Westgate Community School Home

Executive Director's Corner

Dear Westgate Community,

Welcome back! We hope Spring Break offered your family time to rest, recharge, and enjoy meaningful moments together. As we return, April brings a focused and important stretch of learning, reflection, and community engagement.

State & College Readiness Assessments
Our students will be participating in important assessments this month:

CMAS Testing: April 7–17
PSAT & SAT Testing: Week of April 13

CMAS and P/SAT data plays an important role in helping us understand how each student is growing academically. More importantly, it allows us to refine and personalize instruction to better meet the individualized needs of every learner. We approach this work thoughtfully and use the data as one of many tools to ensure each student is supported, challenged, and known.

We appreciate your partnership in ensuring students are present, well-rested, and ready to do their best.

Family Survey – Your Voice Matters
Please take a few moments to complete our Family Survey by April 15. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and directly informs our goal-setting, program refinement, and school priorities. In past years, we have shared a summary of results with our community, and we look forward to bringing that practice back as part of our commitment to transparent communication.

April Advocacy Focus: Social Awareness
In Advocacy this month, we are diving into Social Awareness—a key component of developing strong relationships and thriving in a diverse world.

Skills we are building together:

Cultural Competence: Respecting diverse lived experiences
Nonverbal Communication: Reading the room and understanding the “unspoken”
Active Empathy: Turning understanding into meaningful emotional connection
Conflict Management: Turning friction into resolution
Community Involvement: Applying these skills to make a difference beyond our walls

Learning Goal:
Students will cultivate the ability to recognize and respect the perspectives, needs, and feelings of others in diverse social situations.

This work is essential to who we are as a Whole Child community. By strengthening these skills, we are helping students grow not only as learners, but as thoughtful, engaged humans who contribute positively to the world around them.

Thank you for your continued partnership and trust. We are grateful to be on this journey together.

With appreciation,
Sharon Collins
Executive Director
Westgate Community School