WECHS Principal's Weekly Message 10/16/2021
Happy Friday! While it’s summertime warm outside now I hear chilly temps are on the way! I can’t wait to bundle up and toast smores over the fire!
October is Disability History and Awareness Month There are 14 categories of disabilities recognized by federal law affecting millions of people. Many of these people are students. As caring and concerned citizens, we want to make sure that there is public awareness and respect for people with disabilities. We will be highlighting some of these disabilities for the next 2 weeks on our daily announcements.
Wednesday, Oct. 20th is Unity Day - https://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp. Unity Day is an annual bullying awareness and prevention day in which Staff and Students are encouraged to wear Orange.
PHS Carpool: We are excited to share that our familiar face at carpool, WTCC Police Office Toone has been promoted to Corporal. While we will see him occasionally, PHS will have a new full-time day officer. This week WTCC Police Officer Green has been with us. I’m not sure yet if he will be the permanent replacement for Officer Toone. North Campus students met Officer Green during orientation this year.
Lunches for next week, October 18-22 on PHS are:
Monday: Smashed Meatball Parmesan or PBJ
Tuesday: Mozzarella Sticks or PBJ
Wednesday: Spicy Chicken Filet or PBJ
Thursday: Mac & Cheese or PBJ
Friday: Spicy Chicken Filet or PBJ
1st quarter Honor Roll
Congratulations to our amazing students! Almost everyone made the honor roll this quarter. While we don’t get to have our traditional celebratory breakfast, the PTSA is putting together goodie bags to be distributed to you soon. Keep up the good work for the 2nd quarter!
Recruitment Season is Here!
WECHS is not the right school for everyone, but it’s the best school for many. If you know someone who should apply, send them our way. Ms. McAlexander has been hosting virtual tours and a virtual Early College Fair is tomorrow, Saturday, October 16. WCPSS Early College Information (see additional information later in this message)
Daily Announcements are shared between campuses and read aloud on the PHS campus daily.
Lifetouch Website Fall underclassman picture retakes on both campuses is October 22nd
PTSA at WECHS! WECHS Spirit Wear Purchase Online
If you use Amazon, why not make a little money to help your kid’s school in the process? Bookmark Amazon Smile and make your purchases through that link and Amazon will make a small donation to WECHS. Let’s take some of Bezos’ money--he seems to have plenty!
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Driver’s Education Registration Jordan Driving
Jordan Driving is not offering the classroom portion of Driver Education until November so that they can catch up on their backlog of students who are waiting for their behind-the-wheel instruction. They plan to begin face-to-face Driver Education classes in schools starting with a November session. Class information has been posted. You may visit www.jordandriving.com for more information.
Student Services:
College Application Week 2021: CFNC’s College Application Week 2021 is Oct. 18 through the 22. There are numerous public and private colleges that are waiving their application fees during this week. Students must apply through CFNC to take advantage of the waived application fees. Here is a list of current schools that are waiving their application fees next week. Please also visit the CFNC Countdown to College website for more information.
Other Countdown to College Activities to complete:
Week 1: Complete Residency Determination (RDS)
Week 2: Complete FAFSA (Remember we have a financial aid counselor to help on Mondays.)
Governor’s School 2022: The application window for Governor’s School 2022 has now opened. Governor’s School is a 4-week summer residential program for current Juniors and Sophomores in select Performing/Visual Arts programs. Please look through this Powerpoint with more information about Governor’s School, watch the video on slide 3, read the Nomination Packet link and Student Application form on slide 17, if interested. There will be a virtual Student-Parent Q and A next Wednesday, 10/20 at 2:15. Please email Mr. Muse at jmuse@wcpss.net if you have any questions.
Scholarships: We receive notices of scholarships regularly and post them on this document: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cfKGNl2-GyFIwgaxKdW5iCoumaZlnyjS_yD6UDuNuGI/edit?usp=sharing Additional scholarship links and websites can be found at: https://www.wcpss.net/Page/49470
Mark your calendars now! WECHS Class of 2022 Commencement will be held on Tuesday, May 24, 2022, at 8 p.m. Mandatory commencement practice will be on Monday, May 23 from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Other college info: The week of October 11-15 may be a busy time for our students applying to college and aiming for early deadlines. Reach out to your counselor if there are any questions.
We have several colleges that will offer virtual visits in the month of October:
October 21, UNC-Greensboro will be at 2:15 p.m.
October 22, UNC-Asheville will be at 2:15 p.m.
Class of 2022: Click on this link for helpful information for seniors and super seniors. https://tinyurl.com/wechs2022
Class of 2022 may use either the WTCC Cap/Gown for WECHS graduation or the WECHS cap/gown. WECHS cap, gown, diploma cover and stole order packages are available on the Jostens website: https://www.jostens.com/graduation/high-school/caps-and-gowns
Here is a direct link to the cap/gown/diploma cover and stole: https://www.jostens.com/apps/store/productDetail/1827483/Wake-Early-Col-of-Health-and-Sci/-/1563371191/CATALOG_REPOSITORY/Cap-and-Gown-Unit/1563371259/
WTCC regalia orders will be made several months in advance of WTCC graduation. She will work with students in the spring semester who plan to graduate in May to order the WTCC regalia. Please ask Mrs. Lachance if you have any questions. 919-212-5800 ext 26054 or mlachance@wcpss.net,
For students who plan to use the WTCC cap/gown, students will need to purchase a WECHS tassel, diploma cover, and stole. These smaller items will not be able to be purchased online. We will take these orders separately.
