Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Interested in playing basketball for the Wildcats?

All girls in 7th grade wanting to try-out for the Washington Girls' Basketball team be in gym on March 12th at 3:45. Try-outs will end at 5:00. You must bring a current physical to the try-outs! If you do not have a physical you can't try-out. Be sure and wear shorts, t-shirt, and tennis shoes. Remember, pick up a form from Coach Casto or Coach Walker in the gym or room 401 before March 12th.

Are you having fun?

Hey, WJHS faculty and staff.  Are you having fun?  Do your students know it?

Think back to June 3rd of 2013.  That was our first official day as a staff.  Some of our friends had moved on to open the new Fulbright Jr. High and we were spending a half day retreat developing our own new vision, mission...The Wildcat Way!

Our first activity was to think back on a favorite teacher.  We identified why they were our favorite- they cared about us as individuals, they held us to high standards but made learning enjoyable, they connected with us and helped us uncover our strengths and our passions.

Then we made commitments to actions that would help us be more like those favorite teachers that were so influential in our lives.

Now, fast forward to yesterday...I read a post from Smart Blog on Education entitled Have Fun, Change Lives.

The author of this blog post related a story about how one of his former students had written about him when challenged to write about someone that had influenced them.

When the former student was questioned why he wrote what he did, his reply was, “I wrote about you because you were always having fun when you taught.”

The blog post goes on to say:  Teachers today have taken on a new role. From the “sage on the stage” we have become the “guide on the side.” We put things out in front of our students and allow them to become selective consumers of content in a manner that is more reflective of real-life circumstances. We offer them many more opportunities to share and collaborate, to embrace the spirit of 21st century learning with the hope that it will translate into real-life, workplace-friendly skills.  However, with all of the great things that technology and other educational trends offer our students, we must remember that we, as teachers, are still the most important element in our classrooms. Not only do we serve as instructional leaders, providing content, guidance and clarification, but we also are the primary source of engagement and inspiration.

At WJHS, we strive to engage, inspire, and change lives through The Wildcat Way.  

My wish today is that you are also having fun...and that your students know it!




Monday, January 27, 2014

WJHS CHEER PARENT MEETING

Attention 7th graders interested in Cheer.  There will be a parent meeting on February 13th @ 5:30 in the Little Theater. Anyone interested in trying out for WJHS Cheer should attend this meeting.

Volunteers Needed!

The science department is in need of volunteers to help judge the 2014 WJHS science fair. We need individuals with knowledge in a variety of scientific fields and mathematics . Judging will take place in the WJHS library. Judging dates are Saturday, February 1 from 8- noon, Monday, February 3 from 4-6, and Tuesday, February 4 from 4-6. If you are interested in helping please contact Carrie Beach at cbeach@bentonvillek12.org for more information.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Washington Student Council Helps Others

Student Council helped pack Snackpacks at the Samaritan Community Center on January 21. Over 15,000 Snackpacks are delivered on a weekly basis to local kids in need. It was announced while we were there that they are going to be delivering the millionth Snackpack in the next couple of weeks.






Monday, January 20, 2014

Wildcats Earn Spots in All-Region Honor Bands

Congratulations to the 27 WJHS students that made all-region yesterday and the 1 alternate! These students have worked extremely hard preparing for this event and as you will see below, paid off!!

Ethan Andrews - 2nd Band, 4th Chair
Megan Berg - 2nd Band, 2nd Chair
Garrison Brooksby - 2nd Band, 1st Chair
Robby Burchit - 1st Band, 6th Chair
Utah Courtney - 1st Band, 4th Chair
Jaden Flylnn - 2nd Band, 4th Chair
Audrey Glasser - 1st Band, 9th Chair
Ben Hodde - 2nd Band, 5th Chair
Easton Hughes - 2nd Band, 12th Chair
Salem Jackson - 2nd Band, 11th Chair
Laura Jones - 1st Band, 17th Chair
Ryan Le - 1st Band, 4th Chair
Christian Lowe - 2nd Band, 21st Chair
Rithu Manoharan - 1st Band, 26th Chair
Allison Martin - 2nd Band, 17th Chair
Victoria Martin -2nd Band, 18th Chair
Madison May - 1st Band, 12th Chair
Mackenzie McBride - 1st Band, 5th Chair
Parker McPherson - 1st Band, 5th Chair
Mason Moore - 1st Band, 3rd Chair
Sam Nepomuceno - 1st Band, 2nd Chair
Julia Sasine - 2nd Band, 4th Chair
Steven Simmermon - 1st Band, 5th Chair
Bailey Tadda - 1st Band, 6th Chair
Andrew Van Slooten, 1st Band, 1st Chair
Johathan Wheeler - 1st Band, 2nd Chair
Abi Wilkerson - 2nd Band, 3rd Chair

Jack Nagel - Alternate

These students will travel to Mountain Home this Friday and Saturday to participate in the all-region clinic! Concert will be Saturday afternoon starting at 2:00 in Dunbar Auditorium on the campus of Mountain Home High School.