Friday, August 18, 2017

August/September/October 2017





Greetings, West Geauga parents and students!

August is certainly underway and it is nice to see so many of our students on campus, involved in band and athletics. I look forward to having all of our students in the halls on August 22nd when I can hear about everyone's summer experiences.

During last school year, West Geauga High School was recognized as one of America’s top schools by leading publications that include The Washington Post and U.S. News and World Report. In order to be recognized, schools have to meet particular performance indicators that include state test proficiency ratings. The magazine then collected data from each qualifying school to determine college readiness. Data collected included student to counselor ratio, Advanced Placement participation and performance, college acceptance and enrollment, and ACT and SAT participation.

Our parents, students and teachers should be proud of this national attention and recognition. It is their hard work and determination that ensures students are prepared for college and careers following high school. Congratulations!

The new school year provides opportunities for all of our students to become involved in some of the many organizations offered by our school. Whether you are freshman entering the high school or a senior taking your last high school courses, I encourage all of you to get involved. West Geauga High School provides a wealth of opportunities in academics, athletics, clubs and community service organizations. Colleges, universities and future employers look at more than just a grade point average when deciding to bring you into their organization. Get involved!

Along with involvement, it is important for everyone to set goals and learn to live outside of his/her comfort zone. Personal growth occurs when you establish what it is you want to do and continually work toward reaching the goals. Some examples of strong goals for high school students include taking increasingly rigorous course loads, getting good grades, acceptance into a certain post secondary education program, improving your character and getting involved.

West Geauga High School utilizes an advisory period in the middle of the day to allow students to work on their individual goals and school activities. The advisory period consists of a 30 minute window each day where students have opportunities built into their class schedule to work with teachers outside of the class period, meet with clubs and organizations, allow AP science students to take an extra class during the year, and provide more time for freshmen mentoring. All students will be assigned an advisory teacher who will serve as an advocate for those students.

I want to thank you for allowing us the pleasure of being a part of your child's learning day-in and day-out. Your children are your most precious gifts and we thank you for sharing them with us and allowing us to share our knowledge with them.

We look forward to an exciting 2017-2018 school year ahead. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Jay Bishop
Principal
West Geauga High School
440-729-5955
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New Staff at West Geauga High School

Brian Craemer - Social Studies
Ashley Dudas - Intervention Specialist
Alan Duncan - Science
Denise Garrett - Occupational Therapists
Emily Swartzlander - Geauga Achieve
Sarah Thrasher - Library Media Specialist
Taylor Uveges - Music
Ashley Wilcox - Psychologist
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Opening Day Paperwork

Completing opening day paperwork that your students bring home every year tends to be a burdensome task. We are attempting to make the process a little easier. Earlier this week you should have received from West Geauga Schools the new, online parent portal called OneView. This is different than Infinite Campus because it is exclusively for online forms. OneView is where you will find the district’s annual student forms that previously would have been turned in on paper the first week of school. We are requesting that you take a moment to visit the OneView portal at https://westgeauga.esvportal.com and create your own account, using the information that was mailed to your home. Please contact our school’s office if you need assistance accessing your new OneView account.
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School Calendar

West Geauga High School uses Google for Education to integrate documents, forms, spreadsheets, presentations and even calendars. We also use Google Calendar on our website to update all of our school academic events. We think this is an easy calendar to read and can be incorporated into your own personal Google Calendar. You can find the direct link to the calendar by clicking here. 
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2016-2017 State Testing Updates

The State of Ohio requires all students to take state issued end-of-course exams in the following areas: Algebra 1, geometry, English 9, English 10, American history, government and biology. Last year’s students not scoring a 700 or higher on any of their end-of-course exams will work with a teacher throughout this year in the area where they are not proficient. Retests will be given during Ohio’s winter and spring testing windows. Students currently enrolled in the above courses will take their assessments beginning in March.

It is important for all our students to do their best on these assessments. While the scores are necessary to graduate, they are also reflective of the assessments given in college or to receive industry standard credentials. These tests will serve as examples of what they will see in their academic futures.

