What's Up Westside

• May 18th - Chinese and French AP Exams

• May 18th - Last PTSA meeting of the year 7-8:30pm AT GREAT AMERICAN DINER

• May 19th - ASB Movie Night - Everything Everywhere All at Once 7:30pm

• May 20th - Saturday Study Hall Tutoring 9am-12pm in the WSHS Library

• May 20th - Golden Apple and Golden Acorn Nomination Forms Due

• May 20th - 23rd - Music Department Trip to Disneyland

• May 21st - WS5K Run/ Walk on Alki 9:30am start

• May 25th - Talent Show 6:30pm

• May 29th - NO SCHOOL - Memorial Day

• May 31st - Senior Awards Night 6:30pm

• Spring Sports: congrats to all our Spring athletes who represented WSHS during the spring season. Some of our athletes and teams are still working their way through District and State tournaments, so let's continue to get out there and support.

• Asst. Principal Announcement: I am excited to share some positive news from WSHS. Due to our increased projected enrollment, we were allocated an additional Assistant Principal position starting in the 23-24 school year. As a result, I am happy to announce the hiring of Megan Claus into that position. Ms. Claus is an experienced school leader with a strong focus on racial equity and student voice. She has demonstrated this throughout her career as a science teacher, coach, academic intervention specialist and assistant principal. Much of her career in education has been in Seattle Public schools and she is currently an assistant principal at Denny Middle School. So just wanted to share the good news and give Ms. Claus a big Wildcat Welcome!

• Final Exams: As we approach the end of the school year, I want to make sure we are all on the same page as it relates to the end of semester and finals. Given that the end of the school year is June 30, we will be facing challenges as some families may have already had finalized travel plans, camps, etc. Our finals are scheduled for Monday, June 26 and Tuesday, June 27. Although not all classes give finals, there are several that do. The expectations is for students to be in school. So, if there is a clear need for a student to not be here for a final, here are some reminders and next steps:

1. Students must touch base with any teacher in which they have to miss a final exam. The sooner the better and failing to do so may lead to an impact on a student's grade.
2. Not taking a final may significantly impact a student's final grade
3. It may not be reasonable or possible for a teacher to offer a final before the scheduled finals days. In some cases, a student may get an IE grade and may need to make up in some other way.
4. Bottom Line- Please have your student communicate with their teachers ASAP if there is a conflict with taking finals the final week of school.

• Summer School- We have been fortunate in the past several years to have funding through grants and SPS to offer an in-person summer school. We no longer have access to the funding to do that. As a result, students needing credit retrieval will only have access to the SPS summer credit retrieval program. This allows for students to take an online course to earn .5 credit. We are working on some possible expansions for online classes, but even if we can pull something together, it will be online and limited as well. This puts extra emphasis on students really leaning into finishing strong and not relying on summer school to recover credits from this semester. Please check The Source and encourage your student to meet with their teachers during lunch or attend one of the upcoming Saturday School sessions(May 20, 9am-12pm).

• West Seattle 5K- After a three-year break, West Seattle High School and the PTSA are excited to announce the 12th running of the West Seattle 5K on Sunday morning, May 21, 2023! All profits raised from the West Seattle 5K provide funding for West Seattle High School's academic support services - Saturday School, after school tutoring (next year), and mini-grants that buy classroom supplies and much more that students and teachers request for engaged learning. Please consider running or walking in the race (kid and dog friendly), signing up to volunteer, or just donate. There is a way for every family to be part of making this event a success!

  
  

  https://westseattle5k.com

Go Wildcats!

Principal Vance

SATURDAY STUDY HALL TUTORING

West Seattle High School is hosting Saturday School on May 20th in the school library from 9-12PM.

Breakfast will be provided.

Families, please encourage your students to take advantage of this opportunity. We are hoping to give our students the extra time they need to achieve at a higher level than they thought possible.

If you have any questions about Saturday Study Hall, please contact Amy Doll asdoll@seattleschools.org

If you have specific questions about a class or current grade, please contact that teacher directly. All teacher emails can be found on our West Seattle High School website and on the Source. If your students need to makeup an exam/assignment, ask your student to speak to their teacher prior to Saturday School.

