Kindness Week at Westgate: Feb 9–13 

 We’re excited to celebrate Kindness Week with this year’s theme, Planting the Seed: An Acorn of Kindness. Students will take part in daily activities that grow compassion, connection, and community.

Our 7th and 8th graders are also leading a schoolwide food drive benefiting A Precious Child. Our goal is 2,000 non‑perishable items, with themed donation days to guide contributions:

Families are invited to support our Acts of Kindness for Teachers through donations and volunteer opportunities all week, including bathroom refresh items, hot chocolate cart supplies, carline volunteers, flower‑sale helpers, classroom readers, and more.

All sign‑ups and details can be found here: SignUpGenius: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D45A8AE28A1FA7-61738675-kindness#/

Cash or check donations may be dropped off at the front office (note: Kindness Week), or contributed online through Westgate Events.

Thank you for helping us nurture a culture of kindness that grows far beyond our school walls.

 

Reminders:

• Specials: Our new special is Art. We will be in this special until February 6. You can subscribe to Ms. H.’s edlio page
• Reeder Out: I will be having knee surgery on January 28. I will be out for 2 weeks: Wednesday, January 28 – Tuesday, February 10. I am hoping to line up a substitute that can commit to subbing for the entire time I am out.
• 3^rd Quarter Clubs:
  • Check out the clubs being offered for 3^rd Quarter
  • Clubs will run from 1/20/2026 through 3/11/2026! There are no clubs on 1/19 (MLK Jr Day), 2/16 (President's Day), 3/12 (PT Conferences), 3/13 (PT Conferences). 
• Toys are strictly prohibited for all students. To ensure a safe and focused learning environment for all students, please make sure that your child is not bringing toys to school. This includes, but is not limited to action figures/dolls, stuffed animals, Pokémon cards, small cars, building or craft supplies, or dress up items.
• Technology – Please do not send your child to school with any devices, such as phones, smart watches, tablets, air tags, etc. Per school policy, if these items are brought to school, they will be turned off and placed in a lock box in the morning and returned in the afternoon.
• Infinite Campus Phone App: I would like to invite you all to regularly check Infinite Campus to check on your student's grades and identify any incomplete or missing assignments that may need to be finished.
  • Click on the following link to create your Infinite Campus account if you do not already have one.
    • https://4.files.edl.io/8b72/09/15/22/164611-24e1a24a-402c-49de-9a50-97e1e60c66bd.pdf
  • The following link will help you set up the Infinite Campus App, which is nice to have as you can set it to notify you whenever a grade is entered for your student.
    • https://1.cdn.edl.io/X3X3DBQ7iIoHx1h6P5aI99A0RyC52XnQd9k5SnwDVIODKHgl.pdf

 

Buddy Program Announcement

5th/6th Grade Advocacy classes are partnering with 1st/2nd grade this year for an exciting buddy program! This is part of the 5th and 6th-grade service-learning program, where our older students will serve as mentors to our younger students. It’s going to be more than just book buddies — each week may look a little different. Some days, students might read together, other days they might create crafts like bracelets, or even play games.

The buddy program will take place weekly on Mondays for roughly 20 minutes during Quarter 3, beginning after Winter Break. Students are partnered based on their interests and personalities, with the hope of fostering meaningful and positive connections. Our older buddies have spent the first two quarters training and preparing to help inspire confidence, build friendships, and work on individualized goals together.

We’re looking forward to this program! If you have any questions or concerns, our Service-Learning Coordinator, Charlie Kahn, is happy to help at [email protected]

Advocacy Lessons: Little Spot of Feelings

Over the next several weeks, students will explore important social-emotional skills through Little Spot of Feeling read-alouds, class discussions, reflections, and activities. Each week will focus on a different theme, helping students better understand themselves, build empathy for others, and practice positive ways to interact in our classroom and community.

