The Whetstone Weekly

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Upcoming Dates

• Spirit Week* - Monday - Friday, 10/5-9
• Kiwanis Fair - Tuesday, 10/6
• PTA Academic Committee Meeting* - Wednesday, 10/7
• Homecoming Parade & Game (vs. Northland)* - Friday, 10/9
• Homecoming Dance* - Saturday, 10/10
• Fall choir and orchestra concert* - Tuesday, 10/13
• College Career Fair - Thursday, 10/15
• End of 1st Quarter - Thursday, 10/15
• NO SCHOOL (Professional Development for teachers) - Friday, 10/16
• NO SCHOOL (Records Day) - Monday, 10/19
• PTA Meeting* - Wednesday, 10/21
• Parent Meeting for Winter Sports - Tuesday, 10/27, 6:30PM, WHS Gymnasium
• Marching Band Finale Concert* - Wednesday, 10/28
• Senior Cap and Gown Picture Day - Thursday, 10/29
• Parent-Teacher Conferences - Thursday, 11/19, 3-6:30PM

*See below for more info

CCS WHS Calendar

https://whetstonehs.ccsoh.us/calendar

CCS District Calendars

https://www.ccsoh.us/our-district/calendars

Homecoming Week is here!

PTA has been working hard assisting school staff with parade, festival, and dance planning!

Join us by 5pm Friday to kick off the festivities. If you can join us earlier to help with set up, bring snacks, candy, or water for the kids, or help with the Festival we would love that!

On top of that, we have our annual Homecoming Silent Auction, which benefits the PTA and allows us to do the many things we do, like fund a large part of the Homecoming Parade & Dance as well as provide Educator grants, $500 senior scholarships, and teacher appreciation meals throughout the year.

The Homecoming Silent Auction will be live starting this Tuesday, October 6 at 8:00am!

Find all the amazing offerings here: https://whetstonepta.givebacks.gives/2026homecoming/Campaign/Details

Winners will be emailed automatically at 10:01pm on Friday and items can be picked up from Aly Hartung at 70 E Como Sunday, 10/11 afternoon between 2-4.

Still want to get involved? There's still time! Signup at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AAAAD2BA20-65896883-2026#/

As part of the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce required health education curriculum, students will receive age-appropriate instruction that was formerly commonly referred to as Erin’s Law. This instruction focuses on personal safety, healthy boundaries, recognizing unsafe situations, and identifying trusted adults and resources for help. Schools are required to provide this instruction to students each year. Parents and guardians have the right to opt their child out of this instruction. If you would like to opt your child out, please email Principal Rodriguez at krodriguez@columbus.k12.oh.us.

Whetstone’s lesson dates:

Thursday, September 10th: Suicide Prevention

Wednesday, September 23rd: Social Inclusion-Start with Hello

Tuesday, October 6th: Dating Violence Prevention

Monday, November 16th: Violence Prevention

Ms. Tokar's Environmental Science class and Ms. Kemper's science classes visited the OSU Wetlands 10/1. Check out these fun pics!

We had a packed and successful week of athletics last week! Our student-athletes continue to represent Whetstone with pride, determination, and excellence.

Our Girls Soccer team earned a 7-0 victory over Beechcroft. Our Boys Cross Country team placed 2nd in the Joe Monda Invitational Meet on September 30th. Our Girls Volleyball team picked up wins over both Mifflin and East.

Our Golf team competed in the City League Championship Thursday and brought home 1st Place! Congratulations to our golfers on an outstanding season!

The championship season continues this week. Both our Girls and Boys Soccer teams will compete for the City Championship on October 6th at Kilbourne Run Sports Park (Info document attached). We also want to wish our Girls Tennis team good luck as they compete today at Afrocentric High School against Marion Franklin in the City League Championship!

Our Homecoming Parade, Festival, and Football Game are all happening this Friday!

Our athletic teams will be participating in the parade. Athletes participating in the parade should arrive by 4:30 PM.

