Hello families!

 

Upcoming Events You Should Know About:

 

• Specials: Our new special is PE. Don’t forget to subscribe to Mr. Wise’s edlio page to get updates about this class! We will continue in this special until November 10.
  

• 2^nd Quarter Clubs - Sign Up Now!
  • Club registration is open through October 27 at 4 p.m.
  • Visit Westgate's Club page on the school's website to view details or download a flyer
  • 16 club options for Quarter 2!
  • Clubs will run from the week of 10/23 through the week of 12/8. (No clubs during Thanksgiving Break; the week of 11/20.)

• Water and Snacks: Please remember to send your child a spill-proof, reusable water bottle, that is labeled with their name. We have snack at 9:45 every day. Healthy snacks are always the best choice. Please make sure your child knows which food is for their lunch meal and for snacks.
•  
• Volunteers
  • Thank you, volunteers! Your help is greatly appreciated.
  • Complete an online Volunteer Interest Form
  • Complete a background check. Cost is $20.95
  • Complete a Volunteer Agreement Form
• Advocacy:
  • In October, we are focusing on the empowering theme of 'Using Your Voice' in our school community. As a community, we play a crucial role in helping our students navigate the challenges they may face at school, including bullying. This month, we encourage you to engage in open conversations with your students about the importance of using their voices to stand up against bullying. By teaching them to speak up, report incidents, and support their peers, we can create a safe and inclusive environment where every child feels heard and valued. Together, let's empower our children to be advocates for kindness, empathy, and respect, ensuring that our schools are places where everyone can thrive.
    
    
  • Our advocacy will cover a range of topics around Bully Prevention and Using Your Voice, including:
    • Understanding Bullying
    • Communication and Reporting
    • Empathy and Inclusion
    • Cyberbullying and Prevention
• Bullying 101 for Parents

Hello families!

 

There are some important events coming up! Here is a list of dates, announcements, and reminders.

 

Our first pod field trip! Tuesday, September 26 we will be taking our pod field trip to Growing Gardens. I have contacted chaperones already, and if you were not chosen this time I have made a note and you are on the top of the list for our next field trip.

Spirit Night at Noodles & Co - Wednesday, Sept 27 from 4-8pm. 25% of qualifying sales go to Westgate!

Conferences- Monday, October 3rd will be in person conferences from 8am-8pm. Tuesday, October 4th will be virtual conferences ONLY from 8-12pm. Please sign up using the link that was emailed out if you would like a conference. There is NO SCHOOL for students on these days!

Fall Break - Wednesday, October 4-Sunday October 15 is our fall break. There is no school for students!

 

Other things to keep in mind:

Specials: our current special is I-Lab, but we will be in PE after we return from break.

Donating to the Fun Run: You are still able to donate throughout the next week! Our students did an awesome job at their fun run.

Signing up for conferences: A sign up was emailed out, please check your email! Please pay careful attention to whether you sign up for in-person or virtual conferences. The sign up will close on Wednesday, September 27th at 4pm.

Snacks: please send students with a reusable water bottle labeled with their name, and one snack. Our snack time is 9:45-- healthy snacks are always the best option! I've noticed some students eating what appears to be their lunch during snack time, so you may want to check in and be sure they now which is snacks vs which is lunch.

 

 

Hello families!

A few reminders--

1. The Fun Run is on Friday 9/22! Please have your student decorate their shirt (if they would like) and wear it to school on Friday! For more information, see the Westgate Newsletter or the email I sent last week.

2. Our first field trip is coming up on Tuesday 9/26! Please sign the permission slip as soon as possible.

3. Conferences are coming right up! Check your email for the signup link.

Next Week, August 28th - September 1^st will be spirit week. The sprit days are: 

Monday: Pajama day 

Tuesday:  Throwback 

Wednesday: Crazy hair or hat

Thursday: Favorite book, TV,  or movie character 

Friday: No School!!! 

 

Testing: This week, we will assess students with NWEA Maps testing. Please make sure that your child is on time for school this week! Our testing in 3-4 will be Wednesday. This will help us figure out the best placement for your child in their academic classes, so please remember that their current placement is tentative as we work to make sure they can get everything they need from their class.

• Specials: Our current special is Art.
• Water and Snacks: Please remember to send your child a spill-proof, reusable water bottle, that is labeled with their name. We have one snack time in the morning— healthy snacks are always the best option.  Please make sure your child knows which food is for their lunch meal and for snacks.  
• Morning and Afternoon carline are “hug and go” only.  The staff asks that you please stay in your car and allow your child to exit the vehicle on their own.  This will allow the flow of traffic to move quickly.  
• Curriculum Night Virtual Presentations: Thursday, August 31, 5:00-6:00  
  Teams will send information and links to families as we get closer to the date. All presentations will be recorded and links to the recordings will be sent to families.  
• Clubs: After-school enrichment clubs begin this week. If you would like to sign up, visit the school’s clubs page.  
• Pete is retiring! Our facility dog Pete is retiring. His last day will be Aug. 25. Westgate is currently looking for a new facility dog. 

 

ZERO WASTE WEDNESDAYS! 

How It Works: 

• Every Wednesday is “Zero Waste Wednesday” here at Westgate. What this means is that if students have a lunch that doesn’t use any waste AT ALL (i.e., nothing to throw away, like baggies, cans, plastic cups, paper lunch bags, etc.), then their names will be entered into a raffle. Ten raffle winners will receive recognition over the intercom on Fridays for being the Zero Heroes of the Week. 
• *Students who have school lunch will qualify if they accurately sort their lunch into the appropriate trash and recycling AND have a reusable water bottle for the day* 
• Bonus Recognition: If there is an entire classroom that has zero waste lunch one day, the entire class will receive recognition automatically.  
• Extra Bonus Recognition: The class with the most days with all Zero Heroes at the end of the year will be considered the Zero Hero champions of the year! 
• Why: 
• The goal is for families to start the conversation about alternatives to lunch waste, like glass or plastic lunch containers, reusable lunch bags and water bottles, and cloth napkins. If a student has any item that must be thrown away (at school or at home) their names will not be entered, and they can try again next week and every week after that. Hopefully, this will instill changes that will go far beyond Wednesdays during lunchtime at Westgate. https://www.westgateschool.org/apps/pages/waste  
• Volunteers 
• Complete an online Volunteer Interest Form 
• Complete a background check.  Cost is $20.95 
• Complete a Volunteer Agreement Form  
• Advocacy:  
• Our August Advocacy theme is RISE (Respect, Integrity, Safety, Empathy)!  
• This week we will continue our Advocacy focus on our PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports) program RISE.  Last week, we focused on the “R” for respect.  We talked about showing respect to others, to our community, to things in our classroom and so forth.  This week, our focus will be on the “I” in RISE which stands for Integrity.  Integrity is simply doing what is right even when nobody is looking.