Panther Print for Parents 🐾

In order for us to provide a special meal or food accommodation we need to have the form below on file. PLEASE PICK IT UP IN THE MAIN OFFICE IF YOUR CHILD NEEDS IT. This needs to be filled out by a medical physician or a physician assistant, not by a nurse or a chiropractor.

Please note that in order for us to accommodate a student's needs #11 and #12A and B must be completed in full. Otherwise, we have no way of knowing what should or should not be provided. Line items #9 and #10 are for severe cases and are only provided if parents wish to share that information with us.

Also, please note we do not substitute juice for milk, as part of the MDE requirements some form of milk must be offered. We do however provide a number of different milk substitutes. That is another reason why it is extremely important that #12 A and B are completed.

Also, it is important to note that if a child is diagnosed with an intolerance, that must be noted on the form. In the same manner as an allergy, along with what a student may or may not have. Most children with an allergy or intolerance are seeing their doctors a minimum of once a year and this form should reflect any changes or updates each new school year.

Please reach out if you have any questions.

Terry Adams

Nutrition Service Director

"Nurturing Children from the Inside Out"

450 E Red Arrow HWY

Watervliet, MI 49098

(269) 463-0799

tadams@watervlietps.org

Our PBIS focus this week is technology. Get caught in the act of accessing your device appropriately and redeem the ticket in the main office for a treat.

WEDNESDAY is our first SAC meeting of the new school year. Your Students Council Advisory representatives to the principal this year are:

Seniors: Tia Caldwell, Jacob Schaefer, Chase tremblay, Natalie hart, Grace Chisek, and Abby Lomoro

Juniors: Alyssa Brown, Ayana Marshall, Zack Gruscsyzk, and Victoria Mandujano

Sophomores: Natalaya Desjardin, Keira Tremblay, Moeko Crago, and Abby Klopp

Freshmen: Allison Poole, Gabby Guthrie, and Elliot Worley.

This team of students will work with Ms. Powers throughout the year to improve upon and add to the programming offered at the highs school.

We are now counting and documenting tardies. If you are not in class by the time the bell rings, please come to the office for a tardy pass.

TUESDAY is the last day to make any schedule changes for semester 1.

If you are an afternoon tech center student, when you return to the building at the end of the day, you are required to stay in the cafe area until the bell rings at 3:10. Do not come into the halls while the rest of the building is in class.

Students who drive to school must register their vehicles with the main office. If you already have a sticker, you do not need to register your vehicle again. Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 6th, all vehicles without parking permit stickers will receive citations.

We have received another AED in our building!!!

We now have 3!!

One is outside the HS & Counseling office, one just outside Josh Tremblay's office, and one in the gym in the southwest corner by door 26.

See pictures below.

At the start of each semester, Mrs. Dawson, our school counselor reviews the credit system with all students in their English classes. Check out the information below that was shared with your child this week. She will meet with freshmen on Tuesday of next week.

Lake Michigan College will be hosting a college fair next month. Below are the details and attached is a flyer.

College Night at Lake Michigan College

Monday, September 18th

6-7:30pm

Grand Upton Hall, Mendel Center

www.lakemichigancollege.edu/collegenight

Students must register through StriveScan: www.strivefair.com

Let me know if you have any questions.

Elaina J. Paulson (she, her, hers)

Lead Admissions Specialist

Lake Michigan College

Benton Harbor Campus

Call (269) 927-8702 or Text (269) 927-8626

MONDAY: NO SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS OR STAFF

TUESDAY: This is the last day for students to submit a schedule change for semester 1.

The student handbook will be reviewed in all English 9 classes by Mr. Dermody, Dean of Students.

The tardy policy is in effect for all students.

There will be a Student Council Meeting on Tuesday, 9/5, at 7:00 am in the Media Center. Attendance is required.

6th hour required meeting for any dul enrolled meeting who missed the required meeting this week.

WEDNESDAY: SAC MEETING 7:30 AM in the high school media center

If your child is not an athlete, but you would like him/her to participate in an after school activity, check out the following options:

STUDENT COUNCIL--Members have already been selected for this year. See Mrs. Tyler if you have interest for future years.

INTERACT CLUB--This is a service organization open to 7th-12th graders that meets on Wednesdays before school. Contact Ms. Powers if you have interest.

ESPORTS-They have 2 seasons a year. Contact Mrs. Overacker at the middle school if you have interest.

MUSICAL/THEATRE PRODUCTION--This take place every year from about Jan -Mr. There are daily after school required practices. Listen for announcement information.

SCHOOL NEWSPAPER--The student led team meets before school through the year. Contact, Senior, Abby Lomoro with interest.

