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Mrs. Matthews's Advocacy

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November Advocacy Update 11/4/19

Hello Parents!
In the month of November we will be focusing on Gratitude and Optimism. Students will understand optimist – what is it and why is it important? Students will examine their own mindsets and actively practice optimism. Students will learn about the importance of gratitude, they will practice gratitude every day throughout the month, and they will research the science of habit building, with the goal of creating habits for daily gratitude. You can support your student at home by brainstorming what they are grateful for and how they can show gratitude each day!
 
Kindergarten's first field trip to The Denver Museum of Nature and science is quickly approaching. If you haven't already, please be sure to check your student's Friday Folder for the blue permission slip. Sign and return it as soon as possible. We will notify chaperones on Friday, November 8th after car line. Please be sure you have complete your background check! 
 
The 2nd annual D.E.A.R. Drop Everything And Read Fundraiser is coming up during the week of November 4th - November 8th. Students can wear weather appropriate PJs to celebrate. No Slippers Please. 
Please encourage your student to reach out to family and friends to sponsor them during the dedicated hour of reading. All forms and money must be turned in by Friday, November 8th.  If Westgate meets their $10,000 goal, the entire school will earn a dance party! Kids who turn in a sponsor form will be entered in a prize drawing. Winners will be announced November 13th.
 
WEEKS EVENTS
  • NOV 4th-8th; Scholastic Book fair is going on all week 
    • Book drive going on in the lobby. Students can donate new or used books. At the end of the week, teachers will be invited to take what they would like. The remaining books will be donated.
  • Friday, NOV 8; PJ Day and DEAR Hour
    • All school dedicated hour of reading from 10:15 to 11:15-Older grades are welcome to coordinate reading buddies with younger grades. 
    • Students can wear PJs!!!! No Slippers please. 
UPCOMMING EVENTS
 
  • Friday, NOV 8; Under the Sea Dance 7-8th grades, 6:30-9p
  • Saturday, NOV 9; Theater In A Day for K-8
  • Monday, NOV 11; Veterans Day, NO SCHOOL
  • Thursday, NOV 14; Kindergarten Field Trip to DMNS
  • Tuesday, NOV 19; Spirit Night at Skate City, 5:00p-7:00p
  • Mon-Fri, NOV 25-NOV 29; Thanksgiving Break, NO SCHOOL
 
ON THE HORIZON

 
  • Tuesday, DEC 2; Westgate K-12 Application Opens
  • Tuesday, DEC 10; Colorado Gives Day
  • Monday-Friday, DEC 9-13; Holiday Shop
 

Halloween Party Sign-Up! 10/31/19

Hello Parents! 
We have had several parents already sign up to volunteer their time and resources to help make our Halloween party a success. We still have a few spots open that need filled before Thursday. A few examples are:
Halloween Games
Juice Boxes
Gluten Free & Dairy Free Snacks
Adults to supervise the food table (must have background check completed)
After Party POD clean up
Please click the link below to sign up. If you have any questions feel free to reach out any time. 
 

Halloween Part Sign-Up!

Hello Parents! 
We will be having a Halloween Party in the Kinder Pod on Halloween Day. The party will take place in our pod area with games and activities in each classroom. The party will be from 2:15-3:15. Half day students are welcome to join us if you like, but must be picked up at their normal time an then dropped off again at the time of the party. 
We need your help to make this party a success for our Kinders. Please click here to view our sign up genius and commit to donating your time or items for our party. As always, your support is so appreciated!
 
***REMEMBER!!! Students should come to school dressed in their normal attire and will change in to their costumes before the celebration begins.***
 
If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to your student's advocacy teacher. 
Thanks! 
Mrs. Matthews

Miller Farm Field Trip Canceled!

Hello Parents, 
Regretfully we will be canceling tomorrow's field trip to Miller Farm. With the snow and temperatures in the 30's and many of our students battling colds we don't feel like it would be in their best interest. We are working on planning a field trip to replace this learning experience and will keep you updated with details as soon as we have them ironed out. 
Thank you all so much for your patience and understanding! This was not an easy decision 🙁 
 
**Also, if your student typically has hot lunch they will need to bring their sack lunch because hot lunch will not be available on such short notice. So, all full day kiddos need to bring a sack lunch and 2 snacks tomorrow.  
Kind Regards,
Morgan Matthews 

Miller Farm Field Trip Update 10/21/19

Hello Parents! 
We are so excited for our field trip this week! We will be reaching out on Monday to notify all chaperones. Please remember that if you were not selected this time around, we will have several other field trip opportunities in the future. All chaperones must have a completed background check prior to the day of the field trip. 
 
