From the Principal
An Exciting New Program at WHS…Mr. Ricenbaw, Principal
The goal of any high school is to prepare students to be as successful as possible in any endeavor they may pursue. Research demonstrates that personalization of the learning environment—enabling students to
know well, and be known well by, at least one adult in their school—leads to improved student outcomes in school (Lee, et al., 1995; Newmann, et al., 1992; Stigler and Hiebert, 1999). This information cannot be overlooked. Therefore, for the last two years our faculty has researched and studied to create a program that best fits the needs of our students. This program at WHS will be called A&P and we are very excited to get it started!
What is A&P?
A&P is a student advising and planning program that focuses on academic success and school personalization. Students will use this time to study, explore career and post-secondary options, develop their Vocational Notebooks, seek assistance from teachers, and complete homework. Advisors will use this time to monitor academic achievement, discuss student goals, and communicate with teachers and families as needed. Each A&P room will have a quiet academic atmosphere that provides structure and assistance for students to be successful in school while also creating the opportunities to develop relationships, goals, and post-secondary plans.
What will take place during A&P?
Teachers will take on the role of advisors and will use this time to provide a structured setting for success. They will develop professional relationships with students and will make A&P an important “home base” throughout high school. Advisors will use this time to read daily announcements, monitor student grades on a weekly basis, have regular one-to-one conferences, and communicate with other teachers and families in regard to student progress via email, phone calls, or notes. Students will be asked to complete academic assignments and explore post-secondary options. They may also be asked to use A&P time to make up work (quizzes, tests, homework) as a result of absences; however, it will still be necessary for students to meet with teachers before and after school as retakes will not be allowed during A&P. Students are expected to bring the necessary items to A&P and to fully use their time in this structured setting. Students may be asked to visit the counseling or administrative offices during this time as well.
An effective A&P program will:
*Promote mutually respectful and meaningful relationships
*Provide each student with individual attention
*Increase a sense of trust and belonging in the school community
*Create a strong atmosphere of equality
*Foster communication between school and home
*Prepare students for the transition to post-secondary opportunities
*Focus on character development
We look forward to getting A&P underway and will continue to examine the program throughout the year. Data will be gathered to help us make informed decisions about what is working and what needs to be modified. The bottom line is that we are confident this student/teacher interaction will not only increase our achievement, but provide greater ownership to our students!
From the Assistant Principal
Speech Students Continue to Shine. . .
Zach Kassebaum, Assistant Principal
Waverly High School students continue to shine this
year! I personally want to thank everyone involved
for the time and effort it requires to have programs
succeed at the level they have. A special thanks
goes to Mr. Bruce Sedivy for all he has meant to
Waverly High School and the community. As we all
know, this year will be Mr. Sedivy’s last year as he is
retiring. His contributions are countless and greatly
appreciated.
Speech
Meeting goals is a gratifying experience,
particularly when the goals are quite high. The
2008-2009 Waverly Speech Team had set a goal
of having a higher fi nish at the State Contest
this year than last. Considering that the team
placed fi fth last year didn’t leave much room
for improvement. Nonetheless, at the end of
the State Contest, Waverly fi nished in third
place. In addition, Maggie Brumond became the
third Waverly student in school history to win
an individual championship with her fi rst place in
Interpretation of Poetry. Others making it into
fi nals and medaling were the Oral Interpretation
of Drama team of Hannah Althouse, Amanda
Woita, Kelsy Reynoldson, Christian Kucera,
and Evan Wooten, who placed second. Hannah
Althouse placed third in Entertaining; Nicole Stott, fifth in Poetry; and the Duet Acting duo of
Brett Sales and Krystal Fessler placed sixth. Also
competing at State were Becca Bevans in Serious
Prose and Extemporaneous Speaking, Ashton
Lambie and Christian Kucera in Humorous Prose,
and Katie Zabel in Persuasive Speaking.
Overall, the team scored a total of 76
points. State Champion Norris High School
garnished 98 points, and Runner-up Omaha Mercy
had 92.
The Forensics Squad had been on the winning
track since the Eastern Midlands Conference
contest on February 21 when they edged out
Norris as Conference Champions, followed by a
dominating performance at the Waverly Forensics
Classic on the 28th. Their string of wins
continued at the District B-3 Contest at Milford
on March 4 where the Vikings qualifi ed eleven
entries for State with at least one in each of the
nine events.
The team was led by assistant coach Evi Wusk,
and head coach Bruce Sedivy who is retiring at
the end of the school year. The coaches and
team members would like to thank all those who
supported the team throughout the year.
-----Bruce Sedivy
General News
Mr. Brady Rohlfs receives Freda Drath Battey Distinguished Educator Award
Mr. Rohlfs was nominated by a former student at Syracuse High School, and received letters of recommendation from current colleagues, students, and community members. The student recommendation was written by Waverly Senior Laura Clark.
Mr. Rohlfs received the award at a luncheon on the UNL campus. The award includes an engraved school bell, a stipend for Mr. Rohlfs, and a monetary award for Waverly High School.
The Battey Distinguished Educator Award is presented each year to an exemplary Nebraska secondary school teacher and only students in the UNL College of Education and Human Sciences may make nominations. Criteria for selection are excellence in teaching and excellence in support of students in extracurricular activities such as advising of students or initiation of student oriented programs. The award was established in 1986 by Joan and Charles W. Battey of Shawnee Mission, Kan., and Marian (Battey) and Harold W. Andersen of Omaha to commemorate the life and career of their mother and mother-in-law, Freda Drath Battey, a 1923 graduate of the former University of Nebraska Teachers College who was a public school teacher in Ashland.
Waverly High School - New Student Registration for 2009-2010
Tuesday, August 4th - Thursday, August 6th
New students must schedule an appointment through the
high school counseling office.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling the
Counseling Assistant at 786-2765.
Appointments are available between
9 a.m. and 2 p.m.
A new student packet of registration materials can be mailed to all new students
prior to the appointment.
Records from a student’s previous school are required for the appointment and
parents/guardians are asked to contact previous schools to acquire the materials
prior to the appointment.
Students of all grades will receive class schedules for the 2009-2010 school year
prior to the fi rst day. Only special, administrative-approved schedule changes will
be made.
From the WHS Library…
Parents, as the year winds down, please check your homes for library books.
Students who do not turn in their library books by the end of the year will be billed for
them. Also, sometimes our students inadvertently take a library book without checking
it out. If you notice any books with a Waverly High School barcode in your home,
remind your student to return or renew it on time! Thank you!
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