Welcome to the September Edition of Falcon Focus
This e-newsletter is provided to parents to keep you apprised of  CHS events and activities throughout the year.

In this edition, please find information on back to school  night for parents, the 2018-2019 school year calendar, information on our website and App, and more..
Lisa Albrecht Principal
Welcome To
The 2018-2019 School Year
    
This year promises to be a year filled with golden opportunities for all of our students as we strive to find ways that we can be even better than we have before!  We embark on this journey with a pledge to you, our students and parents, that this will be a year of engaging, meaningful and rigorous work in our classrooms, combined with special events and an abundance of extracurricular clubs and activities, performing arts groups, and athletic teams certain to encourage our students to be involved and stay connected!
During the 2018-19 school year, we will continue to build upon and refine our proven foundation of good work, honored traditions, and continued  excellence in education .  Our Mission guides our actions, ensuring students gain the knowledge, skills and character to thrive as a contributing member of a global society.
Our staff of highly qualified professional educators and support personnel is committed to providing students a welcoming environment and many opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom. We invite and encourage students and parents to work in partnership with us to seize these opportunities.
Please know that while high school is a time where students are given more independence to meet their responsibilities and to work through challenges, we still highly value home/school communication. It is vital and plays an integral role in each student's success.  We encourage you to contact us if/when the need arises, and to stay in the know about your child's studies, assignments, assessments, and school activities.
Again, we welcome you to Central, our wonderful learning community.  Our school is a place alive with much energyenthusiasm, and a high standard of excellence!  It is, indeed, a place where opportunities abound!  Here's to a FALCON AWESOME new school year as together, we make our school a great place to work, learn and play each day! 
Central High School
2018-2019 School Year Calendar
The 2018-2019 Central High School Calendar is published and available for you to download, print out and paste on your refrigerator, save on your IPhone, Smartphone or other prominent location. Please click the link below to provide the calendar which includes early release days.
      

Back To School For Parents

It's back to school for our parents on September 12th. Here is an opportunity for parents to meet your high school students' teachers in  the first few weeks of school, learn more about the courses they are taking and more about their school.
Please see the attached schedule for this very popular annual event and please plan to attend.

Parent Email
Email is the primary contact between the school and parents. Please double check the accuracy of your Email account in the Infinite Camps Parent Portal.   Once in the portal go to User Account then click on Account Settings to verify your email address.  Please contact the IT Secretary, Debbie Cronin,  cronind@westosha.k12.wi.us , (262)843-2321 ext. 261 for assistance with logging into the Parent Portal.
Parent Responsibility - Student Attendance Procedures

As we begin another school year, we would like to take this opportunity to remind parents of their responsibility to notify the school when their child will not be attending.
We have created a document, Attendance Procedures, (click link) located on the CHS Families page of our website, which highlights expectations for when students are gone, need to leave early or are planning an extended absence.
Briefly, when a student is not going to be at school, the school must be notified by 8 AM on the day they are out. The easiest way to notify the school is to call the Attendance Line at (262) 843-3820, leaving a message by clearly stating your name, your child's name, the reason for the absence and a contact number if there are further questions.  
If a student is not in attendance, whether it is for a full day or a single period and no excuse called in, an automated message will be sent to parents indicating this unexcused absence and the need to clear it up. Please understand that absences not cleared up remain unexcused and can subject the student to school discipline and/or truancy citations due to the Wisconsin Compulsory Attendance law.
Last, if your child needs to leave school for part of a day because of an appointment, we must have a written note from parents indicating the reason and time. Due to staff reductions in the main office, it will be difficult to deliver messages and/or personal belongings to students during the day. Parents are kindly being asked to plan ahead to eliminate/reduce these requests.
We know that regular attendance is essential for success; However, on days when your child is not feeling well or has an appointment, we thank parents for their cooperation in ensuring attendance procedures are being followed.
                                              CHS Website and App

Central High School is in our second year of our redesigned website.  The website design is mobile friendly, allows for quick searches and will have more information about news and upcoming events. 

