December 2015 Parent Connection

Parent Connection Newsletter

December 2015 December 3 September 2011 Parent/Teacher Conferences

3:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

December 5 SAT Testing 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

December 7 & 8 Choir Concert(s) 7:30 p.m., Auditorium December 10 Orchestra Concert 7:30 p.m., Auditorium December 12 ACT Testing 8:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

December 14 & 15 Band Concert(s) 7:30 p.m., Auditorium December 16 Mid-Term 2 December 23 - January 1 Winter Break No School for Students January 4 School Resumes January 6 Financial Aid Night 7:00 p.m., Auditorium

Late Start Wednesdays...Visit the

high school website to view all late starts. Click Calendar Link on front page of the website to view calendar. www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/ wayzatahs

Character and Scholarship for Life Please Note!

The Late Start schedule for Wednesday, February 3, 2016 has been cancelled!

WHS will follow a traditional schedule and school will begin at 7:30 a.m.

Questions? Call 763-745-6600 Thank you!

Freshmen Parents/Guardians!

Complete Payment for Respect Retreat today!

The “Respect Retreat” is for ALL Wayzata freshmen and is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1, 2016. If you have not paid the fee for the retreat, please do so online by visiting E-Pay! If you have questions, please contact Ann Brattain, ann.brattain@wayzata.k12.mn.us or call 763-745-6707.

Counselors’ Corner 2015-2016

Important Dates to Remember: December 5 December 12 January 6

SAT at WHS ACT at WHS Financial AidMeeting, 7 p.m., Auditorium

January 19 College Planning Night January 23 SAT at WHS February 6 ACT at WHS February 18 Curriculum Night/FAFSA Completion Workshop (1st floor computer labs)

College & Career Center (CCC)

Raise.me Through a new program called raise.me,

your student can automatically earn scholarships from colleges for their achievements in high school.

Here are a few examples of what they can earn: • Get an A in a course ($100 - $1,000) • Get a B in a course ($50 - $600) • Participate in a school club or sport ($25 - $250) • And much more!

This opportunity is funded in part by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and U.S. colleges. Over 100 colleges are participating in this program. Some of the colleges include: Creighton, Drake, Michigan State, University of Minnesota at Duluth and Penn State.

Here is how you can best support your student to get the most from this opportunity:

1. Ensure that your student creates an account at www.raise.me.

2. Congratulate your student for regularly adding good grades, community service, extracurricular activities and other achievements to his or her raise.me “Portfolio” in order to earn “MicroScholarships” from colleges.

Your student is eligible to receive scholarship money for each achievement from the start of 9th grade until midway through 12th grade.

3. Visit www.raise.me/parents for more information.

WHS Counselor Assignments: Jane Stapleton Amanda Randall Jennifer Landy Mark Elias Cynthia McGunnigle Sarah Clutter Brian Gildemeister Royce Kloehn Peggy Zimmer

A – Bri Brj – Dr Ds – Hal Ham – Kar Kas – Mal Mam – Or Os – Sa Sc – Te Tf – Z

Counseling Office: 763-745-6630 763-745-6631 763-745-6708 Fax: 763-745-6632 Nancy Vogt Registrar Terri Marr Secretary

College & Career Center (CCC): 763-745-6639 Deb Musser CCC Coordinator If you need to schedule an appointment with your student’s counselor, please contact the secretaries at the Counseling Office.

We hope using raise.me will make your student’s path to college both more fun and affordable!

Local Scholarship Packet

The Local Scholarship Packet will be available in mid-December for students to apply for various scholarships that are provided by generous sponsors. Students can stop by the College and Career Center (CCC) before winter break to pick up a packet.

Scholarship applications are due February 5, 2016.

CCC Hours & Info

The CCC is open daily from 7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Encourage your student to stop by to inquire about upcoming college visits, scholarships, job postings and to check out testing material and other items from our resource library. If you have any questions, please email Deb Musser at Deb. Musser@wayzata.k12.mn.us or call 763.745.6639.

