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: Required All Faculty and Staff meeting in S-8, 7:45 a.m.
Agenda is here
VP Interviews, E-8: Varied Dept. Chairs & Admin, 9-3 p.m.
Tuesday: Regular Day
Wednesday: Regular Day
Thursday: Regular Day: Camp LEAD--ASB attending
Friday: Regular Day: Camp LEAD--ASB attending
To All for our wonderful "Back to School" night 2018! We had over 450 parents in attendance and many stopped to tell me how much they appreciated YOU and our great communication! Many thanks to ASB (Ardy Riego), HOWL Leaders (Jamie Gwyn) and WH Cheerleaders (Krystal Kammeyer) for having students out and about this night to help parents find their way!
To t our terrific Guidance Department for our UC / CSU parent night on September 6! This outreach to Seniors as they get ready to complete college applications and to Juniors as they prepare for next year is invaluable! We will host another night in the Spring for Juniors and others interested. Thank you to all teachers and staff for promoting this event!
September 10, Monday: Required All Faculty and Staff PLC Meeting: S-8, 7:45 a.m.
VP Interviews starting at 9:15 a.m.
September 13-14-15: Camp LEAD: ASB attending: STILL NEED 2 More ADULTS
September 19 (last names A-K) and 20 (last names L-Z):
Unity Days for 10th grade in Gym
Unity Days for 10th grade in Gym
Teachers of 10th graders please join us 1 or both days / Request Sub / teacher willing and able to join us--please do! We need you!
September 21: Minimum Day: 6 Weeks Progress grades
With the Jewish High Holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) falling in September, many Jewish parents or guardians will be requesting excused time off or other accommodations for children to observe these holy days with their loved ones.
This year:
- Rosh Hashanah begins on Sunday, September 9th at sundown and ends at sundown on Tuesday, September 11th.
- Yom Kippur begins on Tuesday, September 18th at sundown and ends at sundown on Wednesday, September 19th.
Please note, some students, faculty and / or staff may miss school due to their faith. All work may be made up with no deduction in credit or attendance penalty.
ADL has the tools and expertise to assist your school in handling religious accommodation requests for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur:
- For background information about the High Holidays read 5 Things to Know About the High Holidays
- For answers to common legal questions about requests related to religious accommodations read School and Workplace Accommodations for the High Holidays: Know Your Rights and Obligations
CAMP LEAD: We are looking for two faculty / staff members for our September 13-14-15 Camp Lead. If you can attend, please talk with or email Robin or Ginny. 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. We pay for your sub and we can't take kids without you. THANK YOU TO CURRENT VOLUNTEERS!
News from around campus....
Jodi Kohler is hosting a parent meeting for anyone interested in the Summer 2019
Costa Rica trip on Thursday September 13th at 6:00pm in room M8. All grade levels are welcome.
Check out our Art Students inspirational posters--many of them are out and about on campus. Thank you Tad Van Dyke for having year 2, 3 and 4 art students beautify our campus with these wonderful images and original artwork!
Lawnmower Parents....and how to teach their children
Take a read through this blog post on "We Are Teachers" about "Lawnmower Parents". Then take a read through this college professor's article about the same topic at university and how to teach these students.
Here are some strategies to help with all students today:
HELPING STUDENTS LEARN DESPITE THEIR ANXIETY
According to SDSU Professor of Psychology and researcher Jean Twenge, student anxiety is approaching 60%, which roughly translates into about 1 out of every 2 students who walk into our classrooms express having generalized anxiety regarding school. While the effects of anxiety on the brain are becoming better researched and documented, one thing is clear: anxiety at any level reduces the brain's ability to learn. So, how can we help students to learn, in spite of their anxiety levels?
- Pace Setting - Writing on Board is better than PowerPoint...students can follow the pace.
- Wait time / Wait Phrases
- Reflection Activities / Exercises
- Visible Expectations posted in classrooms / on whiteboard and referenced
- Give Feedback Early & Often - See Article Below on "Seven Keys to Effective Feedback"
- Give the "Why" Behind Your Expectations or Policies
- Emphasize Learning Over Grades - See Article Below on "Too Smart to Fail"
- Use a Positive Tone in Your Syllabus and in Your Rapport with Students
- Be Consistent
- Writing about Text Anxiety: Allowing students to express their anxieties diminishes them
ARTICLE: TOO SMART TO FAIL
by Joseph Holtgreive, Inside Higher Education (2016)
Quote: "[Students] are simply focusing their attention on the wrong outcome. It’s understandable why so much emphasis is placed on the measurement of their performance, GPA. Without an exceptional record in high school, their chances of getting accepted into an elite university are slim. With so much at stake, they can’t afford to not focus on reaching the main goal. Yet while these students think they’re keeping their eyes on the ball, they are actually just staring at the scoreboard."
ARTICLE: SEVEN KEYS TO EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK
By Grant Wiggins, ACSD: Educational Leadership (2012)
Quote: "Whether feedback is just there to be grasped or is provided by another person, helpful feedback is goal-referenced; tangible and transparent; actionable; user-friendly (specific and personalized); timely; ongoing; and consistent."
- September “Shortcuts” Calendar Challenge - With Global Studies teachers helping 9th graders establish good tech skills, we talked with students and staff about some of their most commonly used Chromebook shortcuts to create this month’s calendar challenge for the library. Feel free to print your own copy and follow along.
- #WHHSreads - One of our library goals is to encourage reading for pleasure. We invite students to share what they’re currently reading and to discover more books from other members of the Pack. Also, students may watch this video to find out how to check out books from the WHHS library.
- Free Online Test Prep Resources - As we are already seeing students printing out tickets for the SAT and some even checking out AP study guides already, we have updated the free online test preparation resources guide for West Hills students: bit.ly/whhstestprep (1-page quick guide). If students have any questions, they may talk to Ms. Sannwald in the library.
