WHS Parent Newsletter
From the desk of Shannan McKenna
November 14, 2025
Happy Friday!
We have two very exciting events this weekend. This evening the WHS Football team will face Pinkerton Academy at Pinkerton at 5 pm in the second round of the play-offs. Additionally, this evening is the opening night of the WHS Theater Company's fall show--Inherit the Wind. The show will run at 7 pm this evening and have two performances--2 pm and 7 pm tomorrow. We encourage everyone to come out to support our students.
As a reminder WHS is participating in the annual Windham’s Helping Hands Food Drive. We're collecting mac and cheese, juice boxes, and cereal to support local families in need. You can drop off your donations on the tables outside the media center windows near the front entrance. Every item helps, and together we can make a real difference for our community! It ends Friday, November 21, so one week to go!
In this edition (*new information is bolded)
- Shout Outs
- Senior Information: Cap & Gown Orders
- Community Service Opportunities
- Technology: School Messenger Text Opt-In; MyPowerHub Notifications; Parent Portal Information (PowerSchool and Schoology)
- General School: Free and Reduced Meal Options; Student Arrival and Dismissal procedures; Reporting Absences/Tardies/Dismissals; Bus Tracking App
- School Counseling Information: Standardized Testing Overview; Therapy Dogs; Senior College Checklist; Upcoming College Visits; Rivier On-the-Spot Decision Day; MCC HVAC courses; St. Paul's Advanced Studies Program
- Athletics: Fall Sports; Weight Room Schedule
- Free Tutoring Resource
- Volunteer Information
- We're Hiring!
- WHS Events: Passport Club Potluck; WHS Theater Presents Inherit the Wind; Flag Football; Lunch Group
- Outside Events: Windham Helping Hands; Join the PTA; WMAA Fundraisers; Turkey Trot
Important Dates
- Nov. 17- Flag Football Tournament at 2:30 pm
- Nov. 20- Fall Sports Awards at 6:00 pm
- Nov. 26-28- Thanksgiving Break
- Shout out to WHS's Ms. Brandi MacDonald, who was recognized by MTSU's College of Education PhD in Literacy Studies with the Conference Research Award this week at the Mid-South Educational Research Association (MRESA)!
- Thank you to the WHS JROTC students and representatives from the WHS National Honor Society who participated in the Veterans' Day breakfast at GBS on Monday.
Cap and Gown Orders
We have moved the ordering for cap and gowns online this year. There is no cost for the cap and gown, but we want to make sure we get you the accurate size, so please visit the site to fill out your information. Orders should be completed by Winter break to ensure a timely delivery. Gowns will be handed out the week prior to graduation at senior check out day. If you have any questions about this process, please see Janessa Murphy in school counseling.
Community Service Opportunities for WHS Students
WHS students have access to a wide variety of community service opportunities in our community. These experiences help students give back, explore interests, and build skills that will benefit them beyond high school.
We have some exciting new opportunities now:
2025-11-23 Planting at Nesmith Library
2025-11-29 Breakfast with the Grinch, Castleton Banquet Center
2025-12-02 Book Fair Set-up Friends of the Library of Windham
2025-12-12/13 Gingerbread House Decorating
2025-12-13 Face Painting for Windham Mom's
2025-12-14 Breakfast with Santa, Castleton Banquet Center
Opportunities are updated regularly and can be found here:
👉Current WHS Community Service Opportunities Folder
Please remind your student that volunteer hours should be logged in x2VOL through Clever within 30 days of completion.An accurate email address is required for hour verification. Hours are verified & approved before they can count toward graduation requirements.
Encourage your student to get involved—volunteering is a wonderful way to grow, connect, and contribute!
Any questions or want some assistance, please email us!
Kimber Leuteritz & Laura Boyd
School to Career Office
MyPowerHub
Instructions for adjusting parent notifications in MyPowerHub are available here.
We are proud to introduce a new parent platform, MyPowerHub. This platform enables our district to utilize a centralized platform from PowerSchool, consolidating the flow of information from schools to parents and guardians. In MyPowerHub, parents/guardians can:
See their child’s progress in one place
See school, classroom, club, and district communications in one place
Get direct messages from teachers and staff
Submit forms
View fees
Sign up for parent/teacher conferences
View transportation information
If you have not logged into the platform yet, please follow the instructions below to log in:
Parent Portals
PowerSchool Parent Portal
- Used to view your student's
- Report cards
- Course and assignment grades
- Lunch balances and other school fees
- Attendance
- Schedules
- Need to Sign in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal for the first time? Follow these instructions to activate your account. Please complete this process on a laptop or desktop for the best results! If you encounter any difficulties, please complete the Parent PowerSchool Account Support form.