Central also has a mobile web App that you can download to your phone. The App allows you to get push notifications and alerts right at your fingertips. Go to the App Store for IPhone, or Play Store for Android and search for Central High School District of Westosha. 

We are always looking for ways to better the communication between the school, parents, students and our community. We strongly encourage families and our students to access our website on a daily basis. We encourage our students to download the App to have instantaneous information about activities at Central.
New School Year Activities

As the 2018-19 school year began, students reported to special advisory periods that were designed to familiarize them with the policies and procedures of the school.  During the first class, students learned about the Anonymous Reporting system that can be accessed from a downloadable app or from the district web page.  This system allows students to communicate directly with school administration if there is a problem that may require assistance.  Students also became familiarized with the student handbook and the various topics that it covers.  

The second day, students learned about several safety practices such as what to do if there were to be a fire, tornado or intruder in the building.  This is the second year that the ALICE procedures will be implemented.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with the term, ALICE is an acronym that stands for Alert, Lockdown, Counter, Inform, and Evacuate.  The ALICE procedure was first introduced by school resource officer David Wright who has received extensive training on the national level.  Each of the five responses allows students and staff to make the best possible decision given their location to the threat.  A video filmed at Waltham HS showed students what each of the responses might look like in an actual crisis.  Within the coming weeks, the administration and Deputy Wright plan to have a practice exercise utilizing the ALICE procedures. 

Additionally, throughout the school year, advisory time will occur every  Monday and  Thursday.  Students will see video clips and work on activities that build on the school's mission to develop school climate and culture while refining the identified character traits: Responsibility, Cooperation, Integrity, and Respect.  Freshman will also take part in the Freshman Mentoring Program (FMP) that provides additional supports for students as they transition into the high school.  Upperclassmen are assigned to each class and work with students, leading discussions and facilitating activities that will build the type of community that allows everyone to be successful. For more information about this program, please contact Mrs. Heidi Zavacke at  zavackeh@westosha.k12.wi.us.
Parent Booster Club Fundraiser

This school  year marked the first time where senior students were able to purchase a reserved space in the student parking lot. The idea was the brainchild of Melissa Kearby, Vice President of the Central Booster Club. The thought behind the idea was that the Central Booster Club could run the sale of these reserved parking spaces as a fundraiser for CHS Athletics. Each student who "purchased" one of the spots would not only be able to park closer to the main entrance but would also be able to personally design and paint his/her parking space. Students were encouraged to be creative with their ideas; however, all designs had to be submitted for pre approval prior to painting. Students were allowed to start painting their spots on Saturday, August 25th and had until Tuesday, September 4th to complete their design. The artistic abilities of many our students were on full display as their creations took shape. Additionally, many of the students made painting their stall a family event by getting assistance from siblings, parents and even grandparents. We encourage everyone to take a few minutes and checkout the paintings in person.  
Falcon Focus is Your E-Newsletter

The monthly Falcon Focus is your parent e-newsletter. We  are always looking for ways to make this communication more beneficial for our readers.  any suggestions parents may have as to additional content you wish to see in the Falcon Focus, please feel free to send an e-mail by  clicking the following e-mail address: pierces@westosha.k12.wi.us
Central High School District of Westosha Non-Discrimination Statement 
The Board of Education does not discriminate in the employment of administrative staff on the basis of the Protected Classes of race, color, national origin, age, sex, (including transgender status, change of sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity), pregnancy, creed or religion, genetic information, handicap or disability, marital status, citizenship status, veteran status, military service (as defined in 111.32, Wis. Stats.), national origin, ancestry, arrest record, conviction record, use or non-use of lawful products off the District's premises during non-working hours, declining to attend an employer-sponsored meeting or to participate in any communication with the employer about religious matters or political matters, or any other characteristic protected by law in its employment practices.