Panther Print for Parents 🐾

On Saturday, March 16th, Ken Dietz was recognized by the MHSAA at the boys basketball state finals for his 20 years of officiating basketball. Later this spring, at a banquet Dietz and several other officials will be awarded for their service as an MHSAA official.

Thank you to Mr. Coburn who was a part of a team effort to set up a trip to CMU for Juniors from Niles, Buchanan, Coloma, and Watervliet this week! They received a presentation from CMU admissions, a small group tour, and lunch in one of the dining halls. Student behavior on the trip was excellent, and they were attentive and respectful throughout the trip, even with the bus delays.

After spring break, you will receive the following letter with your child's Marking Period 3 report card. Please review the letter below, discuss it with your child, and contact Mrs. Dawson with changes and requests to your child 24-25 schedule. THANK YOU !

This week’s Press Box Player of the Week is Grace Chisek.

Grace just completed her senior season on the Panther basketball team and closes her career with 1,109 points, the fourth-highest in Watervliet girls basketball history. She was in the starting lineup of every game played since the beginning of her freshman season, missing only a few at the end of this season due to a leg injury.

Grace was the player you wanted to watch in their games. She was always good for a steal and a fast break, a big rebound, or a strong drive to the basket to draw a hard foul and free throws. She wasn’t afraid to hit the floor chasing a ball or making a play, which unsurprisingly extends to her softball style which sees her face down in the dirt several times each game.

She’s been playing basketball forever, loves playing defense to get a steal or a stop, and says her least favorite part of the game is losing a close one.

Her favorite basketball memory is wining the district basketball championship last season with the girls she’s been playing with since third grade, then coming back to the Panther gym to celebrate by cutting down the nets.

You probably know she’s pretty fair in a couple other sports as well, earning All State recognition as a volleyball setter in 2021, 2022, and 2023, softball shortstop in 2021 and 2022, and basketball guard last season, putting her among the top athletes Watervliet history. And, she could add one or two more to that list this spring.

After graduation she will be attending Grand Rapids CC to play softball and earn a dental hygiene degree.

Congratulations, Grace!

Thanks Mr. Steele and the woodshop classes!!!

New clip boxes for the Wt. Room

The Panther track teams spent some time today getting their area ready for competition. Special thanks to Hardings in Coloma for supplying grocery bags to the teams so our athletes could clean the track and field area. We are looking forward to an awesome season. #PAWS

Our science classrooms have been provided with lab kits thanks to Engineering Tomorrow, a nonprofit providing high schools with engineering lab kits at no cost. Developed by professional engineers for student use, these innovative kits challenge students to think like engineers by identifying problems, brainstorming solutions, and iterating designs. After first hearing about them from an out-of-state colleague, I experienced how engaging the kits were and quickly shared them with the entire science department. We've received six so far covering topics like renewable energy and biomedical devices. We look forward to continuing our partnership with Engineering Tomorrow to expose more students to the world of engineering.

The arts have been a large part of my life for as far back as I can remember. As a teenager, the art room at Portage Central High School was my favorite place to be. The art teacher there made a huge impact in my life, and encouraged me to find a career path in the arts. After high school I attended Columbia College in Chicago where I earned a BA in commercial photography. I worked as an architectural photographer for several years and had images published in books and magazines.

After ten years of city life I moved back to Kalamazoo to get my teaching credentials and eventually my Masters from Western Michigan University. I have been teaching art at Watervliet High School since 2007. Currently I teach Art I, Art II and Sculpture.

My husband Brian also works in the visual arts, as a graphic designer, and photographer for the Gilmore Car Museum. We have two daughters. Madeline, 14, who is in love with literature and theater. Natalie, 11, is passionate about cooking, her new guinea pigs , and riding her bike until the sun goes down. We also have a cat named Rooney, who bites ankles when he's hungry.

I'm proud to be a Panther because we have an outstanding teaching staff that works hard to support one another and the students in our care. I also hope that I'm enriching students' lives by exposing them to the arts, with the aim that they will have a lifelong appreciation for the arts.

The Free Little Library made by Mr. Steele and his students is a place for anyone in the community to borrow, exchange, or donate books. You don’t need a library card, just come browse the Little Library and see if there’s a book that you want to borrow & when you’re done with it, bring it back or give it to someone else to read. If you have a book on your bookshelf that you don’t want anymore, you can donate it to the library so someone else can read it. The Free Little Library is open 365 days a year, happy reading!

Please join us for this informational session from the Berrien County Health Dept on Monday night in the high school media center. The presentation is open to all middle school and high school parents who want to learn more about the dangers of vaping and how to protect your child.

What is Vaping?

How does it work?

Side effects from vaping

Industry tactics

What Parents need to know

How can you tell if your child is vaping?

What can Parents do?

