As Wilmot Union High School starts the 2020-21 school year, we are committed to keeping our families, staff, students, and community members informed. While there are still many uncertainties regarding what the upcoming school year will look like, we are hard at work to ensure our students continue to have access to a high-quality educational experience. 

This web page serves as a hub for updates related to the reopening of our school. Here, you will find information on potential school schedule changes, cleaning protocols in our building, health and safety measures, food service procedures, and how we plan to provide students with access to technology. It also includes information on athletics and activities.

The situation surrounding COVID-19 is evolving with time. We will regularly update this page as our plans continue to take shape. We encourage you to keep checking back for the latest information.

Updated September 18, 2020

*From the Kenosha County Division of Health Press Release*

A Wilmot Union High School staff member tested positive for COVID-19, the Wilmot Union High School District and the Kenosha County Division of Health announced jointly today.

This is the first confirmed case of the virus within Wilmot Union High School since students returned to in-person and virtual learning on September 1, 2020.

The individual was in the building Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday but had no symptoms at the time. The staff member began self-quarantining once symptoms were developed on Thursday.

The Kenosha County Division of Health is working with the school to assist in identifying and reaching close contacts of this individual. These contacts will also be required to quarantine for 14 days from the last date of exposure. Close contacts include those who:

• Had direct physical contact with the infected individuals (e.g. a hug or handshake).

• Were within six feet of the COVID-19-positive individuals for more than 15 minutes.

• Had contact with respiratory secretions from the infected individuals (e.g. were coughed/sneezed on, had contact with dirty tissue, or shared a drinking glass, food or towels, or other personal items).

Those who do not receive a phone call from the Division of Health or a close contact letter from Wilmot Union High School were likely not in contact with the COVID-19-positive individual and are therefore not considered to be in a higher-risk group. Classroom-wide quarantines are being limited to the room where this individual had classes.

District Administrator Dan Kopp said, “We worked closely with the Kenosha County Health Department to identify affected students and staff who need to be quarantined to ensure the safety and well-being of all. This important safety measure is in place to prevent further spread of infection by those who were in close contact with the COVID-19-positive individual. In addition, enhanced cleaning of affected areas has occurred.”

“It’s important to remember that COVID-19 cannot be transmitted by simply passing an infected person in the hallway,” said Kenosha County Health Director Dr. Jen Freiheit. “That’s not a close contact. Only those close contacts within classrooms or elsewhere will receive a close-contact quarantine letter.”

Parents are urged to monitor their students and other family members for any COVID-19 symptoms, including fever, cough, shortness of breath, loss of taste or smell, fatigue, headaches, etc. Those who do become symptomatic should call their health care provider.

Freiheit said parents should not send students to school even with minor symptoms such as a persistent headache, runny nose, or cough. In this case and others, those who find out they have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for virus should call their health care provider and seek testing.

A frequently updated list of testing sites in and around Kenosha County is available online at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/2058/COVID-19-Testing-Locations. More information about the virus, including local data and links to resources, is available on the Kenosha County COVID-19 Response Hub website, at https://www.kenoshacounty.org/covid-19.

If you would like more information on COVID-19 safety in school, visit https://kenosha-county-covid-19-response-kenoshacounty.hub.arcgis.com/ Or call us at 262-605-6700.

Updated September 11, 2020

We had another great week here at Wilmot Union High School. Thank you for your continued support of our students and staff. Here are a few reminders for next week:

