Hello High School Families,
The purpose of this email is to answer common questions for the start of the school year.
Back to School Night - Tuesday, August 15 from 6-7:30 pm
- Back to School Night is an Open House event. Families are invited to take a self-guided tour of WASHS, greet staff members, and ask questions.
- WASHS administration will also hold a a short informational session at 6:15 pm in the auditorium.
- Our career coordinator will host a mandatory meeting for those enrolled in an internship or work experience this year at 7:00 pm in the auditorium.
- Printed maps of the building will be available outside of the auditorium, b-level office, and cafeteria. You can also access a map electronically through THIS link.
- Our school nurse, Mrs. Gebhart, will be available in the nurse’s office if you have paperwork to turn in, medication to drop off, or have any other questions for her.
- All learners attending the Open House are encouraged to bring a copy of their schedule. Accessing wifi may be a challenge due to the volume of people in the building at one time so please bring a printed copy or take a screenshot of your child’s schedule on your phone or tablet. Staff members will be available in the b-level office if you need assistance accessing your child’s schedule. Please visit THIS page of the website for more information about Back to School Night.
- We encourage students to stop by Spirit Rock, take a picture, and send it to us via the link they received from Dr. McCallum in their WASD email. We will feature some of these pictures on the building TV screens and in our August Newsletter.
Schedule Change Requests
- As previously shared, if your child wishes to request a schedule change, please complete THIS google form.
- Please remember that, due to various scheduling constraints, not every learner will be able to get their first selection of all classes. Your child may need to take an elective that was not one of their original selections in order to have a complete schedule and/or meet graduation requirements.
- Additionally, please be aware of course prerequisites before requesting a course change.
Please review THIS video by Dr. McCallum that gives an overview of our new block schedule.
Breakfast
- Breakfast will be free for all students in Pennsylvania this school year.
- We will continue the grab-and-go style of serving. Students eating breakfast at school can visit the breakfast cart on b-level as they enter the building or go to the cafeteria to pick up a breakfast.
- If your child is eligible for bus transportation, that information can be accessed in the Sapphire Community Web Portal on August 16. All buses drop off and pick up on A-level learn the auditorium. If your child rides a bus, please review THIS diagram of the bus line up so your child know where the bus will be parked at dismissal time.
Arrival & dismissal procedures
- All doors open at 7:25 am.
- The tardy bell rings at 7:35 am. Students should be seated in their first period class on or before 7:35 am. Students will receive consequences for continued unexcused tardies to school and/or to class.
- WASHS dismisses at 2:25 pm. Unless staying after school for an activity, sports practice, etc... all students should be going home at dismissal time.
- New for 2023-24: For student safety and school security, the b-level (main entrance) parking lot will be closed to vehicle traffic during morning arrival (7:00-7:30 am) and afternoon dismissal (1:45-2:30 pm).
- Car riders should be dropped off along second street or in the back parking lot. Please access the back parking lot via the 2nd Street entrance and exit via the 3rd Street extension.
- Car riders can be picked up along 2nd Street or Virginia Avenue.
- Bus riders will be dropped off and picked up on a-level near the auditorium.
- Student drivers must wait for buses to dismiss before exiting via the a-level entrance. We prefer they exit from the 3rd Street Extension.
First Day of School
- The first day of school is Wednesday, August 23.
- We will be following our new block bell schedule so students will arrive and report to their 1st period class.
Reminders for Fall CT students:
- First Day of School at CareerTech is THURSDAY, AUGUST 24, therefore FALL CT learners will NOT report on August 23.
- Our new block schedule does not include a homeroom, therefore CT students will report directly to the A-level front parking lot to get on the bus for CareerTech. Dr. McCallum will be supervising this area in the morning and will read daily announcements to CT students before they depart.
- During the semester when students attend CareerTech, they will follow the CT calendar, not the WASD calendar.
Should you need anything, please feel free to contact the WASHS main office at 717-762-1191 x1200 or me via email at diane_mccallum@wasdpa.org.
We are excited to welcome our learners back for the 2023-24 school year!