Westfield Arrow

March is Returning Student Registration Month. The registration portal will open on Tuesday, March 4th. We ask that all parents complete the registration process by Friday, March 28, 2025. Registration helps us determine student enrollment and plan for sections at each grade level and class assignments. If your child will not be returning for the 2025-2026 school year, please notify the office as soon as possible so we can update our records. New students to the district should complete the new student registration. Click here to begin the Returning Student Registration portal.

5 Essentials Parent Survey - Window now open

The window for the 5Essentials annual survey conducted by the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is now open through March 28th. The 5Essentials Survey measures schools in 5 key areas: Ambitious Instruction, Collaborative Teachers, Effective Leaders, Involved Families, and Supportive Environment. The survey should take about 15 minutes to complete and is phone friendly. We really value your feedback and we encourage you to complete the survey. Thank you!

Link to 2025 Illinois Parent Survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

It will ask you to type in DuPage and Westfield Middle School.

5 Essentials Student Survey

Students in grades 4 & 5 at the elementary schools and students in grades 6,7, & 8 at Westfield will be provided the opportunity to complete a student version of the 5 Essentials Survey. At Westfield, the Student Survey will be administered during the week of March 17th. Please review this Parent Notification of 5 Essentials Survey for more information regarding the Student Survey. The Parent Notification letter contains a link where parents & guardians can view the questions that are asked of students and the letter also provides parents & guardians with the option to opt-out of the student survey for their child.

School Safety Community Forum

On Monday, March 10th, the District 13 Board of Education will have a special meeting at 6:00pm at Erickson Elementary. This forum will highlight the work of the District Safety Committee and share information on updates made to the District Safety Plan, how we prepare students and staff, as well as how we will communicate with families in an emergency. Please see the flyer below for more information and to sign up for child care. We hope to see you there!

8th Grade ISA Testing - March 25th & 26th

During the week of March 24th, 8th graders will complete the Illinois Science Assessment. Students will complete session 1 in the morning and session 2 in the afternoon on Tuesday, March 25th. Session 3 will be in the morning on Wednesday, March 26th. Please be sure that all 8th graders have a charged chromebook, charger, and headphones with them for each day of testing. Please reach out to your student's science teacher with any questions regarding the assessment.

Celebrate Women's History Month

Women's History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions made by women throughout U.S. history. Although students at Westfield learn about the achievements and history of women throughout the school year in all courses, we also believe it is important to use this month to encourage students and families to learn more. We encourage students to have conversations at home about the contributions made by women throughout the history of the United States. The following links have wonderful resources: History.com and Womenshistorymonth.gov

Save the Date! - 5th to 6th Grade Transition Night - May 15th at Westfield

Current 5th Grade students and their parents/guardians are invited to visit Westfield Middle School on May 15th from 6:00pm - 7:30pm for 5th-to-6th Grade Transition Night. Information will also be shared directly with 5th grade parents via communication from DuJardin and Erickson Elementary schools.

5th Graders will begin the evening with Westfield Student Council members and will be provided a short presentation and a tour of the building. Parents will begin the evening in the Athletic Gym and will be provided a presentation by Westfield Administration and Staff highlighting the unique aspects of middle school.

The presentations will begin at 6:00pm. Please enter through our Athletic Entrance, Door 32, located along the front parking lot. Following the presentations, parents will have the opportunity to visit with staff members, tour the building with their child, and visit our Book Fair. We hope to see all of our incoming 6th graders and their parents/guardians at Westfield on May 15th!

Reminder to Save the Dates! - 8th Grade End-of-the-Year Events

We are excited to share tentative dates for some of our 8th Grade end-of-the-year events. As we get closer to early April we will provide you with more details for each event.

• 8th Grade Dance - Wednesday, May 21st
• 8th Grade Celebration Field Trip - Thursday, May 22nd
• Warrior Excellence Awards Assembly - Tuesday, May 27th
• Graduation Ceremony - Wednesday, May 28th at 6:00pm

Have a wonderful extended weekend!

