blue streak - woodstock high school

5
now is the time! For a junior, it might be-- thinking of how to best prepare for the SAT on April 9. The test is important to all juniors, and getting ready for it doesnt happen overnight. And, seniors, maybe its time to think about your mark at WHS. Can you help tutor freshmen? Can you take a leadership role in Student Council? There is something for all of us! Lastly, I recommend that our students read a good book. Seriously? Thats the best you can do? First, remember that I am a former English teacher. Second, lets put our phones down for a minute (yes, guilty as charged sometimes, too) and just indulge in a book. Not one for school. Not one that I recommend. Just a good, old-fashioned, high-interest read. Itll not only make you smarter, but your next job interview or college essay might just ask about what youre reading. And, youll be ready. As with all resolutions, theyre easy to make and harder to maintain. So, maybe ask your student to pick one of these. Or, maybe there is another resolution that your student has in mind, and thats great, too. No matter what, I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year--lets make 2019 a special one! Sincerely, Art Vallicelli, Ed. D Principal Blue Streak Families, High schools have morphed into unique places. They require students to operate individually amongst a larger student body. That juxtaposition takes some time to figure out. As the new year approaches, we all tend to think about what we can work on to make ourselves better. So, while I have my own private New Years resolutions (feel free to ask me and Ill share!), I thought I might volunteer a few for students to consider. Of course, parents, feel free to tell them about these suggestions! First, I think itd be great for any high- schooler to make two new friends before the end of the school year. It is so easy to be in a rut socially, even if you have plenty of friends. And, if you are someone with only three or four good friends, making new contacts pushes your high school experience into something new. It might take someone into a new sport, new class, or new club, which might spark a passion. Since I have always found meeting new people to be incredible, its something to consider. Another idea for 2019 is to identify the next challenge that you will face as a student and how to overcome it. If youre a freshman, that might be thinking about what coursework next year might bring and how to make the most out of it. Sophomores might consider a new club or activity that they passed during Year One of high school as they transitioned; Blue Streak Volume 2, Issue 4 Expecting Excellence Woodstock High School 501 W. South Street Woodstock, IL 60098 815.338.4370 www.woodstockschools.org/whs

Upload: others

Post on 29-Nov-2021

1 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

now is the time! For a junior, it might be-- thinking of how to best prepare for the SAT on April 9. The test is important to all juniors, and getting ready for it doesn’t happen overnight. And, seniors, maybe it’s time to think about your mark at WHS. Can you help tutor freshmen? Can you take a leadership role in Student Council? There is something for all of us! Lastly, I recommend that our students read a good book. Seriously? That’s the best you can do? First,

remember that I am a former English teacher. Second, let’s put our phones down for a minute (yes, guilty as charged sometimes, too) and just indulge in a book. Not one for school. Not one that I

recommend. Just a good, old-fashioned, high-interest read. It’ll not only make you smarter, but your next job interview or college essay might just ask about what you’re reading. And, you’ll be ready. As with all resolutions, they’re easy to make and harder to maintain. So, maybe ask your student to pick one of these. Or, maybe there is another resolution that your student has in mind, and that’s great, too. No matter what, I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year--let’s make 2019 a special one! Sincerely,

Art Vallicelli, Ed. D

Principal

Blue Streak Families, High schools have morphed into unique places. They require students to operate individually amongst a larger student body. That juxtaposition takes some time to figure out. As the new year approaches, we all tend to think about what we can work on to make ourselves better. So, while I have my own private New Year’s resolutions (feel free to ask me and I’ll share!), I thought I might volunteer a few for students to consider. Of course, parents, feel free to tell them about these suggestions! First, I think it’d be great for any high-schooler to make two new friends before the end of the school year. It is so easy to be in a rut socially, even if you have plenty of friends. And, if you are someone with only three or four good friends, making new contacts pushes your high school experience into something new. It might take someone into a new sport, new class, or new club, which might spark a passion. Since I have always found meeting new people to be incredible, it’s something to consider. Another idea for 2019 is to identify the next challenge that you will face as a student and how to overcome it. If you’re a freshman, that might be thinking about what coursework next year might bring and how to make the most out of it. Sophomores might consider a new club or activity that they passed during Year One of high school as they transitioned;

Blue Streak

Volume 2, Issue 4 Expecting Excellence

Woodstock High School 501 W. South Street

Woodstock, IL 60098

815.338.4370

www.woodstockschools.org/whs

D200 is pleased to offer an online system called Home Access that provides access

to student schedules, attendance, assignments and grades. Parents and students each

have their own separate username and password for Home Access.

