Happy Fall to everyone! We hope everyone has had a chance to see our beautiful new building. It is sure to enhance the learning experience of our students.
WHS Fall Sports – Sports season is in full swing, and the WHS PTSA would like to congratulate all of our teams for their fine performances.
WHS Ribbon Cutting/Time Capsule
–
A very special thank you to everyone who attended Ribbon
Cutting and Time Capsule dedication of our new building on September 21 and 22. Thanks also to
Kathy Miller and Noreen Prescott, our Social Committee Chairs, for providing the water bottles to all who attended. Below is a photo of our water table at the Ribbon Cutting.
Membership Drive and Fundraiser
– It’s not too late to join!
Please consider showing your support by joining the PTSA and participating in our Fall Fundraiser .
As of September 24, we have received only
279 parent/student memberships and 25 staff memberships. These numbers are down by about 100 memberships compared to this time last year. Also, as of September 24, our fundraising totals
$5,815, compared to $6,945 at the same date last year. The reduced numbers may be partly explained by the late start to the school year. Please get your memberships and fundraiser contributions in to the main office as soon as possible. We use these funds to provide Staff Grants, scholarships for graduating seniors and to defray the costs of many events, such as the Back to
School lunch, Diversity Week, Prom Assembly and many other events.
A big thank you to Karen
Freeman for doing such a great job as Membership/Fundraising Chair for the past four years!

Homecoming Dance – A big thanks to Lizz Morley, Mary Essig and Karen Jones for organizing and working at the Homecoming Dance again this year. With a new venue, we needed more volunteers than previous years and became concerned that we would not have sufficient help. We are grateful that the following parents answered the call for volunteers that evening: Melisa Yeoman, Angela
Wanhainen, John Wanhainen, Sandy Nemeth, Susan Warner, Carol Lindholm, Jamie Coleman,
Nanci Coleman, Kathy Miller, Geoff Levenberg, Camille Nordwig, Jan Schmitt, Marija Jamsek, Sherry
Wesley, Jackie Potter, and Linda Wolfe . We couldn't have served all of the drinks, managed the coat/belonging check and supervised the outdoor "patio" and inside table area without all of their help. The students greatly appreciated our services, as evidenced by the numerous students who said "Thank you .”
Student Directory – To keep the costs manageable, Student Directories will be made available online this year. PTSA members will receive complementary hard copies at their home address. Those parents who wish to opt-out of the online and paper publication of their contact information must complete the Opt-Out form by October 18 . The Opt-out Form is included later in this issue of the
Communicator and will also be mailed to every home. The directories are a nice way to connect your family with other Westlake families.
Staff Grants – Becky Moldaver and Lisa Hawkins are in charge of th is year’s Staff Grants program at
WHS. The fall application submission deadline is October 31, 2013. All staff submitting applications must be a PTSA member by that date. There are two rounds of grants per year, and approval is done by a committee using a formal rubric. Notification of first-round awards will be given on November 21.
PTA Meetings - Please join us for our next PTSA meeting on Tuesday, October 22 at 7:30p.m. in the
WHS Library. We will have a “Meet the Candidate” session where candidates for the Westlake City
Schools Board of Education will make short presentations to the PTSA members. These meetings are a great opportunity to stay connected to WHS and find out what is going on. Hope to see you there!
Thanks for your support of the PTSA!
Therese Squeri
WHS PTSA President t.squeri@wowway.com

October 2013
From your Guidance Department : Counselors - Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Campo, Mrs. Pontikos, Ms.Jerome.
Secretary - Mrs. Frazier. Phone # 440-835-6375.
Web Site: www.wlake.org
IMPORTANT DATES
October 7
October 10
October 3
October 16
October 18
October 28- Nov 1
November 8
November 8
November 15
December 5
December 6
Greater Cleveland College Fair @ Baldwin-Wallace College, Lou Higgins
Recreation Center
Lorain County College Fair @ LCCC Ewing Activities Center
Deadline to register for the November 2 nd
SAT
PLAN/PSAT
Deadline to request a transcript for college or scholarship applications with
11/1 deadline
OGT for Juniors and Seniors
Deadline to register for the December 14 th
ACT
Deadline to register for the 12/7 SAT
Deadline to request a transcript for a college or scholarship applications with a 12/1 deadline.
Financial Aid Workshop
Deadline to request a transcript for a college or scholarship application needing mailed before winter break.
6:30 -8:00 PM
6:00-7:30 PM
WHS PAC – 7PM
GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
Guidance Department Web Site: The Guidance Department maintains a web site that includes many areas that are helpful and informative. There is information on College Planning, Testing, Scholarships and Study Skills. The web site can be found by going to the district web page at www.wlake.org
., then high school, then guidance.
Naviance Family Connections: This is a web-based program for college & career planning. Seniors should plan to use Naviance on a regular basis. This should include maintaining a list of colleges of interest, checking when colleges will visit WHS, completing the
FERPA waiver if applying to Common Application schools, and checking for scholarships. There is a direct link to Naviance Family
Connections from the guidance web page at www.wlake.org
.
Homework Requests: Since teachers are able to post homework requests online on Progress Book, the guidance office will no longer secure homework for a student who is absent.
Selective Service: Every young man must register with the selective service within one month of his eighteenth birthday. This can be done in the Guidance Office or at the nearest post office. Registering is also required to obtain federal student aid, job training, and federal employment. Students may register online at www.sss.gov
.
Academic Difficulties: Questions regarding a student’s academic progress should first be directed to the classroom teacher. Parents can monitor their student’s academic performance on Progress Book. All teachers have email and voicemail; these numbers can be found on the district web site or by calling the main office at 835-6352.

