Welcome to WHS!
Welcome to the website of Willcox High School, home of the Cowboys! We are located in Cochise County, Arizona, in the quaint historic town of Willcox, and we serve students in grades nine through 12. Though we are a small school, we take pride in providing an excellent education for our students that will empower them to become responsible and compassionate adults and prepare them to succeed in a highly technological world.
In addition to our outstanding academic curriculum, we also offer special education and gifted education programs to cater to specific student needs as well as a variety of clubs and athletic activities for those seeking extracurricular opportunities.
A Message from Our Principal
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Happy fall season from WHS! The 2018–2019 school year seems to be moving along faster than ever. It’s hard to believe that the month of September is behind us! The staff and students continue to work hard and to move forward to get the work done. Education is very important, and I welcome any of our WHS family members to visit us at any time to see what wonderful things are taking place here at Willcox High School!
Success in school, at any level, depends on several things. One of the most important of these is the communication and collaboration that takes place between a student’s parents and the child’s teacher. With this in mind, I would like to make you aware of several things. The first is parent teacher conferences, which took place on October 9 and 10. Another great tool to help you keep on top of your child’s progress is to check their grades online. If you have internet capability at home or work, you can access this information on a daily basis. If you need help with this, please call the high school office at (520) 384.8601. If you could not make the parent teacher conferences, another great tool is to contact the teachers through email or by calling them.
Learning is both rewarding and satisfying, but it is also hard work. What students learn during their formative years is theirs for a lifetime, and that learning lays a very important foundation for a happier and more secure future. The school day is too short to cover all the bases, hence the need to crack the books at home. Parents and guardians are role models for their children. As role models, you exert a powerful influence on your children’s attitude, character, and values. We iron out issues in school because the students, staff, and parents comprise a team, and teamwork means working together to struggle toward and to achieve goals.
Parents, please continue to reinforce good attendance habits with your child. Attendance and accuracy of attendance are extremely important in school since excessive absences result in missed class work (which may be difficult to make up.) Absences may also cause loss of continuity in learning and may produce an irresponsible attitude toward daily obligations, thus ultimately resulting in failure in school.
Spirit Week - Door/Room Decoration Competition
Each classroom competed for the most creative school-spirited door using the theme School Pride/Spirit. You all did an awesome job and showed creativity on decorating classroom doors!
- 1st place - Mrs. Mehta
- 2nd place - Mrs. Glaspy
- 3rd place - Mr. Hemphill
- Best use of our opponent’s mascot goes to Mr. Reid’s door!
As you may be aware, the A-F grade for WHS is once again a C (missing a B again by 6 percentage points.) (Performing: adequate performance but needs improvement on some indicators – GCG or growth proficiency, career-ready, and graduate.) I appreciate my staff and parents for the exceptional work you do on a daily basis. You all are the foundation of WHS. We have a plan in place and yet again we will digest the facts and continue to improve to raise our grade while we also improve the educational environment!
Looking at the big picture, WHS fairs comparable to the nearby area schools. All can agree that we are definitely not where we would like to be in all calculated areas. Regardless of the grade, I stand firmly behind the hard work our team has committed to make a difference in our students’ overall education here. I truly believe we have one of the best schools and staff in the state and a great story yet to tell!
The graph below shows the letter grade of the neighboring schools that we are comparing with. Discussions will take place regarding holding the students accountable for taking the AzMERIT and AIMS assessments seriously. More than likely, the assessments will be the end of the year exam for the students and we will calculate these into their final course grade. The Arizona board of regents recently put the following statement out regarding public universities admission standards:
“As many colleges and universities are moving away from class rankings, greater emphasis is being placed on students’ skill sets to do university-level work rather than standardized test scores, cumulative GPA and high school ranking. The paradigm shift allows for multiple points of access to higher education while acknowledging the entire spectrum of human talent that is capable of succeeding in postsecondary education.” In the meantime; we will continue striving to be the best!
College Readiness Assessments
On October 10, all sophomores took the PSAT (practice for the SAT) during the school day. Our juniors will take the ASVAB on December 5 in the old gymnasium. These tests provide valuable feedback on college readiness and the work necessary to prepare for college entrance exams. The assessment will take place from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Students will eat lunch at noon during 5th hour lunch.
Attention seniors and juniors! The next ACT is on October 27 and November 8, while the next SAT is on November 3 and December 1. Math help is in room 319. These scores are vital for college admissions!
As always, if at any time we can be of assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact us through the main office or email. If you were unable to attend parent/teacher conferences, please contact the school if you would still like a conference with your child, especially if your child is having problems in any class. Now is the time to address it.
I hope that you enjoy the upcoming fall season and all the events that will occur. It’s up to us to have a great school year!
Jeff Thompson
Jeff Thompson
Principal