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Ms. Calder, Advocacy, 5/6

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November 17-21

Last week the students created a gratitude quilt that we have assembled and hung in the 5/6 POD, and the students also created small portraits of what they are grateful for to decorate our door.  This week we will finish out the week by continuing to think about and celebrate the things that we are thankful for. 
 
Reminder:
No School November 24 - 28 so that you can spend time with your families for Thanksgiving. 
 
I hope that you all have a blessed and wonderful week!

November 11-14

This week in Advocacy:
 
Tuesday: Service-Learning lesson.  Our class will be partnering with Mrs. Keating's 2nd grade class and she came into our classroom last week to meet all the students and talk to us about the best way to interact with your students.  We are so excited to start our partnership in January!
 
Wednesday - Friday: the focus will be gratitude.  We started making a gratitude that we will put together and hang in the POD.  We will continue our lessons about gratitude. 
 
This week in Academic Lab the 5/6 teachers have placed students into groups based on needs for each student.
Mrs. Muftic - will be providing more math assistance
Mrs. Lounsbury - will be reading and writing supports
Ms. O'Leary - will be working on Life Skills
Ms. Calder - will be guided students on ALP and interest projects

November 3-7

Welcome to the month of November!
 
This month our theme will be Gratitude where we will be spending time on lessons of what gratitude is, how do you show gratitude, and what are the benefits of gratitude. 
 
This week on Tuesday during Advocacy we will be doing a meet and greet with Mrs. Keating the 1st/2nd grade teacher who we will be partnering with for our Service-Learning buddies.  We will continue to talk about expectations when we start our buddy partnership with her class in January.  
 
Friday, November 7, the students will have a half day, and carline will start at 11:30.  Teachers will be having professional development in the afternoon.
 
Monday, November 10 there will be No School in honor of Veteran's Day!  Thank you to who have served or are serving our country!

October 27-31

Monday we will have a review over the lessons on Service Learning. Then for the rest of the week we will continue our lessons on "Using Your Voice" with a focus on bullying and strategies to use if you are in ever in this situation. 
 
Friday we will be having our Halloween party from 2:00 - 3:00.  There was a permission form emailed to you last Monday.  Please make sure that you complete the form giving your child permission to watch the movies. If you have any questions, please reach out to me.  If you signed up to bring snacks, please have them to school the morning of October 31 so that we have time to organize the treats before the party. 
 
Students are allowed to wear costumes and will change before the party.
Please read the expectations for costumes. 
 
Halloween Costume Expectations 
Costume expectations for all Adults and students: 
  • No Masks or face coverings 
  • No Full-Face Paint (partial face paint is allowed if a student can apply it themselves in the time, they have to get ready before class parties).  Face paint may not be worn to school. 
  • No Weapons or anything that can be used as a weapon 
  • No inappropriate or offensive costumes – all body parts must be covered 
  • Students K-8 may NOT WEAR THEIR COSTUMES TO SCHOOL.  Students can bring their costumes, and they should stay in their backpacks until they are allowed to change into them at 1:30, prior to the parties. Students will be in regular classes during the morning, and the costumes and their pieces and parts should not be a distraction. 
  • Adults and HS students can wear their costume to school, but all above expectations must be followed. 
If you have any questions, please reach out!
Have a wonderful week!
 

October 20-24

Welcome back!
I hope that you had a wonderful and refreshing Fall Break!
 
For the month of October, the theme is "Using Your Voice" we will focus on teaching students to stand up for themselves and others with emphasis on Anit-Bullying. 
 
We are off and running with Outdoor Education!
The students attending will get organized and leave after morning circle for their adventure at Bailey Colorado.  The students will spend three days and two nights exploring outdoor education class.  They will return on Wednesday afternoon.
 
The students who are staying will attend Westgate during regular hours and will spend three days with Mrs. Lounsbury and Mrs. Kahn having adventures at Westgate with the theme of outdoor education. 
 
Have an amazing week! 
 

September 29-Oct. 2

Thank you all who supported the Fun Run on Friday!  
 
This week we will have a half day of school on Thursday, October 2 with carline starting at 11:30.  I hope that you were able to sign up for Parent Teacher Conferences.  If you weren't able to sign up, please reach out to your child's ELA and Math teacher for times that are available.   Conferences will be Thursday, October 2 from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm virtually and a link will be sent to you.  We will have a second day of Conferences on Friday, October 3 from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm.  
 
Fall Break will be from October 6 through the 17th.  Classes will reconvene on Monday, October 20.  
 
Monday, October 20 through Wednesday, October 22 will be Outdoor Education in Bailey, Colorado. Your child should have brought home a packing list in their Friday folder last week.  
 
