October 13, 2024
Dear WHS Families,
First, I hope that our families who celebrate the Yom Kippur holiday had a special break-fast and enjoyed time with friends and family. As you know, I shared very disturbing news with our school community on Friday. Since that time I have reached out to various organizations as we navigate this very concerning situation and moment in our school. While this certainly is not a reflection of the values we hold so dear, the reality is that a member or members of our community used the swastika symbol in a targeted way. Our investigation is ongoing this week. I will continue to keep those involved updated and share what I am able to with the larger school community.
Beginning this Wednesday during our lunch waves I will be in our student lounge by the cafeteria. I am going to use this time weekly as an opportunity for students to come and discuss their thoughts and ideas about Weston High School…what we are doing well and what they would like to see as we continue to grow.
Additionally, at the end of the month we will be administering our Challenge Success Survey to all students, staff and families. 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.
Wednesday Activities & Schedule - See the schedule HERE.
This Wednesday, October 16th we will be administering the PSAT to 10th and 11th grade students. Our seniors have been invited to participate in a whole class field trip to the IT Ropes Course in New Haven. Over half of our students elected to attend. Seniors not attending are expected to attend school from 11:45 on on the 16th.
Our 9th grade students will be participating in an assembly provided by The Looking in Theatre. A teen theater group that has returned year after year to open the dialogue about issues facing our teens every day. It is always a well received experience.
WHS Company
This week, the 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
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!
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.
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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.
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…
Milling and Paving
We have just received notice from the Selectmen's Office that this coming week, Tuesday the 15th and Wednesday the 16th, the town will be milling and resurfacing a portion of Route 57 in Weston from Trails End Road to Christopher Hill Road. The work is scheduled from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Tuesday to Wednesday. The road will remain open, but anyone traveling in that direction should expect delays. Also, please be aware that modifications or extensions to this schedule may become necessary due to weather delays or other unforeseen conditions.
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.
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.
National Honor Society(NHS) Induction Ceremony
Our NHS Induction Ceremony will take place on October 16th at 7 p.m., a change from the calendar date of October 9th. All students who are being inducted have been notified. The October 16th ceremony allows students to submit their acceptances for the November 1st college application deadlines.
School Pictures
Our school prepay to order pictures is now active until October 14th. Please see this information sheet and the link below: Weston High underclass photo prepay valid until Oct. 14th password whs24 Any questions regarding school pictures please inquire in the main office.
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.
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 7:45am 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 of you who are supporting 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.
Previous Letters:
October 6, 2024
September 29th Week Ahead
September 22nd Week Ahead
September 15th Week Ahead
September 8th Week Ahead
September 1st Week Ahead
August 25th Week Ahead
August 16th Letter to Families
College & Career Center Quarterly Newsletter
Upcoming Events:
October 14: No School - Columbus Day/Indigenous People’s Day
October 16: PSAT (in school Sophomores & Juniors)
October 16: Senior Class Trip to IT Ropes Course in New Haven
October 16: NHS Induction (7pm Auditorium)
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
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