WHS December News 2024

December 2 - EOC Retakes Begin

December 9 - Choir Concert

December 10 - Band Concert

December 17 - White Gift

December 18-19 - WHS 1st Semester Exams

December 19 - End of the 2nd Quarter

December 20- January 5 - Winter Break

January 5 - Teacher Work Day, Makeup Exams

January 6 - First Day of 3rd Quarter

All WHS students will take 1st semester exams on December 18th and December 19th. Attached is the exam schedule. It is important that students are in attendance each day and attend each exam period.

We want to remind you about the exam policies for the end of the semester. If your student has an excused absence on exam days, they will need to arrange to take their exam on January 5th. Makeup exams will be held in room 103, starting at 8:00 am.

Please note that no exams will be given early, so we strongly encourage all students to attend school on the final two days of the semester. Students with unexcused absences who do not communicate with their teachers will not be able to make up their exams.

If your student has an excused absence, please ensure they notify their teacher in advance and are added to the makeup exam list.

'Tis the season for White Gift! Wilmington High School Student Council has sponsored White Gift for over 50 years. This long running program was started by Student Council Advisor John Gayhardt in the mid 1960s. Each year, over 150 meals are provided to local families to help ease a little of the burden of the holidays.

On Wednesday, December 17th, student council representatives and students in our junior and senior class will be delivering meals to families in our community.

If you would like to support White Gift, you can send a check to:

Wilmington High School

300 Richardson Place

Wilmington, OH 45177

Checks should be made out to Wilmington City Schools with White Gift in the subject line.

In December, we will be providing end of course assessment retakes. Students and families have been notified if they need to retake any tests. Please make sure your child has a good breakfast, arrives at school on time, and gets plenty of sleep so they can show their best on theses tests!

Over the next three weeks, our school will be focusing on three key expectations to support a positive and productive learning environment:

1. Cell Phone Use – We will be reinforcing and providing reminders about our school’s cell phone policy to minimize distractions and help students stay engaged in class.

2. Kindness and Compassion – Students will participate in activities and reminders centered on treating others with respect, building a supportive school community, and making positive choices.

3. Attendance and Grade Reflection – We’ll encourage students to attend school consistently and take time to reflect on their current grades, missing work, and goals for the next quarter.

Thank you for partnering with us by reinforcing these expectations at home. Your support truly makes a difference.

Feel free to join in on the holiday spirit week before break, Dec. 15-19!

WHS has a closed lunch policy. Below are a few reminders from the student handbook. This information was reviewed with students in class meetings.

1. Wilmington High School does not have an open lunch policy. Students must remain in the building for lunch.

2. Outside food should not be delivered or dropped off for any student at the school.

3. Parents/Guardians are not to call/sign-out students for lunch.

All WCS students are automatically eligible to receive a healthy breakfast and lunch meal at no charge. Please note that the program covers a full breakfast and lunch meal. Extra food or á la carte items will incur a charge.

Second semester schedules will be distributed to students during Flex on Thursday, December 11th.

We want to make sure that everyone is connected, especially as we get into the winter season. We are getting started using SchoolStatus Connect, a new, centralized platform designed to significantly improve communication between school, teachers, and you!

This platform will be your one-stop shop for school and classroom updates, direct messaging with teachers, announcements, and more. Our goal is to make it simpler and easier for you to stay informed and engaged in your child's education.

What is SchoolStatus Connect?

SchoolStatus Connect is an all-in-one family engagement platform that offers:

• 📱 Simplified Communication: Send and receive messages directly with your child's teachers and school staff.

• 🔔 Centralized Updates: Get all important announcements, newsletters, and classroom stories (photos/videos) in one easy-to-access feed.

• ⚙️ Flexible Notifications: Choose your preferred method for receiving updates: text message (SMS), email, or app notification.

Update to Wilmington City Schools Communication

We are excited to announce an improvement to our district-wide calling and messaging system to ensure you receive important information reliably and quickly. To ensure you never miss an important school announcement, please note the following key changes:

1. Save Our Designated Announcement Number

Our district now has a single, consistent phone number dedicated to sending non-replyable announcements (like weather closures, safety alerts, and general reminders).

Announcement Phone Number: (937) 574-0481

Action Required: Please save this number in your phone contacts as "WILMCITYSCHOOLS Announcements".

2. Recognize Our Caller ID

When we call with an announcement, your phone's screen will show:

Caller ID: WILMCITYSCHOOLS

3. Understanding Message Filtering

We have registered our brand with carriers to reduce the risk of our messages being flagged as spam. However, your personal phone settings might still filter out messages or calls from any number not saved in your contacts.

Tip: If you are missing calls or texts, please check your device settings for call or message filtering options.

A Note on Replyable Communications

If you receive a direct message or call from a teacher or staff member that you can reply to, it will come from a variable phone number (not 937-574-0481).

Thank you for helping us make sure our district communications are delivered successfully! Below is the newsletter with more information.

Want to see your student's grades and progress in real time? Email Mrs. Gregory or Mrs. Gigandet for your registration key.

tammy.gregory@wilmington.k12.oh.us

leeann.gigandet@wilmington.k12.oh.us