ober 27, 2024
Dear WHS Families,
It is hard to believe that our First Quarter is coming to an end tomorrow! For some students this is a celebration of the efforts they have put into their students and for others it can be a time to reflect on study habits and how they are accessing support. Please know that our teachers are available before and after school and by appointment to meet with students to support their learning. If you have concerns about your child and how they are progressing, a conversation with the teacher should be the first step.
For our 9th graders, high school can be an adjustment. Please reinforce at home that our teachers want to meet with students and be helpful. Going for a little extra help is a skill we want students to build throughout their time at WHS. These adult connections and conversations can help set students on a course for success. A reminder of our Communication Protocol as we head into the 2nd quarter.
Staff Appreciation
Thank you so much to the PTO for the amazing Halloween Treat they left for the staff in the teacher's lounge. The decorations were really cute, and the treats were delicious. It sweetened our day!
The Halloween Haunt
The Weston High School Music Department presents their annual Halloween Haunt Concert! Bring your family members, friends and neighbors and come hear some spoooooooky music! This concert is a fundraiser for the music department, and we would love to see young ones in their costumes to join in the costume parade and trick-or-treat at the end of the concert! Tickets are available at the door- cash and Venmo! Tuesday, October 29th, 7pm in the Weston High School new gym- see you there!
Challenge Success Survey
We will be administering the Challenge Success Survey to students and staff this week as we begin our 2nd quarter. Families will also receive a link to complete the family survey this week. We had postponed the administration of the survey earlier in the year to all students to get further into their school work and the school environment. Click Challenge Success for more information about this research organization. See the link HERE for more information on the Survey Tool and Opt-Out information. It is my hope that students will share their honest feedback with us, knowing that the survey is anonymous and will help us continue to elevate student voices.
The Student Survey measures high school students’ perspectives on homework, extracurricular activities and free time, sleep, physical health, school-related stress, parent expectations, academic engagement, academic integrity, artificial intelligence, and support & belonging at school. The information gleaned from this anonymous survey will help us set goals for growth in the coming years. We hosted two workshops with Challenge Success last year, which were well received. The first being the Well-Balanced Student and the second A Healthier Approach to College Admissions, which was great information and was available to students in grades 7-11 last year. We are looking forward to hosting another workshop this year. We are always looking for ways to balance high expectations with student wellness.
Challenge Success Webinars
In the coming weeks Challenge Success will be hosting an online webinar series to continue to help schools and families build like-minded partnerships to support student well-being, engagement and belonging. As part of our Partnership Program with the organization this year, families have access to these webinars for FREE!
There are two upcoming webinars of particular interest. We hosted both in person in the last school year. Those who attended were inspired by the content and used the information to shift the conversations in their homes. When registering for the events, please use the passcode WESTON2024. This will waive the $29 fee to sign up. I also encourage families to check out the Challenge Success website for more useful information.
Max Stossel - We’ve Been Sneaking into Your Brains
On November 21st Weston Public Schools will be hosting Max Stossel, an award winning artist, the Founder of Social Awakening, and Youth & Education Advisor for the Center for Humane Technology. “We’ve Been Sneaking Into Your Brains” Is a presentation for students sponsored by the WPS PTOs. We will be hosting two assemblies on November 21st, 7th-9th graders during their Period 3 class at WHS, and 11th-12th graders during their Period 6 class. Max illustrates specific ways technology is designed to be addictive & distracting. He provides tools to help combat these designs, and leads a much-needed discussion among peers about the impact of phones & social media. Max does distinct versions of this talk for middle schoolers, high schoolers, and for college students.
"Social Media and Your Kids" Is a similar keynote designed for educators and parents. This presentation includes an overview of how students are using social media and gives recommendations on how to improve focus and diminish distraction in learning environments. This session concludes with time to discuss what’s working and not working in our classrooms and households. This will be held at the WHS Auditorium in the evening after students have received their presentation during the school day. We welcome families to attend for this important discussion.
Daffodil Legacy Trail
PARENTS OF SENIORS!! LEAVE A GIFT FOR YOUR GRADUATE!!
Want to leave your graduating senior a beautiful parting gift that will last for years to come? Weston High School’s Sustainable Living course is once again selling flower bulbs to continue the daffodil legacy trail for the class of 2025! The flower trail started at the high school in 2023 and is expanding through our entire district campus with each graduating class. Your son or daughter can return each Spring for years and visit their dedicated section of the trail. What better way to leave a legacy for your child while both beautifying our schools and supporting sustainability. It’s a win, win, win! Bulbs can be purchased in either sets of 3 for $15 or 6 for $25 but feel free to purchase any number of bulbs you may desire. (larger sets look more visually striking)
Payment can be made in one of 2 ways:
Through Venmo @WestonSustainability24-25 (please include the graduate’s name, number of desired bulbs, and a contact email in the event of any issues)
Via cash or check (made out to Weston High School) and mailed to: Michael Aitkenhead, 115 School Rd., Weston, CT 06883. Include a note with your student’s name, number of desired bulbs, and a contact email.
Ordering deadline is Friday, November 15th so that the Sustainable Solutions students have time to plant the bulbs this fall… so please don’t delay! Don’t have a senior but you still want to support sustainability projects in our schools? Additional donations are always welcome. A special thanks to the Weston High School class of 1974 for their generous donation to this cause. For more information about this fundraiser or the work being done in the Sustainable Living course, please contact the instructor Michael Aitkenhead at michaelaitkenhead@westonps.org.
