What a Great Summer Break! We have spent the summer months watching the changes on our campus
and now find ourselves ready to start a new chapter in a new building.
The start of the 2013-2014 school year is just around the corner and I’m certain that there are many
questions regarding the opening of school, the distribution of class schedules, locker assignments, parking
permits, and Senior privileges. This letter and the enclosed packet should help to answer many of those
questions.
Please pay close attention to the dates and times listed as they will help to start the year off on a
successful note.
Wednesday, August 28, 2013 7:00am
Student Schedules available through Powerschool
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
8:00am
Freshman and Senior Orientation
10:00am
Sophomore and Junior Orientation
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
First Day of Classes
Enclosed in this letter is a packet of forms for the new school year. These forms must be filled out and
turned in to school. I ask that each student bring these completed forms with them to school for the first
day of classes on Wednesday, September 4th. We will collect the completed forms in homeroom. It is
critical that all forms, especially the Emergency medical authorization is turned in on the first day.
Westlake High School Orientation will be held on Tuesday, September 3, 2013 in the Westlake City
Schools Performing Arts Center. We will be holding Orientation for incoming Freshmen and Seniors at
8:00-9:30am, and for Sophomores and Juniors at 10:00-11:30am. Please be on time as we have a
tremendous amount of material to cover. Students will receive a copy of their schedule, their locker
assignment, and will have some time to learn about the new building and explore. During Orientation, we
will also address Parking Permits and Senior Privilege as well. I encourage all students to attend their
assigned orientation sessions. Having the materials and other important information presented at
Orientation before the first day of school will assist in a more productive start to the school year.
I wish everyone an enjoyable end to the Summer break and I hope that you join me in the excitement that
our new campus and school year brings.
DEMON PRIDE!
NOTIFICATION OF RIGHTS UNDER PPRA
The Protection of Pupil Rights Amendment (PPRA) affords parents certain rights regarding our conduct of surveys,
collection and use of information for marketing purposes, and certain physical exams. These include the right to:
Consent before students are required to submit to a survey that concerns one or more of the following protected
areas (“protected information survey”) if the survey is funded in whole or in part by a program of the U.S.
Department of Education (ED):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Political affiliations or beliefs of the student or the student’s parents;
Mental or psychological problems of the student or student’s family;
Sex behavior or attitudes;
Illegal, anti-social, self-incriminating, or demeaning behavior;
Critical appraisals of others with whom respondents have close family relationships;
Legally recognized privileged relationships, such as with lawyers, doctors, or ministers;
Religious practices, affiliations, or beliefs of the student or parents; or
Income, other than as required by law to determine program eligibility.
Receive notice and an opportunity to opt a student out of –
1. Any protected information survey, regardless of funding;
2. Any non-emergency, invasive physical exam or screening required as a condition of attendance, administered
by the school or its agent, and not necessary to protect the immediate health and safety of a student, except
for hearing, vision, or scoliosis screenings, or any physical exam or screening permitted or required under
State law; and
3. Activities involving collection, disclosure, or use of personal information obtained from students for
marketing or to sell or otherwise distribute the information to others.
Inspect, upon request and before district administration or use:
1. Protected information surveys of students;
2. Instruments used to collect personal information from students for any of the above marketing, sales, or other
distribution purposes; and
3. Instructional material used as part of the educational curriculum.
These rights transfer from the parents to a student who is 18 years old or an emancipated minor under State law.
The Westlake City Schools has developed a policy in consultation with parents regarding these rights, as well as
arrangements to protect student privacy in the administration of protected information surveys and the collection,
disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales, or other distribution purposes. The Westlake School
District will directly notify parents of this policy at least annually at the start of each school year and after any
substantive changes. The Westlake School District will also directly notify, such as through U. S. Mail or email,
parents of students who are scheduled to participate in the specific activities or surveys noted below and will
provide an opportunity for the parent to opt his or her child out of participation of the specific activity or survey.