Please CLICK HERE for additional Home Access information or call 815.338.4370.

The State Scholar program recognizes Illinois high school students for outstanding academic achievement. Students ranking in the top 10% of the state’s high school graduating seniors have been named State Scholars. Rankings are based on a combination of SAT Reasoning test score results and class rank at the end of their junior year. A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the students pictured below.

Each fall Spanish Honor Society members sell raffle tickets to raise money for scholarships and to support SHS. The 2 raffle winners select a professional sports jersey of their choice - which was then custom ordered. Prizes arrived in time for holiday giving each year. The lucky winners this year are: Fabiola Delgadillo, who selected a Steelers jersey with Antonio Brown’s number

and name Dan Newman, who selected Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks. Thank you to all parents and sports fans who supported our

SHS by purchasing tickets! We hope you can all join us again next year!

2019-20 Course Requests have been chosen Please review your student’s course choices

Counselors met with students before Winter Break to choose classes for next year.

Students brought home a copy of their choices (yellow paper).

Please review the chosen courses, make any changes, sign at the bottom and have your child return it to the Student Services Office.

Semester 2 Schedules Finalized Starting Second Semester

Students received their Semester 2 schedules and made final changes before leaving for Winter Break.

No additional changes can be made with the exception of the reasons listed in the Curriculum Guide on pages 14 & 15.

PSAT/NMSQT Scores to be distributed Results of the October preliminary exam

Juniors will receive their test results in early January during their US History class.

Administrators will interpret the results and share important insights as the Juniors prepare to take the SAT on April 9.

Sophomores who took the PSAT/NMSQT will receive their results on January 10.

SAT Prep Classes Begin Preparing for the SAT

Students who want to become more confident in their test-taking strategies and work on improving their score for the SAT may want to consider an SAT prep course at WHS:

SAT Prep Sessions with WHS teachers - Wednesdays after school beginning Jan. 15, $30. Register in the Main Office.

ExcelEdge SAT1600 - more in-depth, Saturday mornings beginning Jan. 26, $315.

Each of these options are still available for a short time. Please register quickly.

ACCESS Testing for English Language Learners Measuring your level of English

Students in the English Language Learner (ELL) classes will take the ACCESS test at the end of January/beginning of February to determine their level of English language acquisition. This test will help determine course placement for next school year.

Make an appointment with your counselor online!

Mrs. Harmer (Career Facilitator) aharmer.youcanbook.me Ms. Landwehr (School Counselor) slandwehr.youcanbook.me Mrs. Rogers (School Counselor) arogers.youcanbook.me Ms. Wintersteen (school Counselor) awintersteen.youcanbook.me

Click HERE to visit our Student Services website or call 815.206.2252

Back row: Ben Thuma, Jake Aellig, John Paul Howe, Molly Hughes, Ashley Gray, Alex Fetzner, Eric Canaday, Mason Hurless, David Kruse, Andy Princer, Max Lisowski Middle row: Michael Brown, Evan Br idges, Camden Hanson, Lauren Jacobs, Elliott Martinez, Luis Gomez-Diaz, Kenna Miles, Riya Virani, Courtney Richter, Lauren Wietermann Front row: Andrew Adams, Ian Dawdy, Amy Keyzer , Zoe Friedman, Elisha Gallosa, Kylie Hagmann, Madeline Scolio, Grace Maidment Missing from photo: Sophia Newman, Er ica Lande, Ethan Beth

Kindness Closet

The SAT is a standardized test that is widely used for college admissions. This exam tests the student’s academic skills in areas such as reading, writing and math, with a total score between 400 - 1600 points. A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to the students pictured below who scored a 1300 or better on the SAT their junior year.

