September 22, 2024
Dear WHS Families,
We are excited to announce our Fall Drama for the 2024 season. Thank you to Mrs. Morris and Ms. Winant for the creation of this exciting One-Act lineup entitled Unexpected Developments: Three One-Acts with chaotic, hilarious twists on classic tales. More information to come! We will be administering the Challenge Success Survey to students and staff this week during PACT. 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.
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.
I will be emailing home the parent version of the survey and it will also be available at Back To School Night via QR Code. It is so important that we get feedback from all of our stakeholders.
Homecoming Spirit Week
Our Homecoming festivities kickoff next Monday, September 30th.
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Spirit Days
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On Monday September 30th we are hosting corn hole and spike ball tournaments on the middle school field along with the Colony Pizza truck (5:30-7:30pm)
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Friday, October 4th is our Homecoming Game against Notre Dame at 7pm on the Stadium Field.
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The following night we will host our Homecoming Dance in the New Gym from 7pm to 9:30. All students must arrive by 7:30 and must stay until 9pm. Tickets will be available this week via an online platform, a separate email will go out to students and parents with this information.
Back to School Night
This Thursday, September 26th, we will hold our annual Back To School Night. We welcome all parents/guardians to come hear about all of the good things going on at Weston High School. We look forward to this night every year! 9th grade parents will join us at 6pm in the Library to meet with your child’s counselor. Back to School Night will begin at 6:30 for everyone. Students completed a template of their schedule for the night. They should have texted it to you or shared it with you. If not, you can find the template HERE. The PTO is hosting a Parents Night Out right after BTSN at @9:30pm at Milestone Restaurant.
Athletics
Congratulations to Mr. Berkowitz who was elected President of the Connecticut Association of Athletic Directors for the 2024-2025 school year. Additionally, our athletic program has been selected as a 2023-2024 CIAC "Michaels Jewelers Achievement Cup" Exemplary Program recipient. The award will be presented to our students and Mr. Berkowitz on Monday, October 7, 2024, at the CIAC Sportsmanship Conference, being held at the Aqua Turf.
The Michaels Cup honors exemplary athletics programs for their willingness to subscribe to the Class Act Sportsmanship standards, empowering students to take an active role in their school climate and their continued support for community service.
National Merit Scholar Semifinalists
Congratulations to Arman Hill, Jayaditya Rajan, Christian Seoane, and Benjamin Doolittle! Their scores on the PSAT/NMSQT last fall resulted in their advancement into the Semifinalist round of the National Merit Scholarship program. We wish them the best of luck as their application process continues. Well done!
PACT this week
This week students will be planning for their Deck the Doors theme and competition which will take place during Spirit Week. Additionally, students will complete our Challenge Success Survey to help us set goals for future growth across a variety of areas at Weston High School. 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.
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.
School Pictures
Robert Taylor Photography will be at Weston High School on Monday, September 23rd (B Day) and Tuesday, October 8th (D Day) for school pictures. All students in grades 9-11 who have Social Studies on 9/23 will be photographed during class. Students in periods 2 or 6 Social Studies classes will be photographed during class on 10/8, and do not need to report for photographs during lunch or free periods, but they are free to do so if they choose.
Our school prepay 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 portrait taken. If you haven’t, please be sure to 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 will host our first School Climate Committee meeting this Tuesday, September 24th at 8:45am in the Main Office Conference Room. If you would like to attend as a parent/guardian on the committee please let me know so I can put you on the visitor calendar. 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.
Senior Fall Trip
This year, the senior class will be taking a field trip to the IT Adventure Ropes Course in New Haven, which is the largest indoor ropes course in the world! The field trip will take place on Wednesday, October 16th.
To sign up for the trip, please hand in a printed and signed copy of the attached form(permission slip) along with a $45 check written out to Weston High School. Also, please sign the online waiver included on the permission slip.
Hispanic Heritage Month
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month beginning on September 15th through October 15th, the office of Congressman Jim Himes is holding an essay contest to honor Hispanic/Latinx icons and their legacy. The attached letter has information for any student interested in participating. Please contact Congressman Himes' office directly should you have any questions. Submissions must be received by Friday October 4th.
WHS PTO
The WHS PTO membership drive is still in progress and the PTO would be delighted to welcome you as a member. Click HERE to join. Their first General Board meeting is Tuesday, September 24, 2024 at 7:00 pm. The meeting is in Room A2 of the Library Learning Commons, at Weston High School. The meeting will be in a hybrid format (in-person and via zoom). I’ll be discussing our Challenge Success partnership this year and other fall highlights at this meeting.
Weston High School PTO – Back to School Parents Night Out. Join other high school parents at Milestone Restaurant, Main Street, Redding, after the High School back-to-school night on Thursday, September 26, 2024 @ 9:30 pm (or right after BTSN). Hope to see you there.
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 who are 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
We believe that a strong system of communication is paramount to the success of Weston High School. To that end proper communication channels support the efficiency and effectiveness of the staff at WHS every day. Please consult this Communication Protocol should you have concerns. This tool will allow you to identify the appropriate staff members to assist you depending on your area of concern. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Previous Letters:
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:
September 23: School Picture Day
September 24: PTO General Board Meeting
September 25: Financial Aid Night
September 26: 9th Grade Counselor Meetings (Beginning at 6 pm in the Library)
September 26: Back to School Night (beginning at 6:30)
September 30-October 4: Spirit Week
September 30: Activities Night (Colony Pizza Truck, spike ball, corn hole, trivia!)
October 3: Rosh Hashanah Holiday - No School
October 4: Homecoming Game - 7pm
October 5: Homecoming Dance - 7pm
October 8: School Picture Day #2
October 16: PSAT (in school Sophomores & Juniors)
October 16: Senior Class Trip to IT Ropes Course in New Haven
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. September is flying by and soon it will be Homecoming! We’re looking forward to Spirit Week!
Kindly,
Meghan
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