WESTLAKE
HIGH SCHOOL
COMMUNICATOR
MARCH 2014
ISSUE
Westlake High School PTSA
Now that March is here, we are hopeful that Spring may be just around the corner. Many events are
happening at the High School, and we are excited as a PTSA to part of these activities.
March Events
Mar 3- Applications for local scholarships for Seniors available on the Guidance Dept web page
Mar 10-14- OGT Week
Mar 13- PSEOP Guidance Info, 7:00 PAC
Mar 14- Prom Assembly, 9:00AM PAC
Mar 14 -Dollars for Scholars Basketball Game, Doors open at 6:00pm, Game at 7:00pm, WHS Gym
Mar 15 – Green and White Revue, 7:00pm
Mar 16 – Green and White Revue, 2:00pm
Mar 18 – Wellness Day 10:20-1:30 – Speakers and Wellness Fair for WHS Students
rd
Mar 18 -PTSA Meeting (3 Tuesday), 7:30pm
Mar 24-28 -Spring Break
April Events
rd
April 11- End of 3 Grading Period
April 11, 12- WHS Musical Performance, 7:00pm, PAC
April 13 – WHS Musical Performance, 2:00pm, PAC
April 18- No School, Good Friday
April 22- WHS PTSA Meeting, 7:30
April 25- Spring Fling Dance, 7:00pm
April 29 – Kiwanis Salute to Excellence, 7:30pm
Founder’s Day – Congratulations to Marsha Frazier,
recipient of the 2014 PTSA Founder’s Day Achievement
Award. Marsha is the Secretary to all four guidance
counselors. While many parents may not have heard of
Marsha, she is the direct connection for any
correspondence between students and the outside world.
She is the “registrar” for all incoming students and all
withdrawing students. She is the contact/coordinator for all
colleges that visit with our Seniors. She handles all
transcripts to colleges for new and old graduates. She
gathers, assembles and coordinates material from local
groups for Senior scholarship applications. She plans and
coordinates: the Senior Awards assembly (day), Senior
Awards Night, and other assemblies. Truly, Marsha’s
dedication and service to our schools, children and
community over the last 30 years is to be commended.
Congratulations also to Cris Kennedy, recipient of PTA
Council’s Helping Hands Award, and Mark Bregar, recipient
of the PTA Council’s Outstanding District Educator Award.
Thank you to Rita Matzinger and Karen Jones of the PTSA
for coordinating this wonderful event for the WHS PTSA.
Prom Assembly – The Senior Prom Assembly is coming on March 14, starting at 9:00AM. Susan Pesta
and Kelly Baddour, co-chairs, have been busy organizing this event. The Prom Assembly is an annual
event for Seniors that reinforces the importance of safe, responsible behavior during prom and graduation
season and also mixes in a little fun. Twelve senior boys and twelve senior girls will model prom outfits
from Mademoiselle at the Promenade and tuxedos from American Commodore-Great Northern Mall. We
would also like to recognize committee members Chris Sutcliffe, Lisa Murthy, Angela Wanhainen, Megan
Smith, Bernadette Kronz, Beth Malloy and Andrea Rocco for their contributions that will make this year’s
Prom Assembly such a highlight!
Dollars For Scholars Basketball Game – You won’t want to miss this annual Staff v. Seniors Basketball
Game on Friday, March 14! Doors open at 6:00 and the game starts at 7:00. Pizza, donated by Romeo’s
Pizza, and other food items will be available for purchase. A silent auction, chinese raffle, face painting,
and free throw contest are sure to make the evening a family friendly event. All proceeds fund
scholarships for graduating seniors.
Green & White Revue – Mark your calendars! The annual Green and White Revue is scheduled for
March 15 at 7:00pm and a matinee on March 16 at 2:00pm at the Westlake Performing Arts Center. This
annual talent show is a wonderful opportunity to allow students in the District to showcase their talents on
our beautiful stage. Over 30 acts will be presented by students from almost every school building
throughout the District. Seniors Allyson Pesta, Evie Kennedy and Joe Knurek will be our Masters of
Ceremony for the show. The tickets are only $8 available at the door, and the proceeds help fund various
programs sponsored by the WHS PTSA. If you would like to volunteer to help for that weekend or have
questions, please see www.greenandwhiterevue.com.