1. Voicemail System: The voicemail system at Wilmot Union High School is currently down. We are working with our provider to resolve the issue, but they are estimating the problem may not be resolved until early next week. Please try to use email when at all possible. If you need to report an absence, please email attendance@wilmoths.k12.wi.us. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your patience as we work through this.
2. Student IDs/Lanyards: Students are asked to wear their IDs on a lanyard so that they are visible throughout each day. Student IDs are necessary for touchless lunch checkout. Students who do not have their ID will be asked to move to the end of the lunch line. This is being done in an effort to keep the lunch lines moving and avoid the gathering of crowds.
3. Face-Coverings: Remind your student to properly wear their face-covering over their mouth and nose. Also, please inform your student that Wilmot’s face-covering requirement is different from the state face-covering mandate. Though the state mandate may have a set expiration date, Wilmot’s face-covering requirement does not. Face-covering requirements at Wilmot Union High School are based on school board action and will not end until the board takes action to do so.
4. Wednesday Expectations: Wednesdays are virtual learning days and students do not need to come to the building on these days. Homeroom teachers will be sharing a form that students will be required to complete every Wednesday before 1:00 pm. The completion of this form is required to keep attendance for student participation on Wednesdays. If a student doesn't complete this requirement, they will be marked absent for the day. All teachers will have office hours from 1:15-3:20 pm and can be contacted via email or a scheduled meeting time.
   Teachers may be asking students to:
   • Review & Preview Work
   • Use Wednesday as a workday for a previously assigned project
   • Attend a scheduled meeting with a teacher during office hours
5. Sports Passes: Due to the pandemic, attendance at all sporting events will be limited this fall to family and friends of the athletes. For girls and boys volleyball (indoor sports), each athlete is allowed 2 passes. For football and soccer (outdoor sports), each athlete will be given 4 passes for family and friends. No other passes will be given for those games and no tickets will be sold at the events. To allow more fans to watch the games, all of the conference schools will be streaming the events live. Wilmot uses the NFHS network and you can catch all of the volleyball, soccer, and football home games streaming on NFHS. Other schools may stream from a different network and we will provide those links on the Wilmot Sports webpage prior to every game.

Updated September 4, 2020
We want to thank each student and staff member for a great first few days of school. In addition, thank you to our parents and families for your continued support and patience as we navigate the beginning of this school year. Our students are amazing and have done especially well with our new lunch procedures. They have been very polite and respectful during this adjustment. We are so excited to have our students back in the building and are working hard to keep them here.

Student Expectations for Wednesdays (4 & 1 Schedule): Homeroom teachers will be sharing a form that students will be required to complete every Wednesday before 1:00 pm. The completion of this form is required in order to keep attendance for student participation on Wednesdays. If a student doesn't complete this requirement, they will be marked absent for the day. All teachers will have office hours from 1:15-3:20 pm and can be contacted via email or a scheduled meeting time.
Teachers may be asking students to:

• Review & Preview Work
• Use Wednesday as a workday for a previously assigned project
• Attend a scheduled meeting with a teacher during office hours

Face Coverings: Please remind your student to bring and wear their face covering each day. Face coverings should be worn at the bus stop if you cannot distance yourselves 6 feet apart, on the bus, in the building, and outside of the building when you cannot distance yourselves 6 feet apart. A face covering is defined as a piece of cloth or other material that is worn to cover the nose and mouth completely. A face covering includes but is not limited to a bandana, a cloth face mask, a disposable or paper mask, a neck gaiter, or a religious face covering. A face covering does not include face shields, mesh masks, masks with holes or openings, or masks with vents.

We’ve had students wearing their face coverings under their noses, which is not only ineffective but also in violation of the school board’s action mandating face coverings. Encourage your student to wear their face covering properly over their nose and mouth at all times. If their face covering is ill-fitting or "keeps falling down," please get a face covering that works for your student. Each student was given 2 masks by the school. Please see the diagrams on the next page for additional information regarding how to properly wear a face covering.
  

Illness Screening at Home: Parents are encouraged to screen their students daily before school for symptoms of illness. Please see the PARENTS Guidance and Daily Checklist. If your child is not feeling well, do not send them to school. Contact the attendance office as soon as possible. When calling, notify the office of your child’s symptoms. If an absence is due to quarantine, please notify the office as well.

Water Bottles: Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles. Water fountains are shut off but filling stations are available.

Lanyards and IDs: Students are asked to wear their IDs on a lanyard so that they are visible throughout each day. Student IDs are necessary for touchless lunch checkout.

