High School Distance Learning Information and Expectations

Good afternoon,

I hope this finds you healthy and well. With Monday fast approaching, we teachers are each working to make sure our online lessons are ready to go. As of today, Westgate will be working through online, remote learning for the remainder of the school year. This email is to inform you of how classes will work for the remainder of the year, as well as a list of how each teacher would like their assignments submitted. Your student will receive another email from each teacher with Zoom login information.

Westgate Class Pages

All classroom assignments will be posted to the class pages on the Westgate website at https://www.westgateschool.org/ We encourage both students and parents to subscribe to their class pages to receive weekly updates. Links for all high school class pages can be found here: https://www.westgateschool.org/apps/pages/index.jsp?uREC_ID=597639&type=d&pREC_ID=classes

Schedule

There is no set schedule for when students must work on their assignments or log into classes. The schedule is flexible, and they may work and turn in their assignments any time before Fridays at midnight.

If it helps, students may want to set up their own schedules. Maybe they will work on each subject for 30 minutes a day, or maybe they want to set up a different weekday for each subject. They can do whatever works for them!

A master schedule is attached to share when teachers are hosting advocacy, class instruction and office hours.

Submitting Assignments

Submitting assignments will vary from teacher to teacher.

Brinkley: OneNote or Email

Cuevas: Email (replying to initial assignment email works well)

Kern: One Note or Email

Matthews: OneNote. (There will be a "finished assignment" tab for students to upload their assignments)

Schnieder: OneNote or Email

Once a week or so, feedback will be sent to students. Grades will still appear on IC as normal.

Office Hours

Each teacher will be holding a minimum of two office sessions during the week. Please review the attached schedule for each teacher’s office hours. If for some reason you are unable to meet with teachers during their scheduled office hours; please reach out to the teacher via email to make alternative arrangements.

Parent Information

Parents: if you have questions, please email to set up a time for a separate zoom conference. You can also always feel free to email!

If there are any class concerns, please keep in mind the communication pathway. Address questions and concerns in the following order:

Classroom Teacher

Advocate

Assistant Principal – Mrs. Novak

Zoom Expectations:

Zoom meetings are not required however, we strongly encourage students to utilize these opportunities to maintain classroom culture and community.

Please remember this is still school, and as such we are striving for a professional environment. You are not required to share your video but anything in view should be school appropriate. Teachers will turn off video or audio for any student who becomes inappropriate at any time.

Logging in: please use your first and last name for your screen name. For instance, a student named “Jane Smith” would write “Jane Smith” for their screen name. Students will receive emails with login information for individual teachers/classes.

Please do not share links and passwords with others. Teachers will not allow unfamiliar names or students from different classes to sign in to zoom sessions.

Thank you for taking the time to read this email. We hope you are staying safe through this time,

Amanda Matthews

Dale Kern

Amy Schneider

Timothy Cuevas

Jason Brinkley

Quarter 3 Conference Sign Up Link

You can now sign up for conferences for Quarter 3 here.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080E4DA9AF2AA2FE3-q3high

Week of 2/10 to 2/14

Happy Monday! Welcome back to another week at Westgate!

Now that we’ve had a few weeks to settle back into a normal routine, it’s time to set our sights on the future. Here are a few dates to add to your calendars:

Prom: Thursday, 7-10 P.M., April 2^nd (second Thursday of Spring Break)

Prom is less than two months away! This year’s theme is Casino Night, and every ticket purchase will include the (monopoly-style) cash you need to win big. Tickets will soon be on sale at the front desk. We are currently only accepting staff chaperones.

Kindness Day: Friday, February 14^th

Kindness Day is only two Fridays away! In the high school, we spend time making kindness cards to be passed out to the community. On the morning of February 14^th, advocacy groups will be heading to the Thorncreek Crossing area (the shopping area with Target) to hand out our cards. We will be out from 11:30 to 12:30. We will be distributed as follows:

Freshmen: Kern: Barnes and Noble to Michael’s

Sophomores: Cuevas: Target to Dollar Tree

Juniors (half): Matthews: Chick-fil-a and surrounding area

Juniors (half): Schneider: Chipotle and surrounding area

Seniors: Brinkley: Krispy Kreme and surrounding area

Kindness Week: February 10^th – 14^th

Monday 2/10 - Be KIND to the ENVIRONMENT

Everyone Wear Green

Kindness Tree in lobby – More information to come!