If your child isn't attending Outdoor Education, please email me or Mrs. Dewar so we can plan the Indoor Education lessons for the students.   

September 22-26

We will continue our lessons on self-awareness and how to use these strategies in all environments of their life. 
 
Reminders:
Monday, September 22 - conference signups sent out by your child's ELA/Math teacher.  
Friday, September 26 - Fun Run
 
ere are the run times for the different PODs:   
 
SCHEDULE OF RUN TIMES:
  • 5th & 6th Grade:  8:30 - 8:50
  • 3rd & 4th Grade:  9:00 - 9:15
  • 7th & 8th Grade:  9:25 - 9:50
  • Kindergarten: 10:00 - 10:15
  • 1st & 2nd Grade: 10:25 - 10:40
  • High School: 10:50 - 11:15 
Be sure to encourage your family and friend to sponsor your student and have them in before October 3rd to count toward your student's award achievement! Find more information on the Westgate FUN RUN page! 
 
RACE BIBS:
Every student will receive a race bib. The day before I will be handing out blank race bibs and safety pins for your students. These are not to be taken home. These will need to be pinned to the back of student shirts for the run - we will use these to mark their laps rather than markup t-shirts. 
 
Thursday, October 2 - half day and virtual conferences will be from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm - sign up will be sent out Monday, September 22
Friday, October 3 - Parent Teacher conferences 8:00 am to 8:00 pm
 
Fall Break is from Monday, October 6 through Monday, October 20.
 
October 20 - 22 - Outdoor Education - please make sure to sign up or please email Mrs. Dewar that your child will not be attending.  If your child is not attending, they will go to school during the regular day and have indoor education activites. 
 
 
 

September 15-19

Last week was so fun for the kids celebrating in Spirit Week with creative ideas!
 
This week we will continue our lessons with self-awareness!
 
Reminders:
Be sure to fill out the information for Outdoor Education.  All of the information in last week's post.  Also, the Fun Run is coming. Please help your child raise support for the running. 
 
Upcoming events:
September 18 - Spirit Night at Parry's Pizza
September 19 - half day of school - Carline will start at 11:30
September 26 - Fun Run. 
 
Don't forget the Let's Gogh! Fun Run will be happening on September 26th! Here are the run times for the different PODs:   
 
SCHEDULE OF RUN TIMES:
  • 5th & 6th Grade:  8:30 - 8:50
  • 3rd & 4th Grade:  9:00 - 9:15
  • 7th & 8th Grade:  9:25 - 9:50
  • Kindergarten: 10:00 - 10:15
  • 1st & 2nd Grade: 10:25 - 10:40
  • High School: 10:50 - 11:15 
Be sure to encourage your family and friend to sponsor your student and have them in before October 3rd to count toward your student's award achievement! Find more information on the Westgate FUN RUN page! 

September 8-12

I hope that you all had an amazing weekend!
 

“Outdoor Ed: Please Make sure you complete ALL the following to participate:  

-IDRAHAJE Online Enrollment Form  HERE! 

Go to the red “Group Participants” button, then the “Register/Login” button  

ONLY complete the form for the student attending 

-Westgate Digital Permission Slip   HERE! 

-Completed Medication forms returned to Westgate (if applicable) found on the school website Here!  

 -Pay $220/student fee (online in school store, cash or check in school lobby) found HERE!  

If you DO NOT want your child to attend-please email your advocate letting them know your child will not attend this year. 

We still need more male chaperones to attend!” 

 

September 9-12: Spirit Week 

Get ready for a week full of fun, creativity, and Westgate pride! Join us in celebrating Spirit Week with these exciting daily themes: 

  • Monday, Sept 8th – Rainbow Day – Brighten up the halls by wearing your favorite color or go all out and wear the whole rainbow!
  • Tuesday, Sept 9th – Crazy Hat/Hair Day – Let your imagination run wild! Sport your silliest hat, wildest hairstyle, or both!
  • Wednesday, Sept 10th – Westgate Wednesday – Represent your pod with pride! Wear your Westgate gear or your pod’s color. Kinder – purple, 1/2 – red, 3/4 – green, 5/6 – blue, 7/8 – gray, HS – black
  • Thursday, Sept 11th – Throwback Thursday – Flashback to your favorite decade - think tie-dye, neon, overalls, or retro vibes!
  • Friday, Sept 12th – Pajama Day – End the week in ultimate comfort. Rock your coziest pajamas (school-appropriate, of course)! 

 

 This week we will continue looking at self-awareness and what improves we can grow in. 

September 2-5

Happy September!
 
