Our attendance motto from last year remains, "Be your BEST, Be AT WEST!!!" We hope to see our students engaged with school by being consistently present in all of their scheduled classes, and also present at school activities and events.

Each month, a new edition of Wolverine News will be shared to keep students and families up to date on important events, and also to provide acknowledgments of the positive things going on at West High. We invite families to also follow our Facebook page and Twitter to stay up-to-date regarding important news and activities.

Our partnership with the families of our students, and the westside community is very important to us. I welcome any questions and suggestions you may have so we can work together to support our kids, and continue to make West BEST!

Sincerely,

-Ms. Rebecca Rieken

#WeAreWEST

Our team invites parents and guardians to connect with them anytime throughout the school year so we can partner with you as we guide our students to success. All are welcome to call West High School to schedule an appointment, or email the grade level administrator directly:

West High School, 712-279-6772

12th grade, Rebecca Rieken, Head Principal- riekenr@live.siouxcityschools.com

11th grade, Steve Green, Assistant Principal & Activities Director- greens@live.siouxcityschools.com

10th grade, Brant Bemus, Assistant Principal- bemusb@live.siouxcityschools.com

9th grade, Pam Husk, Assistant Principal- huskp@live.siouxcityschools.com

At West High our counselors loop with their grade level class throughout all four years, and students identified as TAG will loop with Mrs. Still. As students and families have questions, please contact the counselor for that student's grade level, or the TAG counselor, either by email, or by leaving a voicemail for that counselor.

Students are able to view their schedules online beginning August 8th. If a student would like to request any changes to their schedule, they are encouraged to email their grade level school counselor with those change requests, or complete the "Schedule Change Request Form" that will be shared by email with all students once school starts. Counselors are still working on filling schedules, so it is common that a student may see an open block, or gap, in their schedule.

It is time to prepare for the upcoming school year! Each summer, we ask parents/guardians of current students to complete important steps to get students ready for school. These three steps are vital to the start of a successful school year.

1. Complete Online Verification by August 19, 2022.
Online Verification gives you a chance to change or confirm contact information, complete required District forms, request busing transportation for your child, and review the 2022-2023 Parent/Guardian and Student Handbook. Online Verification is critical to ensure we have the most up-to-date information for your child in case of an emergency. Online Verification is required for every student enrolled in the Sioux City Community School District. Step-by-step instructions on completing Online Verification are listed on the webpage.

2. Pay your child’s curriculum resource fee.
The curriculum resource fee covers the use of textbooks, electronic devices, and other items provided by the District during the school year.

3. Schedule required immunizations or screenings.
Students entering kindergarten, 3rd grade, 7th grade, 9th grade, and 12th grade must have required immunizations and screenings to start school.

12th grade students must have their meningitis vaccination up to date before starting school. If you have questions regarding this, or any other health related matters, please contact our school nurse, Mrs. Mary Mason: masonm@live.siouxcityschools.com

Registration for the new school year will continue to be done through an online procedure. Office staff will be on-site to assist families with online registration on August 11 & 12, support over the phone is also available. Parents and guardians must have completed online verification before their student may check out their new laptop.

Thursday, August 11, 10:00am-6:00pm

Thursday, August 12, 8:00am-4:00pm

If students did not return their laptop from last school year, they will not receive a new laptop until all previously checked-out devices are returned. Students may return their 2020-2021 devices. Monday through Friday, 8:00-3:00 in the West High Main Office.

*If students miss the early opportunity for laptop checkout and school pictures, laptops will be checked out the first day of school, on Tuesday, August 23. An additional school picture day will be announced at a later time.

Yearbooks for the 2022-2023 school year are available for order both online and in person! Yearbooks are $40 until October 27. The price increases to $45 on October 27, to $50 on January 16, and to $55 on March 21. Orders will be taken until April 30, 2023.

• Starting July 25: Order a yearbook online at www.yearbookforever.com. Search for "West High School" in Sioux City, IA, and shop the store for the 2022-2023 school year.
• Starting August 18: Yearbooks can also be ordered in the library with Mrs. Schiller. Yearbook orders will NOT be taken in person during registration. Cash, card, or check (made out to West High School) are all accepted forms of payment.

Seniors & Parents/Guardians of Seniors: please email a digital file of your senior photo to Mrs. Schiller before December 22 to ensure your photo is included in the yearbook.

Mrs. Schiller can be reached by email (schillk@live.siouxcityschools.com) or phone (712-279-6772) with any questions.

All freshman and students new to West High are invited to gather at 6pm in the West High Auditorium for a brief Orientation meeting and optional tours will follow.

We welcome all students, families, and community partners of the west side to join us in our front parking lot on August 22nd at 7:15pm for our Fall Activities Showcase! Lawn chairs are welcome for those that would like to bring their own seating.

