I want to share some updates from this summer.
Our facilities team has been working hard to support the maintenance projects at Westchester. The floors are waxed, the paint has been touched up and soon the teachers will add their special touch. Our new classroom rugs purchased by our PTA have arrived! A big Thank You goes to our custodial team for their hard work this summer. I want to welcome Ms. Cynthia Howe to the incredible custodial team with Ms. Lacretia Chambers and Ms. Candace Morton.
The PTA board and I met and we have a great calendar set for terrific family engagement this year. We are planning to have our Fall Festival in October. The Pizza Bingo and the Pajama Dance Party are returning this year. PTA meetings are scheduled along with a Parent Engagement event to showcase the ongoing work of the Westchester students and staff. The board is looking for some willing volunteers to help make this the best year ever. More information in the section below.
Community circles are a special tradition at WE. The dates are located on our school calendar. They typically fall on the last Friday of the month at 8:20 AM. Please plan to attend and see our students share their school pride.
The staffing updates for this year are very exciting.
We are excited to have a new addition to our Kindergarten team. Ashley Greenfield and Jessica Smith will be joining Ms. Reanux/Ms. Bonnie and Ms. Wertz/Ms. Walsh on the kindest kindergarten team.
Ms. Montgomery and Ms. Parker are returning to our fabulous 1st-grade team
Ms. Rogers, Ms. Morrison, and Ms. Seides/Ms. Ware will make up our super 2nd-grade team.
There will be familiar faces in new places as well. Coach Henry is now Ms. Henry and will be our full-time AP! Ms. Cannon is truly a utility player and will teach PE and support our EIP intervention program.
Ms. Bowers, Ms. Bush, and Ms. Chandler are also returning along with Ms. Kniasia and Mr. Kam to support all of the students in each grade K-2.
Ms. Peacock is returning to us in a part-time position. No worry, she has so much love and care to go around she can do it all in a few days.
Lastly, we are so fortunate to have our Specials team, Gifted, and Intervention staff returning.
Last year, we adjusted our morning routine. We will begin our morning announcements again at 8:15 in order to begin our Crew meetings promptly at 8:20. Arrival begins at 8:00. This year we will have a new communication app, Pick Up Patrol that you can download to your phone. If you have a student at F.AVE then you are already familiar with this. You should be receiving an email soon with more information but we will make sure you are all set up by the first day of school. This will allow you to communicate any transportation and attendance changes through the app more conveniently.
As a Credentialed EL School, we are one of fifty schools nationwide that have earned this recognition. The EL Education School model is grounded in the Three Dimensions of Student Achievement that create a learning environment that promotes the development of Character, High Quality Work and Mastery of Knowledge and Skills for all students. This credential recognition means that we are an exemplary school that sets the bar for schools across the nation. I am proud to say now we have earned this for a second time.
Great schools make great communities and great communities make great schools. You can not separate the two and this is certainly true for Westchester ES and our community. There is much to look forward to in the coming year.
Sincerely,
Christine C. Knox
Principal
The following information will be helpful as you prepare to return to school. Thank you for your trust and encouragement as we begin this journey together.