INFORMATION FOR SENIORS
Graduation Requirements: It is the student’s responsibility to see that requirements for graduation are met. The high school will make every effort to keep up to date records and to keep students and parents informed about the status of progress toward compiling the necessary course work for graduation. Specific graduation requirements can be found in the Program of Studies.
NCAA: Students planning to participate in Division 1 or 2 athletics in college need to complete the NCAA form. This form is available online at www.eligibilitycenter.org
. After completing the online form, students need to download a page for the Guidance
Office and complete the Student Record Release Form. Bring these two documents to Mrs. Frazier in the Guidance Office to have your transcript sent to the Clearinghouse.
College Applications: Applying to college is considered a fall activity. Students have received a folder outlining the application process at WHS. Students and parents should become familiar with the contents of this folder. Students should try to have their applications done prior to Thanksgiving break.
Transcript request deadline: In the next few months the counselors will process over twelve hundred college and scholarship applications. We ask that students and parents follow our procedure for processing requests for transcripts. The Records Release
Form (available in the Guidance Office or on the web site) must be completed and turned into the student’s counselor 10 days before any deadline. This allows the counselor time to complete any required forms and write letters of recommendation if required. Student must submit the application to the college prior to requesting a transcript.
Scholarship and financial aid information is also available on Naviance Family Connections. Students and parents should check the information regularly. Read the criteria and adhere to the application process and deadlines. Also, check with parent’s employers, church and civic groups and the colleges to which you are applying, for scholarships they may offer. There are numerous local scholarships, which become available in late February.
COLLEGE PLANNING for Juniors and Seniors
College Representative Visits to WHS: Every fall colleges throughout the country visit WHS to meet with students. Students in grades 11 and 12 are welcome to attend these sessions. Students must sign up in the Guidance Office prior to the visit and receive a pass. Students must present this pass to their classroom teacher and receive permission from their teacher to attend.
Representative visits are posted on Naviance Family Connections and announced on the PA.
College Visitation: Juniors and seniors are permitted three school days to visit colleges. To implement this please see the planned absence policy in the student handbook.

Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held on September 25 and October 10, 2013 between 5:30 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.
th
th
Appointments can only be made on line through Sign-Up Genius.
DIRECTIONS
1.
Visit website at: http://www.signupgenius.com/index.cfm
2.
Click on Login . First time users need to create an account.
3.
Enter your ID and password.
4.
Click on Find a Sign up
5.
In the box, enter: Dunnm@wlake.org
and click Search
6.
Click on Parent-Teacher Conference September 25 or October 10
7.
Find teacher name under the title Location
8.
Click Sign Up by desired time slot for the teacher you wish to meet
9.
Enter your student’s full name in the Comment box
10.
Click on Sign Up
11.
Repeat steps 6-9 for each teacher you would like to see

New this year, the PTSA will provide information on accessing an on-line version of the WHS Student
Directory to all WHS families. A complimentary hard copy will be provided to all PTSA members. Information included in the directory regarding each student is as follows:
Student’s Name, Student’s Grade, Student’s Address, Student’s Home Phone Number, and Student’s
Parent or Guardian’s Name(s)
If your family would like any (or all) of the above student information pertaining to your child excluded from this year’s 2013-2014 WHS Student Directory, please e-mail your request to:
WHSPTA@wlake.org
Indicate the name and grade of the child and the information that is to be excluded. In addition, please include the parent/guardian’s name and phone number. You will receive a confirmation e-mail that your request has been received.
All requests for omissions must be received by October 18, 2013.
Thank You,
The PTSA Directory Committee