HOMECOMING/WINTERFEST--You child's class will need their help these two weeksof the yer after school and on weekends. Listen for announcements.

NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY--Open to 11th and 12th graders. Contact Mrs. Dawson for information.

Possible DEBATE TEAM--Weekday and weekend competitions. See Mrs. Simmons with interest.

STUDENT ADVISORY COUNCIL TO THE PRINCIPAL--Students have already been selected for this year. They meet Wednesdays before school. Interested students for future years should reach out to Ms. Powers.

At WHS, we are offering 2 AP (Advanced Placement) courses during the 23-24 school year. These courses are AP Computer Science and AP Environmental Science.

Research consistently shows that AP students are better prepared for college than students who don’t take AP, regardless of their exam score. They’re more likely to enroll and stay in college, do well in their classes, and graduate in four years. Taking AP can help students:

Get a Taste of College

Get familiar with college-level work—and boost your confidence by tackling it.

Develop College Skills

Time management, critical thinking, scholarly writing—AP courses and exams help you hone the skills you’ll need in college and career.

Discover Your Passion

Studying a subject in depth could give you new insights and even put you on the path to a career.

Save Money and Time

Earning credit or placement can open up time on your schedule or even let you graduate early.

Stand Out to Colleges

“AP” on your high school transcript shows colleges you're motivated to succeed, and taking the exam demonstrates your commitment to tackle and complete college-level work.

Keep Your Options Open

Earning college credit with AP can give you the flexibility to change majors, pursue a second degree, study abroad, or seek internships.

If you or your child would like to learn more about being enrolled in an AP course this school, there is still time. Reach out to Mrs. Dawson no later than Tuesday, September 5th.

If your child is dual enrolled this year, we want him/her to be 100% successful. One reason our dual enrolled students are so successful is that they and their families work together with us to meet our dual enrollment expectations. This semester, 94 Panthers are dual enrolled. It is our aim that 100% of our Panthers pass all of their college courses. This is only possible by reviewing and re-reviewing the information below. We have met with your child to review these expectations, but your support is needed, as well. Whether your child is dual enrolled for the first time, or the fifth, please take time this weekend to review these expectations ONE MORE TIME.

• Any classes registered for, or grades received become a part of your college record. That means if you fail a college course, it becomes a part of your college record. It can negatively affect your ability to obtain college scholarships and financial aid. College transcripts last forever. How you do in these classes will always be a part of your college transcript history.

• When issues arise, plan ahead. Don’t wait until the last minute–plan in advance by reaching out to your instructor long in advance of the issue. They will not respond to you as fast as WHS faculty or admin do. They also have physical office hours. You may have to go meet with them in person.

• You are expected to be in your dual enrolled class everyday and on time. If for any reason you need to be absent from your dual enrolled class, you need to make your college teacher aware in advance. Your should have your college teacher’s contact information.

• Review the syllabus that you have been given very carefully. Don't make assumptions about what is in the syllabus. It is not a HS syllabus. Sometimes there are issues because the student does not review this information word for word.

• You are expected to be in and remain in the online lab or media center for your dual enrollment time. You are expected to be working in your dual enrolled course while you are in the online lab/classroom. You are not permitted to walk out of the online lab or the media center without permission during your class time.

• Media center expectations: No food or drink other than water. No sleeping or laying down. No use of a cell phone. Do not leave the room during class time.

• You are expected to email or talk to your dual enrolled teacher anytime you have questions or concerns about the course. You should get to know your instructor early and understand how to reach your course instructor when needed.

• If you earn less than a C in a dual enrolled course, have failed the course, and are not permitted to take a dual enrolled course the following semester at the expense of the school district. You are also required to reimburse the district for the cost of the course. Courses run about $550 each at this time.

• You are expected to maintain positive school attendance and at least a 3.0 GPA in order to dual enroll in future semesters.

• You are not permitted to drop/withdraw from your dual enrolled course w/o talking to the counseling office first. If you feel that you are doing poorly in your class, you should come talk to the counseling office right away.

• If you withdraw from the college course outside of the allowable withdrawal window, you will be expected to reimburse the school for the cost of the course and will not be permitted to dual enroll the following semester at the cost of the school district.

• You are expected to keep parents informed of your grade and how you are doing in your dual enrolled course. There should be no surprises at the end of the course regarding whether you passed or failed. You are required to make the counseling office aware of you college course/s grade as requested. (every 3 weeks)

• If you fail the LMC English course that you are taking in place of Eng 12, you will have to find a way to retake it and pass it your senior year in order to graduate.

• Once you pass the LMC class, you can be reimbursed for the cost of the book.