• 4:30 PM — Athletic team participants arrive

• 5:00 PM — Homecoming Parade begins

• Following the parade — Homecoming Festival

• 7:00 PM — Football kickoff

We are also excited to recognize our Whetstone alumni during Homecoming! The first 30 alumni who stop by the Alumni Table will receive a FREE alumni shirt. Our alumni will also be recognized during halftime of the football game.

We hope to see our entire Braves community come out and celebrate Whetstone!

Important Dates:

• October 27th at 6:30 PM — Winter Sports Parent Meeting
  Whetstone Gym

• November 1st, 4:00–6:00 PM — Girls Basketball Tryouts, November 2nd, 5:00–7:30 PM — Girls Basketball Tryouts

https://canva.link/0jsiv22ccmpl1v8

Celebrate your fall sports athlete and show your pride with a yard sign! Available for purchase here: https://www.whetstoneathleticboosters.com/shop

Show your Whetstone pride and support your Whetstone athlete! There are many options and sites to support WHS Sports and Cheer.

Visit the Athletic Booster Spirit Wear store at https://1stplacespiritwear.com/schools/OH/Columbus/Whetstone%20High%20School to browse and buy hoodies, t-shirts, hats, blankets, drinkware, and more. Personalization is available on select items. There are Parent/Family, Alumni, and Teacher/Staff logos, too. And most importantly, all proceeds benefit our kids!

Interested in Whetstone Bowling Spirit Wear? Get some at https://whetstone-bowling.square.site

Get your Softball-specific sportswear at https://teamlocker.squadlocker.com/stores/whetstone-softball#/lockers/whetstone-softball

See past and upcoming matches for all WHS sports at WHS Athletic Schedule and buy your tickets at WHS Athletic Tickets.

WHS Boys and Girls Bowling Info, Schedule, and more can be found at https://www.cohsbc.com/index.aspx

The WHS Athletic Boosters provide team support - paying for various expenses that coaches and teams need to be successful during a season and annual monetary awards for graduating student athletes that have demonstrated excellence in academics. Visit whetstoneathleticboosters.com for more info.

The Whetstone Athletic Boosters organization exists to enhance the experiences of our student-athletes. Selling concessions at football and soccer games is our largest source of income, and the money raised benefits athletes in all sports! To make it happen, we need YOU to volunteer for a shift in the concession stand. In addition to helping our athletics programs, it’s a great way to meet new people. Plus, it will get you into the game for free!

Please follow this link to our website, where you will find links to sign up for ALL seasons and ALL sports. https://www.whetstoneathleticboosters.com/about-1

• Wednesday, October 28, 2026
• 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM

Come out for the Annual Finale Marching Band Concert! Listen to the songs that the Marching Band has gotten to play for you these fall Friday Nights all in one evening!

Free Admission.

Doors @ 6:45, Show begins @ 7:00. See you there!

Ticket at https://www.wapa.net/performances-gashZ

• November 13, & 14, 2026
• 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
• Whetstone High School Performing Arts Center

Alice's adventure begins with a fall down the rabbit hole and into the strange, unpredictable world of Wonderland—a place where ordinary rules no longer apply and nothing seems to make sense.

As Alice searches for a way home, she encounters an unforgettable collection of characters, including the hurried White Rabbit, contrary Caterpillar, eccentric Mad Hatter and March Hare, argumentative Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and commanding Red Queen, and more. Each encounter challenges Alice to question where she belongs, what she believes, and whether she can trust herself to make up her own mind.

As Wonderland becomes increasingly chaotic, Alice begins to find her voice, question its ridiculous rules, and stand up for what she believes. Charlotte B. Chorpenning's Alice in Wonderland is a whimsical, fast-moving adventure filled with comedy, imagination, larger-than-life characters, and a meaningful journey about growing up, finding your voice, and learning to trust yourself.

Get your tickets at https://www.wapa.net/performances-gashZ

• The performing arts do not receive regular financial support from CCS so we typically have four main fundraisers throughout the year that need adult support

  • Fall Booster drive we do with athletics
  • Fall Mum sale
  • Winter Greenery sale
  • Spring plant sale

• In addition to the fundraisers, we also need adult support throughout the year for a variety of thing including helping with concessions, special events, theater meals, etc. More information on these as we go through the year

• We also welcome corporate and personal sponsorship. Please visit the store front on wapa.net for more information

The Band App helps keep WAPA families and students connected and informed. Access to the WHS Band group on the Band App requires an invitation. Reach out to the directors or you can email wapaboosters@gmail.com and we will help get you connected.

