General Overview

 

About Westhill High School

See also: About Us and School Profile

Westhill High School Core Values

Westhill High School values learning because it promotes academic excellence, civic responsibility, and personal growth. Our school encourages students to think creatively, work collaboratively, reason critically, and communicate effectively in order to be prepared for higher education and success in the 21st century.

Beliefs About Learning:

• All students have opportunities to acquire, analyze, and apply knowledge.
• All students have opportunities to be creative.
• All students have opportunities to engage in collaborative work.
• All students have opportunities to engage in critical thinking.
• All students have opportunities to engage in communication.

21st Century Student Learning Expectations:

Social / Civic:

• Students will participate in curricular, extracurricular, and/or community activities to develop civic responsibility, personal growth, and overall well-being.

Academic:

• Students will express themselves in coherent, original, and creative forms using appropriate academic language.
• Students will understand and utilize multiple forms of communication, both individually and collaboratively.
• Students will demonstrate procedural fluency using critical thinking skills.
• Students will read grade-level texts critically across disciplines for a broad acquisition of knowledge.

A Brief History of Westhill High School

The year was 1969. The month, November. Construction commenced, and for Westhill High School, it was the beginning. The estimated cost of the proposed school was $12.8 million for the 335,500 square foot building. The ground breaking ceremony was held on November 25, 1969. The final cost of this enormous project? About $14.8 million.

The original vision of Westhill was that it be two separate schools: freshman and sophomores in one building, juniors and seniors in the other. The other alternative was to separate four year programs housed in the two buildings. They were to share the cafeteria, library, auditorium, and gym. This building design was followed, but plans changed for the programs. Westhill opened as a traditional high school with all students having classes in both buildings.

Westhill High School became the school's official name on January 12, 1971. The school opened with a freshman, sophomore, and junior class. The school colors, purple and gold, and the mascot, the Viking, were borrowed from the Minnesota Vikings, the new NFL team that season. The first official graduating class was in 1973.

Four decades later Westhill High School is thriving. A student body of roughly 2,500 students and nearly 200 certified staff work tirelessly to improve the teaching and learning environment for all learners. A multitude of AP course offerings, numerous electives, a JROTC program, an agricultural science program, dozens of clubs and numerous sport offerings have Westhill High School the place to be now and for decades to come.

We are Westhill and Proud!

50 Years

Westhill Class of 1973 - The First Graduating Class