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The Uproar
Be Prepared Edition Volume 1, issue 20 2023
I ♥️ my HBCU by India Wires
Historically Black colleges and universities, or HBCUs for short, are higher education institutes created before the Civil Rights Act of 1964 with the goal of educating Black people who were often denied access to institutions due to slavery and segregation. HBCUs provided Black applicants a path to higher education in the 19th century, when many colleges and institutions refused to accept their applications. They offered an inclusive path to higher education in a time when qualified Black individuals were turned away from historically white institutions and universities. HBCUs were vital then and are still vital today. The formerly enslaved were able to become independent and enhance their economic standing. HBCUs also aided Black communities in preserving their cultural practices. The importance of HBCUs is greatly appreciated at Westlake, from countless HBCU trips to the colleges, to the unveiling of numerous institutions on the stairs leading to the building. Many of our faculty and staff members are proud products of an HBCU. Atlanta is home to the oldest and largest consortium of private historically black colleges and universities serving African Americans called the Atlanta University Center (AUC). The highly regarded Clark Atlanta University, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, and Spelman College are all current participants in this consortium. With an HBCU, your educational experience will be one where you are surrounded by many people with similar backgrounds and cultural experiences with a focus on black excellence.
Dance Team Takes on State by Kennedi Fannin
An Inside Look at State Competition
This past weekend the dance team traveled to Macon, Georgia to compete GHSA dance competition. It was definitely an experience. It was a great time to be around the team and our wonderful coaches. We had been practicing for weeks for this very moment, a two minute dance where you gave everything you had like it was your last time dancing. We took two dances to state: High Kick and Hip-Hop. Both dances are two different stories. We are High Kick state champions for the 7a region, which was expected. The dance was flawless, no tricks missed, turns and kicks were synchronized, and faces were on the entire time. Now hip-hop is where everything changed. Since kick went first and was amazing everybody was in a happy mood. Once it was time to prepare for hip hop, everybody was “locked in”. Hip-hop warmed up and ran through the dance; everything was how it should be. Once it was time to get on the floor and dance, everybody was excited and ready. It’s time. Everybody sets in place. The music starts, all tricks are completed, no mistakes, the judges loved it. Once the dance was over everybody in the arena clapped, because it was that good. Everybody meets back in the dressing room. Tears come out because everybody is proud of how well they did, especially the seniors since it’s their last time competing with this team. Everybody gets dressed because it is almost time for awards. We go back to the stands watching our competition, thinking we got this in the bag. The last routine finishes, and all the teams are called down to the floor because it is award time. We sit in a circle holding hands as they go through the categories. The announcer says who won varsity hip-hop for 7a, and it’s..... not Westlake. Everybody looks around in confusion. People who aren’t on the team are confused because Westlake had the best routine there. It was difficult and clean. The whole team is disappointed, but are trying to mask their emotions. We walk back to the dressing room, pack up our things, and head to the bus to go home. We felt robbed of a state title, but at least we are High Kick state champs and we know we did our very best. We will continue to grow and we wait for next year and a another shot at state championships.
-Kennedi Fannin is a Freshman Magnet student and Dance Team member
Sunshine Committee Shows Love with Sweet Treats
Faculty and staff were treated to sweet treats on Valentine's Day.
Well Done Debate Team!
Shouts out to the Westlake High School Debate Team for an outstanding tournament on Saturday, February 11, 2023. They competed against some of the best high schools in Metro Atlanta and came away with several awards.
Team Awards:
First Place Jori Smith and Alijah Sullivan JV Division
Fourth Place Taylor Elston and Maalan Muhammad Novice Division
Individual Speaker Awards:
2nd Place Alijah Sullivan JV Division
9th Place Ayanna Simien JV Division
5th Place Taylor Elston Novice Division
9th Place Maalan Muhammad Novice Division
Please celebrate and recognize all debate team members when you see them. They have worked hard this year!
Scan Before You Plan!
