Vol 13. February 20, 2024 Versión en español

West High School Musical 'Little Shop of Horrors' will be performed at the Memorial High School Auditorium (due to current construction at West) February 29-March 2nd.

Little Shop of Horrors - The meek floral assistant Seymour Krelborn stumbles across a new breed of plant he names "Audrey II" -after his coworker crush. This foul-mouthed, R&B-singing carnivore promises unending fame and fortune to the down and out Krelborn as long as he keeps feeding it, BLOOD. Over time, though, Seymour discovers Audrey II's out of this world origins and intent towards global domination!

One of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows, Little Shop Of Horrors, the charmingly tongue-in-cheek comedy has been produced worldwide to incredible success.

LINK TO TICKETS HERE

West is excited to be hosting an Equity Symposium for all students and staff on the afternoon of April 4th. This will be an amazing opportunity for students and staff to learn from Madison scholars,  community organizers, and leaders. 

There are a couple of ways that our West community can support this afternoon of learning. 

• Consider presenting or performing at the symposium. More information on this link. 
• Consider donating to help us cover the financial cost of the event. 

Reach out to Sarah Quinn (sequinn@madison.k12.wi.us) if you are interested in contributing to the event or would like to learn more.  

West High School is challenging all Regents to read more books in 2024! In the new year, read new genres, write reviews, and complete activities to earn badges. We have an all-school goal of 30,000 minutes. There will be one checkpoint near spring break and another in May. If we meet our goal by each checkpoint, we will have a celebration! Participating Regents will be eligible for library prize drawings for every badge they earn.

Senior students and families: This is a reminder that graduation apparel orders are due in a few short weeks! To avoid late fees, please order online at www.mwscholastic.com, or mail Midwest Scholastic your paper order form and deposit to:

Midwest Scholastic

PO Box 83 

Mt Horeb, WI 53572

If you have any questions regarding Graduation Apparel ordering, please email Midwest Scholastic at questions@mwscholastic.com

For questions concerning Graduation 2024, please reach out to Katie Medema - kmedema@madison.k12.wi.us

Thanks to all of the families who donated money and/or helped with set up and clean up, making last Friday’s Professional Development Day lunch a success! The food was delicious and your continued support means everything to our West community.

Michaels is a West Alum and currently working as our guest director/choreographer for ’Little Shop of Horrors’ - West’s upcoming spring musical.

Returning to West for the second year in a row has been such a joy! I’m hoping that our production of “Little Shop of Horrors” will inspire the next generation of theater artists to continue creating magic at West. During my time at West I had the opportunity to be in multiple shows including, “The 39 Steps”, “Oklahoma!”, “The Drowsy Chaperone” and “Seussical”. I also had the opportunity to direct and choreograph “21 Chump Street” a 15 minute musical by Lin Manuel Miranda during my senior year. My time at West really inspired me to make a career for myself in the arts. After graduating from West in 2018, I went on to earn my BFA in musical theater at Ball State University under the guidance of Bill Jenkins and Broadway greats Sutton Foster, Megan McGinnis and Michael Rafter. Since graduating in 2022, I have been fortunate enough to work professionally as an actor in many regional theaters. Most notably playing Woof in “HAIR” at Weston Theatre Company and The Scarecrow in GEVA Theatre Center’s queer reimagining of “The Wizard of Oz”. I have also been lucky enough to workshop two new musicals in NYC, “Wonder Boy” and “Rough Trade The Musical” (featuring the music of Canadian rock and roll hall of famer, Carole Pope). Recently I also made a TV cameo on Andy Cohen’s “Watch What Happens LIVE” with Rosé from “RuPaul’s Drag Race” and Julia Roberts.

(Photo description: Michaels as the Scarecrow in GEVA Theatre Center’s “The Wizard of Oz”)

Discover The Wonders of Pharmacy at the UW–Madison School of Pharmacy, an engaging in-person event tailored for high school students eager to explore the field of pharmacy and gain insights into medication use. Join us for an afternoon filled with interactive stations, games, and chances to win exciting prizes. Get an insider's perspective with PharmD students and practicing pharmacists and enjoy a complimentary lunch. High school students, along with their parents/guardians, and high school counselors and teachers, are all invited to attend.

The Wonders of Pharmacy (WoPh) registration page is live. https://go.wisc.edu/wonders

Dear Families,

The Madison Metropolitan School District is committed to creating learning spaces where all of our scholars can thrive. As such, on Tuesday, March 12, 2024, all 11th graders in MMSD (and across Wisconsin) will take the ACT + Writing test. On April 16, students in 9th and 10th grades will participate in the PreACT Secure assessment.

• Tuesday, March 12th is a Juniors-only day
• April 16th is a Ninth and Tenth grade only day

Both the ACT + Writing and preACT secure test students in the areas of English, Reading, Math, Science, and Writing. These assessments help students understand what they need to learn next so they can build rigorous high school course plans, and identify career areas that align with their interests.

Additionally, these assessments are given in person, at school, with no virtual/remote options available. The assessment scores will not affect students’ grades. State assessments, including the PreACT Secure and the ACT + Writing, are required by both State (Wisconsin State Statute s. 118.30) and Federal (Every Student Succeeds Act) Law. 

If you have any questions regarding the administration of these  assessments, please reach out to Katie Medema and Lori Schacht DeThorne (kmedema@madison.k12.wi.us / lschachtdeth@madison.k12.wi.us)