Feedback Submission Form: We understand that parents/guardians may have questions and concerns about the start of the school year. Please use this form to submit your feedback. If you would like to be contacted by the school, please be sure to enter your preferred phone number and/or email address.

One final reminder that in observance of Labor Day, we will not have school on Monday, September 7, 2020.

Updated August 28, 2020
Thank you for your patience as we work to prepare for the start of our 2020-2021 school year next week. We understand that many of the steps/processes can be overwhelming and disruptive to your daily lives.  Please know that everything we are doing, from resetting passwords to requiring masks and rolling out a new website, is to benefit the Wilmot Union High School Community. The safety and security of our students, staff, and families are of the utmost importance to us, and every decision we make comes back to what is best for all of you. We apologize for any inconvenience that we may have caused you or your families this week. Please continue to be patient with us as we work through these final details in hopes of having an amazing school year. 

New Website: Our new site went live yesterday. You can now find our latest updates here: https://www.wilmothighschool.com/latest_updates.cfm

Face Coverings are required: Wilmot will be providing 2 masks.  
Face Coverings: A piece of cloth or other material that is worn to cover the nose and mouth completely. A "face covering" includes but is not limited to a bandana, a cloth face mask, a disposable or paper mask, a neck gaiter, or a religious face covering. A "face covering" does not include face shields, mesh masks, masks with holes or openings, or masks with vents.  

Grading and Attendance: Grading and attendance will resume in the same format as prior to the shut down in March.  We will follow the grading and attendance procedures as outlined in the WUHS Student Handbook. WUHS Student Handbook     WUHS Attendance Policy

4 & 1 Schedule* Wednesday Student Expectations: Homeroom teachers will be sharing a form that students will be required to complete every Wednesday before 1:00 pm. The completion of this form is required in order to keep attendance for student participation on Wednesdays. If a student doesn't complete this requirement, they will be marked absent for the day.

All teachers will have office hours from 1:15-3:20 pm and can be contacted via email or a scheduled meeting time.
Teachers may be asking students to: 

·  Review & Preview Work
·  Use Wednesday as a workday for a previously assigned project
·  Attend a scheduled meeting with a teacher during office hours

Bussing: Bus route numbers and pick up times are located in Skyward in the bussing tab.  Please arrive at stop 5 minutes prior to pick-up time. 

Lanyards and IDs: Students are asked to wear their ID’s on a lanyard so that they are visible throughout each day. Lanyards will be available when ID photos are taken.  Student IDs will be necessary for touchless lunch check out. 

Passing Time: Students are discouraged from using the bathroom during passing time to avoid congregation in small spaces. Teachers will allow for student restroom use one at a time during class time. 

Lunch Room: We are running 3 lunch periods to account for social distancing during lunch. Students will need their ID’s to check out. The food distribution area is now a one way.
"How-to" Do Lunch  
Food Service Pricing

Lockers: Students will be allowed to utilize their lockers while being mindful of social distancing. Locker number and combination is located in Skyward under Student information.
Locker Locator

Before School Procedures: Classrooms open at 7:20 am. Busses begin arriving at 7:15am.

Student Entrances Available: 

• Door A: Student Drop Off  
• Doors N & G: Student self-transport  
• Door L: Bus drop off  

Students have 3 options available before school:

• Report to the commons to get breakfast and be socially distanced.
• Report to the library and be socially distanced.
• Report to a teacher’s classroom and be socially distanced. 

After School Procedures: School ends at 2:45:

Students have 3 options available after school:

• Leave at 2:45 either by bus, self-transport or pick up
• Report to a teacher 
• Report to a coach or advisor for a sport, club or activity

At this time, we will continue to offer a 4:00pm late bus. This will continue to require a pass from a staff member for students to ride. 

Water Bottles: Students are encouraged to bring their own reusable water bottles. Water fountains will be shut off but filling stations will be available.