January 12-16: I’m NOT Just a Scribble & A Little Spot of Confidence
Students will learn about inclusion and confidence, focusing on accepting differences, believing in themselves, and understanding that everyone belongs.

January 19-23: A Little Spot of Happiness
Students will explore what happiness is, identify things that bring joy, and practice ways to manage emotions and create positive feelings.

January 26-30: A Little Spot of Love
Students will learn how love can be shown through actions and words, and how caring for others helps build strong relationships.

Winter Spirit Week Details:

• Monday, Dec. 15 – Pajama/Onesie Day Roll out of bed and head to school in your coziest pajamas or onesie!
• Tuesday, Dec. 16 – Ugly Sweater Day: Break out your most festive and tacky (school-appropriate) holiday sweater.
• Wednesday, Dec. 17 – Anything But a Backpack Da:y Get creative and bring your school supplies in something unexpected!
• Thursday, Dec. 18 – Avatar Day: Join the High School and dress as your element: Fire, Water, Air, or Earth.
• Friday, Dec. 19 – Dress to Impress Day End the week in style with your sharpest look – it doesn't have to be black tie/formal, but it would be cool if you did.

 

Reminder: Winter Break – NO SCHOOL December 20 - January 11.

This year, our class will be using Typing Club via EdClub to learn how to type at school. Edclub is an educational learning platform that offers high-quality courses. Since the platform is web-based, students can use Typing Club in class, at home, or anywhere they have internet access.

To log in to your child's edclub account, go to the following login URL: https://mrsreeder.edclub.com

The username is your child's first name and last name initial. Please note that there are no capital letters in the username. For example: john d.

Password: 123456

Please bookmark the above URL and use it each time your child logs in. I am pleased to share Typing Club with you and am excited to see your child’s progress.

 

 

Reminders:

• Specials: Our Special is P.E. until Friday, Nov. 14. Please send your child to school with athletic shoes appropriate for exercise. You can sign up to receive Mr. Anderson’s edlio updates by visiting his page. We will begin having Music as our specials class on Monday, Nov. 17.

 

• Field Trip: 1st and 2nd grades are going on a field trip to Four Mile Historic Park on Tuesday, November 11. Please complete the permission form by Friday, November 7. In addition, send your student with a sack lunch, comfortable walking shoes, and a water bottle for the day. We are looking forward to a fun day filled with hands-on explorations of history!

 

• Cold Weather Gear: As the weather continues to be cold, please remember to send your children in with coats, hats, and gloves to keep them warm throughout the day. Please make sure to label your child's clothing. If you or someone you know needs assistance providing warm clothing for your child, please reach out or check out the resources below:
  • Clothes to Kids
  • A.S.H. Closet
  • Goodwill
  • Arc Thrift Store
  • Cozy Coats for Kids(this is a great option, but you need to order clothes in August, so this can be used next year)
  • Also, the colder weather means more items for your child to be in charge of. Please try and label your child’s clothing, especially outerwear, so that we can quickly return any lost items.

Advocacy: A Little Spot of Feelings and Emotions

• Next, we will read A Little Spot of Empathy and learn what it means to understand and care about how others feel. Students will practice noticing facial expressions, tone of voice, and situations to predict how someone might be feeling. We’ll talk about the importance of listening, asking kind questions, and offering support when a friend is upset.

• We will also read Invisible Scribble, which teaches the value of including others. Students will learn that everyone belongs, even when we look, act, or feel different from one another. We will practice ways to make sure no one feels left out by inviting others to play, using kind words, and showing respect for everyone’s unique qualities.

 

Parent-Teacher Conferences:

Our Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences will be held VIRTUALLY on Thursday, October 2 from 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM and IN-PERSON on Friday, October 3 from 8:00 AM – 8:00 PM. Please sign up for only one conference slot.

SIGN UP LINK

Please note that you may not request a virtual conference on the in-person day or an in-person conference on the virtual conference day. 

I look forward to meeting with you!

