To:  WECHS Classes of 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027

WECHS Parents/Guardians/Caregivers

From:  Lisa Arment Cummings, Principal

Subject: Opening of School

 

The first day of school is just around the corner and we hope you have enjoyed the summer break and are ready to return for a great school year! WECHS had another amazing year in 2021-2022 with 95% of our graduates earning a Wake Tech Associate degree, 14 earning Certified Nursing Assistant certification, 4 earning Phlebotomy certification, and 6 earning Emergency Medical Technician certification. All of this was achieved in addition to a high school diploma within 5 years. The class of 2022 earned 2.3 million dollars in merit-based scholarships alone in addition to their free college credit hours earned at WTCC. In their spare time, WECHS students also served countless hours of volunteer service at WakeMed and other organizations! Thank you, and congratulations to our students and supportive families.

 

We have had a busy summer so far gearing up for 2022-2023:

 

• Students participated in WakeMed Internships, http://www.wakemed.org/
• WECHS H.O.S.A. teams attended the National Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Congratulations on bringing home a Bronze Medal!
• The PHS Garden is getting an overhaul, making the space even more welcoming, classrooms have new flexible seating, and the Lounge has new microwaves and bean bag chairs! 
• Ms. Bohrmann and Mr. Sonnenberg both added a newborn to their families. Ms. Bohrmann will take a year off and we are working on filling her position. 

 

Summer Camp: All 9th and 10th graders new to WECHS this year are expected to attend Camp on Thursday, August 4th, 8:00-12:00. Transportation is not provided. PTSA will provide pizza, water, and cookies. This is a great time to meet future classmates and staff, and participate in WECHS and WTCC onboarding activities. Please don’t miss it!  An optional Parent Q&A Session will be held from 8-9 am which is an opportunity to ask any last-minute questions. Ms. McAlexander is your contact for Camp. She will return to campus on August 2nd. You may contact her at rmcalexander@wcpss.net.

Schedules: 

PHS Campus: On the first day of school, August 8th, students on the PHS campus will pick up a copy of their schedule at school. Any schedule visible in PowerSchool is subject to change as we continue to make adjustments. As a reminder, in 9th and 10th grade, we schedule your classes for you. 

 

Scott North Wake Campus: 

Returning North Campus students (Seniors and Super Seniors)  will report on the 11th and 12th to pick up textbooks and schedules during Senior Orientation. The complete North Campus schedule will include Health Science Seminar and Academic Assistance in addition to WTCC classes. The incomplete schedule of WTCC courses (only) can be viewed in WEBADVISOR. Contact Ms. Graham with college class questions, at amgraham1@waketech.edu. 

 

Students new to North Campus will report on Tuesday, August 9th, and Wednesday, August 10th for two full days of MANDATORY Junior Orientation. Lunch options are: pack, bring money for the campus café, or order WCPSS lunch. WTCC classes begin Monday, August 15th. Check our Google calendar on the website for all dates and events. Express Routes will run to Enloe and then WECHS students will ride the shuttle bus to North. This will reverse in the afternoon. All students must leave the North Campus at 2:00 pm.  

 

Transportation: 

WECHS bus riders will ride Express Routes or Enloe Bus Routes depending on the day. Read carefully. 

 

Express Bus Routes will run August 8-26, 2022, and whenever Enloe is not in session. This link shows the Express Routes from last year, but they may change. Express Routes and Enloe HS Routes for WECHS students should post by the end of July.  You can check in PowerSchool for your regular route information once it becomes finalized  WECHS students will ride Express Routes on days traditional calendar school is not in session and are allowed to ride assigned Enloe HS Bus Routes on the days traditional is in session. 

 

On days that Enloe HS is not in session, WECHS bus riders will need to ride Express Routes or use carpool. The first 14 days of school (August 8-26) are Express Route days, When students get to Enloe, they will catch a shuttle to either PHS or North Campus. Look for other WECHS students at the covered sidewalk in the Enloe bus lot. Students need to catch the first available shuttle when transporting from Enloe HS. Late arrivals due to waiting for the last shuttle will not be excused.  

 

Live Bus Updates: Transportation / Enloe Area. Sign up for our Bus Changes Remind daily text, https://www.remind.com/join/abkb7ch79d. WECHS staff will be on site at Enloe to assist at the beginning of the year. 

 

Carpool: 

A copy of the WECHS carpool procedures for both campuses is included in this mailing. All families MUST follow these procedures. The WTCC Police will always help if you have questions. 

 

PHS: Please use the designated carpool lane next to Building A for drop off and pick up. Do Not use the parking deck or other areas of campus. To avoid delays and traffic issues on Sunnybrook Road for PHS Campus, please stagger your arrival times for carpooling. Drop off begins at 7:00 am. Students will wait in the Lounge until they are sent upstairs to class at 7:20 am. Students will be dismissed at 2:10 pm in the afternoon. Students who are not picked up at carpool by 2:30 pm will return to the building to ensure safe supervision until their ride arrives. Our carpool line moves quickly; there is no reason to be first in line. If everyone arrives at 2:10 pm, Sunnybrook Road will be blocked and the WTCC Police may intervene. Always follow the directions of WTCC and WECHS staff at the carpool, this is a safety issue. Please call the school at 919-212-5800 to have your student dismissed to carpool after 2:30 pm or call your student directly.

