West Central High School

Welcome back. We are finishing up term 1, writing exams from January 19-27 and starting term 2 on Tues. 31 of January. This newsletter has important information in separate sections for easy reading. Please call the office if you have any questions.

Wed. 18, January - 7:00 either virtually or in the conference room at WCHS.

Please consider attending to share your perspectives and help improved education at West Central. Our meetings are every third Wednesday of the month.

The links for PowerSchool have been updated and the old ones no longer work. Please update your bookmarks using

https://wildrose.powerschool.com/public/

Here is a link to a Parent Calendar that includes the FLEX Bell Schedule

This is the last week of classes and Exam Week begins on Thursday 19, 2023. Grade 9 students are attending regular classes and Ms. Kwantes 9.4 Science class will be writing a PAT. As we come up to exam week, please remember that studying and sleep are important to prepare for final exams. Final exams are summative assessments that weight up to 20% of the course. It is important for students to be present on their scheduled exam date, well rested and prepared. Exam exemptions are not granted for test anxiety or planned trip or work. A student may be eligible to write their final exam on a date agreed upon by the school in consultation with the teacher and the school principal (or designate). The request must be made in writing to the principal and the teacher at least two weeks before the exam date.

• Get enough sleep, eat a good breakfast, and bring a sweater and water bottle.
• Arrive early and make sure you have all the necessary materials (e.g. sharpened pencils, eraser, acceptable calculator, etc.)
• Attentively listen to, and read, all instructions to avoid costly mistakes and confusion.
• Manage time carefully; it is important to answer as many test questions as possible. Try not to leave any blank.
• Before you begin answering questions, write down important formulas, timelines, or processes on a scrap paper so you won't worry about forgetting them (do a "brain dump").
• Consider going through the test and answering the 'easy' questions first, then return to tackle the more complicated ones later. When stuck on a question, make your best guess and move on.
• Read questions thoroughly and pay close attention to words like: not, no, never, now, all, always, only, most, best, and exactly.
• Try to come up with an answer yourself before reading multiple choice options.
• Use the process of elimination; exclude multiple choice distractors that are definitely wrong to narrow down the options.
• Use scratch paper to work problems out methodically; drawing pictures can help.
• Show ALL work for written responses.
• Double check each answer and written work, but stick to initial gut instincts; don't change an answer unless it is obviously wrong.

Report Cards and Progress Reports at West Central are digital and can be found on your PowerSchool Account. If you would like a paper Report Card mailed, please complete this request form.

Report Cards will be available only January 31, 2023.

Thanks for your patience with the School Messenger App for reporting absences. The latest update from the software company created some issues but they are now fixed and the app is working.

Options:

1) Call 1-855-756-2797

2), Online https://go.schoolmessenger.ca/#/account/signup

3) Download the app in apple store or google play

4) West Central website - follow the link

Timetables - if you have failed a course or you are missing graduation requirements, you will need to fill out a “Timetable Change Request Form” online. It is important to understand that if classes are full or imbalanced, we may not be able to make the change you request. Please check your email for the new timetable or the explanation why the course request could not be made.

Course fees are now past due.

If you have any questions or concerns about fees, please call our Business Manager, Mrs. Chambers at our main office.

If you are having difficulty paying the fees in full, you can meet with Mrs. Chambers who can work with you to develop a payment plan.

b. Fee Waiver Application - You may apply to the school division to have some or all of your fees waived. You will need to make an application and supply a tax assessment. You can find more information by clicking the link below.

c. Pay online using School Cash - Directions are below.

d. Drop by the office with a cheque.

School Cash Online provides you with the convenience of paying online for school items such as trips, club/athletic fees, and spirit wear. We really want to save you time when paying for school expenses, so we can’t wait for you to take advantage of this opportunity.

Please follow the link below to register online (it takes less than 5 minutes!). Once you have registered your child, you will be able to see when they have a new item posted online for purchase. You also have the option to be notified whenever your child has a new school expense due, so you don’t have to worry about missing the deadline.

To set up an account and explore the system, please follow the instructions below. We look forward to hearing your feedback!

Register Online:

Step 1: Please click on this link: https://wildrose.schoolcashonline.com/

Step 2: Register by selecting the “Get Started Now” and following the steps.

Step 3: After you receive the confirmation email, select the “click here” option, login in and add each of your children to your household account.

Because of a reduction in staff, the phone system at West Central will be automated. If you are calling for absences, please call the attendance line. If you are calling for a specific person, you can connect using their extension or dial 0 for office staff. Thank you for your patience.