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January 2020
The Outdoor Classroom is ready! Special thanks to our No Hassle Fundraiser donors who made this
beautiful space for learning possible
Chap Connections is a monthly newsletter with the latest PTO news and updates from extra curricular groups on WHS campus. All groups at Westlake High School are invited to submit news each month, in Word or PDF format. To contribute to the newsletter, please email Laura Potter at [email protected]
Welcome back, Chap Families! Congrats to our newly minted State Football Champs! We know the families of these football players give up a lot of time, emotion and energy for and with their players. We are so happy for your success. A big thank you to all of those who work right alongside these players to make Friday Night Lights the fun that it is- Hyline, Star Steppers, Band, Cheer and TEC Crew. Also, a big shout out to our own Ray Clayton and Helena Norfjell who manage all five of our concession stands from stocking, repairs, and inspections to volunteer groups, training and coordinating. It takes a village, and we are proud of that village! Onward to 2020! As we open up our Spring semester, we have big news! Our Outdoor classroom is up and running! Thank you to all who donated and supported this venture through No Hassle Fundraising! We were able to order and install the furniture just before the break so that the classes and students could start using it. We have even ordered some extra nice winter weather so that they could enjoy it right away. A big thank you to Chele Robinette and Grayce Parker as our No Hassle Co-chairs for leading the charge this year. We our hope our Chaps love this awesome new space. As we head into this semester, we look toward funding more requests, working more concession stands, and graduating our seniors. We are selling Commemorative Brick Pavers on our website should you wish to honor your Senior. These bricks can be purchased for any student, however, if you would like to jump ahead of that game or keep you family bricks together. Go to www.whspto.net to purchase. Lastly, we are working on our Executive Board team for next year. Please reach out if you would like to join this dynamic group of parents who are willing to give us their time and talents. Westlake is filled with wonderful people from all backgrounds, and we are lucky to benefit from their talents. Let us know if you are interested in giving back to WHS through PTO. We would love to have you, and can discuss opportunities, time commitments, etc. Have a great first week back, and don’t forget to take your allergy meds! All our best, Kristin Paull and Kit Spelce Co-Presidents, WHS PTO
WHS PTONo Hassle Fundraiser
2019-2020 Why Support the No Hassle Campaign? It’s quick, it’s easy, and requires no volunteer hours! No Hassle donation dollars help to fund requests from teachers and staff at WHS covering costs for everything from classroom start-up supplies, digital graphics software, 3D printers to theater production costs. No Hassle dollars fill in where district and state dollars fall short.
How Do You Donate to No Hassle? Donate online or print and complete the No Hassle donation form and return it, along with your check made payable to WHS PTO to Westlake High School, 4100 Westbank Drive, Austin, 78746.
Does your company offer a Corporate Matching Program? As a reminder, there are many companies that offer a Corporate Matching Gifts Program that can double the impact of your family's generous donation including Dell, Bank of America, Intel, Qualcomm and many others! Thank you to all of our donors thus far!
Thank you to those who have already donated!!!We would love to add you to our list of donors
GET YOUR COMMEMORATIVE PAVER TODAY!!! ONLY $100.00
Special thanks to Eclipse Landscape & Construction
Go to the PTO website and honor your student, teacher or coach with a $100.00 commemorative Paver. These are installed in front of the ticket window at the Chaparral
Stadium. whspto.net/Pavers
Questions? email [email protected]
The PTO Staff Appreciation Committee wants YOU!
Upcoming Event - January 16th
Thank you to all our volunteers that helped us with all the cookies and gift card donations last month. All the staff at WHS were just overjoyed by your generosity. The PTO Staff Appreciation Committee would like to thank you for helping us with the next event. We will be hosting a lunch, sponsored by MAMA FU’S on Thursday, January 16h. An email has gone out to our Volunteer Committee for sign ups. We thank you in advance for supporting this event. We welcome everyone to join our Volunteer Committee at any time and are always eager to have more volunteers. We have events planned for each month of the school year, so please join us! The committee offers great flexibility as you can participate as often as your schedule allows and is a great fit for everyone. Please consider joining our committee and contact our Staff Appreciation Chair, Christine Machon at [email protected] if you are interested or would like more information about the program.
A HUGE THANK YOU TO THESE VOLUNTEER COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO SUPPORTED OUR EVENT IN DECEMBER.
In addition, we would like to thank the many, many families who
donated the gift cards to ensure we had one for every staff member.
THANK YOU!
