9/7 - Westy's Family News
🐺 A Note From Principal Bangsund
Good evening, Westy Families and Students!
I hope you have enjoyed your long weekend. I know I am always grateful for this extra time with my family and to get caught up on things around home.
It's hard to believe that Homecoming Season is upon us! Our second annual Homecoming Carnival is THIS WEEKEND, and we are so excited to see what our amazing Student Council has in store for us. This year's theme is Tangled in Our Memories, based on Disney's, "Tangled". Last year's event was so fun, and we can't wait to do it again! All students, families, staff members, and community members are encouraged to join us for this fun-filled afternoon. Please help us spread the word. You'll find us in the main parking lot this Saturday, September 12th from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM! I hope to see a lot of you there!
As we continue to get into the swing of the school year, we have several important reminders and announcements below regarding policies and procedures here in Westminster Public Schools and at Westminster High School. Please continue reading below for more information.
With Westy Pride,
Proud Principal 🐺
Westminster High School
📣GO WOLVES!
👨🏻🍳 Cuisine and Confidence: The Curriculum for WHS Teacher
🐺 Pack Pride Announcement! Our amazing Culinary teacher, Mr. Brian Gilroy was recently featured in THIS article. Our staff and students are so lucky to have you!
🎫 Principal's Pass Approvals Have Been Sent Via Email
Eligible Seniors and Juniors who were approved for the Principal's Pass have been sent their approval via email. Students should check their email for further instructions.
If you submitted your application but did not receive an email from me, that means your application for this window has been denied. Denial reasons will be communicated in a separate email tomorrow.
🥪 Lunch Hour Reminder
Students, as a reminder, you are welcome to go to the library or the cafe for your lunch period. However, once you have entered the cafe or the amphitheater, you will not be allowed to leave until the end of the lunch period unless there is a pass waiting for you in SmartPass.
⏰ Early Dismissals
Thank you for helping us speed up the process for you!
🎓 A Life-Changing Scholarship Opportunity
Seniors! The application window for the Daniels Fund Scholarship is now open! The Daniels Scholarship Program is one of the most comprehensive and generous college scholarships in the country. It helps make college possible for high-achieving, values-driven students in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming, offering a full ride at partner schools or up to $25,000 per year at any accredited college in the United States.
They're looking for students with strong character, leadership potential, and a heart for giving back. Daniels Scholars work hard, dream big, serve others, and take pride in their communities and country. Sound like you or someone you know? Learn more and apply online by clicking HERE. The application window closes on October 15th, so be sure to apply soon!
📵 Yondr Pouches To Be Kept in Your Locker or Backpack
Research shows that simply putting your phone away is not enough. Did you know there is a direct correlation between the proximity of one's phone and their GPA? "Professor Angela Duckworth recently shared a powerful insight: just having your phone nearby can lower your IQ. Not permanently, but enough to reduce your mental capacity in the moment. Studies show that when your phone is within arm’s reach, your brain works harder to suppress the urge to check it. That quiet background effort drains focus, working memory, and problem-solving ability."
Based on this information, students are asked to responsibly keep their Yondr pouches in either their backpack or their locker for the day. Keeping the Youndr pouch in your hand, pocket, or elsewhere on your body is not in compliance with the district personal device policy. Finally, students are reminded that all wearable communication devices must be stored in your Yondr pouch or left at home. This includes ear buds, smartwatches, and yes, walkie talkies and handheld radios. Such items will be confiscated if seen.
🚗 Student Parking Passes
Students who wish to drive to school and park in the Westminster High School parking lot are REQUIRED to obtain a parking pass from the Security Office. To obtain a parking pass, students must simply present a valid driver's license (learner permits do not qualify), registration, and proof of insurance. Parking enforcement begins this week.
❗ A valid parking pass is the only form of verification that will be accepted for a student to be considered a "self transport student", allowing us to unlock their phone pouch when leaving campus. Any student attending a class at Ranum who is NOT a verified self-transport student is required to ride the bus.
❗Students who do not have a parking pass visibly displayed on their review mirror will receive a warning sticker on their vehicle. Repeated violations may result in the towing of that individual's car.
To ensure the safety of our students and staff, the cost of the parking pass has been reduced to $0.00. We do not want cost to become a barrier to students being able to transport themselves to school.