 

Reminders

• Picture Day is coming on Friday, September 5!
  • You can place your order on mylifetouch.com by using your Picture Day ID: EVT3GHHTT. Order before midnight on Picture Day to get FREE shipping! Your child can also bring their completed flyer with cash or a check on Picture Day.
  • Orders after Picture Day must be placed online only on mylifetouch.com
• Westgate Spirit Week: September 8^th
  • Monday: Rainbow Day
  • Tuesday:  Crazy Hair/Hat Day
  • Wednesday: Westgate Wednesday
  • Thursday: Throwback Thursday
  • Friday: Pajama Day
• Specials: Our new special is iLab. We will stay in this special until Oct. 17. You can subscribe to Mr. Elliott’s Edlio page here.
• Water and Snacks: Please remember to send your child a spill-proof, reusable water bottle that is labeled with their name. In addition, students eat snacks twice a day. Morning snack is at 9:15, and Afternoon snack is at 1:15. Healthy snacks are always the best option. Please make sure your child knows which food is for their lunch meal and which food is for their snacks. Please do not send cookies or candy for your child to eat during the morning snack time. Emergency snacks are provided to students who do not bring a snack from home (while supplies last).
• Friday Folders - Your child should have a Friday folder that comes home each Friday. Please review the folder with your child and return it to school empty each Monday.
• Toys are strictly prohibited for all students. To ensure a safe and focused learning environment for all students, please make sure that your child is not bringing toys to school.
• Technology – Please do not send your child to school with any devices, such as phones, smart watches, tablets, air tags, etc. Per school policy, if these items are brought to school, they will be turned off and placed in a lock box in the morning and returned in the afternoon.
• Infinite Campus Phone App: I would like to invite you all to regularly check Infinite Campus to check on your student's grades and identify any incomplete or missing assignments that may need to be finished.
  • Click on the following link to create your Infinite Campus account if you do not already have one.
    • https://4.files.edl.io/8b72/09/15/22/164611-24e1a24a-402c-49de-9a50-97e1e60c66bd.pdf
  • The following link will help you set up the Infinite Campus App, which is nice to have as you can set it to notify you whenever a grade is entered for your student.
    • https://1.cdn.edl.io/X3X3DBQ7iIoHx1h6P5aI99A0RyC52XnQd9k5SnwDVIODKHgl.pdf

 

• Volunteers
  • Complete an online Volunteer Interest Form
  • Complete a background check. Cost is $20.95.
  • Complete a Volunteer Agreement Form
  • Volunteer Opportunities:
    • Repair damaged books from my classroom library.
    • Facilitate class Scholastic Book orders.
    • Put labels on books for my classroom library.
    • Chaperone future field trips.

 

We’re Learning with Little Spot of Feelings and Emotions!
We are so excited to introduce the Little Spot of Feelings and Emotions program in our classrooms! This curriculum uses colorful characters and engaging stories to help students learn about their feelings—like happy, sad, frustrated, and calm—and how to handle them in positive ways. Through fun activities and conversations, students discover how to recognize their emotions, express them kindly, and understand the feelings of others. These important skills help us create a caring, respectful classroom community where everyone feels safe and supported!

So far, we have learned about the scribble Spot, which is when you have more than one feeling at a time. For example, during back-to-school time you can feel excited and nervous. Last week, we read A Little Peaceful Spot and learned how to find and use a “peaceful spot” to help calm down when experiencing big feelings. Students practiced strategies such as taking deep breaths, imagining a calming place, and thinking kind thoughts. We discussed times during the day when using a peaceful spot can help them feel more in control and ready to learn.

Next, we will read A Little Spot of Anger and learn healthy ways to manage feelings of anger. Students will explore how anger feels in their body and practice strategies to calm down before acting—such as taking deep breaths, counting to ten, and walking away to cool off. We’ll talk about how expressing anger in safe, respectful ways can help solve problems and keep relationships strong.

 

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.