Trojan
Newsletter from
Wissahickon High School
New Aquatics Electives for
10-12th Grades
Construction of the new WHS natatorium is swimming along,
and we are very excited about the opening in the fall of 2017.
The pool means expanded course offerings and opportunities
for our students! Beginning next school year, we are pleased
to announce that WHS 10th, 11th and 12th graders have
the opportunity to select two new electives in aquatics –
Recreational Swimming and Lifeguard Training.
Students who are interested in being among the first to use our
new pool facilities may want to consider these classes in their
course selections for next year. Schedule adjustments can be
made by visiting the WHS Guidance Office. READ COURSE
DETAILS ON THIS FLYER
We are also pleased to announce that the freshmen class of
2017-2018 will be the first to participate in a new aquatics
component of the Health and Physical Education program at
the high school. This will be a required class in the 9th grade
program.
More details about the natatorium project, other exciting
additions to our high school physical education program, and
the array of community-based programs will follow in the
future!
WHS Happenings
Our course selection process for the 2017-2018 school year is
in full gear. Course verification sheets will be sent home and
posted on the parent portal on April 17th. Please be sure to
verify the course selections. The deadline to submit changes
to the course selections and the parent recommendation
waiver form is May 1st. Thank you for your support with this
important and timely process!
Our Bridge to Employment students and families attended
College Information Night at Montgomery County Community
College on March 29th. Our MCCC partners, as well as Mr.
Andrzejewski and Ms. Anderson from WHS, discussed college
applications, testing, budgeting for college costs, and finding
the “best fit” opportunity for post-secondary planning. The
students engaged in fun activities and the evening program was
really beneficial.
Talk
April 10, 2017
Junior/Senior Prom Tickets
Mark your calendars! The WHS Junior Senior Prom is right
around the corner! The theme this year is The Great Gatsby.
When: Friday, May 5th
Where: The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia
Time: 7:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
Ticket sales begin on Monday, April 17th and end on Friday,
April 28th. Please note that we can only sell 600 tickets!
WHS juniors and seniors are invited to attend. Sophomores
can attend, if they are accompanied by a junior or a senior,
and all guests must be 20 years old or younger. The ticket
price is $85.00 for all WHS students and $90.00 for all
out-of-district students.
Relay For Life
We have all been touched by cancer in some way, but now
we can make a difference in the fight against this devastating
disease through the American Cancer Society’s Relay For
Life (www.relayforlife.org/pawv). Relay For Life is not a
race, but rather, an empowering opportunity for students
to develop leadership skills, earn service credits, build their
college resumes and fight back against a disease that has
taken too much from too many. There are many different
ways to get involved. To learn more, attend an informational
meeting at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday, April 6, at the American
Cancer Society office, 480 Norristown Road, Suite #150, in
Blue Bell. You can also reach out to Brittany MacLeod at
[email protected] or at 215-985-5339.
Graduation 2017 Update
Graduation for the class of 2017 will be held on June 8th at
6:00 p.m. Caps and gowns will not be distributed to students
until the first graduation practice on June 7, 2017. (Please
note that our two graduation rehearsals are scheduled for June
7th and June 8th at 7:45 a.m.) If the ceremony is outdoors in
the stadium as planned, each student will receive ten tickets.
If we need to relocate the ceremony indoors (due to inclement
weather), each student will receive two tickets for the Circle
Gym and an additional two tickets for family or friends to
watch the ceremony via live feed in the school's auditorium.
Tickets for handicapped seating will be available by request
from the student and/or parent. Tickets will be distributed
to students on June 7, 2017 with students' caps and gowns.
We will make a decision, based on weather, on the day of
graduation as to whether or not the ceremony will be held
indoors or outdoors. In early January, information was sent
home about our Senior Achievements. Our HSA does a great
job (thank you, HSA!) spotlighting information that you
submit to celebrate each of our graduates. Please be sure to
complete the necessary information sent home in January so
we can bring celebration to all that your student has achieved
at WHS and in the community. Please complete the form
electronically by Friday, May 5th (http://tinyurl.com/SeniorAchievements or email it to [email protected]).
Stay tuned for more graduation updates for the class of 2017
throughout the year! Check out the WHS website www.
wsdweb.org as graduation information is regularly posted
there under the Student Information link. We are looking
forward to a great event!