• Any speeches or assessments that your student needs to do, must be done during the time of your student’s dual enrolled class. Students are not permitted to come out of other classes to do this work on dual enrolled coursework. Students are also not permitted to pull other students out of other classes for any reason.

This opportunity is currently open for students who:

• will be 15-1/2 to 17-1/2 years old by August, 2024,
• are in the top half of their class academically,
• are socially ready to live abroad for one year, and
• are flexible, friendly and fun!!

Do you know of a student that has the above qualifications?

The Process: It all starts with students filling out the Rotary Outbound (OB) Club Pre-Application which is turned into the Rotary Club. The Rotary Club will interview the student and his/her parents to see if they meet the criteria and would be a good ambassador for the USA. This must be completed by Saturday, September 30, 2023. The attached document "OB Program Timeline" lists all the steps in the process.

ROTARY YOUTH EXCHANGE IS THE MOST ECONOMICAL EXCHANGE PROGRAM!! Why? Because all people administering the program are Rotarian Volunteers!! The total cost, including estimated air fare is estimated at $7,060.00 which is paid over several months. (Reports from students/parents/grandparents are that this cost is two to three times lower!!) This is very affordable even for families that are not affluent. A Rotary Scholarship of $1,000 is also available.

If your family is interested in this opportunity, contact Margie Haas for more information.

• Club OB Pre-Application for the student to complete and return to your club designated person.
• Club Pre-Application Instructions. The instructions include information on how to conduct the interviews, interview questions for both students and parents, and the evaluation form.
• OB Program Timeline with Estimated Costs at the bottom of page 2.
• Club Responsibilities to Sponsor an OB student.

Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions..

Sincerely In Rotary,

Margie Haas
D-6360 Rotary Youth Exchange Chair
Past District 6360 Governor - Rotary Year 2019-2020
Proud Member of Hastings, MI Rotary Club
Cell: 269-838-3392
Home: 269-945-2941

Again, the items below have been or will be reviewed with your child in his/her English class. Please review these expectations at home with. your child so that there ate no surprises this year and your child has a successful year. Below are the most frequent student related issues that arise at the high school.

Why you should consider college:

There are many reasons you should consider pursuing education after high school, but here are some highlights:

• Lifetime earnings: people with an associate's degree earn 1.5 times more than people with just a high school diploma. For people with a bachelor's degree, it's nearly 2 times more. This adds up to millions of dollars over your lifetime.
  
  
• Job stability: People with some kind of college degree are less likely to be unemployed during their careers.
  
  
• Personal growth: 79% of college graduates said that "their college education was extremely or very useful when it came to helping them grow personally and intellectually" according to an October 2021 Pew Research Center survey.
  
  
• Overall health: College graduates tend to lead healthier lifestyles, and they live nearly 5 years longer on average compared to high school graduates.

What I can help you with:

As a College and Career adviser, I can help you with deciding what you are interested in after high school, questions about applying to certificate, 2-year, and 4-year degree programs, information about scholarships and financial aid, filling out applications, how to be successful in college, and more. I'll be working closely with the Senior class, but everyone is welcome to meet with me.

Why you should come meet with me:

I'll be rolling out an incentive program where if you meet with me and have thoughtful questions about college and careers, you'll be entered into a drawing for free swag and candy.

How you can get a hold of me:

You or your parents can reach me anytime via email at Christopher.Coburn@watervlietps.org with questions or to set up a meeting.

My role is split between Watervliet and Coloma High School, so I will be here half of the time (please see the attached schedule). On days that I'm here, I will normally be in the Media Center or the Library, so feel free to drop in.

Thank you, and let's have a good school year.

Chris Coburn

MCAN College & Career Adviser

Watervliet High School

BA, Kalamazoo College, '19

Thursday, August 31

7:00 PM Varsity Football at Dowagiac

Wednesday, September 6

5:00 PM Varsity Soccer Home vs. Black River

5:30 PM JV volleyball at Coloma

Thursday, September 7

5:30 PM Varsity Volleyball at Parchment High School

6:00 PM JV Football at Berrien Springs High School

Friday, September 8

7:00 PM Varsity Football Home vs. Berrien Springs

Saturday, September 9

8:30 AM HS Cross Country at Centreville Invitational

New for the 23-24 school year is Enrollment Express Forms through our student information system., Powerschool. We will not be sending home paper forms this year for returning students. All forms will be updated and/or completed online through Watervliet PowerSchool Parent Portal.

Below are the instructions to complete the registration/enrollment process for the new school year.