GRADUATION TICKET REQUEST

Graduation is free but we'd like to keep it secure by only including the West Seattle High School community into Memorial Stadium. In order to do this, we need to have tickets for entry.

There is no limit on number of tickets your family can request. We simply need to know how many to print for your graduates family and friends.

Please have your request in no later than May 22nd

https://forms.office.com/r/GTGGtFkDeP

SENIOR AWARDS NIGHT

Wednesday May 31st 6:30pm

Join the class of 2023 as we celebrate and honor students with scholarships,

department awards, and student nominated awards.

This event is open to all graduates and their families.

CIEE FAMILY NIGHT

Family night for students studying abroad with CIEE this summer is Thursday, June 15 at 7:00pm in the cafeteria. Be there at 6:45 for check-in and Pagliacci's! Please be sure to let Ms. Schumacher know if you are coming!

Alumni club will be meeting for the next few weeks in room 235 to prepare for family night, so feel free to stop by if you have any questions before family night!

AP TESTING

College Board Advanced Placement testing ends this week.

Students that are enrolled in a current AP class and have registered and paid for exams will be testing in the School Gym.

Students must arrive 15-30 minutes early for each exam. Late entry will not be allowed.

For exams scheduled to start at 8AM, doors will open at 7:30AM for check-in and seat assignments.

For exams that start at 12PM, doors will open at 11:30.

Cell Phones, Wearable Technology and Laptops will not be allowed in the Testing locations.

Check with your AP Teacher for additional information.

Dress in layers - its hard to predict the temperature in the gym.

Parents remind students to check their emails for notices from College Board.

All AP Students taking an exam must accept the terms and conditions prior to taking each exam. https://apstudents.collegeboard.org/exam-policies-guidelines

BUT YOU MUST ACCEPT ON YOUR OWN SCHOOL EMAIL

Date Exam Time

5/18 French 12PM in the Library

5/18 Chinese 8AM in the Library

ATTENDANCE IS IMPORTANT

The weather may be warmer, but It’s not summer yet!

We are in the home stretch of the 2022-2023 school year, let’s finish strong!

Our teachers and staff continue to engage students with important academic content and supports as well as engaging activities and events.

Please send your students to school on time and every day.

If you need to excuse your student, please contact the attendance office.

206-252-8804 or westseattlehs.attendance@seattleschools.org

CHECK OUT THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER - THE OLYMPIAN

CHECK OUT STUDENT ANNOUNCEMENTS - Wildcat Wednesday

As a school, we placed 11th in the Washington State High School Photo Competition. Linda Alvarricin Placed 2nd in People category, Nate Schnurman was a finalist for Landscape, Avery Zimmer was a finalist for Traditional Black and White, and we received about 20 additional select ribbons in various categories.

You can see all of the finalist's work on the website in the next month (not all categories have been uploaded) http://wshspc.com/

The Parent Teacher Student Association is working hard to support our whole community. We are a partnering advocacy group geared toward improving student success. Come be a part of making WSHS the community you want to be a part of!

JOIN US THURSDAY MAY 18th - AT THE GREAT AMERICAN DINER

Our final WSHS PTSA meeting for the year will held be this Thursday, May 18th at 7 PM, AT THE GREAT AMERICAN DINER (located at the corner of California and Edmonds - 4752 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116).

Come celebrate our in-person year, enjoy appetizers compliments of the PTSA, and show your Westside pride in a round of WSHS Trivia!

We are asking all members to attend as we need to reach quorum to vote in our new slate of officers for next year.

MAY 21st WS5K RUN/WALK PTSA FUNDRAISER

The West Seattle 5K is THIS SUNDAY May 21st! The race starts at 9:30am on Alki.

Please consider running or walking in the race (kid and dog friendly), signing up to volunteer, or just donate. There is a way for every family to be part of making this event a success!

All profits raised from the West Seattle 5K provide funding for West Seattle High School's academic support services - Saturday School, after school tutoring, and mini-grants that buy classroom supplies and much more that students and teachers request.