Tuesday 2/11- Be KIND to YOURSELVES

Everyone Wear Your Favorite Color!

Self-Compassion Activities and Treat

Wednesday 2/12 - Be KIND to YOUR CLASSMATES

Everyone Wear Blue

We will have blue nail polish at recess for the Blue Pinky Challenge – Kindness and Anti-Bullying Campaign

Thursday 2/13 - Be KIND to YOUR TEACHERS

Everyone Wear Red for Ed

Spread kindness to your teachers through notes of gratitude, words of affirmation, and more!

Friday 2/14 - Be KIND to EVERYONE!

Wear Westgate Shirts

Community Kindness Day!

General Concerns

Last week, Westgate High School had some trouble with students finding or devising systems of “rating” other students, then ranking one another based on attributes like intelligence, physical attractiveness, or overall worth. These sorts of systems are demeaning to all involved. They are untrue and can cause lasting harm to our confidence and feelings of self-worth. Furthermore, they are a form of bullying and will not be tolerated at Westgate. If your child comes home with stories of being “ranked,” please take the time to talk with them and encourage them. Everyone in this building is worth much, much more than the opinions that others might place on them. As always, we at Westgate are doing all we can to ensure we maintain the safe, inclusive environment we value so highly. Please feel free to reach out to your advocate if you have any continued concerns.

Week of 2/3 to 2/7

Happy Monday! Welcome back to another snow week at Westgate!

Now that we’ve had a few weeks to settle back into a normal routine, it’s time to set our sights on the future. Here are a few dates to add to your calendars:

Prom: Thursday, 7-10 P.M., April 2nd (second Thursday of Spring Break)

Prom is less than two months away! This year’s theme is Casino Night, and every ticket purchase will include the (monopoly-style) cash you need to win big. Tickets will soon be on sale at the front desk. We are currently only accepting staff chaperones.

Kindness Week: February 10th - 14th

Monday 2/10 - Be KIND to the ENVIRONMENT

Everyone Wear Green

Kindness Tree in lobby – More information to come!

Tuesday 2/11- Be KIND to YOURSELVES

Everyone Wear Your Favorite Color!

Self-Compassion Activities and Treat

Wednesday 2/12 - Be KIND to YOUR CLASSMATES

Everyone Wear Blue

We will have blue nail polish at recess for the Blue Pinky Challenge – Kindness and Anti-Bullying Campaign

Thursday 2/13 - Be KIND to YOUR TEACHERS

Everyone Wear Red for Ed

Spread kindness to your teachers through notes of gratitude, words of affirmation, and more!

Friday 2/14 - Be KIND to EVERYONE!

Wear Westgate Shirts

Community Kindness Day!

Kindness Day: Friday, February 14th

Kindness Day is only two Fridays away! In the high school, we spend time making kindness cards to be passed out to the community. On the morning of February 14th, advocacy groups will be heading to the Thorncreek Crossing area (the shopping area with Target) to hand out our cards. We will be out from 11:30 to 12:30. We will be distributed as follows:

Freshmen: Kern: Barnes and Noble to Michael’s

Sophomores: Cuevas: Target to Dollar Tree

Week of 1/21-1/24

Hello Everyone,

Adulting 101 was a huge success! Thanks to all the volunteers who helped make it possible! Parents, please let us know if this is something you are interested in helping with in the future.

I also want to give everyone a heads up that we will be returning for the JA Stockmarket Challenge on Thursday, March 12th. I will be handing out permission slips as we get closer to the date.

I also still have not received some off campus permission slips so that students can leave school property during lunch time. Please get those into me ASAP.

Be sure to stay on top of any assignments that are coming up due this week. Because the gradebook has reset, one missing grade could cause you to have a failing grade in the class.

Thanks!

-Kern

Welcome Back and Happy New Year!

Welcome back for second semester and for a brand new year!

I hope you have all had a refreshing break, and I'm excited to begin the new year and semester with all of you!

First and foremost: This semester, students will attend FRCC classes in the afternoon. This means the schedule will look something like this for the semester:

This is the schedule for my classes(Kern):

Monday - Thursday

8:00 - 8:15: 9th Grade Advocacy

8:18 - 9:18: US History (same as last semester)

9:21 - 10:21: Civics (previously the class right after lunch)

10:24 - 11:24: Media Studies (previously the last class of the day)

Afternoons: Students with FRCC may leave at this time. For students remaining on campus, the schedule is as follows:

11:24 - 12:24: Lunch

12:24 - 1:54: Philosophy: Mondays and Wednesdays(previously the second class of the day)

1:57 - 3:27: 12th Grade Study Hall: Tuesdays and Thursdays (previously the class before lunch)

Fridays: With no college, Fridays will look very similar to last semester with only minor switches. Be sure to check your schedules!