What to bring:
All students and chaperones should bring a sack lunch that can be completely thrown away as well as disposable water bottles because we will not have access to refill reusable water bottles. Food and drink should be labeled with your child's name please.
What to wear: 
We will be riding in a tractor full of hay bales and digging through dirt fields to harvest fresh veggies. Students need to dress in layers and in shoes and clothes that allow them to get dirty while staying warm. 
- Tennis shoes or boots
- Long Pants
- Layers in the event the weather shifts and it gets warmer or colder
- apply Sunscreen before students come to school.
Weather: 
We are keeping a close eye on the weather and will update you if the field trip is canceled due to rain or snow. 
 
Thanks!
Mrs. Matthews

Miller Farm Permission Slip Due 10/18/19

Hello Parents!
Please be sure to check your student's backpacks today. Permission slips for our first field trip went home today and are due back by Friday. Chaperones will be selected on a first come first served basis and notified early next week. I have attached a digital copy of the permission slip in case yours didn't make it home or is misplace. 
If you have any questions please reach out to your student's advocacy teacher. We are so excited to go on our first adventure this year :) 
 
Thanks! 
Mrs. Matthews

October Advocacy Update 10/14/19

Hello Parents! 

I hope you had a great Fall Break. I know I am ready to get back into a routine again. 

October's Advocacy focus is Bully Prevention.  We will be talking about what bullying is and is not, including identifying between rude/inappropriate behavior vs. actual bullying behavior. Students will learn what it means to be an upstander rather than a bystander.  We will also be reviewing our school’s “Enough” Protocol, reinforcing the following steps:

1. "Stop, I don't like it when you ______."

2. "Enough, I don't like it when you _______." and WALK AWAY!

3. If the person follows or persists tell an adult right away and ask for help.  

Our pod will have a Halloween Party on October 31st for Halloween.  Look for a food and activity sign up for parent volunteers soon! Also, remember to send costumes with your student and NOT to have them wear it to school.  They will be allowed to put them on prior to the party. Make sure costumes meet the school’s guidelines (no masks, no weapons, no make-up, can put on independently) before sending them, please.  

Beginning Friday, October 18th, we will be participating in Service Learning. Kindergarten is responsible for campus clean-up! Service Learning will take place every other Friday from 10:15 - 11:15. High school students will facilitate this learning with a teacher present.  The idea is that students work together on a project throughout the entire year that they are passionate about and will improve our community in some way.  If you have additional questions, please contact your child’s advocacy teacher, or Chandra Valenza at [email protected]. 

It is starting to get colder outside! Students will need to bring jackets outside for recess.  Each student is responsible for bringing their jacket outside and bringing it back inside at the end of recess. Any lost or forgotten jackets can be found in the lost and found in the front lobby. Also, please be sure to update the emergency clothes in your student's backpack with weather appropriate gear. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:
Monday, OCT 14; Auditions for Pinocchio 4:00 – 6:00p followed by the first rehearsal from 6:15 - 8:00p
Monday, OCT 14; Permission Slips for Kindergarten Field Trip to Miller Farm sent home
Tuesday – Friday, OCT 15-18; Pinocchio Rehearsals 3:45-8:00p
Tuesday, OCT 15; Colorado Free College Application Day
Tuesday, OCT 15; Board of Directors Meeting, 6:30-8:30p
Wednesday, OCT 16; PSAT at WCS for 10th and 11th graders;
NO WCS for 9th and 12th graders
Wednesday, OCT 16; Spirit Night at Freddy’s Steakburgers at 14255 Lincoln Street in Thornton, 4:00-8:00p
Friday, OCT 18; Picture Retakes
Friday, OCT 18; Permission Slips for Kindergarten Field Trip to Miller Farm DUE TODAY!
Thursday, OCT 24th; Kindergarten Field Trip to Miller Farm!
Friday, OCT 25; Trunk or Treat, 5:00p-7:00p (South Parking Lot)
Friday, OCT 25; 2nd QTR Club Sign-Up and Fees Due
Tuesday, OCT 29; Board of Directors Working Session, 6:30-8:30p
 
ON THE HORIZON:
Monday-Friday, NOV 4-8; Scholastic Book Fair
Friday, NOV 8; Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R) Fundraiser
Friday, NOV 8; Under the Sea Dance 7-8th grades, 6:30-9p
Monday, NOV 11; Veterans Day, NO SCHOOL

Missoula Children's Theatre Auditions!!