🚫 Closed Campus
We are asking for your partnership in reinforcing an important safety expectation with your student: Westminster High School is a closed campus. Once students arrive at school, they must remain on campus throughout the school day unless they are properly checked out through the attendance office by a parent or guardian.
When students leave campus without authorization, they move beyond the supervision and protection our staff can provide. Our staff must remain at school to teach, supervise, and support the students on campus; we cannot follow or supervise students who choose to leave school property. Once off campus, students may encounter traffic, community activity, law-enforcement operations, or other unpredictable situations that school personnel are neither present nor able to help them navigate. Remaining at school is the best way for us to help keep students safe.
Leaving campus without authorization also violates school expectations and may result in attendance consequences and disciplinary measures. Although we will always encourage students to make a safe decision and remain at school, staff cannot physically restrain a student who chooses to leave. This makes your support and conversations at home especially important.
Please also remind your student that Westminster High School is a bell-to-bell phone-free school. Students who leave campus without authorization should not expect school staff to unlock their phone pouch. Leaving school property does not change the phone-free expectations in place during the school day.
We recognize that students may sometimes feel strongly about events or situations happening within our community or beyond it. We respect their developing voices and encourage them to express their perspectives in safe, respectful, and appropriate ways that do not require leaving campus or missing valuable instructional time.
Please speak with your student about the importance of remaining on campus and following our established checkout procedures. We care deeply about every member of our Westy community, and we need your partnership to help us keep students safe, supported, and engaged in learning throughout the entire school day.
Thank you for reinforcing these expectations at home and for your continued partnership.
🎩 No Hat Policy
We would like to remind students that per the WPS Student Dress Code Policy, hats are not allowed. While we understand hats are one way students like to accessorize, hats of any kind will not be allowed in the building. Any hats seen inside the building will be confiscated and sent to the security office to be picked up at the end of the day.
Monday, September 7th: No School - Labor Day
Tuesday, September 8th: Regular School Day
Today is a regular school day! Engage and grow, Wolves!
Wednesday, September 9th: First Model UN Meeting & Choir Department Back-to-School Party
While today is a regular school day, there are some student groups meeting after school today. Please see below!
📆 First Model UN Meeting
⏰ 4:00 PM
📍 Room B-301
👥 New and Returning Model UN Members
📆 Choir Department Back-to-School Party
⏰ 4:00 - 5:30 PM
📍 Room E-111
👥 Choir students only
Thursday, September 10th: 📸 Picture Retakes
Picture retakes will be happening throughout the day. Students will be dismissed by last name. Students who attend classes at Ranum should plan to join the group either right before or after your class.
Opportunities to Support Our Students:
👟 Good luck to our Cross Country Team at the Denver West Cowboy Invitational today!
🥎 Our Softball team faces Riverdale Ridge High School this evening. Varsity plays at 4:00 PM and JV starts at 6:00 PM.
🏐 Our Girls' Volleyball teams are facing Northfield High School tonight. C-Team starts at 4:30 PM; JV begins at 5:30 PM, and Varsity takes the court at 6:30 PM.
Friday, September 11th: All Ranum Classes Will Be Held at the WHS Campus Today
📣 All Ranum classes will be held at WHS today. Please see below for where your class will be located.
- Mr. Troy: Room B303
- Mr. Figueroa: Room B012
- Mr. Ferguson: Room B009
- Ms. Silvestro: Room B316
- Mr. Stockwell: Room B021
Opportunities to Support Our Students:
🏈 Our boys are facing off against Brighton High School tonight. Kickoff is at 7:00 PM. We hope to see you there!
Saturday, September 12th: 🎪 Tangled in Our Memories Homecoming Carnival
📆 Tangled in Our Memories Homecoming Carnival
⏰ 12:00 to 3:00 PM
📍 WHS Parking Lot
👥 All students, families, staff, and community members are welcome to join us!
💰 Free entry
🏈 Football Full 2026-2027 Schedule
Check out the full schedule for the season, and mark your calendars!
Click HERE to visit the team store and rep your team gear now. Go Wolves! 🐺
🥎 Softball Full 2026-2027 Schedule
Check out the full schedule for the season and mark your calendars! Go Wolves!
