Panther Print for Parents 🐾

Tuesday with Mrs. O'Toole (Science)

Tuesday with Mrs. Riedinger (English 9 and 10)

Tuesday and Thursday with Mrs. Hunt

Tuesday and Wednesday with Mr. Dimino (MATH)

Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with Mr. Arter

STUDENTS MUST HAVE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION HOME AT 4 PM.

REPORT TO THE TEACHER'S CLASSROOM BY 3:15 PM.

STUDENTS CAN MEET WITH ANY TEACHER FOR ASSISTANCE--NOT JUST THE TEACHERS THEY HAVE IN CLASS.

During English classes this week Mrs. Dawson conducted individual junior meetings. These

are quick check in meetings that cover the following content:

These meetings are meant to help juniors start thinking about how they will leverage their

coursework during their senior year to best prepare them for their individual post-secondary

plans. We will continue these conversations when we do schedule requests for senior year in

early March!

INDIVIDUAL

JUNIOR

MEETINGS

Progress towards graduation, and graduation requirements left to complete

Post-secondary plans and course work that can be taken in preparation for those plans,

for example:

Dual enrollment coursework though LMC or SMC

Career and Technical Education coursework through Van Buren Tech Center

Career and Technical Education programming through Berrien County

Elective offerings here at Watervli

What can you do to help your junior plan?

Ask them about their individual meeting, and what questions they might still have?

Encourage your junior to schedule an additional meeting with Mrs. Dawson if they

have further questions

Schedule college/trade school visits (these can be taken this year, over the summer or

during next school year).

Have your student schedule a meeting with Mr. Coburn (our Michigan College Access

Network Advisor) to discuss college/trade school

Over the summer, students can begin the college application process

Spanish 1 students are practicing conjugating verbs by playing Battleship!

CONGRATULATIONS to Mrs. Hunt, who applied for and received an acorn grant from the Berrien County Community Foundation. The $450 will be used for classroom art supplies. The check was delivered to her today! Thanks to her 3rd hour class for the photo op!

Congratulations to our Winterfest 2025 royalty candidates! Your freshmen representatives are Jayden Brassard and Anahi Howell. Your sophomore representatives are Jess Eldred and Sarah Leoni. Your junior representatives are Phoenix Anderson and Addison Smith. And finally, your king and queen representatives are Tyler Asakevich, Makena Edelberg, Chaz Hart, Ayana Marshall, Luke Isbrecht, Kendra Sanders, Tyler Kuehl, Lilly Summers, Emmett Williams, and Natalie VanLente!

The. high school is working to decrease the number of student tardies in the building. In addition to contacting parents any day via text that your child is tardy to a class, we have now added an additional bell during the passing period that will signify to students that they have 1 minute to get to class before being counted tardy. We look forward to analyzing our tardy data in a few weeks to see how this new support has lowered the number of tardies in our building!

Congratulations to the following Panthers who have been nominated by a faculty or staff member as a Student of the Month for January 2025! Winners at each grade level will be announced at the end of the week!

Freshmen: Nolan Weckwerth, Erica Burgos, McKaylen Laws, Ethan Shaffer, Payton Yeske, Alicea Tuinstra, Jane Rudell, Alvin Jones, Steffi Lewison, Julian Diamond, Emma Kirksey, Marley Alsup, Liam Allerman, Deven Tavolacci, Aiyanna Forrester, Ava Bentley, Annabella Schadler, and Chris Murphy.

Sophomores: Liz Leblang, Aaron Alvarado, Mackenzie Webster, Alexis Coburn, Claire Moore, Angelica Daisy, Makena Guzman, Kalyn Manley, Mackenzie Birmele, Deandre Rose, Sofia De Veras Quaresma, So'Marion Bennett, Vivienne Sexton, Katelynn Kostrazewa, Aiden Wolford, Olivia Mitchell, and Bryce Teitsma

Juniors: Isabella Bultema, William Sherrard, Daz Zang, Leila Wells, Jacob Pleyer, Jaylee Havenaar, Ava Sprague, Kaz Miller, Christopher Parkhurst, Brooklyn Richardson, Anthony Coulombe, Brianna Zwar, Jessica Rudell, Phoenix Anderson, Melanie Seske, and Kami Rathfon

Seniors: Adrian Flores, Hector Salguero, Maddi Rodell, Nic Terry, Owen Epple, Tyler Asakevich, Braizen Robart, Tanner VanNeil, Kayden Harrington, Jewell Burgess, Kyra Sullivan, Kendra Washington, Kendra Sanders, Riley Preston, and Alyssa Brown.