Counselors’ Corner Financial Aid Information:

The Counseling Department will host an informational meeting on financial aid on Wednesday, January 6, 2016, at 7:00 p.m. in the auditorium. Please note: this is a change from the date listed on the WPS calendar! We strongly encourage parents of juniors and seniors to attend.

Families can complete the form used in applying for financial aid (FAFSA) for 2016-2017 online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. These forms cannot be filled out until January, as the information included in them is based on the current year’s information (income, etc). Students and parents can also start looking for scholarships on Naviance, in the CCC, or one of the many internet-search tools.

Also, new this year, WHS is hosting an evening for families to receive help in completing the FAFSA. Four financial aid professionals from local colleges will be in our first floor computer labs (B106 & B107) from 3 : 0 0 p. m . – 6 : 0 0 p. m . o n T h u r s d ay, Fe b r u a r y 1 8 , 2 0 1 6 to a n swe r your questions and assist families with the FAFSA. This is the same night as C u r r i c u l u m N i g h t at the high school.

I te m s to b r i n g to t h e FA F SA C o m p l e t i o n Wo rks h o p o n Fe b r u a r y 1 8 t h a re : 1. Social Security Number

2. Driver’s License Number (if you have one) 3. 2015 Tax Returns for Student and Parent

(if filed) 4. Information on Savings, Investments and Business/Farm Assets for Student and Parent 5. Records of Untaxed Income Reservations are not needed; please stop in at your convenience between 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

A drawing to win a $500 will be held!!! We hope you can join us!

Senior Reminder:

Watch those rapidly approaching college application deadlines, seniors! The University of Minnesota – Twin Cities’ priority deadline is December 15. Remember, the counseling office needs two weeks (10 working/school days, which does not include weekends or breaks) to process your applications and to write personalized recommendations (if needed).

Keep in mind that counselors are not in over winter break. Applications are processed in the order received, not by application deadline. Applications with deadlines of December 1 should have been turned in by the end of the day on November 9. Applications with deadlines of December 15 should be turned in by the end of the day on December 1. Applications with deadlines over winter break (January 1) should be turned in by the end of the day on December 8!!!

Juniors:

This is the year to take the ACT/SAT. Registration is online on the testing company website. Upcoming dates for the SAT are 12/5, 1/23, 3/5, 5/7, and 6/4. Upcoming dates for the ACT are 12/12, 2/6, 4/9, 6/11. The ACT test will be administered to all juniors during the school day on Tuesday, March 15, 2016. This March 15 test will be free and there is no registration to complete ahead of time.

Parents of Sophomores and Juniors:

Counselors will present on post-high school planning to sophomore and junior parents on Tuesday, January 19 at 7:00 p.m. The material presented will include graduation requirements, resources available, SAT/ACT testing information, college entrance requirements, and the application process. Please join us for this informative meeting!

PSAT Results:

We anticipate that we will have PSAT results around mid to late December. Our goal is to hand them out to students before winter break. Students who took the PSAT should watch and listen for information on where and when to pick up their results.

Chemical health ‘Tis the Season to Be Jolly…But Not For Everyone Do you thrive on the holiday rush? Family photos, decorations, shopping, traveling, cooking and eating! Some challenge themselves with last minute dashes to stores and enjoy it! Being jolly is not happening for everyone during our holiday season however. The holidays can be an additional burden to those who are already sad. The holidays are prime time for depression which is much more than sadness. Difficult emotions seem to gather steam over the year and implode during the holidays.

How many of us conjure up idyllic images of how we imagine the holidays to be. The perfect food, the perfect gift, the perfect house and of course; perfect behavior. I am guilty of this myself, especially in my younger parenting years. I know that we will have students and parents who will limp through the holidays and wish it could pass at warp speed. I believe it is important for all of to realize that holidays can be a very dark place for many people. It is important to keep in mind that what is exhilarating for some is overwhelming for others.