Betsy Gouchnour Tiffany Hedrith Kristin Paull Krystin Johnson Beth Moll Kim Frost Merideth Jones Dana Bradley Laurie Duncan Julie Holt Karen Stroud Jan Mays Dana Wilkes Paula Lear Jocelyn Johnson Erin Placke Valerie Andruss Carol Thomson Elizabeth Swallow Traci Swanstrom Marcia Elm
Paula Lear Rosanne Easton Pam Hess Julie Jones Karen Stroud Billie Gurkin Beth Lindow Barbara Craig Laura Boone Jenny Hicks Nina Boukarim Deanna Sheffield Amy Hillin Monica Haydt Lisa Lane Terri Budiselich Darlene McMahan Barbara Loya Laura Clark Lily Moskal Kathy Ferguson Amy Clark
Senior Class of 2020:
Your Graduation Year Has Arrived!
Project Graduation is the Best Party of the Year! Register your senior today at westlakepg.com before prices increase.
Whether you are an Eanes family, business or organization, we need your help making this night safe and fun for all our new graduates. Please consider sponsoring Project Graduation.
WestlakeSpeakerSeries2019-2020 Westbank Library - 12:00pm - 1:00pm
www.healthychaps.weebly.com
Katie Bryant, LCSW [email protected] Kristi Waidhofer, LCSW [email protected]
DATE TOPIC & SPEAKER January
16th “Donut Worry, Be Happy! Nutrition and Diet for Your Life!” Adee Levenstein, RD, LD www.eatingrecoverycenter.com
January 30th
“’I had no clue they were depressed!’ - When Depression is Hidden!” Maren Williams, MA, LPC-S www.marenwilliamspsychotherapy.com
Marie Grey, LPC-S www.therapywithmarie.com February
13th “Not Your Parent’s Marijuana: Raising Our Kids in an Informed Way!”
Jobi Weinstein, MA, LCDC, LPC www.jcounseling.life February
27th “Resiliency: Learning more from getting back up than getting it right the first
time!” Matt Halverson, MA, LPC www.deepeddypsychotherapy.com
March 26th
“Internet Safety for Children and Families!” The Center for Child Protection www.centerforchildprotection.org
April 9th
“Talking with Children about Personal Body Safety/Safety from Sexual Abuse!”
The Center for Child Protection www.centerforchildprotection.org May 7th
“Life Transitions: How to Handle the Evolving Adolescent Brain!” Peter Craig, LPC-I www.austinprofessionalcounseling.com
Stay up-to-date with future Chaparral Band performances and all EISD Fine Arts performances by checking the Fine Arts Department website— www.eanesisd.net/dept/finearts
Chaps take State!
On December 21st, the Chap Band & Hyline performed their last halftime show of 2019 at the 6A Division II Football State Championships, cheering as the Chaps took the state title for the second time in school history! Congratulations to the football players, coaches, and staff for this achievement! Go Chaps!!
For the Elite Visual Ensemble (EVE), Winter Guard season is now in full swing! This year our Cadet Guard, made up of middle school students from both HCMS and WRMS, had tripled in size to 18 students. These students will compete against other middle school groups in three contests throughout the season.
The Varsity and Junior Varsity guards will compete against 150 other groups at the 2020 Winter Guard International World Championships in Dayton Ohio on Wednesday, April 15th. Show your support at their first local contest of the season on January 26th at Westwood High School!
Stay up-to-date with future Chaparral Band performances and all EISD Fine Arts performances by checking the Fine Arts Department website— www.eanesisd.net/dept/finearts
Through an auditioned process, the Westlake Jazz Ensemble has been selected as the ONLY high school jazz ensemble in Texas to perform at the Texas Music Educator’s Association Convention this coming February. We are looking for donations and sponsors for the Westlake Jazz Ensemble as we continue preparations for our big semester this spring! The band has commissioned a new work in honor of this performance AND will be working with amazing educator’s and musicians, including composer Tim Davies, in preparation for the big stage! Your donation, big or small, will help make the 2020 TMEA prep and performance one that our students and Texas Music Educators will never forget!
DONATE HERE: https://westlake-band-parents-inc.snwbll.com/giving-portal
Upcoming Dates:
January 24-25th Region Band Clinic & Concert Cedar Park HS
January 25th Winter Guard Contest Westwood HS
February 1st Winter Guard Contest Canyon HS
February 11th 7:00 pm Winter Band Concert WHS PAC
February 14th 6:30 pm Jazz Ensemble Concert TMEA in San Antonio
February 22nd Winter Guard Contest Lehman HS
Febryary 19th 7:00 pm Full Orchestra Concert WHS PAC
February 27th Jazz Ensemble Concert WHS Recital Hall
Fourth Annual Westlake Theatre PlayFest! If you missed this in the past, don’t miss it this year! Westlake Theatre's Playfest returns: Creative students will work collaboratively to write, cast/audition, rehearse, direct, and ultimately perform a series of short original works ... all in the span of 24 hours! "24 hours, Ms. Yanchak? Are you crazy?" Well. Probably. But likely just crazy enough. The students are undertaking this extremely ambitious – and tiring – endeavor to raise funds for theatre-related expenses throughout the rest of this year and into the next year. You can help by making a donation at our PlayFest GoFundMe site: https://www.gofundme.com/f/4th-annual-westlake-theatre-playfest And come to see the shows! The performance is at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18, at the Black Box Theatre at Westlake High School. More information, including directions, parking information and more is available on the Westlake Theatre Department website: https://www.westlaketheatre.net/ Westlake Improv Troupe: Many Laughs, Guest Performers The Westlake Improv Troupe – WIT – put on an outstanding show Dec. 6. Along with hilarious improv, the December show also featured guest performances: • Hill Country Middle School students
with the Hill Country Players performed an original play showing how Santa’s reindeer could work together to overcome any obstacle.
