Activities for the week:
Tuesday: Regular Day; Optional period 1 and 7 Budget Information
meeting in B-1 (see note below on "Budget")
Wednesday: Regular Day Lin Kuzmich working with Science and Admin
Airbands, 7:00 p.m. Theater--Come support the Faculty Surprise Performance--don't tell students.
Airbands, 7:00 p.m. Theater--Come support the Faculty Surprise Performance--don't tell students.
Thursday: Regular Day; School Site Council; 3:00 p.m. in B5-A;
GUHSD Board Budget Workshop, 4:30 p.m. at
ECREC in El Cajon--all are welcome to this
informational session regarding our budget.
GUHSD Board Budget Workshop, 4:30 p.m. at
ECREC in El Cajon--all are welcome to this
informational session regarding our budget.
Friday: Minimum Day; Last Day of the Grading Period
SAVE the DATES:
Monday February 27 is now an ALL FACULTY and STAFF meeting time during our PLC time. Please plan to attend with your colleagues working in our WASC Focus Groups. Information from our January 30, 2017 meeting together is HERE. Thank you all for your input on our Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). We presented the draft to Student Senate and they had a short discussion and approved these. They will also be presented to School Site Council, PTSA, and in our " Wolf Call" newsblog for more input.
- Focus Groups:
- Monday February 27 - meet in focus groups to examine evidence in WASC chapter
- Organization and Governance: E8
- Curriculum: E10
- Instruction: SS3
- Data and Accountability: E1
- School Culture and Student Support: SS6
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.
Wednesday, March 1: Minimum Day--Faculty and Staff WASC working day
1-2:30 p.m. More information to come.
PACK DAY: Friday, MARCH 10: Minimum Day
April 2: PTSA Color Run on WHHS Campus
Freshman Showcase was terrific! Thank you to ALL who opened their classrooms, presented to parents and students, turned out with their Clubs to SUPPORT our incoming Freshman! WHHS made and OUTSTANDING impression and we had a great turnout! Joann already sent out a call for feedback so please feel free to let us know what worked well and what we can improve upon for next year. THANK YOU to the COMMITTEE who planned and organized the night! Your input and coordination made this happen!
Over the last two weeks District Leadership called a series of meeting for Principals and met with GEA, CSEA and SEIU Leadership to discuss the state of the budget now that Governor Brown has presented his initial Budget Proposal for 2017-18. Things do not look good for GUHSD and thousands of other school districts across the state initially ALTHOUGH THIS CAN CHANGE. This is a HIGHLY fluid situation, but because of legal timelines with all three unions and California education code, certain steps have to be taken. The first of which was the "Verification of Employment" letters that all Certificated employees received in their mailboxes. These are returned directly to the District Human Resources (HR) department by each employee as needed. The second was the Friday afternoon Classified Meeting in B-1 and the optional prep period meetings last week. This same information was discussed at Thursday's Department Chair and Leadership meeting. You are also welcome to attend Thursday, February 16 at 4:30 p.m. the District Board Budget Workshop at ECREC, located at Mollison and Main St. in El Cajon. Much more information in depth will be provided by the District. All planning for economizing measures include keeping savings measures as far from students, sites, classrooms and programs as much as possible. With that being said, we are in this budget deficit across the state in public education for primarily three reasons (and specifically for GUHSD and West Hills):
(a) Declining student enrollment--every student represents about
$10,000 in funding (WHHS has lost 117 students since September
2016; the GUHSD since 2015-16 to now--over 600)
(b) Increased costs to our PERS and STRS retirement funds--the
state has required all Districts and employees to pay more since
2013.
(c) Increased health care and benefits costs
If you could not attend one of the Period 1 or 7 meetings in B-1 last week, but you would like to hear the information Robin has, please let Ginny know and we can schedule another time.
Following up on our discussion about Digital Portfolios and Student Learning Outcomes from last Monday’s all-staff meeting, the district Digital Learning Coaches will be hosting 45 minute workshops called How to Use Digital Portfolios With Your Students. These workshops will take place periods 1-7 Tuesday, February 28th in the back room of the library here at West Hills. If you have been thinking of using Portfolios or would just like to know how it all works, this workshop is for you!
In this workshop, you will learn how to do the following:
- Direct students to add work from your class to their existing Digital Portfolios
- How to use a Digital Portfolio like a student
- How to manage the Digital Portfolios for efficient work flow
We encourage you to come during your prep period. If a different time is more convenient for you or you would like more time than just your prep period, please let us know on the form linked below. We will do our best to accommodate you.
Sign up for the workshops here
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Thank you,
Jarrod Carman
New Substitute System going LIVE MARCH 1...
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
READ ALL ABOUT IT!
sponsored by the West Hills High School PTSA
The WEST HILLS COLOR RUN is Sunday April 2nd @ 7:30am. This is a fun event and takes place on the West Hills campus. Please join us for festivities, friends, FUN and COLOR COLOR COLOR.
ENTRY FEE IS JUST $ 25.00. SIGN UP AT ACTIVE.COM:
Profits from this event go toward a VERY worthwhile cause... providing college scholarships to graduating West Hills Seniors. Questions? Email us atptsaboard@whhsptsa.com
As always, our website has a wealth of information and links wolfpack.guhsd.net
Go Wolf Pack!
Go Wolf Pack!