Alcohol use increases during the holidays making it more accessible to our youth. “Holiday cheer” is a convenient way to escape sad feelings and a mechanism to get through the holidays. Our youth recognize an adult’s increase in alcohol consumption and some of the holiday gatherings aren’t that joyful. Using healthier means to cope with holiday stress is essential in avoiding a chaotic holiday. It is actually a great time to have that family meeting on realistic expectations, taking time for self, helping out and lending a hand to others and practicing mindful actions.

Connecting with close family and friends is so important…if you see someone who might be alone during the holidays, reach out to them. Loneliness and depression can be close relatives that are not just holiday blues.

Preparing for the month ahead can help people avoid a huge crash come New Years. Schedule extra professional appointments or make that first appointment with a professional and stay afloat. Even though having the holiday blues is not an official diagnosis, it can sure trigger real feelings and emotions that have become difficult to manage. Please call any of your child’s administration team if you concerned and need help with resources.

With much gratitude,

~Judy Hanson Chemical Health Coordinator

Club Y.E.S. Welcomes You to Stop By Their Bake Sale on December 3rd During Parent/Teacher Conferences!

The Club Y.E.S. Bake Sale is part of the Club Y.E.S. global service project in support of ShelterBox. The Club Y.E.S. global service project committee chose natural disaster and humanitarian assistance as their focus with ShelterBox as the designated organization to support. 100 percent of the proceeds earned at the Bake Sale will go to ShelterBox. Students in Club Y.E.S. are baking and donating the items and the Bake Sale will be held at the Trojan Head beginning at 3:00 p.m. until all items are sold or 8:00 p.m. Monetary donations are also welcomed as the committee hopes to raise $1,000 for this cause.

Club Y.E.S. has partnered with the Plymouth Rotary in this effort and funds raised by the students will likely be matched by the Rotary. Follow the link for more information about ShelterBox. Please consider supporting this student-led, global service project!

Around WHS LOOKING FOR JUDGES!

Business Professionals of America (BPA) is a student organization whose purpose is to support middle level, high school, and college students interested in business careers. Each year, students compete at regional and state levels to demonstrate their skills in over sixty different business areas. The winners of the region contests are qualified for the State Leadership Conference, where a number of the contest events are judged by local business leaders to impart a “real world” experience to the students.

At our regions, you may only have judging for half a day. We invite you to a continental breakfast at 7:30, followed by a brief orientation, morning judging, lunch and afternoon judging. If you come for the afternoon only, we still invite you to join us for lunch. More information will be sent in December, prior to the conference. Please share this email with interested colleagues. Hope to see you in January!

North Hennepin Community College January 8, 2016 8:00 am – 3:00 pm

Please register to judge at: BPA Region 1 Judge’s Form About the Organization Business Professionals of America is one of the ten Career and Technical Student Organizations recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Business Professionals of America is a national organization that is composed of state associations and local chapters that serve students pursuing business careers. The mission of Business Professionals of America is to contribute to the preparation of a world-class workforce through the advancement of leadership, citizenship, academic, and technological skills.

The organization promotes excellence in these areas: •• Leadership •• Poise, sociability, and tact •• Competence in business occupations •• Effective planning •• Lifelong enthusiasm for learning •• Self-confidence through a competitive spirit •• Interpersonal skills through team participation •• Business awareness and appreciation

The competitive events are a component of t h e Wo r k p l a c e S k i l l s A s s e s s m e n t P r o g r a m a n d an integral part of Business Professionals of America.

The program is designed to provide our members the opportunity to: Develop occupational/career competencies; demonstrate workplace knowledge, skills, and attitudes; build leadership and human relation skills; foster a positive competitive spirit; and receive recognition for their efforts.

In order to become eligible for national competition, students must rank among the highest of their peers in regional and state level competitive events. Only the most well-prepared and highly skilled competitors earn the privilege of competing at the national level.

Statement of Philosophy We believe that participating at the National Leadership Conference (NLC) is important in our students’ lives. Therefore, it is your job as a judge to provide a testing environment where each student has maximum opportunities to demonstrate his or her skills.