To donate or register: https://westseattle5k.com

We desperately need ADULT course monitors. See sign up genius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0d4babac28a4f49-west1#/

NOMINATE AN OUTSTANDING EDUCATOR AND A DEDICATED VOLUNTEER

Fill out the nomination form (fixed)

Each year PTSA gives out awards to outstanding individuals who have served the school community.
The Golden Apple Award is for an outstanding educator who has gone beyond the normal expectations of their job to make the learning environment fun, beneficial and challenging.
The Golden Acorn Award is presented to a volunteer in recognition of their dedication and service to children and youth.

Nominations are due May 20th

Questions? Please contact: PTSA President: wshsptsapresident@gmail.com or Amy Doll at asdoll@seattleschools.org

STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK CELEBRATION

The PTSA honored teachers and staff with lunch last Friday. Thank you to those of you that donated a dessert for lunch that day and/ or volunteered to help.

This is the first overnight trip our musicians have made since Covid. The last trip for Wildcats to Disneyland was in 2018.

Thank you to all the parent chaperones, Mr Fritts, and Mr Thomas for making this trip possible!

TALENT SHOW

Thursday May 25th 6:30pm

ASB is still looking for willing participants to join the talent pool.

Open to the WSHS community and the public to attend.

Tickets: $7 at the door.

FIELD DAY VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

Wednesday June 14th

Modified schedule day. Spend the afternoon with peers enjoying live music,

food trucks, and student sponsored activities.

We are looking for parent volunteers for this event. Please email

aaferda@seattleschools.org

SENIOR CLASS ASB FUNDRAISER

https://schoolpay.com/link/Classof2023Donations

Donations made to the class of 2023 will be used specifically by the senior ASB to help

cover prom and graduation expenses, as well as other senior-specific class activities

(such as Senior Sunset).

Our class was unable to fundraise for all of our sophomore year and half of our junior year due to Covid restrictions, so we really appreciate the generous contributions of parents and community members towards making the end of our time together in high school as wonderful as it can possibly be!

Any surplus funds will be donated to the General ASB account and underclassmen.

SENIOR PROM

Saturday June 10th 8-11pm

Location: Block 41 (115 Bell St, Seattle, WA 98121)

We will have a professional DJ, professional photobooth, dessert, and drinks available.

Tickets are $25 w/ an ASB sticker, and $30 without, $35 for guests

Starting May 1st students can purchase tickets online in SchoolPay

May 29th-June 2nd ASB will be available for in-person ticket purchases.

All ticket sales in-person and online stop on June 2nd.

June 5th-9th students who purchased their ticket online MUST pick their

physical ticket up and add their names to the guest list.

All students, regardless of online payment or in-person payment, must

meet in-person to get their physical ticket and get their names and guest

names added to the official guest list.

Each senior is given the opportunity to bring a guest outside of the

graduating class as your date. Guests that are West Seattle

underclassmen will not need a guest pass, but their name must be

included when purchasing a ticket. Any guest, senior or underclassmen,

that doesn’t attend WS will need to complete a guest form PRIOR to

purchasing their ticket.

Guest Pass form:

Prom Guest Pass 2023.docx

YEARBOOK SALES

For the time being yearbook sales are on hold, but we are not fully sold out.

We will have 2 waitlists, one for seniors and one for underclassmen, that you can fill out at this time to reserve your spot in line.

On Tuesday June 20th we will open up in-person sales for seniors on the waitlist first. Those that purchase on the 20th will be able to pick up their yearbooks with the rest of the student body on the 21st at the yearbook distribution event after school. On the 22nd if there are any remaining yearbooks, we will use the waitlist to determine what students will be sold books until we fully sellout. The yearbook company is sending us some extra copies on top of our original order so we are hoping to accommodate as many students as possible.

Please complete this waitlist form as soon as possible to reserve your spot:

Seniors only: https://forms.office.com/r/RV8Jv5iuRN

9th-11th grade only: https://forms.office.com/r/2GGfcnCcv3

If you are unsure if you’ve ordered, your Source account has evidence of all past transactions.

CAR CLUB's CAR SHOW

We are planning our 2nd annual WSHS Car Show put on by the school car club, named the Greasy Peeps.

Save the date (Parents can enter cars too)

Speakers Coming to West Seattle High School

May 18th - Clarence Moriwaki is coming to talk about Japanese American Exclusion during WWII to the Junior Class.