Senior Portraits
Due date for the completion of Senior Portraits is October 30th. We have selected two photographers for you to choose from for senior portraits this year. Many seniors have already had their senior portraits taken. If you haven’t, please schedule with one of our photographers. Robert Taylor has been our longstanding school photographer and offers reasonably priced packages and sittings for your senior portraits. He is scheduling seniors now. Go to this link on his website. You can check out his website HERE.
Suzanne Sheridan is another photographer and Weston resident who has a rich tradition of photographing our students and families for their senior portraits. Please use this email address to be in contact with Suzanne: wshportraits@gmail.com and you can also check out her website. It is important that these get done as soon as possible so we can be sure to have all portraits ready for our yearbook editors this fall.
Filament submissions
We are pleased to announce that Filament, the WHS Literary Magazine, is accepting submissions for the Fall/Winter Edition. The deadline is December 2nd. Please ask your students to use this opportunity to showcase their creativity and self-expression through poetry, short stories, digital artwork, drawing and illustration, essays, and more.
Mrs. Holmes will be available after school from 2:50 to 3:15 in the library on the following dates to assist students with brainstorming ideas, drafting pieces, and preparing formal submissions for contests or Filament Magazine:
October 28th
November 6th
November 11th
These are informal drop-in sessions, offering space and support to help students start writing, refine their drafts, or figure out the submission process. Students do not need to sign up in advance—they should just bring ideas, questions, and enthusiasm, and I'll be there to help! For more information about Filament and the submission process find more information here.
WHS Company
This week, Company is in full swing with rehearsals for their fall production of Unexpected Developments! Get ready for a night of laughter as students take on classic tales with chaotic and comedic twists! Unexpected Developments is a series of three One-act plays. The Actor's Nightmare by Christopher Durang tackles every actor's worst fear of showing up for a production completely unprepared. For George, he not only does not know his lines, but he doesn't even know what show he is in! The other two acts are by playwright Laura Neill Juliet Wakes Up, and The Revenge of Gertrude. Both plays are a dark comedic take on classic Shakespearian tales. What happens if Juliet did not die at the end of Romeo and Juliet and Hamlet's mother took the throne of Denmark? Be sure to keep checking back for ticket information so you can find out! This will absolutely be a must-see production!
HRRA Annual Recycling Billboard Contest
Get ready to showcase your creativity in the HRRA Annual Recycling Billboard Contest 2025! This contest encourages participants to design billboards that promote recycling and sustainability, raising awareness in our communities about the importance of environmental responsibility.
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Artwork must be submitted on the provided template and created in landscape orientation 10” x 4”. Artwork must be in color, in any medium of the student’s choosing. The ORIGINAL ARTWORK MUST BE submitted and completed by the student. One student per entry and only one entry per student allowed.
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The student’s name, address, school, and grade must be printed on the space provided.
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The 2025 Billboard theme is: “Batteries Can Cause Fires.” Students’ artwork should teach residents that batteries don’t belong in the trash or household recycling. Artwork should promote how to dispose of batteries properly. HERE are some examples from previous years.
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Cash prizes are awarded to regional winners.
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HERE is the official website with educational videos and more resources for this year’s contest and theme
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Artwork should be submitted to Mr. Aitkenhead or the main office drop box by November 12, 2024.
School Climate Committee
We hosted our first School Climate Committee meeting on October 8th. If you would like to be a parent/guardian on the committee, please let me know so I can put you on the visitor calendar for the next meeting. We hope to have another great year of progress and great conversations to support student well-being, engagement, and belonging! Part of the work of this team will be to take a closer look at our fall survey results and chart a course forward. Our next meeting will take place on November 7th at 7:45 am during our Period 2 classes.
Pickup & Dropoff
A reminder to please continue to use the access road for picking up and dropping off students. We also must keep the fire lanes clear on each side of the crosswalk, especially at the end of the day, with so many students pouring out of the building. We want to make sure we aren’t inhibiting anyone’s line of sight, especially our security guards, as they man the crosswalk. I have received positive feedback that pickup can take less time when we all follow the flow of traffic and the guidelines. Thank you to all who support our students' safe entrance and exit.
Communication Protocol
Please remember we have a Communication Protocol to help you navigate the common occurrences in the daily lives of students, families and staff. For many of your concerns this protocol will let you know how to proceed.
Previous Letters:
October 20, 2024
October 13, 2024
October 6, 2024
September 29th Week Ahead
Upcoming Events:
October 29: WHS Halloween Haunt Concert 7 pm in the New Gym
October 29-November 1: Challenge Success Survey Administration to students, staff and families
October 31: Save A Life Tour (All Day Galleria Hallway)
November 5: Election Day No School for Students, PD for Staff
November 7: School Climate Committee Meeting 7:45am
November 11: Veteran’s Day Panel Discussion - WHS Learning Commons
November 15: School Wide Assembly - Presented by JSU
November 21: School Wide Assembly - Max Stossel “We’ve Been Sneaking Into Your Brains”
December 9: 9th Grade Assembly - Poetry Out Loud (Period 7)
December 3: Junior College Kickoff
As always should you have any questions or concerns please call the main office and we can provide you with support to find the information or person you need to speak with.
Kindly,
Meghan
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