Resources for the upcoming end-of-course assessments are found by visiting the Ohio Department of Education’s 2015-2016 State Test website. Practice tests can also be found on ODE’s website or by clicking here.

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Additional Graduation Pathways Offered to the Class of 2018

This summer a budget bill was passed by Ohio Legislation, “...authorizing two additional options only for the students in the class of 2018. These options provide an opportunity for those students who do not otherwise meet one of the three existing pathways to graduation to earn a diploma”(Ohio Department of Education). These new options primarily provide opportunities for students in the class of 2018 who will not meet the 18 end-of-course points required for graduation. Our school counselors will be meeting with all students who could benefit from these new options. For more information, please see this flyer from the Ohio Department of Education.
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Student Gradebook Logins
  


Most of our students and parents are now familiar with our Infinite Campus grade portal. The system allows students access their class schedules, grades, locker number and combination and other school related information. Parents and students should regularly check their child’s accounts and set alerts to send notifications of poor grades. Please find the login information on our school’s website or by clicking here.



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From the Assistant Principal -

Welcome Back! The start of a new school year is an exciting and nervous time for all our students. For our seniors, it is the beginning of the end of one chapter in their lives. For the freshmen it is just the start. For our sophomores it means that you are no longer freshmen.

A few things to keep in mind as we begin the new school year...

Attendance

Attendance Law changes for the 2017 -2018 School Year

In December 2016, the Ohio General Assembly passed House Bill 410 to encourage and support a preventative approach to excessive absences and truancy. Beginning with the 2017-2018 school year, several changes take effect. The state will now look at the accumulations of hours of school missed, rather than the number of days missed, according to the following guidelines:

Habitual Truant is defined by these criteria:
  • 30 or more consecutive hours without a legitimate excuse. 
  • Absent 42 or more hours in one school month without a legitimate excuse. 
  • Absent 72 or more hours in one school year without a legitimate excuse. 
When a student is habitually truant, the district will take the following steps:
  • Select members of the absence intervention team and assign the student to it. 
  • Make three meaningful attempts to secure the participation of the student’s parent or guardian on the absence intervention team. 
  • The student will be assigned to the selected absence intervention team. 
  • The district will develop the student’s absence intervention plan. 
Excessive Truant is defined by:
  • Absent 38 or more hours in one school month with or without a legitimate excuse. 
  • Absent 65 or more hours in one school year with or without a legitimate excuse. 
When a student is excessively truant, the district will do the following interventions:
  • Notify the student’s parents in writing. 
  • The student will follow the district’s plan for absence intervention. 
  • The student and family may be referred to community resources. 
Important to note:
  • You will receive notification when your student meets any of the thresholds above. 
  • Any time missed from school will accumulate - (Tardy arrivals and early dismissals do add up quickly). 
  • Even absences that are medically excused are NOT exempt from this law and count toward the accumulation of time a student is absent. 
Cell Phones

If you need to contact your child throughout the day, it is imperative that you contact the school’s attendance office at 440-729-5958. The school will locate your child and deliver the message. Please do not call your child on his/her cell phone. Teachers discourage students from carrying their cell phones throughout the day. Phone calls and text messages during instructional time disrupt the education process.

Dress Code

A student’s dress, grooming and appearance, including hair style/color, jewelry, make-up and nails, must be safe, appropriate and not disrupt or interfere with the educational process. Recognize that brief garments are inappropriate and unacceptable. This includes, but is not limited to, the following items: backless tops, single-shoulder tops, tube tops, halter tops, spaghetti straps, see-through, sheer or transparent shirts/pants, exposed midriffs, plunging necklines (front and/or back), skirts/shorts above mid-thigh length, shorts that are excessively revealing and net/mesh garments. Tank tops should not have spaghetti straps, plunging necklines or expose the midriff or undergarments

Lockers

All students are provided with lockers to store personal belongings and school-related materials. Students should not share the locker combination with anyone. Lockers should be kept closed at all times. Students should not leave the locker “preset” or "penciled" to open and valuables should never be brought to school. All assigned lockers remain the property of the school district and the school reserves the right to inspect any locker at any time.