Your Role is Vital The expertise and professionalism that you bring to the competitive events of Business Professionals of America is highly valued by students and teachers. Your participation and insight are crucial to their success.

Support Students by Serving as a Contest Judge By serving as a judge for the upcoming Competitive Events of Business Professionals of America, you strengthen the partnership between business and industry leaders and students preparing for the dynamic business world. The competitive events program gives students an exciting opportunity to explore business careers. Your participation as a judge affirms your support of our future workforce.

Judged Events Requiring Preliminaries and Finals When the number of entrants in the judged event requires multiple sections, preliminary and final contests will be held. An equal number of the top contestants from each preliminary section will be called back for finals. This year we will have callbacks for Interview Skills.

Judges’ Comments Students value the judges’ feedback. Please share your comments on the form provided. Your evaluation will be used to improve their skills as they prepare for projects or competitions. Judges’ comments are returned to Local Advisors for contestants. We encourage you to write constructive comments to the contestants/teams.

Technical Judges Judges with strong expertise in business-related topics are needed to assess the student projects completed prior to Regions. The following contests require technical judges: • Economic Research Project-Individual Economic Research Project-Team • Administrative Support Research Project • Web Site Design Team • Video Production Team • Digital Media Production • Interview Skills • Advanced Interview Skills • Global Marketing Team • Entrepreneurship • Graphic Design Promotion • Broadcast News Production Team • Computer Animation Team I will send login information for you to judge the projects before you arrive at the Region Conference.

Around WHS « JUDGES from Page 5 JUDGED EVENTS Digital Media Production The student will produce a 1-2 minute digital media production based on an assigned topic. Their work will be demonstrated during a 10-minute presentation before a panel of judges.

Parliamentary Procedure Team Team members conduct a business meeting in a democratic manner, demonstrating correct use of parliamentary procedure, and utilizing an assignment sheet specifying agenda items and abilities to be demonstrated.

Global Marketing Team The team develops a plan that details pricing strategies and promotional plans for a business and presents their written marketing business plan to a panel of judges.

Financial Analyst Team Teams make decisions and recommendations using financial reports and prepare reports. Teams may determine trends, or make projections, or prepare budgets based upon a case study, and then will present findings to a panel of judges.

Small Business Management Team A team evaluates a small business case problem and presents an operational plan to a panel of judges.

Administrative Support Research Project The student conducts research on a topic relevant to the Administrative Support area and presents findings to a panel of judges.

Entrepreneurship The student develops a business plan and organizational structure to initiate a small business and present the plan to a panel of judges.

Graphic Design Promotion The student creates a theme, logo and promotional flyer that promote an upcoming BPA National Leadership Conference and, through a question and answer session, informs the panel of judges how he/she produced the final product.

Interview Skills & Advanced Interview Skills The student demonstrates his/her proficiency in job search, interview situations, and knowledge of job retention. Contestants prepare an application letter and résumé, complete an application form, greet a receptionist (judge), and interview for a position. In Advanced Interview Skills, the student also develops and presents a career portfolio.

Extemporaneous Speech The student draws two different business topics at random, selects one, and, following ten minutes of preparation, offers an extemporaneous speech before a panel of judges.

Human Resource Management Students are assigned a case study and use a Human Resource manual to develop a solution to be presented to judges. The judges will assess the student’s interpretation of personnel policies and knowledge of human resource management.

Prepared Speech Students present a prepared topic relating to business, entrepreneurship, or Business Professionals of America to a panel of judges.

Presentation Management Individual & Team The student or team uses current desktop technologies and software to prepare and deliver an effective multimedia presentation and present it before a panel of judges.

Economic Research Project Individual & Team The student or team conducts research and presents findings on an economic topic to a panel of judges.

Video Production Team A team develops a video production (3-5 minutes) on the assigned topic and presents it to a group of judges. After the presentation, students answer judges’ questions.

