A Note From Principal Bangsund

Good evening, Westy Families,

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.

With Westy Pride,

Maureen Bangsund

Proud Principal 🐺

Westminster High School

@ItsMePrincipalB

📣GO WOLVES!