This year, we are offering families the opportunity to order
flowers for their graduate(s) in advance or on the evening of
graduation. CLICK HERE TO VIEW FLYER
Any senior interested in giving a graduation speech at the
commencement ceremony should submit his/her speech to
Ms. Gebhardt’s office by April 28, 2017. Speeches will be
judged by a faculty panel and selected students will be invited
to audition in front of the faculty panel. One student will be
selected to deliver a commencement address at graduation.
The Class of 2017 valedictorian will also deliver a speech.
Academic Support
Opportunities
We would like to remind you of the two new academic
support initiatives at WHS this year: our Extended
Learning Time Program (ELT) and our Math and
Writing Labs. ELT is an after-school program
developed to provide academic support in our core
subject areas. ELT is open in the Library from
2:45-5:15 on Monday and Wednesday afternoons
and 2:45-4:15 on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.
Students can utilize our late buses. This is a valuable
resource to support students who can benefit from
re-teaching and/or pre-teaching opportunities. Please
contact your student’s teacher or Guidance Counselor
for more information on this support. Additionally,
our Math Lab is a resource available to students during
lunch or study-hall all sessions of the day in the Library
and our Writing Lab is a resource available to students
during the afternoon sessions in the Library. Both Labs
can provide academic support in content-specific areas.
More information is available through your student’s
Math and Language Arts teachers. Please encourage
your student to take full advantage of these new
programs to better support their goals and academic
success. Seniors – the Writing Center can be a great
support as you write your college essays!
Tours for New Families
WHS has established tour dates for students and parents
from private and/or charter schools who may be interested
in getting to know Wissahickon High School. We do not
offer shadowing opportunities but these scheduled tours
will provide families with the opportunity to see and learn
about WHS. Our Student Ambassadors will facilitate tours
for potential incoming students and their families. The
dates and times are:
•
Teacher Accomplishments!
Congratulations to our College and Career Counselor, Ms.
Stacy Anderson! Ms. Anderson was recently selected to serve
on a panel about college admissions representing public high
schools for Vanderbilt University and Washington University.
This is a wonderful honor for Ms. Anderson and WHS and
we are thrilled that her expertise, kindness, and work ethic are
being recognized!
May 25, 2017 at 1:00 p.m.
For more information and to set up a tour, please contact
Mrs. Marissa Samit in our Guidance Department at
[email protected] or 215-619-8112, x8037.
Building Character
“Happiness is not having a lot. Happiness is giving a
lot.” [Buddha]
Quote selected by NHS Inductee Lauren McHale
Teacher Spotlight!
Each Newsletter, we will highlight a WHS
teacher. This week, let’s get to know Ms.
Perrine-Wilson, WHS German teacher.
Q: What is your favorite season and why?
A: Fall. Growing up in Florida, I never
experienced first-hand the changing of the
seasons. The Multitude of fall colors never
ceases to amaze me (as long as I don’t have
to rake the leaves!). The only down side to
fall is that it precedes winter…
Q: What is your favorite holiday and why?
A: Thanksgiving. It’s such a family holiday
and I love traditions, especially enjoying
our favorite Thanksgiving foods. It’s not
Turkey Day for me without mushroom
stuffing (hold the celery) and canned
cranberry sauce!
Q: What is one surprising fact about you
that no one at WHS knows?
A: Even though my hair is pretty short,
I’m really good at braiding hair. I get a lot
of practice trying out new styles on my
daughter!
Q: If you weren’t a German teacher, what
would your dream job be?
A: I always thought I would be in
advertising or marketing and even started
out as a business major. I am particularly
interested in branding. Thankfully I find
lots of ways to use these skills to promote
German!
Q: If you could take a vacation
immediately anywhere in the world, where
would you go?
A: My wife has been pushing pretty hard
lately for Hawaii and after seeing Moana,
I think we’ll have to go sooner than later.
If I were calling the shots, it would be
Ireland. After recently getting my ancestry
report, I realize I am even more British
and Irish than I even knew and have yet to
see Ireland and explore my family roots.
Last Day of School
The last day of school will be Tuesday,
June 13 (barring any unforeseen
circumstances) with early dismissal for
WHS and WMS students at 11:00 a.m.
and K-5 elementary school students at
11:50 a.m.
Trojan Triumphs: Athletics
Winter States Update
Girls’ Swimming qualified several swimmers for states, and
three school records were broken. Carly Zlotnikoff broke two
school records and finished 12th in the 200 free (1:51.94) and
9th in the 500 free (5:00.00). The 400 free relay team placed 10th with a time
of 3:32.56 and also broke a school record (Kelly Wild, Katie Sapozhnikov, Karis
Kim, Carly Zlotnikoff). Great job girls!
