WHS Parent Newsletter
From the desk of Shannan McKenna
September 19, 2025
Happy Friday!
We had a great week, especially with the Club Fair yesterday. It was great to see so many of our students signing up to get involved with the many co-curricular activities we offer.
I hope everyone has a great weekend!
T-Mobile Friday Night Lights Contest: Our first podcast of the year is live and ready for viewing. In this episode, we’re sharing something exciting for our high school students: the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights Contest! We’ll explain what it’s all about and how you can participate. Joining me for this discussion are Jon Hall, our Athletic Director, and Terry Maloney, a parent representative for the athletic boosters. We are also looking for more help from you. All you have to do is follow the boosters on instagram @WHS_Jaguar_boosters and X @Jaguarboosters and like all their posts and stories. Every "LIKE" counts as an entry into the big prize of a million dollar field make over! This includes lights on the field, many other upgrades and an upgraded weight room from Gronk Sports. Please head to the boosters instagram page and let's light up the night!!!
MyPowerHub Zoom Trainings: Our IT department will host two live Zoom meetings for parents to attend, providing an opportunity to learn more about MyPowerHub and how to adjust your notification settings. Click here to register for one of these sessions. If you are unable to attend, the sessions will be recorded and shared afterward.
Wednesday, September 24, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
Thursday, September 25, from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm
Senior College Overview: On Monday, 9/15 WHS hosted a Senior College Overview event. In case you missed it, the slides from the presentation are linked here.
In this edition (*new information is bolded)
- Shout Outs
- Community Service Opportunities
- Student Council Updates: Class Dues
- Technology: MyPowerHub Information; Parent Portal Information (PowerSchool and Schoology)
- General School: Student Arrival and Dismissal procedures; Reporting Absences/Tardies/Dismissals; Bus Tracking App
- School Counseling Information: Standardized Testing Overview; ASVAB Information; PSAT Sign-Ups; Therapy Dogs; Senior College Checklist; Upcoming College Visits; ApplyNH
- Athletics: Fall Sports; September Weight Room Schedule
- Free Tutoring Resource
- Volunteer Information
- We're Hiring!
- WHS Events: Lunch Group; TMobile Contest; SMILES Mini Golf; Boys' Soccer Kick Out Hunger; Girls' Soccer Kick Out Hunger; France & Spain April 2026 Trip Info
- Outside Events: Windup Robotics Fundraiser; WMAA Mattress Sale; WMAA Fundraisers; Girl Scout Expo; Craft Fair; Boosters Golf Ball Drop; Windham Basketball; FLOW Events; Windham Lacrosse-Fall Skills; Blackout Cancer
Important Dates
- September 23 + 24: Class Dues collection
- September 25: Grade 11 ASVAB testing & SMILES mini-golf
- September 26: Q1 Progress Reports; Blackout Football game at 7 pm
- We are excited to share that WHS students, Matthew Pancoast, Brooke Bergeron, and Lucy Rekart, were selected for the All-State Modern Band. WHS is especially proud to have 3 of the 12 selected members from across the state.
- Ms. Maura Sampson has been recognized as the this year's winner of the Ann Garland West Excellence in Teaching Award through the New England Association of Teachers of English. Maura is recognized for her commitment to her school community and to English education.
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.
Opportunities are updated regularly and can be found here:
👉Current WHS Community Service Opportunities Folder
Some great opportunities coming up this month:
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
Class Dues
Purpose
Annually, each class collects "Class Dues" to supplement class activities during the year, allocating a majority of the funds collected to offset senior year expenses. Dues are used for class activities like hallway decorating, spirit week decor, decorations for prom, and to offset senior activities. Senior year students will be given class t-shirts, have a breakfast hosted for them by the Student Council, host a BBQ celebration during senior week, and offset the cost of attending the annual dinner cruise in Boston. Historically, each class has purchased a class gift to remember each class. Gifts have varied depending on the class. Class gifts are planned and purchased by the Student Council members of each graduating class.
Students can pay Class Dues in person or online:
Online: Dues have been assigned to each student's PowerSchool Account. Payments can be made using the "Parent Portal". They need to click on Fee Balance on the left hand side of the screen. That will bring them to the fees page, where they can select Make a Payment in the upper right hand corner. Parents should be able to pay the dues that have been assigned to their student by proceeding to the checkout process.
In Person: Dues can also be paid in person. Class advisors are collecting dues before school on September 23rd and after school on September 24th in the library. Dues can be paid using cash or check. Checks must be made payable to Windham High School. Please include your child's name in the memo line and year of graduation.
If students have any questions or concerns about dues, please reach out to class advisors or the advisor of Student Council:
>> Class of 2029: Jill Bartlett or Michael Cirelli
>> Class of 2028: Lindsay Ross or Michael Crosby
>> Class of 2027: Maura Sampson or Bethany Fleming
>> Class of 2026: Jessica Reills or Kaitlyn Cox
>> Student Council: Amber Bishop
MyPowerHub
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
You should have received a message from the district to log in to the platform to complete your yearly registration forms and to view the updated bus routes. If you have not logged into the platform yet, please follow the instructions below to log in before the start of the school year. Instructions
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.
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.
ASVAB Testing – September 25
All Grade 11 students will participate in the ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) on Wednesday, September 25, from 9:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. in the gymnasium.
- Why Take the ASVAB? The ASVAB CEP helps students identify their strengths, explore potential career paths, and plan for the future. Originally designed for military enlistment, the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) has also been shown to assess academic abilities and predict success in a wide range of careers. Students not only complete the test but also gain access to tools that connect their skills and interests with possible career pathways.
- Benefits of Taking the ASVAB:
- Career Exploration: Discover career fields that match individual skills and interests.
- Skill Assessment: Identify strengths and areas for growth to support academic and career success.
- Learning Style Insights: Understand learning preferences to improve study habits.
- Comprehensive Testing: Explore a wide range of subjects, from math to mechanics.
- College Planning: Use results to help guide future college majors and courses.
- Real-World Applications: Explore career options beyond the classroom.
If you have any questions about ASVAB testing, please contact Dr. Maio at jmaio@windhamsd.org.
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!
Fall Sports
Windham offers ten fall sports:
- Bass fishing
- Cheer
- Boys' and Girls' Cross-Country
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Boys' and Girls' Soccer
- Girls' Volleyball
All athletic schedules can be found on the Windham BigTeams website. Coaches communicate using Sportsyou.com
Any questions can be directed to:
- Jon Hall – Athletic Director, email: jhall@windhamsd.org, phone: 603-845-1558 x 5804
- Donna DiZazzo – Athletics Admin Asst., email: jhilton@windhamsd.org, phone: 603-845-1558 x 5803
Top 10 Facts
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How it works (cont'd)...
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