Hunger Games Field Trip

Permission Slips for the Hunger Games Field trip are due Friday, March 16th! May the odds ever be in your favor! Go Catniss!

PSSA Week

Students at West have been working hard all week on the PSSAs. Testing is being held from March 12th- March 15th. Good Luck West!

Math PSSA Tutoring

You include a blurb about PSSA Tutoring:

The math department is holding after-school tutoring on Tuesdays to help students study for the PSSA.  The students have been rotating among 5 teachers to practice math skills.  Students are completing different activities involving measurement, probability, geometry and number sense.  Some evening they may play jeopardy, complete stations, or play other mathematical games.  Any student is welcome to stay.  Sessions will be held on Tuesday, February 28 and Tuesday, March 6. 

Geography Classes Set Sail!

Mrs. Lukaesko’s and Miss Cline’s geography classes are setting sail!  Well, maybe not really setting sail, but they’re participating in the Vicarious Voyage program offered by Semester at Sea.  The classes will be corresponding with two students aboard the MV Explorer.  At each port, the sailing students will be sending the geography classes information and pictures about the city and country.  In turn, the classes will be able to send their reactions and questions.  Mrs. Lukaesko, Miss Cline, and the students are looking forward to “traveling” to Central America, South America, Africa, Asia, and back to North America.

THE HUNGER GAMES

7th and 8th grade students have been taking part in a school wide reading event involving the Hunger Games. Each week students break into their Hunger Game "Districts" where they read the novel and participate in events that are associated with the week's theme. Students are competing to represent their district in West's Version of the Hunger Games on March 9th. MAY THE ODDS BE EVER IN YOUR FAVOR!

Gingerbread House Project

The 9th grade Foods and Nutrition class completed a gingerbread house project, using teamwork design, baking and decorating skills.   Along with the traditional style house, the 9th graders designed a beach house, log cabin, and snowboard ramp house.  Raffle tickets were sold to benefit Operation Santa Claus. 

End of the Nine Weeks

The end of the 2nd 9 weeks is quickly approaching at Jr. High West. The last day of this 9 weeks is January 13th.

Falcon Foundation Does It Again!

It is funny how one thing leads to another. That fact is often realized in the education community when one act builds into others. The latest example involves the art classes at West. Mrs. Joyce Tremba applied for and was awarded a Falcon Foundation Classroom Grant to supplement her supply of tools and equipment. She received a metal rolling mill and a ring saw, two high end pieces of equipment that enables Mrs. Tremba to take students' learning and art skills to a higher level. Because of this grant students are now constructing pieces of coin flattened jewelry and specially cut glass Christmas ornaments that they are selling to the public. Funds that they raise are then used to buy other needed pieces of equipment and supplies not provided by the school district. “I want kids to learn that the things they produce in art class can be marketed and that there is worth in a job well done.” Mrs. Tremba explained. “And if it weren't for the generosity and hard work of the Falcon Foundation we would be doing very basic things here in art. We all appreciate the grant."

Students Replicate Local Forts

Miss Cline’s US History classes took on the challenge of building replicas of local forts that were a part of the French and Indian War.  Students could build Fort Duquesne, which became Fort Pitt, Fort Necessity, and Fort Ligonier.  They had to identify and explain the parts of the fort as well as describe the fort’s role in the war.  Although all of the students did an excellent job, a few teacher “judges” voted for the best in each period and the best overall.  Griffin Thompson, Dylan McCrae, and Tyler Kenney were the 5^th period winners.   Adan Alvarado and Brandon Madarish were the 6^th period and overall winners.  Both of the winning groups constructed Fort Duquesne.  Congratulations and great work!

 

Book Fair Success

A special thank you goes to all who supported the first Junior High West Book Fair. With your purchases, JHW was able to purchase many new books for the library. Thanks for supporting literacy and a love of reading in our school!