Computer Animation Team The team will create a visualization animation (not to exceed two (2) minutes) based upon the assigned topic and then present their project to the judges.

Web Site Design Team A t e a m d e v e l o p s a We b s i t e b a s e d o n a s e lected top ic and p res ents to a p anel o f judg e s.

Broadcast News Production Team A team develops a three to five minute news broadcast with at least two different news stories. Students also create a 15-20 second sound bite/intro for the broadcast. After the presentation, students will answer questions from the judges.

Thank you for your time and dedication to our students.

We appreciate your helping us ensure that our students have a successful and memorable conference. Please contact Nancy McAfee, Judge Coordinator: nmcafee@tds.net.

Around WHS Be a Host Family for a German Exchange Student!

The WHS/Humboldt German Exchange Program is celebrating its 40th year! Frau Nickel has profiles for the 20 students coming to WHS March 8–29, 2016. Students should stop by A416 now, to read the profiles and pick a student to host. This is a great opportunity for the whole family to connect with another culture. Danke!

Student Council Update Adopt-A-Family 2015

The annual Adopt-A-Family Campaign to support Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners is underway. Student Council representatives are collecting money in order to support 40 members of our community during the holiday season. The collection campaign ends on December 4, and then the students will spend Saturday, December 5, shopping for our families.

We h a v e 1 2 0 S t u d e n t C o u n c i l r e p r e s e n t a t i v e s r a i s i n g m o n e y f o r t h e s e t w o great causes. You may donate through one of the students or by contacting Student Council Advisor, Sue Iverson, at sue.iverson@wayzata.k12.mn.us. Thank you for your support!

STRESS BUSTERS would like to remind your student(s) to use their FREE Bruegger’s

Bagel

with

cream

cheese

coupon

by

the

12/1/15

expiration

date.

A big THANK YOU goes out to Bruegger’s for donating 3,300 free bagel with cream cheese coupons to our students! Please frequent any of their locations when you have the opportunity. Another Thank You to Dr. Donald Krubsack and all the WHS band members who played at multiple entrances as students entered the building at our STRESS BUSTERS event on November 11. Their lively music elevated the mood and spirit of all those around them...great job, thank you so much!

D o n ’ t c o o k o n c o n f e r e n c e n i g h t , T u e s d a y , D e c e m b e r 3 , e a t o u t a t C H I P O T L E !

The Plymouth Chipotle (Hwy. 55 & Vicksburg) will be giving STRESS BUSTERS a whopping 50% off everything you purchase!! All proceeds directly benefit each of our 3,300 students! We greatly appreciate your support in helping us fund this important program.

Feel free to let others know, everyone is welcome!

STRESS BUSTERS will support students again on Monday, December 14, 2015 with warm wishes and their next surprise. Please note - this surprise does contain dairy and sugar. If your student(s) cannot have one or both of these items, please have them tell a v o l u n t e e r.

We will have alternate products available.

We are always looking for MORE volunteers, and need DONATIONS to keep the program going. Please visit http://www.wayzata.k12.mn.us/domain/2642 for further information. Thank you!

“Sweeping away student stress one surprise at a time!”

Around WHS The Volunteer Committee for the 2016 graduating class is excited to be planning an evening full of fun and surprises for our senior class!!

When: Friday, June 3, 2016 Time: 10:00 p.m. – 4:30 a.m. (immediately after commencement) Location: It’s a surprise for our seniors and will be announced on the day of graduation!

Do you want to be involved in planning and contributing to this great event?

We are still looking for committee chairs for the transportation committee, entertainment and donations. No experience required and we can pair you with other parents who are volunteering. Please contact our party chairpersons at wayzata.seniorparty@gmail.com, if you can help out!

L o o k i n g f o r o t h e r w a y s y o u c a n c o n t r i b u t e t o t h e S e n i o r P a r t y ?

Make a cash donation: Cash and checks (payable to Wayzata Senior Party) can be mailed or dropped off at the main office at WHS. Please note “Senior Party” on the front of the envelope. Donations are tax deductible!

