October 20, 2024
Dear WHS Families,
First, I want to assure families that we have taken the time this week to speak with students who were closest to the hate-based incident and use of swastikas on the locker of one of our Jewish student-athletes. In addition we are working to create a plan which will involve an initial assembly while we continue our work with area organizations as we weave tolerance and anti-bias education into the fabric of our school beyond our humanities classrooms. We take this incident very seriously and want to ensure our next steps address this act with the seriousness it needs and a plan that will be impactful for all of our students. Thank you for your support, patience and communication as we continue to navigate this together.
One of the resources that we are continuing to evaluate and will help us form our education plan is the ADL website. I encourage families to see their resources page to support your conversations at home as we build our programs at WHS.
There is a lot happening at WHS in the coming weeks. As we near the end of the 1st Quarter please take a moment to check PowerSchool and Canvas WITH your high school student(s). This is an opportune time to be reinforcing great sleeping and study habits. This update seems to get longer and longer with the programming and opportunities that are available to our students. I appreciate you reading and/or skimming it each week..
Challenge Success Survey
We will be administering the Challenge Success Survey to students and staff at the beginning of the 2nd quarter. Families will also receive a link to complete the family survey. 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.
World Language Tutoring & The Seal of Biliteracy
Attention World Language students! Stop by the Language Lab to get tutoring or participate in enrichment activities with fellow Chinese, French, Latin, and Spanish Honor Societies students. The lab will be open every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:00. We hope to see you there!
Seniors and parents were sent this letter regarding eligibility for the CT Seal of Biliteracy.
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.
Webinar Series - Your Child’s Health & Well-being During the School Year
The CSDE is presenting a three-part webinar series for parents and families titled Supporting Your Child’s Health and Well-being During the School Year. The attached flyer contains descriptions of each of the webinars as well as registration links. Please share with your families and community networks. The webinars will be presented in English, recorded, and translated into several languages. Links to the translated sessions will be provided to you in the week following each webinar for distribution to families and networks.
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!
Company Program Ads
WHS Company is selling 1⁄4 page, 1⁄2 page, or full-page ads in either black and white or color- they have pre-made templates to make things easy, or if you have your own artwork, they’ll happily print that as well!
The money raised through advertising goes to support Company, the theater club at Weston High School. The shows bring in hundreds of audience members of all ages, and they print 600-700 programs per production- your ad will be seen by many people!
If you are interested in supporting theater at Weston High School, I’ve attached the order form. Payment details are included on the form. The deadline for submission is October 25th, 2024. Please email averymacrae@students.westonps.org with any questions!
Class of 2025 Essay Contest
The Kemper Human Rights Education Project fellows at New York Law School (NYLS), are happy to announce and provide information about this year’s Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation (KHREF) Essay Contest.
Now in its 24th year, the essay contest offers high school students an exciting opportunity to display their research and writing skills while grappling with current human rights issues. The attached flyer has details on how to participate. The winners receive $4000, $2000, and $1000 awards.
The Kemper Human Rights Education Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in New York. You an read more about their mission at khref.org/about. Other information available are previous winners’ essays and interviews, as well as resources students might find helpful in addressing this year's essay question at khref.org.
The American Math Competition
The American Math Competition (AMC) will be held at Weston High School for 9-12 graders during school on November 12, 2024. The competition consists of a 75-minute exam of 25 challenging and engaging math problems. The exam is given in 50 states and 30 countries! Students with a passion and curiosity in mathematics and problem-solving are encouraged to sign up. The test will be first come, first serve for the first 50 students. Sign up here!
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.
-
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.
-
The student’s name, address, school, and grade must be printed on the space provided.
-
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.
-
Cash prizes are awarded to regional winners.
-
HERE is the official website with educational videos and more resources for this year’s contest and theme
-
Artwork should be submitted to Mr. Aitkenhead or the main office drop box by November 12, 2024.
ADAP Evergreen Dance
ADAP's Evergreen Dance is an evening of music, dancing, food, and fun with friends…
Students do not need to bring a date. Students can go on their own or in a group. In recent years, the dance has been held in the spring after our WHS prom, the plan is to keep that time frame. A date and parent chairs for the dance are TBD. More to come…
Splash at Yale
Splash at Yale is a twice-yearly opportunity for middle and high school students to attend classes taught by Yale students on our campus. They would love to have you there this Fall!
Splash 2024 will be held on November 9, from 9 AM to 3:30 PM, on Yale’s campus. Students can make a profile at any time. Classes include various topics, from Cryptography: Math for Spies, Introduction to Roman Law, and Birding 101 to Elementary Particle Physics. Splash is $20 for the day, with an option for a $10 T-shirt. Financial Aid for students is available upon request. More information and registration details can be found at https://yale.learningu.org/learn/splash.html! Registration is now live! Please reach out at yalesplash@gmail.com with any questions.
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 lane clear, 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.
Career Speakers
The College and Career Center, led by Ms. Randi Green and our Library Media Specialist, Mrs. Kara Swezey are excited to announce the launch of a monthly Career Speakers Panel at Weston High School. We are seeking parents and community members willing to share their professional experiences and career journeys with our students. This is a wonderful opportunity to inspire and educate the next generation by offering them a glimpse into various career paths and industries. If you’re interested in talking about what you do, how you got there, and what your job is really like, we’d love to have you join us! Please fill out this form.
Math and Literacy Labs
Weston High School offers support to all students in reading, writing, and math through the Literacy Lab and Math Lab. Students may work with teachers both within their scheduled classes and in the library by appointment. Our past website's URL has changed, so please bookmark the new link to reserve appointments. Drop-ins are also welcome. You can also access the Academic Support homepage by clicking the link HERE.
College Admissions Rep Visits
Every year in the fall our College & Career Center, led by Ms. Randi Green, welcomes so many College Admissions Reps so that our students have an opportunity to get a preview of a school and practice their questioning skills, as well as getting to understand the questions to ask to help them make informed decisions. We encourage our 11th and 12th graders to take advantage of these visits. Information about the rep visits can be found on our SchooLinks page. Students must have a pass and must let their classroom teacher know prior to attending a visit. Students can login to SchooLinks through ClassLink. Parents/guardians can follow the link HERE to login.
Communication Protocol, Pickup & Dropoff
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. Additionally, we need to keep the fire lanes open at dismissal and arrival times of the day. All dropping off and picking up of students should happen on the Access Road between WHS and WIS. Thank you for your adherence to this process.
Previous Letters:
October 13, 2024
October 6, 2024
September 29th Week Ahead
September 22nd Week Ahead
Upcoming Events:
October 21: Remote Board of Education Meeting 7 pm
October 29: WHS Halloween Haunt Concert 7 pm in the New Gym
November 5: Election Day No School for Students, PD for Staff
November 7: School Climate Committee Meeting 7:45am
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
Additional settings for Safari Browser.
