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WHS Has a New School Crest!

WHS Has a New School Crest!

The mascot and paw redesign were projects undertaken by the administration over the past few years. This paved the way for the redesign of Westlake High School Crest. Principal Keith Schenker tapped the members of his Principal's Advisory to assist. Megan Alexander, Luan Celaj, Chloe Deur, Bridget Doherty, Lucas Finkel, Luke Gilbert, Madelyn Sergeant, and Bethany Tsoi spearheaded the project, but over 60 students contributed to the redesign which started in Spring 2024.

First, they identified the symbolism of the existing crest - the stone quarry, the sun setting over the lake, the Hawthorne Tree, and the Native American. They agreed that their goal was to honor the original images, and build on the symbolism to create a new design with links to heraldry. The group decided that the new design should focus on the stone (the pillars at the school’s entrance rather than the quarry) to symbolize strength, strong foundations and unwavering performance; the sun (rising instead of setting over the lake) to symbolize light, enlightenment, and new beginnings; and the Hawthorne Tree to symbolize knowledge, wisdom, growth, and interconnectedness that flows throughout the district. And the roots spell out “MTPLCSD.” Due to the NYS rules and regulations regarding Native American imagery, this symbol was dropped in the redesign. Consideration was also given to the attributes of the Portrait of a Learner. It was decided that Responsible and Resilient were very important so they were displayed most prominently in the design and the use of the Hawthorne Tree was maintained to convey each students growth journey through the district as well as the district mission: Educating Each Student Today for Endless Possibilities Tomorrow.

The students thanked Mr. Schenker for his leadership, Dr. G for introducing them to the design firm that helped with the mascot redesign project, and their classmates for their feedback and input.

We can’t wait to see this new design on the diplomas and other important places throughout our high school!

#wildcatpride