Westy's Family News

Good afternoon Westy Families and Students!

It's hard to believe that the 2026-2027 school year is right around the corner! I hope everyone has had a wonderful Summer Break. We've been busy at work planning for this school year, and we are excited to welcome our wolves back very soon! The next month is a busy one, so be sure to check out the "Save the Date" section below for all the upcoming events you'll want to add to your calendar.

In this week's edition of Westy's Family News, you'll find LOTS of important information including next week's mandatory check-in, Freshman Orientation, the 9th Grade Ice Cream Social and Information Night, a suggested school supplies list, the first day of school, and more!

I can't wait to welcome everyone back on campus. In the meantime, enjoy these last couple weeks of summer!

With Westy Pride,

Maureen Bangsund

Proud Principal 🐺

Westminster High School

@ItsMePrincipalB

📣GO WOLVES!

Our mandatory check-in for all students is next week! This is when all students will be able to get their school ID (so be ready for pictures!), pick up their Chromebook, pay fees, complete any last minute registrations for Fall sports, and get set-up for a smooth first day of school on August 12th! If you haven't yet registered for the school year, we will also be able to help you out with that during this time. You can also click on the button below to complete the online registration ahead of time to speed up the process and get you in and out quicker.

Please see below for your grade-level's assigned date (families with students in multiple grade levels may choose which day they want to attend):

• Tuesday, July 28th: 1:00 - 6:00 PM
  All returning 9th and 12th graders
  
  
• Wednesday, July 29th : 1:00 - 6:00 PM
  All returning 10th and 11th graders
  
  
• Thursday, July 30th : 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  All students who are new to the district

Please note that students must be accompanied by their parent/guardian in order to complete the full check-in / registration process. We look forward to seeing you next week!

We are working hard behind the scenes to ensure that all students have a schedule that includes their interests and meets their academic needs!

Student schedules are expected to be available in Infinite Campus next week of registration, July 28th-30th. Students will have that week to request small modifications to their schedules.

Our counseling team spent a lot of time in the spring working with all students to carefully choose the courses that are right for them. Therefore, schedule changes will be limited! Students requesting schedule changes must provide a compelling reason for the change. We will not accommodate teacher, class period, or lunch changes.

Please watch for a follow up message on when schedules are officially available to view in Infinite Campus.

📣 All 9th-Grade students will receive a planner from their Freshman Academy teacher, so they will not need to purchase one separately. However, all other grade levels are STRONGLY encouraged to purchase a planner. Copies will be available at the school store for students who need one.

One of the most important factors in a student's success is simply being in school—on time, every day. This year, Westminster High School is placing a strong emphasis on improving both attendance and punctuality because every minute of instruction matters.

Research consistently shows why attendance is so important:

• Students who attend school regularly are more likely to earn higher grades, stay on track for graduation, and enroll in college or career training.
• Missing just 2 days per month (18 days over the course of a school year) means a student is considered chronically absent, placing them at significantly greater risk of falling behind academically.
• Being late to class has a cumulative impact. Missing just 10 minutes of instruction each day adds up to nearly 30 hours of lost learning over a school year.
• Students with strong attendance are more likely to build positive relationships with teachers and peers, participate in extracurricular activities, and develop habits that prepare them for future careers.

We are committed to ensuring every student has the opportunity to learn in a focused, supportive environment. Throughout the year, we will be working closely with students and families to encourage positive attendance habits, reduce unnecessary tardies, celebrate improvements, and provide support when barriers arise.

Here's how families can help:

• Make school attendance a daily expectation.
• Encourage students to arrive on campus early enough to be in class before the bell rings.
• Schedule appointments outside of the school day whenever possible.
• Communicate with the school if challenges arise so we can work together to support your student.
• Reinforce that every class period matters and every minute counts.

We understand that illnesses and emergencies happen, but our goal is for every student to be present and engaged whenever possible. Together, we can help our students maximize every learning opportunity and build habits that will serve them well beyond high school.

Thank you for your continued partnership and for making attendance and punctuality a priority for your student.

This year we are adopting SmartPass, the leading digital hall pass and student movement system in education, to help make student movement on campus safer, easier, and less stressful. One of the features we are most excited about is the Parent Portal which will allow parent(s)/guardian(s) to monitor their student(s)'s use of hall passes and how much instructional time they might be missing out of. This feature will strengthen our ability to partner with families to help ensure student success!

To learn more about this system, please click HERE.

The deadline to register for fall sports is July 30th. Prior to competing in any sports season, all athletes must be registered, have paid their registration fee, and have a current physical on file.

There will be a mandatory fall sports parent meeting on July 29th at 5:00 PM.

Keep reading for more information on the remaining days of the Athletics Summer Workout Schedule! 📣 Please keep in mind that all athletes MUST be registered, have PAID their registration fee, and have a CURRENT PHYSICAL on file in order to participate in these summer workouts!

