Friday, May 11, 2018

May/June 2018


From the Principal


It is hard to believe that in less than one month we will be graduating our senior class. The class of 2018 consists of a tremendous group of students and we should all be proud of their accomplishments and successes. I wish the entire class the best and look forward to congratulating their families at graduation on June 4th at the KeyBank State Theater in Cleveland. Detailed below is some parting advice for the class of 2018 to heed.

Stay Calm
Control your impulses. The most successful individuals know how to keep their emotions in check, even when they feel great anger or frustration. People will remember how you react to a stressful situation and judge you by that behavior.

Friends
You can measure your success by your ability to make and keep friends. Your jobs, houses and material things might come and go, but if you put your efforts into your friends, they will stay with you forever.

Education
Look for ways to continue your education wherever you find yourself. Don't assume that education only comes in a classroom. Learn from your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers and the people who you interact with on the street.

Learn from Mistakes
View a failure as an opportunity to learn from your mistake. Put failures behind you and move forward. If a difficult or unpleasant situation arises, ask yourself, "What can I learn from this?" Chances are, you'll find a good lesson there.

Benefit of the Doubt
Give people the benefit of the doubt. They might do the same for you.

Money
Start a savings account. Establish a routine that allows you to automatically save a percentage of every dollar you earn. You can increase savings later, but the habit to save will help you build a framework to secure your future.

Mentor
Find a mentor. A mentor can guide you, help you find new perspectives on issues and events, and open doors for you.

Passion
Find your passion and pursue it. Find an issue or cause that you want to advance or a hobby that relaxes you and makes you feel competent. Spend time every day, or at least every week, doing the things that matter to you.

Excelling
Push yourself to excel by surrounding yourself with people who challenge you. Put yourself in situations that force you to exert yourself to succeed.

Perseverance
Persevere in pursuing your goals. Many people give up too early and never experience the challenge of pushing through difficulties to reach the finish line. Get to the finish line.

Jay Bishop
Principal
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From the Assistant Principal


A few reminders as we approach the end of the school year…
  1. As the weather warms up, I need to remind everyone of the dress requirements for school. Students who are in violation of the school’s dress code will be asked to change into more appropriate clothing. 
  2. All students are expected to be in attendance each day through the end of the school year as indicated in the Final Exam Schedule included in this newsletter. 
  3. All school fees/fines must be paid in full before seniors can pick up their caps and gowns. All seniors will report to the gym on May 29th at 7:30am for cap and gown distribution. Seniors are not to be in any other part of the building on May 29th. Checks are to be made payable to West Geauga Board of Education. 
  4. As we near the end of the school year and all the related activities and celebrations that accompany it, you will hear this message over and over again: alcohol and drug related accidents are the number one cause of death of young adults in this country. Monitor your child’s whereabouts and insist that all parties are drug and alcohol free. It’s not only prudent, it’s the law.
2018-2019 Parking Applications Available Online

2018-2019 Parking Permits will be handled in a similar manner as this year. The application will be made 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 and will be available by the beginning of August. Parking applications will not be mailed home. 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, beginning August 10, through August 17 from 7:00am to 2:00pm.  A valid driver license, proof of insurance and $30 ($15 for Excel TECC and CCP students) will be due when the permits are picked up. All school fees from prior years must be paid in order to receive your permit.  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 Mr. Dahlhofer at ron.dahlhofer@westg.org or 440-729-5957 if you have any questions.
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Dear 11th and 9th Grade Parents,

All students entering the 9th grade next school year are required to have one (1) dose of the meningococcal vaccine. All students entering the 12th grade are required to have two (2) doses of the meningococcal vaccine.* Official documentation of the vaccine from the Health Department or physician must be provided to the high school clinic. For your convenience, it can be faxed to 440-729-5959 or emailed to me at brenda.swanson@westg.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me. Thank you,

Brenda Swanson, RN BSN

West Geauga High School

*Exceptions are limited to those whose parents submit waivers citing matters of conscience or religious conviction.

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April - Benjamin Kovacic

May - Thomas Magalski












April - Angela Volcensek

May - Samantha Ange






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West Geauga School Counseling News                                                              May/June 2018


SENIORS


CONGRATULATIONS! We’ll see you at graduation!

Decision Day/West Geauga Survey 2018:
On May 2nd we celebrated the future plans of our current seniors. A certificate was signed and a picture taken to document this occasion. This certificate will be given to the students at graduation practice. Most importantly, we asked each senior to log on to their Family Connection account and complete the West Geauga Survey 2018. This information will allow us to send final transcripts to the school they will be attending this fall.