• Westlake High School students shared their own poetry in the “poetry slam.”
Mark Your Calendars! Mark your calendars now for the preview performance of Westlake Theatre’s UIL One Act Play show: “She Kills Monsters.” The preview will be at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 28, in the Westlake High School Performing Arts Center.
Four Easy Ways You Can Support Westlake Theatre Here are four easy ways you can support the kids of Westlake Theatre! 1. Give through our Booster Club GoFundMe link! Just want to support the kids, period?
You can donate to the Booster Club. The Booster Club provides volunteer and financial support for the theatre kids in all sorts of ways – from covering the costs of a stage combat instructor to providing meals during the week of performances to helping them travel overseas to perform. We appreciate your help! GoFundMe link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/westlake-high-theatre-booster-club
2. Shop at AmazonSmile and support Westlake Theatre. This is an easy way to support our kids all year long through everyday purchases at Amazon. Just sign in at smile.amazon.com and select “Westlake High Theatre Booster Club” as the charity you would like to support. AmazonSmile link: https://smile.amazon.com/ch/83-2505777
3. Shop at FlipGive and support Westlake Theatre. Join the Westlake Theatre FlipGive team, and you can support our kids with your purchases on everything from gift cards to fashion to groceries! Remember to use FlipGive before you shop so we'll earn cash back. Join our FlipGive team now using our invite code 72KF4M in one of two ways: Download the FlipGive app at https://www.flipgive.com/app?joincode=72KF4M, or join online at https://www.flipgive.com/teams/join?fundraiser_name=Westlake+High+Theatre+Booster+Club&joincode=72KF4M
4. Shop at iGive.com and support Westlake Theatre. This is yet another way you can support the kids as you shop! Just click the link below to get started! iGive link: https://www.iGive.com/7zciE1
WHS DANCE DEPARTMENT NEWS FOR JANUARY
DANCE NEWS
N Hyline added 17 new members!
New News: Isabel Alin, Baily Bartley, Haley Bordas, Anneliese Crowley, Jacobe Davis, Alex Dito, Sydney Evans, Kaely Hoskins, Anne-Sophie Kaufman, Brittany McKenzie, Cate
Melton, Caroline Moore, Penelope Nelson, Rose Ray, Monica Rosso, Cammy Rutley-Kreis, Sofia Smith
Star Steppers added 7 new members!
New Star Steppers: Lily Beasley, Elise Cox, Karli Kaspar, Kaelin Kroger, Tiffany Samra, Joelle Sellers, Adelle Yong
CONGRATULATIONS TO HYLINE AND STAR STEPPERS
NEW MEMBERS!
Hyline toured the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders locker room!
Congrats to Westlake Football!
State ChaMps!
WESTLAKE RUGBY NEWS
Spring Registration Now Open! We are still taking registrations.
Please see below to receive information.
Practices Monday and Wednesday 6-8. Sundays (January only 1-3pm)
Matches begin in February
Westlake High School Rugby Club is proud to be in our 11th season of competitive boys’ high school rugby in Texas. If
you are a Westlake High School student athlete and are interested in playing for our club and being a part of the
Westlake winning rugby tradition, please fill out the “Contact Us” form on our website below to receive
registration information.
www.chapsrugby.com
OR
Contact: [email protected]
Here is just a sampling of what is happening in November and December at Westbank and Laura’s Libraries. Please check the website for detailed information including programs on hiatus due to closures. HOLIDAY CLOSURES Both Westbank and Laura’s Library will be closed Monday, January 21 in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day. SENIOR LIVING TRUTH: THE TRUTH ABOUT DE-CLUTTERING YOUR HOME JANUARY 21 | 10:30AM-NOON | LAURA’S LIBRARY Did you know that physical clutter can also cause psychological clutter? Psychological clutter is known to create depression, anxiety, and even physical illness and disease. Our panel of experts will discuss both the emotional and physical aspects of decluttering and will provide practical strategies for de-cluttering your home.
