K-12 Announcements

Grade Level Field Lesson & School Supplies Donations Competition: Families, In the first 30 days of school, we’d like to raise at least 50% of our Field Lessons and School Supplies fundraising goal! Every dollar raised goes to pay for our Explorers to travel to Field Lessons and pays for school supplies so you don’t have to run around Target looking for “just the right” glue stick!

Using the links below, you can, 

1. Donate to your grade level link below!
   
2. Fundraise by posting your grade level link on Social Media, or send the link to friends and family asking for contributions to your students’ grade level!
   
3. New Way to Contribute: CLICK HERE to refer a business that may be interested in sponsoring an Explorer! Our Explorer Partners team will reach out to every business that is referred by a family member and help the business to sponsor an Explorer! When they do, they will become a part of our Explorer Partners Program!

The winner of last week’s competition, growing 16.94% over last week, and currently meeting 31.12% of their grade-level goal, is Kindergarten!  They will select from the following prizes: A visit from Everest, a popsicle party, free dress or extended recess/lunch.

Not only did Kindergarten win a prize this week, but three individual students across K-12 were pulled in the weekly drawing and won BIG prizes like yearbooks, dance tickets, and a visit from Everest! Make sure your student is able to win by contributing your donation, fundraising, or business referral today!

This week, the grade level with the most business referrals will win a prize! Let’s go families, let’s make sure your grade level wins big! CLICK HERE for the flyer containing more information.

Free and Reduced Priced Meals: Good news! This year, we qualify to complete the SHORT form for Free and Reduced Priced Meals (FRPM). Each year it is incredibly important to our school that we are able to account for every student during this form collection process. We are authorized by the Natomas Unified School District and as a part of our partnership, we commit to collecting these forms from every family. This quick form plays an important role in determining how much funding our schools receive. Every completed form helps ensure Natomas Unified receives the full funding our students deserve. When forms are not submitted, schools can miss out on valuable resources. Even if you believe your family may not qualify, your response still makes a difference. CLICK HERE to complete the 2026-2027 Educational Benefit Form.

Family Handbooks: Please be sure to CLICK HERE to read our WCS K-8 Family Handbook and/or CLICK HERE to read our WCHS Family Handbook. Our Family Handbooks include important information such as our WCS Core Values, dress code information, attendance, health and safety protocols, and so much more.

Home Game Expectations Reminders: When high school home athletic games are taking place, our K–8 campus is closed. This includes all play structures, outdoor basketball courts, classrooms, and any other area of campus that are not the gym or the outdoor covered dining area adjacent to the gym. Your cooperation helps us maintain a secure environment and create a positive experience for our athletes and visiting families. Thank you for your continued partnership and support of our school community!

K-8 Announcements

K-8 Back to School Night:  Our K-8 Back to School Night is THIS Wednesday, August 26th. To the best of our ability, we would like to keep this event distraction free by encouraging families to make this a non-student event. This will allow for teachers and families to connect in a distraction-free environment. For families that need supervision, our BASE program will be available to help, however, space is potentially limited. If you know that you will need childcare to attend this event, please CLICK HERE to RSVP for BASE as soon as possible so that we can properly prepare. 

• Town Hall Meetings: We will host three separate Town Hall Sessions at Back to School Night to make sure each family can attend at least one session! Plan to attend the Town Hall Session at 5:30, 6:45, or 7:15 PM.  Dr. Eick will share our vision for the year and engage our community in some exciting announcements about our future! 
• Kindergarten through 5th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session one is 6:00 – 6:30 PM, session two is 6:40 – 7:10 PM. A video from your child’s specialty teacher(s) will be available.
• 6th-8th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session one is 5:00 – 5:40 PM, session two is 6:00 – 6:40 PM. During these sessions, you will meet with your student’s core teachers and specialty teachers. Your students are creating your schedule for the evening.

