West Side Leadership Academy is preparing to welcome back all students for the 2021-2022 school year August 10th. Due to the pandemic, only students in need of credit recovery were allowed to return in person last year. Now with the new school year quickly approaching, the WSLA administration, teachers and staff are ready to support all scholars as they transition back into the classroom.
The incoming sophomore class will be unfamiliar with the building and culture just as the freshman as they enter the halls for the first time in their high school careers. While many participated in summer school, they will finally get the opportunity to experience a regular, full day of instruction.
Students returning to Gary schools will also receive an additional hour of instruction. Recently, the Gary Community School Corporation extended instruction by an hour for all grades to address learning loss during the pandemic while creating longer reading and math blocks. For high schoolers, the extended day means more credit options and greater opportunities to explore Career and Technical Education courses before graduation.
“The Gary Schools had one of the shortest instructional days in the state,” said Dr. Paige McNulty, Manager for the Gary Community School Corporation, “Meanwhile, our students are in need of academic enrichment and recovery programs that will allow them to not only catch up but excel to even higher heights academically.”
Technology will remain one-to-one, which means every student will be assigned a Chromebook that can be used in and outside the classroom. In addition, the District has transitioned to a new student information system called Skyward, The new platform will allow parents to see real-time data on attendance, grades, and extend communication between home and school. The application is available for download to any Android or Apple device. Families are encouraged to reach out to their child’s school for assistance with setting up the application and registering students for the 2021-2022 school year.
West Side Leadership Academy will host a series of orientations so that students can obtain their class schedules, student IDs and meet the administration and staff.
The orientation schedule is as follows:
Freshman – Friday, July 30, 2021- 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM-6:00 PM
Sophomore – Monday, August 2, 2021 – 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM-6:00 PM
Juniors & Seniors – Tuesday ,August 3, 2021 – 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM or 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM
For more information about the Gary Community School Corporation, visit Gary Schools.org.