Prom QRC Code
PromProsals
-There should be no promposals conducted without official administrative permission from Ms. C. Johnson. Any violators are subject to disciplinary consequences
A QR Code with a form will be available starting February 1st outside of room 201. You MUST follow the instructions found in the form in order to have a promprosal at Westlake High School.
Westlake High School Class of '23: Cap & Gown Portraits Are Here!
Parents and Seniors, Cap & Gown portraits are now available to view and purchase through CADY! Celebrate this special achievement. Click the pic above or link below to order now!
WHS CONTACT
Do want to schedule a parent teacher conference with a teacher, but don't know how to do it? Are you having a difficult time finding the right department or person to contact? Westlake has streamlined this process for you. Download the attachment below and click on the link for the service needed.
Fulton County New Math Standard FAQ
Keep It Clean Project
Who is passionate about the environment? Who is committed to strengthening their community?
Who simply wants to get some fresh air, a little bit of exercise, and meet some neighbors?
On Saturday, March 18, 2023, from 10am – noon, GILLS will host a Green River Clean-Up as a part of our “Keep it Clean” project. We are looking for volunteers of all ages to support in the efforts of river and tributary clean-ups in South Fulton.
About Us:
Giving Individuals Life-Long Skills (GILLS) is a non-profit organization that focuses on educating people about health & wellness and emergency preparedness through swimming and water safety. We provide programs that empower individuals with skills and information used to stay safe in, on, and around water, help save lives, and improve health & community. We also organize and participate in community events and offer local organizations on-site classes, programs, and resources.
Our Efforts:
Green River Clean-Up is a GILLS community initiative aiming to clean and keep clean local rivers and creeks across the South Fulton area. Cleaning a river or creek helps solve the problem that millions of tons of trash cause every year. Trash is more than an eyesore; it contaminates our drinking water, pollutes our swimming holes, and threatens the lives of all people, wildlife, and communities who depend on clean water.
Camp Creek tributary is the focus for the river clean-up. The section of the creek that we will target is near the bridge at Camp Creek on Stonewall Tell Rd. We will provide trash bags, gloves, and snacks. An environmentalist will speak about the importance of keeping the waterways clean and its impact on the environment.
A group of volunteers working together can create sustainable, connected, and powerful communities and provide opportunities to learn life skills. We’d appreciate if your school or organization distribute the attached flyer to your communication boards. If there are questions, please contact gillsatlanta.org@gmail.com.
Let’s pay it forward and Keep it Clean!
Taj Gray,
Executive Director, GILLS
PSAT Scores are Posted to Student Accounts
The October PSAT/NMSQT scores are now accessible through your student's CollegeBoard account utilizing this link View PSAT/NMSQT Scores.
For students without an account access this link College Board account to easily access your score online and unlock a robust set of personalized resources to help understand your scores.
You can also view these videos for help to interpret your score reports.
For more help, call 866-433-7728. For international and TTY phone numbers, go to the Contact Us page. The October PSAT/NMSQT scores are now accessible through your student's CollegeBoard account utilizing this link View PSAT/NMSQT Scores.
For students without an account access this link College Board account to easily access your score online and unlock a robust set of personalized resources to help understand your scores.
You can also view these videos for help to interpret your score reports.
For more help, call 866-433-7728. For international and TTY phone numbers, go to the Contact Us page.
NACAC College Fair
On March 22, 2023, admission advisers from hundreds of colleges and universities will be ready and waiting to talk with you at the NACAC College Fair. Sign up for free at nacacattend.org/fairs and see the list of participating colleges. Then log in on any fair date to attend sessions, chat with your questions, download informational resources, and demonstrate interest... all without leaving home. It's a great way to connect with hundreds of colleges in a short amount of time to learn about majors, scholarships, and more.
The Francosi Vending 2023 Scholarship Award Guidelines
Francois Vending will be awarding two $1,250 scholarships this school year. Any students that meet the following guidelines and submits the required essay will be considered for the scholarships.
· Graduating senior
· Overall 3.3 GPA at the time of award
· Clean discipline record for the 2022-23 school year
· Letter of reference from a current teacher
· Provide documentation of involvement in one of the following: community service/volunteer hours or extracurricular activity
· 500 word essay on one of the following topics:
o Event where you demonstrated your leadership skills and how they were valued
o Event(s) or person who has influenced your life and changed the way you act and think
o If given authority, what changes would you put in place to improve the conditions of your community?
