Mr W's Email

Send a note anytime. I check mail at the begining and end of the day

Mr W's GHHS class phone: 253-530-1481

Call anytime but please note that my phone goes straight to voicemail during the school day (7:00 - 2:00).

Please take a look a look at my teaching philosophy/comprehensive syllabus (if you haven't already), a summary of that rather lengthy document is HERE, and you can see a bit of my background by reading my bio here.

The course syllabus is found here.

I believe very strongly in building partnerships with parents/guardians and other folks at home.  From time to time you folks at home ask how best to get involved in your student's science education and I created this page to help do just that.

FAQ's (Frequently Asked Questions)

• Are you available for help before or after school?

  • Absolutely, I welcome students anytime after school.  It's always best to try and schedule an appointment just to make sure I don't have a staff meeting or have previously arranged some time with other students.

  • Office hours: 

    • 2:00 to 3:00 M, W, Th or by appointment (I'm usually in or around my classroom til 3:30 or so though)

    • I am NOT available before school.  Sorry, I'm just not a morning person and I'm usually scrambling to get ready for the day

    • Tuesdays aren't so great because we have monthly staff meetings and department meetins and such, and those are usually scheduled on Tuesdays. I'm happy to meet with your student if I'm not otherwise meetingly involved.

• How can my student raise his or her grade in your class?

  • For a complete discussion of my teaching philosophy please read this.

  • For my grading policies please read this.

  • I don't give extra credit, however I do have a fairly liberal re-do/retake policy.  In most instances, students have the ability to retake a test or turn in a missing assignment late without penalty. 

  • Please note, retaking a test does not automatically mean your student's grade will improve.  I write a new test for any retakes and do not allow retaking of the same test.

  • Please, please, please... talk to me wayyyyyy before the end of the term.  Generally speaking its a whole lot easier to increase a grade at the middle of the term than the end of the term.  Also, I can't have 150 kids all turning in late work the last week or two of the term.

• My student says there are no assignments due in science, is that accurate?

  • Once again the best source of information is this website. 

    • Check the daily calendar (see the calendar menu option on every main page on this site).  Go to the current date on the calendar and check for assignments, reading assignments, tests and other work due or coming up.

    • Check the current unit and review the vocabulary terms, learning targets and other information there with your student (current units are found on the far left side of each week on each monthly calendar)

    • Ask your student what they learned in science today.  (Being teenagers, there's a very good chance you'll be met with a blank stare or a "I dunno". To help with that, take a look at the curernt unit online *before* you ask and instead ask "What did you learn about <pick a learning target> in Mr W's class today?")

• Your student is struggling in Mr W's science class

  • Hopefully I have already contacted you.... If I haven't, please, please, please give me a call and let's schedule a chat at school.  Simple approaches such as working on scheduling study times and/or making sure we're all on the same page often do wonders.  (I really do like meeting with you folks from home -- honest!)

• Your student is frustrated in Mr W's science class

  • Working with 150 teenagers can be a challenge.  Some students embrace my teaching style, and others find it frustrating.  If you find your student getting progressively frustrated with me or my teaching, please, please please, give me a call sooner rather than later.   Most difficulties with students are based on poor communication and/or misunderstanding.  More often than not, those issues are easily diffused with a candid conversation.