Back row: Eric Canaday, Ashley Gray, John Paul Howe, Molly Hughes, Alex Fetzner, Mason Hurless, David Kruse, Andy Princer, Lauren Wietermann Middle row: Camden Hanson, Zoe Friedman, Ben Thuma, Luis Gomez-Diaz, Elliott Martinez, Lauren Jacobs, Madeline Scolio, Grace Maidment Front row: Evan Bridges, Ian Dawdy, Andrew Adams, Cour t-ney Richter, Maddie Thill, Riya Virani, Kenna Miles Missing from photo: Cesar Or tiz

This year, a central focus at WHS is differentiation; a general term for strategies which help students learn core skills at their own pace and in their own ways. A lot of differentiation breaks down into communication between the instructor and student. Consequently, the WHS English Department is working hard to both refine and evolve how teachers provide feedback for students and how students communicate their questions and frame their knowledge. One example of this exchange can be seen in writing classes, where Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Keogh-Baker have adopted a process in which students digitally submit their papers a section at a time, meeting daily writing goals, and receiving comments on each section as it is completed. This process helps support students who struggle early on while providing more robust and individualized feedback. Our digital interventions continue with Dr. Brown and Mr. Walker, who experiment with web-based programs like No Red Ink and IXL. The programs are centered on providing students instant feedback on their specific strengths and weaknesses, which are then focused upon in follow-up lessons by the instructor. Of course, not all differentiation is digital. Mrs. Phillips is experimenting with using different colored cups when students are in groups to indicate how a group feels about a discussion topic or task. This allows her to more efficiently focus on groups who are struggling with a concept, allowing groups comfortable with the task to move on. Down the hall, Mr. Kerns engages students by personalizing grammar activities to include students’ interests as well as familiar names and places around Woodstock. Finally, the newest member of our department, Mrs. Kunzie, sets up self-guided days in her classroom, using stations to help reteach students information they may not have mastered. WHS English looks forward to continued progress in personalizing education to help students expect excellence from themselves and their peers.

WHS now takes credit/debit cards in the Main Office!

D200 has started using a new ePay system that accepts all major credit cards online, including Visa! The middle and high schools now have devices in the main office to take credit/debit cards. CLICK HERE for online payments.

The students created their own apps or games they could show their parents, and we’ll also print Hour of Code certificates they could bring home. And it’s always fun! With interactive, hands-on activities, students learn computational thinking skills in an approachable way. Computers are everywhere, changing every industry on the planet. But only 35% of all high schools teach computer science. The good news is, we’re on our way to change this! If you've heard about the Hour of Code before, you might know it made history - more than 100 million students around the world have tried an Hour of Code. Even leaders like President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin

Trudeau wrote their first lines of code as part of the campaign. We live in a world surrounded by technology. And we know that whatever field our students choose to go into as adults, their ability to succeed will increasingly depend on understanding how technology works. But only a tiny fraction of us are learning how technology

works. Only 35% of all high schools teach computer science. That’s why WHS Engineering students joined in with Olson and Dean Street Elementary on the largest learning event in history: During the Hour of Code, taking place concurrently with Computer Science Education Week (December 3-9), more than 100 million students worldwide participated in the Hour of Code. Our Hour of Code was a huge success and is making a statement that Olson and Dean Street Elementary are ready to explore these foundational 21st-century skills. This was/is a chance to change the future of education in Woodstock. See http://hourofcode.com/us for more details.

1/3 Boys Varsity Bowling vs. Elgin (Senior Night) @ 4:30 pm at Kingston Lanes

1/7 Girls Varsity Bowling vs. Larkin @ 4:30 pm at Kingston Lanes

1/11 Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Burlington @ 5:45 pm in the Shipley Gym

1/15 Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Sycamore @ 7:00 pm in the Shipley Gym

1/16 Varsity Wrestling vs. Hampshire @ 5:00 pm in the Shipley Gym

1/19 Boys Varsity Swimming (Mary Landa Invite) @ 11: 00 am @ WNHS

1/23 BWW Spirit Night 11am—11pm @ Crystal Lake and Algonquin Buffalo Wild Wings Locations

Visit our Athletic Calendar for more info!

This year's Groundhog Day Dinner/Auction will be held at 6 p.m. on Feb. 9 at Woodstock Harley-Davidson. Retired Olson and Creekside teacher Rick Morozink is this year's honoree for the Sue Palmore Award of Excellence. One of the big changes this year is that much of business, including the actual bidding for auction items on the night of the event, will be done online. Ticket sales are also being handled online and there is an option to purchase tables. Paper tickets will not be available. CLICK HERE for more information or to purchase tickets.

