PRINCIPAL

Mr. Pete Gaffney407-320-8702

ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS

Lori Bowman407-320-8726

Kristi Draus407-320-8897

Michael Hunter407-320-8707

Jaime Washington407-320-8704

SCHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGER

Matt Hesselbart407-320-8848

Winter Springs High School130 Tuskawilla RoadWinter Springs, FL 32708407-320-8750

PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

Issue 2 • JULY 2017

Dear Winter Springs High School Community:

It is my pleasure to be recently named the Principal of Winter Springs High School. Over the past few weeks, this staff and community has welcomed me with open arms. I look forward to working with each and every one of you to ensure that our students are safe and that they are getting the best education we can provide. Our school’s mission statement says: “Through the individual commitment of all, our students will graduate with values, knowledge, and attitudes necessary to be productive citizens.” This mission statement is the center piece of what we will strive for and is what we will focus on during the 2017-18 school year. It is with excitement that I look forward to working with our students, teachers, staff, community, and administrative team to plan for and carry out strategies that successfully meet this statement for each and every student.

As I begin this message to all of you, I would like to cover an assortment of topics that start with safety and showcases my belief in providing the triple A experience for all of our students: Academics, Arts, and Athletics.

Safety As I have often said to people I work with, the primary responsibility of a Principal is easily said. Principals need to (1) make sure everyone is SAFE and (2) make sure everyone is LEARNING. I firmly believe that the safety of our students, teachers, and staff is a main priority and a primary focus for all the Seminole County schools. Since arriving at Winter Springs High School, I have carefully looked at our staffing with our administrative team and have made arrangements to provide the necessary supervision and plans to make sure that Winter Springs High School is a safe place to be for all of our students and community. I look forward to continuing to work with our students, teachers, staff, parents, and all school stakeholders to make plans for increased safety on our campus.

Academics Over the last few years Winter Springs High School has been guiding students towards graduation. Over the years, we have graduated approximately 80% of our students and we look forward to increasing our numbers in the years to come. Below is a table that includes our graduation rates through the past six years.

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

79 79 80 81 85 TBD*

* The 2016-2017 graduation rate has yet to be determined. We will host summer graduation on July 20, 2017. This graduation will be added to our May graduation to give us our 2017 graduation rate.

By working with the entire Winter Springs community, we will make any academic adjustments needed to ensure that our students graduate. This voyage is the responsibility of everyone. The

...continues on next page

22PRINCIPAL’S MESSAGE

continues...

Ad Placement Ad Placement Ad Placement

saying, “it takes a village”, truly defines our mission here at Winter Springs High School in getting students to graduate.

Arts Our Arts program will continue to work towards being the best in Seminole County. We will be ever present showcasing our incredibly talented students across Seminole County and Central Florida. All of our Arts programs will make us PROUD. I look forward to supporting these programs and letting all of you know about the great accomplishments and great work that our students and staff do!

Athletics Our Athletic Program will be vital to our success as a school. In working with Mr. Luppert, Athletic Director, we will work to provide opportunities for many of our sports-minded students. We will advocate for our students to be involved and we will do whatever we can to make our programs successful in providing a fun, competitive, and structured athletic program that will open up doors for many of our student athletes upon completing Winter Springs High School.

I am very much looking forward to guiding this outstanding school, continuing some of the great traditions, as well as working with others to establish successful practices and programs to support our students and our community. I strongly believe that the local high school is the centerpiece of a city. The high school should be the place that people turn to for their education, nightly arts and athletic entertainment. Why go see a performance or an athletic event in Orlando, when you can stay local and support our arts and athletic programs? I will encourage the entire Winter Springs community to get behind all that we do. We need everyone to support the academic voyage our students embark on and support the incredible arts and athletic programs we provide. When people think they need to see a show, I want them to think about visiting the high school.

In conclusion, during the evening or weekend, if you want to see a live sporting event or catch a great music program, or see some fantastic art work, I want everyone to think, go to the high school, the Winter Springs Bears are showcasing their talents tonight!