Any time you have questions or need clarification concerning attendance procedures, parking permits, or discipline issues, please contact me. I am looking forward to making this year a successful one for each of your children.

Parking Applications

2017-2018 parking permits are being handled in a similar manner as last year. The application is available online. Seniors, juniors, and sophomores will be permitted to apply for a parking permit. The link to the application can be found online under the West Geauga High School’s forms link. Students may not drive to school the first day without purchasing a permit from the school’s main office. Once the application is completed online, permits can be picked up in the main office. All school fees from prior years must be paid in order to receive your permit. A valid drivers license, proof of insurance and $30 will be due when the permit is picked up. Please make checks out to the student’s graduating class (ie: Class of 2019). Students need to be logged into their West Geauga Google accounts in order to complete the application. Please contact me at ron.dahlhofer@westg.org or 440-729-5957 if you have any questions.

Any time you have questions or need clarification concerning attendance procedures, parking permits, or discipline issues, please contact me. I am looking forward to making this year a successful one for each of your children.

Ron Dahlhofer

Assistant Principal/Director of Data and Assessment
West Geauga High School
(440) 729-5957
ron.dahlhofer@westg.org 

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I hope you all had a wonderful summer. I look forward to seeing everyone during the first few weeks of school. Some attendance reminders for the upcoming school year: When calling your student in absent, please make sure to leave detailed information about your child’s absence. According to Ohio Law, the following is a list of reasons that are considered excused absences or tardies:

A. Personal illness
B. Illness in the family
C. Quarantine of the home
D. Death of a relative
E. Observance of religious holiday
F. Emergencies due to the absence of parent or guardian

If your child is going to be absent for an extended period of time due to vacation, you will need to have a Vacation Request form filled out and turned in to the attendance office with all appropriate signatures 5 days before the absences occur. These forms can be found in the attendance office or online under the forms link. If your child is missing school for medical reasons, including orthodontist appointments, please provide a note from the doctor and turn it in to the attendance office. Notes for early dismissal should be turned in to the attendance office the day before your child needs to leave early whenever possible. Last minute phone calls, other than true emergencies cannot always be delivered immediately and create unnecessary disruption to valuable instruction time in the classroom. Tardy arrivals to school are considered unexcused even if a parent calls in for the student. If your student is driving to school this year, please remind him/her of this policy.

Opening Day paperwork will Not be coming home this year due to the implementation of OneView (trust me you are going to love this!) An informational letter with instructions should be coming home soon. If you have any questions or did not receive the letter in the mail, please call me and I will help you. We are asking that all accounts be updated before Monday, August 28th.

Thank you and have a great 2017-2018 school year!

Mrs. Poelking

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From the Athletic Director

It’s that time of year again! Parents, players and community members please help welcome the following new fall coaching staff members:  Head Girls Soccer Coach, Kori Chapic.  Assistant Girls Soccer Coach, Daniel Cappelucci.  Head Boys Soccer Coach, Mario Gerhardt.  Head Girls Tennis Coach, Joe Dimattia.  Assistant Girls Tennis Coach, Shaun Spence, and Head Football Coach, Brian Craemer, Assistant Football Coaches Robert Trhlin and Jeff Throckmorton.

We encourage all student-athletes to strive to be their best. School sports exist to help develop all participants to become the best they can be — their best as individuals, as students, as teammates, as members of the community — not just their best athletes.

Please keep in mind that our rivalries with our neighbors are friendly competitions, conducted under the OHSAA guidelines and the school's code of conduct. We ask that your cheer for us and not against our opponents or our officials and we will all come out winners.

Sincerely,

Joe Leonette, Director of Athletics
West Geauga High School
Phone 440-729-5960
Joe.Leonette@WestG.org
Follow us on Twitter- @WestGAthletics
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W.G.H.S. School Counseling News                August 2017

Welcome to the 2017-2018 school year. We are excited to begin a new year and hope to help make it your son's or daughter’s best year yet! Please follow us on Twitter @WGHSCounselors for updates and timely information!

