Westwood Elementary Newsletter

Can you believe that it is already October? I sure am waiting for cooler and more seasonable weather!

Fall conferences are October 22nd and 24th- forms are coming home soon. Please fill out and return as soon as possible so that we can get your scheduled. All students will have a conference scheduled.

We had a super successful Science Spectacular Family Night, thank you to all who attended! We are very grateful for the Ohio State University Extension office who we partnered with for this awesome event. Make sure to check out the photos on our Facebook page.

We have another fun event coming up on Thursday, Oct 10th at Schuster's Greenhouse (8638 Murray Ridge Rd, Elyria). This is a campus event and will offer a fun night of all things fall- hayrides, spending time together, and the greenhouse will be open! Space is limited and you must purchase a ticket to attend. If you need another order form, let us know.

Please encourage your student to exemplify the "3 Bees"- ask your student about this, they will be happy to tell you all about them!

This newsletter contains important information, and I will send only one each month. Please take the time to read it each month- it is packed full of information. We also will have printed copies in the main office, should you need one. Please make sure you have an email listed in PowerSchool that you check regularly- we frequently communicate electronically.

If you drop off or pick up your student- please make sure you are only doing so in the designated pickup and drop off area where staff are located. We do this to ensure your student is safe and supervised by an adult, thank you for your cooperation. You can see more details below in the drop off and pickup procedures.

Regular attendance at the elementary school level is crucial to each student’s success, as it sets up a good pattern for your child’s entire school career. Please make sure your child is here every day that it is possible.

Please follow us if you are not already: Westwood Elementary-Elyria City Schools;

https://www.facebook.com/westwoodelementaryecsd

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. We are excited to continue to work with our staff, you, and our students to make it a great year.

Your Partner in Education,
Ms. Stacey Gatten
Principal

October

8- Picture Day (see flyer below- paper copy is coming home soon)

10- Schuster's Hayride night (WW Campus Event) prepaid tickets required- see flyer below

11- NEOEA Day, no school for students

18- Records Day- no school for students

15/16- 3rd grade Fall OST (Ohio State Test)

22- Fall Conferences (by appointment only)

24- Fall Conferences (by appointment only)

25- Report Cards sent home electronically vis School Messenger

29/30/31- Mobile Dentist

31- Halloween dress up

To ensure drop-off and pickup run smooth and effective:

· You may ONLY enter at 42101 Griswold to enter the car line. Adelbert entrance is only for Preschool. Please do not cut through- this creates additional traffic for EECV, and we want ALL students to be safe. Also please only drop off and pick up in the designated area, do not use the visitor parking for drop off as it it not an area that is supervised by staff.

· Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 8:55 for Elementary School drop off in the morning. If Elementary students arrive early you will need to keep your student(s) in the vehicle with you until staff comes out to unload students at 8:55am.

· Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 3:00pm for Elementary pickup in the afternoon.

· Once in the lot, please pull up to the car in front of you, as this will allow more cars to enter the lot, and keep cars off the street.

· Please be ready and prepared so that we can keep cars moving efficiently in the lot.

· Follow all directions from staff, they are there to help.

· Please drive safe and slow- this is a school zone and we need to keep all students and staff safe.

· You will exit at Griswold also.

We appreciate your help in keeping our students safe.

School hours are 9:10am-3:10pm.

Doors do not open until 8:55- please do not drop off early or allow students to walk early.

If you are dropping off, please hold your child in the car with you until 8:55am.

Please call the office to report your child(ren)’s absence at 284-8002 before 9:30AM. Our phone has 24-hour voicemail so that you may call and leave a message anytime. Please leave a voicemail if no one answers the phone in the office; voicemails are frequently checked and the office will receive your message.

Please make sure you always have a photo ID with you, when you come to the school, this is for the safety of our students.

The Main Office of any school building is a hub of activity. Students and staff are always on the go, in and out of the space throughout the school day.

It’s an active place for regular check-ins and meetings with students, as well as staff conferences and daily interactions with school principals and counselors. The Main Office is also a confidential space at times for conversations and interactions between school personnel and students.

Parents and caregivers are part of the equation, too. For any number of reasons, parents may be asked to come to their child’s school during the day. When that happens, parents should follow the district’s visitor procedures by using the school’s main entrance buzzer and intercom system to gain entrance to the school, and then signing in at the front desk.

If parents/caregivers do not have a meeting at the school but still need to come to the school during the day to see their child or to speak to a staff member, call-ahead notice or an appointment is required.

This ensures parents will be seen in a timely manner and upholds the safety practices of the school. To contact the Main Office, please call 440-284-8002

Our school address is: Westwood Campus, 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035

Our phone number will stay the same: 284-8002

Hello Westwood families!

We’re excited to bring in-school dental care to your students! The mobile dentist will be visiting Westwood Campus on October 29th, 30th, and 31st. Permission forms have been sent home with students. You can sign up online at: www.MySchoolDentist.com.

