The mission of West Hills High School is to graduate critical thinkers and problem-solvers who contribute positively to society as productive, responsible citizens.
Coming up next week:
Summer School begins on Monday, June 8. All courses are online only. Students and Parents have been emailed repeated messages on how to access their course and specifics around Summer school. April Baker is Admin in charge of Summer School. Any questions, please contact April.
Senior Events Guide has the list and details regarding our final two events for Seniors: Diploma pick up / Optional "walk across the stage" with free professional photo Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday in the Theater Foyer from 9-3 p.m. daily. (Appointments for walk required) and our Graduation Movie at the Santee Drive in on Tuesday, June 9
Construction / Facilities Summer Work
Admin Building staff moving to B-Building by June 30. Phone extensions remain the same. List of where offices are relocating is here.
Roofing on all buildings is getting re-done.
Gym is getting Air Conditioning.
Custodians continue to deep clean and sanitize all spaces. Hopefully you came to campus to put away your breakables and clear off your surfaces as much as possible.
Please continue to text Admin if you want access to your office or classroom this summer. It may not be possible based on construction etc.
Some JOY and THANKS from PTSA and our students to each of YOU!
We thought you might enjoy seeing some amazing videos that were shared with us! The first is a new promo video for our Blue and Black Brigade. Thank you, Elise Reinert (Performing Arts--Choir and Marching Band) for sending it to us!
The second is a video created by Lindsay Wilson for a theatre assignment. Thank you, Karen Nylund Lieb (English / Theater) for sharing!
Senior Parade: THANK YOU to all who were able to come out! It was great to see our Seniors again and to have some positives in our world right now! An added plus....we got to see and talk to each other! Here are some photos of the day and check out these photos from Ardy Riego...
Please take a read thorough through my letter to Students and Parents on June 5.
It was also sent via email to all Faculty and Staff.
Optional Faculty and Staff Book Read / Discussion Group for Summer:
If you are so inclined, buy a Kindle copy of this book
and join me as I read and think about the questions, thoughts, and ideas it provokes.
Fill out this Google form using your guhsd.net email so I know who is interested.
Dear Wolf Pack Faculty and Staff:
My top ten reflections on the 2019-20 school year:
10. We prepared for the new year with campus facilities with Air Conditioning replaced in all buildings and our HVAC project completed. We could work and teach with revitalized air and heat (okay....this is still being worked on to be ¨perfect¨ but it happened....)
9. We WELCOMED New Wolf Pack Members--teaching faculty, Admin and a baby or two! 💕😊
8. We hosted our HOMECOMING Carnival during the school day on campus after our successful PSAT day and supported our students with some food and fun!
7. We´ve learned that lawn mower parents are REAL and we need to work with our parents and students a bit differently....
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.
6. We walked with our sophomores in Unity Days once again and feel like the world needs to stop and work with us during that day.
5. We continued to work with our wonderful PBIS Team to brainstorm ways to keep connecting adults and students to our humanity, ourselves and our ¨West Hills Way" to ¨...be Responsible, be Respectful, be Honorable¨ with our TREE of Kindness and teachers asking students to write on leaves to add to our tree throughout the year. We also hosted our first ever ¨Souper-Bowl¨ pot luck with Faculty and Staff....
4. We continued our work with LITERACY across the campus including our first time all faculty and staff participating in our Interim ELA CAASPP reading and scoring. THIS is how we LIFT ALL LEARNING...WORKING TOGETHER!
Site Literacy and Data Team Re-Convening: Please contact Ginny Bell if you are interested in attending our Literacy Work day with Lin Kuzmich on Tuesday, Nov. 5 8-2:30 in room E-8. Our original Literacy Plan is in place, and we want to keep this work evolving and focused on current student needs.
Focus this year is on three components of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)--the "what", "how", and "why" of learning. Or in other words, equal (everyone is treated exactly the same) is not always equitable (everyone gets the supports they need to learn), learner variability (not every student learns the same way), and caring relationships allow for learning in a trusting and caring environment.
Reminder...All Call for teachers: the first two Mondays in December 2 and 9 during Collab time: Using our Literacy groups, we will be scoring the practice CAASPP 11th grade written work. All teachers are asked to participate. Please report to your assigned room with laptops as we lead and learn together.
3. We welcomed parents and guardians on campus for our 32nd ¨PACK Day¨ and continued to engage with our school community.
2. We continued to be a school of excellence as we shifted to online learning abruptly on March 13, 2020 due to COVID-19 and had to adapt to a ¨work from home¨ mentality for ourselves, our children and families, and our world. An INCREDIBLE journey that we are still walking, uncertain what next will come but drawing on grace, kindness, INFINITE PATIENCE and professionalism to ¨get it done¨. Truly Amazing.
And finally,
1. We continued to be the heart and soul of the Wolf Pack! I am so very PROUD of each and every one of you and the focus you put on students, their well-being in all ways, and your care and concern for each other! YOU have DONE TREMENDOUS work in all ways--in person and online. I hope summer 2020 brings some rest and renewal to each of us and look forward to August 2020. Whatever that looks like, we WILL PERSEVERE and ACHIEVE! Thank you Wolf Pack!
If you are wondering what you can do right now in THIS time and place, seek to understand. Listen to learn. Act if called. Peace to all. Here is an excellent article to help teachers working with students. This resource from Teaching Tolerance is also great for easy to implement ideas with students. Thank you to the teachers who shared this with me.
