Columbia City High School

Following yesterday's threat, Whitley County Consolidated Schools wants to thank our Whitley County Sheriff Department and Columbia City Police Department, along with the Indiana State Police, for their organized response and communication with our WCCS administration in resolving this incident. Our relationship with the police department stood up to the test of a threat, thank you. Secondly, we know communication to our families can seem vague. Student and staff safety is our highest priority. We want to assure you we take all threats about our school and students very seriously and we act on them quickly. We share the details as soon as we can. Due to the nature of the threat, confidentiality has been upheld. WCCS is taking necessary disciplinary action for the student(s) involved. Parents, please speak with your child(ren) about their role in school safety. It is crucial that if a student sees something, or hears something, they need to say something. From the police, the investigation would have gone smoother if the initial social media post hadn’t been shared and re-routed so many times. When students know something, they should report the incident to either a staff member, police, or other authoritative figure, instead of sharing the post with their peers. This way authorities can begin the investigation and determine the severity and legitimacy of the threat. Students can also use the anonymous tip line of STOPit via wccsonline.com/page/stopit or the mobile app. STOPit allows students and family members the power to help end harmful and inappropriate behavior they see online through social media, hear of incidents, and other means. STOPit can be used to report bullying, cyberbullying, discrimination, harassment, violence, threats, weapons, alcohol or drug-related issues, mental health struggles like suicidal ideations, or any other concerns. This is a community that cares deeply for our students and their safety. We want you to know that while this incident did cause fear and concern, our systems worked the way they were supposed to and we saw clear evidence of our ongoing training and preparedness for crisis response. As a reminder, official communication comes through the WCCS app (Whitley County Consolidated Schools in Google Play or App Store), Whitley County Consolidated Schools Facebook, WCCSonline.com, and email notifications, or as a phone call. Parents should verify their Skyward accounts are accurate. We know communication is a personal preference and continue to work to build transparent systems that work for all. Please know that we will continue to build on what we learned yesterday and today, what went well and what can be improved.

Friday, Sept. 13 | The Columbia City Police have identified the source of the initial post. There is no threat to student safety. There will be increased police presence today, however, we know the threat was not credible. Thank you CC Police Department for your investigation and support of our student and staff safety.

Our Construction Trades program practices proper procedures to set up an extension ladder. As Mr. Krill always says, "You have to learn it to earn it!!" Construction Trades is one of our 25 pathways offered through WCCS Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs. Thank you, Mr. Krill for sharing your photos! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS #CTE

Remember, all WCCS students get FREE breakfast this year! As part of a pilot program for the 2024/25 school year, each morning, WCCS students can join us for a nutritious breakfast free of charge. Breakfast is available after the morning bus drop-off.

Yearbooks are on sale for the LOWEST PRICE of the year until August 30. Order at www.jostensyearbooks.com to save, and give @cchs.yrbk a follow on Instagram or Facebook to follow along as they create the 2025 yearbook! #ordernow #jostensyearbooks #remembertheyear #documenthistory #dontmissout #lowestprice #memories

We are once again introducing our new teachers! Welcome to WCCS! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS

A WCCS Connection is coming to your mailbox soon! Each quarter WCCS publishes a newsletter for our community to see some of our highlights and our updates. View the latest issue: https://core-docs.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/documents/asset/uploaded_file/2777/WCCS/4709892/WCCS_Connection_Summer_2024.pdf What do you like most about the publication? What would you like to see? Let us know in the comments.

We are once again introducing our new teachers! Welcome to WCCS! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS

We are once again introducing our new teachers! Welcome to WCCS! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS

We are once again introducing our new teachers! Welcome to WCCS! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS

During last night's board meeting, our 2023-2024 Teachers of the Year and Exemplary Staff of the Year were recognized and awarded their plaques. Teacher of the Year finalists were: Alissa Roberts, Columbia City High School; Amy Shearer, Indian Springs Middle School; and Erin Fudge, WCCS Elementary Teacher of the Year. Mrs. Fudge was named WCCS Teacher of the Year. Jill Lickey, Tanya Yager and Steve Corbin were Exemplary Employee finalists. Steve Corbin was named WCCS Exemplary Employee of the Year and works in our transportation department. Thank you, City Automall and Kasey Shirey for your partnership to award the finalists. The public presentation takes place this Friday during the home football game! Also recognized and awarded was Bob Schneider (light blue shirt) who was recognized by EduStaff as the Substitute Teacher of the Year. Presenting his award was Blair Baumgartner, Indiana District Manager for EduStaff. Thank you, WCCS teachers and staff for all you do! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #BetterTogether

We are once again introducing our new teachers! Welcome to WCCS! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS

We are once again introducing our new teachers! Welcome to WCCS! #WCCSRelationshipBuilders #ExperienceWCCS

Columbia City High School will host the Class of 2028 Orientation and Activity Fair on August 13 beginning at 6 p.m. Enter Door 1.

WCCS School Nutrition is excited to announce Free Breakfast for all K-12 students as part of a pilot program for the 2024/25 school year. Each morning, WCCS students can join us for a nutritious breakfast free of charge. Breakfast is available after the morning bus drop-off.

School Supply Lists are Available! It's never too soon to begin shopping for the school year. Our first day is August 16. Find school supply lists here: .wccsonline.com/page/supplies-overview

CCHS is happy to celebrate Indiana's Intern Day! With more than 100 interns in our community each semester, internships provide value for our students and our community businesses. Students choose an individualized internship experience that pairs with their classwork and career goals with the help of our WCCS Talent Development Director, Mrs. Lori Heuer. "My time management has improved, more efficient with nearly everything in my life, understanding kindness is SO valuable, shift of perspective for people with disabilities, more of a heart and CONFIDENCE to help people, and more," said Bekah, a CCHS intern for Parkview Whitley. To learn more about partnering with our internship program visit wccsonline.com/o/cchs/page/career-and-technical-education

Hey, Eagles! Remember to be you this summer. There is only one you! As a reminder with STOPit App, you can connect with local resources and anonymously text with trained counselors. Learn more about STOPit on our page wccsonline.com/page/stopit. #SummerBreak #SummerEncouragment #ExperienceWCCS #StudentSuccess

Ivy Tech offers classes at the Marshall Building for college courses close to you! Classes for Fall 2024 are registering now. Scholarships are available for WCCS students. Contact Claire Baker, Dual Credit Advisor with any questions.

All Skyward SMS 2.0 systems will be down beginning Friday, June 21st at 6:00 p.m. and continuing until 7:00 p.m. Saturday, June 22nd, while our host is installing the latest updates. Please refrain from making eFunds payments during this time as well as they may not be properly recorded.