November/December 2018

From the Principal

Dear High School Families;

It is hard to believe that we are already one quarter of the way through the school year. First quarter report cards have been posted to the Infinite Campus Parent and Student portals, and we are now two weeks into the second quarter.

Since the beginning of the year, students have had the opportunity to use advisory period to get help with coursework, attend a club and/or activity meeting or take an Advanced Placement science course.  One goal of the Advisory period is for students to seek academic help or to enrich the learning experience. Classroom teachers are available to students either during 5A or 5B advisory periods. Students should communicate their need or desire to meet with their teacher during advisory and obtain a pass. Commonly, teachers will reach out to the students needing additional support and use advisory period to assist their students. Advisory and lunch periods are very flexible and allow students to switch lunch periods in order to find a mutual time that works for both the teacher and student.

Academics are not the only thing colleges and universities look for when evaluating a potential student. School involvement and community activities are very important, also. Advisory period provides opportunities for students to explore and participate in various clubs and activities. Our high school calendar, located on the school’s website, displays the dates and times that our clubs and activities meet. Some clubs and activities include Student Council, Rotary Interact, Key Club, National Honor Society, Chess Club, Art Club, Spanish Lab, West G TV, and Science Fair Preparation.

It is my intention for advisory to contribute to the positive school environment and allow experiences for student growth and academic success. Please encourage your student to take advantage of some of the many opportunities advisory period offers throughout the school year.

Have a wonderful holiday season.

Sincerely,


Jay C. Bishop
jay.bishop@westg.org
(440) 729-5955
@WestGHigh

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From the Assistant Principal

The school year is off to a great start. Personally, I am having a wonderful time reconnecting with students and families that I have gotten to know well through my years working at various levels of West Geauga Schools. As we enter the fall season, here are a couple of reminders…..

• Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc..are great ways to communicate via the internet. Unfortunately, all too often we see the negative side of social networking. Bullying, threats, offensive language, and inappropriateness are everyday occurrences on these sites. Daily, we deal with the after effects of these transgressions. Please monitor your child and speak to them about appropriate use of these sites.
• The number one correlation between academic success and potential failure is consistent attendance at school. When students attend regularly they succeed. Please remember to call the Attendance Office (729-5951) between 7:00 and 9:00 am each time a student is absent. This is a voicemail number, which can receive messages 24 hours a day so you can even call the night before. Students who do not clear up absences within three days of returning to school will be considered truant and shall be issued a Saturday School Detention.
• Maintaining a safe, secure and productive educational environment is a high priority at West Geauga High School. Proper attire helps create an atmosphere conducive to learning. Clothing which includes references to alcohol, tobacco, or illegal substances is unacceptable. In addition, clothing which depicts graphics or wording with sexual, vulgar, lewd, or indecent meanings or connotations is prohibited. Please also keep the following guidelines in mind:
• Shirts and shorts must be worn at a reasonable length
• Tops must have straps
• Necklines should not fall below an imaginary horizontal line between the underarms.
• The bottom hem of tops should overlap pants or skirts. No midriff exposed.
• No undergarments should be exposed. This includes through sheer fabric or out of low-riding or loose fitting pants.

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Master Planning Meeting

The West Geauga Schools would like to invite the community to the next Facility Master Planning Meeting, which will be held on November 13th from 6pm until 8pm in the West Geauga Middle School cafeteria. An overview of the survey results will be provided as well as a review of facility options. All residents and parents of the district are invited to attend.

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WGHS. School Counseling News                               November/December 2018

It has been a busy fall in the school counseling department. We have met with our Seniors and their parents to begin the college application process. The web program Naviance is the most important resource for the counselors and students. This program is allowing the school counselors to begin college exploratory activities with the underclassmen, as well as making communication between home and our department considerably easier. It allows us to submit nearly all of our students' college applications electronically. If your student has a smartphone, their Naviance account can be connected using a web browser. We highly encourage our students to use this resource throughout their high school career! Our career specialist, Mrs. Ann Marn, has also offered her talents in helping our students focus on writing a high school resume, begin career interest inventories and search for colleges.

Dates to Remember:

The PSAT was administered to the sophomore class and some freshmen and juniors. The results should be available sometime in mid-December.

Excel TECC Opportunity Day: December 6; Sophomores are invited to attend as a field trip. Permission forms will be given to students who are interested.

Excel TECC Opportunity Night: December 6, 7 pm at Mayfield High School; parents of prospective sophomores are encouraged to attend.

CCP Information Night: January 23, 7 pm in Room 124.

FOR ALL STUDENTS

Students: we have an "open door" policy. If you need to speak to your counselor, just drop in. If we are unavailable leave a note and we will find you as soon as possible!

SENIORS
Please remember that this is the time of year to work on college applications! Please remember to check your college deadlines and follow the application submission procedures (Senior Parent Night - Class of 2019 PowerPoint can be found on the Guidance website. Remember: Please give your counselors and teachers at least two weeks to get supporting documents/letters completed. Know your deadlines! See your counselor if you have any questions.

Test Scores: Remember your ACT or SAT test scores must also meet the college deadline. Please make sure you have requested scores be sent directly from ACT or CollegeBoard to the institutions you are applying to.

Scholarships: Start looking in Naviance for scholarships. There is also a scholarship rack in the Counseling Office. Make a habit of visiting our office and checking if anything new has come in and checking your Naviance account. Please give counselors two weeks notice for deadlines on scholarships too.

