March 16, 2025
Spring is definitely in the air! No school for students this Friday, while teachers engage in professional development. While it feels like spring, our hockey season continues! The JBWA (Joel Barlow, Weston, Abbott Tech) Boys Hockey team will take on Wilton this Monday night at 8pm at Quinnipiac University’s M&T Bank Arena. Click HERE to purchase tickets. Let’s fill the stands again!!
This past week I spent time talking with students, staff, and parents in various meetings, about our teens and all that they are navigating each and every day. I’m also in the midst of the college search as I have a junior in high school myself. I’ve heard for years how overwhelming this period in a teens life can be and now I’m observing it first hand. While well intentioned, I’m witnessing every interaction with my junior revolve around college; whether we’re walking the dog, at the grocery store, or seeing family, the first question she gets asked is something to do with college: what do you want to study, where do you want to go, which schools have you visited? I’ve equipped her with some sentences to be polite and change the subject so that she may keep her journey private. I hope we can all recognize the pressures these kids are navigating, whether we at home are putting the pressure on or not, it’s out there. My hope is that we can help our kids stay in the present while they navigate THEIR hopes for the future.
We continued to review our Challenge Success survey data this past week in our team of students, teachers, and parents. Our focus on Thursday was the parent survey. The difference between the perspectives on Community beliefs versus Individual beliefs on the three most important qualities when looking for a college or university was interesting to us. My hope is that we can turn the tide on the college process as a community. If we individually believe that academic programs, location, and cost are the most important factors as individuals, shouldn’t this begin to impact how we as a community think as a whole?
Portrait of the Graduate Panels
This past Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday we had the pleasure of welcoming our seniors into the school to meet with small panels of staff and community members. It is amazing to see how well the students reflect on their years at WHS and how much they’ve grown. We also heard stories of resilience and how much students have overcome. We have great kids at WHS and we all should be so proud. Thank you to Dr. Pro and Mrs. Eisenmann for all of the work that went into planning this extraordinary event.
Side by Side Band Concert
Thank you to Mr. Brookes and Mr. Holmes for coordinating our first, and hopefully annual, Side by Side Band Concert which included 8th grade band students and high school wind and jazz ensemble students. It was so great to see the students having so much fun playing, especially Havana Nights!
Grade 9 Field Trip Permission Slips and Payment Due Monday 3/17/25!
We are excited to offer our Grade 9 students a field trip to New Haven on Tuesday, April 1! This trip will provide valuable connections to their Biology and World Studies classes through visits to the Peabody Museum, Yale Center for British Art, and Yale Center for the Arts.
Grade 9 New Haven Field Trip Paperwork
WHS Company Spring Musical
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is a hilarious and heartwarming musical that follows six eccentric middle schoolers as they navigate the highs and lows of an intense spelling competition. As they battle it out for the championship, each contestant reveals personal struggles, hopes, and insecurities through witty songs and touching backstories. Join us for a night of laughter, music, and unexpected surprises—you'll want to make sure you see what all the buzz is about! Tickets will go on sale mid-March, performance dates are March 28-30. Let’s pack the auditorium! Thank you to Emily Arias for the design of the flyer!!
March is Music in our Schools Month
For 40 years, March has been designated by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME) as Music In Our Schools Month® (MIOSM®). The positive impact of music education in the lives of students lasts a lifetime. Therefore, ensuring equitable access to music education for the youngest members of our society—students—is paramount.
Every day, in classrooms and rehearsal rooms across our school district, music educators dedicate themselves to reaching all students with life-changing musical experiences. Parents, administrators, and the wider community often only see the wonderful results of music performances; however, we miss the months of practice and rehearsals and more importantly the learning process that takes place to make it all happen.
Throughout the month of March, our schools will celebrate our exceptional music program with building-wide activities and in-school performances featuring student musicians. We encourage members of our community to acknowledge and celebrate music education as an essential part of every student’s educational journey!
At Weston High School, Music in Our Schools month kicks off with a Music Department trip to the Disney Imagination Campus for workshops and performances! Tri-M Music Honor Society members have organized Lobby Concerts, a school-wide Music Poster Display featuring diversity in music and a special Music Kahoot during PACT! Join us for the school musical, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, the weekend of March 28th! Get your tickets at www.whscompany.com! Please see the link HERE for more on MIOSM across the district.
This week our acapella group, the WesTones performed “Blackbird” in the lobby as students came into school, as part of Music in our Schools Month.
