Panther Print for Parents 🐾

CONGRATULATIONS to our March 2024 Students of the Month, who were celebrated at a special breakfast this morning. From left to right--Gabriel Shotts, Addison Smith, Ruby Parra, Miriam Feneley, Grace MacMillan, Taylor Green, and Kayden Harrington. We were missing Chase Tremblay.

We want to see your child taking the most challenging courses at the high school next year for which he/she is capable! Please check out the offerings below and contact Mrs. Dawson at jdawson@watervlietps.org if you would like to see any of these classes in your child's schedule or if you just have questions!

Dual Enrollment (taking college classes while in high school as the cost of WPS) Your student must have a 3.0+ cumulative GPA to participate.

AP Seminar (Honors English 10) This will replace the traditional level of English 10. This is not an elective. This can earn your child college credit. Parents of recommended FRESHMEN for this class were emailed by the Principal.

AP Environmental Science recommended for 9-12 graders. This is an elective. This can earn your child college credit. It does not take the place of any required science class.

AP Government recommended for 10-12 graders and will take the place of the required Junior level Civics class. If your child has already taken Civics, this is an elective. This can earn your child college credit.

AP Biology 11-12 graders. This can earn your child college credit. It does not take the place of any required science class. Intended for student interested in a science heavy, medical field after high school.

AP Computer Science 10-12 graders. This is an elective. This can earn your child college credit. This is a Computer Coding class.

Electives: Creative Writing 10-12, Speech/Debate 9-12, Marine and Freshwater Science 9-12, US History in Depth 11-12, and Astronomy 10-12

LMC Dual Enrolled Pre Calc/Trig and Calc 1 intended for students who have already taken WHS Pre Calc. This will earn your child college credit. Intended for students who are interested in a math heavy career field.

Anatomy/Physiology also called Biology 2 11-12 graders intended for students headed for a medical field; intended to be taken in place of or after Chemistry.

Van Buren Tech Center (both am and pm sessions available, with transportation provided.) Students are eligible in the 11-12 grades.

This week in our Anatomy class, we have been diving into how materials are transported around the body through the bloodstream. To enhance our understanding, we conducted a simulated blood typing lab, which the students found very engaging.

In Biology, we have been exploring a mini-unit on bioengineering with a specific focus on bioinformatics and data mining. The students had the opportunity to analyze protein sequences and diagnose fictional patients with various disorders using databases.

Additionally, the anatomy students worked on creating informative solar eclipse public service announcement posters.

On behalf of the St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Rotary Club and the Berrien Regional Education Service

Agency (Berrien RESA), thank you for your school’s participation in the 2024 Rotary Scholarship Essay

Contest. Although your student, Ella Harris, did not win the contest, the student’s participation as your

school’s representative is an honor in itself.

Participants will be honored during our Monday, April 22, 2024 Rotary Meeting, which officially starts at

12:05 pm, and ends between 1:00 and 1:30 pm. The meeting will be held at the Campus for Creative

Aging 2930 Lakeview Ave. St. Joseph, MI, with lunch provided. If Ella is participating, I will introduce

and recognize them. In turn, they should introduce you if you are participating.

CONGRATULATIONS to ELLA who did a tremendous job representing WHS in the annual St. Joseph/Benton Harbor Rotary Club and the Berrien Regional Education Service

Agency Scholarship Essay Competition.

If you wish to earn a Community Service honor cord to be worn at graduation, you must complete 40 hours of community service. The deadline to submit those hours to the HS office is April 30th.

NO SCHOOL FOR SENIORS ON THURSDAY, APRIL 18th due to state testing. This is a school related absence and SENIORS should not attend WHS. If you attend a center, you ARE REQUIRED TO STILL ATTEND THERE. The tech bus will run as normal.

ALL SENIORS will take a class picture on MONDAY. Pick up your t shirt at 9:30 AM and meet in the cafe at 10 AM to head to the football stadium.

Lydia Koshar & Isabella Bultema had a very long day Thursday full of All Star Band rehearsals, instrument masterclasses, and concert performances. This year’s WMU Spring Conference on Wind and Percussion Music featured composer Kevin Day. The event needed with a final concert featuring the WMU Symphonic Band and the Kevin Day All Star Band under the direction of Dr. Scott Boerma and Kevin Day.

Congrats to Lydia and Isabella and all the students from 59 high schools on a spectacular performance!

