WHS Parent Newsletter
From the desk of Shannan McKenna
Windham High School is an educational community committed to excellence through hard work, high standards, personal responsibility, and dedication to others.
August 29, 2025
Happy Friday!
It was a great first week back at school. The students have been wonderful and their enthusiasm has brightened the halls.
We are pleased to share that starting on Tuesday, September 2nd, the Library/Media Center will be open after-school from 2:30-4:00 pm every day as a quiet study space.
For this school year students will need to utilize either their ID card OR their 5 digit School ID number to purchase lunches from the cafeteria, as well as snacks from the cafeteria's Snack Shack. Students will need their ID cards and their 4-digit pin to make purchases from the vending machines. For JagJunction, students can use debit cards or credit cards throughout the day, and online payments (i.e. GooglePay or ApplePay) before school. Of course, students may always use cash in all locations. Any students who needs a new school ID may come to the main office. The cost for replacement cards is $5.
Next, week will be having student photos taken for students in Grades 10-12. All students must have their picture taken for their ID cards and yearbook pictures. If families would like to order school picture, the flyer to pre-order is located below.
Finally, we look forward to welcoming families to the building on Thursday, September 4th from 6-8 pm for our annual open house. The JAG Junction store will be open that evening for families to purchase their Windham gear, including special Class of 2029 t-shirts.
Have a great long weekend!
In this edition (*new information is bolded)
- Student Council Updates: Class Dues
- MyPowerHub Information
- Parent Portal Information (PowerSchool and Schoology)
- WSD Communications Guide
- Bus Tracking App
- Student Arrival and Dismissal procedures
- PickUp Patrol
- Cell Phone Policy Update
- Parent Council
- School Counseling Information: Therapy Dogs; Senior College Checklist; SNHU College Fair Field Trip; Upcoming College Visits; Senior College Night
- Athletics: Fall Sports; September Weight Room Schedule
- Free Tutoring Resource
- Volunteer Information
- We're Hiring!
- WHS Events: Picture Day; Lunch Group; Girls' Soccer Kick Out Hunger
- Outside Events: FLOW Events; Windham Lacrosse-Fall Skills; Blackout Cancer
Important Dates
- Sept. 1: Labor Day-No School
- Sept. 3: Student Photos (prepay flyer may be found below)
- Sept. 4: WHS Open House, 6:00-8:00 pm
- Sept. 15: Granite EdVance Senior College Information Night, 6:30 pm
- Sept. 18: Senior Aerial Photo; Club Fair during Lunches
Student Council Updates
Class Dues
Purpose
Annually, each class collects "Class Dues" to supplement class activities during the year, allocating a majority of the funds collected to offset senior year expenses. Dues are used for class activities like hallway decorating, spirit week decor, decorations for prom, and to offset senior activities. Senior year students will be given class t-shirts, have a breakfast hosted for them by the Student Council, host a BBQ celebration during senior week, and offset the cost of attending the annual dinner cruise in Boston. Historically, each class has purchased a class gift to remember each class. Gifts have varied depending on the class. Class gifts are planned and purchased by the Student Council members of each graduating class.
Students can pay Class Dues in person or online:
Online: Dues have been assigned to each student's PowerSchool Account. Payments can be made using the "Parent Portal". They need to click on Fee Balance on the left hand side of the screen. That will bring them to the fees page, where they can select Make a Payment in the upper right hand corner. Parents should be able to pay the dues that have been assigned to their student by proceeding to the checkout process.
In Person: Dues can also be paid in person. Class advisors are collecting dues before school on September 23rd and after school on September 24th in the library. Dues can be paid using cash or check. Checks must be made payable to Windham High School. Please include your child's name in the memo line and year of graduation.
If students have any questions or concerns about dues, please reach out to class advisors or the advisor of Student Council:
>> Class of 2029: Jill Bartlett or Michael Cirelli
>> Class of 2028: Lindsay Ross or Michael Crosby
>> Class of 2027: Maura Sampson or Bethany Fleming
>> Class of 2026: Jessica Reills or Kaitlyn Cox
>> Student Council: Amber Bishop
MyPowerHub
We are proud to introduce a new parent platform, MyPowerHub. This platform enables our district to utilize a centralized platform from PowerSchool, consolidating the flow of information from schools to parents and guardians. In MyPowerHub, parents/guardians can:
See their child’s progress in one place
See school, classroom, club, and district communications in one place
Get direct messages from teachers and staff
Submit forms
View fees
Sign up for parent/teacher conferences
View transportation information
You should have received a message from the district to log in to the platform to complete your yearly registration forms and to view the updated bus routes. If you have not logged into the platform yet, please follow the instructions below to log in before the start of the school year. Instructions
Parent Portals
PowerSchool Parent Portal
- Used to view your student's
- Report cards
- Course and assignment grades
- Lunch balances and other school fees
- Attendance
- Schedules
- Need to Sign in to the PowerSchool Parent Portal for the first time? Follow these instructions to activate your account. Please complete this process on a laptop or desktop for the best results! If you encounter any difficulties, please complete the Parent PowerSchool Account Support form.
- App vs. Website: Here is a helpful guide comparing when to use the PowerSchool app versus when to use the website.
- Questions?
- If you need assistance in viewing a student’s information, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org and include your student’s name and grade level.
- If you need assistance signing into your PowerSchool parent portal, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org.