📆 July 27th - July 30th

⏰ 6:45 AM to 10:30 AM

📍 WHS Weight Room

🪧 First Official Day/Tryouts: August 3rd

🙋‍♂️ Coach Kevin Meyer kemeyer@wps.org

📆 July 28th and July 29th (Tuesdays and Wednesdays only)

⏰ 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM

📍 WHS Indoor Track & Weight Room

🪧 First Official Day/Tryouts: August 10th

🙋‍♂️ Coach Matthew Gillette mgillette@wps.org

📆 July 28th and July 29th

⏰ 8:30 AM to 9:45 AM

📍 WHS Indoor Track & Weight Room

📣 Times and areas coincide exactly with Cross Country

🙋‍♂️ Coach Matthew Gillette mgillette@wps.org

📆 July 27th and July 29th
⏰ 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM

📍 WHS Soccer Practice Field

🪧 First Official Day/Tryouts: August 10th

🙋‍♂️ Coach Martin Fuentes mfuentes@wps.org

📆 July 27th and July 29th

⏰ 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

📍 WHS Main Gym

🙋‍♂️ Coach Scott Case scase@wps.org

📆July 28th and July 30th
⏰5:00 PM to 6:30 PM

📍 WHS Main Gym

🙋‍♂️ Coach Khrys Contreraz k.contreraz@yahoo.com

📆 July 27th - August 6th (Mondays through Thursdays only)

⏰ 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

📍 England Park Field

🪧 First Official Day/Tryouts: August 10th

🙋‍♀️ Coach Alex Towers atowers@wps.org

📆 July 27th and July 29th (Mondays and Wednesdays only)

⏰ 4:15 PM to 6:15 PM

📍 WHS Baseball Field

🙋‍♂️ Coach Darian Duran dduran@wps.org

📆 July 27th and July 28th

⏰ 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

📆 July 29th

⏰ 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM

📍 Legacy Ridge Golf Course

💰 $25 per person entry fee

🪧 First Official Day/Tryouts for Boys' Golf: August 3rd

🙋‍♂️ Coach Adam Viglione aviglione@wps.org

⏰ The presentation begins at 6:00 PM

📍 Westminster High School Theater

💰 Free!

🍦 Join us afterwards to celebrate National Root Beer Float Day by enjoying a free root beer float served up by the Westy Admin Team!

We'll be handing out backpacks, school supplies, and breakfast. Thank you to our partners, @a_precious_child and @wps_foundation!

⏰ 8:00 - 10:00 AM

📍 Westminster High School Cafe and Amphitheater

💰 Free!

We are so excited to welcome the class of 2030! Throughout this fun and informative day, students will get to know the routines, procedures, and culture of Westy, receive a complete tour of the school, engage in conversations with other Westy students, meet the 9th grade team, and learn how to start the year off right and get the most out of their high school experience!

⏰ 8:45 AM - 12:15 PM (please be on time!)

📍 Westminster High School Gym

🚌 Buses WILL be running their normal routes for this day.

🥪 A grab-and-go lunch will be provided to all students as they leave.

👥 Mandatory for all incoming 9th graders (students only--families are encouraged to attend the 9th Grade Ice Cream Social and Information Night on August 6th instead)

The first day of school for all students is on Wednesday, August 12th. Students are expected to be in their seats, ready to learn, and engaged in the bell ringer by no later than 8:45 AM. Students may enter the building as early as 8:15 AM.

📵 The new cell phone policy is effective immediately, so students should be prepared to receive their cell phone pouch and use it on this first day back.

As a reminder, beginning this school year, Westminster High School is a CLOSED CAMPUS for all students (with the exception of select Seniors who qualify for the Principal's Pass).

Join us for our Back to School Night where parents/guardians are invited to meet our amazing teachers and staff and learn about all the wonderful things happening here at Westy and how we can partner together to best support your student(s) through the high school experience!

⏰ 4:30 - 7:00 PM

📍 Westminster High School

🎤 The WHS Admin Team will be hosting two informative sessions at 5:30 and 6:30 PM in the theater (both presentations are the same, so you only need to select one time to join).

• 9/2/26: Parent Advisory Committee 5:30 - 6:30 PM (via Zoom)
• 9/7/26: No School in Observance of Labor Day
• 9/12/26: Annual Homecoming Carnival
• 9/14/26: No School for Students (staff professional development day)
• 9/16/26: Powder Puff Football Game
• 9/18/26: Homecoming Game
• 9/19/26: Homecoming Dance

• 10/8/26: Fall Conferences 4:30 - 7:00 PM
• 10/12 - 10/13/26: No School - Fall Break
• 10/19/26: District Showcase
• 10/26/26: No School for Students (staff professional development day)

• 11/5/26: Attendance Intervention Night
• 11/9/26: No School in Observance of Veterans' Day
• 11/11/26: Practice Test Day
• 11/19/26: Turkey Bowl
• 11/23 - 11/27/26: Thanksgiving Break

• 12/16/26: Parent Advisory Committee 5:30 - 6:30 PM (via Zoom)
• 12/21/26 - 1/5/27: Winter Break

• 1/6/27: First Day of 2nd Semester
• 1/18/27: No School in Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

• 2/6/27: Celebrating Academic Excellence
• 2/6/27: JROTC Military Ball
• 2/10/27: Spring Conferences 4:30 - 7:00 PM
• 2/15/27: No School in Observance of Presidents' Day

• 3/1/27: No School for Students (staff professional development day)
• 3/22 - 3/26/27: Spring Break

• 4/13/27: State Testing (9th and 11th Grades)
• 4/14/27: State Testing (10th and 11th Grades)
• 4/17/27: Prom
• 4/21/27: Parent Advisory Committee 5:30 - 6:30 PM (via Zoom)
• 4/24/27: Celebrating Artistic Excellence
• 4/26/27: No School

• 5/7/27: Seniors' Last Day of School
• 5/13/27: Senior Awards
• 5/17/27: Senior Check-Out
• 5/18/27: Graduation Practice
• 5/19/27: ALPHA Parade
• 5/20/27: Class of 2027 Graduation Ceremony
• 5/26/27: Last Day of School

📣 Please note that all dates are subject to change. Check this section of the weekly newsletter regularly for any updates or additions!

6/28/26 - Westy's Family News