W.G.H.S. Counseling Staff

Mr. David Callahan    (Students A – G)    (440) 729-5963    david.callahan@westg.org

Mrs. Kimberly Zannetti    (Students H – O)    (440) 729-5964    kim.zannetti@westg.org

Ms. Sarah Widman    (Students P – Z)    (440) 729-5965    sarah.widman@westg.org

Mrs. Michelle Sargent    (Guidance Secretary)    (440) 729-5962    michelle.sargent@westg.org

Student/Parent Notes
SENIORS

Congratulations, you made it to your senior year! Please remember that you are not done yet. Colleges will want to see your first semester grades and your senior year-end grades.

Come visit your counselor if you need help with career or college information. Remember to focus on your strengths! Set goals for this year, put them in writing, and do the things required to meet those goals!

College Applications:
Fall is the time for seniors to begin filling out their college applications. The school counseling department will be meeting with all seniors and their parents on Wednesday, September 13 at 7:00 p.m. in Room 124 to review the college application process. At this meeting the counselors will address all of the policies and procedures for applying to college, therefore, it is recommended that students wait to apply to colleges until after this informational session. In the meantime, use your Family Connection account!
ACT and SAT:
Seniors should register for these exams if they have not already done so. To register for the ACT go to actstudent.org. To register for the SAT go to collegeboard.com. Students applying to selective colleges might also need to take SAT Subject Tests. Check with the individual colleges to which you are applying to find out if you need to take these additional tests.

JUNIORS

This is your last year to work on maintaining or bringing up your GPA. Set some solid academic goals for yourself this year and try to stick to them. Remember that when colleges receive your transcript next fall, your cumulative grade point average is only based on your 9th, 10th, & 11th grade marks.

SOPHOMORES

You have one year under your belt. Congratulations! Now that you have figured out what high school life is all about, why not make some positive changes? What can you improve on from last year to make this year even more of a success? Continue to build your resume by volunteering and participating in school and community activities.

FRESHMEN

Welcome to West Geauga High School! This is an exciting year for you because you have the opportunity to start fresh. You have a clean slate, so stay organized and work hard. Please remember that the school counselors are available to help you reach your goals. You will also have Freshmen Mentoring to help you through your transition to the high school. Do not forget that asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness!


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It's never too early to order your yearbook!!  Click here for an order form.  And Seniors - don't forget senior pictures and baby pictures are due on Sept. 15th!   For Parents - you have until Oct. 27th to purchase a senior grad ad!  Click here for a form.
All forms are also available at the Yearbook Information tab at the top of this newsletter.





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Join the PTO!!






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News from West Geauga Educational Foundation

Funding New, Innovative Ways of Teaching and Learning for more than 30 Years

Join Us!

The West Geauga Educational Foundation (WGEF) is a non-profit, volunteer-run organization that provides funds to enable new and innovative ways of teaching and learning in the WG school system. We are always seeking new members and welcome educators and parents to join us. To find out more about WGEF, please feel free to attend a meeting.

WGEF meeting schedule for 2017-2018
   
DATE
TIME
LOCATION
September 20, 2017
7:30 PM
Middle School Community Room
October 18
7:30 PM
Middle School Community Room
November 15
7:30 PM
High School Library
January 17, 2018
7:30 PM
Middle School Community Room
February 21
7:30 PM
Middle School Community Room
March 21
7:30 PM
Middle School Community Room
April 18
7:30 PM
High School Library
May 16
7:30 PM
Middle School Community Room

Funds for new ideas and programs aren’t always available within public school budgets, and that's where WGEF can help. Each year the foundation reviews applications from teachers, administrators, students and parents, and then chooses programs to fund that will enrich and enhance educational experiences for our students. For more than 30 years, WGEF has funded more than $500,000 to support educational programs that school budgets couldn't otherwise afford. WGEF also hold events throughout the school year to assist students on a variety of topics.

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