This Week at GHS: October 14

October 13, 2011 | Posted by Steve Lodes

GHS students donated donated blood in the school’s first blood drive on October 11.

Dear GHS Families:

As we continue through quarter one, which officially ends a mere three weeks away on Friday, November 4, be sure to keep checking your student’s progress using PowerSchool and communicate with our teachers as needed. Guidance counselors also can be a resource.

Best wishes go out to our Marching Band at the State Championships in Whitewater on Saturday. Our division starts at 12:15 p.m. and Greendale hits the turf at 1:30 p.m. If you have never been to this event, it is well worth it and the weather looks like it will cooperate. Many of our athletic teams are winding down their regular seasons and/or have already started their post-seasons. We wish all these teams, hard-working students and coaches the best of luck.

Things to note in this edition of the Weekly include a short survey on improving the college and career readiness of our students and some information on the revamped standardized testing calendar for our students. Read on for more information.

Thank you to our parents and families for your continued collaboration, support and high expectations. Have a great weekend.

Now, in no particular order…

College and Career Readiness Survey – PLEASE TAKE 5 MINUTES
Greendale Schools is seeking to work with students and families to ensure that every child is college and career ready. Every student deserves an opportunity to further their schooling beyond high school and explore future career possibilities. Recently, the GHS Partners for Community Action Parent Team and the GHS Student Advisory Committee met and discussed ideas to provide stronger support for all students to achieve this goal. Greendale High School is seeking your feedback on how valuable each of the proposed ideas would be in supporting you and your student towards college and career success.

Please inform our work by visiting: http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/WEB22DCTU69EBK and taking a five-minute survey regarding how the high school and families can work together to increase the college/post-secondary readiness in our children.

Standardized Testing News
More detailed information will be released through future Weekly updates, but please adjust your calendars for the following dates. Some of these were not on the original school calendar you received.

November
Tuesday, November 8

Sophomores report at regular start time to take the WKCE test.
Breakfast served 6:45 – 7:20 a.m. for sophomores.
Freshmen, Juniors, Seniors: First hour begins at 10:17 a.m. There will be an altered bus service, times TBD.

Wednesday, November 9th

Freshman report at regular start time to take the EXPLORE test.
Sophomores report at regular start time to take the WKCE test.
Breakfast served 6:45 – 7:20 a.m. for sophomores.
Juniors, Seniors: First hour begins at 10:17 a.m. There will be an altered bus service, times TBD.

Thursday, November 10th

Sophomores report at regular start time to take the WKCE test.
Breakfast served 6:45 – 7:20 a.m. for sophomores.
Freshmen, Juniors, Seniors: First hour begins at 10:17 a.m. There will be an altered bus service, times TBD.

December
Wednesday, December 7th

Sophomores report at regular start time to take the PLAN test.
Juniors report at regular start time to take a full-length, free ACT practice test.
Freshmen, Seniors: First hour begins at 11:05 a.m. There will be an altered bus service, times TBD.

For more information on the WKCE, please visit: http://dpi.wi.gov/oea/pdf/stprntbrochure.pdf

For more information on the EXPLORE, PLAN and ACT tests, please visit: http://www.act.org/readiness/index.html

This year’s addition of the EXPLORE test at the ninth grade aligns the high school’s goal of college and career readiness. We will now provide the EXPLORE (9th), PLAN (10th) and ACT (11th) tests for all students. Using this suite of tests, very common in high performing districts, enables the school to better identify student progress, readiness and post-secondary opportunities. With this increased data, administration and guidance can better prepare our students for success.

Winter Sports Meeting Scheduled
The Winter Sports Meeting has been scheduled for Thursday, November 3 at 6:00 p.m. in the Greendale High School Multi-purpose Room. Parents/Guardians of all students who are interested in participating in winter sports are required to attend this meeting. It will cover athletic eligibility topics, transportation information, athletic physical requirements and other pertinent information. After the general portion of the meeting, each sport will break off into their own meeting where the coaches will discuss the upcoming season and the expectations associated with being a part of their program. The coaches will also be available to answer any general program or specific individual questions that there may be.

Congratulations
Please join me in congratulating the tennis doubles team of Mara Kuzmanovic and Ruth Jensen for advancing to State. The girls competed in Madison on Thursday and Friday.

Greendale Open Market
Another season of the Greendale Open Market is coming to a close. The Greendale Park and Recreation Department will host the last Greendale Open Market of the season on Saturday, October 15 from 8:00 a.m. – noon in the Greendale Municipal Parking Lot. Vendors will be offering homegrown produce, flowers, ethnic food and more. To see a flyer with a list of vendors who will be participating in the final market, click here (PDF).

Recent News:

This Week's Links and Downloads:
• Upcoming Events
• Guidance Newsletter