Get the Band App at https://www.band.us/en

WAPA IS...A place to experience inspiring music and theater. A place for students to grow. A place for instructors to shine. A place for our community to come together. WAPA is here to inspire.

WAPA is the umbrella structure for all the performing arts at Whetstone. It is not a separate entity from Whetstone High School and there is no application to join. If a student participates in any of the performing arts at Whetstone, they are in WAPA.

For more info, visit wapa.net.

Interested in getting involved?

PTA Meetings

Join us to hear the latest news, get updates from Principal Rodriguez, and learn how you can contribute to our wonderful school community. All are welcome but in order to be a voting member, you need to pay $10 for a membership. Click here for membership options.

The next PTA meeting is Wednesday, 10/21 at 6:30pm in the WHS Library.

PTA Academic Committee Meetings

The PTA Academic Committee was newly formed last year to lead PTA efforts in supporting co-curricular (for instance, National History Day) and extracurricular (for instance, student clubs/grants) activities that aren't the focus of the other booster orgs. We also manage the Teacher of the Year and Senior Scholarships awards processes and try to connect families with information about Whetstone academics by inviting school staff to speak at meetings.

The next PTA Academic Committee meeting is Wednesday, 10/7 at 6:30 pm in the WHS Library.

Need quick and easy dinner plans on Saturday, October 10? Check out Chipotle from 4-8pm!
Be sure to say you're with Whetstone and 25% of event sales will be donated to the Whetstone PTA.

• Join the WHS PTA as parent/guardian or community member for $10/school year
• https://whetstonepta.givebacks.com/shop
• Link your Kroger card to WHS through the Kroger Community Rewards program
• https://www.whetstonepta.org/home/kroger-community-rewards-for-whs-pta
• Donate throughout the year but especially for Homecoming (Oct 9) at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScUgYdrCGWYcOCyi04gcIkZanWxMZj5b5565dYFV3O6x6S9MQ/viewform
• Volunteer with the PTA (email us at whetstonepta@gmail.com, link coming soon)
• Purchase your WHS Spirit Wear from the PTA here and at each of the home football games

The Whetstone Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a community of parent volunteers, working to provide scholarships for students, grants for teachers, connect school leadership with parents, and enrich the high school experience for ALL the students at Whetstone High School. See below for ways to keep informed and connected on the latest PTA info!

• Website
• https://www.whetstonepta.org
• Social Media
• Facebook PTA page
• https://www.facebook.com/whetstonehighpta
• Facebook PTA Family group
• https://www.facebook.com/groups/472994289728615 (be sure to answer the questions)
• Instagram
• https://www.instagram.com/whetstone_pta
• Join us on the Band App
• https://www.band.us/band/99715157/post
• Bookmark our Linktree (which will also have the above links)
• https://linktr.ee/whetstonepta
• View and/or download our PTA calendar to your Google calendar (click on the "Add to Google Calendar in the bottom left corner)
• https://www.whetstonepta.org/home/calendar

Columbus Public Health is partnering with your school to offer a flu vaccine clinic onsite at your child’s school. This vaccine clinic will offer the flu vaccine at NO COST to all eligible students. Consent form is due by 11/27 and Whetstone date is 12/1 at 12:30 in the WHS Library. See the Flyer for more info.

Whetstone will be screening all 9th, 11th and New To District students on 10/13/26 and 10/14/26. Please make sure your student is on time and attending school on those days. For more info, please see the flyer.

The American Diabetes Association and current Ohio Law deems that it is medically necessary to allow diabetic students to have access to their cellular devices when using a continuous glucose monitor.

October 5–9, 2026–Presented by Your Senior Cabinet

Get ready, Whetstone! Show your school spirit all week as we celebrate Homecoming!