Walk and Talk in the Mornings: We are excited to continue to incorporate a social emotional and physical component to our morning routines on campus. From 8:10 – 8:22 AM, K-5 students are invited to walk or jog on the school track, and chat with friends and peers. This movement and social component to our morning routine allows students to connect with friends, get their bodies moving, and start their school day off on the right foot.

Students who do not wish to participate in the Walk and Talk activity in the morning may sit on their Morning Line-Up dot while they wait for Morning Line-Up to start. Students will not be permitted to play on the playground, or blacktop for safety and supervision reasons. 

If you arrive on campus between 7:45 – 8:10 AM, please take your student to the Cafeteria to chat with friends and eat breakfast if desired.

After School Live – Fall Explorer Enrichment: Our fall Explorer Enrichment starts soon!  CLICK HERE to see the catalog of Explorer Enrichment course offerings and information about how to sign up. E-mail [email protected] with scholarship inquiries.

Learning Lab: The Learning Lab is now open to Middle School Explorers after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3:15 – 3:45 PM. The Learning Lab is staffed by an Instructional Aide to assist Middle School students with their classwork and homework.  Families should sign up their Middle School student(s) using School Dismissal Manager.

9-12 Announcements

Upcoming Home Athletics:

• Monday, August 24th @ 5:00 PM: Home – Girls JV Volleyball Game vs. Western Sierra
• Monday, August 24th @ 6:00 PM: Home – Girls Varsity Volleyball Game vs. Western Sierra
• Tuesday, August 25th @ 6:45 PM: Home – Boys Varsity Soccer Game vs. Forest Lake Christian
• Thursday, August 27th @ 5:00 PM: Home – Girls JV Volleyball Game vs. Rio Vista
• Thursday, August 27th @ 6:00 PM: Home – Girls Varsity Volleyball Game vs. Rio Vista
• Saturday, August 29th @ 8:00 AM: Away – Co-Ed Cross Country Meet – Oakmont Invitational

Honors Course Opt-In Requests: Students in 10th–12th grade may opt into Honors courses through THIS Tuesday, August 25th. Students who would like to opt into an Honors course should use the class change request form to submit their request. Honors instructors have shared their Honors syllabi with students, so students are encouraged to review the course expectations before making a decision.

NWEA Testing Continues:  On Monday & Tuesday, August 24th & 25th, students will continue NWEA MAP testing. The MAP test is an adaptive assessment that helps teachers and schools understand what students know and identify areas where they may need additional support or enrichment. Students should bring their school-issued Chromebook to school each day, fully charged and ready for testing.

Meet the Clubs: On Thursday, August 27th, all WCHS students will have the opportunity to participate in Meet the Clubs during the school day! Students will meet club leaders, learn about the many opportunities available on campus, and sign up for clubs that spark their interest. CLICK HERE to see a list of clubs that will be at the event. This is a wonderful opportunity for students to explore their interests, connect with others, and find their place within our Explorer community. We’re excited to see students get involved and make the most of all that WCHS has to offer!

Neon Spirit Night – Girls Volleyball Game: Get ready to glow, cheer, and show your Explorer spirit! Students and families should plan to join us for Neon Spirit Night as our WCHS Girls Volleyball teams take on Rio Vista at home this Thursday, August 27th.  JV Volleyball will begin at 5:00 PM and Varsity starts at 6:00 PM. Come dressed in your brightest neon, bring your Explorer spirit, and help us fill the stands with energy as we cheer on our girls! Let’s light up the gym and support our Explorers!

Flex Block Launch: Our Flex Blocks officially launch on Friday, August 28th! Our 9th graders will spend the time in a special orientation focused on learning how Flex Blocks work and what is expected of them, while all other students will attend their assigned Flex Block classes. Flex Block is a 45-minute period built into the high school schedule when students are assigned to a specific class based on what they need, whether that is academic support, extension, or enrichment. We’re excited to launch this important part of our schedule and give every student dedicated time to get what they need to thrive!