Senior Report Cards, Medals, & Cords:
All seniors will receive a copy of their transcript along with any medals and cords they have earned at the graduation rehearsal. Students who are not “walking” and, therefore, will not be at graduation rehearsal, need to see Ms. Sargent in the school counseling office for a copy of their final report cards.

FOR ALL STUDENTS

Twitter:
Please consider following the West Geauga School Counselor on Twitter. @WGHSCounselors

Summer School:
West Geauga High School does offer summer school for students. The program is offered online. Check the West Geauga website, or contact Jim Kish, Middle School Principal, at 729-5940. If your child is in danger of failing a required course, you might want to call about programs at West G or area schools. Area schools may have traditional classroom summer programs. There are also several online providers that offer credit recovery programs. Informational flyers for summer school programs will be available in the counseling office.

A letter will be mailed to the parents of students who failed a required course immediately after grades are completed, however, this might not leave very much time to register for the summer courses. We are providing you with this information early in the hopes of giving you a head start.

Scheduling:
Schedule changes were due to the guidance department by May 1st in order for our administration to create the master schedule. Any changes requested after this date must follow the guidelines outlined in the Program of Studies. After May 1st of each year, schedule changes may be made only if there is:
  • a data entry error 
  • a failure in a required course
  • an imbalance of semester courses 
  • a graduation requirement omitted. 
Summer Counseling Hours:
End of School Year  The counselors will be working in the counseling office through June 14th and Ms. Sargent, School Counselor’s Administrative Assistant, will be working through June 29th.

Beginning of 2018-2019 School Year  Ms. Sargent will return to the office July 30th and the counselors will return August 13th.

College Visits:
For all students, but particularly juniors, the summer is a great time to visit college campuses. If you happen to be passing a campus on the way to your family vacation, plan to stop by and at least drive through. Time permitting, plan a stop in the admission office to meet a college representative. It is to your advantage to visit campuses and meet college representatives! Showing interest in a school is an important part of the college application process.

Summer Writing:
Junior students are encouraged to begin crafting a college application essay. If a school you have interest in uses Common Application, you can view the prompts for the 2018-2019 school year at commonapp.org and they are listed in Family Connection, too. Some schools have their own applications and prompts so make sure to check into the requirements for each college. When writing an essay be sure the reader can learn something about you that he/she could not find in an application and be creative!

West Geauga Education Foundation Programs:
Be sure to take advantage of all the programming that the West Geauga Education Foundation has to help with applications, essay writing, and test prep. An essay writing workshop is being planned before school starts in August.

Family Connection:
The Family Connection/Naviance website has valuable information regarding college planning, scholarships, and many other timely topics. You can find a link to this website at www.westg.org. Click on High School, then Guidance.

If you have any questions or concerns, please call the school counseling office.

David Callahan           Students with last names A-G      729-5963               david.callahan@westg.org

Kimberly Zannetti       Students with last names H-O      729-5964                kim.zannetti@westg.org

Sarah Widman            Students with last names P-Z       729-5965                sarah.widman@westg.org

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

Career Guidance Report:
Below is a list of the career-oriented guidance that our office, along with Ann Marn, our career specialist, provided to students during the 2017-2018 school year.

Freshmen (September)
Completed Naviance high school registration.
Began the Naviance Resume.
Completed the Naviance Career Interest Profiler and browsed several suggested career fields.
Completed an in-depth search of one career.

Sophomores (December)
Updated Naviance Resume.
Completed Do What You Are.
Revisited freshman Career Interest Profiler results in the Career Tab.
Browsed the Naviance College Tab: College Maps, Super Match College Search.

Juniors (January)
Updated Naviance Resume.
Completed Naviance Strengths Explorer.
Completed the Naviance Super Match College Search and Colleges I'm Thinking About.
Explored College Maps and Scattergrams and Scholarships.
Encouraged students to visit college websites' essay topics and applications.

Seniors (September)
In preparation for the upcoming Guidance Senior Assembly, students:
Updated Naviance Resume.
Completed Brag Sheets for teachers and Guidance.
Completed Naviance College Tab activities, especially Super Match College Search and Colleges I'm Thinking About.
Explored National Scholarship Search, Scholarship List, and Upcoming College Visits.
Viewed college websites' essay topics and applications.
Viewed Common Application.

Summer Fun:
Enjoy your summer. Be safe and find time to do the things you enjoy to do!

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Graduation: June 4th, 2018

LAST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR SENIORS - Tuesday, May 29th. We will have a brief Senior Class meeting in the gym at 7:25, then caps and gowns will be distributed. Please respect classes in session and enjoy your mini-day of school.

