At WHPS, we pride ourselves on maintaining an open-door policy with families at all times. We know this is one reason families choose our school. As we kick off 2023, we hope all families take full advantage of the close partnership with teachers and the school leadership team. This month, we held an informal Coffee & Chat session with our school leadership team, PAWS co-presidents, and WHPS families. For anyone who was not able to join us, you can find a brief recap of some of the items discussed. 

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* FRIENDLY REMINDER *
Please don't wait for the next parent coffee!
Come to me or our team in real-time with other suggestions, desires, or concerns.
We know you are choosing to invest in a WHPS education, and we are here to help make the most of it!

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Topics Discussed at the January Parent Coffee

• After-School Programs
  • Academics - While we provide after-school STEAM programs, families inquired about reading/writing support or special academic programs. We are looking into some additional programs to help address this desire. 
  • More Yoga & Mindfulness - While this is incorporated into the school day, we are looking at additional after-school options as well.
  • Homework Club - Some families did not realize that teacher-supervised Homework Club is a free part of extended care. 
• Singapore Math - Parents wanted to better understand the theory behind our math program and how to help with homework.
  • Parent Workshop - We will be hosting a professional Singapore Math instructor on February 16 to provide a program overview designed for parents and will have some grade-specific "homegrown" workshops to address any further questions.
• Middle School - Parents asked when WHPS will have a middle school. While there is not a definite timeline for that, we discussed our middle school counseling process to ensure students get into their school of choice.
  • Alumni Middle School Panel - Families that would like to hear more about how WHPS students transition into middle school should join us in October 2023 for our next Alumni Panel Discussion. 
• School Safety - In the times we live in, this is always a hot topic. We answered some parent questions about campus safety and also mentioned:
  • Coming changes to the Oxnard campus entrance area.
  • Professional campus safety audits have taken place, leading to many incremental improvements. 
  • Predictive profiling training was completed with the entire staff and scheduled ongoing professional training for staff.
• Nutrition - Some families were concerned about the number of sweets and birthday treats being brought to school. We continue to encourage families to look for healthy alternatives for birthday and holiday treats. Even mini-cupcakes are better than full-size. 
• Parking Lot
  • Pavers - Parents expressed the desire for more pavers to cross the grass on muddy days, which we are adding.
  • Enforcement - There were some requests for additional parking lot staffing and enforcement, and we are looking into what would be most helpful. We also continue to remind families to be patient and courteous and consider less-peak times for drop off/pick up.