The Whetstone Weekly

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Upcoming Dates

• PTA Meeting* - Monday, 3/17 @ 6:30
• End of 3rd Quarter - Friday, 3/21
• No School (Records Day) - Wednesday, 3/26
• HADESTOWN: Teen Edition* - 3/28 & 29, 4/4 & 5
• 30-minute Early Release - Thursday, 4/17
• Spring Break! - Friday, 4/18 - 4/25
• PTA Meeting* - Monday, 4/28 @ 6:30

Recurring Dates

• Whetstone Chess club - after school Tuesdays, 2:30PM-3:30PM, Room 220
  
• Journalism club - after school Wednesdays, 2:30PM-3:30PM, Room 220
  
• WAPA - 2nd Monday each month, 6:30PM, Library
• PTA Meeting* - 3rd Monday each month, 6:30PM, Google Meet
• Athletic Boosters, last Monday each month, 6:30PM, Café
• Coffee Connect with the Principal, 1st Wednesday each month, 7:00AM, Library

*See below for more info

Whetstone PTA Calendar

https://www.whetstonepta.org/home/calendar

CCS District Calendars

https://www.ccsoh.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=2704

After 34 years as an educator, including 13 at WHS, Principal Janet Routzong is officially retiring at the end of June. Routzong has made an incredible impact on WHS and the local community, including changes with WAPA, the Homecoming Parade and Festival, Brave the Future, and much more. Check out her front-page feature in this week's Clintonville Spotlight at https://www.clintonvillespotlight.com/pageview/viewer/2025-03-01

CCS welcomes Kimberly Rodriguez as the newly appointed Principal of Whetstone High School, starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Currently serving as principal at Mifflin HS, Rodriguez was a 1991 Whetstone graduate and has been an educator with CCS since 2003. Read the official announcement at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hb0JuR99BBGnJI-TVXK2oMyf-ik3ckpT/view

Graduation Rehearsal is mandatory and scheduled for Friday, May 30th at 7:30AM.

Graduation will take place on Saturday, May 31st at 6PM. Each graduate gets 10 tickets which will be distributed during Graduation Rehearsal along with Cap & Gowns.

Location is TBD.

Graduates must have all uniforms turned in, outstanding fees and fines paid.

The PSAT is coming up for all students in Cohort 2028. The PSAT will be given on Tuesday, March 11th. Students will need to arrive to school by 7:25am. Testing room assignments will be posted outside of the cafeteria.

Students must have a fully charged Chromebook when they arrive to testing. Please note the following items will not be permitted during testing.

• Cell Phones
• Smartwatches
• Headphones/earbuds

All of those items must be turned off and in your bookbag when you arrive to testing. Failing to follow the procedures will result in an irregularity and/or invalidation of test score(s).

If you have any questions, feel free to contact Ms. Lewis at alewis3@columbus.k12.oh.us

The Business Professionals of America (BPA) is the premier Career and Technical Student Organization for students pursuing careers in business management, information technology, finance, office administration, health administration and other related career fields. Learn more at https://bpa.org.

Next week, selected students will be attending the Business Professionals of America State Leadership Conference to compete and showcase their development of leadership skills and career-related competencies! Big Congrats to:

• Lillian Baker
• Angelena Bean
• Liam Beer
• Kerfala Camara
• Jerimah Castro
• Katya Diaz
• Annabelle Fleece
• Grady Galvan
• Kayden Gordon
• Dyhia Hamlat
• Farhat Hamid
• Kacia Harris-Chilton
• Uriah Hazelwood
• Cheyenne Hines
• Fartun Hussein
• Dajuan Jamison
• Arianna Jones
• Chelsey Jones
• Jah’Mear Lindsey
• Francisco Munoz-Salva
• Saphir Mwamba Mukendi
• Siddhi Patel
• Shalilah Roy
• Sincere Sellers
• Christopher Siegrist
• Zaid Torrez Sanchez
• Maximilian Smallwood
• Donyelle Thomas
• Nathanial Van Bibber
• Lillian Williams
• Alexis Zornes

Got questions? Contact Julie Kindinger at jkindinger@columbus.k12.oh.us

Is Your Parent Portal Account Activated? Stay engaged in your child’s education by setting up and

signing into the Columbus City Schools Parent Portal. Through the Parent Portal, you’ll be able to securely access valuable information on your student(s):

• Teacher Contact
• Grades and Course Schedules
• Daily Attendance
• Missed Assignments
• Paperless Applications for: School Choice, Summer School, and Career Tech
• Update Contact Information**
• Pay Fees

For more info, visit ccsoh.us/domain/188.