Step 1: Set up a PowerSchool account. If you do not already have a PowerSchool account, you can set up one by doing the following:

A. Open the Internet browser on your computer.

B. Type https://watervlietpowerschool.berrienresa.org/public/home.html into the address bar.

C. Click on the CREATE ACCOUNT tab. You must create a parent account.

D. Fill in the information requested for your desired username and password. You will need to confirm your email before you move to the next step.

If you already have a parent account, log into it and select ACCOUNT PREFERENCES and add student on the student tab. Their Access ID and Access Password will also need to be ttyped exactly s it appears on the welcome letter.

If you forgot your username or password, click on Forgot Username or Password on the parent portal sign in screen.

Step 2: Complete Enrollment Forms

In PowerSchool, select the student you are enrolling and click on the FORMS link with the left navigation menu. Click ENROLLMENT. You will navigate through several forms. Please make sure that you complete all forms.

Step 3: Provide Documentation

If you are unable to upload documentation vis the document upload elements on the form, please bring the following documentation to your school office from 7:30 AM -3:00 PM.

If you have questions, please call the school office at 269.463.0730 between 7:30 AM -3:00 PM, Monday -Friday.

Each week of the school year, our staff will be reviewing with your child expectations for a specific area of the building. To start the school year, our emphasis is on our ChromeBook and technology expectations. Please review these with your child and reinforce them positively at home. Students who are CAUGHT following these expectations in the building, may be issued a "caught in the act" ticket, which can be redeemed in the office for a treat!

WHS has a PBIS team that includes parents, teachers, students, and staff. PBIS is a system of positive behavior and supports in the building that define expectations for kids and guide their decision making and behavior. The team meets on the last Monday of the month at 3:15 to review, update and add to our PBIS plan in the building. We are currently looking for additional parents to add to this team for the 23-24 school year. Our next meeting is Monday, September 25th at 3:15 PM in the high school media center. If you would like to join the team, or just come to learn more about it, please email Ms. Powers at cpowers@watervlietps.org or Dr. Mosher, who serves as the chair of the team at donya.mosher@watervlietps.org.

Wednesday, December 13th, WHS is hosting a career fair for all students. We are in the planning stages now and looking for parents and other community members who be interested in speaking about their perspective careers. Speakers would talk to multiple sessions of students for 20 minutes at a time for the morning only. We are looking for a wide assortment of careers from which to be able to present to our Panthers. If you have interest, please reach out to Ms. Powers at cpowers@watervlietps.org or Dr. Mosher, who is organizing the event at donya.mosher@watervlietps.org.

It is never too early for your senior to start completing scholarship applications. Each week, I will share in this newsletter all new and updated scholarships that we are aware of. They all have deadlines. The scholarships attached to this link each have a deadline in August or September. Sit down with your senior and go through these links. Identify which ones fit your senior. Some may not apply to your particular child's interests or qualifications. We will hold a scholarship night in January to provide more information regarding scholarships and what to expect. Many of these scholarship applications take only minutes to complete. Free money is always good. Free money adds up and can pay for the cost of books, tuition, housing, and other needed supplies.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1d6HuT9Y4h3gNsBHw47VkvzytctQ82KiV_VJuwRokXTw/edit#gid=2037213685

We are looking for parent volunteers to be on the committee, help with fundraising, brainstorm on new ideas for venue. And someone that would be interested in taking the event over after this year.

It’s not much time involvement - but any help would be appreciated!

A general meeting will take place on September 21st at 6 pm in the high school media center. Please join us if you have interest in learning more and/or helping out this year !

For more information email Shelly Chisek cschisek@hotmail.com or Nikki Priebe priebenikki@gmail.com.

On Thursday, September 7th from 6-8 PM, I will be hosting my annual Service Academy Informational Session for high school students interested in attending one of the United States Service Academies. The event will be held at the Portage Zhang Senior Center at 203 East Centre Avenue, Portage, MI 49002.

This is the perfect opportunity for students to hear from representatives from the various United States Service Academies. My staff will also be presenting on how the academy nomination process works.

I have included a copy of the event flyer below. If you have any questions, please contact Krista Umanos at Krista.Umanos@mail.house.gov or 616.251.6741.

The United States Service Academies include:

The United States Military Academy in West Point, New York

The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland

The United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado

The United States Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut

The United Stated Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York

Sincerely

Bill Huizenga, Member of Congress

My name is Anthony Perez, Assistant Director of Admissions at WMU. My primary role is focused on multicultural recruitment and outreach. One of the outreach events that I am looking to coordinate is an informational night that will be conducted in a community area that is accessible to Watervliet, Coloma, Hartford, and Bangor for their Spanish speaking families.

