The Whetstone Weekly

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Upcoming Dates

• 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
• Wear your Halloween Costume to school - Friday, 10/30
• NO SCHOOL (Professional Development Day) - Tuesday, 11/3
• PTA Academic Committee Meeting - Wednesday, 11/4
• WAPA Booster Meeting* - Tuesday, 11/10
• PTA Meeting* - Wednesday, 11/18
• Parent-Teacher Conferences* - Thursday, 11/19, 3-6:30PM
• NO SCHOOL (Wellness Week) - Monday, 11/23 - Friday, 11/27
• 30-minute Early Dismissal - Friday, 12/18
• NO SCHOOL (Winter Break) - Monday, 12/21 - Friday, 1/1

*See below for more info

CCS WHS Calendar

https://whetstonehs.ccsoh.us/calendar

CCS District Calendars

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

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

Good morning Braves Families!

We are entering the final few weeks of fall sports, and there is still plenty of excitement ahead! Here are this week’s athletic updates and important reminders.

Fall Tournament Updates

• Boys Soccer: Whetstone vs. Westerville North on Wednesday, 10/28 for their next tournament matchup. Come out and support our Braves!

Ticket links for both soccer tournament games & Football game can be found on the Braves Athletic Guide under Events. Link: https://canva.link/0jsiv22ccmpl1v8

Fall Sports End-of-Season Survey

As our fall sports seasons begin to wrap up, I encourage all student-athletes and parents to complete our End-of-Season Survey! Your feedback is valuable in helping us recognize what is going well within our athletic programs and identify areas where we can continue to improve. We want to ensure that Whetstone Athletics continues to grow and provide the best possible experience for our student-athletes.

Thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts and help us make Braves Athletics even better!

Survey Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdTAnUY_G2GKRLM3cr3gu4RiXGX_5oQnPoU7wzcV-3CDzdREQ/viewform?usp=publish-editor

Mandatory Winter Sports Parent Meeting

Our mandatory Winter Sports Parent Meeting will take place on Tuesday, October 27, in the Whetstone Gymnasium at 6:30pm. Following the general meeting, families will break into sport-specific meetings. This is a great opportunity to meet your coaches, ask questions, and receive important information about the upcoming season!

Winter Sports Eligibility & Participation Requirements

As we prepare for winter sports, please make sure your student-athlete has completed the following requirements:

• Academic Eligibility: Students must have a 2.0 GPA and pass five full-credit classes during the first quarter to be academically eligible.

• FinalForms: Both parent and athlete forms must be completed and signed.

• Physical: A current physical must be on file.

Please remember: Student-athletes will not be permitted to participate on the first official day of practice unless all required forms, physicals, and eligibility requirements are completed.

Thank you for your continued support of Whetstone Athletics! If you have any questions or need assistance with any of these requirements, please do not hesitate to reach out. I am happy to help!

Go Braves!

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.

Got any old carpentry or sewing equipment collecting dust? With the newly added Stagecraft course and Mr. Burns now on the Director team, there has been an identified need for more equipment for student usage while he can monitor them!

The WAPA theatre department is requesting donations of any power tools for carpentry, such as cordless drills and the like, with the battery packs and chargers included. Additionally, the theatre department is heavily in the market for sewing machine donations to assist with costume construction for our shows!

Due to school security, please do not send these materials to school with your students. If you’d like to make a donation, feel free to contact Mr. Burns @ eburns@columbus.k12.oh.us to make drop-off arrangements. Thank you!

• 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 sponsorship, and new this year is individual or family sponsorships. These sponsorships can be purchased at wapa.net. The levels are as follows:

  • Opening Act - $50 - your preferred name will be listed in the two theater production programs as well as on a poster outside the theater
  • Feature Act - $100 - your preferred name will be listed in the two theater production programs as well as on a poster outside the theater.
  • Headliner - $250 – all the benefits of a Featured Act sponsorship as well as early access to purchase tickets to the fall play and spring musical
  • Director - $500 – all the benefits of a Headliner as well as 2 complimentary tickets to the fall play and spring musical
  • Executive Producer - $1,000 – all the benefits of a Director as well as 4 complimentary tickets to the fall play and spring musical
  • WAPA Patron - $2500+ – all the benefits of an Executive Producer as well as a verbal shout out at the beginning of the fall play and spring musical by Mr. Ray

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.

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.

Check the Whetstone Weekly > Dates & Calendars > Upcoming Dates section for the next scheduled meeting!

Need quick and easy dinner plans on Tuesday, 11/3? Check out Rusty Bucket!

• 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.

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.

The next Parent-Teacher Conferences are Thursday, 11/19, 3-6:30PM. If you'd like to be prepared, check out these "Parent–Teacher Conference Tip Sheets for Principals, Teachers, and Parents" from the Harvard Family Research Project.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/11HkRTdB9jeGaHlhpjA2bEZam97iT079R

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).

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

Location: Hilton Easton

3900 Chagrin Dr.

Columbus, Ohio 43219

Price: TBD

School Tours are coming soon! Visit https://www.whetstonepta.org/home/family-ambassador-page/school-tours for more information.

CCS Traffic Safety Awareness Week is October 26-30.

This week of educating students, staff, families and neighbors on traffic safety is part of the district's commitment to Vision Zero Columbus. We are all partners in this commitment to ending fatal and serious injury crashes on Columbus roadways.

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

• 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!

Do your students need something to do during fall break? Look no further than your local community center! School’s Out Fall offers free, fun, enrichment experiences for youth during Columbus City Schools’ fall break with community centers open Nov. 23-27* from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Registration opens on October 27 at 12:30 p.m. so make sure you sign up at https://columbusrecparks.com/community/schoolsout/

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.

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 (Facebook) - facebook.com/whetstonehigh
• Whetstone HS (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonehigh
  
• Whetstone HS 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