 

North: Please use the designated carpool lane at the flagpole in front of Building C for drop off and pick up. Do Not use the parking deck or other areas of campus.

 

Student Drivers: All student drivers need a parking pass. Parking is a privilege, not a right, and can be revoked if necessary. Student drivers on PHS Campus must be pre-approved by Administration and WTCC prior to driving to school. Applications are available in the office. All WTCC and WCPSS school rules apply to student drivers and their cars. North Campus will receive directions at orientation. 

Calendar: The WECHS Student Activity Google Calendar is available on our website. 

The WCPSS Calendar is linked here. 

 

School Messenger: In addition to a weekly Friday text or email message from Principal Cummings, announcements are often communicated on our website. Here, you will also find the calendar, important information, and access to staff websites. Counselors and teachers also maintain Remind and Talking Points accounts for communication.

 

Lunch and Breakfast: Students are provided meals daily from a modified list provided by WCPSS Child Nutrition Services via a local WCPSS school. Students will eat at either 10:20 am or 10:50 am on the PHS campus and during their open time on North Campus. For lunch calendars and free and reduced lunch information (FRL), please go to this link. Refrigerators and microwaves are available for student use in the PHS lounge but not on North. Students on PHS do not leave campus for lunch. North Campus students may only sign out for lunch if paperwork has been approved by parents and Administration. This is a privilege that will be revoked if concerns arise. WCPSS breakfast and lunch will have a fee this year. 

 

Athletics: Interested in playing sports? Check out the Enloe athletics website. Please note that many sports hold meetings and workouts before school starts. WECHS students should not check out early during school for athletic events if possible. Check the site or call the Athletic Director for complete information.

 

Communication: With students spread out between multiple buildings on two campuses, Principal Cummings utilizes Remind, to communicate messages quickly in the event of an emergency. For example, if WCPSS announces a 1-hour early release, to ensure all students are notified (especially on North Campus), we ask that students sign up for this service. We will exhaust all efforts to contact students face-to-face, but use Remind as a backup. Join codes by grade level are available on the WECHS Counselors’ Page and listed below.

 

To join the Student Services Remind for your class, text 81010 with the corresponding message below:

9th: @2022wechs
10th: @2021wechs
11th: @2020wechs
12th: @19wechs
13th: @2018wechs

 

Wake Tech Warn is the WTCC system of communicating to students and staff. Community members can sign up for alerts as well. Alerts can be campus-specific. You must renew each year to continue receiving notifications. During the first week of school, we will train students on both campuses on how to respond in a variety of emergency situations to ensure their safety.

 

Talking Points allows teachers to communicate with parents via text messages easily in many languages other than English. TalkingPoints is a two-way multi-lingual platform that allows teachers and parents to communicate in over 100 languages. Teachers use a web or mobile application to send messages to parents who receive them in their home languages as text messages or through the parent mobile app. Parents can reply in their own languages because TalkingPoints will automatically translate it to English for teachers. The software will sync directly to parent contact information in PowerSchool. We have used Talking Points successfully the past school year. Parents can expect to receive a “Welcome” communication from each teacher during the first week of school. Make sure all contact information is correct in Powerschool.

 

Handbook:  Links to the WECHS and WCPSS Handbooks: 

 

2022-23 WECHS Student/Parent Handbook

2022-23 WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook (English)

2022-23 WCPSS Student/Parent Handbook (Spanish)

A copy of this letter is posted on our website so that you can directly access the links.  School supply lists will post the first week of August for ninth and tenth-grade classes.

 

If you have any questions, please give us a call. We look forward to seeing you on the first day of school, Monday, August 8th, 2022 for the 9th and 10th. On the PHS campus, the school day begins promptly at 7:25 am and dismissal is at 2:10 pm. PHS students should be seated in class by 7:25. On the North Campus, students must sign in on the 3rd floor of Building C prior to their first class. Arrival and dismissal times are 7:45 am and 1:50 pm. The Enloe shuttle will leave North Campus promptly at 2:00 pm, be there on time or you will be stranded!

 

WECHS PTSA! More information is coming soon. You can be involved in many different ways. 

 

WCPSS Volunteer Registration

 

Meet the Teacher Open House for 2022-2023:

PHS:  PHS Campus, the week of August 22, 6:00 pm. Date TBD. 

North: North Campus, Building E

Junior: Thursday, August 18, 6:00 pm

Senior/Super Senior: Thursday, August 18, 7:00 pm

 

Important Date: Friday, August 19, 2022

Please note the 9th day of school is a WECHS Teacher Workday.

PHS Students will not report to campus.

North students are expected to attend classes (including HS Seminar and Academic Assistance), but buses may not be available. Make plans now and we’ll keep you updated.