⚽ Boys' Soccer Full 2026-2027 Schedule
Check out the full schedule for the season and mark your calendars! Go Wolves!
🏐 Girls' Volleyball Full 2026-2027 Schedule
Check out the full schedule for the season and mark your calendars! Go Wolves!
The countdown to the Class of 2027 Graduation Ceremony is on!
📅 Friday, May 21, 2027
⏰ 6:00 PM
📍 CU Boulder Event Center
🤒 Did Your Student Wake Up With a Sore Throat?
📆 Key Dates to Note for 26-27
⭐ Please Note: This is NOT an all-inclusive list and is subject to change. Additional dates, events, and details will be added as they are scheduled. You are encouraged to review this list each week.
- 9/14/26: No School for Students (staff professional development day)
- 9/16/26: Powder Puff Football Game
- 9/18/26: Homecoming Game
- 9/19/26: Homecoming Dance
- 10/8/26: Fall Conferences 4:30 - 7:00 PM
- 10/12 - 10/13/26: No School - Fall Break
- 10/19/26: District Showcase
- 10/26/26: No School for Students (staff professional development day)
- 11/5/26: Attendance Intervention Night
- 11/9/26: No School in Observance of Veterans' Day
- 11/11/26: Practice Test Day, Senior Class Picture, and Senior Class Meeting
- 11/19/26: Turkey Bowl
- 11/23 - 11/27/26: Thanksgiving Break
- 12/16/26: Parent Advisory Committee 5:30 - 6:30 PM (via Google Meet)
- 12/21/26 - 1/5/27: Winter Break
- 1/6/27: First Day of 2nd Semester
- 1/18/27: No School in Observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- 2/6/27: Celebrating Academic Excellence
- 2/6/27: JROTC Military Ball
- 2/10/27: Spring Conferences 4:30 - 7:00 PM
- 2/15/27: No School in Observance of Presidents' Day
- 3/1/27: No School for Students (staff professional development day)
- 3/22 - 3/26/27: Spring Break
- 4/13/27: State Testing (9th and 11th Grades)
- 4/14/27: State Testing (10th and 11th Grades)
- 4/17/27: Prom
- 4/21/27: Parent Advisory Committee 5:30 - 6:30 PM (via Google Meet)
- 4/24/27: Celebrating Artistic Excellence
- 4/26/27: No School
- 5/7/27: Seniors' Last Day of School
- 5/13/27: Senior Awards
- 5/17/27: Senior Check-Out
- 5/18/27: Graduation Practice
- 5/19/27: ALPHA Parade
- 5/21/27: Class of 2027 Graduation Ceremony
- 5/26/27: Last Day of School
📣 Please note that all dates are subject to change. Check this section of the weekly newsletter regularly for any updates or additions!
📵 Phone-Free Campus
As a reminder, in response to Colorado State Legislation requiring all school districts to adopt a personal device policy, Westminster Public Schools as adopted a new personal device policy, which includes cell phones, all wearable smart technology (such as smart watches and Meta Glasses), earbuds/headphones, and personal laptops/iPads/tablets.
How this works at Westy:
- Prior to entering the building at the start of their school day, all students will be required to place their cell phone(s) and all other small items identified above in their Yondr Pouch (these will be distributed to students on their first day of school along with a printed schedule), before walking through the Threat Detection System (TDS).
- Upon entering the building, students will lock their Youndr Pouch as they walk through the TDS. Their Pouch will remain locked until the final dismissal bell (or the end of the student's school day as determined by their schedule, but only once they leave campus). At the final dismissal bell (which rings at 2:50 PM on Mondays and 3:55 PM Tuesday through Friday), students will be able to visit an unlock station to unlock their Pouch as they leave campus. These unlock stations will be manned by a WHS staff member and will be located in the following places:
- Exiting the Main Doors
- Exiting the Bus Doors
- By the bus lane
- By the flag pole at the round-about
- Self-Transport Students:
- For safety purposes, self-transport students who attend an off-site campus, such as Ranum or Front Range, as part of their school day will be permitted to unlock their Pouch upon exiting the building. Ranum students will be required to relock their Pouches upon entering the building and upon returning to WHS.