Head lice can occur commonly among school age children. The head lice policy is listed below for your reference:

Communicable Diseases
Pediculosis (Head Lice)

The District endeavors to protect the health of all students in the District, while maintaining confidentiality whenever possible in health-related matters. As part of this commitment, the following procedures will be instituted in dealing with the problem of head lice.

General Examinations:

1. Students found to have head lice will be removed sensitively from the class. The child’s parent(s)/guardian(s) will then be informed of the problem and school personnel will provide their parent(s)/guardian(s) with information on the proper procedures to follow to treat the condition.
2. The student(s) will not be permitted to return to class until the head lice are gone and this has been verified by trained school personnel through a follow-up examination.
3. Siblings of the student who may or may not be attending other schools in the District will be checked by trained school personnel, as well as those students identified as having been in direct contact with the student.

Notification Procedures:

1. The parent(s)/guardian(s) of the student found to have head lice will be contacted by the school.
2. Information letters will be sent home to all parents/guardian(s) informing them of various health matters and proper prevention procedures to follow. This will be done at least twice during the year.
3. Parents will be informed when an outbreak (three or more) occurs in their child’s classroom so that observations and appropriate prevention measures can be instituted.

Amanda McCall RN, BSN

Westwood Campus

mccallamanda@elyriaschools.org

440-284-8153

Throughout the month of September, your students have participated in lessons and activities that showed why we listen and pay attention, strategies to get back on track when we lose our focus, the importance of making mistakes to learn, and the basics of goal setting.

October is a busy month, packed with National Bullying Prevention Month, Unity Day, and Red Ribbon Week. Beginning next week, the focus of our Second Step classroom curriculum will be the Bullying Prevention Unit along with making healthy and kind choices. In our lessons, your student will learn specific skills to help stop bullying. Students will learn how to:

• Recognize when bullying is happening

• Report bullying to a caring adult

• Refuse to let bullying happen to themselves or others

• Be a bystander who stands up and is part of the solution to bullying

Unity Day is Wednesday, October 16. Please wear orange on that day to "Send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying"!

Also, feel free to continue the conversation at home with your student using the Second Step information below. Thank you!

Visit: www.secondstep.org and use the activation key based on the grade of your student:

Kindergarten: BPUK FAMI LY00

First Grade: BPU1 FAMI LY01

Second Grade: BPU2 FAMI LY02

Third Grade: BPU3 FAMI LY03

Fourth Grade: BPU4 FAMI LY04

Thank you!

Stacey Yee

School Counselor

Westwood Elementary

yeestacey@elyriaschools.org

(440) 284-8244

See below for information from Food Services:

Families may bring in prepackaged treats (with ingredients listed by the company that packaged it) BUT we are really encouraging non-food items. We have to be very careful of food allergies, to keep all students safe. Birthday treats ARE not required or encouraged, but okay, if you choose.

Birthday/Holiday treat ideas include:

Pencils, bookmarks, fidgets, pop-its, bracelets, crayons, squishes, pencil toppers or erasers, glow sticks, play dough, slinkies, stickers, prepackaged snack with ingredients listed (from the company that produces it).

Have you opted in to receive text messages from Elyria Schools?

If you haven't already, please take a moment to sign up to receive automatic text messages from Elyria Schools. This is a valuable tool in an emergency or when there's important, time-sensitive information to share.

The service is free and opting in is easy. Parents or guardians simply need to send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district's short code number at 67587.

Just as simple, you can opt out at any time by replying to one of our messages with “Stop.”

The text feature and the robocall system are tied directly a student's contact information that is on file with your child's school. Please make sure this information is kept up-to-date to ensure you continue receiving calls or texts from Elyria Schools.

Hoodies, and similar tops or jackets with hoods, are "fan favorites" when it comes to school attire. We like them, too, but not when they are worn up and over the head during the school day.

The district's Student Code of Conduct provides direction on headgear, stating that it may not be worn over a person's head or scalp (excluding headgear that's worn for religious or medical reasons.) Hoods can make it difficult to identify an individual in an emergency, and they can also be a distraction in class. Please remind students that hoods may not be worn up during the school day.

The Student Code of Conduct also offers guidance on attire. Clothing must be school appropriate and may not present a health or safety hazard or disrupt the educational environment. Pants and tops must fit properly and be in good repair; crop tops are not permitted.

Additionally, footwear must be school appropriate--slippers and slipper socks are not permitted. Blankets also may not be worn in school.

Students may bring their cell phones to school but they must be turned off and put away during the day unless they are used as a part of a teacher-directed lesson in class. Same rules apply to Bluetooth headphones--they may not be worn during the school day.

If you need to reach your student during the school day, please contact the main office and our staff will convey a message or assist you in reaching your student.

Website: https://www.elyriaschools.org/domain/30
Location: 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Phone: 440-284-8002