Wildcat Wisdom Newsletter
Wesley Chapel High School 10/16/2026
Message from Mr. McDermott: Pride, Purpose, Performance
First quarter report cards are now available through the Pasco One application. As we move through the school year, now is a great time for families to sit down together and discuss goals for academic success and attendance. Setting clear, realistic goals helps students take ownership of their learning while creating a shared commitment between home and school. Whether it is improving grades, completing assignments on time, maintaining strong attendance, or developing better study habits, small goals can lead to significant growth over time. We encourage parents to regularly review progress with their students, celebrate successes, and provide support when challenges arise. Together, we can help every student stay engaged, motivated, and on track for a successful school year.
Quarter 1 Grade Distribution
The following is the grade distribution for Quarter 1:
A= 40.1%
B= 27.9%
C= 17.8%
D= 6.7%
F= 6.8%
If your student earned a D or F this grading period, it is often the result of one or more of the following factors: inconsistent attendance, difficulty performing on assessments, missing assignments, or failure to complete and submit coursework.
We encourage you to take a few moments to review your student's grades with them and have a conversation about their progress. Setting specific goals for attendance, assignment completion, study habits, and academic performance can make a significant difference in their success. If your student is not performing well on assessments, please reach out to the teacher regarding remediation and retake opportunities. This information can be found in the course syllabus.
Tardiness
The largest number of discipline referrals to date is due to tardiness. The WCHS policy is written using the District School Board of Pasco County's student code of conduct.
Parents should be receiving email notification when students reach their third tardy in a class and should be notified of all consequences. Please make sure you address this with your student. if your student's classes are far apart, please have them see their administrator to review their schedule and offer solutions.
WCHS Drama Presents!! Night of One-Acts on 10/23 and 10/24
Come out and support our amazing students. Doors open at 6, show starts at 6:30, tickets are on GoFan.
Wildcat Band News
Band Competition this Saturday at East lake High School, the Wildcats perform at 8:30pm.
FBA Marching MPA Saturday 10/24 at River Ridge High School, the Wildcats perform at 7:15pm.
SPRING DUAL ENROLLMENT NOW OPEN!
Spring Dynamic Forms for DE requests are now open.
If you already meet DE eligibility requirements or are a current DE student, please refer to this document for your next steps: SPRING DUAL ENROLLMENT REQUESTS AND REGISTRATION
Please read through the document carefully, as it contains detailed instructions, requirements, deadlines, and important dates for each step of the DE process. Students must have a 3.0 unweighted high school GPA and qualifying test scores.
If you have not yet passed the PERT exam, you must first apply to PHSC using the link below:
https://apply.phsc.edu/apply/ (all new DE students must apply by December 1)
Once you have applied, you may schedule your PERT exam here:
https://testing.phsc.edu/schedule-exam
Please note that students are responsible for providing their PHSC PERT scores to WCHS, as we do not have direct access to those scores. Scores must be submitted to determine Dual Enrollment eligibility.
WCHS only offers the PERT test once per year for interested students (February). Students who pass can begin taking Dual Enrollment courses in Summer 2027. Sign-ups will begin in December.
Need Extra Help?
Are you looking for extra help in a class, preparing for an upcoming test, or just someone to study with? A new Tutoring & Study Buddy Program is being offered to students who would like academic support or a study partner!
When: Every Monday from 1:34–2:15 PM in room 326 starting Monday, October 5th
Tutoring will be completely free and will be provided by student tutors who are comfortable helping in the subjects they sign up to tutor.
How It Works:
- A Google Form will be sent out each week for students who would like tutoring or a study buddy.
- You must fill out the form each week to request a tutoring spot.
- There will be a limited number of tutors available each week, so spots will be first come, first served until all available spots are filled.
- If you are receiving tutoring, you are responsible for bringing any class materials you need help with, such as notes, assignments, study guides, textbooks, or other relevant materials.
- Please come prepared with specific questions or topics you would like to work on so that your tutor can best assist you.
Whether you need help understanding a difficult topic, want to prepare for a test, or simply want a study buddy to help you stay focused, this program is here to support you!
This is the Google form link for the students seeking tutoring/studying: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe7eWnm9xP_tOWttKGxMfXCtHo4a0jhsh_VliDhXfMH52Pd7A/viewform?usp=dialog
We hope to see you there!
Thank you!
Want to show your school spirit?
Check out our school spirit store: https://accounthub.imagedepotexpress.com/wesley_chapel_wildcats/shop/home
Girls Weigtlifting
Anyone still interested in joining the girls weightlifting team, please see Coach Smith or Coach Farnsworth ASAP soon as possible. There is still time to join.
Food Deliveries
Students are not permitted to use or receive food from food delivery services during the school day. If a parent drops off food, the student will receive it. However, all food delivered by food delivery services will be held until the end of the day. Please do not have food delivered to your student.
