Western High School

4600 Falls Road

Baltimore, Maryland 21209

August, 2007

Dear Western Dove:

We welcome you to the 163rd opening of Western High School. You should be proud to be a student at a school with such a distinguished heritage, fine traditions and standards of academic excellence. We hope you will set high academic goals for yourself, be it working hard to meet college admission standards, or as an incoming ninth grader, setting a strong foundation as a scholar. Sophomores and juniors, this is the year to strive towards academic excellence with an eye towards your college career.

The first day of school for all students is Monday, August 27, 2007. Students are to enter the building through the south entrance doors. If you arrive prior to 8:00 a.m., you are to report to the cafeteria. A bell will ring at 8:00 a.m. at which time you are to report directly to your homeroom. Students are late if you are not in your seat and ready to work at 8:15 a.m. Your homeroom designation is located on your address label beside your name on the front of the envelope in which you found this letter.

Getting off to a good start means that you report to school on time and adhere to the following BCPSS guidelines starting with the first day of school.

• Dress Code – Please note that students do have to wear uniforms this year and must adhere to the Baltimore City Schools’ Dress Code Policy. To attend Western is a privilege. This is a place of business; consequently, we expect our students to dress accordingly.
  1. Uniform skirts must be black and at least to the knee.
  2. Uniform pants must be black and may be long or capri. Cargo pants and shorts may not be worn.
  3. Shirts must be the official Western High School uniform shirt.
  4. No hats/scarves, hair rollers, hair curlers or pin curlers are allowed.
  5. No wearing apparel printed with vulgar, inflammatory statements or statements promoting the use of drugs, alcohol, sex and/or violence is allowed.
  6. No sun glasses or flip flops.
• Cell Phones – BCPSS has a strict policy to which you must adhere.
  Cell phones and other electronic and communication devices are not to be visible, heard or used in the school building/quad.
  
  • First Offense –The cell phone will be returned to the legal guardian at the end of the school day.
  • Second Offense – The cell phone will be returned to the legal guardian after school one week after it has been confiscated.
  • More than two offenses – Students run the risk of suspension for refusing to follow school policies and for insubordination. The phone will be returned to the parent after school one month from the date of confiscation.

We look forward to seeing each of you on Monday, August 27, 2007. Moreover, we look forward to working with you this school year. Let’s make 2007-2008 a very productive year.

Seniors must pay a $100.00 installment on dues by Friday, September 21, 2007.

Sincerely,

Eleanor P. Matthews
Principal

Academic Excellence Since 1844