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Dear Families, 
We are excited to begin our next HMH reading/ writing unit! Here is a quick look at what your child will be learning and how you can support their learning at home. 
 
Dates of Unit: August 24-September 11 (roughly)
 
Students will learn to: 
  • Cite evidence from the text to support analysis
  • Make inferences based on what is already happening in the text
  • Determine the central idea of the text.
  • Students will develop their narrative writing skills with a focus on writing an imaginative story.
  • Students will learn to identify compound and complex sentences
 
Standards addressed: 
  • CCSS.L.6.1 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.L.6.2 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2 – Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary distinct from personal opinions.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.6 – Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.9 – Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
 
 
Essential Questions 
 
What makes a story worth reading?
 
In this module, students will: listen to, read, and view a variety of texts
and media that present them with information about the elements of
a story.
 
 
Unit Overview 
 
A genre focus on narrative text provides students with opportunities
to identify literary elements, theme, point of view, and figurative
language in order to better understand unfamiliar texts. Students will
also encounter drama and persuasive text to build knowledge across
genres. As students build their vocabulary and synthesize topic
knowledge, they will learn that well-written stories contain characters
and problems that can emotionally hook and interest readers.
 
 
Key Vocabulary 
 
Please encourage your child to use these words when talking about ELA:
 
Voracious
Discipline
Persevere
intrepid
 
Use prompts like these:
-Tell me about a time when you had to persevere to achieve something.
- Describe a person you think is intrepid. What Does It Mean?
-Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words.
-Quiz each other on their meanings.
- Word Hunt Look for words with the root ject; prefixes gen–, trans–, inter–, en–; and suffixes –y, –ly, –ily, –ful, –less, –ment, –ness in books, magazines, online texts,
 
How Will We Know What Students Understand? 
 
Students will demonstrate their learning through: 
 
☐ Class discussions and conversations X
☐ Hands-on activities and models 
☐ Independent practice X
☐ Problem-solving tasks 
☐ Quick checks/exit tickets 
☐ Written explanations X
☐ Unit assessment X
☐ Other: ______________________________________ 
 
Teachers will use this information to celebrate student progress and provide additional instruction or practice when needed. 
  
Thank You for Partnering With Us! 
 
Your encouragement and conversations at home make a difference. Thank you for supporting your child's learning! 

Hello! I am Hannah O’Leary (Miss O’Leary or Miss O) and I am your child’s Advocacy Teacher/ Advocate. Our time together as an advocacy class is more than a homeroom. This time together is to build supportive relationships with their peers and adults they can trust. It is a time for connection and community. The goal being that students walk out feeling understood and seen. We want every student to feel welcomed in our classroom and school community and we hope that fostering a positive Advocacy class will have an impact in that. As your child’s advocate, I will be your primary point of contact and am committed to advocating for your child this year. I want your student to succeed & I know that is what you all want as well. We are all on the same team and I am so excite!

 

I graduated from the University of Puget Sound in 2021 with a Bachelors in Psychology and Education and again in 2022 with my Master's in Teaching. Since then, I have spent time traveling and teaching in Melbourne, Australia. My time teaching abroad taught me more than I ever thought possible and has given me a lot of confidence in the classroom. As a teacher with a passion for Social Emotional Learning, I believe that each student deserves a calm, safe and encouraging space to learn and grow. This will be my second year at Westgate and I feel so fortunate to work at such a welcoming and kind place. I am looking forward to creating a fantastic learning environment and community. 

I grew up in Littleton, Colorado and I love traveling, yoga, tea, being with my friends & family, and hiking! 

On my pages I will be posting weekly about the academic happenings in your classroom. This will look like a glimpse of what this week looked like along with a small glimpse of what your students will be learning the following week. Monthly, I will post advocacy specific information.

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 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 so excited for this year! :)

Hannah O'Leary

Kindness week update!

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: 
 
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.