- App vs. Website: Here is a helpful guide comparing when to use the PowerSchool app versus when to use the website.
- Questions?
- If you need assistance in viewing a student’s information, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org and include your student’s name and grade level.
- If you need assistance signing into your PowerSchool parent portal, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org.
Schoology Parent Portal
- Used to view your student's
- Courses
- Upcoming, current, and overdue assignments
- Daily/weekly student agendas
- Set up weekly notifications within the platform
- In order to gain access, all parents (K-12) will need to log in and use the password Changeme1 the first time they access their Schoology Parent account this year. Please make sure to follow the instructions on how to reset your password after logging in.You will need to use the same email from your PowerSchool Parent Portal Login. Please read through the instructions carefully in order to successfully activate your account. The login link is provided within the instructions. We recommend you complete the reactivation/set-up on a laptop/desktop for the best user experience.
- Questions?
- If you need assistance in signing into your Schoology, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org.
- If you need assistance in viewing a student’s information, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org and include your student’s name and grade level.
- If you have questions about the classroom page content, please contact your student's teacher directly.
Free and Reduced Meal Options
We understand that some families may be affected by the upcoming changes to assistance programs beginning November 1, 2025. In the event of a prolonged shutdown, November’s SNAP food benefits may not be issued until federal funding is restored. Families participating in the SNAP program are considered Directly Certified and are unaffected by the shutdown through NSLP. Federal workers who are not being paid or have been laid off and need assistance should complete an application.
We want to remind families that applications for free or reduced price meals are available for any family who wishes to apply. Applications are sent to each household at the beginning of the school year and are available throughout the year at each school cafeteria, at the SAU office, and online.
Student Arrival and Dismissal
The first bell rings at 7:47 a.m., and students are considered tardy after 7:52 a.m. Students are dismissed at 2:17 p.m. All parent pick-up should take place behind the school building. Please do not pick up in front of the building or in the Visitor Parking lot at the front of the school. This causes safety issues in an area where students are walking and buses are operating.
Reporting Absences, Dismissals, and Tardies
We will continue to utilize PickUp Patrol as the preferred method for reporting student tardies, absences, and early dismissals.
Changes can be entered into the system from a smartphone or computer days, weeks, or months in advance, and at any time up until 1:20pm on the day of the change. After 1:50 pm, changes will not be accepted except in the case of an emergency. Such changes can be made via phone directly to the main office. The end of the school day is a busy time, so to ensure the safety of all students, please plan accordingly and limit these exceptions to emergencies only.
Alternatively, you may use the attendance email, whsattendance@windhamsd.org, or call the main WHS line at (603) 845-1558, Option 1.
If you need any assistance with PickUp Patrol, please reach out to Mr. Keshigian (mkeshigian@windhamsd.org).
Bus Tracking App
Standardized Test Planning
As you plan ahead for standardized testing, here is some important information about the PSAT/NMSQT, SAT, and ACT.
Every student’s goals and timelines look a little different, so use this resource to help determine the testing schedule that’s right for your family.
The Standardized Test Information Document breaks down each of the three major standardized tests, compares the SAT and ACT, outlines a sample testing timeline, and offers test prep recommendations.
Therapy Dogs
As a district we will be having therapy dogs visiting the schools. At WHS these dogs visit advisories, as well as classrooms that sign-up for a visit. If you would like to opt your child out, please contact our guidance department (kkennedy@windhamsd.org). Thank you!
Top 10 Facts
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Interested in Volunteering?
Our volunteers are a critical component of our school district's success, and we appreciate and thank them for their time and commitment! Beginning in late August, returning designated volunteers will receive notifications from the online training system. If you are interested in volunteering or are new to our district, please follow the process outlined on our website. If you have any questions about this process, please email hr@windhamsd.org.
Where to find us
Location: 64 London Bridge Road, Windham, NH 03087, USA
Phone: 603-845-1558
Email: smckenna@windhamsd.org
Website: https://whs.windhamsd.org/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/WindhamHighSchool
Twitter: @WHSJaguars