Westgate, in conjunction with Missoula Children’s Theatre, presents, Pinocchio!

Westgate is pleased to announce our new partnership with Missoula Children’s Theatre (MCT) for the 2019-2020 school year! Missoula Children’s Theatre is the nation’s largest traveling children’s theater and has been touring the US for 50 years. Over the period of one week, MCT holds auditions and rehearsals and finishes the week with two performances. They provide the directors, sets, lights, costumes and props, makeup and everything else it takes for a production, except the cast. Westgate will be holding open auditions for students K-12 to cast the 50-60 roles for the production. Students must be able to attend the entire audition to be eligible to be cast.  

Auditions:

Who: Any student K-12 may participate in auditions

When: Auditions will be held Monday, October 14th from 4:00-6:00PM in the gym

If students are cast, the rehearsal schedule is as follows:

Monday, October 14, 2019 6:15pm-8:15pm

Tuesday, October 15, 2019 3:45pm-8:00pm (15 minute break from 5:45-6:00)

Wednesday, October 16, 2019 3:45pm-8:00pm (15 minute break from 5:45-6:00)

Thursday, October 17, 2019 3:45pm-8:00pm (15 minute break from 5:45-6:00)

Friday, October 18, 2019 3:45pm-8:00pm (15 minute break from 6:45-7:00)

Please note-not all students are required at every rehearsal. Individual schedules will be given out after auditions. Students who are cast should pack a snack for before rehearsal and for during the break.

Cost: If cast, the cost for participation is $60 payable to Westgate by 3:30pm on October 15th

Performances:

Performances of Pinocchio will be held at Westgate on Saturday, October 19th at 3:00 and 5:30pm. Tickets will be $5.

Parent Support:

Homestays: We are in need of a homestay for our two wonderful directors. Each must have their own private bedroom to sleep. Our directors do not need to stay in the same house, but only have one vehicle. If you are interested, please contact Chelsea Crow at [email protected] for additional information.

Accompanist: We will need a piano accompanist for the performance. The accompanist must be able to read music and must be available for rehearsal from Wednesday on. A meeting with the directors will be held before or after the audition on Monday to pick up the score. If you are interested, please contact Chelsea Crow at [email protected] for additional information.

Thank you so much to all of the families who ordered from our August/September Scholastic Book Order! Book boxes are starting to arrive and we anticipate several more will be delivered this week. Keep a look out in your student's back pack if you placed an order. 
Also, I am so excited to share that we had so many student orders this month that we qualified for several free classroom books! These classroom books will support learning in the months of October and November as we observe the seasons change and begin learning about Fall and Harvest. If you didn't get a chance to order this time around or look forward to ordering again, I will be sending out a new Book order just before Fall Break.  
Again, thank you all for participating. 
<3 Mrs. Matthews & Advocacy Kids 

September Advocacy Update 9/2/19

Hello Parents!
 
This month's advocacy theme is self-regulation. Children will be working on recognizing the warning signs that indicate they may need to practice some self-regulation. After kids know what it physically feels like when they are on the brink of becoming unregulated, they are well on their way to starting to deal with it in a healthy way. They will learn several strategies for then practicing self-regulation to help work through whatever has triggered them and get back to a regulated state in a safe and healthy way.
 
September Dates to Remember:
Monday September 2nd: NO SCHOOL - Labor Day Holiday
Wednesday September 4th: Spirit Night - Raising Cane's Chicken Fingers (Westminster)10 AM – 11 PM (4640 W 121st Ave Broomfield, CO) 
 Westgate Spirit Week
Monday September 9th: Westgate Wild Pride
Wear plenty of blue or your favorite Westgate gear!
Tuesday September 10th: Wacky Westgate
Come dressed in mismatched clothing or wacky socks!
Wednesday September 11th: Wild Westgate Workout
Sport some exercise attire or your favorite team jerseys. Be ready to run the Ninja Nation obstacle course!
Thursday September 12th: Wild Hair and Hat Day
Put on a silly hat or style your hair in a crazy way!
Friday September 13th: Wild Pajamas
Everybody loves pajama day!
Tuesday September 17th: Events and Fundraising Committee Monthly Meeting8:15 AM – 9:15 AM (Teacher's Breakroom) 
Board of Directors Meeting 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM 
Wednesday September 18th: Skate City Spirit Night5 PM – 7 PM (200 W. 121st Ave, Westminster, CO 80234)
Thursday September 19th: SAC Meeting (School Accountability Committee)5:30 PM – 7 PM (Teacher lounge) 
Thursday September 26th: NO SCHOOL - Conferences
Friday September 27th:NO SCHOOL - Conferences
Monday September 30th:NO SCHOOL - FALL BREAK