Athletic Department
Follow Westlake Demon Athletics
In an effort to bring you athletic news more quickly, we have decided to discontinue the weekly athletic report You can get updates on our twitter account @demonathletics or on our facebook page Westlake Demon Athletics! We post rescheduled games, practice information, results, etc
. Thanks for your support of Demon Athletics!
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Fall Sports Banquet Dates
Tuesday, November 12 – Cross Country, Golf & Volleyball
Wednesday, November 13 – Girls Tennis & Soccer
Tuesday, November 19 – Football & Cheerleading
All banquets are scheduled to begin at 6:00 PM at Westlake High School.
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Westlake Demons Club Fundraiser
Show your Demon Pride and win a new ride!
Win this 2013 Chevy Spark
In cooperation with Pat O’Brien Chevrolet in Westlake.
Tickets are $20 each. The first prize winner can choose the new car or $10,000. Second and third prizes are $1,000 and $500 respectively. The winning tickets will be drawn at a boys varsity basketball game this upcoming season.
Visit www.westlakedemonsclub.com
for further rules and information regarding this fundraiser.
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Sports Physicals and Required Forms
OHSAA Guidelines prohibit a student from participating on any athletic team without the appropriate paperwork being up-to-date and on file in the athletic office. All forms need to be current prior to your child trying out for any athletic team. The forms that are needed are:
 OHSAA Pre-participation Physical Evaluation
 OHSAA Authorization Form
 OHSAA Eligibility and Authorization Statement
 Westlake City School District Athletic Medical Waiver (Please note: Westlake Board of Education
Policies state that insurance is required for all students who participate in secondary (interscholastic) school athletic programs.)
 Westlake City School District Emergency Medical Form
Please begin planning now for winter sports by making sure your child’s forms are current and on file.
Forms can be printed from the Athletic Department webpage.
--------------------------------------------------------------

Athletic Eligibility and GPA
Below are the guidelines from both the OHSAA and the Westlake Board of Education, students must follow to maintain their eligibility. All requirements must be met. (Students enrolled in post secondary options will need to check with the athletic office for their specific eligibility requirements).
1.
Students must be enrolled in and must pass at least 5 one credit courses or the equivalent of 5 one credit courses which count toward graduation each quarter. For example; a one-credit hour course would show a credit value of .5 on your student’s report card as the value is calculated per semester. Please note PE 9 and PE 10 hold a value of .25 credit hours and would not meet this criteria. Five other courses would be required in any semester your student is taking PE 9 or PE 10 (PE 11 and 12 are .5 credit classes).
2.
Students must earn a minimum GPA of 1.50
for the quarter. The quarterly marking period grade is checked for that quarter at the end of the quarter. A student would remain either eligible or ineligible until the grades are released for the next grading period. There is not an interim check of the student’s GPA.
3.
Remember-Summer School credit cannot be used to substitute for failing grades from the preceding grading period of the regular school year.
The Powerschool Parent Portal can be a great tool for those students who are concerned with meeting the 1.50 GPA requirement. As grades are posted in Powerschool, you can help your student keep track of their quarterly GPA by using the following scale to calculate an approximate GPA.
Course
Grade
(General
Courses)
GPA
Point
Value
A+
A
A-
B+
B
B-
C+
C
C-
D+
D
D-
F
4.33
4.0
3.67
3.33
3.0
2.67
2.33
2.0
1.67
1.33
1.0
.67
0.0
Please remember that these are just a few quick highlights of the athletic eligibility standards. For full eligibility criteria you would need to refer to the OHSAA Rules and Westlake City School District policies.
--------------------------------------------------------------
Please contact the athletic office at 440-835-6354 with questions on any of these items.

It is never too early to start thinking about your future! Consider shadowing someone in a career that appeals to you. Whether you are hoping to go to college, trade school, the military or the workforce, your shadowing experience may confirm your interest, or you may end up saying “what was I thinking?” Better to find out now before you waste precious time and money going down a path that is not right for you. Come to the Attendance Office to pick up a job shadowing Application today.
Westlake High Career Development has a great shadowing program and we can only get better with your help! If you are in a career that you are willing to share with a student, please email Kate Hoegner at hoegner@wlake.org
. Please indicate your name, the company you work for, your career area and a phone number where you can be reached.
See what NEONI has to offer. Juniors and seniors can spend a day with healthcare providers in areas such as nursing, radiology, respiratory therapy, pharmacy, physical therapy, occupational therapy and/or laboratory medicine. You must have a solid academic performance, particularly in math and science. Spots fill up quickly for this popular program.
Come to the Attendance Office and ask for Career Shadowing to learn more about this program.