Panther Print for Parents 🐾

Dear WHS Families,

I hope you’re enjoying a restful and fun summer break! As we begin preparing for the upcoming school year, I encourage you to take a few moments to read through this edition of our Summer Newsletter.

You can expect to receive a weekly newsletter from me each Friday, filled with important updates, reminders, and celebrations from Watervliet High School. These messages are designed to keep you connected and informed throughout the year.

For those of you I haven’t yet met, my name is Christina Powers, and I am proud to serve as the principal of Watervliet High School. This is my 21st year as a principal and my 6th year as part of the administrative team here at WHS. I am passionate about supporting students and families, and I believe that strong relationships between home and school are key to student success.

Please know that I am here to assist you and support your child in any way I can. The best way to reach me is by email at cpowers@watervlietps.org or by phone at 269-463-0730.

Looking forward to another great year of learning, growth, and Panther pride!

In Panther Pride,

Principal, Watervliet High School

Our 2025–2026 Theme: Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop

This year at WHS, we’ve adopted the theme “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop” as both an academic and athletic motto. It serves as a powerful reminder to keep pushing forward—especially when things get tough.

Whether in the classroom, on the field, or in everyday life, we’re encouraging our students to persevere, stay focused, and give their best effort in all they do. This theme will guide our work throughout the year, helping us build a school culture that values resilience, determination, and a never-give-up attitude.

We hope you'll join us in supporting this message at home, as we work together to help every student grow, overcome challenges, and reach their full potential.

Let’s make this a year of grit, growth, and Panther pride—Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop!

You MUST update your child's enrollment information using this link. Link opens August 1st!

https://www.watervlietps.org/o/wps/page/district-enrollment

🍎 Summer Food Program – Final Week Reminder

The last day of our Summer Food Program is Wednesday, August 7.

Families can continue to pick up meals daily at Watervliet Middle School between 7:30 AM and 12:30 PM.

No ID or address is required—just stop by! We encourage all families to take advantage of this free resource while it's still available.

Thank you for helping us support our community this summer!

High School teachers will make their individual students aware of the supplies that are needed for each class. If you feel that you need or want to buy school supplies before the start of the school year, high school students usually need folders and spiral notebooks for each class, pens, pencils, highlighters.

THANK YOU to the following Juniors and Seniors who have volunteered to serve as our mentors for the Class of 2029! Mentors are asked to wear Watervliet gear on the day of the event.

Hailey Adams

Giovanni Ayala

Mackenzie Birmele

Alina Bell

Ashton Coleman

Dylan Collins

Moeko Crago

Jaylee Havenaar

Aubrey Hayes

Kendal Kiefer

Abigail Klopp

Katelyn Kostrzewa

Marissa Lowell

Kalyn Manley

Olivia Mitchell

Chris Parkhurst

Liliana Perez

Kassandra Riggs

Grace Ripley

Shelby Schlipp

Vivienne Sexton

Addison Smith

Riley Smith

Ava Sprague

Izzy Tarantino

Keira Tremblay

Mackenzie Webster

Dear Freshman Parents and Guardians,

I hope you are enjoying your summer and that your student is looking forward to the exciting transition to high school! As part of our commitment to making this a successful start, we are pleased to invite all incoming freshmen to Freshman Orientation on Monday, August 18, from 1:30–5:30 PM at Watervliet High School.

This event is designed to help students feel confident, connected, and prepared for the start of the school year. Students will meet their mentors, learn their way around the building, review expectations, and get important information about academics, extracurriculars, and graduation pathways. The evening will end with a free dinner for students and their families.

🗓️ Freshman Orientation Schedule – August 18

• 1:30 – 1:45 PM | Mentors meet freshmen, pass out name tags, and take attendance (Cafeteria)

• 1:45 – 2:00 PM | Welcome from the Athletic Director (Cafeteria)

• 2:05 – 2:15 PM | Icebreaker activities with mentors and staff (Auditorium)

• 2:20 – 4:55 PM | Rotating sessions by team:

  • School tour, schedules, lockers, lunch/breakfast procedures

  • WHS Handbook Review

  • Graduation requirements, Dual Enrollment, Tech Center, Early Middle College, Clubs, and Sports

  • Classroom expectations and teacher insights

• 5:00 – 5:30 PM | Dinner with mentors, students, and families (Cafeteria)

We strongly encourage all freshmen to attend. This event will help your student start the year with confidence and build early connections with staff, peers, and student mentors.

If your family resides within the district and your child needs transportation to attend orientation, please contact me at cpowers@watervlietps.org so we can assist with arrangements.

We are looking forward to welcoming the Class of 2029 and launching a great school year together!

Fall High School Sports Begin Soon!

