WHEATLAND HIGH SCHOOL SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

WHEATLAND HIGH SCHOOL SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER
September is here and with it hopefully we will get some cooler weather. As most of you are
aware we do not have any central air conditioning in our classrooms at Wheatland High School.
Some teachers have individual units for their rooms but even with those the rooms can get very
warm. Mr. Joe Hernandez does a great job of opening the doors early to get cool air circulating
within the buildings but by mid-morning those room temperatures are rising. Keep cool thoughts
in mind as we enter into fall.
We had a very sudden, late, and unexpected resignation from Mr. Tilford Myers the day before
school started. We are working diligently to get this opening filled with a highly qualified
instructor in a timely manner. Currently, we are using one of the district’s best substitute
teachers, Rebecca Stone, along with specific lesson plans from English instructor Elizabeth
Scicluna. Once this position is filled it will be communicated on the high school webpage and
on the district webpage.
In the next two weeks sophomore and junior students will be going over their Plan and Explore
test results with their study lab teacher. These tests are used to prepare for the ACT test and help
to identify areas of student strengths and weaknesses. Be sure to ask your son/daughter to see
and discuss those results with you.
All Wheatland High School students in grades 9 and 10 will be taking the Measures of Academic
Progress (MAP) tests September 10-12. 9th grade students will test on September 11, 10th grade
students will test on September 11, and September 12 will be a make-up day. Students will be
assessed in reading, mathematics, and language usage test.
These tests are part of both the District’s Assessment System and the Wyoming Assessment
System to measure student growth. One of Platte #1’s primary goals is to use the test results to
adjust instruction to meet each student’s needs whether they are above grade level, at grade level,
or below grade level. The information from the MAP tests is used with other data as part of our
school and district improvement processes. Often the results are used by students to monitor
their own learning and progress.
The MAP tests are computer based assessments and are adaptive. The tests select the next
questions based on how the student responds to the previous questions. Each student will have
some questions that may seem easy and some questions that will be difficult. Since the tests
adjust to each student’s current level, this provides you, your child, and teachers with
information about your child’s instructional needs and growth over time.
We strongly encourage good sleeping and eating habits all year long but especially during these
testing periods. I encourage you to visit with your son/daughter on the importance of these tests.
Our first “Coffee with the Principal” will be September 10 at the First State Bank Conference
Center from 7:00 am to 8:00 am. This is a time where we encourage you to share with us your
thoughts on Wheatland High School from areas we can improve on to things we’ve done well.
We will be hosting our first parent meeting on Wednesday, September 17 at 6:00 pm in the
library. This meeting will last an hour and will focus on the new math curriculum. The high
school math teachers will be the presenters for this meeting. The date is a change from the
August newsletter due to conflicts. We’re looking forward to presenting information on our new
math curriculum and answering any questions that you might have.
Mr. Frank C. Jesse
Wheatland High School Principal
Counselor Information
2014-2015 National ACT test dates offered at WHS
October 25, 2014 with a registration deadline of September 19
December 13, 2014 with a registration deadline of November 7
February 7, 2015 with a registration deadline of January 9
April 18, 2015 with a registration deadline of March 13
June 13, 2015 with a registration deadline of May 8
*The statewide ACT is offered to all juniors the last week of April and does not require registration as do
the national dates listed above.
Seniors: There will be a scholarship discussion held on September 17, 2014. The student meeting will
take place during the school day and the parent meeting will be held in conjunction with the monthly
parent meeting that evening.
Juniors: The voluntary PSAT test will be offered at WHS on 10-15-2014. More detailed information and
a student sign up session will be held as the testing date approaches.
Matt Calvert
Wheatland High School Counselor
Activity Information
As we enter the last week of August, we are beginning our first competitions for our students in many
different activities. Below is a list of activities for the next couple of weeks. Please visit the Wheatland
High School webpage for complete schedules.