ASVAB Testing Opportunity: October 19
Interested in exploring career options or learning more about military pathways after high school? Wesley Chapel High School will offer the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) on Monday, October 19, at 8:00 AM in the Media Center.
The ASVAB is available to students in grades 10–12 and is a valuable career exploration tool that helps identify strengths and interests in a variety of career fields. Taking the ASVAB does not obligate students to join the military.
Students interested in participating should sign up using the link below:
Testing Central
Upcoming Testing
End of Semester 1 Testing Dates:
As we approach the end of the 1st quarter, we wanted to inform you all of the end of semester testing dates in December. Please make every attempt to ensure that your student is present for their exams, as many exams will have the window close on 12/17/26. We will send out an updated bell schedule for exam week at the beginning of November.
Testing Dates:
Our “exam week” will occur during the following dates:
12/09/26 - 1st Period Exam Block
12/10/26 - 2nd Period Exam Block
12/11/26 - 3rd Period Exam Block
12/14/26 - 4th Period Exam Block
12/15/26 - 5th Period Exam Block
12/16/26 - 6th Period Exam Block
12/17/26 - Make-up Day
ACT Non-College Reportable Coming Up!
The ACT Non-College Reportable (NCR) is coming on 10/20/26, 10/21/26, and 10/22/26. This test is for seniors who need to meet their graduation testing requirements. students will only need to take the sections that they are missing. Invitations to test will be sent out on 10/9/26 with specific details for date, time, and location via myStudent. There are NO make-ups for this test.
CLT Deadline for October - 10/24/26
Seniors and Juniors - the deadline to pay for the October CLT is 10/24/26. If payment is not made by this time, you will not be able to test in October. Testing Details will be sent out closer to test day.
Testing and Attendance
When your student is taking a state test, such as the FAST PM1, they will initially be marked as absent for the class periods they are testing. This is because they are not in their assigned class. When testing is finished, the Assessment Coordinator gathers the attendance information from each testing room, and submits it to the front office so that the attendance can be adjusted to accurately reflect that the student was either present in testing or absent for the particular class periods that they were testing. The process to adjust the attendance takes approximately 1-2 school days from when the attendance information is delivered to the office. If you have further questions, please reach out to Mr. Walensky.
XELLO: EVERY STUDENT, FUTURE READY!
Pasco County Schools has partnered with XELLO, a customizable online planning tool for students in grades 6-12. With XELLO, students can discover personal interests & strengths, research career & college opportunities, & connect learning to academic goal setting & planning.
XELLO is an esteemed College, Career & Life Readiness program that will assist high school students plan for post-secondary success. It allows students self-paced opportunities to:
Learn about themselves – their strengths, interests, and learning styles,
Match careers, colleges and majors to their unique characteristics, academic profile and
preferences,
Build and revise their academic plan and analyze the rigor of their schedule/plan with that of their choice colleges’ entrance requirements or career plans and
Create a resume showcasing their experience, skills, and goals.
Students can access XELLO anytime, anywhere by logging in through myPascoConnect Apps and clicking on the XELLO icon. An account has already been created for students.
Volunteer Programs Update
All volunteers will be required to complete a Level 2 background screening every 5 years. This background screening will review records in the state of Florida as well as the national FBI database. The cost for this screening is $41.25 and volunteers will be responsible for paying this cost. The District will pay the yearly monitoring fee for each volunteer. You can access the 2025-2026 Volunteer Programs Application on July 1st, 2025. This application will be posted on the Volunteer Programs page of our website at the following link: https://www.pasco.k12.fl.us/hreq/page/volunteer.
We encourage you to complete your volunteer application and background screening early as the average review time is 30 days. Questions regarding the volunteer application and background screening process can be directed to volunteers@pasco.k12.fl.us.
Wesley Chapel High School Clubs
WCHS COLLEGE AND CAREER S'MORE
Are you College and Career Ready? Check out Mrs. Faysash’s Smore for events, scholarships, and planning resources for all grade levels!
WCHS ABC Program
If your family needs supports or has any needs from the WCHS ABC program, please fill out the following form. If you would like more information about the ABC program, the flyer is attached and/or call the front office, 813-794-8702.
Click on the banner below to report suspicious activity.
Wesley Chapel High School
School Information
Principal:
Mr. Matt McDermott
30651 Wells Road
Wesley Chapel, FL 33545
Phone: (813) 794-8700
(352) 794-8700
Fax: (813) 794-8791
Office Hours: M-F 7:00AM – 3:30 PM
Website: https://wchs.pasco.k12.fl.us/
Location: 30651 Wells Road, Wesley Chapel, FL, USA
Phone: 813-794-8700
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wildcat.pride.63
Twitter: @WCHS_Wildcats