September 15, 2024
Dear WHS Families,
We had a great turnout for our first home football game of the season on Friday night. While the score was a tough one, our cheerleaders, Pep Band and student section kept spirits high. Mr. Brookes gathered a great group of students for the largest turnout in years and they sounded awesome. Friday nights are definitely a wonderful reflection of how our Weston community comes together to support each other!
There are always interesting stories on CBS Sunday morning of folks who have worked hard and overcome various challenges leading to their ultimate success. Connie Chung was interviewed this morning and shared her advice, “to be brave, work hard and take risks”. It is my hope that we can empower our kids to do the same. 
This New York Times article, written by a Greenwich Country Day School English teacher is yet another example of how we hold the power to change the narrative of high school and the teenage years. The collective “we” is important here. Parents, teachers, counselors and students must all come together to resist the temptation to overschedule, compare and overachieve. What if we empowered our children to take the courses they are truly interested in, encouraged creativity and the quest for deeper learning all while maintaining balance so our teens can lead healthy and fulfilling lives?
PACT this week
This week students will create their Back to School Night schedules for their families (they will text it to you) and they will have some Flex time to connect with teachers if needed for extra help. The following week students will complete our Challenge Success Survey to help us set goals for future growth across a variety of areas at Weston High School.
School Pictures
Robert Taylor Photography will be at Weston High School on Monday, September 23rd for our annual school picture day. Our school prepay is now active until October 14th. Please see this information sheet and this link : Weston High underclass photo prepay valid until Oct. 14th (password whs24). Any questions regarding school pictures please inquire in the main office.
Senior Portraits
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.
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.
Back to School Night
On Thursday September 26th at 6:30pm, WHS will host our Back to School Night (BTSN). Students will be creating a schedule during PACT to share with parents/guardians to help you navigate the night. 9th Grade parents/guardians are invited to join their school counselor at 6pm prior to BTSN in the WHS Library to get to know our counseling department and the support they can provide. The PTO will host a Parents Night Out right after BTSN at @9:30pm at Milestone Restaurant.
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. This 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.
Club Fair
Our Club Fair will take place during the day on September 18th. We know that it is so important for students to be connected to their school and community and get involved. This is an opportunity for students to see all of the existing clubs Weston High School has to offer. Finding purpose should be a goal for all students as they chart their course through high school. Clubs and activities can be a great way to do this! Please encourage your child(ren) to get involved and stroll through the Club Fair during their lunch.
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 8th Week Ahead
September 1st Week Ahead
August 25th Week Ahead
August 16th Letter to Families
College & Career Center Quarterly Newsletter
Upcoming Events:
September 16: Weston BOE Meeting at WMS
September 20: Senior Parent Coffee (Virtual 9am)
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
October 5: Homecoming Dance
October 16: PSAT (in school Sophomores & Juniors)
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. This is going to be a great year!
Kindly,
Meghan
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