Get detailed instructions and help at secure.smore.com/n/upq6z!

The next PTA Meeting will be on March 17th, 6:30-8:00 via Google Meet (https://meet.google.com/snv-wifn-oxz). We hope you can join us! Meeting agenda and financial updates will be posted as soon as available to our calendar event page, at https://www.whetstonepta.org/home/calendar.

It's still winter (ugh!), but before you know it, spring and graduation will be upon us. And that means it's time to start planning for transitions in your Whetstone PTA to replace outgoing parents.

Amidst all the craziness in the world these days...are YOU potentially willing to step up and contribute an hour or two of your time each week next year as a PTA leader? It's a really good feeling to help make Whetstone HS a better place for ALL the kids and staff.

For the 2024-'25 school year, we're looking to fill the following roles:
- Secretary
- Fundraising Chair
- Communications Chair

If you have any interest in being one of these heroes or heroines, please just drop us a note at whetstonepta@gmail.com, OR join us for our March 17th meeting online (see link above). Thanks!!

If you're not already participating, take three minutes and enroll your Kroger Plus card with their Community Rewards program to benefit Whetstone PTA. Visit whetstonepta.org/home/kroger-community-rewards-for-whs-pta for more info.

The Whetstone 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 selected PTA-related information, and visit whetstonepta.org to join and get even more!

Our swim and bowling teams were able to celebrate their season last week with some awards and good food. Our wrestling team celebrated their season this week at their banquet on Wednesday.

All of our winter sports have completed their seasons which means spring sports are in full swing!

Please take a moment to fill out the post-season survey. These results are reviewed with coaching staff to help continually improve our athletic programs.

• Post-season ATHLETE survey: https://rebrand.ly/24AthleteSurvey
• Post-season PARENT survey: https://rebrand.ly/24ParentSurvey

Some important information for spring sports:

• Did you miss the Spring Sports meeting in February? Review the slideshow here: https://rebrand.ly/Spring25ParentMeeting
• Make sure your final forms are all signed and up to date: https://rebrand.ly/FinalFormsParents
• Quarter 3rd ends on 3/21. If you do not pass 5 credits and/or get above a 2.0 GPA, you are ineligible starting 3/28.

College Athlete Signing Day is May 20th at 11am. More information to come later about this.

Whetstone Football is having a fundraiser at Chipotle on High on 3/24. Be sure to grab a burrito to help benefit the football team.

Find game schedules here: https://rebrand.ly/FallSportsSchedule24

Whetstone HS cheerleading tryouts start soon! And, for the first time, WHS is forming a Dance Team! Get more info below and sign-up at volunteersignup.org/YC4HX.

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

Get WHS Baseball news and information at the Whetstone High School Baseball Website. Still got questions? See Coach Broskie in Room 141B or at broskcity@yahoo.com.

If you didn't see it here, you can probably find it in the Weekly Whetstone Athletics Roundup. Visit https://rebrand.ly/WhetstoneWeeklyRoundup for more WHS athletics info!

Show your Whetstone pride and support your Whetstone athlete! The Booster store has options to support WHS Sports, Band, and Cheer. There are Parent/Family, Alumni, and Teacher/Staff logos, too. And most importantly, all proceeds benefit our kids!

Visit the Athletic Booster Spirit Wear store to browse and buy hoodies, t-shirts, hats, blankets, drinkware, and more. Personalization is available on select items. There is something for everyone!

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.

This intriguing and beautiful folk opera delivers a deeply resonant and defiantly hopeful theatrical experience. Following two intertwining love stories – that of young dreamers Orpheus and Eurydice, and that of immortal King Hades and lady Persephone – Hadestown invites audiences on a hell-raising journey to the underworld and back. Inspired by traditions of classic American folk music and vintage New Orleans jazz, Mitchell’s beguiling sung-through musical pits industry against nature, doubt against faith, and fear against love.