ALL 9th and 10th GRADERS will take the PSAT test on THURSDAY starting at 8:10 AM. PLEase make sure that your child is in school, well rested, and ready to test THIS THURSDAY.

ALL 11th GRADERS will take the SAT test on THURSDAY starting at 8:10 AM. Please make sure that your child is in school, well rested, and ready to test THIS THURSDAY. JUNIORS will be excused after testing for the remainder of the day. If your child does not have a ride home, he/she can wait in the building until 3:10 PM.

ALL 11th GRADERS will take the MSTEP test on FRIDAY starting at 8:10 AM. Please make sure that your child is in school, well rested, and ready to test THIS FRIDAY.

If your child has failed a class this year, summer school is needed to recover the credit to keep your child on track towards graduation. You will receive a letter in May that specifies what classes are needed for your child. Check out the plan below so that you can plan ahead for summer school for your child.

Session from June 17 - July 25 (July 3 and 4 off)
8:15 am-12:15 pm
Monday - Thursday

Students have to physically be in attendance everyday.

Breakfast, lunch, and transportation provided.

Students must complete work at home in addition to at school in order to recover lost credit during this time.

This week’s Press Box Player of the Week is Watervliet’s Jacob Pleyer. Jacob is a sophomore guard and

second-year starter on the Panther varsity basketball team. His freshman season was cut short when he suffered a broken bone in his lower leg half way through the schedule. He’s all healed now and leading his team in scoring while playing solid defense.

Asked about starting on the varsity team in his freshman season, he said “It was a great experience

especially being able to play with teammates like Tyson Williams and Brady Bornas who were highly

experienced at the varsity level.”

He says the best part of his basketball experience at Watervliet so far was playing at Benton Harbor last

season, a well-played game that came down to the last two possessions. “Coach Dan Hoff is the best

coach I’ve ever had. It’s not just his knowledge about the game but the important life skills that he

teaches me and everyone around him. He always says “It's a great day to get better!””

At school his favorite class, by far, is history because Mr. Andrews keeps them engaged with the

material. He’s a big Kentucky fan and watches them as often as possible when he’s not playing

basketball.

After graduation he wants to play at a D1 school and eventually play in the NBA, as well as get a degree

in sports management.

Congratulations, and good luck Jacob!

TYLER CARR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP

Tyler James Carr was a 2010 Watervliet High School graduate who was well like and always happy. He was an excellent athlete and participated in various sports such as football, wrestling, track and baseball. He loved the thrill of competition and always approached each event with a positive attitude. As a captain, he did his best to motivate his teammates and foster respect for the opponent. After high school he would often visit and assist the up-coming wrestling team with practice matches. Upon his untimely death in March of 2012 his family held fundraisers to organize this scholarship program in his memory. The criteria for the scholarship recipient is as follows:

The scholarship is meant to be awarded to a college-bound Watervliet High School athlete who participates in any sport and demonstrates a desire for excellence, team spirit, and good sportsmanship, much like Tyler. Although GPA is not a criteria, the recipient should be awarded to one with a high school record showing a good prospect for success in college.

Applicants must submit a short essay about the following:

“What does it mean to you to participate in sports and how has it impacted you personally?”

Submissions are due May 3, 2024.

I'm reaching out again this year with information about the Whirlpool scholarship for the Summer Youth Programs (SYP) at Michigan Technological University! I'm looking for your help to share this information with STEM faculty and qualifying students.

This year students receiving the scholarship will be attending the Engineering Scholars week at Michigan Tech SYP from June 23 - June 28.

Details:

In 2022 and 2023, we had a very successful return of the Whirlpool SYP scholarship. Each year we were able to provide full scholarships to 7 local students from various schools to attend the SYP. According to the survey the students filled out, 100% of students would recommend the program to others. Due to the success of the program in the past few years, we are increasing the number of scholarships available to 15 full scholarships (including transportation to and from Michigan Tech)!

We are looking for 9th and 10th grade students from Berrien County. Students who choose to apply should show interest in STEM topics and/or actively participate in a First Robotics program, have a solid academic performance, and be a positive role model in their school and community.

The deadline for applications is May 15, 2024. Please see links/attachments below for more information, flyers and the Google Form application!