Donate items for prizes: Examples include gift cards (Target, Chipotle, Caribou, etc). Items can be dropped off at the main office at WHS. Please identify donations by noting “Senior Party” when dropping off.

C u l i n a r y E x p r e s s : We n e e d v o l u n t e e r s f o r D e c e m b e r 1 0 , 1 7 , 2 1 , 2 2 a n d va r i o u s d a t e s i n J a n u a r y. T h e re i s a l i n k o n our website or you can go to: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f0b44afac2aa46-table . * * * * * * * * * * * * Senior Apparel is still available and for sale (prices are reduced!). If you would like to p u rc h a s e a t - s h i r t o r swe a t s h i r t , c o n t a c t Pe g g y We ave r a t p e g g y w 6 5 @ g m a i l . c o m.

Parents - there are still many email addresses that we don’t have! We don’t want anyone to miss out on any details for this great event. Send us your email at wayzata.seniorparty@gmail.com so we can connect with you. Let › s get the word out!

Social Media sites to stay up to date: Facebook: 2016 Wayzata High School Senior Party (https://www.facebook.com/2016-\Senior-Party-730198087066296/timeline/) Twitter: @WayzataParty16(https://twitter.com/WayzataParty16) Instagram: WayzataSrParty2016

Around WHS T h e Wa y z a t a L e a d e r s h i p A c a d e m y s u p p o r t s t h e W H S Mission Statement “Character and Scholarship for Life” Trojan Pride has been developed to intentionally and purposefully promote and develop character and leadership qualities in our students. Teachers look for students who demonstrate one of The Pillars of Trojan Pride during the school day and will send a Trojan Pride Character Card home. Each week we draw a student to showcase Trojan Pride.

TROJAN

PRIDE

WINNERS

Anna Bradsher (11)

Nominated by Ms. Mattioli for taking responsibility by helping others!

FOR

DECEMBER

WERE...

Justice Kottke (10) Nominated by Ms. Turner for demonstrating respect!

Mariah Bates (12)

Nominated by Ms. Lephart and Ms. Ledman for taking responsibility and making ethical decisions and having integrity!!

George Zhu (11) Nominated by Ms. McIntyre for demonstrating responsibility!

Paiton Williams (09) Nominated by Ms. Zimmerman for taking responsibility and showing leadership and concern for others!

Cinnamon Manuel (11)

Nominated by Ms. Lephart and Ms. Ledman for taking responsibility, showing respect and strengthening cultural awareness!

Dhruv Methi (11)

Nominated by Ms. McIntyre for demonstrating respect!

Kristen Busch (11) Nominated by Ms. McIntyre for taking responsibility!

Around WHS PTO UPDATE

We often refer to the time between Thanksgiving and New Years as the “holiday season”. In fact, October through January is the busiest time when it comes to holidays, as celebrated around the world, across a rich and diverse group of faiths and cultures. Many of those same cultures are represented in our parent and student communities at WHS, and it strikes me as a perfect time to ask you all to “Save the Date” for the annual International Festival @ WHS on Friday, April 15, 2016.

The PTO is taking a more active role in this family event, providing additional volunteer and financial support. It’s become a great tradition at WHS, meant to recognize and celebrate the cultural diversity within our school. As indicated in last month’s Parent Connection, there is still time to sign up to represent your own cultural background! If you would like to be a Festival participant, or have questions about participating, please contact Alison Gillespie at alison.gillespie@wayzata.k12.mn.us.

By the time this hits the “press”, Term 2 conferences will be only a day or two away. If you were unable to set up a conference with one of your student’s teachers and still wish to speak with them, don’t give up!

Send the teacher an email to find a mutually convenient time to discuss your concerns and/or questions.

