April 27-May 1, 2020 Distance Learning

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

Welcome to Distance Learning week 2!

Upcoming events:

Monday - Friday, 12-2 p.m.: Senior lawn sign pick up (drive through parking lot by Business and ASB / Cafeteria building)

Wednesday, 11-12 pm: DC & Leadership Zoom meeting (see calendar invite for agenda and Zoom meeting code)

Thank you to all teachers and classified staff for all your efforts with students and parents this week!
We thank our English Department for their "Tips from the Trailblazers"  at the end of Day 1 on Monday to share some of their experiences. We also continued to host our weekly "Chromebook Exchanges" with students on Wednesdays, from 9-11 a.m. and are in the process of having our PE lockers emptied out with contents put in bags for individual student pick up beginning this week.

Things still unknown:

Definitive Final Semester Grading policy. We are still using this Grading Guidline for the May 4 progress grade report (postponed from 12 week progress grades).
Senior Awards
Graduation
Textbook Returns


We may have more information later this week. Stay Tuned!

We are very proud to announce our Senior Class of 2020 lawn signs arrived!

We will be handing them out in the Faculty lot, near the Business and ASB buildings, a drive through Senior pick up each day next week from 12-2 p.m. If you would like to join Admin in handing them out to seniors (with their IDs) you are very welcome to do so!

Thank you ASB for sending out sign ups for our try at encouraging our students with our own rendition of:
Don't Stop Belivin' Faculty and Staff sign up
YouTube link

More info to come via email..thanks to all who were able to sign up!





On Friday, teachers were made aware of the Student Engagement Tool overview. ETS is aware of an issue within I.C. of the special calendar days that were still programmed for SBAC testing preventing teachers from entering the correct information. Hopefully this is already corrected / will be by Monday.

Thank you AP teachers and Asst. Principal Carrie Gaeir for your continued involvement and dedication to our AP students!  The exams ARE happening in an abbreviated fashion and you can check out our schedule:

WH AP Testing Schedule 

AP Resources for Teachers and Students     

Follow on Instagram our whhsasb for keeping in touch with students as well as 

whhsclassof2020, whhsclassof 2021, whhsclassof2022,  packof2023, 

whhscounseling, westhillslib. 

You will need to create an Instagram account to view any of these and we URGE your to do so since this is our best way to connect with students right now! 

April 20-24, 2020 Distance Learning

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

To all staff who helped with our Chromebook Exchange on Tuesday and Thursday last week! We had about 60 students exchange out broken chromebooks  or retrieve replacement chargers so they are able to participate in our distance learning efforts that begin on Monday.  Staff were GREAT in donning masks, gloves, and using plastic bags to have items returned to us for safety and for passing on to our students and parents. We will continue these exchanges every Wednesday, from 9-11 a.m. for the next five weeks of school.  More information to come regarding the collection of items checked out to students as we get more information.

If you need some laughs and literally "Some Good News", check out actor John Krasinski's YouTube channel. (episode 2 linked  has an incredible surprise from the "Hamilton" cast beginning at 8:29) On Friday night, he live streamed a virtual Prom for all the seniors across the world who can't have their own Prom right now.   Several WH Seniors dressed up and joined in the fun....

Senior Carson enjoys virtual Prom while staying at home

A note about finding all of the Distance Learning resources and information from our close of campus starting March 15--please look in the Covid-19 folder in the WH "Needs to Know" folder in our shared google drive.

You can also always to our GUHSD.net Staff Distance Learning page as well.

For students and parents: We posted this document on our main web page and shared it with you during our optional Faculty and Staff zoom meeting on Thursday, 4/16.

For our Seniors...we are in the process of printing lawn signs for each of our Seniors to distribute

to let them know we are thinking of them and we miss them. Using donated funds, we are able to 

make this happen through the planning and support from our PBIS Committee. We hope to have 

those out by Monday, April 27. 

End of Year Activities: We just don't know yet what we will be able to do for Senior Awards, Breakfast, or Graduation. We also are not sure about the collection of instructional materials checked out to students, the cleaning out of PE lockers, or the sales of chromebooks to seniors. When we know more, we will share with you. 

Campus Access: We continue to ask that ANYONE COMING ON CAMPUS text or calls Admin Cell phone so we are aware. (Not individuals we have asked to come onto campus to work essential duty. We already know you are coming in). 

Admin Team Cell Phones

Principal: Robin Ballarin: 619-571-7871

AP: April Baker: 619-944-1146

AP: Carrie Gaeir: 619-249-6033

AP: John Hoadley: 619-672-7890

Interim MSF: Ginny Bell: 619-871-4646

Master Schedule: Carre Gaeir, Asst. Principal, is working closely with our Guidance department on collecting from students electronically their wish lists and moving forward with this for the 2020-21 school year. We do not know whether we will be back together in person or via distance learning, but we will keep everyone informed as we move along. We have asked Department Chairs to submit to Carrie their teacher "wish lists" of courses to teach. As always, we (a) use student wishes to drive master schedule and (b) need to have a balanced 7 period day. Move to come as we know it....

Measure BB Modernization work,summer 2020: Our Administration building will get a "refresh" of our original 30 year old carpet, wall colors, some counter tops and furniture. This will require the entire building to be closed and everyone from that building moved to other parts of the campus for the summer and possibly into our Fall semester.  We are targeting the use of empty B classrooms and the Library as of right now and will keep you informed of this as we know more. 

Science Building, summer 2021: Needed replacements, repairs and reconstruction will occur in about a year from now, requiring some classroom sharing and displacements of teachers for "a summer plus a semester potentially". Our Science department is partnering with this process as we work with our District Bond Facilities team and all look forward to improved teaching and learning spaces. 

Follow on Instagram our whhsasb for keeping in touch with students as well as 

whhsclassof2020, whhsclassof 2021, whhsclassof2022,  packof2023, 

whhscounseling, 

westhillslib. You will need to create an Instagram account to view any of these and we URGE your to do so since this is our best way to connect with students right now!