Illness Screening at Home:  Parents are encouraged to screen their students daily before school for symptoms of illness.   PARENTS Guidance and Daily Checklist.  If your child is not feeling well, do not send them to school.  Please contact the attendance office as soon as possible.  When calling, notify the office of your child’s symptoms.  If an absence is due to quarantine, please notify the office as well. 

Updated August 21, 2020

As the first day of school quickly approaches, we have a lot of preparation going on at Wilmot Union High School. Please take a minute to review the latest updates/reminders below.

We’d like to welcome our newest staff members to the Panther Family!

• Associate Principal -  Tom Blair

• Science Teacher - Shelly Nied

• Math Teacher - Brian Cummings

• English Teacher -  Kirsten Bank

COVID-19 Information from Nurse Jarnigo: 
Returning to School After COVID-19

Online Registration:
The required annual online registration is now open.  Please log in to Skyward Family Access to access your student’s online registration. If you need your log-in and password, please contact the High School Office at 862-2351.

Tuesday, 9/1 - Freshmen Only 1st Day of School
*Busing info (bus number and pick up time) is available in Skyward. Please note that students should be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to pick up time*
*Network Photography will be at school to take school photos and issue school ID cards*
*Chromebooks and textbooks will be checked out*
*Food Service will be available for breakfast and lunch*
*No Freshmen attendance on Wednesday, September 2*

Wednesday, 9/2 - Materials Pick-Up Day (grades 10-12)
*Students can come anytime between 8:00 am - 2:45 pm*
*You must wear a face-covering while inside the building*
*You will need your own transportation for this day*
*Use Entrance A by the High School Office*
*There will be information available from the counselors, school nurse, and food service in the Commons*
*Free/Reduced Lunch information, fee payments, parking permits, and Skyward login information will be available in the High School Office*
*Students will enter the Field House for their school picture. They will receive their School ID and lanyard. Please note that School IDs should be worn to school daily throughout the school year.*
*Next students will go to the library for textbook and Chromebook checkout (School ID required)*
*Students will then have the option to place their items in their locker or take them home*
*All students should exit through the Tech Ed doors (Door G) or the English doors (Door H).

Thursday, 9/3 - All Students (grades 9-12)
*Full School Day*
*Busing Available*Busing info (bus number and pick up time) is available in Skyward. Please note that students should be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to pick up time.

Friday, 9/4 - All Students (grades 9-12)
*Full School Day*
*Busing Available*Busing info (bus number and pick up time) is available in Skyward. Please note that students should be at the bus stop 5 minutes prior to pick up time.

PAW Online Shopping:
Be sure to check out Wilmot's Online Apparel Shop here: https://www.bsnteamsports.com/shop/KzYMmmUkCb
This store will be the main place to get Wilmot apparel this fall! Buy yours today!

Updated August 14, 2020

If you haven’t done so already, please review our 2020-2021 Reopening Plan. We plan to reopen our building on September 1, 2020, for Freshmen Only Day. Please see the chart below for information regarding the first week of school. The full 2020-2021 Academic Calendar can be found here: Academic Calendar

First Week Schedule:

Network Photography School Pictures:
9th Grade pictures will be taken on Tuesday, September 1.

10th-12th Grade pictures will be taken on Wednesday, September 2 from 8 am - 2:45 pm in the Field House. That will be the student’s first stop before picking up their Chromebook and textbooks. Note: School ID is required for Chromebook pick-up.

Chromebooks:
Because all students will need to engage in some form of virtual learning throughout the school year, the district will be providing each student with a device. You can learn more about our 1:1 Program here: Chromebook FAQ or by reading the WUHS Chromebook Handbook.

Online Registration:
The required annual online registration is now open. Please log in to Skyward Family Access to access your student’s online registration.

COVID-19 Information from Nurse Jarnigo:
COVID-19 Procedures at School
 

FEEDBACK SUBMISSION FORM
With the release of our 2020-2021 Reopening Plan, we understand that parents/guardians will have questions and concerns.  Please use this form to submit your feedback. If you would like to be contacted by the school, please be sure to enter your preferred phone number and/or email address.