Spring Sports Preview
The baseball team looks to have another strong season. Ace pitcher Logan
Willans returns, and the team has 13 seniors on the roster. Alex Tappen, Matt
Schilling, and Ben Maltin are key returning starters, and Trey France and Steve
Loden are the top newcomers.
The boys’ lacrosse team looks to have another solid season, when they have
advanced to the 2nd round of the PIAA playoffs for the third consecutive year.
The team is very young, and the defense is going to anchor the team against some
very tough competition early on in the schedule. The team played some of the
top teams in the district early on, and they hope that this will better prepare them
for the league schedule and historical rivals Upper Dublin and Plymouth-Whitemarsh.
The girls’ lacrosse team looks to have another successful campaign. The team
returns several key players and will have lots of young players, too. The key
returning players are Emily Vervlied, Megan DeGroat, Carolyn Wilde, Sam
Intrieri and Kelly Dickson. A player to watch will be Brooke Berry, and the team
captains are Emily Vervlied, Megan DeGroat and Carolyn Wilde.
The boys’ tennis team looks to have another strong season after winning the SOL
American, placing 2nd in districts and advancing to the quarterfinal round at
states last year. Andrew Tran returns at the #1 singles position, where he was
one of the top players in the tri-state area last year and qualified for states as a
freshman. The captains of the team are David Weiss, Sam Langman and Tommy
O’Farrell.
The boys’ track and field team looks to continue their string of three straight SOL
American championships. The team features a strong group of returning juniors
in Rahsheed Wright (indoor 400 medalist), Ahmir Johnson (jumps), Shamere
Dunswell (sprints), Ben Hoyer and Matt Maiale (distance races), and Marlyn
Johnson and Liam Davies (hurdles). Senior leadership will be provided by Max
Davies, Matt Selverian, Sam Kane and Cam Christopher.
The girls’ track and field team will look to build on the success of the indoor
season which saw a state medaling 4x400 team with returners Makayla Pickett,
Hayley Ross, Rachel Coleman and Lieke Black out for spring track, Hayley
Ross also ran the 800m and Cala Lejman pole vaulted. Cala was also a district
medalist last year that qualified for states.
The softball team looks to improve on last year’s campaign. The team features key
returning players in Michela Coleman, Macey Segal, Sara Genell, Zoe Trumbore
and Siani Paige-Miller. The top newcomers will be Ashley Radell, Tasi Bode and
Eryn Downey.
~ Coach Cuthbert
Learning Spotlights
Our French 3 Honors students just completed a unit learning about
the environment. The students finished the unit with a discussion in
French about environmental protection. The students first practiced
their vocabulary using Quizlet Live and then created a survey assessing
the awareness of environmental issues among teens. The students then
discussed their ideas about how to make our planet healthier, using
their new knowledge and results of the survey. Student Sean Robinson
initiated the idea to survey the upperclassmen. Thank you to all of the
students for their hard work! If you want to complete the survey, please
click on https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdtAdi9x-avImfxaFNrzfebstsbuqdYX-8GwLnYTLZVUq1Vsw/viewform?c=0&w=1. Please
note that the survey is in French!
Student Accomplishments
Congratulations to Eamon Goucher and Ryan
Zhao! Eamon and Ryan qualified to take the
USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) Semifinal
Exam! As top scorers nationwide, we are very
proud of their accomplishment. The exam
tested their scientific understanding, science
processing skills, and application of biological
knowledge.
Wissahickon High School celebrates another
student achieving the rank of Eagle Scout.
Congratulations to Simon Orehek! The Scouts,
Leaders, and Committee Members of Boy Scout
Troop 540 announced that Simon completed
the requirements and his work was examined by
an Eagle Scout Board of Review. We are proud
of your service and concern for others!
Seniors in Mrs. Klusman's English classes learned the graceful,
conservative fox-trot in order to "repeat the past" according to The Great
Gatsby - just in time for the 2017 Prom! The students had a great time
going back in time. Pictured are (foreground) Abhinav Chitturi, Nicole
Hastings, Ellie Alberti, Megan Degroat, Emma DeRuosi, and Alyssa
Ku, and (background) Henry Barsh, Izzy Kim, Brett Hu, Jess Waite,
Ally Chladek, Vik Kumar, Jon O'Donnell, Matt Selverian, Zach McVey,
Justin Gruber, Sara Gant, Randy Schwemmer, Andrew Seitz, Joe Maiale,
Erik Heese, Vincent Peng, Jacob King, Paul Scott, and Arber Kerpi. Not
pictured are Ricky Alston, Kevin Meidt, and Maya Rahman.
