The Whetstone Weekly

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Upcoming Dates

• WAPA Booster Meeting* - Monday, 9/8, 6:30, WHS Library
• Open House* - Wednesday, 9/10, 5:30 - 7:00, WHS
• Pathway Express* - Saturday, 9/13, 10-1, Lynd Fruit Farm
• Picture Day* - Tuesday, 9/16
• PTA meeting* - Wednesday, 9/17, 6:30-7:30, WHS Library
• Homecoming Game - Friday, 9/26, 7:00
• Homecoming Dance* - Saturday, 9/27, 7-10, WHS Cafeteria
• Parent-Teacher Conferences* - Thursday, 10/9, from 3pm-6:30pm and Thursday, 11/13, from 3:30-7pm

*See below for more info

Whetstone PTA Calendar

https://www.whetstonepta.org/home/calendar

CCS District Calendars

https://www.ccsoh.us/calendars.aspx

Stay engaged in your child's education! The Parent Portal (through Infinite Campus) is your link to real-time information on your Columbus City Schools student(s), including class schedules, assignments, grades, attendance, and more.

To access the Parent Portal, visit: https://columbusoh.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/columbusCity.jsp

For information on how to access and use the Parent Portal, visit: https://www.ccsoh.us/parentportal.aspx

Parent Portal App info is available at: https://secure.smore.com/3jk0e

The Pathway Express program is back for another year with three unique destinations for students and families to explore!

Pathway Express demonstrates how learning extends beyond the classroom walls. These transformative experiences shape and empower our students for success, as they align with our goals of increasing math and reading proficiency and help close opportunity gaps. Create lasting memories with engaging hands-on learning experiences at each of our Pathway Express stops!

This year’s Pathway Express kicks off in September at Lynd Fruit Farm, followed by the Lincoln Theatre in December and Indian Village Outdoor Education Center in April. These learning opportunities will lead us through the 2025-2026 school year, right up to our 2026 Summer Experience. See event details below.

September 13

• Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025

• Location: Lynd Fruit Farm (9091 Morse Rd SW, Pataskala)

• Time: 10:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

• More info: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1SMNBjPvmo/

December 13

• Saturday, December 13, 2025

• Location: Lincoln Theatre (769 E. Long St.)

• Time: 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

April 25

• Saturday, April 25, 2026

• Location: Indian Village Outdoor Education Center (3232 Indian Village Road)

• Time: 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.

To learn more visit the Pathway Express page at https://www.ccsoh.us/pathwayexpress

As fall sports season begins, please be aware of the security measures that are in place at ALL CCS middle and High School sporting and special events. These measures have proven to enhance the safety and security of all attendees. At most locations, Safety and Security Specialists will process all spectators and visitors through a single entry point via the EVOLV High-Speed Weapons Detection Systems.

• Students must provide their school ID.
• A parent or adult guardian must accompany middle school students.
• Restrictions on bag size: no larger than 5x8 as in the past.
• Strollers are not permitted.
• Admission or ticket purchases will be prohibited after the end of the third quarter. Spectators are also prohibited from re-entering after leaving the facility.

As always, the CCS staff and security teams appreciate your support and hope you have an enjoyable experience attending CCS events. Your role in adhering to these measures is crucial, and a valued contribution to safety. Please remember that good security is never convenient but always necessary.

Our teams have been full-go the last couple of weeks! For this weeks contests, please see the attached PDF. This will be implemented into the Weekly Whetstone Athletics Link. Therefore, you can access it from a link we have readily available all week. https://rebrand.ly/WhetstoneWeeklyRoundup

Whetstone Senior Jules Higgins reached a career milestone on 9/4/2025 when he scored his 50th career goal against Northland. Jules Higgins plays striker and wears the number 9. Jules Higgins is a 4th year Varsity player. His Goal tally includes 13 goals his freshman year, 17 goals his sophomore year, 12 goals his Junior year, 8 so far in his senior year. As a sophomore he earned All City Honorable Mention. As a junior, Jules earned the Golden Boot award as well as second team all city. See photos attached. Congratulations to Jules Higgins!

Whetstone Swimming will start pre-season training on Tuesdays and Thursdays 3:15-5:15 in the weight room.

Boys and girls basketball have also started pre-season training. Reach out to the respective coaches (listed in the roundup) for the schedules.

