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Mr. Kahn, Advocacy

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February Advocacy Update

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: 7th 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.

January Advocacy Update

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.

 

Important Dates

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

 

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

 

All the best,

Hunter Kahn

December Advocacy Update

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 12th: Late and missing work due

December 17th: 7/8 Band Concert from 5:30 – 6:30

December 18th: 7/8 Field Trip to the Colorado State Capitol

December 18th: Last day of Quarter 2/Semester 1

 

Please email with any questions or concerns.

November Advocacy Update

Greetings Advocacy Families!

November’s Advocacy Focus: Gratitude

 

Students will do the following:

  • Look at our skills, abilities, accomplishments, loved ones, and the many things we have, to identify what we are grateful for.
  • Work on increasing happiness with activities that promote a sense of togetherness and belonging with our advocacy, POD, friends, and family.

 

Important Dates

Friday, November 14th : 8th Grade Field Trip to Front Range Community Collete

Friday, November 7: Professional Development - Half Day Dismiss at 11:30

Monday, November 10: Veterans Day – No School

Friday, November 14: 7/8 Dance 6-8 pm at Westgate $3 (DJ and light snacks provided)

Monday, November 24 – Friday, November 28 Thanksgiving Break – No School

 

Email with and questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mr. Kahn

Advocacy Post - August 2025

Hello Advocacy Families!
I am Hunter Kahn(I go by Mr. Kahn to students) and I am your child’s Advocacy Teacher/ Advocate. Advocacy is more than a 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.
I have subscribed you to my Advocacy page and my classroom pages, so you will receive updates to your email automatically. You can use the link below to access my page.
On my pages, I will be posting academic information on my Edlio every week for you to review. Monthly, I will post Advocacy specific information.
We have sent home two documents that we would like you to read over with your student, sign, and send back.
1. Behavior and Expectations
2. Electronic Use Agreement
This month, 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 our various environments, and then we CELEBRATE when we see students doing those things! At Westgate, we RISE (Respect, Integrity, Safety, Empathy).
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 excited for the new school year and getting to know you and your student!
Sincerely,
Hunter Kahn