Financial Aid: The FAFSA timeline has changed and is already open to submissions for next year. A representative from the Lake/Geauga Educational Assistance Foundation (LEAF) is available to discuss financial aid options, scholarships, and the FAFSA form. Mrs. Tessa Dicker, our LEAF Financial Aid Advisor, works in our high school each Wednesday throughout the school year. Students and parents may request an appointment with Mrs. Dicker by contacting her at 729-5922, extension 4164, or email her at tdicker@leaf-ohio.org. There is also a sign-in sheet in the Counselor’s Office. All of the LEAF services are at no charge to our families.

JUNIORS
Reminder - this is your last year to work on maintaining or bringing up your GPA. Remember that when colleges receive your transcript next fall, your cumulative grade point average is only based on your high school classes completed in the Middle School, 9th, 10th and 11th grade marks. If you are having difficulty in a class, your school counselor is always here to help. Asking for help is a sign of strength, not weakness. Also, start thinking about what you want to do after high school. A good resource to begin with is Naviance. See your counselor if you forgot your login. Start planning college visits and registering online for the ACT and/or SAT. Remember, you will have the opportunity to take the ACT for free on February 20, 2019.

When is the last time you logged on to your Naviance account? You have been given a task to complete the “Strengths Explorer”. Please find the time to complete this before winter break.

SOPHOMORES
Mr. Hayes, Excel TECC's (Technical Education Career Consortium) counselor, will meet with all sophomores on November 5. Opportunity Day for all Excel TECC is Thursday, December 6. Students are able to visit programs during the field trip that school day and parents are invited to Mayfield High School that evening from 7:00 - 8:30 pm. You got your report card. How are you doing? What can you change to achieve even more success? If you need some help, see your counselor.

As soon as you get your PSAT results remember to connect your scores with Khan Academy. Stop by our office for help if you need any assistance.

FRESHMEN
Well, you are finished with your first quarter at West Geauga High School! Was your first report card a good one? If so, keep up the good work. If not, do not forget to take advantage of the tutoring available during Advisory Period. See your counselor for help, too. Remember: Asking for help is a sign of strength not weakness! Also, be open to the information covered in Freshman Mentoring - the topics offer help with the transition to the high school.

David Callahan             Students with last names A-K          729-5963         david.callahan@westg.org
Sarah Widman              Students with last names L-Z           729-5965         sarah.widman@westg.org

Michelle Sargent           Secretary                                          729-5962         michelle.sargent@westg.org

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September - Eileen Faulk

October - Josh Burke

September - Jack Musser

October - Arden Frankmann

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HILLCREST STUDENT ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

September 2018

Freshman, Julia Martinez - Cross Country

Freshman Julia Martinez started the season strong as the top runner for the Wolverines and has continued all the way as a regional qualifier. She has not only been a strong leader on the course for her team but also with how she practices and leads every day at practice. Julia's breakout race was at VASJ where she placed third overall and led her team to a first place finish. She continued her dominance at Cardinal by dropping over 30sec. and finishing 13th. Julia went on to win her first high school race at Cuyahoga Hts, finished second team “All Conference” at the Chagrin Valley Conference Meet, and ran a career best 20:28 at Districts to advance to Regionals at Boardman High School.

Sophomore, Johnny Patterson, Cross Country
Sophomore Johnny Patterson has consistently finished in the top 10 all year long.

He has become one of the top cross country runners in the area. Johnny is a very competitive, intelligent runner who continues to improve and impress on a weekly basis. He is a leader and inspires his teammates to become better. It has and continues to be a pleasure coaching Johnny.
Johnny Patterson is now number 6 (17:00) on the West Geauga XC Record Board.  CVC Athlete of the Week (first week in October). He earned First Team All CVC Honors.  He qualified for Regionals, finishing in 6th place.

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ORDER EARLY AND SAVE !!
8/30/18 -12/31/18 $60.00
1/1/19 - 4/19/19 $70.00
AFTER 5/1/19 $80.00


You can order two ways: online at www.jostensyearbooks.com or in-school by using the order form located in the Yearbook tab above.

Senior parents: Here is your opportunity to remind your senior how very proud you are of their accomplishments.

Class of 2019 Parent to Senior Grad Ad

Deadline to submit: 11/16/18

Forms, complete with instructions, are located in the Yearbook tab above.

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30th Anniversary Thanksgiving Day Pancake Breakfast at the Chesterland McDonalds Sponsored by the West Geauga Educational Foundation

It’s Thanksgiving morning – and the last thing you need to worry about is breakfast. Don’t stress! Come to the Chesterland McDonalds from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. where the West Geauga Educational Foundation will be serving breakfast - as they have for 30 years!

What’s on the menu: a breakfast of pancakes and sausage, along with juice, milk, coffee or tea for only $6.00! You can eat in the restaurant or take your meals home. Please note that on Thanksgiving Day, McDonald’s will only open for the fundraiser during the hours above and their regular menu will not be available.

The West Geauga Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization that provides funds to enable new ways of teaching and learning in the West Geauga School System. Applications are welcome from teachers, administrators, students and parents and are reviewed in November & February.

“Make Thanksgiving Day a little easier this year by getting breakfast at McDonalds,” said Caise Rode McHale, West Geauga Educational Foundation President. “At the same time, you’ll be helping to support innovative and enriching learning experiences for West Geauga students.”

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