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By Claire Reinthaler
For the Clemmons Courier

With the first quarter done and dusted, moving into the second half of the first semester was refreshing to both students and staff alike at West.
However, new and overturned school board decisions overshadowed the first week of the second quarter. The WS/FCS school board had previously voted to continue with the updated COVID-19 exam exemption policy for the 2022-23 school year, which removed the attendance requirements from student exam exemption status, only requiring that a student complete a class with an A, B or C to be exempt from teacher-made final exams. This decision has since been overturned, however, and now the normal attendance requirements will be enforced: an A with five or fewer absences, a B with three or fewer absences or a C with no absences. Absences will be counted from the second, third and fourth quarters only, given that the policy was not enforced in the first quarter, and excludes death in the family related absences, two college visit absences and any COVID-19 absences with the presentation of a positive PCR COVID test. There has been some controversy around the decision among students, especially given the raging flu outbreak at West and the fact that the policy doesn’t cover any absences because of it, but unfortunately, there’s nothing anyone can do to change that decision.
Another recent decision that was made by the school board is that all weather-related closures from this point onward will be remote learning days. Students will be expected to log into their classes on Microsoft Teams or else they will be counted absent, and those absences will now count towards exam exemptions as well.
Students and staff also recently learned that West’s Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) has plans in the works for a possible winter dance in January or February of 2023. It would be the first of its kind in West Forsyth history if it were to happen, and many students are looking forward to the possibility. However, the PTSA needs parents to help support and chaperone the event, so if you have or know of any parents who would be willing to help, make sure to fill out the Google form that was sent out by the PTSA. Students and staff can also vote on themes for the dance there as well.
With an upcoming four-day week, a day off for Veterans Day and a lot of new changes, it’s certainly shaping up to be an interesting second quarter already.

Claire Reinthaler is this year’s Titan Tattler.