Students are nominated for going above and beyond the expectation in the classroom and for working hard to improve their effort and performance at school.

Winterfest Dance--February 7th, 9-11 in the middle school gym, $5 admission. Guest passes need to be submitted to the office by February 5th. No students will be allowed a guest that has not been approved by the Principal. No jeans or shorts permitted.

Winterfest is Friday, February 7th. We will have hallway decorating on Saturday, February 1 from 10-3. We can set exact times once we figure out who wants to help. Our theme this year is Tangled: Light Up the Night. We need you students to come up with ideas and get them to Kelli and I by Monday. This way we can get any supplies needed in time for next Saturday. Also let us know if you plan to help decorate the hallway.

Thanks

Teresa and Kelli

Please find the Athena Education Scholarship application for Berrien County high school senior students attached to this email.

This scholarship will be awarded to an outstanding young person who exhibits a commitment to our community through philanthropy and volunteerism.

We will consider all senior students for this award who live, or attend school, in Berrien County. Additional criteria are outlined in the attached application packet.

Please distribute the Athena Education Scholarship to interested candidates. Applications and supporting documents can be sent to the Women's Service League Scholarship Committee via email upon students’ receipt and completion, however, be sure to note that all applications must be postmarked no later than March 3, 2025.

Applications and support materials should be emailed to: wslpink@gmail.com (Please note we are no longer taking physical submissions to out PO Box).

On behalf of Women’s Service League, thank you for reviewing this information and for providing your students with this scholarship opportunity. Please feel free to forward this information to all high school counselors or secretaries who may be able to facilitate in getting this information to the high school seniors. If you have any updates in your staff list of counselors, please forward on to me so that our list and correspondence will remain current.

Women’s Service League in Saint Joseph, MI, is a non-profit dedicated to promoting volunteerism. We connect women with meaningful volunteer opportunities that make a real difference in our community. For more information please visit our website: https://womensserviceleaguesj.com

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,

Kate Hooper

Athena Chair/ Executive Member

wslpink@gmail.com

Women’s Service League

www.womensserviceleague.org

Don't forget to remind your students that the 2025-26 Anita F. Boorda Scholarship for the Performing Arts application is due February 15! This $2,500 renewable scholarship is for high school seniors planning to pursue a degree in performing arts, music, theatre, dance, or production through a full-time course of study at their school of choice. Click the link below for detailed guidelines with additional information. This application is open to students who reside in the following counties:

• Indiana: St. Joseph, Elkhart, Marshall, Kosciusko, Fulton, Pulaski, Starke, and LaPorte
• Michigan: Berrien and Cass

To begin, students will need to create an account in our online scholarship system and then navigate to the “Apply” page to access the 2025-26 CFSJC Scholarship Application. Eligible students will be matched with the Boorda scholarship opportunity after starting this application. Please encourage your students to start their application as soon as possible, as two written responses are required, in addition to a letter of recommendation and a high school transcript that includes 7th semester grades to be submitted on their behalf.

The deadline to apply is Saturday, February 15, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.

We appreciate your help sharing this opportunity and look forward to awarding another great group of students this generous scholarship. Please reach out to scholarships@cfsjc.org should you have any questions.

Thank you!

Christine Amstutz Moore
Program Officer

MEC has a couple opportunities for area high school students I wanted to make you aware of:

1. NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) Washington D.C. Youth Tour. MEC will send two area high school students as delegates to attend this all-expenses-paid trip in June. They will join nearly 1,800 other high school students from across the country for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The deadline to apply is January 27. More information can be found at: Youth Tour - MEC - Midwest Energy & Communications
2. Scholarships. MEC is once again offering scholarships to area high school seniors whose families receive MEC service at their primary residence. This year we are asking students to create a video commercial. They can pick from one of our main services: electric, propane or fiber internet and create a 60-90 second video promoting it. Four $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. The deadline to apply is Monday, March 17. Detailed information as well as the application can be found online at Scholarships - MEC - Midwest Energy & Communications.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Lori

Lori A. Ruff

Community Relations Specialist

Midwest Energy & Communications

60590 Decatur Road

Cassopolis, MI 49031

269-445-1139

Dear Students and Parents,

The Momentum Scholarship for Juniors offers $1,000 to high school juniors who are ready to jumpstart their scholarship journey. No essay is required—create your Going Merry account and apply! This is your chance to get ahead of the game and start applying to scholarships early.

Scholarship Details:

• Worth $1,000.
• No Essay Required.
• Must be in the Class of 2026.
• You can only find this opportunity through the exclusive link below.
• Deadline: March 31st, 2024.