This week: As FRCC does not begin until Monday, January 20th, the schedule will look a little different this week. Mornings will run exactly the same as listed above. Monday afternoon, students will have seminar followed by lessons on developing strong study skills. Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be running Adulting 101 courses. Here, students will learn skills not regularly taught in school (doing taxes, for instance) that will help them through their adult life. Thursday, students will learn about different facets of personalities as well as get a chance to ask advice from other students about school, college, and working.

Enjoy the last day of break, and I look forward to seeing everyone tomorrow!

- Kern

Adulting 101 Volunteers

Hello Parents,

Would any of you be interested in running some "Adulting 101" sessions during our first week back? Typical topics in the past have included everything from "How to change a car tire" to "How to balance a checkbook." If so, take a few minutes to fill out this form so we can build our sessions around your help.

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=g63kUOjsn0GLHt1cphgzjYVRUxUhZlNFseA-lXkXj1FURDBQMVBERUQ3OE1RWU5TTllBWUkyVENSTC4u

Thanks!

-Dale Kern

Week of 12/2 to 12/6

Welcome back and I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving break!

Here are some details and announcements for the upcoming weeks:

Quarter 2 parent-teacher conferences will take place on 12/19 and 12/20.

Final Exams will take place on Monday, December 16^th and Tuesday, December 17^th. Students are required to report to the appropriate class for finals. There will be a break room for students who need to stay on campus during finals, but don’t have a final during that block of time. Students can only take a final during its scheduled time and may not start another final early at any point. On Wednesday, December 18^th, we will spend the morning having our Christmas party, and the afternoon will be set aside for make-up finals.

Consent Talk will be happening Friday, December 6th for the Freshman Class with Mrs. Schneider and our school psychologist, Mr. Chermak. High school is a trying time, and we want students to be prepared. These talks will revolve around laws regarding consent (with all topics, not just sex), as well as what it takes for a person to legally be able to give consent.

Family Game Night will be Thursday, November 21^st from 7 – 9 in Westgate High School. All ages are welcome! Admission is $5 per person. For families of over five people, entry will be capped at $25 (so, a family of seven would still only pay $25, and all would be welcome!)

The HS Improvisation Team will hold a show/fundraiser on Friday, December 6^th from 5 – 7. Be prepared for a roaring good time as you join our team for two hours of amazing skits, laughs, and showmanship. Audience contribution is welcome; the team will regularly take ideas from the crowd to determine each scene.

Happy Holidays to everyone! Winter break is almost here!

Week of 11/18 to 11/25

Greetings,

With Thanksgiving on the horizon, many area already making plans of how to best spend the holidays. We’re just one week out before celebrations begin – let’s make it a good one! Here are a few updates and reminders:

First and foremost: Thanksgiving Break will be from Saturday, November 23^rd to Sunday, December 1^st. We look forward to seeing everyone back at school on Monday, December 2^nd.

Finals will take place on Monday, December 16^th and Tuesday, December 17^th. Students are required to report to the appropriate class for finals. There will be a break room for students who need to stay on campus during finals, but don’t have a final during that block of time. Students can only take a final during its scheduled time and may not start another final early at any point. On Wednesday, December 18^th, we will spend the morning having our Christmas party, and the afternoon will be set aside for make-up finals.

Monday, December 9^th and Tuesday, December 10^th are finals days for most college classes. If students do not have finals or are done early, they should not return to Westgate until their normal high school classes take place. All students will report to Westgate for full days Wednesday and Thursday of that week.

Family Game Night will be Thursday, November 21^st from 7 – 9 in Westgate High School. All ages are welcome! Admission is $5 per person. For families of over five people, entry will be capped at $25 (so, a family of seven would still only pay $25, and all would be welcome!)

The HS Improvisation Team will hold a show/fundraiser on Friday, December 6^th from 5 – 7. Be prepared for a roaring good time as you join our team for two hours of amazing skits, laughs, and showmanship. Audience contribution is welcome; the team will regularly take ideas from the crowd to determine each scene.

