Trojan Talk
Follow Me Please!
The Insta war continues... Mr. Cairnes and I are in a fierce competition to get the most followers on our Instagram pages. Please help me win! I need to get to 1500 before he does! Everyday, I post a picture of “Learning in Action” at WHS! Check out all of the great things going on in your classrooms at @ProudToBeWHS on Instagram!
3 National Merit Scholar Semi-Finalists
Congratulations to our National Merit Scholars (pictured)! This month, three Wissahickon High School students were recognized as semi-finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program for this year. These seniors were selected based on their score on the PSAT/NMSQT test last fall. Semifinalists from across the country represent less than 1% of the nation’s high school graduating seniors. Congratulations to our WHS semifinalists on this outstanding accomplishment! We are so proud of Josiah Feng, Justin Pak, and Regan Szczepkowicz! They now have the opportunity to continue in the competition to be awarded a National Merit Scholarship.
These Posters are Out of This World
Ms. Shahbazi wants to give her students a shoutout for their hard work in creating solar system posters to kick off the school year in Environmental Science. The students learned that knowing our place in the solar system is the first step in studying the environment around us. Additionally, working collaboratively is the first step in creating a cooperative classroom for the year. Thanks for building community while also teaching the content!
Physics Classes are in Motion
Mr. MacMinn wants to recognize his students in his Physics class for putting motion to the test! They’re moving forward and backward to match position versus time and velocity versus time graphs. Real-time feedback from the software shows how closely their movements align with the graphs—physics in action! Great work!
A Bite-Sized World Tour
Students in Gourmet Foods have done an amazing job to begin the semester. Mr. Batdorf is so proud of them already! They started their culinary trip around the globe with stops in Germany, France, and El Salvador. The recipes they prepared were German Soft Pretzels, French Crepes, and Salvadoran Pupusas. The pupusa was our first recipe to kick off Hispanic Heritage Month. It is a very popular hand-held food made with corn flour and a variety of fillings that include cheese, refried beans, and meat.
On August 22, close to 400 ninth graders arrived on campus for our Freshman Orientation program facilitated by the one and only Wiss Link! The freshman arrived to the campus and were immediately met with welcoming (and loud!) teachers, staff, and student leaders. There was no turning back! They spent the morning participating in team-building activities and learning about the ins and outs of WHS. Most importantly, they had the chance to learn from and connect with our extremely dedicated and awesome Wiss Link student leaders. Those same 70 leaders spent the weekend before the first day of school delivering lawn signs to the Class of 2029 and came to school on the first day of school dressed in their Wiss Link T-shirt so the freshman could spot them. I am pretty sure all of our Wiss Link leaders logged in a lot of walked miles that first day in the building; they spent the day walking freshmen to classes and answering questions. These same leaders will continue meeting with their groups of freshman over the first two months of school, telling them about upcoming events, how to join clubs/activities, and how to communicate with teachers and get help to be successful academically. Thank you to our Wiss Link student leaders! You are THE BEST! I saw so many of you reaching out to freshmen, even before they asked for help! I am really proud of you. And, thank you to our Wiss Link Faculty Advisors: Ms. VanScoy, Ms. Lehman, Ms. Chang, and Dr. Leister. The program’s success is a reflection of you.
No Place for Hate Activities
Wissahickon High School is excited to continue with our efforts to develop an inclusive school climate approach that highlights the great work that we are doing on a daily basis. This year, the efforts will be led by Wissahickon High School's Town Hall! The desire and willingness of these students to work in collaboration with other clubs and affinity groups to create activities, opportunities, and programming that will allow for greater peer to peer connections is something we should all be looking forward to! Stay tuned for announcements from our Town Hall and Mr. Brooks about all of the events that will be sure to bring us all together as we strive to create school that is No Place For Hate!
WHS Camerata Hosts 9/11 Memorial Concert
On Thursday, September 11th, our WHS Camerata held their annual 9/11 Memorial Concert, offering a place for our community to reflect on the historical and devastating tragedy that impacted our nation twenty-four years ago. The program was created back in 2002, by the then Camerata, in order to provide a safe, welcoming space in our community for people to come together and just be, if they’d care to. Many people in our community remember that day – and recall the experience of simply not knowing what to do or where to go; this feeling was the motivation for the memorial. The students, under the direction of Mr. Conahan, did a wonderful job honoring those lives lost, the heroes of 9/11, and their families. Thank you for the continued effort to remind us to “never forget”.
TENNIS
Congratulations to the Trojans who went undefeated in the Suburban One League Liberty Division and won the Division Championship!
Leading the way are senior captains Elise Lombardot and Nicolette Agassi, joined by standout singles player Alexa Bowers, who round out Wissahickon's top three.
In doubles action:
• Sophia Cheng (Jr.) and Molly Brinker (Fr.) anchor the first doubles team
• Juliet O'Farrell and Libby Lucas (both Sophomores) hold down second doubles
• Skylar Rostolsky and Virginia Spellman (Sophomores) bring grit to third doubles
• Bela Shah (Soph.) and Chloe Lee (Fr.) round out the lineup at fourth doubles
Also, congratulations to Elise Lombardot and Alexa Bowers on earning second and third place finishes respectively in the SOL Liberty Division Singles Championship!
CHEER
The cheerleading team has kicked off the season with impressive energy and dedication, bringing strong spirit to the sidelines at football games and making great strides in skill development. Their commitment has set a positive tone for the year.
We’re excited to invite prospective athletes to an Open Gym on October 6, offering a chance to explore cheerleading and build foundational skills. Additionally, a second tryout will be held on October 20 for those interested in joining the team for the upcoming competition and basketball season.
We look forward to welcoming new talent and continuing to grow our program!
Safe2Say Something
It is important that our students know that they play a pivotal role in the safety of WHS – when they see something concerning, I continue to encourage them to say something to a trusted adult. Please help me reiterate the importance of that through conversations at home. Together, we can keep our students and staff safe!
As a reminder, Safe2Say Something is a youth violence prevention program run by the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. The program teaches youth and adults how to recognize warning signs and signals, especially within social media, from individuals who may be a threat to themselves or others and to “say something” before it is too late. With Safe2Say Something, it’s easy and confidential to report safety concerns to help prevent violence and tragedies.
Here’s how it works:
- Submit an anonymous tip report through the Safe2SaySomething system
- The Crisis Center reviews, assesses and processes all submissions
- The Crisis Center sends all submissions to school administration and/or law enforcement for intervention
- If needed, the Crisis Center may contact the tipster anonymously through the app
You can also access Safe2Say via our district website.
As a reminder to all of our students, together, we need to keep our community safe. Please be sure not to open any outside doors and please alert a teacher or administrator about any concerns you have. Thank you for the teamwork!