Student

CONNECTION

WEEKLY

Fall 2020

December 11, 2020

Newsletters will be sent weekly on Fridays to parents/guardians & students. If you have questions or suggestions regarding the newsletters, email Deb Lange. We value your feedback.

Dates to Remember

December 16: Parent-Teacher Conferences

December 18: Online Mindfulness Class

December 21: Shades of Brown audition videos due

December 21: Wayzata Idol audition videos due

December 24-January 1: Winter Break

Upcoming Events

Presentation: "ANDRILL - The ANtarctic DRILLing Project" by Dr. Kate Pound

Join Mrs. Holz' "Geology of Minnesota" class on Tuesday, December 15 during Block 4 to learn from Dr. Kate Pound - Geology Professor in Atmospheric & Hydrologic Sciences Department at St. Cloud State University, and past President and current Director of the Minnesota Groundwater Association.

Dr. Kate Pound participated in the NSF-funded ANDRILL SMS (Antarctic Drilling, Southern McMurdo Sound) project. ANDRILL is a scientific drilling project in Antarctica gathering information about past periods of global warming and cooling. Scientists drilled through ice, seawater, sediment and rock to a depth of more than 1,200 m and recovered a virtually continuous core record from the present to nearly 20 million years ago. There are numerous connections between Minnesota's continental ice sheet from the Last Ice Age and the present-day ice sheet covering Antarctica today.

You must get Block 4 teacher approval to attend this Zoom session if you have a conflict with another course. Questions about how to attend? Email Mrs. Holz.

General Information

2020 Wayzata Idol Competition

Get ready for this year's 2020 Wayzata Idol competition! This year, the event will be a virtual experience! Students who want to participate should send in their audition video to Jane Luedke. The performance is planned to happen at the beginning of January with live performances streamed to our audience. More finalized details will follow! Please have your auditions submitted by December 21! If you have any questions, please reach out to Mrs. Ellis.

WHS Scholarship Program is Now Available

Every year, local sponsors provide scholarship opportunities for WHS seniors. These scholarships can be redeemed at any two-year or four-year college or university in the United States. There are two types of scholarship packets. Click on the links below to get more information about the various types of scholarships that are offered.

Packet #1 - Shared Application Packet

All of the scholarships in this packet use a shared application (Google form).
The application deadline is January 8, 2021.
View the shared application Questions before you start the application.
Here's the Application.

Packet #2 - Separate Application Packet

All of the scholarships in this packet have separate applications.
These applications can be found on Naviance - instructions are listed in the packet.
Application deadlines vary but most deadlines are January 8, 2021.

If you have any questions, please contact Deb Musser.

Unemployment Resources for High School Students

As the result of actions taken by Youthprise Community Ambassadors, all MN High School students who lost their jobs because of COVID-19 can now apply to get pandemic relief. More information available through Sundance Family Foundation.

2021-2022 Honors Mentor Connection Applications Now Open

Honors Mentor Connection (HMC) is a highly selective, rigorous, academic course offered at WHS. HMC students design, plan, and implement a yearlong investigation to address a research question, that will culminate in the submission of an academic research paper to the College Board and the MN Department of Education. Applications are now being accepted for admittance into the 2021-2022 Honors Mentor Connection program.

PSAT Score Release Update

As many of you are aware, the release of student's PSAT scores from the October administration was delayed. NMSQT and the College Board determined that several school districts received exam materials that had a test question that was missing part of an answer. As a result, they held the scores for those schools who may have been negatively impacted, pending an internal investigation. They have now resolved the issue, and have released the hold on our scores. It may take a few days to work through the system, but students should have access within ten business days.

Shades of Brown Auditions

Shades of Brown Auditions are almost here! We hope that this year, as different as it feels, has been off to a good start! Shades of Brown, like everything else, will be different this year. To audition, please complete the Shades of Brown Audition form. Audition videos are due December 21, please include link to video on the audition form. We are also looking for emcees! If you are interested, please fill out the emcee form.

Questions? Contact Jamal Adam, Lambert Brown or Joyce Hayden.

Clubs & Activities

WHS Virtual Activity Fair

Students can virtually explore the many activities and clubs that are offered at WHS through the WHS Virtual Activity Fair Canvas page. WHS offers a wide variety of activities for all students. Explore the Canvas page to discover these great opportunities. For more information, click on the activity or group title you are interested in. It's never too late to get involved and it's a great way to stay connected and get involved during distance learning.

Health & Wellness Resources

Online Mindfulness Class for WHS Students

Mindfulness is a powerful, research-based practice that can help teens reduce stress and anxiety, and improve focus and concentration. This mindfulness class consists of six sessions in which students will learn basic mindfulness practices and develop strategies for self-care and stress reduction. The course also includes:

strategies for navigating school-related and/or test anxiety
practices for working with overwhelm and distraction
relaxation and calming exercises

The class is open to all interested students and will be taught by Sarah Rudell Beach, a Mindful Schools Certified Mindfulness instructor and former Wayzata High School teacher.

Students are encouraged to join us via Zoom for any or all of the following Fridays from

11:20 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Meeting ID: 898 7002 338, Passcode: 56751223

Mark your calendars for these remaining dates: December 18, January 15, January 22.

Shout Out!

Peyton LaFrenz (senior): The COVID-19 pandemic inspired Peyton to start up a non-profit organization called Grocery Gatherers. This organization helps seniors in the community who are at high risk for COVID to stay in their home and have someone else pickup and deliver their groceries. Tips earned by Grocery Gatherers volunteers are donated to Interfaith Outreach.

Arjun Prasad (junior): The COVID-19 pandemic inspired Arjun to start up a non-profit called ShareBuddies to help youth with some form of social or developmental disability to connect with their peers. ShareBuddies operates in online platforms and has also collaborated with Wayzata Public Schools - Special Services.

Michelle Cao (sophomore): Michelle has been volunteering for Yucai Chinese School since 8th grade and has been very involved in the community outreach program within the school. This past summer she led a mask drive initiative with help from Yucai students and staff. As a result, 400 cotton face masks were made and over 3,000 disposable masks collected and distributed to over 40 small businesses in our community.

The honor was granted as part of the Prudential Spirit of Community Awards, a nationwide youth volunteer recognition program sponsored by Prudential Financial in partnership with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. As local honorees, these students are now in the running to be named one of two Prudential Spirit of Community State Honorees for Minnesota. State Honorees will be announced in February 2021. Congratulations and good luck to Peyton, Arjun and Michelle! Students earning an Honorable Mention Certificate were: Harshini Bellamkonda (junior), Ifedolapo Adeboye (junior), and Kompal Kuman (junior). To learn more about this award go to The Prudential Spirit of Community Awards webpage or the National Association of Secondary School Principals Spirit of Community Awards webpage.

Thank you to our WHS student volunteer Scholars through Vidya Gyan

The WHS student volunteer Scholars shared their knowledge through a series of learning camps, using Zoom during the pandemic to hundreds of children from the Twin Cities, other States, and as far as the U.K. and India. Vidya Gyan salutes Wayzata Scholars for aiding in its mission, "Every Child Matters", through the mentoring program and helping fundraise. Vidya Gyan supports education of vulnerable kids, particularly girls, in rural schools who often fall through the cracks and are not on the education landscape of India. Vidya Gyan firmly believes that education is critical to get them out of the shackles of poverty and ignorance. The WHS student volunteer Scholars are supporting a group of 20 students from grades 3-4 in their holistic development in an after-school "Super 20" program. They are empowering the kids as far away as 9,000 miles and building relationships.

Thanks to the following WHS student volunteer Scholars for making a difference: