Shocking! The year continues to be moving along at an extremely rapid pace. As the end of October nears and November approaches, I want to share with you some information.
Fall conferences will begin October 31 and continue through the end of the week. All students will be released at 11:25 each day. Teachers will be available starting at 12:00 PM. We have set up 25 minute conferences. If you are interested in meeting with one of your student's teachers, please contact the office at 954-3100. Thursday evening is dedicated for evening conferences. We will have conferences going on in the afternoon on Thursday until 3:00 pm. Teachers will have an hour and a half to eat and then will return at 4:30 pm for evening conferences. We realize it is often difficult to get away during the afternoon, so it is also possible to conference over the phone with a teacher as well as communicating via email. If you have any questions regarding Conference Week, please contact the main office at 954-3100.
Fall sports are coming to an end. It has been a great fall sports season for the Panthers. Many of our teams have done very well and have a chance to continue as playoffs begin. We are extremely proud of the work our student-athletes have done this fall. They have represented the WHS Community well and we are proud of them. There is actually one week left in regular season for volleyball, soccer and football. If you are interested in catching a game or match, please visit the following link: WHS Sports Calendar. If you have any questions regarding athletics, please contact our Athletic Director, Doug Cox at 954-3104 or email him at doug.cox@washougal.k12.wa.us.
Our first 9 weeks ends November 4. Teachers will have one week to get their 1st Quarter grades completed and then we will be sending grade reports home. First Quarter grades are not transcripted grades; however, it is information about your student's grades at the half-way point of this semester. Hopefully you are able to view your student's grades currently using Parent Access. If you are not able to and would like some assistance, please contact our main office at 954-3100.
Finally, we are asking you as parents to support the work your student is doing at school. This can happen in a variety of ways, I have included a few ideas taken from the Learn to Give website.
1. Share your ideas about the importance of education with your student.
Begin to talk about possible education goals for your child. Let your student know that they have many educational possibilities!
2. Be careful not to pass on negative attitudes about school that may be a part of your own past experience.
Giving students the idea that school is too difficult, that teachers are unfair, or that school isn’t important will discourage your student from doing well.
3. Help your student set education goals, both short term and long term.
Talk to your student about the future and plans for high school, technical school or college. Tell your child you hope they will be successful in school. A short-term goal may be finishing a writing assignment by Sunday night. A long-term goal could be attending a trade school, the local community college or a university after high school.
4. Talk to your student about what they are learning at school.
It’s important to ask students about their school subjects. Ask open-ended questions about their class work —questions that can’t be answered with a “yes” or ‘no.” Share any knowledge you have, and if you are curious, read the textbook!
5. Help your student get organized to do homework.
Create a study area or corner for homework. Have a table and chair in a quiet place away from the TV, perhaps in the corner of a bedroom. Add any supplies your student may need. Make a special trip to the store to buy supplies such as paper, pencils, calculators, etc. Help keep this area tidy and ready for use.
6. Make rules about homework.
Decide with your student on a good time to do homework and stick to that schedule as much as possible. Try to keep noise down during study times. Ask what homework your student has been assigned and look it over when it is finished. Don’t be a tyrant about homework, though. The goal is for the student to be responsible for getting it done without excessive nagging. If homework isn’t getting done, talk to the teacher about ways to help your student. A joint effort may work better than “laying down the law.” Some teachers post assignments and grades online or record homework assignments on telephone voice mail. Help with assignments if you are asked, but don’t feel bad if you are unfamiliar with a subject. School has changed since you attended! The teacher is always there for additional help.