Congratulations to Maxwell Abramson!
Maxwell is the recipient of The President’s
Volunteer Service Award which recognizes
United States citizens and lawfully admitted,
permanent residents of the United States who
have achieved the required number of hours
of service over a twelve-month time period or
cumulative hours over the course of a lifetime.
Maxwell Abramson achieved the highest level of
achievement (Gold) by completing 100 hours of
community service within a 12th month period
with the Special Olympics of Montgomery
County. This is a huge accomplishment and
we congratulate Maxwell on his kindness and
genuine compassion.
Congratulations to Joshua Chu! The United
States Congress established The Congressional
Award in 1979 to recognize initiative, service,
and achievement in young people. Josh Chu is
being honored by Congressman Patrick Meehan
with the bronze medal U.S. Congressional
Award. This award involves setting goals in
four program areas: Voluntary Public Service,
Personal Development, Physical Fitness, and
Expedition/Exploration. WHS is very proud of
you, Josh!
Congratulations to our German students who
participated in this year's Delaware Valley
Deutschfest competition! Our students won the
regional event for the 4th year in a row! Students
were challenged in individual events such as
spelling and vocabulary bees, written tests, poetry
recitation, extemporaneous speaking, creative
projects, paired events such as impromptu skits,
picture descriptions, and an obstacle course. Each
school also competed in theme-based school
events, including creating a banner, creating a
school cheer, participating in a game of quiz
bowl, creating a scrapbook, and an event called
Bauarbeit, where the entire school has 3 hours
to build a German landmark, to be judged on accuracy, out of recycled materials and paint. In addition to winning the Total
Points Trophy (go WISS!), we will also have three student officers at next year's Deutschfest event: President, Kalle Kuffner, and
2 Executive Board Members, Anna Yatsko and Jagger Doll. Top honors for our team go to Alena Doll (8th Grade, German 1),
Evan Qiang (9th Grade, German 2), Olivia Bamford (9th Grade, German 2), James Thomas (9th Grade, German 2), Jagger Doll
(10th Grade, German III), and Jess Miao (12th Grade, AP German). Congratulations to all of our students and to Ms. PerrineWilson!
On March 8, 2017, WHS Science students traveled to Ursinus College to present their original research and compete in the
Montgomery County Science Fair. The students from our Research Methodology course and our Honors Physical Science
courses performed their experiments. Thank you to Ms. Hofstaedter and Mrs. Burgoyne for attending the event with our
students. Our students did an excellent job representing WHS! We are so proud of you!
The following students were our 2017 Division Award winners: (Our first, second, and third place students will compete in the
Delaware Valley Science Fair)
Student
Category
1
Sanjna Shelukar
Medicine & Health
1
Remya Brown
Biochemistry
1
Reshma Brown
Zoology
1
Katie Sapozhnikov
Chemistry
2
Sanjit Shelukar
Earth & Space
2
Matthew Thompson
Botany
3
Brooke Shapiro
Chemistry
3
Bo Ku
Medicine & Health
3
Jiweon Moon
Microbiology
3
Peter Decker
Earth & Space
4
Kyla Frenia
Medicine & Health
The following students received Special Awards:
AwardStudent Category
Villanova UniversityKatie Sapozhnikov
Chemistry
Outdoor Gardens of Montgomery County
Matthew Thompson
Botany
Jean McClelland Horticulture Award
Outdoor Gardens of Montgomery County
Reshma Brown
Botany
Montgomery County Science Teacher Association Kyla Frenia
Medicine & Health
Montgomery County Science Teacher Association Peter Decker
Earth & Space
Montgomery County Science Teacher Association Jiweon Moon
Microbiology
Congressional Award for Outstanding Research Kekeli Logoh
Biochemistry
Joy Cappel Young Investigators
Rockland Immunochemicals
Sanjna Shelukar
Medicine & Health
Co-Curricular Highlights
A shout-out to the Wissahickon Camerata on their performance at Alice
Tully Hall in The Lincoln Center on March 20th! The Camerata spent
four days in rehearsal in New York City to prepare for the performance,
including many hours in professional rehearsal and performance spaces
to refine and elevate their repertoire. When they weren't hard at work
rehearsing, the students were able to steal away to some of New York
City's most beloved cultural attractions, including an evening recital at
Juilliard, the Metropolitan Opera House, and the Metropolitan Museum
of Art. Congratulations to the Camerata on their incredible endeavor,
months of dedication to choral music, and a stellar performance on one
of the world's premiere stages! WHS is very proud of you!
