K-12 Announcements

Special Early Release Schedule on Wednesday, February 12th: On February 12, 2025, students will be dismissed from school at 12:00 PM. We understand the pressure this puts on families to pick up from school early, so we do not make this change lightly.

Prior to the launch of the school year, our entire staff had the opportunity to work with Dr. Sharroky Hollie, a nationally recognized educator who specializes in culturally and linguistically responsive teaching strategies. Nowhere is this work more significant and impactful than in our community which has recently been celebrated as one of the most diverse regions in the country. On February 12th, Dr. Hollie will return to Westlake Charter School to continue the work we began in the fall.

Thank you for your collaboration and support regarding this change in the schedule. If you need any support or information regarding this schedule change, please do not hesitate to reach out to our administrative team.

Spirit Day – Pajama Day: Friday, December 20th is Pajama Day on both of our campuses! Students can show their spirit by wearing pajamas. Don’t forget to show your WCS spirit by posting pictures on all social media platforms and using the hashtag #WCSSpiritDay!

Here for the Hot Cocoa Attendance Challenge:  Our Here for the Hot Cocoa Attendance Challenge continues!  From now through December 20th grade levels will be competing to win a hot cocoa celebration.  The grade level with the highest attendance percentage from K-5, middle school, and high school will win a hot cocoa celebration! More important than the hot cocoa is knowing that students who don’t show up for school regularly miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers. 

2025-26 Lottery Application Window: Our 2025-26  lottery is open now through January 31st, including our freshman, sophomore,  junior and senior classes at Westlake Charter High School! Current students do not need to fill out an application to continue their enrollment at WCS; however, siblings do need to fill out lottery applications to attend. Spread the word and encourage friends and family to visit JoinWestlake.com to apply today.

Winter Break: Both campuses and BASE will be closed for Winter Break Monday, December 23rd through Monday, January 6th. We look forward to welcoming students back on Tuesday, January 7th. BASE will be open on January 6th. 

K-12 Talent Show Sign-Ups: CLICK HERE to sign up to audition to be a host, perform a talent, or be part of the stage crew team! Audition sign ups are due Tuesday, January 14, 2025.

• Auditions: Tuesday, January 23rd, 3:30  – 5:30 PM
• Talent Show Performance: Friday, February 7th @ 6:00 PM

K-8 Announcements

Online Curriculum Challenge: The Minute Challenge: ‘The Minute Challenge” is in full swing!  We are aiming for all K-8 Explorers to participate in this challenge from now through February 14th.  We are encouraging students to log in and practice their math skills on our online platform called Imagine Math.  K-2 Explorers have a goal of 45 minutes per week and 3-8 Explorers have a goal of 60 minutes per week.  Every minute matters! If you need support with this challenge don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected].

Middle School Volleyball Interest: Our Middle School Volleyball season will start the week of January 13th. Teams are co-ed and open to all ability levels. CLICK HERE to sign up your Middle School Explorer. Athlete participant packets are required for all student athletes. CLICK HERE for the digital version or pick up a hard copy from the front office. Reach out to Coach Sterling with any questions at [email protected].

Spelling Bee:  It’s time for the annual Spelling Bee! Over the next few weeks, teachers will be hosting classroom Spelling Bees. Families of class winners will be notified before we head off to Winter Break. Our school Spelling Bee will be held on Wednesday, January 22nd @ 5:30 PM.

9-12 Announcements

Upcoming Home Athletics:

• Tuesday, December 17th @ 5:00 PM: Home – Girls Varsity Basketball vs. Esparto Academy EDH
• Tuesday, December 17th @ 6:30 PM: Home – Boys Varsity Basketball vs. Esparto Academy EDH

Cap and Gown Distribution & Sales on Campus: Premier Grad Products will be on campus during lunch this Monday, December 16th to distribute orders to seniors who have already made a purchase. If you haven’t ordered yet, CLICK HERE to take a look at the different packages available on their website.  Orders will be taken for students who come prepared to purchase.

WCHS Report Card Timeline: The end of the Semester is December 20th. Teachers will finalize grades the week of January 6th. Report cards will be sent home to families the week of January 13th. In the meantime, we encourage all families to review your child’s academic progress in the Infinite Campus parent portal.  If you need assistance with the portal, email [email protected].

Course Change Requests and Honors Courses:  Course Change Requests will be accepted from Tuesday, January 7th through Friday, January 10th. Please note that students must be logged into their Westlake accounts to complete the form.  Additionally, beginning in 10th grade students at WCHS can opt into embedded honors courses. During the first two weeks of the semester, teachers will be sharing their honors syllabi and exposing students to honors level work.  Students may opt in to taking an honors course by using the Course Change Request form from Tuesday,  January 7th through Tuesday, January 21st.  CLICK HERE for the Course Change Request form which will begin accepting responses on Tuesday, January 7th.

Senior Grad Night: Attention Seniors and Families! WCHS’s Grad Night at Disneyland is happening May 18 – 19th! This unforgettable celebration will be filled with magic, memories, and fun as our graduating class comes together to mark this milestone. Students will enjoy access to Disneyland and California Adventure. CLICK HERE for details and to register.

California State Universities Application Deadlines Extended: CLICK HERE to view the list of California State Universities that are still accepting applications for Fall 2025. If your senior is interested in applying to any of the following campuses, please have them connect with their counselor.

WCHS Boys Volleyball: Get ready to hit the court! WCHS Boys Volleyball is gearing up for an exciting season and we can’t wait to see you out there. Whether you’re a seasoned player or new to the game, we welcome all skill levels to join the action! Below is the Off-Season Training Schedule that takes place on our K-8 Campus.

• Saturday, January 11th @ 7:00 PM
• Saturday, January 18th @ 7:00 PM
• Wednesday, January 22nd: Tryouts
  • 2:00 PM – 9th & 10th Grade + New Players
  • 3:00 PM – 11th & 12th + Returning Players
• Friday, January 24th: Teams Announced

2024-25 WCHS Yearbook: Attention WCHS Families! This is the final week to save by purchasing your WCHS yearbook for just $65 before the price increases to $75 after December 20th, so don’t wait! Our tiered pricing system means the earlier you buy, the more you save.  Capture a year of unforgettable moments – CLICK HERE to order your yearbook today!

Log Your Volunteer Hours:  ⏰ It’s time to log your volunteer hours for the 2024-25 school year! ⏰ Whether your volunteer time was last month or earlier this year, make sure you log it this month!

Don’t forget to include hours for meetings, field lessons, at-home prep work, Coffee Talks, WAVE meetings, and so much more! 📚✨

🎯 CLICK HERE to log all your hours in just a few minutes and make sure your contributions are counted! And a huge shoutout to Second Grade for leading the charge with the most volunteer hours so far! 🎉

Planning for Family Dance & International Festival: We’re getting ready for two exciting spring events—Family Dance on February 1st and the International Festival on April 5th! 💃🌍

We’re starting to form Planning Committees (5-10 people per committee) to bring these events to life in December and early January. Interested in joining the fun? Have questions? Reach out to us at [email protected]!

Kudos: Major props to our 9th Grade families who logged more than 30 volunteer hours this week.  This was the biggest jump of any grade level this month.  Let’s keep those volunteer hours coming!