Wellness Day- Our PTSA helps fund Wellness Day on March 18. Speakers are brought in to give ageappropriate presentations on health and wellness. In addition, a Wellness Fair is presented in the
Auxiliary Gym where almost 30 venders will provide info about nutrition, fitness, emotional wellness,
safety, healthy choices, etc. There also will be food samples, fitness demonstrations, tattoo/piercing
education, cardiac health, and much more health info. Thanks to Bernadette Kronz for helping to make
this event happen.
Staff Grants – The PTSA had originally scheduled two round of grants for those staff members who
submitted applications. In light of the late start of the school year and the upcoming budget cuts, only one
round will be awarded, but at an increased amount. We will award the grants in consultation with Mr.
Freeman, so that awards are given to programs that will continue next year. A special thank you to Becky
Moldaver, and Lisa Hawkins and their very talented team of parents who have reviewed Staff Grant
Applications and coordinated the awards.
Next PTSA Meeting – Please join us for our next PTSA meeting on Tuesday, March 18th at 7:30p.m. in
the Staff Dining Room. Dr. Keenan will provide members with information regarding upcoming budget
cuts.
Happy March!
Therese Squeri
WHS PTSA President
t.squeri@wowway.com
Guidance Corner: March 2014
From your Counseling Department: Counselors - Mr. Kennedy, Mr. Campo, Mrs. Pontikos, Ms. Jerome.
Secretary - Mrs. Frazier
Visit our web site at www.wlake.org
Phone # 835-6375.
IMPORTANT DATES
March 3
Local Scholarships available
Counseling web page
March 13
Teacher Recommendation Day*
March 13
PSEOP Meeting
7 PM in PAC
March 7
Deadline to register for the April ACT
Register at www.act.org
March 10-14
OGT
April 8
Local scholarships due
At 12:00 Noon
April 4
Deadline to register for the May 6 SAT
Register at www.collegeboard.com
GENERAL INFORMATION
COURSE SELECTION: In March the scheduling process for the 2014-15 school-year will begin. Students in grades 9
through 11 must take six credits each year. It is recommended that seniors also take six credits, although five and a
half credits are acceptable. All students must have four credits of core classes on their schedule. Core classes
include English, Social Studies, Math, Science and Foreign Language. Strong academic preparation for post
secondary education is recommended. Students will need to check the Program of Studies for pre-requisite
courses for any class they are requesting. If a teacher recommendation is required, students will also need to have
their current teacher sign their form. Should a student want to take a course that he or she is not recommended
for they will need to see their counselor to receive a Course Waiver Form. The Course Waiver Form must be signed
by the parent and attached to the Course Registration Form. The Course Waiver Form indicates that the student
will remain in the course for a minimum of one semester, regardless of the grade the student is receiving.
* Students need to bring their course registration forms to all core classes on Thursday, March 13 to receive
recommendations from teachers for classes.
SCHEDULE CHANGES: Planning a master schedule for the next school year is a difficult task. The student and
parent are urged not to select courses with the idea that these requests can be changed. The master schedule is
developed on the basis of the courses that students select. Making a change in a selected course will have a
serious effect on class size and teaching assignments and therefore will be approved sparingly.
Therefore as of June 1, no change will occur unless:
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3.
there is a technical error in the scheduling process
it is clear that the student is academically misplaced as determined by the classroom teacher.
there is a scheduling conflict
SUMMER SCHOOL: Any student who failed a core class (English, Social Studies, Science or Math) in the first
semester should plan to attend summer school. Information on summer school will be available during the fourth
grading period.
STATE MANDATED TESTING: The Ohio Graduation Test will be administered during the week of March 10th to all
th
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tenth grade students and to 11 and 12 grade students needing to pass one or more tests
SAVE THE DATE
POST SECONDARY ENROLLMENT OPTIONS / CC+ MEETING
MARCH 13– 7:00 PM – WHS PAC
PSEOP allows high school students to take college classes while still in high school, as long as the participating
college or university admits them. All students who plan to participate in PSEOP for the 2014-15 school year, must
attend a required meeting with their parents, on March 13th at 7:00 p.m. This meeting is required even if you
currently participate in this program or have attended past meetings.
INFORMATION FOR SENIORS
COLLEGE APPLICATIONS: Seniors still needing to apply to a two or four year college should see their counselor
ASAP.