Clarence is a nationally-recognized speaker presenting "Let It Not Happen Again: Lessons of the Japanese American Exclusion," covering the timeless and timely story of the loss of liberty during times of fear, prejudice and failure of political leadership.

The presentation explores the history, fear, racism, and failure of political leadership that led to these unconstitutional actions of the exclusion.

May 25th - Pete Metzelaar will be speaking to our Sophomore Class. Peter was born in Amsterdam in 1935. In 1942, when Peter was 7, the Nazis seized Peter's entire family except for Peter and his mother. Peter's mother contacted the Dutch Underground for help. The Underground found Klaas and Roefina Post who agreed to shelter Peter and his mother on their small farm in northern Holland, putting their own lives at risk. For two years they lived with the Posts until it became too dangerous and they found another hiding place with two women in The Hague. Peter, his mother, and his aunt were the only survivors of his family. Klaas and Roefina Post have been recognized as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem. Peter is is a West Seattle Resident and the grandfather of 2 of our alumni. Attached are some resources from the Holocaust Center for Humanity so you can learn a bit about Peter’s story.

https://holocaustcenterseattle.org/peter-metzelaar

Learn about Amsterdam during World War II and the Holocaust, including deportations of Jews to concentration camps and killing centers.

encyclopedia.ushmm.org

APPLICATION DEADLINE 5/31

To Apply: https://preservewa.org/programs/youth-heritage-project/

Youth Heritage Project 2023 Manhattan Project National Historical Park, Hanford Site:

July 18-21

All high-school age students are invited to get hands-on with history this summer at the Hanford Site near the Tri-Cities in central Washington!

Are you ready for an adventure that combines history, science, and the great outdoors?

Look no further than the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation’s Youth Heritage Project!

This summer, join us at the Hanford Site, a decommissioned nuclear production complex with a rich history connected to the Manhattan Project, now a national historical park.

Students will have the chance to learn about the contributions and perspectives of the Tribal Nations who have called this area home since time immemorial and the workers who helped build the world’s first plutonium production facilities. They will explore the complex legacies of the project that ushered in the nuclear age to gain a deeper understanding of the complexities and ethical issues surrounding nuclear science and technology.

Learn about efforts to co-steward the stories of the Hanford Site this summer with experiential activities and new friends while giving back to the community through a project proposal at the conclusion of the jam-packed week.

Come discover Hanford with us!

This program is FREE OF COST for those accepted.

https://preservewa.org/programs/youth-heritage-project/

Gatewood Elementary is looking for student volunteers to run the various carnival games/stands at the first ever Gator Fair. The fair is Saturday, June 3rd. They need two shifts of volunteers between 9:30am-3:30pm.

If you're interested or have questions, contact Sarah Adler.

Congratulations to all our Wildcat athletes for their post-season accomplishments!

Follow Wildcat schedules and scores at:

https://www.metroleaguewa.org/

Spring Sports

• Boys Baseball
• Boys Soccer
• Girls Softball (Fastpitch and Slowpitch)
• Tennis (co-ed)
• Track and Field (co-ed)

Club Sports

• Girls Ultimate Frisbee - Contact: wshsfrisbee@gmail.com

For more team details check these Athletic Department links:

• https://westseattlehs.seattleschools.org/student-life/athletics/winter-sports/
• https://twitter.com/WSHSAthletics1
• https://www.instagram.com/westseattle.athletics/
• https://www.facebook.com/WSHSAthletics1

WSHS Boosters Club works to defray equipment and transportation costs. To make a donation or purchase spirit wear visit: https://westseattleboosterclub.org/

To update your communication preferences:

https://www.seattleschools.org/departments/communications/communication-preferences/

If you would like to share something with the West Seattle High School community, please contact wshsptsacommunications1@gmail.com

Past newsletters can be found on the school website:

https://westseattlehs.seattleschools.org/calendar-and-news/whats-up-westside/

Email: wshsptsacommunications1@gmail.com
Website: westseattlehs.seattleschools.org
Location: 3000 California Ave SW, Seattle, WA 98116, USA
Phone: 206-252-8800