Thank you so much for the support and the welcome to Winter Springs High School!

Go Bears!

Mr. Pete Gaffney, Principal

BEAR CONNECTIONS MENTORING BEAR Connections is looking for anyone willing to mentor our ninth grade students to help them have a great start to high school! Anyone who would like more information should call contact Dana Lawrence at 407-782-5880 or email at Dana32247@bellsouth.net.

SUMMER TESTING Summer Testing at 8 am in the media center, enclosed form must be completed and turned into Ms. Beasley prior to July 11 for the indicated subjects:• Biology – July 17• US History – July 17• Algebra 1 – July 18 and 19• Algebra 2 – July 18 and 19• Geometry – July 18 and 19

PTSA Buy a PTSA membership at August 3rd Schedule Pickup! A $7 membership gets you a reusable coupon card for local businesses, and a free hot chocolate/donut on Fridays for a student membership. Remember, too, that seniors with a PTSA membership can apply for the PTSA $500 scholarship! We compete with other schools for the most grandparents who join. Please help us win for extended family members!

FOOD FOR THE SUMMER Winter Springs High School will be providing food for any families in need this summer. We will also be providing free breakfast and lunch to any student that is enrolled in SCPS. The school will be open from 7am until 4pm Monday through Thursday. Winter Springs High School will be closed July 3rd through July 7th.

SENIOR PICTURESJuly 24th - 27th from 8am-5pm in the WSHS Media Center

Walk-ins welcome until 4pm

SCHEDULE PICK UP DAY Schedule pick up for the 2017 – 2018 school year will be on Thursday, August 3rd starting at 9:00 AM.

Bear NecessitiesJuly 2017 • Issue #2

Published Four Times Per YearWinter Springs High School

130 Tuscawilla Rd.Winter Springs, FL 32708

3

Ad Placement

2017-2018 WINTER SPRINGS HS SUMMER READING9th Grade Standard 9th Grade HonorsSuggested titles for you to choose from: Animal Farm by George OrwellThe Future of Us by Jay Asher & Carolyn MacklerThe Maze Runner by James Dashner 9th Grade GiftedTears of a Tiger by Sharon Draper The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeEndurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing by Robert Louis StevensonOR ANY book of choice Pre-IB EnglishThe summer reading assignment is Animal Farm by George Orwell ANDposted on the school’s website To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee10th Grade Standard 10th Grade GiftedChoose ONE of the following: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak ANDUnwind by Neal Schusterman A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. GainesThe Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein 10th Grade AP Language andNight by Elie Wiesel Composition (IB Program) 10th Grade Honors 1984 by George Orwell The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (must be a hard copy of the novel)11th Grade Standard and Honors 11th Grade AP Language Read each of the following short stories: and Composition“Eve’s Diary”- Twain The Things They Carried by Tim O’ Brien “The Mouse”- Saki (must be a hard copy of the novel)“One Friday Morning”- L. Hughes“The Hanging Stranger”- Philip Dick“The Dry Branch”- Ana Maria Matute“A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”- Gabriel Marquez12th Grade Standard 12th Grade HonorsChoose ONE of the following: Beowulf Interpreted by Seamus HeaneyThe Pact by George Jenkins, Rameck Hunt, & Sampson Davis Students should expect a test on BeowulfPerks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky Take notes in the book while readingThe Fault in our Stars by John GreenStudents should expect a test on the novel. Take notes in the book while readingAP Literature1. Read The Poisonwood Bible. Focus your annotations on character development. Your goal is to

discover what influences/changes each girl to make the decisions she does. Annotationswill be checked the first week of school Annotate the text while reading, carefully considering characters in the novel, especially as they become archetypes for ideas. Bring your annotated text with you on the first day of school