Also with Term 2 conferences on December 3, the PTO will host the 2nd Staff Appreciation Dinner of the year. A big “THANK YOU!” to all who signed up, and filled both our food and volunteer spots in record time! We continue to be inspired and grateful for your generosity and responsiveness. In addition, we’re very pleased to announce there will be Club Y.E.S. students volunteering on each floor in the B-wing/main entrance tower of the building, to assist in finding classrooms.

As promised last month, we have set up contact emails for each of our new grade-level liaisons. These folks are parent volunteers, serving within the PTO administration to help field grade-specific questions or concerns from parents. If you have a grade-specific issue or question you would like to post through the PTO, feel free to contact them as follows:

Grade 9: whspto09@gmail.com Grade 10: whspto10@gmail.com Grade 11: whspto11@gmail.com Grade 12: whspto12@gmail.com

Our parent liaisons will periodically review these mailboxes, research across our network of resources and partners, and reply with answers and/or referrals to the appropriate contacts to address your question(s).

In December, we are also launching our PTO “OPT-IN” CAMPAIGN. Our mailing list for news and information currently includes only those who donated this year and/or requested on their donation form to be included on our emails. For privacy reasons, we need you to tell us you wish to be included in our list, if you have not already done so. To be included, please send a note to pto@wayzata.k12.mn.us with your contact info and students’ grade levels, indicating your interest in receiving periodic updates from the PTO via email.

Finally, please remember to mark your calendars for the January PTO Parents’ Forum, held on Tuesday, January 19, 2016 – 7:00 p.m., 2nd Floor Forum/B204 (please note the time change). This will be a sort of “State of the District, School, and Student Body”, with updates from Superintendent, Chace Anderson; HS Principal, Scott Gengler; Chemical Health Coordinator, Judy Hanson; and our WHS Student Council Liaisons.

The purpose of the PTO is “…to strengthen, enhance, and encourage a positive, inclusive, and engaged educational and social environment at Wayzata High School”.

Be sure to download and use the FREE WHS parent’s app, from the PTO’s partnership with Fun2Raise.

From the iTunes Store or Google Play, just download “fun2raise live!”, and on first launch, key in the organization code for Wayzata High School – “wptolive” (omit quotes when entering information).

Wishing you all a healthy and happy “holiday season”!

- Julie

Julie Wexler WHS PTO President, 2015-16

Around WHS

Please e article! njoy this stu dent Compl Tordeu iments of Mr r’s G .

Design raphic Class...

Wayzata Engineering, Technology, and Design Proudly Presents

GAME DESIGN This article will provide you with some basic information about the game design course at Wayzata High School and a brief insight into the course through Troy Oster’s own personal experience.

What will my child do in Game Design?

The course will begin with your child following step by step instructions that teach him/her how to create a videogame with the software provided. Throughout these instructions your child will learn how to create animations and programs within the software. As the course moves forward your student’s skill will improve and by the end of the course he/she will have the opportunity to design and create a game of his/her choice. This can include anything from a platformer to a puzzle game-- t is all up to the student.

What credits will my child earn?

Your student will earn STEM credits for this course. This means that that your student will be able to use this course as either a math or science credit. These math or science credits will allow your student to take fewer math/science couses if they so choose.

This class is a useful tool for those who do not want to take as many math or science credits classes or would like to have them completed in a shorter period.

Will my child enjoy this course?

I personally enjoyed this course a lot and I believe that most students will enjoy this course. This course will allow your child to be creative and design their own games.

Anything is possible. If your child is creative and/or enjoys videogames, this is the course for them. They will learn about how games are made and what qualities make a game good.

Around WHS

Compl ime Tordeu nts of Mr. r’s G Design raphic Class...

and industrial design

Course Description:

This course will build on the knowledge and skills developed in Architectural Design 1. Students begin by designing individual rooms, then arranging them into a floor plan using Autodesk software. Students will also design the exterior of the houses, and the layout of the properties. The class concludes with the students designing and drawing an entire set of framing plans, and building a house model from the plans.

Projects:

Man-Camp One assignment students are required to complete is the creation of a Man-Camp used for housing oil field workers. After studying the purposes of the housing, and researching real-life examples, students create their own Man Camp.