Whetstone Cheer and Dance will be having tryouts for Winter season soon. Stayed tuned for more information coming within a week.

Strength & Conditioning is taking place everyday after school at 3:15pm. If you are on a team or not, you are welcome! Some teams have assigned times but if you are not yet committed to a team, come when you can! No experience is needed. Coach Ryan will assist you.

Reminder for home football games: Students must have their ID ready. Middle school students must be accompanied by an adult. Students from non-competing schools will not be allowed entry.

Yard sign orders are due Friday, 9/12 to ensure fall delivery. You can order for any sport or season now!

Order your sign at https://www.whetstoneathleticboosters.com/shop

Help turn popcorn and Gatorade into uniforms and equipment for Braves Athletics!

Whetstone Boosters are looking for awesome people to staff the Stadium Snack Shack for the rest of our fall season. Plenty of slots still open. Proceeds are used to support ALL WHS sports, athletes and seasons.

For more info and to sign up, visit: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805044AAFA62EA20-58000089-20252026

See past and upcoming matches for all WHS sports at WHS Athletic Schedule and buy your tickets at WHS Athletic Tickets.

If you didn't see it here, you can probably find it in the Weekly Whetstone Athletics Roundup. Visit https://rebrand.ly/WhetstoneWeeklyRoundup for more WHS athletics info!

Show your Whetstone pride and support your Whetstone athlete! The Booster store has options to support WHS Sports, Band, and Cheer. There are Parent/Family, Alumni, and Teacher/Staff logos, too. And most importantly, all proceeds benefit our kids!

Visit the Athletic Booster Spirit Wear store to browse and buy hoodies, t-shirts, hats, blankets, drinkware, and more. Personalization is available on select items. There is something for everyone!

The WHS Athletic Boosters provide team support - paying for various expenses that coaches and teams need to be successful during a season and annual monetary awards for graduating student athletes that have demonstrated excellence in academics. Visit whetstoneathleticboosters.com for more info.

We are now taking orders for our fall mum sale at WAPA.net. Mums will be delivered a week earlier this year on September 20th so orders will need to be completed by the 14th. Since it is a trip year orders can be credited to specific students to help defray the cost of their New York trip.

We will need help unloading, organizing, and loading orders into cars so please keep the morning of the 20th free. A Sign-up Genius will be out soon.

The 2025/2026 year is already off and running

The drumline actually had the first performance of the year when they travelled to Wesley Glen during the second week of band camp. Marching band has marched their first show, all the other groups are gearing up for a busy year, and She Kills Monsters will be ramping up soon. The best way to stay on top of everything is to follow the Band App and read the periodic emails like this.

If you have not had a chance to pay your marching band fees yet, please do at https://www.wapa.net/marching-band-store. Everything has been ordered and should start arriving over the next couple of weeks.

We need your ideas, input, and help

The WAPA programs provide an incredibly wide range of opportunities for our students, but they are only possible with the support of parents and guardians. Throughout the year there will be several opportunities for you to “pitch-in”, but a key one happens every second Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. Our monthly Booster meetings are when we learn about what the directors have planned, exchanges ideas, coordinate support, and all the other activities required to keep the performing arts alive and well at Whetstone. Our first meeting of the year is this Monday the 8th. We meet at 6:30 p.m. in the High School’s library and we will be done by 8 p.m. All are welcome, no experience necessary.

Thank you,

Brad Phillips

WAPA Booster President

She Kills Monsters tells the story of high schooler Agnes Evans as she deals with the death of her younger sister, Tilly.

Friday & Saturday, November 7 & 8, 2025

7:00 PM & 9:00 PM

WAPA Performing Arts Center

Get more info and tickets at https://www.wapa.net/performances-gashZ/kt9ogqm254gg128klfaf2lrjbc5fu8

WAPA IS...A place to experience inspiring music and theater. A place for students to grow. A place for instructors to shine. A place for our community to come together. WAPA is here to inspire.

WHETSTONE. ACADEMY. of PERFORMING. ARTS.

For more info, visit wapa.net.

Homecoming weekend is September 26-27 this year, and PTA is already hard at work planning the parade, festival, silent auction (Sept. 26) and student dance (Sept. 27). If you have some time and energy, consider how you can help below.

The Silent Auction is LIVE online! There are gift cards, items, and experiences for everyone. Check out our items here and make your bids!