- Lunch: All pouches will remain locked during all lunch periods with the exception of Self-Transport SENIORS who qualify, apply, and are approved for a Principal's Pass. Those students will be permitted to unlock their Pouch upon leaving campus for lunch for safety purposes. Upon returning to campus, these students will be required to relock their Pouch as they re-enter the building. Please note, an unexcused absence or tardy after lunch is grounds for immediate revocation of a student's Principal's Pass.
Please note that students who violate this policy WILL face disciplinary action. We want all students to enjoy their school day, and following the above policy will help ensure that can happen!
⏰1st Period Starts at 8:45 AM
- Bus riders: Please try to arrive to your bus stop a few minutes early to help the bus stay on schedule and enter the school immediately upon arrival.
- Self-Transport Students: Plan to arrive at school by no later than 8:35 AM and enter the building immediately upon arrival.
- Parent/Guardian Drop-Off: Please drop your student(s) off by no later than 8:35 AM. While many of you do this, we have quite a few of those students who choose not to enter the building right away, instead waiting until the last minute to get in line which is causing congestion at the front doors and additional tardiness. Please encourage your student(s) to enter the building immediately upon arrival.
Thank you for your support in getting students in their 1st period seats by the first bell!
🏫 Morning Entrance Procedure
📣 Students! To help ensure morning entry goes as quickly as possible, please take note of the following:
- Westminster High School is a closed campus. Any students on campus between 8:30 AM and 3:55 PM are required to be inside the building. Please do not loiter out front, and instead, enter the building upon arrival.
- Before reaching the front doors, please ensure your Yondr pouch is out and all required items are either placed inside or, if you need it to be unlocked first, prepared to be placed inside once it is unlocked.
- If you lost, forgot, or have damaged your Yondr pouch, you will be required to either purchase a new one for $35, or turn in your cell phone and all wearable smart technology to a school administrator upon entering the building. This fee must be paid prior to receiving the replacement pouch.
- Students who report not owning a phone or having their Yondr pouch will be required to have their backpack searched upon entry to the building.
- Before reaching the TDS machine, please take the following out of your backpack:
- Yondr pouch with ID ready to be scanned
- Chromebook
- Eye glasses case
- Any 3-ring binders
- If you lost or forgot your school ID, you will need to wait in the Replacement ID line to obtain a new ID prior to being able to enter the building. Please note, all replacement IDs are charged to the student's account at the price of $5.00 each!
By following these procedures, you will help ensure that morning entry runs smoothly and quickly. Thank you!
🚲 E-Bikes and Mini Bikes Must Be Stored at the Bike Rack
E-bikes and motorized mini bikes and scooters have become more popular! We are not able to accommodate storing or charging bikes inside the school. All bikes, whether electric, gas, or person-powered will need to be stored outside at our bike racks.
Please note, all electric or gas powered bikes must follow traffic laws and cannot be ridden on the sidewalks. Students are required to walk their bikes to the bike rack once they reach the sidewalk.
🛑 South Parking Lot for Buses and Staff Only
The south parking lot (accessible from 68th Ave behind the school) is FOR BUSES AND STAFF ONLY (and select individuals with a SpEd pass, which must be displayed on the dash). Students and families are not allowed to drop off, pick up, or park in this lot as it poses a significant safety risk to our students. All drivers not listed above, will be asked to move their vehicles immediately.
All students should be dropped off and picked up on the north side of the building either by entering off Raleigh Street or, if coming from 68th Avenue, continuing east to circle around and enter from Utica Street.
🚌 After School Bus Pick-Up
Bus Riders! Please see the map below to know where to wait for your bus to arrive. Routes 1-4 will pick up at the south side of the bus lot (closest to the greenhouse); routes 5-9 and 30 will pick up at the north side of the bus lot (closest to the baseball field); and all SpEd routes will pick up at the sidewalk facing the building.
🎫 Event Rules
We would like to remind students, families, friends, and community members of the following rules that apply to ALL Westminster High School events. By understanding these rules ahead of time, you can plan accordingly!
- No smoking or vaping on school property
- No outside food or beverages
- No re-entry
Additionally, students must leave their backpack at the gates when attending an event in the stadium. Thank you in advance for adhering to these rules!
