Wauwatosa West Updates

There is no school on Monday as we observe Martin Luther King Day. Today's snow day provided a bit of time for reflection this morning.

Last spring I was able to visit Washington DC with our APPSE team. I'm always moved by the historical significance of the monuments and museums. The imposing figure cut in stone memorializing the contributions of Dr. Martin Luther King jr. is among my favorites. His legacy reminds me that leadership is a behavior, not a title. His influence on our nation came through the strength of his character, the power of his words and the commitment, and ultimate sacrifice, of his actions.

King also understood that age was not a prerequisite for leadership. At the young age of 18, just slightly older than our students, he wrote an article on education in Morehouse College newspaper. His words from 1947 in the Maroon Tiger paper resonate with me today.

"Intelligence plus character--that is the goal of true education"

Enjoy your day away from school and please take a moment to consider how your own actions might replicate the courage and leadership of a great American.

Our exams will be held on Wednesday, January 17th through Friday, the 19th. The schedule below indicates the days and times of for each period.

Our goal is to have finals be meaningful end of semester learning experiences. Students should be expected to come in for their finals as assigned by teachers. To protect the integrity of the day students are expected to arrive on time and will not be admitted to the exam room after the session has started.

Phones are not allowed in exam rooms. If a phone is seen in student possession during an exam they may be subjected to disciplinary action based on our academic integrity policy. This could jeopardize a student grade.

There are no re-takes on final exams.

Students are not required to stay on campus when they are not assigned an exam, this includes study hall periods. If students stay on campus they will be expected to remain in the commons area on the first floor or in the library which will be designated as a quiet study area.

Lunch will be served each day.

Due to changes in class sections and staffing your schedule may be different for Second Semester from what you saw prior to the end of exams.

• Log into Infinite Campus on your phone or computer

• Click on the refresh icon

• Save your new schedule either as a download or screenshot

Students must follow the updated schedule shown in Infinite Campus. If you have questions you can make an appointment with your School Counselor, but until you have that meeting you MUST follow the schedule listed.

Our Fall production of Frozen was nominated for Jerry Awards in 16 categories this year including Outstanding Musical, Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding Orchestra. The Jerry Awards, one of Wisconsin’s High School Musical Awards Programs, encourages, recognizes and honors excellence in high school musical theater. Educators and industry professionals review productions at more than 85 high schools in 30 counties around the state providing valuable feedback. The program elevates the importance of musical theater within high schools

You can see all of the nominees in the image below. Congratulations and good luck to our Trojan Thespians.

The Wauwatosa West Scholarship Foundation (WWSF) was established in 2004 by a group of volunteer parents to recognize and award scholarships to graduating Wauwatosa West students with post-secondary plans. For each of the past several years they have awarded ten, $1000 scholarships at the West Local Scholarship Awards Night. Please consider attending their wonderful community event and annual fundraiser with through the flyer portrayed below. You can also learn more and make a direct donation on their website linked here.

Semester Exams will be held on January 17-19th. Some classes will have performance based exams that may impact their exam schedules. Our teaching staff will communicate the specific requirements for students in their classes.

Wisconsin Forward exam in Social Studies will be done during class within the state mandated test windows (March 18-22 and April 1-5)

March 19 all 9th-12th graders will be taking the Pre-ACT test (9th and 10th) or the ACT test (11th) as required by the DPI. Seniors will be excused from school that day.

It will be important for the future of Wauwatosa West that our families stay engaged with the Board and the work of the Tosa 2075 Task Force.

The Tosa 2075 Task Force meeting scheduled for Tuesday, January 9, 2024 at Underwood Elementary School was canceled due to inclement weather. The meeting will not be rescheduled, and the Task Force will meet again on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at Underwood Elementary School from 6-8 p.m. As always, members of the community are strongly encouraged to stay informed about the Task Force’s activities by reviewing materials, meeting agendas and recaps on the Task Force web page.

The Board of Education’s Engagement Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 31, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Wauwatosa East library. The theme of the meeting is academic culture, and members of the community are encouraged to attend to learn about the steps District leaders are taking to enhance the academic culture in our schools.

New student enrollment will open to the community on Friday, January 5, 2024. Please visit our Enrollment web page to learn more and begin the enrollment process.

A survey will be launched for students in grades 4-12 in January 2024. Families are able to opt their child(ren) out of this survey. Families who wish to opt their child(ren) out of the survey should contact their building principal prior to January 2, 2024.

Student survey results along with ongoing focus groups with students at West drive our improvement efforts. Please encourage your child to share their authentic voice.

The Board of Education’s Legislative Advocacy Committee will meet on Wednesday, January 17, 2024 at 6 p.m. at Underwood Elementary School. The Wisconsin Public Education Network (WPEN) will be a guest at this meeting, and community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about ways to support their public schools.