Whitewater High

REMINDER: No School tomorrow, Friday, February 24, for teacher professional development. We’ll see our students again on Monday!

Due to the current road conditions Whitewater Unified Schools will be closed for today, Thursday, February 23, 2023. The road crews have done great work in the city, however, this morning many county roads were still very slick for buses. We will work to reschedule parent/teacher conferences and update families with this plan soon. Best, Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty

REMINDER: Elementary & Middle School Parent/Teacher Conferences are tomorrow, Thursday, February 23 from 1:00 to 7:30pm! Dismissal Times: ➡️Elementary @12:00pm (no 4K) ➡️Middle School @12:30pm Lunch will be served prior to dismissal. High school students will have a full day of school on Thursday.

Whitewater Unified School District will be closed on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 due to an Ice Storm Warning that goes into effect early Wednesday morning. The storm is predicted to include significant icing with accumulations of a quarter to one half of an inch and winds gusting as high as 40 mph, throughout the day Wednesday. All after-school activities for Wednesday are also canceled. Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty Superintendent

Dear WUSD Families and Greater WUSD Community, This is a day of sadness and grieving over the loss of one of our own, Ricardo (Ricky) Lopez-Navejas Jr., a sophomore at Whitewater High School (WHS). Ricky was a member of the WHS basketball program. The Lopez-Navejas family has requested that tonight's home basketball game (Senior night vs. Evansville) be played in honor of Ricky. Therefore, we will be holding a moment of silence at the beginning of each of the games to honor Ricky. We welcome members of the school community to come and show support to the family. Additionally, we will sponsor a collection with the proceeds going to the Lopez-Navejas family. Please help us to keep the family and our school community in your thoughts. Ricky will forever be Whippet! #TheWhippetWay #1Family

Due to the school cancellation on Thursday, the location of the Royal Ball on Friday evening has been moved to the Auxiliary Gym. Please enter the school using door 16. The dance is from 6:00 - 8:00 on Friday.

Whitewater Unified School District will be closed on Thursday, February 16, 2023 due to predictions of snow and strong winds that will make travel for our students and staff dangerous, throughout the day Thursday. All after-school activities for Thursday are also canceled.

Join Whitewater High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition Team Ferradermis and FIRST Lego League students and mentors representing the teams from Washington, Lincoln, Lakeview, and Whitewater Middle School on Saturday, February 11 for an Open House at Whitewater High School. Stop in anytime between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm to visit with students and see this year’s projects and robots. Visitors should enter the school through Door #38 at the high school, which is between the back of the auditorium and the overhead auto shop doors. Parking is available in the lot next to the JV baseball field, but anyone with accessibility needs may drive right up to the door. The Open House will take place during a regular Saturday workday for the high school team. Ferradermis members will take visitors on a guided tour of their workspace and the school shop, and visitors will have a chance to speak with representatives of the mechanical, electrical, programming, competition logistics, CAD, and administrative subteams as well as see the 2022 and currently under construction 2023 robot. Representatives of the FLL teams will be demonstrating their robots and sharing their innovation projects which relate to this year’s energy-themed game. In addition, Ferradermis will have various themed gift baskets available for visitors to bid on as a fundraiser for the team. The team will also have Kwik Trip gift cards for sale as part of an ongoing fundraiser. Gift cards can be purchased at face value, and the team will be able to keep a portion of the money collected.

FBLA is hosting their annual Royal Ball (a dance for grades 4K through 5) on Friday February 17, 2023. The theme is a Winter Fairytale. The semi-formal dance will be held in the Whitewater High School Cafeteria (MPR) from 6:00 until 8:00, and students must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $10 per student, and registration forms are due by February 10. The event will include music, dancing, cookies, punch, a photo booth, and craft stations.

Due to impending winter weather, Saturday's ACT Master Class will be postponed to a future date.

Beginning in the 2023-2024 school year, Whitewater High School students will be able to get a jump start on earning college credits thanks to a new series of transcripted courses available through Gateway Technical College. The partnership will allow students to take college-level classes on early childhood education, introduction to business, software academy, advanced automotive care, and enterprise manufacturing. The WUSD School Board approved the courses at its December 19 meeting. “We are thrilled to engage in this partnership with Gateway Technical College and give our students the opportunity to earn both high school and college credit without leaving Whitewater High School,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent. “These programs will help students reduce the cost of their college education and give them the skills necessary to enter high-demand jobs shortly after graduation.” Through the one-semester Foundations of Early Childhood, students explore key concepts in child guidance, discipline, lesson planning, and fostering creativity. They also hear from guest speakers and observe children in a daycare setting. Intro to Business introduces students to various business topics and other high school business course offerings, such as Accounting, Business Law, Entrepreneurship, Personal Finance, and Sales & Marketing. In Software Academy students will have the opportunity to earn the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification, which is globally recognized for demonstrating Microsoft Office skills and meeting the workplace demand for qualified employees. Also available is Health, Safety, and Nutrition, another early childhood-focused course that includes various training sessions that allow students to become state certified as assistant childcare teachers. Advanced Auto is a full-year course that familiarizes students with the various systems of motor vehicles and includes ASC certifications for students who want to pursue automotive-related careers. The one-semester Manufacturing Enterprise class enables students to research, design, build, market and sell products, with the ultimate goal of making a profit. This includes quoting jobs, ordering materials, building products, quality control, and marketing. The transcripted classes will be taught by certified high school teachers, with students earning high school and college credits concurrently. To learn more about the program, visit https://www.gtc.edu/admissions/audience/high-school-students/earn-college-credit-high-school.