The Westlake School District will make this notification to parents at the beginning of the school year if the District
has identified the specific or approximate dates of the activities or surveys at that time. For surveys and activities
scheduled after the school year starts, parents will be provided reasonable notification of the planned activities and
surveys listed below and be provided an opportunity to opt their child out of such activities and surveys. Parents
will also be provided an opportunity to review any pertinent surveys. Following is a list of the specific activities
and surveys covered under this requirement:
Collection, disclosure, or use of personal information for marketing, sales or other distribution.
Administration of any protected information survey not funded in whole or in part by ED.
Any non-emergency, invasive physical examination or screening as described above.
Parents who believe their rights have been violated may file a complaint with:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. SW
Washington, D.C. 20202-5920
(Keep this for your reference – see FERPA form on back)
Dear Parent/Guardian:
In April 1994, Congress passed the American 2000 Act, which addresses important educational
issues. One of the laws in the Act requires a mandatory expulsion of any student who brings,
or who is in possession of, a firearm on a school campus or to an extracurricular activity. The
mandatory expulsion is for one school year (180 school days) and no academic credit can be
earned. Failure to comply with the law will result in a loss of our federal funding. In
addition, the Ohio Legislature has strengthened this law by adding dangerous weapons (knives,
brass knuckles, etc.) to the language. The same one-year expulsion applies to students who
bring this type of item to the school or to an extracurricular activity.
Every student in the Westlake School system will be notified of these laws on their first day of
attendance. In addition, we ask you to discuss the severity of dangerous weapons in school
and the consequences with your child. Please sign and return the form below. Your assistance
and cooperation are appreciated.
Sincerely,
Dr. Daniel Keenan
Superintendent of Schools
Student Name: _______________________________
Parent Name: _______________________________
School:
________________________
School Year:
2013-2014
I have read and understand the new law requiring a one-year expulsion for dangerous weapons
in schools.
__________________________________
Signature
________________________
Date
WESTLAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
MEDIA/PHOTO RELEASE INFORMATION
2013-2014
In order to promote the Westlake City School District, we
frequently take photographs of students. Some of these photos
will be used in promotional pamphlets, community newsletters,
newspaper advertisements, annual reports, and on the District
website, among other places.
On occasion, print and television media also come into the schools
to cover events. Your child’s name and image may appear in
newspapers and on television if he/she is participating in one of
these events, wins a special award, etc.
I DO
DO NOT give permission for _______________________________
Student’s Name
Grade
To be photographed by District staff or the media throughout the
2013-14 school year as part of any promotional story about the
Westlake City School District.
Your child will not be permitted to be part of any media
or District publication if this form is not completed and
returned.
Parent/Guardian Signature
Date
WESTLAKE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
2013-2014
EMERGENCY MEDICAL & STUDENT RELEASE AUTHORIZATION
Student: ________________________________Date of Birth: _________________ Phone: ___________________
School: ________________________________ Grade:_________ Homeroom Teacher_______________________
Address: ________________________________________________ Email Address:__________________________
Please indicate if there are any changes in the info. from the previous school year, excluding grade & teacher.
YES___
NO___
Purpose: To enable parents to authorize emergency treatment for children who become ill or injured while under school authorization, when parents
cannot be contacted AND to grant consent for the children to be released to any of the following individuals.
Please X which type of release is authorized below: Emergency Medical Only, Student Release Only, or Both
Print Full Name
Home Phone
Work Phone
Cell Phone
Medical
Release
Parent/Guardian/Relationship
Parent/ Guardian/Relationship
Other / (Relationship)
Other /(Relationship)
Other /(Relationship)
PART 1 OR PART 2 MUST BE COMPLETED
-----------------------------------------------PART 1 to Grant Permission-----------------------------------------------
In the event reasonable attempts to contact me at the above numbers have been unsuccessful, I hereby give my consent
for: (1) the administration of any treatment deemed necessary by:
Dr. ____________________________________, PHONE (______)_____________________(preferred physician),
Dr. ____________________________________, PHONE (______ )_____________________(preferred dentist),
Or in the event the designated preferred practitioner is not available, by another licensed physician or dentist: and
(2) the transfer of the child to preferred hospital:
St. John Westshore
Fairview
Lakewood
If the emergency is such that your child needs immediate attention, he/she will be taken to the most accessible of these hospitals.