2. Read the following chapters from How to Read Literature Like a Professor, Revised Edition. Annotate the text for main ideas/suggestions for what to look for while reading literature. Our classwork during the first few weeks will be based off these chapters, and others assigned when school begins, and you will be expected to have a copy of the book in class. Please note, the previous version is lacking some of the new chapters. Have the revised edition Introduction - How’d He Do That? / Ch.1 - Every Trip is a quest(Except When its Not) / Ch. 6 … Or the Bible / Ch. 10 Never Stand Next to the Hero / Ch. 12 - Is That a Symbol? / Ch. 14 - Yes, She’s a Christ Figure, Too / Ch. 18 - If She Comes Up, It’s Baptism / Ch. 24 - Don’t Read with your Eyes / Ch. 26 Is He Serious? And Other Ironies / Postlude - Who’s is in Charge Here?

4

Ad Placement

A student who is absent without the principal’s approval shall have his/her parent(s) or legal guardian report such absences to the school center in the manner prescribed by the Student Conduct and Discipline Code. At Winter Springs, a written note must be presented to the attendance office within five (5) days of absence. Households of absent students are contacted same day by a computerized calling system.

Notes excusing an absence will not be accepted five (5) days after absence. No more than five (5) parent notes will be accepted per semester.

I. A student shall be considered truant when absent without parental or guardian permission or when the parent(s) or legal guardian consents to unnecessary absences.

II. Students shall be given a reasonable amount of time to make up any work assignments which are missing during an absence. At least one day shall be allowed for each day of missed work. A student may negotiate an alternate schedule when he/she experiences difficulty with the arrangements.

Major religious holidays include: Jewish holidays – Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Sukkot, Shimini Atzeret, Simchat Torah, Passover, and Shavot.

Christian holy days include: Christmas, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Good Friday, Easter.

The student’s parent(s) or legal guardian shall give advance written notification to the school when a student will be absent for religious reasons.

Student shall be given an opportunity to make up any missed examination, study, or work assignment.

Excused absences: students over compulsory attendance age shall be expected to provide documentation for an absence to be considered excused.

I. After an absence, the student must provide the school with documentation indicating that one of the following has occurred if he/she wishes that absence(s) to be excused: medical treatment by a licensed physician, observance of a religious holiday, law enforcement order or court subpoena, death of a family member, natural disaster, traffic accident that directly involved the student. *Section 232.09, F.S.

NOTE: It is understood that on every occasion of sickness, a student will not require medical attention by a licensed health care professional.

Short term, non-chronic illnesses may be documented/explained via a signed parent note. In such circumstances, the student shall suffer no academic penalty, provided that all course work, examinations, etc. are made up within a reasonable period of time as defined in Section V.

NOTE: Should the Principal or persons in charge of schools reasonably suspect an abuse of this provision, he/she may require documentation from a “licensed practicing physician” (M.D., O.D., D.D., D.D.S., and/or D.C., etc.) as described in F.S. 232.09 (4) as a condition for declaring the student’s absence for illness excused.

II. A student will be considered to be in attendance when participating in school activities or when, with permission, they are attending to school-related business.

III. Attendance Office personnel will review the documentation and input any excused absence(s) into the computer for the appropriate date(s).

IV. Notes excusing an absence will not be accepted five (5) days after absence. No more than five (5) parent notes will be accepted per semester.

Unexcused absences: absence from class for any reason other than those enumerated in Section II. (1-6) shall be considered unexcused.

Credit Denial – A student will lose credit in a course in which he/she has accumulated ten (10) unexcused absences per semester. Students with unique reasons for their absences should see the assistant principal in charge of attendance.

V. Guidelines for make-up work – A student who is absent is required to make up all course work missed, regardless of whether the absence is excused or unexcused. It is the student’s responsibility to obtain assignments upon returning to class immediately following an absence.

Note: At a minimum, the student shall have not fewer than the number of days he/she were absent to complete and hand in make-up work for credit. Specific arrangements must be made with the student’s teacher(s).

Assignments given by the teacher two weeks (ten school days) in advance of student’s absence will be due on the assigned date. The time and place for a make-up examination(s) shall be scheduled by the teacher(s). The teacher’s decision on make-up schedules shall be final.