LOCAL SCHOLARSHIPS: Local scholarship applications will be available on the Guidance department web page at
www.wlake.org beginning March 3. Applications are due back in the guidance office by 12:00 noon on April 8.
SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION: Scholarship Information is posted on Naviance Family Connection and on the
Counseling web page. Students should read the criteria for each scholarship carefully and adhere to the deadlines.
SCHOLARSHIP SCAMS: Be aware that there are organizations that will try to convince you to pay for information
on college scholarships. This information is available for free from the Guidance Office, College Now, and online
sites.
GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS: It is the students’ responsibility to see that requirements for graduation are met.
Specific requirements are listed in the Program of Studies.
FAFSA – FREE APPLICATION FOR STUDENT AID: All seniors attending a two or four year college should
complete the FAFSA. By completing this form, you supply the information needed to possibly qualify for
a Pell Grant or Stafford Loan. This form should be filed as soon as possible as resources are limited. We
recommend filing by February 15. It is important to check the FAFSA filing deadline for the colleges your
student has applied to. The form should be filled out completely, legibly and honestly. Everyone should
file the FAFSA even if you think you will not qualify; you never know when your circumstances will
change. File online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
ACADEMIC AWARDS: To be eligible to receive honors and awards such as Summa Cum Laude, the
Honors Diploma and the President’s Award or scholarships provided by various school or community
groups, a student must have completed a minimum of seven semesters in grades nine through twelve.
GPA for these awards will be based on the 7th semester GPA.
INFORMATION FOR JUNIORS
COLLEGE PLANNING: Now is the time to begin researching colleges. Juniors are encouraged to use Naviance
Family Connections for their college planning. All colleges encourage campus visits; many have special spring
programs for visiting high school students. In addition, many colleges offer summer academic and athletic
programs. Contact the admissions office at the school of your choice for further information. Remember; as
you consider various colleges, there is no best college. There are only “right” colleges, often several of them.
Your task is to discover and choose a college that is “right” for you. No single college will be perfect in every
respect; be prepared to compromise.
ACT/SAT TESTS: Students planning to attend a four-year college or university need to take the SAT and/or
ACT exam. We recommend taking these exams in the spring of the junior year. The SAT has three sections,
Critical Reading, Mathematics and Writing. More information on this test can be found at
www.collegeboard.com. The ACT Test has four sections, English, Reading, Mathematics and Science. The ACT
also has an optional writing section. Students taking only the ACT should take the writing section at least
once. More information on the ACT can be found on their web site at www.act.org. Both testing companies
prefer online registration. The WHS Code needed for registration is 365450.
2014 ACT Test Calendar
Register online at www.act.org
2014 SAT Test Calendar
Register online at www.collegeboard.com
Test Date
Register By
Test Date
Register By
April 12
March 7
May 3
April 4
June 14
May 9
June 7
May 9
SAT II SUBJECT AREA TESTS: Many of the most selective colleges in the United States also require SAT II Subject
Area Tests. Students should contact the admissions office or visit their web page to determine the number of tests
required. Each SAT II Test is an hour long and three tests can be taken on a single test day.
SAT/ACT PREP: Options for test prep are listed below.
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The ACT has test prep and practice tests on its web site at www.act.org.
The College Board has practice tests on its web site at www.collegeboard.com.
Students can purchase The Princeton Review for SAT/ACT on CD ROM.
Princeton Review is hosting an ACT prep class at WHS that coincides with the June ACT. Go to
www.princetonreview.com to register. Princeton Review also has other products available.
Method Test Prep has many online tools, classes and programs available. Go to
www.methodtestprep.com
Area bookstores have a number of books and other media on this topic.
Should a student take a test prep course or not? That is often a difficult question. The best
preparation for college entrance examinations is enrolling in and excelling in a rigorous college
preparatory curriculum. However, if a student is motivated and willing to put in the time a test
prep course demands, test preparation can be helpful.
World Languages in the
Westlake City Schools
You are constantly learning language, even your native language.
It’s a process! Our goal is to help increase proficiency by studying one
or more languages in our 1st-12th grade program.
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World Language study is a core academic subject which will require time and effort.
Continuity leads to proficiency. The longer you are able to learn a language, (listening, reading,
writing and speaking that language over time) the more it will become second nature.
Students can also choose a different language at the beginning of the 5th and 7th grades.
Many students choose to add an additional language at the high school level.
After having studied one world language, learning a second world language is easier.
