The Principal's Weekly
![Westhill and Proud: Purposeful - Respectful - On-Track, United, Driven]([{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_1/v1669567125/stamfordpublicschoolsorg/yzkcbplofnw1kzeurisk/westhillandproud.png","width":256},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_2/v1669567125/stamfordpublicschoolsorg/yzkcbplofnw1kzeurisk/westhillandproud.png","width":512},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto,t_image_size_3/v1669567125/stamfordpublicschoolsorg/yzkcbplofnw1kzeurisk/westhillandproud.png","width":800},{"url":"https://resources.finalsite.net/images/f_auto,q_auto/v1669567125/stamfordpublicschoolsorg/yzkcbplofnw1kzeurisk/westhillandproud.png","width":900}])
Principal Rinaldi
The Principal’s Weekly Message
Dear Westhill families, (para español)
Friday evening we had the pleasure of holding our very own premiere of Disney’s Chang Can Dunk right here at The Hill! I must say I absolutely loved hearing our students cheer every single time our school (as well as the Stamford mall, Lol!) was on the screen! I would like to thank our junior and senior class advisors and student leaders for making this special event possible and have no doubt that those in attendance really enjoyed the experience. Here are a few pics below and a very short video here: Click to Download to give you an idea of the fun we all had last week.
Parent-Teacher Conferences
Westhill High School will hold parent-teacher conferences on March 22, 23, and 24 from 12:45 to 2:10 p.m. Students will be released from school at 11:45 am on those days. Conferences will last approximately ten (10) minutes.
Beginning on 13 March you can schedule a conference with any of your child's teachers through the WHS My Conference Time website found here https://www.myconferencetime.com/westhill/ . Once on the website, type the name of your student's teacher in the "Search Schedule" box. The names of your student's teachers can be found in PowerSchool. Custom schedules can also be sent directly to all email addresses associated with a PowerSchool Parent Account .
Please note that you will be asked to select whether you would like to conference via Google Meet, a phone call, or in person at Westhill when you schedule your appointment.
Conference calendars will close at midnight, March 17th to give teachers time to prepare. Please schedule all conferences before that time to ensure teacher availability.
Please contact your child's guidance counselor or teacher directly if you have any questions or need to schedule a separate meeting outside of the Report Card conference.
Westhill High School llevará a cabo conferencias de padres y maestros el 22, 23 y 24 de marzo desde 12:45 a 14:10. Los estudiantes saldrán de la escuela a las 11:45 am en esos días. Las conferencias tendrán una duración aproximada de diez (10) minutos.
Empezando el 13 marzo, puede programar una conferencia con cualquiera de los maestros de su hijo a través del sitio web My Conference Time de WHS que se encuentra aquí https://www.myconferencetime.com/westhill/ .Una vez en el sitio web, escriba el nombre del maestro de su estudiante en el cuadro "Buscar horario". Los nombres de los maestros de su estudiante se pueden encontrar en PowerSchool. Los horarios personalizados también se pueden enviar directamente a todas las direcciones de correo electrónico asociadas con un Cuenta para padres de PowerSchool .
Tenga en cuenta que se le pedirá que seleccione si desea realizar una conferencia a través de Google Meet, una llamada telefónica o en persona en Westhill cuando programe su cita.
Los calendarios de conferencias se cerrarán a medianoche, viernes, 17 de marzo para brindarles a los maestros tiempo para prepararse. Programe todas las conferencias antes de esa hora para garantizar la disponibilidad de maestros.
Comuníquese directamente con el consejero de orientación o el maestro de su hijo si tiene alguna pregunta o si necesita programar una reunión por separado fuera de la conferencia de Reporte de Calificaciones.
Please also see below for more information from our superintendent as well as our school leaders.
Make it a great week everyone!
Principal Rinaldi
Mike
Superintendent’s Weekly Message:
Superintendent's Weekly Message - March 10, 2023
From the Office of Dr. PJ Wax, Assistant Principal:
From the Office of Peter Rinaldi, Assistant Principal:
Attention Parents and Students: Course selection for the 2023-2024 school year begins on Wednesday March 1st, and must be completed by Wednesday March 15th.
To view the 2023-2024 High School Program of studies, please use the link below
For instructions on how to select courses please use links below:
English: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZeqEWw-gCQHvLCEJLpuusBe5ZBM0jqKl/view?usp=sharing
9 Grade parents and students: The 2023 After The Bell tutoring program has started! Do you need extra support or need a quiet place to work or help from a teacher? Come to the After The Bell Program! We will be in the media center Mondays & Thursdays from 2:15pm-3:20pm. Buses will be provided.
From the Office Of Juan Pazmino, Dean Of Students:
To stay connected to school, you can have access to the Daily Morning Announcements via Parent Portal, WHS Website or VikingsDean Instagram Page.
Students need to document their abscess within 10 days of their absence. Log into our WHS Website: https://www.westhillweb.com/ Then click: on Academics, then click on Attendance. Then under Absence Documentation click on WHS Form.