CODING WITH SCRATCH JANUARY 21 | 5PM | LAURA’S LIBRARY FEBRUARY 4 | 5PM | LAURA’S LIBRARY Join us as we collaborate and explore the possibilities of Scratch and Scratch Jr. We will have a few computers and tablets available and some optional projects to learn Scratch coding basics. We encourage you to bring your own device to start creating with Scratch!
ARCADE JANUARY 28 | 4-7PM | LAURA’S LIBRARY Come join us for our monthly video game meet-up! We’ll have current and retro gaming consoles to play…
• Mario Kart 8 Deluxe • Super Mario Party • Rocket League • Street Fighter 5 Arcade Edition • Fortnite • Just Dance • Little Big Planet 3 and more!
Feel free to bring your own gaming device. All ages.
LIBRARY HOURS: Monday - Thursday: 10 am - 7 pm Friday - Sunday: 11 am - 5 pm
Call Us: 512.327.3045 Text Us: 512-649-2247 Email us: [email protected]
YOUNG ADULT BOOK CLUB FEBRUARY 6 | 4:45PM | LAURA’S LIBRARY Teen-facilitated young adult book club for fans of young adult (YA) literature. Please note, some books contain mature content. On February 6, the group will be discussing Meet Cute by various authors. FOR PARENTS:
WHS PRESENTS: DONUT WORRY, BE HAPPY – NUTRITION AND DIET FOR YOUR LIFE JANUARY 16 | NOON | WESTBANK LIBRARY Westlake High School hosts a year-long speaker series for parents focused on popular topics such as study skills, managing stress and anxiety, and tools for healthy parent/child relationships. This series is presented at Westbank Library. All families are welcome. This week, Adee Levenstein, RD, LD, presents Donut Worry, Be Happy: Nutrition and Diet for Your Life. Learn more at www.eatingrecoverycenter.com.
EISD SPEAKER SERIES: NO MORE THREATS AND BRIBES JANUARY 23 | NOON | LAURA’S LIBRARY Out of desperation, many parents resort to using threats or bribes to get children to behave. Unfortunately, these tactics can backfire in frustrating ways. Setting consequences can be used as a positive tool for teaching control, responsibility, problem-solving, and cooperation, and it can be a big part of parenting effectively. Presented by Claire Flynn, M.Ed. and Jennie Flynn Buckley, M.A.T. WHS PRESENTS: “I HAD NO CLUE THEY WERE DEPRESSED” – WHEN DEPRESSION IS HIDDEN JANUARY 30 | NOON | WESTBANK LIBRARY Westlake High School hosts a year-long speaker series for parents focused on popular topics such as study skills, managing stress and anxiety, and tools for healthy parent/child relationships. This series is presented at Westbank Library. All families are welcome. This week, Maren Williams, MA, LPC-S, and Marie Grey, LPC-S, present “I had no clue they were depressed”—When Depression is Hidden. Learn more at www.marenwilliamspsychotherapy.com and www.therapywithmarie.com.
EDUCATION CONVERSATIONS BOOK CLUB JANUARY 30 | 6PM | LAURA’S LIBRARY Westbank Libraries’ Education Conversations touches upon topics in education, with an emphasis on the psychology that should inform how we approach education. Participants engage in lively discussions on the topic, and we encourage educators and parents to attend to offer multiple perspectives and voices. The group is facilitated by Antonio Buehler, founder of Abrome. This month they will discuss The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King. “OUTSIDE OF THE BOX” CHILDREN: THE VISION AND LEARNING CONNECTION FEBRUARY 5 | 10:30AM-NOON | LAURA’S LIBRARY How many times do we describe ourselves or our kids as “visual learners”? But did you know that 20/20 vision doesn’t guarantee an effective visual system? Today’s talk will explore vision therapy, a practice that focuses on the functional side of vision, such as visual processing, eye teaming, and eye tracking and focusing skills. Presented by Ashley Coley, COVT, a Certified Optometric Vision Therapist and the director of vision therapy and outreach for the Optometry Center for Vision Therapy
THANK YOU Mama Fu’s Asian House
for your support of the WHS community! Mama Fu’s will be generously donating food items to our
PTO January Teacher Appreciation event!
*** Please SHOP$$ LOCAL and support all the wonderful Westlake Businesses that support the Eanes ISD Community !
Do you own a business in Westlake? We'd love to feature you as a Community Partner. For your sponsorship you will receive:
• A “sponsor” feature article 1x/year in the parent newsletter • Logo displayed on large banners in the WHS Stadium and Main Gym seen by an estimated 50,000 fans per year • Logo displayed on WHS PTO website (www.whspto.net) • “Banner” headline promotion for one month/year on WHS PTO website • Sponsorship decal/certificate for display at your place of business
Please contact Tish McKernan at [email protected]
