October 2016

PRINCIPAL’S COMMENTS The first four weeks of the school year have moved right along, and we are now at mid-quarter for 1st quarter. Mid-term academic scores will be posted for all classes by October 11th. Please continue to monitor your student’s grades and attendance through Infinite Cam-pus. Our first set of Parent Teacher confer-ences will be Monday, October 17th and Monday, October 24th. Conference times for

both nights are 4:00 pm – 7:30 pm. Please mark these dates on your calendar and make plans to come to WHS to visit with your child’s teachers. All of our fall activities are in full swing and students have shown outstanding support for each other as we cheer on the Warriors. It is important to encourage your child to be actively involved academically and in activities so that they can get the most from their high school education. Data collected at Washington High School shows that students who are involved in activities miss fewer days of school and have a higher GPA. Washington offers over 60 different clubs, sports, and activities for students to be involved in. For more information regarding the many activities that WHS has to offer, student’s may visit with their counselor as they will be able to assist them in selecting an activity that meets their interests. Thank you to all of our parents/guardians for your time and support of activities at Washington High School. Homecoming ~ Orange Letter Days 2016 Congratulations to Homecoming Queen Amy Walker and Home-coming King Josh Garry along with all of Washington High School. Throughout the first month of school many students have demonstrated their school spirit and Warrior Pride. I look forward to that continuing to grow throughout the school year. As always, it is a great day to be a Warrior. Dan Conrad Principal Go Warriors!

VOL. 39—NO. 3 WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL - 501 N. SYCAMORE AVE. – SIOUX FALLS, SD 57110-5752 (605) 367-7970

MISSION STATEMENT: TO DEVELOP LIFELONG LEARNERS TO SUCCEED IN A CHANGING WORLD. http://www.sf.k12.sd.us/high/washington

Learning Never Stops By Dr. Brian Maher, Superintendent

Welcome back to what I’m certain will be another exciting year in the Sioux Falls School District! By now, I hope you and your student(s) have developed a routine that includes a healthy breakfast, a priority on school attendance, nightly reading and just the right amount of rest.

It’s been said that play is a child’s work. This summer, I’m pleased to say we introduced a good balance of both in a new program called Summer Climb. The focus of the 8-week Summer Climb experience is to increase reading and math scores among students who struggle. A small group of children in Kindergarten through third grade in three schools – nearly 200 students - were given the opportunity to spend their summer learning. And, learning they did! Summer Climb students at Haw-thorne, Hayward and Laura B. Anderson Elementary Schools built and launched rockets to sharpen their science and math skills. They wrote stories and attended play performances in the park. They went on field trips and experienced nature, first-hand. Some of the District’s top teachers guided their learning and created an unforgettable summer in an effort to boost student achievement. We’ll be tracking Summer Climb students through-out the year to see if the extra classroom time had a positive im-pact. And, as soon as we have results from our youngest learn-ers, we’ll be sure to share the news.

Summer break rarely means quiet halls in the high schools. Between sports practices, marching band rehearsals, Driver’s Education and other community events, there is plenty to squeeze in to the months of June, July and August. In addition to these extracurricular activities, I’m pleased to tell you about how our more veteran students focused on academics through the summer, as well.

High school students who were close to completing their coursework on the last day of school, but just needed a little extra time, found that opportunity at each of our high schools this year. Teachers stayed overtime to guide students toward completing assignments and taking tests to keep them on pace for gradua-tion. More than 450 motivated students spent part of their sum-mer taking courses to get ahead on credits. It is admirable that so many students value their education over their vacation.

As you can see, the Sioux Falls School District is serious about this business of educating students. We’ve adjusted what you might consider to be the traditional school year to meet the needs of today’s learners. We are excited to see how these ef-forts benefits students – and in turn, benefit our community - in the months and years to come.

Want to have fun, meet new people and give back to your community? Then SALSA is the place for you! The Serve and Learn

Student Associa on (SALSA) connects high school students with volunteering through our monthly mee ngs, service projects,

and weekly emails. New par cipants are always welcome to join our group that has the poten al to change your life! Come and

check us out at these upcoming mee ngs:

• Thursday, October 6th @ 3:15pm in the Orchestra Room

• Thursday, November 3rd @ 3:15pm in the Orchestra Room

At SALSA mee ng, students who are members of our club have the opportunity to sign up for our October SALSA Wide Events:

SPOOKY SCIENCE AT THE WASHINGTON PAVILION

Date: Saturday, October 15th from 1:15pm to 4:45pm

Loca�on: Washington Pavilion, 301 S Main Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Spooky Science is an annual fun, non-scary, family-friendly event hosted by the Kirby Science Discovery Center at the Washing-

ton Pavilion. Spooky Science favorites will return, including edible bugs, the “Slime-A-Tron,” free candy, and the bubble house.