Consent Talks will be happening in December with Mrs. Schneider and our school psychologist, Mr. Chermak. High school is a trying time, and we want students to be prepared. These talks will revolve around laws regarding consent (with all topics, not just sex), as well as what it takes for a person to legally be able to give consent. These talks will take place on the following dates:

Freshman – Friday, December 6th

Sophomores – Wednesday, December 4th

Juniors – Wednesday, December 4th

Seniors – Friday, December 6th during seminar

Please reach out to Amy Schneider if you have any questions.

Students should be mindful of their language during class. In many ways, school teaches us how to act as we enter careers, and this means we need to keep our speech appropriate. This includes avoiding profanity and crass jokes.

College work should not be done during high school classes. Your high school credits count just as much as your college credits. If you are doing college work in class, we will ask you to put it away.

Computers and games should be kept away unless given permission by a teacher. There has been a recent upswing in computer games and card/board games appearing in the classroom. Please keep these away.

Best, and here's to another great week!

-High School Team

Week of 11/12 to 11/15

Hello all,

Hope you had a good day off on Monday and were staying warm. Congratulations to everyone that participated in the JA Stock Market Challenge on Thursday! It was a great time and hopefully we can compete in it again this coming spring.

I would like to remind everyone of our cell phone policy as it has been becoming a bit of an issue once again. No cellphones in class. We are operating under a "One Warning" rule, after which a teacher will claim a phone until the end of the period. If this happens multiple times (either with one teacher or multiple), a plan will be made with student and guardians in order to help the student.

Just two more weeks until Thanksgiving Break! Have a great week!

Week of 11/4 to 11/8

Greeting 9th Grade Advocacy,

I hope everyone had an amazing time last week during Hogwarts Day. It appeared to be a great success and congratulations to Slytherin for winning the House Cup! Hogwarts Day is an exciting tradition that we have started and we look forward to improving it every year.

This Thursday, 9th graders will be going on a field trip to Denver for the Junior Achievement Stock Market Challenge. Please remember to bring me in both permission slips for this trip if you have not already.

I'm also going to post some reminders here for class expectations so we can reset as we move closer toward the holidays.

No cellphones out in class. We are operating under a "One Warning" rule, after which a teacher will claim a phone until the end of the period. If this happens multiple times (either with one teacher or multiple), a plan will be made with student and guardians in order to help the student.

No bikes/skateboards/longboards/wheeled devices may be ridden on campus. If you have a bike, skateboard, etc., please carry it onto campus and off of campus before boarding/riding.

College work should not be done during high school classes. Your high school credits count just as much as your college credits. If you are doing college work in class, we will ask you to put it away.

Computers and games should be kept away unless given permission by a teacher. There has been a recent upswing in computer games and card/board games appearing in the classroom. Please keep these away.

Have an amazing week!

Week of 10/28 -11/1

Happy Halloween!!!

Remember that our first annual High School Hogwarts Day is this Friday, November 1st. Students can look forward to a day full of Harry Potter-themed activities and classes, and should feel free to dress up in their best Hogwarts swag. Gryffindors will be led by Mr. Cuevas, Hufflepuffs by Ms. Matthews, Slytherins by Mr. Kern, and Ravenclaws by Mrs. Schneider. Everyone who does not know their house or chooses not to be sorted will be led by Mr Brinkley (representing Hagrid).

Halloween is Thursday, October 31st. Westgate High School will be running classes as normal. Please feel free to wear a costume as long as it meets normal Westgate dress code (nothing that fully covers the face, nothing revealing, no fake blood or gore, no references to drugs, alcohol, or other inappropriate topics).

Please also remember your permission slips (there are 2 of them) for the JA Stock Market Challenge on November 7th.

Everyone please be safe and warm this week with the cold weather and snow.

Have a great week!

Week of 10/21 to 10/25

Hello,

We are excited to announce our first annual High School Hogwarts Day on Friday, November 1st. Students can look forward to a day full of Harry Potter-themed activities and classes, and should feel free to dress up in their best Hogwarts swag. Gryffindors will be led by Mr. Cuevas, Hufflepuffs by Ms. Matthews, Slytherins by Mr. Kern, and Ravenclaws by Mrs. Schneider. Everyone who does not know their house or chooses not to be sorted will be led by Mr Brinkley (representing Hagrid).

Trunk-or-Treat will be at the end of this week on Friday, October 25th. Please reach out if you have any questions.