STUDENT ATTENDANCE POLICY

5

Ad Placement Ad Placement

Ad Placement

Ad Placement

CLASS OF 2018 NEWS Welcome to Senior Year and the countdown to graduation. Please check the “Class of 2018” section in each newsletter and on the WSHS website for updates throughout the year. Below is a breakdown of important senior events and approximate expenses so that you can plan the year. All items listed below are optional expenses EXCEPT the minimum cap and gown package offered through Herff Jones. The minimum package includes: cap, gown, tassel, medallion, diploma cover, senior video, graduation tickets, and graduation parking pass. Other package options are available through Herff Jones. We will have a senior assembly in the fall explaining all the ordering options.August Order Yearbook $60-$80 Yearbook Memory Ads $50 - $350September Senior Panoramic Picture $25October Order Cap and Gown package $100 Homecoming $60-$100February Order tickets for Grad Bash $80April Prom tickets $70-$80 Senior Picnic Free Grad BashMay Senior Breakfast Free Graduation

COMPUTER AND PHOTOGRAPHY STUDENT For all students taking a Computer or Photo class it is required that you have a 16GB thumb Drive to save your classwork.

Enter this number:

81010

Text this message:

@mrgaffney

Please sign up for our school wide REMIND 101 app.

Text the information to the right in your cell phone to join.

6

Ad Placement

Ad Placement

Ad Placement

Ad Placement

Ad Placement

WSHS THEATRE DEPARTMENT*Congrats to the WSHS Theatre Department, who racked up the awards at this year’s CAPPIES gala!

Winter Springs took more awards than any other school, including:• Special Effects and Technology - Natalia Nazario - Metamorphoses • Choreography - Gabe Figueroa - Metamorphoses • Male Dancer - Dustin Batchelor - Spamalot• Hair and Make-up - Jessica Bradshaw - Spamalot• Ensemble in a Musical - Knights of the Round Table - Spamalot• Featured Actor in a Musical - Giancarlos Coris - Spamalot• Comedic Actor in a Musical - Elijah Hamilton - Spamalot• Orchestra - Spamalot• Lead Actor in a Musical -Gabe Figueroa - Spamalot• Lead Actress in a Musical - Keely Myers - Spamalot• Cappies Rising Critic - Madeline Hull• Critic’s Choice Musical - Monty Python’s Spamalot

*Congrats to Giancarlos Coris for receiving honorable mention for his featured role in Spamalot!

Anyone wishing to participate in theatre and be a part of the fall musical “Little Shop of Horrors”, please see Mrs. Devine in room 9-135 the first week of school for a tech application!

STUDENT GOVERNMENT UPCOMING DATES & INFORMATION

Bear Bash during schedule pick up - students can buy class shirts and get club information.

Seniors will be able to purchase their parking places to paint (spaces are limited!) At schedule pick up. Any questions, please email pamela_gaskill@scps.k12.fl.us

August 12 from 8am-noon is Senior Parking Painting Palooza!

SAVE THE DATEAugust 3, 2017 Student Schedule Pick-Up @ 9AM - 12PM BEAR BASH Cafeteria 9am-12pmAugust 10, 2017 Students’ First Day of School August 22, 2017 OPEN HOUSE Agenda 5:00PM ESOL meeting Is your student an ESOL student? If so, please attend the ESOL parent

meeting before our Open House on August 22nd at Winter Springs High School at 5:30pm.

5:45PM PTSA 6:00PM Principal Intro & Welcome / Tech presentation 6:30PM Start visiting classrooms

7

ATHLETICSWinter Spring HS 2017-2018

Ad PlacementAd Placement

The 2017 BEAR athletic summer is upon us! And, on behalf of all of our student-athletes and coaches, I’d like to welcome the latest ‘Head BEAR’ to our athletic family, our new Principal Mr. Peter Gaffney! He has already begun meeting and interacting with Department staff and students as many of them are currently on campus participating in summer workout programs! Their dedication and sacrifice continues even throughout the summer months as we strive to prepare for the upcoming FHSAA competition year.