Click here to apply!

My name is Amanda Bruce. I grew up in and around Detroit, and started high school at Redford Union High School. After a family move my sophomore year, I finished high school at Howell High School, and from there went to the University of Michigan to earn my BA in English. I plan to begin my Masters of Education this summer.

Currently, I am teaching English 11, English 12, and Creative Writing. In my free time, I like to read, build Lego with my kids, and go kayaking (when the weather is warm enough).

I am proud to be a WHS panther because of the wonderful supportive staff and students who welcomed me my first year here.

https://www.berriencommunity.org/scholar

Feb 1st deadline for all of the Berrien County scholarships for Watervliet students.

Complete 1 application and you are eligible for 50 scholarships!

Don't forget to apply. Click on the link above.

As your students prepare to take the next step in education, Honor Credit Union is excited to offer a fantastic opportunity to help fuel their college or trade school dreams.

This year, we’ll award twelve $2,500 scholarships to deserving students to support their post-high school journey.

Here’s how students can apply:

• Be an active Honor Credit Union member and the primary account holder
• Must be accepted to an accredited U.S. college, university, or trade/vocational school
• Maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale
• Demonstrate academic achievements and community involvement
• Complete the easy online application

https://www.honorcu.com/scholarship/?utm_source=email&utm_medium=button&utm_campaign=Scholarship_Email_Feb_2025_Counselors

Honor Credit Union is thrilled to continue its 15-year tradition of supporting Michigan students through the 2025-2026 Community Commitment Scholarship Program. This year, we will award $30,000 in scholarships to 12 high school seniors who are passionate about their communities. Each recipient will receive $2,500 to help pursue their college or trade school education goals.

We know how dedicated you are to your students' success, and we invite you to share this incredible opportunity with graduating seniors who exemplify community involvement and drive. Honor Credit Union’s commitment to education runs deep. Founded over 90 years ago as Berrien Teachers Credit Union, our mission to support educators, students, and communities remains as strong as ever, even as we’ve grown to 28 locations across Michigan.

Ready to help your students apply?

• Visit our website to view the official rules and application: https://www.honorcu.com/scholarship/
• A digital brochure with additional details for you to share. Additionally, your school will soon receive printed brochures to distribute to your high school seniors, making it even easier to share this opportunity.

We appreciate your help in spreading the word about this exciting opportunity! Sincerely,

Jan 31st Deadline to order cap and gown

Feb 1st Deadline for Berrien Foundation Scholarship application

Mar 1st Deadline to earn $50 gift card for FAFSA completion

Mar 10th Local scholarship applications available

Mar 27th Deadline for Teacher Pie in the Face for FAFSA completion

Mar 28th Senior picture due to yearbook

April 11th Local scholarship applications due

April 25th community service hours are due to Mrs. Richcreek to wear a cord at graduation

May 1st Decision Day 10 am auditorium

May 5th Memory Board Poster due to the HS

May 6th Senior class photos due for Baccalaureate presentation

May 10th Prom 8-11 PM Union and Social St. Joe

May 11th After Prom 12 AM -5:30 AM Mishawaka

May 14th Senior Scholarship/Academic Awards 6 PM Auditorium

May 16th Graduation speeches are due to Ms. Powers for review

May 20-23 Senior Exams

May 21st Senior check-out sheets are due to Mrs. Richcreek

May 23rd 3:10 Deadline for grades and passing all classes to walk at graduation

May 23rd All fees and fines due

May 23rd 10 AM process through school buildings

May 23rd Car Parade 4 PM Old Mill Site

May 23rd Senior Sunset Silver Beach

May 28th Baccalaureate 6 PM Auditorium

May 29th Senior Field Day

May 29th Senior Picnic 2 PM

May 29th Graduation Practice 3:15 PM in the media center (required in order to walk at graduation)

May 30th Graduation– Students meet in the media center by 5:30 PM; group photos begin at 5:45 sharp, graduation start at 6:30 PM in the stadium

MEC has a couple opportunities for area high school students I wanted to make you aware of:

1. NRECA (National Rural Electric Cooperative Association) Washington D.C. Youth Tour. MEC will send two area high school students as delegates to attend this all-expenses-paid trip in June. They will join nearly 1,800 other high school students from across the country for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The deadline to apply is January 27. More information can be found at: Youth Tour - MEC - Midwest Energy & Communications
2. Scholarships. MEC is once again offering scholarships to area high school seniors whose families receive MEC service at their primary residence. This year we are asking students to create a video commercial. They can pick from one of our main services: electric, propane or fiber internet and create a 60-90 second video promoting it. Four $1,000 scholarships will be awarded. The deadline to apply is Monday, March 17. Detailed information as well as the application can be found online at Scholarships - MEC - Midwest Energy & Communications.

