Dear Families,

This month, our school’s Advocacy focus is Empathy and Kindness. Empathy is a key part of our school-wide RISE program and plays an important role in helping students grow both socially and emotionally.

When students practice empathy, they learn to understand different perspectives, show compassion, and respond to others with kindness. These skills help strengthen our school community, deepen relationships, and create a more respectful and supportive environment for everyone.

Throughout the month, students will participate in discussions and activities designed to help them recognize feelings in themselves and others, appreciate differences, and make thoughtful, caring choices. We encourage families to continue these conversations at home by talking about kindness, listening to others’ viewpoints, and modeling empathy in everyday situations.

Important Dates

• Friday, February 13: Half-day for Professional Development
• Friday, February 13: Students will take a field trip to deliver Kindness Cards (look for a digital permission slip)
• Monday, February 16: No school for President’s Day
• Friday, February 20: 7^th Grade Field Trip to Nederland for Snow School with Wild Bear Nature Preserve (look for a digital permission slip)

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:

• Mon 2/9 – Protein Monday
• Tue 2/10 – Pasta Tuesday
• Wed 2/11 – Canned Veggies Wednesday
• Thu 2/12 – Toiletries Thursday
• Fri 2/13 – Canned Fruit Friday

Thank you for your continued support as we work together to help our students RISE and build a strong, connected community.

Warmly,
Mr. Rowan

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:

• Mon 2/9 – Protein Monday
• Tue 2/10 – Pasta Tuesday
• Wed 2/11 – Canned Veggies Wednesday
• Thu 2/12 – Toiletries Thursday
• Fri 2/13 – Canned Fruit Friday

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.

Dear Families,

Happy New Year! As we begin Semester 2, January’s Advocacy theme will focus on growth mindset.

We will be encouraging students to see learning as a process that involves perseverance, problem solving, and resilience. Students will be reminded that challenges are a natural and important part of learning, and that mistakes are not failures, but opportunities to learn, reflect, and grow. Through discussions and activities, we will help students practice strategies such as trying different approaches, asking for help when needed, and staying motivated even when tasks feel difficult.

Our goal is to empower students to believe in their ability to grow through effort and persistence. When students develop a growth mindset, they become more confident learners who are willing to take risks, learn from setbacks, and problem-solve independently.

You can support this theme at home by praising effort rather than perfection, encouraging your child to talk about challenges they faced, and asking what they learned from mistakes. Simple messages like “Keep trying,” “What can you do differently next time?” or “Mistakes help our brains grow” make a big impact.

Thank you for your continued partnership as we work together to help students start Semester 2 strong and confident.

• Monday, January 19^th: No school to observe Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Warm regards,

Mr. Rowan

Dear Advocacy Families,

I hope you are all doing well as we move into this festive and reflective time of year. Our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) theme for December is Generosity, and we’re excited to explore what it means to be generous both toward others and toward ourselves.

Why Generosity Matters
Generosity helps students build empathy, strengthen relationships, and contribute to a positive classroom community. It teaches them that their actions - whether offering help, sharing time, or showing understanding - can make a meaningful difference. Equally important is learning self-generosity, which includes giving oneself patience, compassion, and space to grow. When students practice being generous in both directions, they develop healthier emotional habits and a stronger sense of confidence and belonging.

Skills Students Will Build This Month
Throughout December, students will participate in discussions and activities that help them:

• Notice and appreciate the needs and feelings of others
• Offer kindness, support, and cooperation in everyday situations
• Recognize when they need care, rest, or encouragement—and give themselves permission to receive it
• Practice gratitude by identifying moments of generosity around them
• Reflect on how generosity (to self and others) strengthens friendships, resilience, and community

By exploring generosity from both perspectives, we aim to help students understand that kindness is not a one-way street; it includes caring for themselves so they’re better able to care for others.

Thank you for your continued partnership in supporting our students’ social and emotional growth. Wishing you all a warm, meaningful, and generous December!

Important Dates

• December 12^th: Late and missing work due
• December 17^th: 7/8 Band Concert from 5:30 – 6:30
• December 18^th: 7/8 Field Trip to the Colorado State Capitol
• December 18^th: Last day of Quarter 2/Semester 1

Please email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

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 3^rd to count toward your student's award achievement! Find more information on the Westgate FUN RUN page! 

Greetings Advocacy Families,

Welcome to September! This month our Advocacy theme is Self-Awareness. For this theme we have two learning goals that we want students to work towards.

Goal 1: Students will practice identifying their emotions and leveraging their strengths to overcome challenges.

Goal 2: Students will be able to name the things that make them unique, and how those character traits help them succeed in their personal and academic endeavors.

As we are over halfway through the first quarter, 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

Important Dates

• Sept. 5^th is Picture Day!  
• Sept. 8^th – 12^th is Spirit Week
• Monday: Rainbow day
• Tuesday: Crazy Hat/Hair Day
• Wednesday: Westgate Wednesday
• Thursday: Throwback Thursday
• Friday: Pajama Day
• Sept 19^th: Half Day
• Sept. 24^th : Student Count Day
• Sept. 26 & 27^th are Conferences Sept. 26^th is a Half Day- dismissal is at 11:30 am. 
• Sept. 30- Oct. 13: Fall Break! 
• Oct. 2^nd: Half Day/Conferences
• Oct. 3^rd: No School/Conferences

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Rowan

1.        Behavior and Expectations

2.        Electronic Use Agreement