Last week Wheatland High School hosted the opening golf tournament with our golf team taking 2nd
place. WHS also had three top 10 finishers:
Tie for 2nd and 3rd Place – Chase Cochran
Tie for 6th and 7th Place - Riley Wright
Tie for 9th and 10th Place – Connor Madsen
Josh Sandlian
Wheatland High School Assistant Principal
Wheatland Bulldog
Weekly Activities
General Activities
August 26, 2014 – WHS Open house from 6:30-8:30 p.m.
September 8-13, 2014 – Missoula Children’s Theatre
Cross Country
August 29th – @ Laramie Invite – 4 p.m.
September 5th - @ Gering Invite - 1 p.m.
Golf
August 28th and 29th – @ Rawlins Invite
September 4th and 5th - @ Torrington
Football
August 29th - @ Torrington (scrimmage) – 5/6:30 p.m.
September 6th - @ Lyman – 2 p.m.
Volleyball
August 29th and 30th - @ Douglas Tournament
September 5th and 6th - @ Gillette Invite
Changes for Math
As you may have heard, the math department has new curriculum for most of its classes
this year. We are very excited about the possibilities with the curriculum. There are many
investigations and small group discussions throughout each unit of study, which encourages
students to learn a concept informally first. After investigations, the concepts will be
formalized with definitions and examples. Since the effort it takes to learn new concepts
helps our brains grow more neural connections, one of the main ideas about the curriculum
is that students are expected to struggle. Please encourage them to persevere. Another
benefit with this curriculum is the online resources for students, which also includes an
online textbook, so if you have internet at home, the students will not need to take the
hardcover version of the book home for notes or homework. The online resources also
include additional practice, tutoring services, interactive web links, videos, vocabulary
review, and historical perspectives. As always, students are welcomed and encouraged to
ask any of the math teachers for help, even if we don’t have them in class.
Andrea Leinen
Wheatland High School Mathematics Instructor
Team Garton, led by Social Studies Teacher, Greg Garton, is starting off the season by
practicing a strong skill set of fundamentals and techniques. In yearbook, team members flew right
into action by taking pictures of the WHS Pool Party and then incorporating the pictures into pages
with crop shapes, borders, interior and exterior frames all implemented in the game plan. Within the
first week, the pages were done, and the team had a chance to sit back and reflect on their work. Not
bad for the first week of practice. Students in Sociology practiced their quarterback skills to dissect
the elements of culture into cognitive, material, and normative patterns, and have learned the
playbook terminology. The game plan will be implemented with a full culture project presentation
due the first week of September. World History players, started the Renaissance and have been
working hard in practice to be able to clearly articulate why the Renaissance was such a fundamental
change from the end of the Middle Ages, and what factors such as the Black Death played in the
development of the new movement sweeping through Europe. Results aren’t in yet, but hopefully
they will be ready by game time. And last, but certainly not least, Freshman SSE students are
practicing hard to master the play calls of English and Survey of American History by studying the rise
of imperialism, and its effect on the United States and the world at the beginning of the 20th century.
Hopefully all the parts of the offense will be humming smoothly by the time regular season hits, and
the team will be Prepared, Engaged, Actively Learning, and Knowledgeable so the team can PEAK and
make it to the championships this spring.
Greg Garton
Wheatland High School Social Studies Instructor
Mr. Balzan’s Woodworking, Cabinet Marking, Carpentry, Home Maintenance, Drafting/Design,
Architectural Drafting classes teach students useful skills.
In addition to the individual course descriptions and projects,
They will be building:
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Small Storage Sheds, Cabin Sleeper Sheds, and Dog Houses
Furniture, Desks, Tables, Cabinet Chests, and Shelving
Small Household Wood Projects
They will be drawing and designing:
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Manufactured Objects and Dimensioned Items
Floor Plans, Elevations, and Perspectives of Cabins, and Residential Homes
“After teaching for many years in this High School, I am still emphasized in teaching students Creativity,
Successful work ethics, Problem solving tactics, Accurate work skills, and Safe work methods.”
Larry Balzan
Wheatland High School Woodworking Instructor