Let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you,

Lori

Lori A. Ruff

Community Relations Specialist

Midwest Energy & Communications

60590 Decatur Road

Cassopolis, MI 49031

269-445-1139

The deadline to place all cap & gown orders is January 31st.

Here's the link: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/packageBrowse/1063120/WATERVLIET-HIGH-SCHOOL/Graduation/2437132725/CATALOG_REPOSITORY/PACKAGES

Parents and/or students can reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

SENIORS PICTURES FOR THE YEARBOOK!

It's time to submit Senior Portraits to ring in the 2025 graduates in our Yearbook. Our deadline is March 28, 2005 (Spring Break)

Please upload your portraits through https://www.hjeshare.com/eShare/?code=49098

Senior portraits must be a VERTICAL headshot, but hands and/or upper body may be visible if desired. No props, hats that obscure the face, or distracting backgrounds, please.

Portraits must be of professional quality, at least 300 DPI, and 500 KB or larger. We CANNOT accept screenshots, proofs, links to photographer’s websites or portraits with the photographer’s logo.

Below is a help in navigating the upload process.

We will take a group of interested students by school bus on this trip. Look for a permission slip in the guidance office soon.

We are excited to announce that 2025 Yearbooks are now on sale. Dec. 1 - 20.

Discounted presale price is $45 which includes a free name stamp on the cover. Students may purchase during school from a yearbook staff member or Mrs. Brant. Make checks payable to Watervliet Public Schools.

Yearbooks can also be purchased online through this link: https://www.yearbookordercenter.com/index.cfm/job/2956

After Dec. 20, yearbooks will be $50 and optional name stamps an additional $5.

Dear Senior Families:

Mr. Coburn, our certified FAFSA expert, will be meeting with your Senior in the next month to ask the following questions: (1) where have you applied? (2) where have you been accepted? (3) do you have your FSA ID?

If you would like to meet with Mr. Coburn to get assistance in completing the FAFSA, please reach out to him at christopher.coburn@watervlietps.org. He is available during and after the school day to meet with any parent who would like assistance.

It only takes 30 minutes to complete the FAFSA once you have all of the needed information: FSA ID for both parent and student, 2023 tax information, total current account amount for both parent and student, net worth of any businesses, SS # for both parent and student, and a list of all of the schools to which your Senior has applied.

It is our goal that 100% of the Class of 2025 completes the FAFSA this year. Whether your child is headed to post secondary training or not, plans can change over the summer. We want your child to be ready for whatever comes their way in the Fall of 2025 with a completed FAFSA! THANK YOU !

Mr. Coburn is the Michigan Adviser college adviser that is assigned to work with seniors in both the Watervliet and Coloma school districts. He has already met with each Senior at least one time this year in order to establish how can assist each in achieving their plans for life after high school. Seiors and their parents can meet with him as needed. Feel free to reach out to him at christopher.coburn@watervlietps.org.

Do you want to know more about our standards based learning and grading initiative? Be sure to visit our informational page that explains how we assess and grade in the standards based system. If you have questions, please be sure to speak with your student's teacher or principal.

Each week of the school year, the faculty at the high school will review with your child the expectations in one area of the building. The purpose of teaching and reviewing these expectations with your child is to 1. Make sure they understand the expectations in the building and 2. Assist them in having success at the high school. Please review the MEDIA CENTER expectations with your child. The expectations below will be reviewed during this coming week.

Parent/guardian input and feedback is always important at the high school. We are always in search of parents to serve on the Student Advisory Council to the Principal for the 24-25 school year. All meetings are held in person. Any high school parent is welcome to attend anytime. Mark your calendar now to attend these meetings and provide your input. All meetings are held at 7 PM in the high school media center.

February 26

March 26

April 30

May 21

Each month, the high school hosts and provides educational sessions for parents on a variety of topics aimed at preparing students for life after high school.These presentations will again take place during the 24-25 school year. Mark your calendar for these important sessions. All sessions are held at 6 PM in the high school media center

Feb 25 Van Buren Tech Informational Night (intended for the parents of 9th-11th graders)

March (date to be determined) Accommodations in College Night (intended for the parents of students with IEPs and 504 plans planning on post secondary training)

April 23 Dual Enrollment Night (intended for parents of 9th-11th graders interested in earning college credit free while in high school)