Westview Wildcat Weekly

Wildcat Family Newsletter - Wednesday, April 4, 2024

Principal's Message

Hello Wildcat Parents/Guardians,

April is upon us, and this month is filled with several events, including the Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th and STAAR testing! It is very important that students continue to attend school daily and fully participate in their classwork during these last 9-weeks. Students with excessive absences and/or failing class grades will be considered for summer school. Teachers are also spending class time reviewing and preparing students for STAAR exams.

As we work through the last 9-weeks, safety continues to be paramount. All students are required to wear their ID badges daily and to make choices in line with our campus rules: Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful. Students who follow our rules and model other positive behaviors are rewarded with PBIS points. Each week, students can redeem their points for rewards! Students are often reminded that if they "See or hear something, SAY SOMETHING!" Students can always report to a staff member or anonymously using this link: https://www.anonymousalerts.com/pfisd/

We appreciate your ongoing support! At Westview we believe that "All means ALL!"

Sincerely,

Mr. Jaramillo, Westview Middle School Principal

Happy Assistant Principals' Week

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Mr. Hawkins, 6th Grade AP

Mr. Hawkins is completing his doctorate. He brings his experience, research, and wisdom to Westview! Beyond that he works extremely hard to build positive relationships with students and mentor our 6th graders! We are thankful to have Mr. Hawkins!

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Ms. Jackson, 7th Grade AP

Ms. Jackson brings a wealth of knowledge due to her time in education! She focuses heavily on building positive connections with students and maintains high expectations for learning! She is actively involved in multiple committees and functions of the campus! We are thankful to have Ms. Jackson!

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Ms. Gamez, 8th Grade AP

Ms. Gamez is such an extremely hard worker and brings her educational expertise to Westview! Her actions and words are evidence of how much she cares about our students and the Westview community as a whole! We are thankful to have Ms. Gamez!

Westview is extremely thankful for AMAZING assistant principals - Mr. Hawkins, Ms. Jackson, and Ms. Gamez!! Our assistant principals make all the difference to our campus! They are dedicated to serving students and are passionate about giving Westview students the best education possible!

WMS Car Wash - Saturday, April 6th

8th grade students will be volunteering to wash dirty cars this Saturday! We are fundraising for their end of the year Field Trip.

Come by the Westview drop off in the front of the school and get that pollen off of your car! We will be working for donations. There will be snacks for sale while you wait. The car wash will be from 10 am- 2pm this Saturday, April 6th!

Solar Eclipse - Monday, April 8th

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This is a friendly reminder that Westview Middle School is participating in the solar eclipse next Monday, April 8th! This will be a very special day, and we have ordered glasses for all staff and students.

Students will receive an educational and safety presentation next Monday, April 8th to fully understand the expectations when participating in this event.

Please see below for important reminders and information:

There is a modified bell schedule. This schedule is in place to ensure we have time for students to participate in the viewing of the eclipse (partial and totality) and time for our safety presentation.
Students cannot be picked up from 12:50 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. This will interfere with our participation in the viewing.
Students should never look at the sun during the partial eclipse. This can cause severe damage to the eyes! Students must use the glasses we provide - sunglasses are not safe!

The path of totality is from 1:36 p.m. - 1:38 p.m. Students will be permitted to remove their glasses ONLY during that window, and we will have timers/announcements when we are outside.

Students will leave their cell phones and backpacks in the classroom before we go outside for participation in the eclipse. We want to avoid lost or damaged phones outside.
Students should bring and wear sunscreen, since we will be outside for just over an hour. The school will not be able to provide sunscreen to students.
Students will stay with their class and will remain in their designated spot, unless there is an emergency. Administrators and counselors will be available to assist with student needs.

If you DO NOT want your student to participate in the solar eclipse viewing, please complete this opt-out form. Students who opt-out will stay in the cafeteria with a staff member. We will project a NASA live viewing on our screen for our students to see.

STAAR Testing Next Week

The STAAR test is the state assessment that is linked to our accountability. Our teachers have been working hard to prepare our students with the skills and content that will be assessed on this exam, and our campus testing coordinator, Ms. Gamez, has reviewed expectations with all students during Wildcat Hour this week.

STAAR Testing Schedule:

Reading/Language Arts (RLA):

Wednesday, April 10th: 6th & 7th Grades
Thursday, April 11th: 8th Grade
Friday, April 12th: Make-up testing for any students who missed their scheduled exam

Science (8th Grade Only): Wednesday, April 17th

Social Studies (8th Grade Only): Thursday, April 18th

Science/Social Studies Make-ups: Friday, April 19th

Math:

Tuesday, April 30th: 6th & 7th Grades
Wednesday, May 1st: 8th Grade
Thursday, May 2nd: Make-up testing for any students who missed their scheduled exam

Here are some do's and don'ts students were reminded about for the STAAR tests:

Do's:

Bring a fully charged laptop and charger! This is VERY important since our supply is limited
Get plenty of rest the night before the test
Eat a healthy breakfast
Bring a healthy snack (nothing that is messy or disruptive) and water
Give your best effort and take your time (all students have until the end of the school day to finish the test)

Don'ts:

Leave laptop and charger at home
Talk during testing or disrupt the testing environment- this could invalidate a student's score and require them to repeat the test over the summer
Not turn in cell phone/electronic devices - all phones and electronics will be collected, and students will sign the agreement form. Using a phone or electronic device during testing could result in an investigation and invalidating a student's score.

National School Librarian Day!

Today is Ms. Patrick’s special day! Happy National School Librarian Day!

Thank you for all you do for our campus and our students! Westview is lucky to have you.

IPR Eligibility

The next IPR date is Monday, April 8th. Please continue to review Skyward to check your student's grades and attendance.

Students can regain UIL eligibility on Monday, April 15th, which is the UIL Progress Report snapshot date.

Attendance & Tardies

Student attendance is very important for student academic achievement. Please remember to bring excused absence notes when your student misses school. You can also check Skyward for absences and tardies.

Administrators run weekly tardy reports. Students who have more than 5 tardies in a week are notified about making up this missed time Fridays after school from 3:35 p.m. - 5:15 p.m. Parents will be notified via email and phone calls to ensure their student attends. Additionally, students who have more than 20 tardies in a 9-weeks are assigned make-up hours for the excessive tardies. Repeated absences and/or excessive tardies can impact a student's eligibility to attend campus events (i.e., Westfest, Halloween dance) and other school activities.

Student IDs

For student safety, all students are required to bring and wear their IDs daily. If your student has lost their ID, they can purchase a new one in the main office for $5 or pay online.