Note: This information was mailed home to families during the week of July 24.
Wisner-Pilger Jr/Sr High School Students and Families,
I hope this letter finds you well and that you have had an enjoyable summer. Last school year was a great year with many outstanding academic and extracurricular performances and accomplishments, but now it is time to turn the page and start preparing for the upcoming 2023-2024 school year. We look forward to seeing students and staff for the first day of school on August 17.
There is a lot of information to share about the upcoming school year, but a quick summary is listed below:
- Prioritize regular school attendance
- Prioritize “Good Academic Standing” throughout the school year
- Take note of changes to the Student-Parent Handbook
- Take note of the important dates/events sections at the end of this letter
This mailing includes individual class schedules for students in grades 8-12, and Mrs. Reese (School Counselor) will be available for students to make schedule changes on August 7th, 8th, and 9th from 9:00-3:00. Students that are new to Wisner-Pilger this year may also use these times to register for classes. Students in 7th Grade will receive their schedules at 7th Grade Orientation on August 15th at 4:00 PM, and there is an additional letter in this mailing regarding 7th Grade Orientation.
Please note that iGator Rollout (laptop checkout) will also occur over the course of three days on August 7th, 8th, and 9th from 9:00-3:00, allowing students and families to choose a time and date that is most convenient for them. Parents/guardians are welcome to come to iGator Rollout with their student(s) but may also choose to send students with their payment and completed paperwork. Students that are unable to attend iGator Rollout can still bring their forms and insurance deposit when school starts, but they are not guaranteed to receive their laptop immediately. Please note that any students with outstanding fines/fees from last school year will not be able to check out their laptop until these bills are paid.
As we turn the page to a new school year, it is important to place a renewed focus on student attendance. Across the nation and in our own school, student attendance has consistently declined over the last few years. Missing just two school days per month can lead to almost 20 absences, which is over 10% of the total school year. Studies have shown that chronic absenteeism has a profound and negative impact on student learning and academic success. To combat chronic absenteeism, the Student-Parent Handbook requires students to attend school every day that they are able, and to only miss school for illness, medical appointments, and important family activities. Providing doctors notes for appointments is highly encouraged. At school, we will be even more proactive in communicating with families, setting up meetings and collaborative attendance plans, referring chronically absent students to the Cuming County RISE (Attendance) Program, and making referrals to the County Attorney when students that are absent for 10 days in a semester or 20 days in a school year.
In the last few years, we have started getting creative with the school calendar to find ways to encourage students to maintain “Good Academic Standing”, and this year will be no different. Instead of doing a “Student Makeup Day” on the Thursday before Spring Break, we are going to do three “Student Makeup Days” throughout the school year. On October 6, March 8, and May 3 (all Fridays), we will be changing the school calendar to a 3:45 dismissal, instead of the normal 2:30 dismissal, for students in grades 7-12. However, students in Good Academic Standing, meaning those students that are passing all their classes with above 70% and with no missing work in any classes, will be dismissed at 2:30 as usual. Students that are not in Good Academic Standing will be required to stay until 4:00 to work with teachers to correct deficiencies. There will not be transportation provided by the school for these students that are required to stay until 4:00, which is why we are informing students and families now.
Finally, please take note of changes to the Student-Parent Handbook. For the most part, these changes are minor and typical yearly updates, but there are two notable changes. The first is an additional graduation requirement of Computer Science, which was added to meet a new mandate from the Nebraska State Legislature. Depending on students’ grade level, they will either be meeting this requirement in 8th grade Information Technology, or in a junior-level semester course that is paired with the required Personal Finance course. The second notable change relates to the Extracurricular Activity Code of Conduct, specifically changes to the consequences for first offense drug and alcohol infractions; the consequence was changed from a blanket 14-day activities suspension to a specified number of contests or events. This change was made in an effort to apply consequences more fairly/consistently across sports and activities.
If you have not already done so, please take note of our school website which works in conjunction with the Wisner-Pilger, NE smartphone app. This app is a great source for news, announcements, calendar events, lunch menus, and other school-related information. To download the app, please visit www.wisnerpilger.org and select the icons on the bottom, right-hand side of the page for “Download on the App Store” or “Get It On Google Play”. This section of the website also includes links to our Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube pages where we share news, events, highlights, and livestreams of events.
Finally, enclosed with this letter you will find communication and forms from the Jr/Sr High School Office, Counselor’s Office, Activities Director, and Technology Coordinator. We hope this mailing provides students and families with all the information and paperwork needed to get the school year started.
If you have any questions about this information, please contact Aric Butterfield at abutterfield@igators.org or 402-529-3249 (Jr/Sr High School Office).
Yours in Education,
Aric Butterfield, 7-12 Principal
Enclosed Forms (Included in Mailing):
- Student’s Schedule
- iGator (Laptop) Forms
- Handbook Receipt Form
- NSAA Form
- Activities Director/Booster Club Letter
- School Counselor’s Letter
- School Lunch Information (One packet per family)
Forms Needed Prior to Sports Practice:
- Physical Examination
- Handbook Receipt Form
- NSAA Form
- Sports Warning Meeting Form
Important Start of the School Year Dates/Events:
- Sports Warning Meeting - Tuesday, August 1 - 7:00 PM (Sports Boosters Signup before and after)
- Fall Sports Begin - Monday, August 7
- Schedule Changes/New Student Registration – Monday, August 7-Wednesdy, August 9 - 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
- iGator Laptop Rollout - Monday, August 7-Wednesday, August 9 - 9:00 AM-3:00 PM
- All iGator Forms must be signed OR a parent or legal guardian must be present
- The $25 insurance fee must be paid before the laptop can be checked out
- All outstanding fines/fees must be paid before a laptop can be checked out
- 7th Grade Orientation - Tuesday, August 15 - 4:00 PM
- A letter has been sent home to families of all incoming 7th Graders
- First Day of School - Thursday, August 17 - 8:15-2:30 (Early Dismissal)
- Second Day of School - Friday, August 18 - 8:15-2:30 (Fridays are generally an Early/2:30 Dismissal for students to allow for Teacher Inservice)
- Regular Schedule Begins - Monday, August 21 - 8:15-3:44
Other Important Dates/Events
- 1st Quarter Student Makeup Day – October 6, 2023 – 2:15-4:00
- 3rd Quarter Student Makeup Day – March 8, 2024 – 2:15-4:00
- 4th Quarter Student Makeup Day – May 3, 2024 – 2:15-4:00