Waldwick High School Principal's Blog

Changes coming to the FAFSA Form: A new, simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form is coming in December. Along with the easier-to-complete form, there'll be changes in how your aid is calculated. Most people will get more money for school, but some will lose out. Here's how it breaks down. Here are two articles and a video to help explain the changes. More information will be coming out from the WHS Counseling Center in the Fall. The Counseling Center will also be running a Financial Aid Night on Tuesday, October 10 at 6:30pm in the Little Theater (Save the Date). https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/personalfinance/2023/04/30/fafsa-changes-2024-25/11760352002/ https://studentaid.gov/help-center/answers/article/fafsa-simplification-act

WHS Summer Update #1 I hope everyone is getting a chance to enjoy the summer. The construction work is moving along at a good pace. There is a lot going on as I’m sure you have noticed! Besides the construction, the administration team and I have been meeting and preparing for September. As part of each summer we reflect back on the past year, review data, discuss new ideas and start to form a game plan for the 23-24 school year. Here is a short synopsis of some of the changes coming to WHS and the why. Since June of 2022, Waldwick High School has gone through some major physical changes thanks to the Waldwick community for passing the referendum. 85% of the project is complete and only one phase to go for completion. What a transformation! If you think back to March of 2020, our students have dealt with a lot of instability and disruption related to their academics and daily routines. I am not making excuses here, but three years post the height of the COVID pandemic, we have seen...

New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) Individual Score Report Spring 2023 In the spring, your student participated in the New Jersey Graduation Proficiency Assessment (NJGPA) administration to measure the extent to which your student is graduation ready in English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. The ELA component of the NJGPA assesses student graduation readiness based on grade 10 standards. The mathematics component of the NJGPA assesses student graduation readiness based on Algebra I and Geometry standards. The NJGPA is required to be administered to students in grade 11 as part of the graduation assessment requirements adopted by the State Board of Education on September 8, 2021. A minimum score of 725 is required for each component (ELA and mathematics) of the NJGPA and was adopted by the State Board of Education on May 3, 2023. Graduation readiness is reported separately for each content component. Your student’s NJGPA Individual Student Report (ISR) was mailed...

Athletic Paperwork for the Fall 2023 - Guest post from Jeff Basilicato (Boz) The Fall season is almost upon us and hopefully we will be back to normal! The summer season officially switches to the Fall on Monday, August 7th (Football) & Monday, August 21st (All other sports), so this is a new season (technically) and we will need all of the medical paperwork submitted in order to be cleared for those practices. Keep in mind even if you were cleared for summer practices, you will need to be cleared again for this fall season. Oftentimes there are errors or omissions with paperwork. Submitting paperwork by Thursday August 3rd, is very strongly recommended so you are certain to be cleared for the first day of practice. As always, there are four items needed in order to be cleared for participation for the Fall season. The following links contain the files and information required for participation. These forms must be completed in full, and without errors or they will be returned for...

Physical Education Uniforms @ WHS If you need to order a PE uniform for the upcoming school year please see below: Please use this link for pricing, order deadlines and submitting an order: Web Store to order Uniforms   Deadline to order is Monday, September 11, 2023 ***Important*** It is a mandatory requirement for all HS Students to wear at least the WHS PE Department T-shirt and Shorts. Failure to do so will penalize a student's overall PE Grade. All orders should arrive to the High School by the last week of September. No student will be penalized until the orders have arrived. Until then, the PE Dept. will allow students to change into any appropriate top (t-shirt) and bottom (mesh/athletic shorts) that are grey or navy. Please contact Mr. Hagen if you have any questions. hagenm@waldwickschools.org

9th Grade Parent Orientation Tuesday, 9/12/23, at 6:30pm Via Zoom The purpose of 9th Grade Parent Orientation is to help our incoming Freshman parents learn about WHS and how they can assist their child with the transition to High School. We understand this is new to so many of you and want to help make this first year as smooth as possible. I will be emailing the Zoom link out to all parents on Monday evening. Please note there will be an in-person Back to School Night on Thursday, 9/28/23, at 7pm. More details to follow.

We have a new Director of School Counseling Services! You all know Mr. Sussman as the previous Middle School Counselor, but starting with the 2023/24 school year his role has changed. Please see the letter from Mr. Sussman below: Dear Parents/Guardians: I am delighted to write to you today as the new Director of School Counseling Services for the Waldwick School District. It is with great joy and excitement that I embark on this new role, continuing my journey within the district that has become a second home to me over the past fifteen years. For those of you who may not know me yet, my name is Joshua Sussman, and I have had the privilege of serving as the Middle School Counselor in our district for the past fifteen years. During my time in this position, I have witnessed the growth and development of countless students, and it has been an incredible honor to be a part of their journeys. I am truly grateful for the trust and support that you, as parents, have placed in me throughout t...

Freshmen Orientation - Wednesday, August 23 12:30 - 3:00pm (Time change 12:30 - 1:30pm) This event is for students only and is run by the members of the National Honor Society. Chromebooks will be distributed, along with some very cool swag to start out their year. Please complete this Google Form for T-Shirt Size . I do need the sizes back ASAP. Please complete the form by Monday, July 31. The purpose of Freshmen Orientation is to help our incoming Freshman class acclimate to their new school culture and assist with the transition to High School related to stress and academic achievement. Orientation is the first step in making sure our students understand the mission of WHS which is: Waldwick High School’s mission is to create a positive learning experience through both technological and environmental means in order to promote critical thinkers, effective communicators, creators and innovators. At Waldwick High School students will be provided an environment that encourages student...