SALSA members can sign up to volunteer at this this event at the SALSA mee ngs in September and October.

FALL FEST

Date: Sunday, October 23rd from 2pm to 4pm

Loca�on: Sanford Wellness Center, 4201 S. Oxbow, Sioux Falls, SD 57106

Help children with carnival games and face pain ng.

KID’S HALLOWEEN PARTY

Date: Thursday, October 27th from 5pm to 8pm

Loca�on: Museum of Visual Materials, 500 N. Main Ave., Sioux Falls, SD 57104

Enjoy some Halloween fun at this family friendly party with cra@s, DIY spooky photo booth and games. Admission is a nonperish-

able food item for the St. Francis House. Volunteers will help kids create cra@s, play games, hand out candy and clean up a@er

the party.

Become a part of the graduation celebration planning! Volunteers are needed on all committees. (BB Tournament, Concessions, Fundraising, Decorations, Food, Games, Grand March,

Halftime Shootouts, 50/50 Raffle, Prizes, Security, T-shirts, Tickets & Bags).

Mark your calendars! Monthly planning meetings will be held the 3rd Monday of the month.

11/21, 12/19, 1/16, 2/20, 3/20, 4/17, and 5/15. All are welcome!

50/50 Raffle Tickets will be sold at the football games on Thursday, October 1st vs. Pierre at 6pm and

Friday October 16th vs. RC Stevens at 5pm. We are looking for volunteers for both games to help sell

tickets beginning one hour prior to kickoff. Contact Renae Berke berke007@msn.com for details!

Attention Senior Parents!! The next meeting for the 2016 Senior Class Activity Night will be held on

Monday, October 17th at 7pm in the WHS Library.

2016 Steering Committee Chairs:

Pam Green pgreen511@icloud.com Allie Alvine allie.alvine@gmail.com

Heather Walker timothywalker@sio.midco.net

The Warrior Zone's October "Deal of the Month"

The October “Deal of the Month” is BOGO! For each

regular price item you purchase, you will receive 25%

off any one additional item of equal or lesser value

(excluding food and drinks). You can view all of the

merchandise that is available in The Warrior Zone

at www.whswarriorzone.weebly.com

Back-to-School Reminders:

If your student has a health condition or needs special care during the school day such as

medication, treatments, or monitoring, please inform the school nurse. Individual health care

plans help keep your students safe and healthy.

If your child will need medicine at school, please contact the school nurse to verify that we

have received the required forms for the new school year. In accordance with SFSD policy, all

prescription medication at school, including inhalers, requires parent/guardian and physi-

cian signatures on a SFSD medication administration form. All medication must be brought

to school in the original container

Thank you for your cooperation in keeping students healthy and safe!

Carrie Clarke, RN WHS School Nurse Carrie.clarke@k12.sd.us

IMPORTANT ACTIVITIES DATES

Mark your calendars for the following im-

portant dates for the 2014-15 school year:

October 17—Financial Aid Night 7:00-8:00

October 17 & 24—Conferences 4:00-7:30

October 21—NO SCHOOL

October 24—Picture Make-up 7:00-1:30

October 24—Inservice -

Early Schedule, 7:30-12:30

October 25, 26, 27—Academic Letter

Days, 2nd period

Students of the Month (February):

12th—Elizabeth Ortega, Carson Cypher 11th—Sierra Nelson, Cameron Martinmaas 10th—Maiya Orstad Brings 9th—Mary Mahon, Blake Anderson Activity Leaders of the Month (January): Newspaper: Maham Shah, Carson Herbert

Competition Dance: Amy Walker, Lauren Zimbeck

Football: Josh Garry, Seth Benson

Boys Cross Country: Topher Zahn, Jonah Nelson

Girls Cross Country: Kaitlyn Fischer, Kelsi Kearney

Girls Tennis: Skylar Close-Smith, Maddie VanderFeen

Link Crew: Abdullah Elkafifi, Ashley Sanchez

CONFERENCESCONFERENCESCONFERENCESCONFERENCES

Monday, October 17, 2016Monday, October 17, 2016Monday, October 17, 2016Monday, October 17, 2016

4:004:004:004:00----7:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.

Monday, October 24, 2016Monday, October 24, 2016Monday, October 24, 2016Monday, October 24, 2016

4:004:004:004:00----7:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.7:30 p.m.

Upper classes in the WHS gymsUpper classes in the WHS gymsUpper classes in the WHS gymsUpper classes in the WHS gyms

9th grade in the Library9th grade in the Library9th grade in the Library9th grade in the Library

Health 101: Important!

