Warrior Whistle

A Look Back on the 2025-2026 School Year

The 2025-2026 school year was filled with highlights and memorable moments. We had a wonderful night in September at Citizens Bank Park as the choir sang the national anthem and Dr. Sherlock threw out the first pitch. We had over 100 students named AP Scholars and 27 students commended for the National Merit Scholarship Program. Henderson featured 21 musicians in PMEA districts, 13 all regional, 9 all-state, and 3 all Eastern Regional musicians. Our academic team were state champions and coach Brian Johnson was named coach of the year. In athletics, Henderson had four Ches-Mont champions, boys soccer was District 1 Champion and state runner-up, and our girls lacrosse team capped the year at Penn State bringing home a PIAA state title.

Moving to the 2026-2027 School Year: Dr. Sherlock's Welcome Back Letter

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Henderson Staff and Students Recognized at District In-Service

On August 25, the West Chester Area School District officially launched the new school year with its annual Convocation. One of the most memorable and impactful moments of the morning came when students from across the district shared reflections on their educational experiences. Each student highlighted a teacher who helped them develop one of the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Henderson senior Liza Allen spoke about the influence of Mr. Kernaghan's U.S. History class and how that experience strengthened her sense of empathy. It was inspiring to hear students describe how their school experiences have fostered the essential skills of responsibility, adaptability, problem-solving, communication, and empathy, bringing our district's Portrait of a Graduate to life through their own stories.

Attendance and Tardiness for the 2026-2027 School Year

At Henderson High School, we want every student here, on time, every day. Regular attendance and punctuality are essential to student success and help students stay connected to their learning, teachers, and peers. Being present and ready to learn each day also reflects one of the key competencies in our WCASD Portrait of a Graduate: Responsibility. By attending school consistently and arriving on time, students develop key skills that will serve them throughout high school and beyond. We appreciate our families' partnership in making attendance and punctuality a priority and helping every student make the most of each school day. Please take a few minutes to review the additional attendance information included below in Dr. Sherlock's letter sent home on August 24, which outlines our expectations and procedures in greater detail.

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A Message About Cell Phones for 26-27

Dear Henderson Families,

As we begin the new school year, we want to take a moment to communicate our expectations regarding student cell phone use during instructional time. Our goal is to create classrooms where students are engaged, focused, and fully present in their learning. We also recognize that families and schools share this responsibility, and we appreciate your partnership in helping our students be successful.

Last year, students at Henderson High School were not allowed to use cell phones during instructional periods. Although this had been the established practice for several years, HHS placed renewed emphasis on consistent implementation and enforcement of the expectation. Some teachers required students to place their phones in wall pockets or classroom cell phone cubbies for the duration of the class. This approach was very effective in minimizing distractions and allowing students to remain focused on instruction, discussion, collaboration, and learning.

Beginning this school year, our expectation will be that all students place their cell phones in the designated wall pockets or classroom cell phone cubbies for the entire instructional period.

If a student has their cell phone out during class and did not initially place it in the designated location, the teacher will ask the student to put the phone in the wall pocket or cubby. If the student refuses to comply after being asked, the teacher shall submit a cell phone violation referral.

Students are also expected to leave their cell phones in the classroom when they use the bathroom during an instructional period. We understand that emergencies occasionally arise. If a student needs to contact a parent or guardian because of an emergency, they may see their administrator, who can assist them in making the necessary call in the main office.

Students may continue to use their cell phones during non-instructional times, including between classes, during study hall, at lunch, and Warrior Block. Our expectation is simply that phones are put away and stored in the designated classroom location during instructional periods so that students can fully engage in learning.

Progressive Response to Cell Phone Violations

Our approach will be consistent and focused on helping students develop responsible habits.

First violation: The student will be referred for a cell phone violation. Admin/teacher will inform parents.

Second violation: The student’s phone will be placed in a locked cell phone bag. The phone will be returned to the student for the remainder of the day and the bag will be unlocked at the end of the day. Admin will inform parents.

Additional violations may result in further school-based consequences.

The purpose of these expectations is not to punish students for having cell phones. Rather, it is to ensure that cell phones do not interfere with the learning environment.

We know that students are more successful when they are actively engaged in instruction: listening, asking questions, participating in discussions, collaborating with classmates, and interacting with their teachers. Even brief interruptions from notifications, texting, social media, or other phone activity can make it more difficult for students to maintain their focus and get the most out of their instructional time.

We also understand that cell phones are an important part of our students’ lives and that families may occasionally need to communicate with them during the school day. When something urgent arises, we will always work with students and families to make sure appropriate communication can occur.

Our hope is that, by establishing a consistent expectation across classrooms, we can create an environment where students know what to expect and teachers can focus on teaching and students can focus on learning.

We greatly appreciate your partnership and support. Please take a few minutes to discuss these expectations with your child. When school and families communicate a consistent message about the importance of being present and engaged in the classroom, our students benefit.

Thank you for your continued support of Henderson High School and, most importantly, for partnering with us to help our students learn, grow, and succeed.

Sincerely,

Jason Sherlock

Henderson Happenings - Key Dates to start the School Year

📅 August 31 – First Day of School
📅 September 4 – Half-Day Dismissal for Students (PM Teacher In-Service)
📅 September 7 – School Closed
📅 September 17 – Open House (6:30-8:30 PM)
📅 September 18 – Picture Day & Activity Fair
📅 September 21 – School Closed
📅 September 25 – Homecoming Football Game
📅 September 26 – Homecoming Dance
📅 October 12 – No School for Students (Teacher In-Service)
📅 November 5 – End of 1st Marking Period

Open House

Our Open House will take place on Thursday, September 17th from 6:30-8:30. Open house is an opportunity for parents and guardians to meet their student’s teachers and learn about course content and expectations. The periods are short and designed for teachers to share information with you. We hope to see you on the 17th!

