Welcome Back! 2012-13 is here!

We have completed our second week of the 2012-13 school year.  I want to share some information with you as well as answer some frequently asked questions.

New School Resource Officer

We are very excited to welcome to WHS and the Washougal School Community Officer Ryan Castro.  Officer Castro has an office at WHS, but is available to schools within the city limits.  If you want to contact Officer Castro please call 954-3149.

Tuesday, September 18 at 6:30 pm in the auditorium is the AP Information Meeting

Washougal High School will be hosting an AP Parent Night in the Auditorium from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday.  Topics will include the benefits of Advance Placement, AP course expectations, and general overview of the AP system. 

Contact Susan Lewallen, AP Coordinator, at 954-3134 for more information.

Monday, September 24 at 6:30 pm in the auditorium is the Senior Student and Parent Night

Ms. Mackey will be going over what you can expect during this year.  Questions will be answered about Senior Paper and Project.  Jostens will be present to provide information about graduation, announcements, etc.  This a very important evening to get the senior year started off right….plan on attending.

Parent Advisor Committee meeting Monday, September 24 at 6:00 pm in the library

Our goals are to increase communication, support the learning environment, and provide an opportunity for all parents to participate in the WHS community.  We are looking for parents who want to commit to attending.  PAC future meetings are listed below:

October 29, 2012 March 25 2013

November 26, 2012 April 29, 2013

January 28, 2013 May 20, 2013

Why did we go to two lunches?

Based on the state's definition of instructional time, we were not able to count Panther Time minutes, so we needed to make a change to Panther Time.  It didn't make any sense connecting Panther Time to lunch anymore. 

As a result of having two lunches, we are able to manage the commons much better.  We are able to track students much better.  The commons is much cleaner.  Students are able to sit and eat…..well those that want to do so. There are still students who prefer to each standing up.  

Why did we go to 4 minute passing periods?

#1 Increase instructional time 

#2 Reduce potential issues occurring during passing time

If you are a student who is unable to get from class to class in four minutes or a parent who is concerned about this please contact me at 954-3101 and we will discuss some possible options.

Can a teacher write a student a Panther Time Pass or can a student get help during Panther Time?

We still have Panther Time/3rd period passes.  If a teacher wants to write a Panther Time/3rd period pass, a teacher can do so.  It is up to the individual teacher.  If a student wants to see a particular teacher during Panther Time/3rd period, the student must ask the teacher for a pass to do so.  

Why did you take my hour lunch away?

We needed to increase our instructional minutes.  The way we were doing Panther Time, we couldn’t count those minutes. In order to meet state guidelines, we have gone back to a 30- minute lunch with all students participating in 3^rd period/Panther Time.

 What students can do in Panther Time/3^rd period?

Math, Silent Sustained Reading or Other Schoolwork 

Students have some choice in what they are doing, but they must be working on their work. Eventually we will be pulling out students to work on math.  We will be using the library for this intervention.

Beginning in a few weeks, Mrs. Spencer will be meeting with students during 3rd period/Panther Time to discuss the 5th Year and Beyond Plan that is a graduation requirement.  

Assemblies and club meetings will be occurring during 3^rd period to reduce loss of instructional time.

What is happening to the Senior Lounge?

We are waiting for furniture that was purchased for the senior lounge by one of our booster groups.  Once the furniture arrives, it will be for Senior Use Only from 7:30-2:25.  We removed the corral because it created a bottleneck during passing time and it was messing up the commons floor.

What is the deal with the parking lot?

All students who drive to school must register their vehicle with us.  This is done by getting the paperwork from Beth Nelson in the ASB office.  Each student will have a reserved parking spot with a number that has a matching tag that hangs from their rearview mirror.  There is no cost to the parking spot.  There were some students who paid initially.  Those students will be refunded.  

Assigned parking spaces allows us to track student vehicles.  We want to ensure that no one is in our parking lot that doesn’t belong there.  If you have questions or concerns about the parking lot changes, please contact the office.