From the Office of Dick Cerone, Director of Athletics:
SPRING SPORTS REGISTRATION CLOSED FRIDAY MARCH 3.
Please contact me, at rcerone@stamfordct.gov, if you have any questions.
From the Office of Christine Wheeler, Department Head for English:
We have officially reached the midway point of Quarter 3! This means that many English classes will be starting to move into summative assignments such as essays, presentations, and other performance tasks. Please remember that per the ELA curriculum, summative assessments constitute 70 percent of a student’s English grade. The English Department would like to encourage all of our students to stay focused, stay motivated, and ask us for help if you are struggling with an assignment.
In other news, we are incredibly excited to be able to offer students an array of new English electives. Please feel free to check out all the options in our student-friendly course guide. And remember if you love a class, recruit a friend to sign up with you since only those courses that meet SPS enrollment requirements will run next year.
English teachers are starting to see an uptick in assignments submitted by students that seem to be cut and pasted from ChatGPT, an AI chatbot that can generate “original” content. As a result, many English teachers have started to use programs that can conduct what essentially amounts to a forensic analysis of typed assignments. We encourage all of our Viking students and families to educate themselves on this technology; as well, we urge all of our students to submit only their own original work.
Please feel free to reach out to your English teacher if you have questions about ChatGPT, plagiarism in general, and/or the consequences of handing in work that is not entirely original.
From the Office of Camille Quattrocchi, Department Head for Health, Physical Education & JROTC:
Physical Education Classes - Laced sneakers are required for all PE classes - no Crocs, slides, flip-flops, slippers, boots, UGGS, bare feet or anything that is not a laced sneaker. This is a safety regulation and students will not be able to participate or pass PE class if they do not comply. Here is a link to the PE Policy
***Please be sure your child is coming prepared with a sweatshirt or jacket. PE classes will continue to go outside even in cooler weather conditions.
Health Classes will be getting trained in American Red Cross skills for First Aid, CPR and AED. All students in health class will have an opportunity to get certified in these skills this semester. Here is a link to the Health 2 Syllabus which includes all the staff contact information. Check PowerSchool for your child’s teacher.
Fitness Center Intramurals/Fit Club - The Fitness Center is open to all students after school from 2:20-3:20 every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. PE staff will be there to assist with fitness routines and equipment instruction.No experience is necessary - bring water, bring a friend and get fit! Come check out our new equipment!!!
New Courses! - Our department will be offering a new Safety Pathway that will include 2 STEM Elective courses for junior and seniors. The courses are Public Safety 1 and Public Safety 2. These courses will partner with Stamford Police Department, Stamford Fire Department and Stamford Emergency Services to provide education and training for those students who may be interested in pursuing a career in the field of Public Safety. Your child will have the opportunity to sign up for these electives during course selection time which is going on now.
From the Office of Mrs. Robin Konrad, Department Head for Visual and Performing Arts:
➤Visual Arts: The Aldrich Museum of Contemporary Art in Ridgefield hosted
➤Performing Arts: The Westhill Color Guard has made its first National Competitive appearance. They premiered their 2023 production in Salem, MA this weekend at a WGi regional Event. They made it to finals and will be competing in a WGI Philadelphia Regional event this weekend. Good Luck! This is the first time in Westhill’s history that a Color Guard has competed at the National Level!!!
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Spring Concert and Art Show 5/18 MAC Percussion Championships at Westhill (VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!) 4/15 Music Department Banquet and Awards Ceremony 6/1 @ 6pm Jazz Ensemble: Darien Jazz Festival: 3/3 Mayors MCC Jazz Concert @ Ferguson Library: 3/12 Mayors MCC Stamford Day @ Mill River Park: 5/21 |
Indoor Percussion Competition Schedule: 03/18/23 WGI Monroe Township 04/01/23 MAC Bunnell - Stratford 04/02/23 NESBA Championships Dartmouth Indoor Guard Competition Schedule: 03/18/23 WGI Bethlehem 04/01/23 MAC Championships Bunnell - Stratford |
➤OPEN STUDIO THURSDAYS AFTER SCHOOL: Ms. Hansen hosts Open Studios every Thursday after school in room 12. Designed for students who need extra in-school time to work on their artwork, all should arrange for material and project access with their art teacher in advance because the other Art rooms will be locked after school.
➤NEW!!! POTTERY CLUB: Monday’s after school 2:20-3:20,
➤CROCHET CLUB: Meets Thursdays in Room 9 with Mr. Martin.
➤★Make sure to follow the VaPA teachers of WHS on Instagram via: @rkonart, @artwithmrsd, @still_life_with_dog, @the_kids_make_art, @mszwhsart, @ramsey.art.on.the.hill, @westhillhsband, @westhillpercussion, @mr.digiart
From the Office of Dr. Lisa Forbes, Department Head for Social Studies:
The Connecticut Foundation for Open Government is pleased to announce its 2023 Forrest Palmer High School Essay Contest with a first prize of $1,000, a second prize of $500, a third prize of $300 and honorable mention prizes of $50.