It’s not too late to donate additional items! Fill out this form if you have an item to contribute. Thank you!

Homecoming Sponsorship & Silent Auction Donations

Volunteer at the Festival or Dance (9/26 and 9/27)

Donate to the Bake Sale (9/26)

Do you have a convertible or a Jeep with a removable top? Do you love the fun and excitement of a parade? We would LOVE to have you drive in the Whetstone High School homecoming parade! You would be driving Homecoming Royalty, Teacher of the Year, or Volunteers of the Year. Please message Tasha Weaver at nweave33@gmail.com if you want to be a part of this amazing annual event!

Our PTA holds open meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 pm in the school library. Join us to hear what’s going, get updates from Principal Rodriguez and learn how you can contribute to our wonderful school community.

All are welcome but in order to be a voting member, you need to pay $10 for a membership. Click here for membership options.

If you're not already participating, take three minutes and enroll your Kroger Plus card with their Community Rewards program to benefit Whetstone PTA. Visit whetstonepta.org/home/kroger-community-rewards-for-whs-pta for more info.

The Whetstone PTA is a community of parent volunteers, working to provide scholarships for students, grants for teachers, connect school leadership with parents, and enrich the high school experience for ALL the students at Whetstone High School. See below for selected PTA-related information, and visit whetstonepta.org to join and get even more!

New this year: We’ve started a group on the Band app to better facilitate communication. Join us here!

Greetings Whetstone family!

We are a month away from Homecoming! It is hard to believe. The Senior Cabinet and advisors are working hard to ensure that this is a GREAT time for students.

Many questions have come up about the dance and bringing in non-Whetstone guests. Due to the number of students enrolled at Whetstone and the limited number of tickets that we have for sale, we will have to limit our ticket sales to Whetstone students and to athletes who participate with Whetstone athletics. We will have student ID numbers for those athletes and will ensure that they are able to purchase a ticket. We will work with our Athletic Director to obtain student athlete information.

There is criteria for eligibility to purchase a ticket for the Homecoming dance:

• Students may not have any OSS (out of school suspensions) and must have the below number of Internship Hours to purchase a ticket and to attend.
• Each cohort has an Internship hour requirement which is listed below. See Mr. Eagle for assistance with entering Internship hours.
• Internship hours must be in SchoolLinks by September 12, 2025 go live before 2:30pm. Ticket sales will open on September 17, 2025 at 4pm.

Internship hour requirements:

• Freshman - 0 hours
• Sophomores - 30 hours
• Juniors - 60 Hours
• Seniors - 90 Hours

Finally, the daily spirit day themes are as follows:

• Monday 9/22
• Culture Day - Come to school dressed to represent your culture/country!
• Tuesday 9/23
• Twin Day - Dress alike
• Wednesday 9/24
• Western Day - Wear your favorite boots! (no hats and no short shorts)
• Thursday 9/25
• Anything but a backpack
• Friday 9/26
• Color Day
• Freshman - Black
• Sophomore - Green
• Junior - Red
• Senior - Blue

Please see Ms. Ottey (tottey@columbus.k12.oh.us) if you have any questions.

Join the WHS Open House! Walk your student's schedule, meet the staff, and see where they learn each day. Open house is on Wednesday, 9/10, from 5:30-7:30.

Here’s what to expect:

• Senior Parent Meeting – 5:30 PM in the auditorium
  We encourage all senior families to attend this important meeting to discuss graduation planning, college applications, and key senior-year events.
• Orientation and Open House – 6:00 PM
  We will begin with a brief welcome meeting, followed by an opportunity for parents to follow their child’s schedule, meet each teacher, and hear briefly about course expectations and classroom routines.

Conferences are a great way to meet one on one with your student's teacher(s) and discuss their individual progress. Fall Semester Parent Teacher CONFERENCES will be Thursday, 10/9, from 3pm-6:30pm and Thursday, 11/13, from 3:30-7pm.

WHS 2025-26 Picture Day is Tuesday, 9/16.