Updated August 6, 2020

If you haven’t done so already, please review our 2020-2021 Reopening Plan. We plan to reopen our building on September 1, 2020. Please see the chart below for information regarding the first week of school. The full 2020-2021 Academic Calendar can be found here: Academic Calendar

FIRST WEEK SCHEDULE:

CHROMEBOOKS:
Because all students will need to engage in some form of virtual learning throughout the school year, the district will be providing each student with a device. You can learn more about our 1:1 Program here: Chromebook FAQ or by reading the WUHS Chromebook Handbook.

ONLINE REGISTRATION:
The required annual online registration is now open. Please log in to Skyward Family Access to access your student’s online registration.

FACE COVERINGS:
Face coverings are defined as a piece of cloth or other material that is worn to cover the nose and mouth completely. A "face covering" includes but is not limited to a bandana, a cloth face mask, a disposable or paper mask, a neck gaiter, or a religious face covering. A "face covering" does not include face shields, mesh masks, masks with holes or openings, or masks with vents.

COVID-19 INFORMATION FROM NURSE JARNIGO:
COVID-19 Procedures at School

PARENT/GUARDIAN REOPENING SURVEY:
We ask all Wilmot families to complete this survey by Tuesday, August 11, as we plan for transportation and virtual-only learning needs.

FEEDBACK SUBMISSION FORM
With the release of our 2020-2021 Reopening Plan, we understand that parents/guardians will have questions and concerns.  Please use this form to submit your feedback. If you would like to be contacted by the school, please be sure to enter your preferred phone number and/or email address.

Latest update as of July 30, 2020

Wilmot Union High School Reopening Plan
 

Updated 2020-2021 Academic Calendar

Due to our new reopening plans, our 2020-2021 Academic Calendar needed to be updated. We will no longer have late starts on Tuesdays, we also canceled PantherFest, and in-person Parent-Teacher Conferences. An update on Parent-Teacher Conferences will be sent out as soon as it is available.

Parent/Guardian Survey 

We ask all Wilmot families to complete this survey as we plan for transportation and virtual-only learning needs.

Feedback Submission Form

With the release of our 2020-2021 Reopening Plan, we understand that parents/guardians will have questions and concerns.  Please use this form to submit your feedback. If you would like to be contacted by the school, please be sure to enter your preferred phone number and/or email address.

Plans for reopening the building in the fall will be presented for board approval at a Special Board Meeting on Wednesday, July 29, 2020.  If approved by the board, the plan will be shared with all stakeholders on Thursday, July 30, 2020.  

POTENTIAL SCHEDULE CHANGES

We know that the question at the top of our families’ minds is whether students will return to the classroom for in-person instruction at the start of the upcoming school year. Although we do not yet have a firm answer to that question, we are currently planning for several scenarios:

• Scenario #1: In-person instruction with safety precautions in place
• Scenario #2: Hybrid Instruction where students would engage in both virtual instruction and in-person instruction with safety precautions in place
• Scenario #3: Virtual Instruction

CLEANING PROTOCOLS

The Wilmot Union High School Building and Grounds department continues to work tirelessly to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all students and staff.  They have installed 50 hand sanitizing stations throughout the building and are currently changing all bathroom fixtures over to "touch-less" to further stop the spread of germs in the building. All cleaning products and methods used have been approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). We are currently working to install safety measures in our offices and social distancing signage throughout the building.

For additional information regarding Wilmot's Cleaning Protocols, please contact Chris Ament at amentc@wilmoths.k12.wi.us.

HEALTH/SAFETY MEASURES

In anticipation of having students and staff back in our school buildings, the district will implement a variety of health and safety measures. These include the following:

Handwashing

Students and staff will be regularly reminded about the importance of proper handwashing. Teachers may allow for more breaks to give students the opportunity to wash their hands, either at a classroom sink or in a restroom.