Penguin Plunge
Join us in supporting Weston High School Unified Sports and Special Olympics at the 2025 CT Penguin Plunge! This year’s event is set to take place at Jennings Beach in Fairfield, CT, on April 5th, 2025. If you would like to join us in person, registration starts at 9:00 AM and we will plunge at 11:00 AM! Whether you're diving in headfirst or cheering from the sidelines, your participation helps promote inclusion and support for athletes of all abilities. Coach Horton, Coach Nelson & the WHS Unified Sports team enthusiastically invite everyone to donate or take the plunge with us. Let's unite in support of Weston High School Unified Sports and Special Olympics, and together, let's make a real difference! Sign up or Donate
Spring Fling - 2025 Evergreen Dance
Weston's 9th & 10th graders are invited to this year's Spring Fling, an Evergreen event hosted by ADAP (Weston's Alcohol and Drug Awareness Program), a fun evening of dancing with friends on Saturday, May 3rd from 7:30 pm-9:30 pm at St. Francis of Assisi Church - Parish Hall, Weston CT 06883
Featuring delicious food by Bareburger bareburger.com
Festive semi-formal spring attire is suggested. Students do not need to bring a date and can attend on their own, or with a group of friends. Parents, guardians and students should review the registration form together before submitting. Individual registration is required for each attendee.
Tickets are $70 each, preferably via Venmo to @ADAP-Weston prior to April 26, 2025. You may also pay by check payable to ADAP of Weston. Confidential financial assistance is available to those experiencing hardship. Please email ADAP Treasurer Lawrence Danter lawrencedanter@yahoo.com. Please visit https://www.westonadap.org/ to register!
Career Opportunity - Transportation Engineering Event
The Connecticut Department of Transportation is having a virtual event on Thursday, March 20th at 7 pm via Microsoft Teams to introduce high school students to careers in Transportation Engineering. There is currently a shortage of transportation engineers with retirements and not enough students choosing to study civil engineering. This is a rewarding profession where we get to make a difference in people’s daily lives by improving safety and mobility here in Connecticut. Please see the flyer for more information.
The Filament Contest - Deadline Extended
The contest deadline for Filament, Weston High School's art and literature magazine, has been extended to March 30th. For any artists or writers interested in submitting something for a chance to win a 50-dollar Amazon gift card, feel free to email samanthaleeds@students.westonps.org for submission and a quick blurb highlighting how your art, writing or photography captures the theme, the Weston High School experience by the extended deadline.
Scholarship Opportunity Class of 2025
Sharing an exciting scholarship opportunity for students—the New England Service Scholarships, offered by the Red Sox Foundation. This program recognizes 100 high school seniors committed to community service and academic excellence.
Selected students from Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont will receive a $1,000 scholarship to support their education. As applications open in early March, we would love and greatly appreciate your support in spreading the word to eligible students.
In addition to the scholarship, recipients will participate in a service project in Boston before being honored on the field at Fenway Park before the Friday, June 27th game against the Toronto Blue Jays at 7:10 pm. The application opens on March 3rd: https://www.redsoxfoundation.org/servicescholarships/ This opportunity is open to all 12th-grade students in New England.
Scholarship Opportunity - Class of 2025
Weston’s Chapter P of P.E.O. (Philanthropic Educational Organization) announces that scholarships up to $2,500 are available to college-bound women who reside in Weston, Redding and Easton.
Candidates must exhibit excellence in academics, leadership, and extracurricular activities, as well as participation in community service and a demonstrated financial need.
The application deadline is March 31, 2025. More information and an application are available at www.peochapterpct.org. You can also contact the chapter by email at peochapterpct@gmail.com.
Important Reminder!
A reminder about the delivery policy (taken directly from the student handbook). To reduce the number of visitors on our campus and ensure the safety of our students and staff, deliveries of any kind must be directly related to school business and approved by the building administration. Food deliveries will not be permitted on the Weston Public Schools campus. Failure to comply with this expectation will result in confiscation of the delivered item(s) and a 1-hour detention. Weston High School food services provide healthy, nutritious, and delicious lunch and morning snack options. We kindly ask our families to refrain from sending food and beverage deliveries to our students during the day.
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. In addition, please make sure you do not use any parking lots to drop off students. I have recently received some feedback that parents are parking in student parking spots while dropping off their students. Please understand that this creates a lot of confusion in the parking lot AND makes the student whose space you park in late! 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:
March 9, 2025
March 2, 2025
Upcoming Events:
March 21: Professional Development Day (No School Students)
March 28,29 & 30 Company - Spring Musical
April 3: Save the Date: Workshop - The Well-Balanced Student
April 7-9: NEASC Visit (Accreditation)
April 14-17 Spring Break
April 29: Rising Freshman Forum
May 1: WHS Band Concert
May 6: WHS Orchestra Concert
May 7: WHS Choir Concert
May 15: Art Jam - National Arts Honor Society Induction
May 16: Junior/Senior Prom - Amber Room
June 5: Senior Class Trip - Six Flags, MA
June 13: Graduation 6 pm
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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