After, they present their designs to the class.

Shipping Container Home This project requires students to create a home design with unconventional constraints and materials- shipping containers.

Scaled Framing Model This project is unique because it incorporates the skills students have learned about designing floor plans, and brings it to a new level. Students are required to learn how to physically construct their designs by building a model house that includes: Wall framing with windows and doors, floor framing, and roof trusses. This hands-on project brings a new concept to the class that was not practiced in Architectural Design 1.

Concurrent Enrollment:

Architecture and Industrial design is a college level course where students have the opportunity to earn free college credits while staying at the high school. Students are registered into the system at Hennepin Technical College, where they start a college transcript with the help of an advisor. These credits have the potential to transfer to any school in the MNscue system and more!

Vacation Home & Lake House These two separate projects are similar because they both help further develop the students skill set using the Autodesk software.

Commercial office warehouse This final project pushes students to design and create a space that they are not as familiar with.

This is important to understand if the student is interested in pursuing a career in industrial

Around WHS

Fine Arts November Was So Much Fun for The Wayzata Players Drama Club!

Our fall musical, Beauty and the Beast, was a huge success with four sell-out nights!! With a cast and crew of over 90 students, the Wayzata Players really came together to create a fun experience for everyone. Bravo to our director, Sonia Gecker, on her debut production.

The Tea for Tots event held on November 14 was also great fun for tots and adults alike. We hosted 50 tots and 65 adults from 11:15 a.m. until the afternoon performance began at 2:00 p.m. Thanks goes to our wonderful Drama Board Committee Members, Allegra Pompeo (11), Sam Sanderson (12) and Kate Piering (11), for all the planning they did for this event and the cast and crew for their hard work. We were able to donate $600 to Interfaith Outreach and Community Partners (IOCP) plus eight bags of food donations!!

Our three upcoming winter plays have been cast and rehearsals for two of the shows will be starting soon.

We are doing Pygmalion for our “Competition Play”. This is being directed by one of our former students, Grant Sorenson. It will take place on the main stage on Thursday, January 21 and Friday, January 22, 2016.

Please note this date has been changed from the original dates indicated on the school calendar.

Our 9 th and 10 th grade play is Almost Maine. It takes place February 18-20, 2016.

Our 11th and 12th grade play is Twelve Angry Jurors. This takes place February 25-27, 2016.

On December 17, 2015 in the Black Box Theater at 2:30 p.m. we will be having our Holiday Points Party and it›s mandatory for all Drama members!! It’s one of the three times we gather to track points for lettering and have a little bit of fun as well.

And as always...if you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact Cindy Beherns in D207, or send an email to cindy.beherns@wayzata.k12.mn.us or pleace a call to 763-745-6709!!

Wayzata High School Orchestras Perform December 10

Please join Wayzata High School’s six orchestras and the Concert Choir for an evening of orchestral and vocal music on Thursday, December 10 at 7:30 p.m.

The Ninth Grade Blue and Gold Orchestras will open with four short selections, One Digit Ditty, Lament for Rev. Archie Beaton, Fiddling Fun, and Can Can. Sinfonia will follow with Soon Hee Newbold’s reflective Soldier’s Hymn and Brian Balmages’ lively Perpetual Fiddle Motion.

Camerata performs Norman Leyden’s four-movement Serenade for Strings, and String Orchestra has prepared Ascendit Deus by Jacob Gallus and the Scherzo from Serenade No. 1 by Johannes Brahms.

Chamber Orchestra opens with the orchestral premiere of Kurt Metzger’s Snow, followed by Giacomo Puccini’s poignant The Crysanthemums.

The orchestra then joins forces with select Wind Ensemble members and the Concert Choir to present four movements of Mozart’s Mass in C. All of this great music in less than 90 minutes!

Tickets, available at the door, are $5 for students/ senior citizens and $7 for adults. Credit cards, cash, and checks are accepted.