Henderson Athletics: A Note from the Athletic Director

The purpose of this communication is to inform you of some important updates regarding spectator admission to events that require an admission fee, as well as guidelines for attending all Henderson athletic events. Please see below for important information regarding this change.

Electronic Ticketing-

● We are pleased to offer fans the convenience of purchasing tickets online using a credit or debit card for all qualifying events through our vendor, Hometown Ticketing. Tickets for all qualifying events are now available for the standard $5.00 general admission fee (plus an additional convenience fee per ticket, as collected at checkout by Hometown Ticketing). Please see the links below to purchase online tickets and download the Hometown Ticketing App.

○ Link to purchase tickets for Henderson Athletic Events

○ Link to download the app: Hometown Ticket App instructions

○ Ticket packages

○ Flex Sports Passes grant you access to any Henderson home games. One scan is used per attendee. It does NOT include away or playoff games. Flex passes can be carried over from season to season, but do not carry over to the 2027-2028 school year.

■ Flex Pass (5 games) = $23 NO ADDITIONAL CONVENIENCE FEE

■ Flex Pass (10 games) = $48 NO ADDITIONAL CONVENIENCE FEE

■ Flex Pass ( 15 games) = $68 NO ADDITIONAL CONVENIENCE FEE

Attention Henderson Students –

All WCASD high school students will now receive FREE admission to all NIGHT athletic events held within the West Chester Area School District – no ticket purchase required!

✅ To get in free, students must show one of the following at the gate:

● Your physical school ID

● A screenshot of your school ID

● A screenshot from PowerSchool that clearly shows your name and photo

🚫 Please Note:

● Football games are NOT included in the free admission. All WCASD students must still purchase tickets for home and away football games.

● Students must also purchase tickets for away events outside of WCASD.

We’re excited to see you out supporting your teams this year – Go Warriors!

Please visit Henderson Athletics for further information.

● QR codes will be available at the gate to assist spectators in purchasing tickets online

PLEASE NOTE: All K-8 student spectators attending our athletic events must be accompanied and supervised by a paying adult. Students who are not accompanied by a paying adult will not be admitted.

In addition, I’ve included some important information to help you plan for attending our athletic events. Please review the following protocols:

Stadium and Gymnasium Event Guidelines:
The following items are not permitted inside our stadiums or gymnasiums:

● Outside food or beverages (including coffee, Yeti mugs, Stanleys, water bottles, etc.)

● Bookbags, drawstring bags, or other large bags (small purses are permitted but subject to search by security personnel)

● Balls, bats, sticks, or other sports equipment

● Signs, noisemakers, or body/face paint (per PIAA policy)

● Shirts must be worn at all times

● Dogs and other pets

● Alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, or any other drugs (prohibited on campus at all times)

Sportsmanship Reminder:
West Chester Henderson and the PIAA promote the highest ideals of sportsmanship. Behavior or language intended to demean players, teams, spectators, or officials is not aligned with these ideals and will not be tolerated.

Let today’s contest reflect mutual respect. We ask for your cooperation in supporting all participants and officials in a positive manner. Offensive or unsportsmanlike behavior may result in removal from the event. Please help us maintain a safe, respectful, and enjoyable environment for everyone involved.

Thank you in advance for your support and commitment to ensuring a safe atmosphere for our school community. We look forward to seeing you at our athletic events, cheering on our student-athletes and programs.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the athletic office.
Henderson Athletics – GET INVOLVED!

Sincerely,

Steve Fitch

Director of Athletics

Thank You to our PTO!

We want to say a huge thank you to our PTO for supplying breakfast for our staff on Thursday morning 8/27 during teacher in-service. Our PTO does a great job of assisting our building and staff throughout the year! The Henderson community is very appreciative all year long!

Henderson Attendance

General Reminders

If you are reporting your student absent, please email Stephanie Price at hhsattendance@wcasd.net. You will also have the ability to input a child's absence through the parent portal this year. Provide the student’s name, date, and reason for the absence. A parent email or doctor excuse note must be returned within 3 days of the student returning to school. If an excuse note is not received within the 3 days of returning, they will be marked as unexcused or unlawful. If you have further questions or concerns with your student’s absence, please call (484)266-3318.

Early Dismissal

If your student needs to leave early from school, please send an email to hhsattendance@wcasd.net so that we can make teachers aware. These emails must be sent from a parent’s email address listed in our files. The email should include the student’s name, date, requested dismissal time, reason for dismissal, and if they are returning. The student will then come to the office and be given a pass to leave the building at the designated time. Early dismissals can only be excused if we receive a doctor excuse note.

Lateness to School

Lateness to school can only be excused due to these reasons:

Doctor Appointment
Court Appearance
Funeral

Students who arrive late to school due to one of these reasons, must send in documentation to excuse the lateness. All other reasons given for being late to school are not excused. Every time a student accumulates 8 unlawful late arrivals to school, a late room shall be assigned. The number of unlawful late arrivals to school will be reset each semester.

Family Vacation

The family vacation form is found on the HHS website and must be signed by each of the student’s teachers and turned into the attendance office a week before the trip for administrator approval. There is a maximum of 5 days per year. Once this form is complete, a family vacation code will be entered into your student’s attendance for the dates approved.

College Visit

College visits are non-cumulative absences and can be excused if documentation is sent into the attendance office. Accepted forms of proof are an email from the college that states the date of the tour, a dated parking pass from the college from the day of the visit, or a letter from the college admission office. Travel days are not excused but can be marked as parent excuse codes.