Keep Your Children Healthy

NOTICE: The State Department of Health is no longer providing free flu vaccine to schools,

which means the Sioux Falls School District will not be holding flu shot clinics in the middle

and high schools this year. Families should contact their health care provider for the flu vac-

cine.

Seasonal colds, flu and other respiratory illnesses are unwelcome interrup ons to our lives.

Encourage your child to prac ce the following preven on ps:

Avoid close contact with those who are sick. Don’t share food/drinks.

Cover coughs and sneezes. Help keep germs from circula ng-cover your nose with a s-

sue when sneezing and dispose ssues properly. When coughing, cover your mouth

with your arm, not your hand.

Wash your hands periodically with soap and water for 20 seconds. Use hand sani zer

when you’re not near a sink.

Avoid touching your face. Germs are o@en spread when a person touches something that

is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose or mouth.

Get plenty of sleep, be physically ac ve, drink plenty of fluids, manage stress and eat nu-

tri ous foods.

Get a flu vaccine, it’s not too late! Dental Mobile Will Be Here Again!

The Dental Care Mobile will be visi ng WHS during

the week of October 24, 2016. The Dental Mobile is

designed for students who do not have a dental home

and have not seen a den st for two years or longer,

OR cannot afford to go to the den st. All of the den-

tal care provided is free! It will be a great experience

for students to see a den st, dental hygienist and

receive good dental care free of charge.

In order to receive the services an adult must com-

plete a pre-registra on/permission form for each

student that wishes to par cipate. Please call WHS

and ask for Student Services at # 367-7970 to request

a form to be sent home, or tell your student to stop

by Student Services to pick up a form. We will have a

limited number of appointments, so it is first come,

first serve.

Good dental health is important to be successful in

school. Please consider having your child seen to as-

sure good dental health for your child.

Thank you so much!

Carrie Clarke, RN

WHS School Nurse

2016-2017 WHS PTSA MEMBERSHIP REGISTRATION FORM

____ Family Membership - $25.00 (up to 4 members) ____ Individual Membership - $10.00 each

____ Student membership - $5.00 each ____ WHS Staff membership - $6.00 each

$_____ Dona on to be used for WHS PTSA projects

Member Informa�on:

Last Name(s): ________________________________________ First Name(s): _________________

Last Name(s): ________________________________________ First Name(s): _________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

(street) (city, state, and zip)

Phone number(s): _________________________________________________________________

Email address: _____________________________________________________________________

Student informa on – (name and grade for each student): ____________________________________

NEW THIS YEAR – Your 2016-2017 PTSA Membership card will be emailed to you at the email provided.

WashingtonHighSchoolPTSA

(@WHSPTSASiouxFallsSD)

WHS PTSA Volunteer Opportuni�es:

(Please check any opportuni�es that you may be interested in; you will receive an email regarding opportuni�es that are

available & you can decide if you are able to par�cipate at that �me).

_______ Receive an Email reminder for the six WHS PTSA Mee ngs this school year

(Sept, Oct, Nov, March, April, May)

_______ Dona ng treats or food items for a PTSA sponsored event.

_______ Homecoming (September) – food servers & outdoor supervision.

_______ PTA booth membership sales – during conferences & Warrior Days.

_______ Concessions sales (two to three opportuni es per year)

_______Receiving more informa on about the PTA Reflec ons Arts Program at WHS -

____ *Opportuni es for Students to compete in several art categories (fall):

Photography, Visual Arts, Dance, Film Produc on, Literature, Music Composi on.

____ *Opportuni es for Staff/Teachers to judge art work (November/December).

____ *Opportuni es for Staff/Teachers to promote the program at WHS (fall).

Please mail or deliver registra�on form and membership dues to:

WHS PTSA, c/o WHS, 501 N Sycamore Ave, Sioux Falls, SD 57110

ASK About feelings, thoughts

LISTEN To what is really said

INFORM An adult about concerns

For 24 hour help call: HELPline 211 or 334-6646

(outside Sioux Falls 339-4357)

CRIME STOPPERS SIOUX FALLS CRIME STOPPERS 367-7007

TOLL FREE 1-877-367-7007 On line at www.crimestopperssiouxempire.com Or text to: Crimes (274637) include TIP635 at the

beginning of your text tip WHS CRIME STOPPERS

HOT LINE 367-7970 MAILBOX 2498

“The City Of Sioux Falls does not allow the use of to-

bacco products on City-owned playgrounds or at facili-

ties where youth activities (under 18 years old) take

place. (Baseball, basketball, football, hockey, ice rinks,

skateboard, soccer, softball, tennis, etc.) You will see

this sign posted at the locations where this policy ap-

plies. Please help educate family and friends of the new

policy which is currently in effect. ”