January 30-February 3, 2017

The mission of West Hills High School is to graduate critical thinkers and problem-solvers who contribute positively to society as productive, responsible citizens.

Activities for the week:

Monday:       Collaboration Day; All Faculty and Staff Meeting, 7: 45 a.m. Rm. S-8; 

                      Bring laptop or plan to share with a neighbor.

Tuesday:       Regular Day

Wednesday: Regular Day; Student Senate, Per. 5, S-8                                            

Thursday:     Regular Day

Friday:           Regular Day 

SAVE the DATES:  Monday January 30 and Monday February 27 are now ALL FACULTY and STAFF meeting time during our PLC time. Please plan to attend with your colleagues.

February 8: Freshman Showcase....check out the link with more information....we are showing off WHHS to future students. Please participate if you can. 

February 14: Sharing the love....Treats for Faculty and Staff in the Mail room all day to celebrate St. Valentine! Valentines available to write and place in colleague's mailboxes if you like to do so....during student lunch, our wonderful music programs will be performing in the Pit..all are welcome to join us!

February 14: Mock Student WASC Focus Group: We will be once again hosting two teachers from another site as they visit classrooms periods 3-4 and randomly select students for our Mock Student WASC Focus group discussion held during period 5. The goal is to get candid feedback and perspectives from students and the two teacher facilitators to help us have more information for our continuous school improvement efforts. Feedback and findings will be shared with all faculty and staff.

PACK DAY: Friday, MARCH 10: Minimum Day

New Substitute System going LIVE MARCH 1...

Hello everyone!

This is notification that the district will be switching over to a new sub system (AESOP) as of March 1st.  I will be attending a training of this new substitute system within the next week or so.  I currently do not have many answers for you, however, I hope to be able to answer questions upon completion of my training. The great news is from what I understand, the new AESOP sub system is user friendly and easy to navigate.  

Here's what I DO know:  

• Sub assignments that have already been booked after March 1st will be transferred over.  You do not need to do anything more with these assignments.
• Smart Find Express, (our current sub system) will shut down on February 28th.
• Access I.D.'s and PIN's will change for everyone.  
• A letter and email will be sent out from the district office explaining this change in sub systems.  Be on the lookout!

I am confident the switch to this new sub system will go smoothly.  

I appreciate your patience with me during this transition as we all learn the new sub system.

More details to follow.  

Thanks!

Ginny Bell

Coming soon....WHHS will have Five MAJOR construction projects!

Project #1: Football and Track Field and Stadium Closed: April 3-29, 2017: Our entire football  field will be replaced under warranty. Due to the extensive nature of this work, there will be NO ACCESS to any part of the track and field of any kind for anyone other than the installation crew.

Project #2: Beginning during Spring Break, our HOME ECONOMICS building will be CLOSED and remodeling begins to build an ADA compliant student restroom and additional specific facilities for students with moderate to severe disabilities. The entire facility will be fenced and the DG lot at the back of the school will be the construction staging areas (fair warning if you park back there). Both Mr. Knopp and Ms. Boehme will move to temporary classrooms elsewhere on campus and no access to any part of that building will remain until it re-opens FALL 2017. The building will also be re-named "PACK DEN" and new signage will be installed. 

Project #3: Solar power installation / covered parking in the faculty and East Senior Parking Lot beginning at 1:00 June 8 (yes...the day of graduation): Both entrances and exits to these lots will be closed and no access will be available throughout the summer. This is expected to be ready for the start of school August 15. 

Project #4: Summer School will be centralized in the Social Science building and Admin offices will move to the Library so every building can get heating and air conditioning units replaced under Prop U and Measure BB. ALL parking and access to these two building will be in the West Lot and the access road will be CLOSED with no faculty or staff parking for summer school on the interior of campus due to construction. 

Project #5: The GYM will be CLOSED July 3-28, 2017 so the entire gym floor can be sanded down to bare wood and resurfaced. This is done once every 10 years to maintain the playing surface.  Chris Quarders, Don Rutledge and Josh Reiderer are communicating specifics to the ENS Department and coaches. If you have any questions, please see one of these gentlemen. 

Course "Wish List" Process for current 9th, 10th and 11th graders...

Counselors will be presenting important course wish list (formerly "Course Request") information according to this schedule:

2/10                   * Junior course selection presentation for 16/17 school year 

2/14-17,21          Junior programming meetings with Counselor 

2/24                     *Sophomore course selection presentation for 16/17 school year

3/1-3,6                  Sophomore programming meetings with Counselor

3/17                     *Freshmen course selection presentation for 16/17 school year 

3/21-24                 Freshman programming meeting with Counselor 

These are planned dates so please keep that in mind and know changes may occur for a variety of reasons.  

As always, our website has a wealth of information and links wolfpack.guhsd.net

Go Wolf Pack!

January 23-27, 2017

The mission of West Hills High School is to graduate critical thinkers and problem-solvers who contribute positively to society as productive, responsible citizens.

Activities for the week:

Monday:       Collaborative Day; Senior Picture for Yearbook is period 5; Seniors check in to their per. 5 class and then go to GYM for the picture. Thank you all for assisting us with this important tradition! 

Tuesday:       Regular Day

Wednesday: Regular Day  CTE Fair: Black Circle during Lunch;

                                             

Thursday:     Regular Day;  Department Chair and Leadership meets E8 @ 2:00 p.m.

Friday:           Regular Day; 

SAVE the DATES: January 30 and February 27 are now ALL FACULTY and STAFF meeting time during our PLC time. Please plan to attend with your colleagues. More information with an agenda to follow.

February 8: Freshman Showcase....check out the link with more information....we are showing off WHHS to future students. Please participate if you can. 

PACK DAY: Friday, MARCH 10: Minimum Day

Big thanks to all for your patience with the rain this week! We are grateful to everyone who helped students and adults get through the wettest week on record! We have a few more wet days ahead of us...please continue to let Chris Quarders and / or the VP office know of leaks or weather related issues with your teaching and office space. This is the fastest and best way to address the issues.

  

This THURSDAY at LUNCH our wonderful CTE teachers--Kathy Worley, Ardy Riego, Susan Cooper and Jean Conant will be hosting a CTE Fair for students as they look towards course selection for next year. Everyone is welcome to come on out and encourage 9th, 10th and 11th graders to come see what CTE can do for them! We have Advanced Manufacturing and Wood Construction; Sports Medicine and our Health Pathways and our Digital Arts, Photography and Media Entertainment pathway. Student Ambassadors will be participating as well. Event will be rescheduled if it is raining...

    CAMP LEAD: We are looking for two faculty members for our Feb. 2-4 Camp Lead. If you can attend, please email or see Tom Vanderhyde or Robin. This is an AWESOME experience working with students in a beautiful Pine Valley Executive Camp location. The cabins are lovely and the food terrific! Please help us help others if your schedule allows for it. Thank you for the consideration.....

Thank you to all who came out Saturday night to support WHHS and laugh with Dat Phan and Friends! A HUGE Thank you to our wonderful Performing Arts Teachers and Students--our audience LOVED the evening and we could NOT have done it without you--Carrin Edwards, Adam Pezdek, Steve Lorentz along with our Technical Director Bev--what a fun night! Events like this promote our school and get our positive programs highlighted for all our benefit!

Professional Growth for Teachers:

Making Claims and Evidence Building Using the Library of Congress, Primary Sources and the Library of Congress: Primary Source Analysis Tool

Check out the resources available to teachers through the Library of Congress  Robust site with a variety of types of primary sources and tools to use with students to assist with analysis and reflection.

As always, our website has a wealth of information and links wolfpack.guhsd.net

Go Wolf Pack!