In addition, we have placed no-touch hand sanitizer units throughout our building. Students and staff will be encouraged to use hand sanitizer regularly.

Masks or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

We are currently reviewing stakeholder feedback regarding masks/PPE and will share out decisions as they become available.

Drinking Fountains

Although drinking fountains will continue to function in our schools, we will discourage students from using them. Instead, we recommend that all students bring water bottles to school so that they can refill them at a drinking fountain or sink. Students should not share water bottles with others.

COVID-19 is still spreading in Wisconsin communities—which means it is still a threat to your health. We care about you and your family’s health. So while the virus is still new, we worked with our state, local, and federal partners to give you the best information we have.

• DPI: FACE COVERING INFO
• DPI: RETURNING TO SCHOOL AFTER COVID-19

For additional information regarding Wilmot's health and safety measures, please contact Nurse Deanna Jarnigo by email.

ATHLETICS/ACTIVITIES

At this time, we plan to offer athletics and extracurricular activities in the fall semester. However, activities, practices, and schedules may need to be modified to ensure students remain physically distanced and can maintain proper hygiene. Each activity will look a little different, and coaches and advisors will be able to provide you and your students with more information.

From the WIAA website: "In a 8-3 decision, the [WIAA]  Board approved conducting the fall sports season with a delayed start. The sports of girls golf, girls tennis, girls swimming and diving, and boys and girls cross country will be permitted to begin practice with prescribed acclimatization protocol Monday, Aug. 17. The earliest practice date for the sports of football, boys soccer, and boys and girls volleyball is Monday, Sept. 7.

“Because of the Board’s action, while they can’t make any guarantees that things will work out as we plan them, they have given us the opportunity to at least hope and work in that direction,” WIAA Executive Director Dave Anderson said. “We understand this decision will make some happy and others disappointed, but we will do our best to deliver to our membership what they have directed us to do.”

The earliest dates for the first competitions are Aug. 20 for girls golf, Aug. 21 for girls tennis, Aug. 25 for cross country, and girls swimming and diving. The earliest permissible date for the first boys soccer, and boys and girls volleyball contests are Sept. 15, and the first possible football game may be scheduled Wednesday, Sept. 23, if the first practice is conducted on Sept. 7.

The end of the fall sports seasons remained unchanged, but the Board indicated the season may or may not culminate with a traditional tournament series. The length and beginning of the tournament series will be determined in the coming days. In addition, the winter and spring season calendars were not altered."

For the latest information regarding the WIAA's guidelines and schedule changes, please visit the WIAA website.

For additional information regarding Wilmot's Athletics and Activities, please contact Athletic Director, Herm Christiansen.

FOOD SERVICE

We will continue to work with Taher Food Service to provide meals to students on a daily basis, even if they are not physically in our school building on a particular day.

To avoid situations in which students are gathered in groups, we will be adjusting our lunch schedules.

For additional information regarding Taher Food Service, please contact Food Service Director, Kate Lucchesi.

TECHNOLOGY ACCESS

Due to the high likelihood that all students will need to engage in virtual learning at some point during the school year, the district is currently in the process of Chromebook procurement to provide each student a device.  Although device allocation is difficult during this time of heightened demand, we are confident that our plan of deploying a device for each student will be successful.  However, in the event of difficulties, the school year may begin without adequate devices for the entire school population.

We also know that not all families have reliable internet access at home. The district is exploring options for securing Wi-Fi hotspots for some of our students to ensure they have the tools they need to learn virtually.

For additional information regarding Technology Access, please contact our Director of Instructional Technology, Nick Kysely.

BUSING & TRANSPORTATION

As one can imagine, ensuring students remain physically distanced on school buses is a significant challenge. We are working closely with our contracted transportation provider, Dousman Transport, to ensure all buses are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected on a daily basis.

For additional information regarding Busing, please contact our Associate Principals, Dan Bender or Tom Blair.