Any senior wishing to apply for the Francosi Vending scholarship is asked to submit their reference letter and essay no later than Friday March 31, 2023.
Save the Date
Applications for our 4 residential summer leadership institutes will be open from Jan. 9 - March 1, 2023.
Any students attending high school in Georgia are eligible to apply! (Click to the picture to learn more)
SUMMER YOUTH LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE (SYLI) @ GOIZUETA
When: June 4th – June 9th, 2023
Where: Emory University in Atlanta, GA
Who: Rising sophomores through seniors in GA with an interest in business/entrepreneurship
Application Deadline: March 1st
EARTHCARE
When: June 11th – June 16th, 2023
Where: Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville, GA
Who: Rising sophomores through rising seniors in GA with an interest in environmental issues, engineering, STEM
Application Deadline: March 15th
HEALTHCARE & IT INSTITUTE (HII)
When: June 25th – June 30th, 2023
Where: Location TBD
Who: Rising sophomores through rising seniors in GA with an interest in healthcare/tech
Application Deadline: March 1st
School Governance Council at Fulton County Schools Elections
SGC Elections at Fulton County Schools
The window for parents and teachers to declare candidacy for their school's School Governance Council opened on February 1. The declaration window will remain open until March 24 with voting to take place in April. During this time, individuals interested in serving a 2-year term (July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2025) will have the opportunity to complete a Parent/Teacher Candidate Declaration Form SGC Election Video https://vimeo.com/201044382
Annual Perception Survey
Annual Perception Survey
Fulton County Schools encourages parents to take the Annual Parent Perception Survey between February 13 and March 10. Reponses to the survey will help the district make improvements to our schools, and will provide important data for the development of our new strategic plan. The survey is anonymous and confidential and should take about 10 minutes to complete. Parents are asked to complete one survey per school where they have one or more students enrolled. Additionally, students in grades 4-12 will take the Annual Student Perception Survey between February 13 and February 24 during the school day. This survey is also anonymous and confidential.
Balanced Scorecard
The FCS Balanced Scorecard is now live and can be access publicly at https://www.fultonschools.org/bscpublic. The Balanced Scorecard allows stakeholders to look at system performance from both a short-term and long-term perspective to ensure that students reach their potential year after year. This report marks the 22nd year of collecting and reporting specific metrics, but the first year in presenting the metrics in a modern data dashboard, having moved the platform from static a PDF document to a real-time live dashboard accessible to public. Through their innovation and willingness to evolve the report by utilizing new technology options, the Board is now leading the way in K-12 districts by implementing this tool to measure performance. Visit the Balanced Scorecard website.
Staff/Educational Assistance Grants
The Westlake SGC has allocated $15,00.00 to be used for Educational Assistance. Any staff member or teacher at Westlake can submit proposals for projects, activities, books, equipment, or anything that enhances the academic lives of students at the Westlake High School. While preference is given to proposals that offer school-wide access to students, staff/teachers are also encouraged to submit proposals that will benefit their individual classrooms or grade level.
For additional information and a Grant Request Form, please contact Tara Surratt, SGC Vice Chair (surrattta@fultonschools.org or taraseye1@yahoo.com)
We can help you get scholarships! Don't forget to visit us at: www.securingdegrees.org
The School Governance Council (SGC) is excited to introduce our new initiative - Family Engagement On Demand (FEOD).
The Family Engagement on Demand Platform is designed to empower our families with video resources to support family involvement in education.
The videos offer a variety of topics related to student and family educational success. Families will also have the opportunity to participate in live parent empowerment workshops through the platform.
Review the Introduction video
FEOD Tutorial Video and then create your own account Free on Demand Resource
PTSA Swag Items on Sale
SHOW YOUR PRIDE! Buy discounted Westlake PTSA Swag items while supplies last. Shop via MemberHub today! https://www.memberhub.com/