Graduation: June 4th, 2018, KeyBank State Theater, Playhouse Square, Cleveland, OH

In order to participate in the evening ceremony, you MUST attend the morning rehearsal!!!
TICKETS - Inside your cap and gown bag, you will find an envelope with twelve graduation tickets. Any specialty tickets (VIP boxes) will also be in the envelope. Only seats in the VIP Loge section will be assigned, otherwise it is open-seating. If you know that your family will not need all twelve tickets, please return the extras to Mrs. Talty. Thank you!

B R E A K F A S T and R E H E A R S A L- We will begin with breakfast at 7:45 am on MONDAY, JUNE 4th, at Mayfield Church at 7747 Mayfield Rd., Chesterland, OH 44026. You will be checked in, so please be patient! Carpool to save gas and space. Do Not Be Late!! When breakfast is over, we will travel by bus downtown to the State Theater to begin rehearsal. Plan on leaving your cars at Mayfield Church until we return from rehearsal around 1:00 pm.

GRADUATION CEREMONY - Be at the high school by 4:30 PM. We will take buses downtown once again, to the State Theater. The ceremony will start promptly at 7:00 pm.

DRESS CODE FOR THE EVENING CEREMONY:
Robes - press with a cool iron before the ceremony.
Guys - dark pants, collared shirt, tie, and dress shoes (no tennis shoes).
Girls - light colored dress or skirt which does not hang below the robe and light colored shoes or sandals, but NO FLIP FLOPS and NO STILETTOS!! Be sure you can walk down stairs in your shoes. Please, wear comfortable, appropriate shoes.

EVENING DETAILS - Your family WILL have to pay for parking the night of graduation. Please refer to this website for parking information, pricing, and a list of garages nearby - http://www.playhousesquare.org/plan-your-visit-main/directions-parking. We recommend parking in the Playhouse Square garage. Most parking in the area is around $10-$15 per car. Guests who need specialty handicapped seating should talk with the ushers and will be escorted to their seats accordingly.
Students - NO FOOD OR DRINK. Do not bring anything (purse, keys, phone, camera) backstage with you-leave all personal belongings with your family. There is no secure place to leave them. Line up in order practiced at rehearsal. Be properly dressed. Guys must have a tie.

Friendly Reminder … Please tell your guests that the processional will begin at 7:00 sharp. Bussing will NOT be provided after the ceremony – it is expected that students go home with their parents/families.

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YEARBOOK


Yearbooks have been delivered and can be purchased for $80.00. Please bring cash or checks made payable to WGBE/YB to the HS main office or see Mrs. Ward. 

Senior picture info for the Class of '19
Your senior pictures will be Monday, September 17th. Plan ahead by scheduling with a photographer this summer. Click here for information.



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

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 West Geauga school system. Funds for new ideas and programs aren’t always available within public school budgets, and that's where WGEF provides support. 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 holds fundraisers and events throughout the school year to assist students and enrich education. 


Grants Funded by WGEF – Winter 2018
WGEF requests teachers, parents and students to submit grants for programs they would like to see implemented and need funding assistance for. Twice per year, those interested submit detailed grants and present their programs to the WGEF board and members. The board then chooses which programs to fund based on criteria like how many students will be impacted, the program costs, etc. We have funded four programs in the 2017-2018 school year: two programs submitted in the fall of 2017 and two submitted in February. Read about the recent grants we awarded below.

WGTV – New Equipment
Ms. Kelly Klampe, WGHS English teacher and co-advisor for WGTV, and Ms. Sarah Thrasher, Media Specialist and co-advisor for WGTV, received a $5,151 grant for new equipment for WGTV, the student-run broadcasting channel for school announcements. The grant’s goal was to engage and motivate Middle School students to continue their interest in journalism and broadcasting by using current, modern technology. The grant application included funding for purchasing new software, cameras, camcorder, microphone cables, microphones, teleprompter and hardware capture cards, all used for video broadcast purposes. New equipment will allow for live streaming and recording and will replace old, outdated technology.

iPad Pro / Lifeliqe Program
Ms. Sarah Thrasher, Media Specialist, presented the iPad Pro/Lifeliqe program which is intended to help convert the Middle School’s traditional library into a true media center with state-of-the-art technology. A grant of $7,335 for line item equipment was awarded for this project which includes five iPad pros, Pro Pens, Pro Keyboards and 35 licenses for Lifeliqe software, a science based program that allows users to manipulate and view 3-D images of biological organisms like cells.

Congratulations to our winter grant winners!

Join Us!
We are always seeking fresh ideas and welcome educators and parents to join WGEF. We invite you to attend a meeting to find out more about us. There’s still time to join us for the last meeting the 2017-18 school year:

  Wednesday, May 16 at 7:30 PM in the Middle School Community Room

Whenever you join, donate or attend a WGEF fundraiser, you become a key player in enriching education at West Geauga Schools.

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