• Monday, October 5 — Meme Day
• Come dressed as your favorite school-appropriate meme!
• Tuesday, October 6 — Decades Day
• Pick a decade and bring it back! From the ’50s to the 2000s, show us your favorite era.
• Wednesday, October 7 — Blitz & Glam Day
• Blitz: Wear your favorite jersey or sports gear.
• Glam: Dress up and bring the sparkle!
• Thursday, October 8 — Rhyme Without a Reason Day
• Grab a friend and dress as two things that rhyme, but have absolutely nothing to do with each other!
• Friday, October 9 — Cohort/Grade-Level Color Day - Let’s fill Whetstone with color!
• 12th Grade — PURPLE
• 11th Grade — PINK
• 10th Grade — ORANGE
• 9th Grade — YELLOW

This is a friendly reminder that cell phones should be put away during the school day at Whetstone High School. Students are expected to place their phones in the cell phone box located in each classroom. At this time, about 50% of students are consistently following this expectation. If a student has their phone out without teacher permission, an administrator will contact the parent/guardian, and the phone will be secured in the main office until the end of the school day. We understand that students and families value being able to stay connected. At the same time, reducing cell phone distractions helps students stay engaged, focused, and successful in the classroom. Thank you for your partnership and support as we work together to provide the best learning environment for all students.

Principal Rodriguez is interested in hearing from you! She would like to establish a monthly meeting with families to gather and share information regarding your students, your family, and your school.

But when...?

Please provide input (just 2 questions!) on the best time of day to have a monthly open meeting with the Principal. To respond, visit the form at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdw_kU7eM5vl19rZ5cre2AAeNqtGAfw5lt8CZ74NWXi9iL4ZQ/viewform

The Whetstone Ski and Board Club now has an active link to submit the fee for bussing to and from Snow Trails. Visit https://whetstonepta.givebacks.com/shop/items/ad07dbdc1d9b10 to pay.

The club is open to all students, regardless of experience, and includes six (6) trips on Thursdays to Snow Trails beginning January 7, and concluding February 11.

For more information please contact club advisor Toby Hawk (thawk573@columbus.k12.oh.us).

The 2026 Homecoming Dance is October 10, 2026 7:00pm-9:30pm, The theme is Red Carpet! Price: $25/ticket. Eligibility: No In School Suspension or Out of School Suspension.

TICKET LINK AT: https://www.locallevelevents.com/events/details/47223

Prom: May 7, 2027, 7pm-10pm

Location: Hilton Easton

3900 Chagrin Dr.

Columbus, Ohio 43219

Price: TBD

School Tours are coming soon! Watch this space for more information.

Your Columbus Board of Education wants to hear from you! Join us for an upcoming Board meeting at 3700 S. High Street:

• Aug. 4 & 18
• Sept. 8 & 15
• Oct. 6 & 20
• Nov. 4 & 17
• Dec. 1 & 15
• Jan. 5, 2027

Board meetings begin at 6 p.m. Community members can meet one-on-one with Board members during office hours from 5:15–5:45 p.m. before each regular business meeting. Come ask questions, share your thoughts, and make your voice heard!

October is National Bullying Prevention Month, which makes it a good time to talk with students about what bullying actually looks like and what they can do when they see it happening.

Visit https://www.mobileedproductions.com/blog/how-to-talk-to-students-about-bullying for an easy guide to beginning the conversation with your students about bullying.

Foster Hope Holiday Fest continues to grow as a powerful, joy-filled experience designed to celebrate and equip teens as they prepare for adulthood. The event is open to youth ages 15–19 currently in foster care within Central Ohio (Delaware, Fairfield, Franklin, Knox, Licking, Madison, Marion, Morrow, Pickaway, and Union counties), along with one trusted adult—a foster parent, mentor, caseworker, or caregiver.

Get more info and register at https://www.one.church/events?id=Event-e332c444-d31e-4e5e-bbf1-ae9dd234db3d

The Columbus Metropolitan Library has fun and educational activities going on all the time – stop in to see what’s happening! Get more info below and at https://www.columbuslibrary.org/school-age/

See the flyer for a free opportunity at the University of Dayton to explore engineering opportunities.