NHS is hosting a semi-formal Sweetheart Dance in the MPR on Saturday, February 11 from 8 - 11 pm. Tickets will go on sale on February 6. Students will be able to submit a song request when they purchase their tickets. Students who wish to bring a guest from another high school must pick up a Guest Form from Mr. O in the Main Office. Guests must be current high school students (unless they graduated from high school in 2022), have their administration complete the bottom portion of the form with school seal/stamp, and turn in the completed form to Mr. O by 4 pm on Wednesday, February 8. Guests must also show a photo ID when they arrive at the dance. A great time will be had by all!

On December 18th, the Whitewater High School Music Masters Ensemble will present their Music Masters Showcase. Come and enjoy the sounds of the season, classical, contemporary, and some of your favorite Broadway show tunes in this very special musical extravaganza! The event will take place in the Whitewater High School MPR and will include solos and small ensemble performances, as well as songs sung by the entire Music Masters Ensemble. The event will begin at 3:00 pm. The $10 ticket per person includes the performance and refreshments. See any Music Masters Ensemble member, their director Karen Tordera, or the High School Office for tickets. Tickets are for reserved seating and should be purchased by December 9th. If you have questions, please contact Mrs. Tordera ktordera@wwusd.org or 262-472-8174.

Download the WUSD mobile app today! On the app, students, parents, and community members can read the latest announcements, locate staff information, review upcoming events, and find important documents. The Whitewater app is available to download free from the Apple App Store or the Google Play store by searching for "Whitewater Unified Schools." Click the following link for an introduction video on the app: https://youtu.be/NZXAlONRMek

The National Honor Society Fall Silent Auction will close at noon on Friday, November 11. Projects up for bid this year include babysitting, house cleaning, personalized baked treats, school & organization help, dog walking, voice lesson, and themed baskets for family game night, camping, gift wrapping, and fall seasonal gifts! If interested in winning a project, check out the bids already placed and add a new bid on the google form by noon tomorrow. Projects will be completed in the next few weeks! Funds raised will go to worthwhile causes like local & area scholarships. A great time will be had by all! https://sites.google.com/wwusd.org/whsnationalhonorsociety/fall-silent-auction-22-23

Preliminary election results indicate that voters have approved the operational referendum question for the Whitewater Unified School District. As a result, we will be able to maintain: ➡️Robust academic and athletic opportunities ➡️Student support and mental health services ➡️Comprehensive instructional and co-curricular programs ➡️Technology and facilities infrastructure We are incredibly appreciative of the input and feedback we received throughout this process. Thanks to your engagement, we were able to present a solution that made sense for our entire community. The canvass will be held on Friday, November 11, to certify the results. As always, thank you for your support of WUSD schools and the students we serve!

Reminder: Jostens will be at WHS on Tuesday, November 8 during both lunch periods in the MPR for seniors to place their graduation orders. Seniors should bring completed forms and payments. Orders can also be placed online using the link on the Senior Website: https://sites.google.com/wwusd.org/whsseniorclass/capsgowns

The WHS Cheerleaders are running a shoe drive fundraiser. Shoes will be donated to families in need, and the cheerleaders will earn money based on the number of pounds of shoes collected. Please donate your new and gently used shoes, boots, and sandals, for all sizes and everything in between. Shoes can be dropped off in a large garbage can in the office. The collection runs until winter break! Contact jfranger@wwusd.org with questions or for more information.

Any student who has not yet had their school photo taken this year will be asked to have their photograph taken during study hall on Thursday, November 3.

The National Honor Society at Whitewater High School is excited to announce the items & services they are offering in their Fall Silent Auction this year! Bids can be placed in the following form on the NHS website from October 31 - November 11: https://sites.google.com/d/1RG3AOrlVPjOEe-fbazbmlay-52DuYxN1/p/1LyTpK1YP0xvQn_mDoA8vWAadqvg7LyKV/edit Funds raised will be used for local scholarships and other worthwhile causes. Thank you so much for participating!