This authorization does not cover major surgery unless the medical opinions of two other licensed physicians or dentists, concurring
in the necessity of the surgery, are obtained before the surgery is performed.
Facts concerning the child’s medical history including allergies, medications being taken, and any physical impairment to
which a physician should be alerted:
Date:________________________
Parent Signature:___________________________________________________________
If You Completed Part 1 Above – Do NOT Complete Part 2
-----------------------------------------PART 2 – REFUSAL TO CONSENT-------------------------------------------In the event reasonable attempts to contact me at the above numbers have been unsuccessful, I DO NOT
give my consent for emergency medical treatment of my child. In the event of illness or injury requiring emergency
treatment, I wish the school authorities to take no action, or to:
Date:________________________ Parent Signature:____________________________________________________________
Student Records- Notification of Rights
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) affords parents and students over 18 years of age ("eligible students") certain rights with respect to the student's education records. These rights are:
1. The right to inspect and review the student's education records within 45 days of the day the School receives a request
for access. Parents or eligible students should submit to the School principal a written request that identifies the record(s) they wish to inspect. The School official will make arrangements for access and notify the parent or eligible
student of the time and place where the records may be inspected.
2. The right to request the amendment of the student's education records that the parent or eligible student believes are
inaccurate or misleading. Parents or eligible students may ask the School to amend a record that they believe is inaccurate or misleading. They should write the School principal clearly identify the part of the record they want changed,
and specify why it is inaccurate or misleading. If the School decides not to amend the record as requested by the parent
or eligible student, the School will notify the parent or eligible student of the decision and advise them of their right to
a hearing regarding the request for amendment. Additional information regarding the hearing procedures will be
provided to the parent or eligible student when notified of the right to a hearing (see Board of Education Policy JO-R).
3. The right to consent to disclosures of personally identifiable information contained in the student's education records,
except to the extent that FERPA authorizes disclosure without consent. One exception, which permits disclosure
without consent, is disclosure to school officials with legitimate educational interests. A school official is a person
employed by the School as an administrator, supervisor, instructor, or support staff member (including health or
medical staff and law enforcement unit personnel); a person serving on the School Board; a person or company with
whom the School has contracted to perform or a special task (such as an attorney, auditor, medical consultant, or
therapist). A school official has a legitimate educational interest if the official needs to review an education record in
order to fulfill his or her professional responsibility. Upon request, the School discloses education records without
consent to officials of another school district in which a student seeks or intends to enroll. These include any disciplinary records of suspension or expulsion.
4. The right to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education concerning alleged failures by the School to comply with the requirements of FERPA. The name and address of the Office that administers FERPA are:
Family Policy Compliance Office
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202-4605
Release of Directory Information
The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), a Federal law, requires that the Westlake City Schools, with
certain exceptions, obtain your written consent prior to the disclosure of personally identifiable information from your
child's education records. However, Westlake School District may disclose appropriately designated "directory information" without written consent, unless you have advised the District to the contrary. The primary purpose of directory information is to allow the Westlake Schools to include this type of information from your child's education records in certain school publications. Examples include:
A playbill, showing your student's role in a drama production;
PTA Directories;
The annual yearbook;
Graduation programs;
Honor roll or other recognition lists;
Sports activity sheets, such as for wrestling, showing weight and height of team members.
Directory information, which is information that is generally not considered harmful or an invasion of privacy if released,
can also be disclosed to outside organizations without a parent's prior written consent. Outside organizations include, but
are not limited to, companies that manufacture class rings or publish yearbooks. In addition, two federal laws require local
educational agencies receiving assistance under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to provide
military recruiters, upon request, with three directory information categories - names, addresses and telephone listings unless parents have advised the school district that they do not want their student's information disclosed without their
prior written consent.