Shop for and order photos from LifeTouch online at https://my.lifetouch.com/mylifetouch/#/pictureDayId/EVTV3TVZP

The Columbus Metropolitan Library's Local History and Genealogy division, based at the Main library downtown, is actively seeking yearbooks for their collection. Specifically, they are looking for area schools currently underrepresented in their collection. Today, they only have (8) yearbooks from Whetstone, for the years 1962-63, 1965, 1967, 1971, 1977-79. If you have any other yearbooks from Whetstone, please consider donating or loaning the yearbook to the library. Donations will be digitized and added to the shelves downtown, and loaned yearbooks will be digitized and returned to lender (no damage to materials in digitization process). Have a yearbook from another area school? They are interested in those as well! Check out the library's digitized yearbook collection and see if you might be able to fill a gap in their holdings! https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/yearbook

The library is also interested in any other material related to area schools, neighborhoods, people, or communities! Consider the library for your photos and documents that relate to Ohio or Columbus history. See examples and browse by neighborhood, decade, or topic at columbuslibrary.org/myhistory.

Have questions, or a yearbook to offer? Contact the Local History and Genealogy team at history@columbuslibrary.org, or call them at 614-645-2275. You are also welcome to drop off materials at any CML location, and staff will get them to the Local History and Genealogy team!

CCS Middle and High schools will participate in Suicide Prevention Week activities September 7-13 geared towards suicide awareness and prevention and Start with Hello Week activities created to promote social inclusion September 15 -19. These important and informative weeks are aligned with State Health curriculum standards and provide students with important evidence - based practices and information.

Ohio Health Standards: In grades six through twelve: at least one hour or one standard class period per school year of evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention and at least one hour or one standard class period per school year of safety training and violence prevention.

Halloween Haunt event is planned for October 18 at Columbus Public Health and will include activities for all ages, such as costume drive, crafts, a pumpkin patch, resource tables, and yard games. It is also a chance to connect the community with valuable safety resources in a fun, engaging way. See the flyer for more info.

Want even more WHS info? Visit these WHS-related groups and pages online.

• Whetstone HS (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonehigh/
  
• Whetstone HS PTA (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstone_pta/
• Whetstone HS PTA (Facebook) - facebook.com/whetstonehighpta/
• Whetstone HS PTA Family Group (Facebook) - facebook.com/groups/472994289728615
• Whetstone HS Athletic Boosters (Facebook) - facebook.com/WHSAthleticBoosters
  
• Whetstone AD (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstone_athleticdirector/
• Whetstone Football Program (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonehsfootball/
• Whetstone HS Cheer (Instagram) - instagram.com/whsbraves.cheer/
• WHS Baseball (Facebook) - facebook.com/Whetstone-Braves-Baseball-199500710084504
  
• WHS Baseball (Twitter) - twitter.com/WhetstoneBraves
• Whetstone HS boys soccer (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstoneboyssoccerofficial/
  
• Whetstone HS girls soccer (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonegsoccer/
  
• Whetstone Baseball (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstonebaseball1
  
• WAPA (Instagram) - instagram.com/whetstoneapa/
• WAPA (Facebook) - facebook.com/WhetstoneAPA/
• WAPA Boosters (Facebook) - facebook.com/groups/127079587751458
• Columbus City Schools (website) - ccsoh.us/district
• Columbus City Schools (Facebook) - facebook.com/ColumbusCitySchools

Location: 4405 Scenic Dr, Columbus, OH 43214

Website: ccsoh.us/WhetstoneHS

Email: whetstonehs@columbus.k12.oh.us

Hours: 7:30AM - 2:30PM

Phone: (614) 365-6060

Principal, Kimberly Rodriguez: krodriguez@columbus.k12.oh.us

Assistant Administrator (11th & 12th), Tara Ottey: tottey@columbus.k12.oh.us

Assistant Administrator (10th), Daniel McElroy: dmcelroyjr4864@columbus.k12.oh.us

Assistant Administrator (9th), Sarah Jaffy: sjaffy6286@columbus.k12.oh.us

Leadership Intern, Sibyl Barber: sbarber@columbus.k12.oh.us

Administrative Secretary, Martina Jakob: ejakob@columbus.k12.oh.us

Records Secretary, Susan Jeffers: sjeffers@columbus.k12.oh.us

Attendance Secretary, Lisa Hord: lhord4655@columbus.k12.oh.us

Thanks for reading! The Whetstone Weekly Archive is coming soon.

For much more info, visit the WHS PTA - Family Ambassador Page. And, as always, if you have suggestions or content for inclusion - or any other questions, comments, or concerns - please feel free to contact me. I'm here to help!

Damian Synadinos

WHS Family Ambassador

dsynadinos@columbus.k12.oh.us