WARREN HILLS REGIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
www.warrenhills.org
December 2013
Dear Parent / Guardian:
The faculty, staff and administration at Warren Hills High School hope that you will enjoy a safe and joyous holiday season and a happy new year. The following paragraphs will highlight important dates and pieces of information as we move toward the second semester of the 2013 – 2014 school year. At the end of this letter you will find a listing of our important dates. As always, we wish to thank you for your continued support!
Excellence By Design – Strategic Planning Model
Warren Hills recommended for Middle States Accreditation!
On November 15th the Middle States Validation Team completed their visit and evaluation of the Warren Hills School District. Dr. Valerie Valenti, Chairperson of the Middle States Validation Team, administered her oral report to the students, staff, faculty, and BOE members of the Warren Hills School District. It is with great pride that we announce that Dr. Valenti is recommending Warren Hills for accreditation. The validation team spent 4 days meeting with and interviewing staff, students, administrators, parents, and BOE members leading up to the oral report. In the report Dr. Valenti indicated that Warren Hills successfully completed the rigorous self-study from which appropriate district goals were created. We were also commended for creating an effective strategic plan and for our committed and involved staff, students, and board of education. There is still much work to be done as we move forward with the strategic planning process and our action plans. We look forward to the challenge and to the future of Warren Hills.
Congratulations to the entire school community!
We are very proud to be Blue Streaks!
2014 Project Graduation Information
Fundraising efforts are currently underway for Warren Hills PROJECT GRADUATION, an all-night, alcohol and drug free event for our class of 2013 graduating seniors. The mission and goal of Warren Hills Project Graduation is to celebrate our graduates, keep our children safe and off the roads on graduation night; one of the most dangerous nights of the year in communities nationwide. Warren Hills Project Graduation is conducted solely by caring volunteers and funded exclusively through fundraisers and the generosity of private donations from within our community.
The Project Graduation committee is working diligently on various fundraising projects and planning the all-night graduation event. Their biggest fundraiser is currently in progress:$25 Calendar Raffles. 1,000 tickets will be sold with 90 chances to win CASH!!! Makes a perfect stocking stuffer! Please return all sold or unsold raffle boards to the main office of the high school no later than Friday, December 13. Email to purchase one or see any family of a graduating senior for details. Save the date: Saturday, January 26th for a fun filled night of Bunco!!! For further information on the organization, fundraisers and the evening of June 21, 2013, visit their website at www.whprojectgrad.com
Library Materials Sign Out Procedure:
This year, student ID tags are to be used to sign out all library materials. Student ID’s are being used to access each student's library account and sign out books. Students must present their IDs to sign out materials.
Student ID’s & Lanyards
The students have been very cooperative as we continue to wear student ID Badges and Lanyards. Please continue to encourage your son/daughter to wear their ID and Lanyard. Information regarding ID’s/Lanyards and replacement costs can be found in the student handbook. We greatly appreciate your support in helping us maintain a safe and secure learning environment.
Events at the Hills!
The Warren County School Based Youth Services Program will host a panel discussion on The Affordable Care Act (ACA), the NJ Health Insurance Marketplace and information on enrollment. If you have any questions on these topics the Family Guidance Center of Warren County and Warren County Department of Human Services would like to invite you to an informational forum at the WHRHS Library from 7pm to 9 pm on Monday the 9th of December. A panel of regional experts on Medicare, Medicaid, health insurance and the ACA will answer questions from private consumers and small business owners.
To celebrate Computer Science Education week (December 9-14), all students at Warren Hills middle school and high school will participate in an hour of code, the largest educational event ever, with over 4 million students from around the work. It's a one-hour introduction to computer science, designed to demystify "code" and show that anyone can learn the basics to be a maker, a creator, and an innovator. The students will use tutorials at CSEdWeek.org that include instructional videos from Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and many more. Computer Science teaches Computational Thinking, which is the ability to create digital technology that will be used to solve tomorrow’s problems. Computational Thinking is a skill all our students should be introduced to since it is a critical aspect of all Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) careers. It is projected that by 2020 there will be a million more jobs available in the computing field than there will be qualified candidates. Additionally, 24 of the top 25 highest starting college degrees are in the STEM field.
The after-school Tutoring Program is off to a great start! The program is designed as a “drop-in” center for students to use as needed. Students receive help with homework, obtain feedback/revisions to written work, review classwork, work on projects, or learn appropriate study skills. Over 100 Honors and AP students have volunteered to provide tutoring to their peers and over 30 students have taken advantage of this opportunity. Tutoring is offered to any student in need of additional academic support without an appointment. Students meet in the library after school from 2:30-3:30pm every Tuesday and Thursday, which provides those in need of transportation an opportunity to ride the late bus home.
The WH International Club is having "Around the World In 80 dishes" this Thursday, December 5th from 5 to 7 in the high school cafeteria. We welcome all of our faculty, students and community to attend and celebrate the holidays with good music, food and games.
The Warren Hills High School Business Department is now an officially licensed Testing Center for Microsoft and recently launched the new “Microsoft Office Specialist” Certification course. This course gives students the tools to build a brighter future. Students enrolled in these business classes will have the opportunity to:
· Achieve industry-recognized certification
· Learn computing skills companies want
· Boost their workforce resume
· Gain valuable experience and confidence
· Enhance their higher education prospects
· Prepare themselves for a successful future
As you can see, with this new program our students have the potential to leave High School with internationally recognized Microsoft Certifications and authentic skills useful in increasing their marketability in all college and career paths.
Respectfully,
Earl C. Clymer, III
Principal
CALENDAR of EVENTS
Dec. 04 Winter Band Concert 7:00 P.M.
Auditorium
Dec. 05 International Club Holiday Celebration 5:00 P.M.
Cafeteria
Dec. 10 Board of Education Meeting 7:00 P.M.
Bowerstown Campus
Dec. 11 Winter Choral Concert 7:00 P.M.
Auditorium
Dec. 20 Winter Break Begins – Early Dismissal 11:55 A.M.
Dec. 23 – Jan. 01 Winter Break Schools Closed
Jan. 02 Schools re-open
The Warren Hills Regional School District challenges and empowers a dynamic, diverse student body
in a supportive learning environment by providing academic and co-curricular opportunities
to become successful, productive members of the global community.