If you do not want Westlake City Schools to disclose any or all directory information from your child's education records
without your prior written consent, you must notify in writing the principal of the school where the records are kept
by September 18, 2013. The objection must state what informationth the parent or student does not want to be classified as
directory information. If no objection is received by September 18 of this school year, the information will be classified
as directory information until the beginning of the next school year. The following information has been designated as directory information:
Student's name
Degrees, honors, and awards received
Address
Date and place of birth
Telephone listing
Major field of study
Grade level
Dates of attendance
Weight and height of members of athletic teams
Participation in officially recognized activities and sports
Electronic mail address
The most recent educational agency or institution attended
(Keep this for your reference – see PPRA form on back)
August 2013
Dear Parents,
Keeping parents informed is a top priority of the Westlake City School District. We have
adopted Blackboard Connect, a parent notification system, to allow the district to send
a telephone or email message to parents regarding important information about
emergencies or school events.
The Blackboard Connect system offers a Parent Portal to enable you to manage your
contact information right from your own computer. You can access the Parent Portal
from our website – www.wlake.org – and clicking on the Parents tab at the top of the
page. Under Tools you will find the Blackboard Connect Login.
Once the page is open, click the Sign Me Up! link to setup your account. In order to
create an account you will need:



An active email address.
Your student’s Student ID Number (You can find this on a previous
report card or contact your child’s school office for the number).
The home phone number that we have on file for your student (Please
contact your child’s school if you cannot remember the number you
have on file with the schools).
If you created an account last year, you can access it the same way as you have in
the past. After you have logged in, you can add any additional students you have
attending our District by clicking your name in the upper right corner and selecting
Contact Information.
If you are having problems accessing your account, please contact Blackboard
Connect Client Care at 866.360.2155.
We are very excited to offer this Parent Portal and invite you to visit our new site and
take control over your notification preferences.
The Westlake High School PTSA
(Parent Teacher Student Association)
welcomes you to the 2013-2014 school year!
JOIN NOW! Your PTSA supports the following programs and services which directly benefit our children:
WHS Student Directory
The Communicator
Faculty/Staff Grants
Reflections Program
The Green & White Revue
Student Activities Support
WHS PTSA Scholarships
Staff Appreciation
Student Appreciation
AND SO MUCH MORE!
Wellness Day
Fine Arts Week
Prom Assembly
This is also a kick off for our annual FALL FUNDRAISER! We are asking each WHS family to make
a $25 donation to help support the PTSA.
Your membership and fundraiser donations are both tax deductible!
Help us to make it all happen by becoming a member of the WHS PTSA and supporting our
FALL FUNDRAISER!
PTSA meetings (dates to be announced) are held at 7:30 pm monthly at Westlake High School. For more
information, check the WHS PTSA link at www.wlake.org or contact President Therese Squeri at
t.squeri@wowway.com or Membership and Fundraising Chair Karen Freeman at tkfreeman5@att.net.
MEMBERSHIP AND FALL FUNDRAISER FORM
Name(s): ___________________________________
Phone: ____________________________
Address: ___________________________________
Email: ____________________________
Student Name(s) and Grade(s): _________________________________________________________
Please circle:
Parent
Student
Staff
Do you want a PTSA card? ____yes ____no
PTSA Membership ______ x $10 ea. = _________
Fall Fundraiser ________ x $25 ea. = _________
Total Amount Enclosed
Make checks payable to WHS PTSA
$ _________
Please return your completed form, cash and/or check to the PTSA mailbox in the WHS Main Office
or mail to:
Westlake High School PTSA
27830 Hilliard Blvd.
Westlake, OH 44145
Westlake High School
Student Handbook Acknowledgement Form
I have received, read, and understand my copy of the 2013-2014
Westlake High School Student Handbook and Code of Conduct.
I understand that I am responsible for adhering to all of the policies and
procedures contained in this handbook and agree to follow all policies
and procedures of the Westlake Board of Education. I understand that
violations of the policies and procedures contained in the Student
handbook and Code of Conduct along with the Attendance Addendum
may be subject to disciplinary consequences.
__________________________________________________
_________________
Student Name (Printed)
Grade
__________________________________________________
_________________
Student’s Signature
Date
__________________________________________________
Parent Name (Printed)
__________________________________________________
_________________
Parent Signature
Date