Links:

Application - bit.ly/whirlpool-esp

Student Experience Video (2022 Whirlpool Scholarship recipients) - bit.ly/whirlpoolESP22

Michigan Tech SYP Website - https://www.mtu.edu/syp/

Please reach out if you have any questions,

Makenzie

--

Makenzie B Brewer

V&V Engineer at Whirlpool Corporation

E makenzie_b_brewer@whirlpool.com

W whirlpoolcorp.com

National Teacher Appreciation Week is May 6-10, 2024. The Michigan Department of Education’s (MDE) Office of Educator Excellence (OEE) wishes to celebrate teachers across Michigan for the entire month of May.

MDE invites parents to submit 15-30 second videos of their students recognizing and thanking a specific teacher for their impact. Nothing fancy is required—cell phones can capture the videos. Please follow the directions on the flyer. Videos and parental consent may be submitted via the Teacher Appreciation Video Project Google Form. Videos are currently being accepted until Friday, April 19, 2024.

Submitted videos may be posted on the Teacher Appreciation Month webpage and the MDE’s YouTube channel. The Office of Educator Excellence Facebook (@MIeducator) and X (formerly Twitter) social media pages will be promoting the videos throughout the month of May.

If your child has great things to say about a teacher, don’t hesitate—use the instructions found on our website to submit a video today!

Red Hawks Rise Summer Bridge Program!

This immersive 12-day non-residential summer program is designed to prepare students for their first semester! Starting college can be daunting, and many students benefit from a boost to be college-ready. Michigan's community colleges, in collaboration with state partners, are committed to helping students transition smoothly from high school to college-level academics and campus life.

Additional Details: https://bit.ly/3TGtvI0

-Red Hawks Rise is completely FREE with no cost for tuition or textbooks.

-Learn about the many resources available to students.

-Free LMC gear, learning materials, and classroom supplies.

-Free daily breakfast and other refreshments.

-Free access to LMC resources, labs, and WiFi hotspots while in the program.

-Free laptop, based on program completion.

-Opportunity to take free English 101 and Co-Req for college credit*.

On April 23, the PTO is hosting a Donkey Basketball Game in the high school gym. Tickets are $7 in advance and are available in the guidance office. Come watch Mrs. Powers, Mrs. Dawson, Mrs. Hunt, Ms. Riedinger, and Mr. Coburn battle it out!

This past weekend the HS robotics team competed at the state championship for the rookie all star award and won! The team participated in an interview process and competed against 22 other rookie teams from the state. The interview was only 10 minutes long but answers had to be concise, specific and communicate the message of how they intend to continue to grow as a team.This means Team 9758 Pantron-X from WHS, is the state rookie of the year which is a prestigious award. It affords the team the opportunity to compete at the World Championships in Houston TX on April 17 - 20. They have the opportunity to compete with and against teams from all over the world.The team is very much trying to make the journey.This team excelled in all categories according to the judges. Way to go Jacob, Sam, Nova, Isaiah, Ben, Lucas, and Paige!!

I am from LizRyan Salon & Spa located right across the street from the movie theater in South Haven. We are hosting a free event on Tuesday April 16th for prom formal wear. We are accepting donations for suits, dresses, shoes and any other gently used formal wear and already have two big racks full! The event on 4/16 will be open to the public so that high school students can come try and take what they wish for any spring formal events. I have attached a flyer to this email for your reference. Our instagram account is @lizryansalon for anyone that is interested in more information or would like to view some photos of what we are getting in!

Siera Payne

Event Coordinator

LizRyan Salon & Spa

(269) 615 0366

I was born & raised in Battle Creek. Went to Pennfield class of ‘08. I played basketball from middle school all through high school and golf for three years in high school, was active in 4H poultry and swine for thirteen years. I moved to Stevensville 2013.

My husband is Ryan. we got married in 2016. Son Cooper (9), 3rd grade. He is a true farm kid, much rather be in a tractor or on the farm. Daughter Rylie (5), kindergarten. True firecracker, tell her she can’t and she will just to prove you wrong. We have a 3 year old blue heeler Molly. Summertime we have pigs for fair and feeder ones, anywhere from five to ten we’ll raise from spring to fall.

For fun I go camping, fishing, beach, going for gator rides, anything outdoors really. Most of my time these days seems to be running kids from sports, horse riding, or archery lessons. Watching my kids succeed in what they do.

I am proud to be a WHS Panther because of the family atmosphere!

I grew up just north of Detroit, in a city called Sterling Heights. I went to Warren Mott High School.