Showtimes:

FRIDAY MARCH 28TH @ 7PM

SATURDAY MARCH 29TH @ 7PM

FRIDAY APRIL 4TH @ 7PM

SATURDAY APRIL 5TH @ 7PM

We simply cannot WAIT to tell this story onstage! Tickets on sale MARCH 7TH @ NOON!

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.

WHETSTONE. ACADEMY. of PERFORMING. ARTS.

For more info, visit wapa.net.

• 7 - 10 PM
• Hilton at Easton (3900 Chagrin Dr, Columbus, OH 43219)

Requirements to attend Prom:

• SENIORS - Have ALL 120 Internship hours completed AND entered in School Links.
• JUNIORS - Have 90 Internship hours completed AND entered in School Links.
• Have passed all of your courses for 1st semester AND 3rd grading period.
• Have 100% of your required APEX courses completed by May 3 rd.
• No suspensions from November 1 - May 10, 2025

If you have any questions, please speak to Ms. Ottey, Mr. Eagle, Mr. Haffele or your counselor.

Funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) and the Office of Elementary and Secondary Education (OESE), Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a three-tiered, proactive approach used to improve school safety and promote positive behavior. At Whetstone, PBIS is a school-wide program of Behavioral Expectations based on The Whetstone Way:

• Have Integrity
• Give Compassion
• Show Respect

Want to learn more or get involved? Visit whetstonepta.org/home/family-ambassador-page/pbis, reach out to the WHS PBIS Administrator, Sarah Jaffy (sjaffy6286@columbus.k12.oh.us), visit pbis.org, and watch this space for more Whetstone-related PBIS news and information!

Time for another Panorama Survey!

Administered yearly since 2017-18, the survey was developed by CCS in partnership with Panorama Education to measure progress toward CCS goals and gather feedback from our community. Want to learn more? Visit ccsoh.us/Page/12286

Make your voice heard! Take the survey by Friday, March 14 by clicking https://surveys.panoramaed.com/ccsoh/spring25family/surveys or scanning the QR code.

Please see this special Newsletter full of information, links, and resources regarding Immigration for Families and Staff.

Interested in a chance at winning a $4,000 scholarship? Check out the Clintonville Rotary club's tenth annual scholarship competition!

Endowed by Dr. Brian H. and Carrie L. Kvitko, the award provides funds for post-high school education at an accredited college, university, or career training program.

The key element of the application is a 500 word essay describing how the applicant advocates and acts for peace in his or her daily life, as exemplified by peer interactions and life experience. This 2025 theme reflects Rotary International's Humanitarian Peace Mission. Applications due by March 31, winner announced April 1, and award presented in late June.

For much more information, check the flyer or visit scholarship.clintonvillerotary.org.

Is your student looking for a way to help their community and make a little money? Community members are needed to help a CRC Senior Supportive Services client with mowing from 4/27 - 10/15. Pays $20/mow!

For more info, see the flyer. Got questions? contact Aly at Aly.Hartung@ClintonvilleCRC.org.

Can't get enough WHS info? Visit these WHS-related groups and pages online.

• Whetstone HS (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonehigh/
  
• 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 Baseball (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonebaseball1
  
• WAPA (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstoneapa/
• WAPA (Facebook) - facebook.com/WhetstoneAPA/
• WAPA Boosters (Facebook) - facebook.com/groups/127079587751458

Location: 4405 Scenic Dr, Columbus, OH 43214

Website: ccsoh.us/WhetstoneHS

Email: whetstonehs@columbus.k12.oh.us

Hours: 7:30AM - 2:30PM

Phone: (614) 365-6060

Principal, Janet Routzong: jroutzong2475@columbus.k12.oh.us

Assistant Administrator (11th and 12th graders), 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

Administrative Secretary, Martina Jakob: ejakob@columbus.k12.oh.us

Records Secretary, Susan Jeffers: sjeffers@columbus.k12.oh.us

Attendance Secretary, Lisa Hord: lhord4655@columbus.k12.oh.us

Thanks for reading! If you missed or want to revisit an issue, visit The Whetstone Weekly Archive to find it and catch up!

For lots more info, visit the WHS PTA - Family Ambassador Page. And, as always, if you have suggestions or content for inclusion - or any other questions, comments, or concerns - please feel free to contact me. I'm here to help!

Damian Synadinos

dsynadinos@columbus.k12.oh.us