In addition, there will be actual vaping products available to see and parent resources (handout) available regarding:

• What’s in Your Vape?-Toolkit for Parents, Grandparents & Caregivers

• E-Cigarettes and Youth: What Parents Need to Know

• Vaping: What Families Need to Know to Help Protect Children, Teens and Young Adults

• Emoji Drug Code: Decoded

Back Row Left to Right: Natalie Hart, Nova Wise, Grace Chisek, Jacob Schaefer, Melissa Cardozo-Aviles, Wyatt Epple, Morgan Lowell

Front Row Left to Right: Ella Harris, Chase Tremblay, Tia Caldwell, Lauren Laws, Lyvia Summers

Left to Right: Ella Harris, Natalie Hart, Chase Tremblay, Grace Chisek, Wyatt Epple, Tia Caldwelll, Melissa Cardozo-Aviles, Lauren Laws, Lyvia Summers, Morgan Lowell

Check out the slides below to update on the dual enrollment process at at WHS. Reach out to Ms. Powers or the counseling department with any questions or concerns about getting your Panther registered for the fall!

Algebra 2

Most students seemed to enjoy the Matrices Units that we just finished this week. Matrices are arrays of numbers used for solving linear equations specifically in math but have applications in the fields of Computer Graphics and Economics.

This week we are moving onto Exponential Equations; relating growth and decay phenomena. Exponential Equations can be also applied to the fields of Finance, Biology and Physics.

PreCalc

PreCalc students have been working diligently on learning trigonometric identities and how to use them in problems. While not the most "fun" thing to do in math, these problems not only prepare students for advanced mathematical concepts but perhaps more importantly equip them with problem-solving skills applicable across diverse disciplines.

AP CSP

Students will start working on the required AP Create Project in class. In the next few weeks we will start practicing questions to prepare for the AP Exam which is in May.

Golden Acorn Grant

I am new to Watervliet High School but have done many projects with my students in the past. The classroom at Watervliet is smaller than my past classroom and has minimal storage and organization tools for the equipment used in projects. I am asking for a rolling cart so that it would be easy to move around in my classroom allowing the students to work in different size groups throughout the year. The rolling cart has 16 bins so that I will be able to organize my project materials and make them more easily accessible. Some of the current materials that I use for various projects are wooden dowels of various sizes, pennies and containers, scissors, protractors, playing cards, dice, poker chips, colored pencils, construction paper, colored pencils, masking tape, spaghetti noodles, mini puzzles, compasses, calculators, and markers.

I am also asking for a set of dice so that I am able to continue using my past probability and statistics projects at Watervliet. I have used dice for activities involving the law of large numbers, theoretical vs experimental probability, and the normal curve.

I am also asking for Smart Sleeves so that more individual students can participate in classwork and projects. These sleeves will allow me to see their work and answer easier so I can provide more timely and relevant feedback. The students in the MTSS class are working on ALEKS and their individual skill deficiencies. These sleeves would make it easier for me to help them.

Exploring is a youth program for High School boys and girls looking for hands-on opportunities to explore careers of interest. Although it is sponsored by the Boy Scouts of America, Exploring is not a traditional boy scout program with uniforms, merit badges etc. Boy Scouts of America just provides logistics for registration of the exploring groups, and professional support when needed.

Exploring itself is not an internship program but instead serves as a chance for young adults to learn about different career paths and have fun learning about them, in this case, the wide variety of careers available at Cook Nuclear Power Plant. Exploring Posts (as they are called) usually meet once every other month, and is student-driven, meaning that if there is something specific they want to learn about a nuclear power plant, then the professionals can help them do it in a safe, hands-on environment. It also gives students a chance to meet and learn from professionals in the field and help network with them should decide to turn their interest into a career. More info on Exploring program as a whole can be found at https://www.exploring.org/

On May 30th, Cook Nuclear Power Plant is holding an open house for all area high schoolers to come visit their training center and learn more about their exploring post! The attached flyer has a QR code to get students registered for the open house, so they know how many students to expect. Cook NP's Exploring Program is for all high schoolers who are interested in learning about careers at the nuclear power plant. I would like to emphasize that this program is not limited to those with an interest in nuclear engineering. There are many careers at the plant that students can explore, from Fire Protection and Security, to maintenance disciplines like, HVAC, welding, and mechanics and many more. Several of these careers have an immediate need, and don't require a college degree, meaning that students interested in a career after high school can use this post to explore opportunities and get some hands-on experience learning about the career and connecting with professionals at the plant.

Thank you,

Randy Keppeler

Projects Director

DC Cook Nuclear Plant

269-466-3472

Wednesday, March 27

4:30 PM JV Softball Scrimmage home vs. Edwardsburg

4:30 PM Varsity Softball Scrimmage at Edwardsburg

4:30 PM Varsity Baseball Scrimmage Home vs. Michigan Lutheran

4:00 HS Track at Bridgman Invitational

Just a reminder that once your child has 5 absences this semester, any absence after that cannot be EXCUSED without a medical note. Please encourage and expect your child to be in school everyday unless seriously ill. ATTENDANCE MATTERS!

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!

Mar 27 Early Release Day

Mar 28 End of MP 3

Mar 29 Good Friday No School

Mar 29-Apr 5 Spring Break

April 11 Work Keys testing for Juniors

Apr 12 March Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Apr 17 Early Release Day

Apr 17 SAC 7:30 AM

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

Apr 19 MSTEP for Juniors (Science and Social Studies)

Apr 22 Dual Enrollment Informational Night 6 pm

Apr 24 PAC 6 pm

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