Please make note that normal hours for the Athletic office in June and July vary weekly. If you need assistance or are needing to drop off updated paperwork and/or other required documentation, please call the front desk ahead of time to confirm. For students interested in participating with Bear Athletics during the summer and/or throughout the year, it is important to have all of the necessary paperwork on file with the Athletic Department PRIOR to tryouts. Only those athletes who have been cleared through the Department will be eligible for conditioning and/or tryouts. All information and appropriate paperwork can be found and downloaded on our athletic homepage under the link Athletic Clearance Paperwork. Our annual Athletic Department Facilities Clean-Up Day is scheduled for Saturday, August 5th from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm and volunteers are needed! Please follow up with the Athletic Department for specifics on how to get involved! Also, take time to view our athletic page in its entirety, as there is other important and meaningful information for your reference.

Our Department encourages and seeks your support! There are numerous opportunities for you to become involved throughout the year. Whether you can volunteer time, contribute financially, join a parent support group, become involved in various fundraising initiatives, or just simply be a Bear Fan and attend events, we appreciate any relationship you choose to have with our staff and student-athletes. For business and community partners interested in our Stadium Billboard and/or Athletic Facility Banner Platforms, please email the Athletic Director for sponsorship information and registration.

Finally, make sure to follow us on Twitter @WSBearAthletics, for all of the latest athletic news and updates. From there you can access our team and school social media accounts as well. I look forward to our continued progress and advancement, and thank you for your continued support! Go Bears!

Respectfully,Steven J. LuppertDirector of Athletics steven_luppert@scps.k12.fl.us

Upcoming Important Athletic Department Dates• Saturday, August 5th; Athletic Department Facilities Clean-Up Day!

8:00 am – 1:00 pm. VOLUNTEERS Needed! Official FHSAA Start Dates for 2017 Fall Sports• Monday, July 31st, Football, Girls’ Volleyball, Cross Country, Bowling,

Golf, Swimming and Diving• Tuesday, August 15th, Slow Pitch Softball

Building Character Through Competition

8

Winter Springs High School130 Tuskawilla RoadWinter Springs, FL 32708

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage PAID

Orlando, FLPermit #2346

Aca

dem

y Pu

blish

ing

Scho

ol N

ewsle

tter P

rogr

am™

800-

644-

3541

BAND OF GOLD NEWS We are looking forward to another exciting year with the Band of Gold and Pure Gold Colorguard. We wecolme Mr. Kyle Ferland as our new band director and are eager to get to work with him and create another amazing half time show for all of the WSHS Football games. There are several important dates for all of our band and colorguard families. Please be sure to read through everything carefully and get all of the dates on your calendars.

Band and Colorguard Registration NightJuly 24, 2017, 6-8 pm, WSHS Auditorium In order to be part of the WSHS Band of Gold or Pure Gold Colorguard, parents must register their students by attending registration night on Monday, July 24 in the WSHS auditorium. There will be a mandatory parent meeting at 6 pm followed by a time to complete the registration process for all band and colorguard students. During registration you will be able to turn in all forms, meet the band director and band boosters, order band apparel, pay your band assessment fees and sign up for volunteer opportunities. Registration forms should be completed ahead of time and can be found at www.wsbandofgold.com.

Band Camp• Thursday, July 27 8am-5pm• Friday, July 28 8am-5pm• Monday, July 31 8am-5pm• Tuesday, August 1 8am-5pm• Wednesday, August 2 8am-2pm

All band and colorguard students must attend band camp. During band camp, students review marching fundamentals and begin learning the half time show. Students who miss band camp may have to sit out the first half time song, as there may not be a part written for them if they are not at camp. Details will be shared in email updates about what each student needs for band camp. Questions or a request to be added to the Band of Gold email list may be sent to wsbandofgold@gmail.com. See you at band camp!