Schoology Parent Portal
- Used to view your student's
- Courses
- Upcoming, current, and overdue assignments
- Daily/weekly student agendas
- Set up weekly notifications within the platform
- In order to gain access, all parents (K-12) will need to log in and use the password Changeme1 the first time they access their Schoology Parent account this year. Please make sure to follow the instructions on how to reset your password after logging in.You will need to use the same email from your PowerSchool Parent Portal Login. Please read through the instructions carefully in order to successfully activate your account. The login link is provided within the instructions. We recommend you complete the reactivation/set-up on a laptop/desktop for the best user experience.
- Questions?
- If you need assistance in signing into your Schoology, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org.
- If you need assistance in viewing a student’s information, please contact PowerSchool@windhamsd.org and include your student’s name and grade level.
- If you have questions about the classroom page content, please contact your student's teacher directly.
WSD Communications Guide
This guide is meant to help families understand the multiple communication methods employed by the district.
Student Arrival and Dismissal
The first bell rings at 7:47 a.m., and students are considered tardy after 7:52 a.m. Students are dismissed at 2:17 p.m. All parent pick-up should take place behind the school building. Please do not pick up in front of the building or in the Visitor Parking lot at the front of the school. This causes safety issues in an area where students are walking and buses are operating.
Bus Tracking App
Reporting Absences, Dismissals, and Tardies
We will continue to utilize PickUp Patrol as the preferred method for reporting student tardies, absences, and early dismissals.
Alternatively, you may use the attendance email, whsattendance@windhamsd.org, or call the main WHS line at (603) 845-1558, Option 1.
If you need any assistance with PickUp Patrol, please reach out to Mr. Keshigian (mkeshigian@windhamsd.org).
Cell Phone Policy Update
In accordance with new state legislation, students will be prohibited from utilizing personal electronic devices, such as cell phones, at all times during school hours, including during lunch, study halls, and passing periods.
At the start of the school year, all students will be expected to keep personal electronic communication devices (ie, cell phones, smart watches, tablets, personal laptops) stored away during the school day.
Please note that students who utilize electronic devices for medical needs, such as insulin pumps and glucose sensors, or to support their learning as identified by their individualized education program (IEP) or plan developed under Section 504. If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s medical device accessibility, please reach out to your student’s school counselor, case coordinator, or 504 coordinator.
Parent Council
Throughout the school year, WHS hosts monthly school council meetings. The meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month, beginning on Sept. 17th, from 3:30-4:30 pm in the WHS media center.
This is a great opportunity for you to provide feedback and suggestions from a parent’s/guardian's perspective as we look to continually improve our practices.
If you are interested in volunteering your time, please reach out to Mrs. McKenna (smckenna@windhamsd.org) directly.
School Counseling Information
Therapy Dogs
As a district we will be having therapy dogs visiting the schools. At WHS these dogs visit advisories, as well as classrooms that sign-up for a visit. If you would like to opt your child out, please contact our guidance department (kkennedy@windhamsd.org). Thank you!
Attention Seniors:
College Application Checklist
SNHU College Fair Field
Juniors & Seniors interested should fill out this Google Form
Upcoming College Visits
Visits will be hosted in the School Counseling office. Please be sure to register in Naviance.
Senior College Night
at WHS on September 15th at 6:30 pm
Athletics
Fall Sports
Windham offers ten fall sports:
- Bass fishing
- Cheer
- Boys' and Girls' Cross-Country
- Field Hockey
- Football
- Golf
- Boys' and Girls' Soccer
- Girls' Volleyball
All athletic schedules can be found on the Windham BigTeams website. Coaches communicate using Sportsyou.com
Any questions can be directed to:
- Jon Hall – Athletic Director, email: jhall@windhamsd.org, phone: 603-845-1558 x 5804
- Donna DiZazzo – Athletics Admin Asst., email: jhilton@windhamsd.org, phone: 603-845-1558 x 5803
Weight Room Schedule
The WHS Weight Room is staffed for student use on the following dates:
Free Tutoring Offerings
Tutor.com
Volunteer Information
Interested in Volunteering?
Our volunteers are a critical component of our school district's success, and we appreciate and thank them for their time and commitment! Beginning in late August, returning designated volunteers will receive notifications from the online training system. If you are interested in volunteering or are new to our district, please follow the process outlined on our website. If you have any questions about this process, please email hr@windhamsd.org.
We Need Your Help...Hiring Paraprofessionals
If you or someone you know is interested in becoming a part of our school staff, we have paraprofessional job opportunities at each school. Paraprofessionals are instrumental in the foundation and success of our students. Some additional benefits to working with us include:
· Steady schedules and summers off: Your schedule during the school year will be 5 days a week, following the school calendar.
· Convenient parenting hours
· Bonus pay for classroom teacher coverage: Paraprofessionals working as coverage shall receive an additional five dollars ($5.00) per hour, rounded to the nearest half-hour, up to a maximum of thirty dollars ($30.00) per day.
· Longevity incentives: The District has a tiered longevity system in place to honor years of service.
If you are interested in learning more about this opportunity, please contact Kate Hennigar at hrdirector@windhamsd.org.
WHS Events
Picture Day Flyer
Lunch Group
Girls' Soccer- Kick Out Hunger
Outside Events
The following events are sponsored by organizations outside our school community
FLOW Events
Lacrosse- Fall Skills
Blackout Cancer
Where to find us
Location: 64 London Bridge Road, Windham, NH 03087, USA
Phone: 603-845-1558
Email: smckenna@windhamsd.org
Website: https://whs.windhamsd.org/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/WindhamHighSchool
Twitter: @WHSJaguars