Signs of love through the vines of valentines
Joseph Potts, Reporter
February 16, 2019
On Feb.14, Valentine’s Day, a group of students covered the hallways with sticky note hearts filled with uplifting messages like “Be the Change” and “Embrace the Journey.” The event was a service project done by Youth Mental Ambassadors as way to celebrate the holiday and make fellow Falcons...
Bowling team rolls on
February 14, 2019
This past week the bowling team has proved their ability in the sport with 2 of the team’s bowlers, Zach Hainline and Erica Henderson qualifying for the all-district team. The team as a whole takes pride in their sport as well as the odd quirks and boons of it. Bowling is a much different sport compared t...
Battle of the Books
Tyler Newman, Reporter
February 12, 2019
Battle of the Books is an Iowa Quad Cities regional competition that involves students reading a wide variety of books. At the competition, there are a series of questions asked about the books’ author, setting, story… There is a level for each grade ranging from third grade to seniors. In addition t...
Snow days pile up, cause school year to end in June
Sarah Bernick, Reporter
February 4, 2019
Filed under Award Winners, News, Showcase
The Davenport Community School District has taken six days off this year because of some of the most dangerous wind chills in years. Due to recent life-threatening temperatures and extreme travel conditions, the district has had to shorten and cut days out of the school year for the safety of all staf...
Gala gets a fresh new look
Mackenzi Burns, Reporter
January 18, 2019
Update: Gala has been re-scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 9 from 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. at CASI. The theme is Starry Night. Tickets are $15 and and can be purchased before or after school and during lunch in the activities office. Students attending this year’s Gala dance should expect to see signi...
District special education approach being revisited
Timothy O'Leary, Reporter
January 15, 2019
The Davenport School District has recently been under scrutiny by the state due to failures in the current special education programs provided. The district has received several audits across 2018, multiple relating to the special education department, namely being out of compliance with disproportio...
Catastrophically cautious cuts
Joseph Potts, Reporter
January 11, 2019
On Nov. 29, the Davenport School Board agreed to a two-year budget plan to remove 83 positions and cut $13 million for the 2019-2020 school year. The district was hoping to have to make less cuts due to retirements and attrition. Thirty-one teachers have taken the early retirement incentive, however, ...
German Club offers immersive opportunities for students
Tyler Newman, Reporter
December 9, 2018
German Club at West High offers opportunities to explore the world of German culture and heritage while allowing students to partake in a variety of activities such as studying language, throwing cultural parties and playing board games. The club meets every Monday in Room 209 and is run entirely by...
Band department hosts trivia fundraiser
Aiden Rushing, Reporter
December 4, 2018
On Friday, Nov. 30 band trivia night was held at the American Legion to raise money for the music department. Teams participated against one another in trivia. Each team consisted of eight members per table, each participant had to pay $10. “We [marching band] are raising money to help buy new...
District under fire for overspending and discrimination
Dani Reitz, Co-Managing Editor
November 30, 2018
State-issued audits, 83 positions to be cut, and over $13,000,000 in budget cuts. Due to violations made by the Davenport Community School District, all those listed are now inevitable. The district is under fire for mismanaging money and education violations, which include poor education management for o...
Formulating fall festivities
Joseph Potts, Reporter
November 19, 2018
As the fall season arrives, West students and teachers prepare for a Thanksgiving dinner that will be held at the cafeteria on Monday, Nov. 19 at 4:30 p.m. The idea came originally as a way to help students and families that may not have the means to celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. The idea of...
Davenport schools host German exchange students
Tyler Newman, Reporter
November 19, 2018
The German exchange program is an opportunity for students to learn about Germany by going on an interesting experience. On the trip, students get see a new part of the world, experience german language up close, and stay with a german family. Students also get to try new foods, put their german ski...
Adviser
Alissa Hansen teaches language arts and journalism, and she advises the Beak 'n' Eye newspaper and the WHS Today website. She is married to an engineer and has three children: Rhys, Ellis and June. Sh...