We are looking at hosting this event on September 25, 2023 from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

at Coloma High School.

WMU will be paying to cater dinner – giving locally owned Mexican restaurants priority – and providing information on the college search and application process.

For more information contact Linda Stofko at linda.stofko@watervlietps.org

We want all of our parents to be able to access their child's grades and progress in Canvas at any time. Please follow the directions below in order to access Canvas for your child this year !

For information and directions on how to use your parent Canvas account to check grades, view assignments or message teachers, visit www.watervlietps.org and click on the Canvas for Parents Link in the middle of the homepage.

Here is the direct link too. https://www.watervlietps.org/o/wps/page/canvas-resources

Sep 1 Labor Day Break; No School

Sep 4 Labor Day Break; No School

Sep 6 SAC Meeting 7:30 AM

Sep 15 MCTI Field Trip for students with an IEP

Sep 18 Constitution Day

Sep 19 Blood Drive

Sep 20 Early Release Day

Sep 20 Parent Presentation: IEP Informational Night 6 pm

Sep 20 SAC Meeting 7:30 AM

Sep 21 Picture Day

Sep 21 After Prom Meeting 6 pm

Sep 25 College Admissions Night for Spanish Speaking families in Coloma hosted by WMU 6 pm

Sep 26 PAC 6 pm

Sep 29 Michigan Works! Lunch time visit for students

Sep 29 Progress Reports

Oct 2-6 Homecoming Week

Oct 4 Early Release Day

Oct 4 SAC 7:30 AM

Oct 6 September Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Oct 6 Manufacturing Day

Oct 10 Flu Shot Clinic

Oct 11 PAC (Xello) 6 pm

Oct 11 Early Release Day

Oct 12 PSAT/NMSQT for 10th (voluntary) and 11th graders (ALL)

Oct 16 College Admissions Informational Night 6 pm

Oct 18 SAC 7:30 AM

Oct 19 Parent/Teacher Conferences 4-7 pm

Oct 20 ½ day; College Fair

Oct 20 9th Grade Career Pathway Day Berrien RESA

Oct 23 Fall Band Concert

Oct 25 Early Release Day

Oct 25 Picture Retake Day

Oct 26 Fall Choir Concert

Oct 27 End of MP 1

Nov 1 Early Release Day

Nov 1 SAC 7:30 AM

Nov 3 October Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Nov 15 Early Release Day

Nov 15 SAC 7:30 AM

Nov 16 Military Informational Night 6 pm

November 23/24 Thanksgiving Break

Nov 27 FAFSA Informational Night 7 pm

Nov 29 Early Release Day

Nov 29 PAC 6 pm

Nov 29 SAC 7:30 AM

Nov 30 Blood Drive

Dec 1 Progress Reports

Dec 1 November Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Dec 6 Early Middle College Informational Night 6 pm

Dec 13 Early Release Day

Dec 13 Career Fair

Dec 13 SAC 7:30 AM

Dec 14 Winter Band Concert

Dec 18 Winter Choir Concert

Dec 20 PAC 6 pm

Dec 25-Jan 5 Winter Break

Jan 8 Return to School

Jan 10 Early Release Day

Jan 10 SAC 7:30 AM

Jan 12 December Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Jan 17-19 Half Days for Exams

Jan 22 Start of Semester 2

Jan 24 Early Release Day

Jan 24 SAC 7:30 AM

Jan 24 Senior /Scholarships Informational Night 6 pm

Jan 31 Early Release Day

Jan 31 PAC 6 pm

Feb 2 January Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Feb 5-9 Winterfest Week

Feb 7 SAC 7:30 AM

Feb 8 Parent/Teacher Conferences 4-7 pm

Feb 9 Half Day Start of Mid Winter Break

Feb 12 No School Mid Winter Break

Feb 15 Pre Festival Band Concert

Feb 19 MCTI/Project Search Informational Night 6 pm

Feb 21 SAC 7:30 AM

Feb 22 Pre Festival Choir Concert 6:30 pm

Feb 23 Progress Reports

Feb 28 Early Release Day

Feb 28 PAC 6 pm

Mar 1 February Student of the Month Breakfast 8:15 AM

Mar 6 SAC 7:30 AM

Mar 12 LMC Accommodations Informational Night 6 pm

Mar 13 Early Release Day

Mar 20 SAC 7:30 AM

Mar 21 Van Buren Tech Informational Night 6 pm

Mar 27 PAC 6 pm

Mar 27 Early Release Day

Mar 28 End of MP 3

Mar 29 Good Friday No School

Mar 29-Apr 5 Spring Break

Apr 8 School Resumes

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 Decision Day 10 am (Seniors)

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 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