The study of World Language is not just another school subject – it is a life skill which is
becoming a necessity in our increasingly global society.
In order to be able to take the Advanced Placement Level of a language during senior year (and
therefore receive college credit for high school world language-- see additional sheet for
example AP credits at OSU ) , students need to enroll in level one of the language for 8th grade.
However, German and Latin, which are offered at the high school, are both available for AP in
the fourth year.
Students generally need 2-5 years of high school credit in a world language in order to be
accepted to most universities (the more selective the school, the more language study is
required). Because continuity leads to proficiency, most universities prefer 2-5 credits of the
same language. It is a good idea to check university entrance and exit requirements. Language
requirements vary per university and majors.
By earning 4 or more of the same high school world language credits, students significantly
increase their likelihood of success on college placement tests. In the past, many students have
waived part of or the entire language requirement at their universities.
Which will you choose?
French? German? Latin? Spanish?
Maybe all four!
GRANT MONEY AVAILABLE!
Is your student interested in participating in a program this summer that
involves music? Did you know that Westlake Music Boosters has grant
money available for students participating in such programs?
We are excited to continue to offer grant money to students currently enrolled in
grades five through eleven who are presently participating in the district music
program(s) and plan to continue next year. Awards will be given for involvement
in music related clinics, honor bands/choirs, workshops and grants. (Grant money
cannot go toward private music instruction.) The amount of the grant will not
exceed one-half of the cost of the program, and the maximum award is $200. We
have $2,225 dedicated to helping students take advantage of music opportunities
this summer, so apply today! Applications are due by April 25, 2014, and are
available on the Westlake Music Boosters website.
Questions? Contact Kathie McNeilly (kathie.mcneilly@gmail.com).
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ATTENTION SENIORS AND PARENTS:
MUSIC SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE!
The Westlake City Schools Music Boosters once again will offer (4) $1,000
scholarships this year. If you are a current WHS senior who plans to be involved
in music during college, consider applying for one of these scholarships. The
Music Boosters scholarship application will be available online on the WHS
Guidance webpage as well as on the Westlake Music Boosters webpage beginning
Monday, March 3rd. Important dates to remember:
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Applications available online March 3
Teacher recommendation portion due to your director by March 24
Completed applications due to the Guidance Office by April 8
SAVE THE DATE!
DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS
BASKETBALL GAME
TH
FRIDAY MARCH 14 , 2014
WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL
MICHELLE STALTER –
ANGELA WANHAINEN, CO
CHAIRS
Westlake High School’s 10th Annual Wellness Day
Westlake High School’s 10th Annual Wellness Day will take place on Tuesday
March 18th. We’ve been busy planning this event. Each grade attends a
presentation specially selected for them. Then a Health Fair takes place during
lunch hours in the Auxiliary gym. Students will visit during their lunch period,
study halls and some teachers will allow their classes to attend. We focus on
topics such as Nutrition, General Health, Emotional Wellness, Being Active and
Safety. Our event has been successful over the years because of the generosity
of the community. Some of the community members involved include: St. John
Medical Center, Trader Joe’s, Vitamix, Metro Parks, The Gathering Place, Fairview
General Hospital, Case Western Reserve University, Gravino Dentistry, Urban
Chiropractic, Cornerstone of Hope, Liquid Planet and many more. We are so
grateful to all the different groups, businesses and individuals that volunteer their
time and spend part of the day with us on this day.
We are always looking for new ideas, topics and information to share with
our teens. Please let us know of any business group, organization or person that
might have some great information to share that would benefit our teens.
The Wellness Committee members are: Erin Pontikos, School Counselor,
Joan Jerome, School Counselor; Laura Jagels, Health and PE; Andy Tabler, Health
and PE; Kathy McGinty, Prevention Coordinator; Bernadette Kronz, PTSA Health
and Safety; Trudy Tift, RN. St John Medical Center Outreach; Christie Wiedt, RN.
St John Medical Center Outreach; Dorothy Beyer, School Nurse.
DATES TO REMEMBER
 March 14
Mandatory Senior Assembly
at 9:00 am. (Friday)
 March 10-14
Freshman & Sophomore
OGT testing 7:55 – 9:55
Junior’s start at 10:00 am Mon. – Fri.
Senior’s start at 10:00 am Mon. – Thurs.
 March 18 Wellness Day