Boss Up is an eight-week youth development and career exploration program that helps high school students build life skills, financial confidence, leadership habits, and exposure to future career pathways.

The program includes financial literacy with an introduction to stock investing, helping students understand saving, budgeting, investing basics, and long-term wealth-building habits. The program combines classroom learning, hands-on activities, guest speakers, site visits, and credential-building opportunities to help young people prepare for life after high school.

For more information, see the flyer below, call 614-252-2799 or email afterschool@impactca.org

Stay engaged in your child's education! The Parent Portal (through Infinite Campus) is your link to real-time information on your Columbus City Schools student(s), including class schedules, assignments, grades, attendance, and more.

To access the Parent Portal, visit: https://columbusoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/columbusCity.jsp

For information on how to access and use the Parent Portal, visit https://secure.smore.com/3jk0e

Want even more WHS info? Visit these WHS-related groups and pages online.

• Whetstone HS (website) - whetstonehs.ccsoh.us
• Whetstone HS (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonehigh
  
• Whetstone HA PTA (website) - https://www.whetstonepta.org
• Whetstone HS PTA (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstone_pta
• Whetstone HS PTA (Facebook) - facebook.com/whetstonehighpta/
• Whetstone HS PTA Family Group (Facebook) - facebook.com/groups/472994289728615
• Whetstone HS Athletic Boosters (Facebook) - facebook.com/WHSAthleticBoosters
  
• Whetstone AD (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstone_athleticdirector
• Whetstone Football Program (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonehsfootball
• Whetstone HS Cheer (Instagram) - instagram.com/whsbraves.cheer
• WHS Baseball (Facebook) - facebook.com/Whetstone-Braves-Baseball-199500710084504
  
• WHS Baseball (Twitter) - twitter.com/WhetstoneBraves
• Whetstone HS boys soccer (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstoneboyssoccerofficial
  
• Whetstone HS girls soccer (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonegsoccer
  
• Whetstone CC/Track and Field - instagram.com/whetstonetrackandfield
• Whetstone Baseball (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonebaseball1
  
• WAPA (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstoneapa
• WAPA (Facebook) - facebook.com/WhetstoneAPA
• WAPA Boosters (Facebook) - facebook.com/groups/127079587751458
• Columbus City Schools (website) - ccsoh.us/district
• Columbus City Schools (Facebook) - facebook.com/ColumbusCitySchools

Location: 4405 Scenic Dr, Columbus, OH 43214

Website: whetstonehs.ccsoh.us

Email: whetstonehs@columbus.k12.oh.us

Hours: 7:30AM - 2:30PM

Phone: (614) 365-6060

• Principal, Kimberly Rodriguez: krodriguez@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Assistant Administrator (11th & 12th), Tara Ottey: tottey@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Assistant Administrator (10th), Daniel McElroy: dmcelroyjr4864@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Assistant Administrator (9th), Sarah Jaffy: sjaffy6286@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Leadership Intern, Ravin Pandey: rpandey@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Administrative Secretary, Martina Jakob: ejakob@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Attendance Secretary, Lisa Hord: lhord4655@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Social Worker, Diamond McCoy, dmccoy1@columbus.k12.oh.us
• I Know I Can, Nicole Martin, nmartin@iknowican.org
• Internship Coordinator, William Eagle, weagle4897@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Counselors

• Marie Fiascunari (9th), mfiascunari9064@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Marie McClain (10th), mmcclain415@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Matt Agee (11th), magee@columbus.k12.oh.us
• Annie Schwab (12th), aschwab6520@columbus.k12.oh.us

Thanks for reading!

The Whetstone Weekly is a regular, digital digest intended to help keep families informed, educated, and up-to-date on our school. If you have suggestions, questions, comments, concerns, or content, please feel free to contact me. I'm here to help!

If you missed a past issue, visit the Whetstone Weekly Archive.

For much more info, visit the WHS PTA Family Ambassador Page.

Damian Synadinos

WHS Family Ambassador

dsynadinos@columbus.k12.oh.us