Your child will need to be registered in FinalForms and have a physical on file with the athletic department in order to participate on August 11th.

Contact the athletic department if you have questions!

#pantherpride

#cantstopwontstop

A letter was recently sent home to families of students who did not return a Chromebook and/or charger at the end of the 2024–2025 school year.

Please take a moment to check with your child to ensure these items were returned. If your student attended summer school, we also encourage you to confirm that they turned in any borrowed devices at the end of the session.

If you have any questions or believe there may be an error, feel free to contact the high school office. Thank you for helping us keep our technology inventory up to date!

Watervliet Public Schools is currently welcoming non-resident students to apply through the Schools of Choice (SOC) program for the 2025–2026 school year. The application window officially opens again on July 31st, 2025, and remains open until August 15th, 2025—which means you still have time!

Watervliet is a wonderful place to learn, grow, and build relationships. We offer a supportive environment, strong academics, and a close-knit community—whether you live inside our district or nearby.

Interested families are encouraged to share this information with friends and relatives who might benefit from becoming part of the Panther community. Applications are available online.

Questions? Feel free to contact Deah Muth in the Superintendent’s Office at 269‑463‑0300 for assistance.

IT MAY NOT BE TOO LATE TO GET YOUR CHILD IN A CLASS LISTED BELOW; EMAIL CPOWERS@WATERVLIETPS.ORG WITH INTEREST/QUESTIONS

To better support student success, WHS offers lab support classes in addition to core academic courses. These lab classes are designed to help students strengthen their understanding, stay organized, and stay on track for graduation.

Lab classes are available for:

• Algebra I

• Geometry

• World History

• Physical Science

• English 9

• English 10

Students are placed with the same teacher for both the core class and the lab, ensuring consistency and focused support. During lab time, teachers will:

• Pre-teach and re-teach key concepts

• Provide time for homework completion

• Answer questions and offer one-on-one help

Lab classes count as elective credit, are pass/fail, and do not require additional homework. The primary goal is to help students pass their core academic class and stay on track for graduation.

If you think your student would benefit from a lab support class, feel free to reach out to the high school office for more information.

IT MAY NOT BE TOO LATE TO GET YOUR CHILD IN A CLASS LISTED BELOW; EMAIL CPOWERS@WATERVLIETPS.ORG WITH INTEREST/QUESTIONS

What’s JMG?

JMG is a rigorous classroom program modelled after the national Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) initiative. It’s part of Michigan’s efforts—led by Youth Solutions, Inc.—to equip high school students with the skills needed to graduate, explore careers, and transition confidently into college or the workforce.
. The program supports over 5,000 youth annually in Michigan and has helped maintain graduation rates above 90%

🧭 What Students Learn

• Soft skills that matter: Workplace readiness, communication, time management, and teamwork

• Career exploration: Resume writing, interview practice, job shadows, and industry tours

• Leadership & self-awareness: Student-led initiatives and goal-setting exercises
  

🤝 Mentorship and Support

Each student is paired with a JMG Specialist, who acts as a mentor, coach, and advocate. Specialists receive training in trauma-informed care to support students academically and emotionally from classroom instruction through post-graduation transition geneseeisd.org+11

📌 How it Fits at WHS

• Offered during the school day as a credit-earning elective

• Helps students:

  • Enhance job readiness and life skills

  • Set and pursue career or education goals

  • Connect with adults and community resources for mentoring and ongoing support

🎯 Why It Matters

• Proven success in helping at-risk youth stay in school and graduate

• Builds confidence, resiliency, and responsibility

• Connects students to real-world opportunities through local workforce networks

What Is It?

AP U.S. History (APUSH) is a year‑long, college‑level survey course offered by the College Board. It covers U.S. history from pre‑Columbian times (c. 1491) to the present, exploring political, social, economic, and cultural developments across nine chronological periods

Course Features & Skills

• Historical Thinking: Students work with primary sources, analyze multiple perspectives, and construct evidence-based historical arguments .

• Content-Based Units: The curriculum is organized into nine units aligned to the AP exam structure, each focusing on major eras like colonization, the Civil War, industrialization, civil rights, and modern America .

• Exam Preparation: Learners practice multiple-choice and short-answer questions, a Document-Based Question (DBQ), and thematic long essay responses—all key parts of the official exam .

Curriculum Themes

Instruction is centered around cross-cutting themes such as:

• American and national identity

• Politics, power, and governance

• Work, exchange, and technology

• Migration and settlement

• Geography and the environment

• Culture and social structures

• America in the global context
  

Why Take AP U.S. History?