Student Council will be hosting a Back-to-School dance on the WHS tennis courts from 8:00-9:00pm on August 22nd, immediately following the Fall Activities Showcase.

We will welcome back all students to school on Tuesday, August 23rd. We are asking that ALL students begin their day at West High. Students who have an off-campus class during 1-A block are asked to report the WHS Auditorium before leaving to go to their 1st block class. Busing to off-campus locations will not depart until 8:15am (WITCC, Harry Hopkins, Career Academy.) Students will receive their schedules during 1-A block, and staff will help students locate their 1-A block class as well. Classes begin at 7:55 and dismiss at 2:55.

To ensure the safety of our students and enhance traffic flow, we are changing the pick-up location for West Middle School and West High School students who ride our buses after school. This school year, middle and high school students will be picked up at the respective locations marked on the map below. West Middle students will exit the front entrance of the school and make their way down West High Drive to their bus pick-up location. West High students will exit door #14 to their bus pick-up location on West High Drive.

No changes are being made to the pick-up locations for West Middle students on specialized routes. West High students on specialized routes will go to the new pick-up location outside of door #14.

Because of the new pick-up locations, no afternoon parking will be available in the small parking lot on West High Drive between the West Middle and West High school buildings.

Homecoming this year will take place the week of September 26th. Student Council is planning for activities as we speak, and more will be shared soon. You can plan on the following events and activities:

Monday: Coronation at 7:00 pm

Tuesday: Nothing Scheduled

Wednesday: Powder Puff Football Game, 5-6pm, Riverside field

Thursday: Parade Time TBD

Friday: *No School* Football Game @ 7:00 pm

Saturday: Homecoming dance, 7:30-10:00pm

*In order to be eligible to purchase a ticket and attend the homecoming dance, all students must be passing all of their classes, and have no ISS, OSS, or Truancy on their attendance record.

**A guest form will be available in the main office for any student wishing to bring a guest.

We are excited to welcome students back for the upcoming school year! On Monday, August 22nd from 6 pm to 8 pm to new students and students entering 9th grade are welcomed to join us for Back-To-School Night. T

6:00-7:00 Freshman Orientation and Tours, West High Auditorium

7:30-8:00 Fall Activities Showcase, West High Parking Lot

8:00-9:00 Freshman Mixer Dance, West High Tennis Courts

The District has implemented new protocols to ensure a safe and healthy learning environment for all students. The SCCSD Parent/Guardian – Student Handbook highlights these protocols including:

• Cell Phone & Tele Communicative Devices
• Derogatory and Threatening Language Towards Staff
• Vaping
• Attendance

We encourage you to review the handbook with your child to make them aware of what is expected of them as a student in the Sioux City Community School District. By following the protocols, together, our district will be one where all students believe, achieve, and succeed.

The federal government’s program that allowed all students access to free meals ended this summer. If your student qualifies for free or reduced meals, you will need to complete the online application if you have not done so already.

Families that do not qualify for free or reduced meals can deposit money into their student’s MySchoolBucks account. Information on meal prices for the 2022-2023 school year is available on the District’s website.

For questions or assistance with school meals, please contact the District’s Food Service Department at 712-279-6860 or 712-279-6862.

Looking for family-friendly activities or ways to get your students involved? Stay updated on community programs, camps, and free events by signing up for Virtual Backpack. The Virtual Backpack newsletter will be emailed to you weekly with a listing of local events and activities.

Register for free today!

Connect with your student’s school, the superintendent’s office, or transportation. Let’s Talk provides you with an easy and convenient way to connect with schools and departments across the District with your ideas, questions, and concerns.

Get started today by clicking on the Let’s Talk icon located on the District’s homepage.

The Sioux City Community School District offers career and technical programs in the following areas: Business & Marketing, Family & Consumer Science, Health Science, and Industrial Arts, Technology, & PLTW.

The Sioux City Community School District is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information (for employment), national origin, religion, age (for employment), disability, socioeconomic status (for programs), marital status (for programs), or veteran status (for employment) in its educational programs and its employment practices. The District is required by Title IX and 34 CFR Part 106 not to discriminate on the basis of sex in its programs, activities, or employment.

Inquiries or grievances under Section 504 and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to Dr. Dora Jung, Director of Student Services & Equity Education/Title IX Coordinator at 627 4th Street, Sioux City, IA 51101, (712) 279-6075, jungd@live.siouxcityschools.com. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations to the District may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, the Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, or both. Please see District Board policies 103 and 504.4 for additional information on available grievance procedures.

Contact us!

Principal: Rebecca Rieken

Website: https://www.siouxcityschools.org/west-high-school/
Location: 2001 Casselman Street, Sioux City, IA, USA
Phone: 712-279-6772
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiouxCityWestHighSchool/
Twitter: @WHS_Activities