For the month of September, the focus will be Self-Awareness.  Our lessons will focus emotional strength, character strength, emotional regulation activities, and set a goal for their self that they would like to work on for the month. 
 
Monday during Academic Lab we will be working on Service Learning.  Right now, we are still looking at the why behind service learning. 
 

Important Dates

  • Sept. 5th is Picture Day!  
  • Sept. 10th is Skate City Spirit Night (Skate City Westminster 200 W. 121st Ave. Westminster, CO 80234) 
  • Sept. 18th is Student Count Day- make sure your student is present that day! & Spirit night at Qdoba (1005 W 120th Ave., Westminster, CO) 
  • Sept 23-27th is the Scholastic Book Fair 
  • Sept. 26 & 27th are Conferences Sept. 26th is a Half Day- dismissal is at 11:30 am. 
  • Sept. 30- Oct. 13: Fall Break! 
 

August 25-29

Hard to believe it is the last week of August already. I am enjoying having your children in Advocacy. 
 
The focus this week on the E, Empathy in R.I.S.E.  We will learn how to practice empathy in all environments at Westgate. On Monday we will have our second lesson for Service Learning during our Academic Lab time. 
 
Upcoming Events:
Tuesday, August 26 will be Skate City Spriit Night from 5 to 7 pm. 
Friday, August 29 is a half day of school for the students. Carline will start at 11:30 and end at 12:00 so that the teachers can have Professional Development in the afternoon. 
Monday, September 1 - No School in honor of Labor Day 
 
Have an amazing week! 

August 18-22

This week we will be focusing on the S, Safety, in R.I.S.E.  We will discuss the importance of safety in the Westgate Community and what it looks like and sounds like.  
 
Every Monday the 5/6 POD will be focusing on Service Learning.  We will start out looking and what service learning is and the importance.
 
Upcoming Events:
Wednesday, August 20, Spirit Day at Red Robin from 11am - 10 pm.   Please let them know that you are from Westgate Community School and the school will receive 20% back. Thank you for your support!
 
Thursday and Friday, August 21 and 22:
MAPS testing (we had to reschedule due to computer issues)
Thursday will be Reading MAPS
Friday will be Math MAPS
 
Outdoor Education:
October 20 -22.  Please check your email as more information will be coming.  
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at [email protected].
 
Have an outstanding week!

August 11-15

What a great first week!
 
The week in Advocacy we will be focusing on the R, respect in R.I.S.E.  We will continue with our lesson on what respect is and how to show respect in all environments at Westgate.  Tuesday Mrs. Kahn will be coming into to talk with us about recycling and on Wednesday Ms. Kinslow will be coming into the classroom to talk with us about Wild Advocates.  
 
Thursday and Friday all of 5th and 6th grade will take the Fall MAPS testing for reading and math in the morning.  So excited to get a baseline of where all the students are academically.  
 
If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at [email protected]
 
 
Reminder:
Tuesday, August 12 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm we will have our Family Connect night.  We hope to see you there! :)

August 4 - 8

Welcome to Ms. Calder Advocacy at Westgate! 

 

ABOUT ME 

Hello! I am Christi Calder (I go by Ms. Calder) and I am your child’s Advocacy Teacher/ Advocate.

Advocacy is more than 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. 

This is the fourth year that I have been at Westgate Community.  When I was in fourth grade, I had a desire to become a teacher, and over the last 31 years I have been able to live out that dream!  I have taught in Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska as a Special Education and General Education teacher, and I have loved every minute of it.  I decided that I needed a change and take a chance on trying a new adventure at Westgate Community and moving to Colorado.  My philosophy is that goodness can come out of anything! 

Every week, I will be posting in Edlio a snapshot of the events that will be happening in my classes. 

COMMUNICATION 

At the beginning of each month, I will post an advocacy update including important dates to remember, upcoming events, and the Social-Emotional learning topic we will be working on. 

I have subscribed you to my Advocacy page, so you will receive updates to your email automatically.  We will also automatically subscribe you to each of your child’s content classing during the next two weeks. 

You can also access all class pages through our school website:

Westgate Community School

The best way to contact me directly throughout the year is via email: [email protected] 

SPECIALS 

This quarter, your child will be in Mr. Hopson For Music! You are not pre-subscribed to his Edlio page, so I encourage you to go to Mr. Hopson page and subscribe for regular updates. 

 

 

Aug. 4 First day of school 

Aug. 5 Students begin switching for Social Studies and Science content classes 

Aug. 11-15 Beginning of the year testing: MAPs, Writing Sample, Math Course PreAssessment by grade 

ADVOCACY  

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 of 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 looking forward to working with you and your student this year!