Celebrate your Senior with an ad in the Yearbook! Parents will pay for and design their ads online, just like last year.
https://www.jostens.com/apps/jcom/router.mvc?affiliateId=1827483
Ms. Lachance (Last names A-K), mlachance@wcpss.net, 919-212-5800 ext. 26054 https://calendly.com/wechs-lachance
Mr. Muse (Last names L-Z), jmuse@wcpss.net,
919-212-5800 ext. 26058
https://calendly.com/wechs-muse
Career Development Corner:
Please be sure to visit Ms. Hill’s website for the most up-to-date opportunities, health science enrichment experiences, and other valuable information.
Be sure to sign-up for Ms. Hill’s CDC REMIND classes. Text 81010 and in the message, type the appropriate code:
9th - @wec-cdc-09
10th - @wec-cdc-10
11th - @wec-cdc-11
12th - @wec-cdc-12
13th - @wec-cdc-13
Is your student interested in a career in Nursing? Here are a couple of opportunities to learn more about the programs at ECU.
College of Nursing Academic Days (Virtual)
Academic Days will consist of an information session for the BSN option and a virtual lab tour. The sessions start at 6pm and last for about an hour. Our upcoming sessions are October 19th, November 16th, and December 14th. Please use this link to register https://admissions.ecu.edu/visit/academic-days/
ECU Fall Open House (In-Person)
ECU’s Fall Open House will be on Saturday, October 16th. The College of Nursing will be available to speak with students during the Academic Fair and will also have lab tours in the afternoon. For more information and to register please visit https://admissions.ecu.edu/visit/open-house/
It was one of the best guest speaker panel sessions ever! The WECHS Alumni & Scholarship Recipients Speaker Panel Session was offered on Wednesday, October 13th from 6 pm - 7 pm. This session was well attended and the participants were incredibly engaged. The six guest speakers shared their suggestions for applying to scholarship programs and what to expect if you are selected. WECHS graduates represented academic institutions including state universities within North Carolina, out-of-state programs, and a prestigious private HBCU.
Next week, Ms. Tyndall’s Biomedical Technology students will participate in mock interviews. This experience will enhance the students’ readiness for career and college. We are very grateful for the WECHS staff members and community partners willing to share their time and expertise.
Ms. Hill has been regularly meeting with the juniors to discuss their resumes, digital portfolios, and interviewing skills. Next week, the seniors will have an opportunity to hone their resume writing skills during a planned lesson for Health Science Seminar.
We will continue Fascinating Friday! next week with a focus on the WTCC’s Pharmacy Technician program.
The Successful You Speaker Series event scheduled for 10/15 has been rescheduled for 10/20. This session is intended for North Campus students and will take place from 1 pm - 1:45 pm. The session will highlight the CFNC program and website. It will include information to help students and their families plan, apply and pay for college. For more information click here. If you are interested in registering, please complete this form.
Is your student interested in orthopedics and/or engineering? The Perry Virtual Experience is a free, 2.5-hour, interactive online experience. There are October opportunities available.
Testing
PreACT
The North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) has a partnership with ACT, a not-for-profit organization that provides educational assessment, research, information, and program management services. In North Carolina, all 10th graders take the PreACT. This assessment measures what students have learned in their courses and helps educators identify the information that students still need to learn to succeed in college or a career. All WECHS 10th graders will take the PreACT on Friday, November 12, at 7:25 AM, on the PHS campus. There is no fee for this exam.
Final Exams
WECHS High School Final Exams will be December 13-17. Please do not plan travel for these dates. Wake Tech college finals are December 9-15.
Early College Application Time and Prospective Family Outreach
It is application season, and we have begun reaching out to students who may want to join the WECHS family next year. Often prospective families want to hear from current families as they make their decisions. We have three virtual events coming up: October 16, 9:00 AM-Noon, October 28, 6:00-7:00 PM, and November 6, 9:00-11:00 AM. If you would be willing to participate and answer questions (no planned presentation), please email Robin McAlexander at rmcalexander@wcpss.net.
Athletics
WECHS students participate in Athletics through Enloe High School. Information on tryouts and other sports news can be found on the Enloe Athletics website.
The WTCC safety protocols have been updated to include reporting protocols and reporting forms. The new guidance is located here: https://www.waketech.edu/about-wake-tech/administrative-offices/environmental-health-and-safety/safety.
Important: All Students Will Receive Free School Meals For the 2021-22 School Year
Breakfast and lunch will be available at no cost to students for the 2021-22 school year. While the district may be able to offer free meals to all students, it is very important for eligible parents to complete a meal benefits application because this data enables schools to obtain funding to provide other important educational resources to benefit students. Other benefits that are issued directly to families that have applied and are eligible for meal benefits may also be available (such as the P-EBT cash benefit). Parents can complete a meal benefits application online at myschoolapps.com. Paper applications also are available at all schools. More: www.wcpss.net/free-reduced-meals.
Principal Cummings’ Office Hours/Coffee Chats: 8:30 Friday mornings. Open to all. The meet link is posted on our Google Calendar https://www.wcpss.net/healthscienceec or call, email, or let me know a time you’d like to meet in person.
lcummings@wcpss.net 919-341-9844
As a reminder, students should not report to school if experiencing
ANY SYMPTOMS of ILLNESS
Please take care of yourself and your family and contact me with any questions.
Principal, Lisa Cummings
Campus Contact and Locations:
WECHS PHS Campus
919-212-5800
WTCC Perry Health Science Campus
2901 Holston Lane, Raleigh
(9th-10th)
WECHS Northern Campus
919-532-5660
WTCC Scott Northern Campus
6600 Louisburg Road, Raleigh
(11th-13th)