Students auditioned in October and were among the top scores in the district on their voice component. As a result, they have

been chosen to travel to Peoria in January to rehearse and perform with the best vocal musicians from across the state!

Honors Choir: Ashlynn Drach (Soprano 1)

Maggie Griffin (Alto 2) Max Liswoski (Tenor 2)

All-State Choir: Tom Spukas (Bass 1)

After months of preparation, the following students earned their entry into the McHenry County Honor Band!

Elizabeth Arnold, Flute, Sophomore Elisha Gallosa, Clarinet, Senior Kylie Hagmann, Oboe, Senior Maggie Griffin, Oboe, Senior

Ryan Diss, Bassoon, Senior Amy Keyzer, Bassoon, Senior Chandler Sullivan, Saxophone, Senior Alex Fetzner, Horn, Senior

Zoe Friedman, Trumpet, Senior TJ Schwerzler, Trumpet, Junior Elvis Valadez, Trombone, Senior Ian Dawdy, Percussion, Senior

Overall (W-L) KRC (W-L) Girls Basketball: 2 - 12 1 - 5 Boys Basketball: 4 - 5 1 - 0 Wrestling: - 0 - 3 Boys Bowling: 3 - 9 - Girls Bowling: 2 - 4 -

Calendar

Phone: 815-338-4370 Attendance (absences): 815-337-8625 Fax: 815-334-0811

Principal: Art Vallicelli, Ed.D Assistant Principal: Matt Boland Assistant Principal: Nichol Mangino Athletic Director: Chris Kirkpatrick Dean of Students: Michael Brasile Attendance Office: 815-206-2243 Student Services Office: 815-206-2252 Student Services Fax: 815-337-1807 Athletic Office: 815-206-2262 Athletic Office Fax: 815-337-5414 Nurse's Office: 815-206-2261 Theater Tickets: 815-206-4361

Office Hours: 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Wo od s to ck H i g h S ch oo l 5 01 W. S ou th St ree t

Wo od s to ck , I L 60 09 8

Mission:

Woodstock High School’s mission is to create rigorous and relevant educational

experiences so learners become purposeful and engaged members of our diverse

society.

Vision:

The vision of our school is to be better than we were yesterday; to strive for and

expect excellence; to make our school a place where everyone learns without limits;

to be the best our country has to offer; to be true Blue Streaks.

Blue Streak Expectations:

We collaborate as a community of students, staff, parents, and alumni to achieve academic success and personal growth for all.

We uphold high standards of achievement and encourage all Blue Streaks to work to the best of their ability.

Teachers are passionate about learning and address the needs of students.

We embrace and appreciate diversity.

Respect, integrity, and dignity are core pillars of our school.

Blue Streaks are responsible and accountable for their actions and learning.

We value becoming productive, well-rounded citizens by making wise choices.

We provide a safe, inviting environment for learning and working.

We demonstrate positive attitudes, virtuous character, and strong ethics.

Blue Streaks support and encourage one another to be actively involved in extracurricular activities.

20 One Hour Late Start

25 - 29 No School—Spring Break

April

5 - 7 WHS/WNHS Spring Musical

9 PSAT/SAT Testing

Board of Education Meeting

D200 Choral Festival

10 One Hour Late Start

12 - 13 WHS/WNHS Spring Musical

16 Blood Drive

17 Orchestra Concert

19 No School

January

7 Classes Resume

8 Board of Education Meeting

14 Incoming Freshman Night

21 No School—MLK Jr.

22 Board of Education Meeting

23 One Hour Late Start

February

1 StuCo Bowling Night

1 - 2 Winter Play—Twelfth Night

6 One Hour Late Start

8 - 9 Winter Play—Twelfth Night

12 Board of Education Meeting

14 Half Day Attendance

14 - 15 Parent-Teacher Conferences

15 No School— P/T Conferences

18 No School—Presidents Day

26 Board of Education Meeting

March

6 One Hour Late Start

8 Mr. & Ms. WHS Performance

12 Half Day Attendance

Board of Education Meeting

Orchestra Concert

19 KRC Band Festival