CFOG is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the open accountable government essential in a democratic society. Our foundation sponsors this contest to encourage debate among students on First Amendment issues. The contest is named in honor of the late Forrest Palmer, who began the contest in 2000 when he was president of CFOG’s board of directors.
Students should choose one of these three topics to address. Please go to the CFOG website for more details on the essay topics.
Essays should be 400-600 words. Essays should include the student’s full name, school, grade, and email contact for either the student or a teacher. Winners will be announced in mid-May.
Essays Due: March 31st, 2023. Email them to cfogessay@gmail.com
From the Office of Mrs. Ashley Katz, Department Head for School Counselors:
Mastery-based learning ensures that a student has acquired the knowledge and skills deemed essential to success in every postsecondary - college and career environment and in adult life. Students will receive one credit upon successfully demonstrating subject matter content mastery achieved through educational experiences and opportunities that provide flexible and multiple pathways to learning.
For students to receive credit for Mastery-Based Learning, they must fill out a google form that has a deadline of February 16th.
Starting Freshman year options include:
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FCIAC Recognition- Any recognition like an honorable mention
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LAS Link score of proficiency
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Recognition of achievement in a state or national competition- This can be in any area. Examples include sports in and outside school and extracurricular activities like Eagle Scout or any competition.
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Recognition as an AP Scholar (receives a score of 3 or more on 3 AP exams)
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Seal of Biliteracy
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SAT Score College and Career Readiness Benchmark for Evidence-Based Reading and Writing: 480
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SAT Score College and Career Readiness Benchmark for Math: 530
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Student Self-Designed Project (prior approval required)
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Internship/Volunteer/Work (after school/weekend job) (must equal 120 hours, a combination of both is acceptable)
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ACT Score: English 18
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ACT Score: Math 22
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ACT Score: Reading 22
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ACT Score: Science 23
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ACT Score: ELA 20
Seniors will need to fill out this form MBLC form and upload their documentation to show they have completed the option they picked, i.e., a letter on official letterhead from the student's place of employment/volunteer or a certificate of recognition for options like FCIAC or competition they participated in.
They must upload their plan if they decide to do a student-designed project. Please keep in mind that their project must be tied to standards. Those standards, as well as the form to upload their plan, are here self-design pre-approval form.
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact Mrs. Katz, the Department Head of School Counseling. AKatz1@stamfordct.gov
Course Selection
Attention Parents and Students: Course selection for the 2023-2024 school year begins on Wednesday, March 1st, and must be completed by Wednesday, March 15th.
To view the 2023-2024 High School Program of studies, please use the link below
For instructions on how to select courses please use links below:
Spanish:
English:
Fee Waiver
The link below is for students/parents to fill out if they think they qualify for a free:
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SAT or ACT exam fee waiver
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College application fee waiver
Please print and fill out the form. Once completed, put in Mrs. Katz's mailbox in the main office.
The CT state FAFSA challenge is back with the support of the RISE Network! Any senior that completes the FAFSA/AACTUS automatically gets entered into the monthly raffle! This year we are raffling off senior prom tickets and yearbooks.
From the Office of Mrs. Diane McNamara, Department Head for Science:
Ms. Sanders from our Science Department has published a book entitled Biology: The Science of Life in Its Living Environment. Congratulations Ms. Sanders!
Some Environmental Science students went to the Whittingham Discovery Center at Mill River Park for a talk on the Importance of an Urban Forest by Melanie Hollas on March 7th. This was after school from 3 to 4 pm and sponsored by Pollenator’s Pathway. Kudos to Ms. Grant for finding great ways to keep our students environmentally aware.
From the Office of Mrs. Kim Kumar, Department Head for Business:
The Westhill Academy of Finance is recruiting rising sophomores for a three year Academy Of Finance program.
The Academy of Finance program extends far beyond a course of study. It gives students the preparation they need to succeed in high school as well as in the business world. The program teaches important skills that they will use for the rest of their lives. The internship experience helps them gain knowledge outside the classroom. It gives them the opportunity to prepare for the future and know what to expect later in life. It also allows students to join a community and be surrounded with others who want them to succeed.
We are also excited to announce that the program is now an Intra- District magnet program. The students who are districted to Stamford High can apply to the program and start their high school career at Westhill High School.
Please visit the website for the application and brochure.
https://www.westhillweb.com/academics/academy-of-finance
Enroll In CTE Electives
The Future Is Bright For Career And Technical Education Students
Pay Attention To Career And Technical Education Classes.
Elevate Your Future
Get The Business Advantage And Succeed In Life
There Are Many Classes That Teach Skills That Students Will Use For The Rest Of Their Lives.
From the Office of Ms. Ann Herz, Department Head for World Languages:
From the Office of Mr. Michael Capriotti, Department Head for Mathematics:
From the Office of Ms. Elayne Cuttitta, Department Head for Special Education:
Have a Great Week Vikings!
For the most up-to-date version of the Principal’s Newsletter:
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