My family consists of me and my husband Ben, and our two daughters Mya and Charlotte. We also have three cats, Molly, Minnie and Moose.

I like to spend time with my family and friends. I also enjoy being outdoors. I love gardening, playing sports, hiking trails, and going to the beach in the summer.

I met my husband playing Call of Duty. He's from England and moved here in 2014. We will celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this year.

I am proud to be a Because of the students. Whether if I'm in the cafeteria or coaching, getting to know these kids and being a part of the Watervliet community has been great.

I grew up in Swartz Creek, MI just outside of Flint. I graduated from Swartz Creek High School.

My family consists of my husband, Brad, and our 7 children. Their names are Braizen (11th), Nahduleigh (9th), Jonah (8th), Kendrah (7th), Peyton (1st), Sawyer (1st), & Carter (9 months).

For fun, I like to spend time with my family, go to church, read, and crochet.

People may be surprised to now that I have a twin. I am a twin and I also have twins.

I’m proud to be a WHS panther because I appreciate being apart of a community that makes children and families a priority.

Big congratulations go out to four exceptional Watervliet Art Students, who brought

in a great performance at the prestigious Kalamazoo Institute of Arts - High School

Area Show. The exhibit opened over spring break and is on view until April 28.

Taylor Green’s abstract painting was given an Honorable Mention from this year’s

juror.

Nicole Bender received a scholarship to Frostic School of Art at Western Michigan

University for her charcoal drawing.

Riley Preston’s ceramic boot and altered book brought her a scholarship to

Western Michigan University and to University of Olivet

Susannah Weckwerth's charcoal drawing was recognized with a Juror’s Award

which is a cash prize.

Congratulations again. We are so proud of your hard work and talent!

223 Panthers completed our annual student survey this year. In each parent newsletter for the remainder of this school year, you will see a few results included, until all of the results have been shared. The Student Advisory Council to the Principal (SAC) have reviewed all of the results and feel positive overall regarding what the survey shows. The results have also been reviewed with the WHS staff and will also be reviewed at the next PAC meeting this week!

We want you accessing your child's Canvas account! Please take the following steps so that you can be checking on his/her grades on a regular basis.

1. Steps for parents to create a parent Canvas account.

   1. Obtain Student Pairing Code

   2. Sign up for an account through your phone app or on the computer using an email address.
      

2. Parents should go to www.watervlietps.org and click on the link "Canvas for Parents" in the middle of the homepage. Here is the direct link: https://www.

   watervlietps.org/o/wps/page/

   canvas-resources. Here you will find the screenshot instructions, a 7 slide presentation and brief videos on navigating the parent portal, checking grades, viewing assignments and accessing teacher feedback.

3. Students need to create the pairing code for their parents and it is only valid for 7 days.

4. If you are having difficulty obtaining the student pairing code, teachers have access to this information within their course by going to People and clicking on the 3 dots in the upper right corner and choosing Export Pairing Codes. Again, these pairing codes are only good for 7 days. Quick way for teachers get this code to a parent when communicating with them.

5. Instructions are online AND shared every Friday in the high school parent newsletter.

Please reach out to us in the high school office if you have questions or concerns about accessing your child's Canvas account. We need and want your support at the high school!

Apr 16 Dual Enrollment Night

Apr 17 Early Release Day

Apr 17 PAC Meeting

Apr 18 SAT for JUNIORS, PSAT for 9th and 10th Graders

Apr 19 MSTEP for Juniors (Science and Social Studies)

May 1 Early Release Day

May 1 SAC 7:30 AM

May 3 Progress Reports

May 3 April Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

May 9 Blood Drive

May 10 Decision Day 10 am (Seniors)

May 11 PROM 7-11 PM; place TBD

May 15 Early Release Day

May 15 Senior Awards Night 6 pm

May 15 SAC 7:30 AM

May 16 Spring Band Concert

May 22 PAC 6 pm

May 21-23 Senior Exams Days

May 23 Spring Choir Concert

May 24 Seniors’ Last Day

May 24 Car Parade

May 27 Memorial Day; No School

May 29 Baccalaureate 6 pm (Seniors)

May 29 SAC 7:30 AM

May 30 Senior Picnic/School visits and grad practice

May 31 May Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

May 31 Graduation 6:30 pm

June 3 Underclassmen Awards; time TBD

June 4-6 Half Days for Exams

June 6 Last Day of School