Congratulations to Jessica Edelson! At a recent
BBYO International Convention in Dallas, Jessica
spoke to an audience of thousands about her
work globalizing the organization and managing
the communications, marketing, and fundraising
strategies of its 600+ communities around the
world. As the International Vice President of
Communications of the B’nai B’rith Girls (BBG),
she played an integral part in the planning and
execution of the meeting, which hosted over
2,500 teens. She coordinated the Global Partners
Summit for the teens representing 30 countries
from all parts of the globe, and moderated a panel.
Attendees could choose from several educational
tracks, one of which was a technology course
designed by Jessica in partnership with the IBM
Innovation Lab and Master Inventors, Girls
Who Code, and PolyPrinter. For her dedication
and leadership, Jessica received the Gold Star
of Deborah Award, BBG's highest honor. We
commend Jessica on all of her accomplishments!
Calling all Students! Design the
New Trojan Mascot Costume
ALL WHS students are invited to participate in a
Mascot Costume Design Contest to determine
what our new mascot should look like AND be
named.
Congratulations to Thomas O’Farrell, Michael Chinn, Jason Shu, and
Nathan Leung on their successfully participation in Moody’s Mega
Math Challenge! This is a national mathematical modeling contest that
focused on applied mathematics and problem solving. For each annual
competition, a real world problem is given to the participating teams
and the students have fourteen hours to attempt to solve it. This year,
the problem was about rising sea levels and other environmental factors
impacting the National Park Service. Our students worked on their
twenty-page solution and they are looking forward to receiving feedback
from the competition’s panel of judges. We applaud our students for their
endurance and commitment!
Our current Trojan mascot costume is nearly
15 years old and showing its age. Students with
a vision of what our new mascot should look
like may work individually or in a team of 2-3 to
design a new costume.
Artwork should be a full color, head to toe
character concept of the Wissahickon Trojan
created as a graphic design or a colored drawing.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ALL DETAILS ABOUT
THE CONTEST RULES
The goal is to introduce a new Trojan mascot
that represents Wissahickon and the spirit of
our district, engages audiences of all ages, and
inspires pride in our teams and fans.
Think about what it means to be a Trojan and
how to depict those qualities by playing with the
character’s features. Have fun with it!
Submissions are due by May 5th.
WHS Robotics Update
This July, more than 146 Nations will converge
on Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. for the
inaugural FIRST Global Robotics Competition, an
event modeled after the Olympics, with one team
representing each nation. We are proud to announce
that Wissahickon Robotics was selected by FIRST
Global to be a peer mentor for the newly formed
Honduran National Robotics Team! In partnership
with the Ohio-based charity Shoulder-to-Shoulder
(STS) and the people of Honduras, our mission is to
work with a small group of students from a remote
Honduran village and turn them into champions.
These students come from Camasca, a region where
people endure daily shortages of potable water
and electricity. Our team’s principal mission is to
break the cycle of poverty in Honduras through
education and to elevate this team as an example
for all Honduran students. In preparation for this
partnership, Wissahickon Robotics Coach Mr. Alan
Ostrow traveled with STS executives to Honduras to
conduct three days of intensive robotics training. In
addition to the training sessions, there were meetings
with United States and Honduran government
officials, as well as interviews with the national
press of Honduras. During the next phase, WHS
Robotics Team students will provide mentorship
and advice via the internet and help Team Honduras
build their machine in Camasca. We will also be
providing competition support when Team Honduras
arrives in Washington this July. This partnership is a
tremendous opportunity for our students to connect
with another culture and to give back to those less
fortunate by making them stronger. WHS Pays it
Forward! Please join me in celebrating the kindness
of our students.
If you are interested in donating or helping with
the Honduras Project, please email Mr. Ostrow at
[email protected]
Learn More about the Each &
Every Student Initiative
Each and Every Student. That's what drives us at
Wissahickon. Want to know more? Check out the
Each and Every Student page on the WSD website
by CLICKING HERE. This page will have the latest
presentations and updates on this important district
initiative including the 10 achievement sub gaps learning barriers that may impede a student’s ability
to succeed and the district’s strategies to remove
them. Principal Blair and Shady Grove Principal Toby
Albanese presented on the Engagement Gap at the
last board meeting.