• College readiness: The course mirrors freshman-level college U.S. history coursework and supports strong analytical and writing skills
  

• Add weight to transcripts: Success on the AP exam may earn college credit or placement, depending on the college policy
  

• Critical thinking growth: Students develop discipline in interpreting historical evidence, evaluating competing viewpoints, and crafting persuasive arguments.

Prerequisites & Resources

• Recommended: Strong background in reading, writing, and critical thinking; comfort with rigorous, fast-paced coursework .

American Sign Language 1 (ASL 1) is an introductory course that teaches students the fundamentals of ASL, a complete visual language used by the Deaf and hard-of-hearing community in the United States.

This course focuses on developing basic communication skills and building a strong foundation in both expressive and receptive signing.

🔑 What Students Will Learn:

• ASL alphabet (fingerspelling) and numbers

• Basic vocabulary and sentence structure

• How to introduce themselves and hold simple conversations

• Use of facial expressions, gestures, and body language as part of ASL grammar

• An introduction to Deaf culture, history, and the values of the Deaf community

🎯 Course Goals:

• Gain confidence in using beginner-level ASL in everyday situations

• Develop respect and cultural awareness of the Deaf community

• Fulfill the world language requirement for high school graduation

AP English Language and Composition (AP Lang) is a college-level course that focuses on the study of rhetoric and nonfiction texts. Students learn how to analyze and craft arguments across a variety of mediums—essays, speeches, articles, editorials, and more.

Rather than focusing on fiction and poetry, AP Lang teaches students to read critically, write effectively, and use language purposefully to inform, persuade, and engage audiences.

🔍 What Students Will Do:

• Analyze nonfiction texts for rhetorical strategies and purpose

• Write evidence-based argumentative, analytical, and synthesis essays

• Study classic and contemporary speeches, essays, op-eds, and articles

• Explore style, tone, diction, and structure in writing

• Prepare for the AP Exam, which includes multiple-choice questions and three timed essays

🎯 Course Goals:

• Strengthen skills in persuasive and analytical writing

• Develop the ability to read critically and think independently

• Understand how authors use language to influence and inspire

• Earn potential college credit or placement through the AP exam

FST is an upper-level math course designed to strengthen students’ skills in algebra, data analysis, and trigonometry—key areas that prepare them for Pre-Calculus, college math, or advanced career pathways in STEM, business, or technical fields.

This course blends real-world applications with rigorous math content to build critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

🔍 What Students Will Learn:

• Functions: Linear, quadratic, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, and rational functions

• Statistics: Data interpretation, probability, normal distribution, and statistical inference

• Trigonometry: Right triangle trig, unit circle, trig identities, graphs, and Laws of Sines & Cosines

• Applications: Modeling real-world problems using algebraic, statistical, and trigonometric methods

🎯 Course Goals:

• Strengthen mathematical understanding beyond Algebra II

• Prepare students for Pre-Calculus, AP-level math, or college entrance exams

• Apply math concepts to real-life situations and data

• Develop confidence in using multiple mathematical approaches to solve complex problems

SAT Prep is a targeted, skills-based course designed to help students prepare for the SAT college entrance exam. The class focuses on strategies, practice, and content review in the core areas of the test: Reading, Writing & Language, and Math.

Students will learn how to approach each section of the test with confidence, manage their time effectively, and apply test-taking techniques that lead to success.

🔍 What Students Will Learn:

• Strategies for reading comprehension and answering evidence-based questions

• Grammar and usage rules for the Writing & Language section

• Review of key math concepts, including algebra, geometry, and data analysis

• Practice with calculator and non-calculator math sections

• Tips for managing test anxiety, timing, and pacing

• Regular practice with official SAT-style questions and full-length exams

🎯 Course Goals:

• Improve performance in all areas of the SAT

• Build test-taking confidence through repeated practice and feedback

• Help students reach their college admission and scholarship goals

• Identify individual strengths and areas for growth

Dual Enrollment gives high school students the opportunity to take college-level classes while still in high school—earning both high school and college credit at the same time.

Here’s why it’s such a valuable opportunity:

• ✅ Save Money
  Tuition and fees are typically covered by the school district—get a head start on college without the cost!

• 📘 Earn College Credit Early
  Complete real college courses now and shorten your time on a college campus later.

• 🚀 Boost Academic Confidence
  Experience the rigor of college coursework and build skills needed for future success.

• 🧭 Explore Career Paths
  Take courses that align with your interests and future goals—before you graduate!

• 🎓 Smooth Transition to College
  Learn how college classes work in a supportive environment while still receiving high school support.

Dual enrollment is a smart way to challenge yourself, explore your future, and graduate ahead of the game. Interested? Reach out to the WHS Counseling Office to learn more!

Check out this data from our Spring Semester!