Dear Families,

As we begin the month of October, we are focusing on an important theme: Anti-Bullying. This week, we will be reading the beautiful book I Am Enough by Grace Byers—a powerful reminder that we are all worthy, unique, and deserving of kindness.

💡 What We’re Learning in Class

Through this book and our discussions, students will:

• 💛 Reflect on what makes them amazing and unique.

• 💬 Learn and practice strategies to deal with bullying, including how to stand up for themselves and others in respectful, safe ways.

• 🤝 Talk about kindness, empathy, and inclusion as tools to create a supportive classroom community.

🏡 How You Can Support at Home

We encourage you to continue these conversations with your child. Some great questions to ask include:

• What do you love about yourself?

• What should you do if you or a friend are being treated unkindly?

• How can you help create a safe and welcoming space for others?

✨ Thank you for partnering with us to ensure every student feels valued, confident, and supported. Together, we can make a lasting difference!

In Advocacy, we are focusing on bullying prevention and the importance of being an upstander rather than a bystander.

Anchor Resource: Sesame Street—helping children understand what bullying looks like, why it’s harmful, and how they can respond safely and respectfully.

Students will learn:

• How to recognize bullying.

• How to support peers who need help.

• Practical ways to show respect and empathy in their daily interactions.

Dear Families,

We’ve got an exciting week ahead in Advocacy, packed with creativity, spirit, and self-discovery!

🎨 Original Works Art Project

Next week, students will begin working on their Original Works art. This is a special opportunity for students to create a drawing that can later be turned into keepsakes and gifts—all while helping raise money for our school.

How you can help at home:

• Talk with your child about what they’d like to draw—something meaningful and personal that makes them proud.

• Please remember that artwork must be original (no trademarked characters or logos).

• Students may bring markers to Advocacy if they’d like more color options for their work.

🎉 Spirit Week – September 9–13

Let’s build community and celebrate each other with a fun Spirit Week!

• Monday, Sept 9 – Rainbow Day 🌈
  Brighten up the halls with your favorite color—or wear the whole rainbow!

• Tuesday, Sept 10 – Crazy Hat/Hair Day 🎩🌀
  Show off silly hats, wild hair, or both!

• Wednesday, Sept 11 – Westgate Wednesday 💚
  Show pod pride with Westgate gear or pod colors:

  • Kinder – Purple

  • 1st/2nd – Red

  • 3rd/4th – Green

  • 5th/6th – Blue

  • 7th/8th – Gray

  • High School – Black

• Thursday, Sept 12 – Throwback Thursday ✌️🕺
  Dress up from your favorite decade—tie-dye, neon, overalls, or retro vibes!

• Friday, Sept 13 – Pajama Day 😴
  End the week cozy in your favorite school-appropriate pajamas.

🧠 Theme of the Month: Self-Awareness

This month, Advocacy is centered on self-awareness—understanding our own strengths, preferences, and needs. This week, students will take a fun personality test and reflect on how knowing themselves better can help them navigate school, friendships, and life.

What you can do at home:

• Ask your child what they learned about their personality type.

• Talk about times when self-awareness helped them solve a problem or make a good choice.

• Share a story from your own life when understanding yourself made a difference.

✨ Thank you for your continued support as we help students grow in creativity, school spirit, and self-awareness. It’s going to be a meaningful (and colorful!) week together!

This week in Advocacy, we are focusing on self-awareness—helping students reflect on their strengths, challenges, and goals. We are connecting this to our schoolwide RISE expectations (Respect, Integrity, Safety, and Empathy).

Through discussions and activities, students will:

• Recognize their emotions and how they influence behavior.

• Identify positive strategies for staying focused and motivated.

• Set personal goals for demonstrating RISE values in school.

Parent Tip: Encourage your child to share one way they showed Respect, Integrity, Safety, or Empathy at school each day.

This week in Advocacy, we are diving into the important topic of empathy—what it is, why it matters, and how we can show it at school, at home, and in our community.

To guide our learning, we will be reading the book Teach Your Dragon Empathy, which offers a fun and meaningful way for students to understand how to recognize and care about the feelings of others. Through reading, discussion, and reflection, students will explore practical ways to grow in empathy and become more thoughtful, compassionate individuals.

At-Home Connection:
You can support our learning by asking your child questions like:

• What does empathy mean to you?

• How did the dragon in the story show empathy?

• Can you think of a time when you showed empathy or when someone showed it to you?

Thank you for your continued support as we help students grow not only academically but also socially and emotionally.

Welcome back! In Advocacy this week, we’re focusing on building a strong classroom community by reviewing our RISE expectations and school-wide procedures. We’re reading First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg as we reflect on how everyone feels on the first day of school — even teachers!

After our read-aloud, we’ll work together to co-create our classroom norms. These will serve as our shared agreements for how we show up, work together, and support one another throughout the year. It’s going to be a wonderful start!