Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire.

—William Butler Yeats.

Hello Advocacy Families!

I am David Rowan (I go by Mr. Rowan) and I am your child’s Advocacy Teacher/ Advocate. Advocacy is more than a Homeroom. Advocacy classes are first and foremost a time for students to build supportive relationships with their peers and with an adult they can trust. It is a time for everyone to feel recognized and welcomed into the school community. As your child’s Advocate, I will be your primary point of communication, and I am committed to advocating for your child this year.

My philosophy of education has three pillars; build relationships, be equitable and believe that all students can be successful. I believe education is a sacred trust, and am committed to teaching academic, social and emotional skills in a way that helps my students navigate middle school and prepare for whatever lies ahead.

Before joining Westgate in 2010, I worked in the restaurant business for 17 years. While rewarding, two life events led me to reevaluate my life and it was then I decided to change careers and began working in education. Looking back, this was one of the best decisions of my life. In 1992, I earned my B.A. in Psychology from Central College and completed my Teacher Certification Program from the University of Colorado at Denver in 2009. Teaching history allows me to bring past events to life and help students understand how these events have impacted the events of today. In addition, the exploration of economics, Civics and geography provide students with an understanding of the world around them and how they can be successful, informed members of their community.

In my free time, I love spending time with my wife, Erin and son, Tom. I’m a big fan of dad jokes and love all things Star Wars. I also love to travel, ride my bike, snowboard, play guitar and attend live music concerts.

I have subscribed you to my Advocacy page and my classroom pages, so you will receive updates to your email automatically. You can use the link below to access my page.

On my pages, I will be posting academic information on my Edlio every week for you to look at. Monthly, I will post Advocacy specific information.

A new Student Use of Cell Phones and Other Personal Electronic Devices Policy has been created for this year. Since it is a new policy, I would like to go over it with you so that you can speak to your student about these changes.

Westgate has opted to add further restrictions to student possession and use of personal electronic devices at out school based on frequent and pervasive disruptions to our educational environment caused by these devices. The following Westgate policy includes the possession and use of cell phones, tablets of any kid, smart watches, ear buds, handheld video game systems, air tags, personal laptops , or any other device carried or worn by a student that is capable of game play or communication.

1. It is recommended that your student does not bring any unnecessary devices to school at all.
2. Cell phones will be collected at the start of the day and kept in a locked box in each of the 5^th through 8^th grade classrooms. Cell phones may not be carried throughout the day by any student. Refusal to put the phone in the lockbox at the start of the day will be considered a violation of this policy.
3. Any other devices brought to school must remain in a backpack, to be stored in the students’ advocacy classroom in the designated backpack area and should be always in the off position.
4. Devices of any kind, including personal cell phones, are not permitted to be carried by a student on their person during school hours. This includes being carried inside their pockets, hoodies, purses, fanny packs, undergarments, tec.
5. Air pods or ear buds of any kind cannot be used at school at any time.
6. Smart watches or any other kind of watch used for purposes other than telling time will be confiscated according to the policy.

The first week, students will be able to explore all the different options for Specials class. These include P.E., Music, Art, Design Thinking and Journalism. At the end of the week, they will choose their Specials classes. Once this happens, you will need to subscribe to the Specials teacher’s Edlio page once they are rostered on Monday, August 14th.

This month, our August Advocacy theme is RISE!

At Westgate, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) is a part of our Whole Child Education program. PBIS is a system in which students, staff and community create a set of school-wide behavioral expectations/ core values, we teach those expectations in all our various environments, and then we CELEBRATE when we see students doing those things! At Westgate, we RISE (Respect, Integrity, Safety, Empathy).

Week 1: R - What does respect mean? Being kind to people, property, and yourself. Being considerate of our community.

Week 2: I - What does Integrity mean? Telling the truth and doing the right thing even when nobody is looking.

Week 3: S - What does it mean to be safe at school? Act in ways that won't harm yourself or others. 

Week 4: E - What is empathy? Understanding and caring about the feelings of others.

We will be teaching students what these 4 words mean—focusing on a different part of RISE each week—and what it looks like to live these values out during school and at home. We will use RISE all year to celebrate positive behaviors.

I am excited for the new school year and getting to know you and your student!

Email with any questions you may have.

Mr. Rowan

[email protected]