Reminder! Curriculum Night 8/29/19

Hello Families, 
Don't forget to join us for curriculum night on Thursday 8/29/19 from 6:00pm-7:00pm. We will have class lists posted for literacy and math and will have a quick presentation to go over general information for each class. 
I look forward to seeing you all there! 
 

August Advocacy Update 8/12/19

We are so excited to be back in school!

Every month, Advocacy classes are conducted based on a school-wide theme. Advocacy (aka homeroom) is a total of 45 minutes a day where teachers and students do Social/Emotional Learning. The theme for August is Starting Strong. All month long we will be relationship building, talking about how to work in groups and pairs, learning about problem-solving and getting to know the rules and expectations in kindergarten and in school.

 

Each child went home with a Take Home Folder (AKA Friday Folder). These folders will go home on the last day of school each week! Please do look through it, have your child tell you about work they've done, and if there are forms to be returned, fill them out, put them back in the folder, and return them to school in the folder. Even if it is empty, please DO return it on Monday. It is part of our Monday routine, part of our learning to organize materials work, and an important communication tool between school and your family.

 

As an introduction to sharing, a paper bag called the All About Me Bag came home in backpacks on Friday. The instructions for the All About Me Bag are stapled to the bag. I have also attached the pdf with the directions to this message. The kids will share these at various times during the upcoming week. It'd be great if you can help them get them back to school this week, but if they come in after, they will still get to share them.

 

Starting on the week of August 19th, we begin a regular sharing schedule. Your child is assigned a specific day of the week that they may share in our guessing game. They can bring one item that fits in their backpack (it could be the toy they brought that day, not in addition to the toy they brought that day if it is another toy). I'll explain this to them, but they will keep it hidden in their backpack until their turn to share. Then, before revealing it, they will give the class three clues like, "it's blue, has a long tail, and it's magical." Classmates will get two guesses and then the item will be revealed. In this example, it would be a blue unicorn 🦄. I use this structure for sharing because children who are naturally quiet and less likely to speak in front of the class are comforted by knowing exactly what the expectations are and quickly get accustomed to speaking to the group. Children who naturally tend to speak without awareness of others' attentiveness learn to be concise and pointed in speaking to the group. The schedule for share days is attached here as well.

Students are not allowed to bring hand sanitizer to school because it has alcohol in it. If they need to wash their hands, we have bathrooms, a pod sink, and non-alcoholic sanitizer by the door in each room.

Carline procedure: You may stay in the carline to pick up your kindergartener. Please be patient! Carline will go faster as the year progresses. Please do not get out of your car. If your child needs help with buckling the seatbelt, ask one of the teachers out there or pull all the way to the front of the line and park where the cones are (teachers are out there to help you find this area). If you wish to park your car and walk up, please do so in the north parking lot and walk around the building along the sidewalk to pick your child up. Please do not walk through cars, it isn't safe and it slows the carline down. 

Kids can be very persuasive 🙂 but please remind them that they may only bring one toy that fits in their backpack to school. If toys are too big or increase in number, we have to stop allowing the toys to come at all. That's a bummer for everyone, but you would be surprised how quickly cubbies become a towering toy box if we don't stay firm on the one small toy policy.

 

August Kindergarten Related Dates of Note

AUG13TUE
Board of Directors Meeting6:30 PM – 8:30 PM (Westgate Community School )
 
AUG16FRI
 
AUG20TUE
Events and Fundraising Committee Monthly Meeting8:15 AM – 9:15 AM (Teacher's Breakroom) 
 
AUG29THU
Curriculum Night6 PM – 7 PM (Kindergarten pod)
 
AUG30FRI
NO SCHOOL - Professional Development Work for Teachers
School Fees DUE!
 
SEP2MON