Stefan Larsson

Principal

Amanda Vreeland

Assistant Principal

• MARCH 3 No School - Casimir Pulaski Day
• MARCH 7 End of Trimester 2
• MARCH 7 Comic-Con at Lake Park HS 4-7pm
• MARCH 9 Daylight Savings (clocks 'Spring' forward)
• MARCH 10 Community Forum at Erickson Elem. School 6pm
• MARCH 14 Basketball Brawl 6-8pm

The academic teams will be updating the links weekly during the school year with news and any upcoming information.

• 6th GRADE TEAM
• 7th GRADE TEAM
• 8th GRADE TEAM
• EXPLORE TEAM (grades 6, 7, 8)
• P.E. TEAM (grades 6, 7, 8)
• WF SPECIALISTS (grades 6, 7, 8)
• BAND NEWSLETTER

Each week the staff recognizes students for demonstrating outstanding character based on attitudes or actions that follow the Character Counts! Pillars and our WARRIORS Mission and Vision:

''We are W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S. Our mission and vision for the future are for all staff and students to be Welcoming, Ambitious, Respectful, Responsible, Innovative, Optimistic, Reflective, and Successful."

The Education Foundation is excited to introduce this year's main fundraiser, the Westfield Glow Run. Our goal is to raise $8,000 for Bloomingdale School District 13 Education Foundation's Teacher Grant Request to benefit ALL students at Westfield Middle School. Erickson and DuJardin are also hosting a Glow Run with individual fundraising goals.

We’re excited for this fundraising experience because it offers 3 important things to our school community:

1️⃣ User-friendly fundraising platform

2️⃣ Character enrichment program

3️⃣ Fitness-focused event that includes ALL of our students

As a family, you will work together asking friends and family to donate on your student’s donation page. The best part is, you can still support our school just by SHARING about the fundraiser!

Key Dates to Remember:

💻 Sign up online starting the week of March 4th! Information to come on sign-up!

🎉 Fundraiser Kickoff day at Westfield – 03/6/2025

👟 Event Day – 03/17/2025

It is a FREE event to students, but bring some spending money! Make 'Zines', play trivia, visit vendors, a Smash Bros tournament, raffles, Cosplay contest, food for purchase, dance off, karaoke, and more! Get all the Comic-Con info here:

LPC2 website and here is REGISTRATION INFO

Lake Park organizes transportation for students from Westfield directly to the event on Friday, March 7, at 3:30pm. (WF students need to secure their own ride home from EAST CAMPUS). Students must get a permission slip signed by a parent/guardian to ride the bus. Bus Permission Slip

If a student needs Chromebook/Password/Repair/Loaner assistance from the Technology Department, the student must use the link below to request support:

Technology Support TICKET

Yearbooks will be delivered to Westfield in May 2025.

If a passcode is requested: 1014041382501890

ORDER YEARBOOK WITH TREE RING

On Monday, March 10th, the District 13 Board of Education will have a special meeting at 6:00pm at Erickson Elementary. This forum will highlight the work of the District Safety Committee and the updates made to the District Safety Plan. Please see the flyer below for more information and to sign up for child care.

March is Returning Student Registration Month. The registration portal will open on Tuesday, March 4th. We ask that all parents complete the registration process by Friday, March 28, 2025.

[If your child will not be returning for the 2025-2026 school year, please notify the office as soon as possible so we can update our records.]

• RETURNING STUDENT PORTAL = attended DuJardin, Erickson or Westfield last year
• NEW STUDENT PORTAL= brand new to District 13

As a reminder, absences may be considered excused for reasons of 1) personal illness/Dr. appointment/mental health, 2) bereavement, 3) family emergencies, 4) observance of religious holidays, and 5) request in writing, approved in advance by the administration. Please, use the Westfield Attendance Email: wfattendance@sd13.org, or call the Office 630-529-6211-both available 24/7 to report an absence or late arrival. Thank you!

ISBE ABSENTEEISM AND TRUANCY POLICY

Attention Lake Park Seniors who are Westfield alumni!! The Westfield PTO offers TWO $750.00 college/trade school scholarships each year. If you attended one of the D13 elementary schools -DuJardin or Erickson - you may apply to the elementary school's as well as Westfield's scholarship.

The deadline is APRIL 11th.

You can apply for the Westfield scholarship here: https://app.goingmerry.com/scholarships/lphs---bloomingdale-school-district-13--westfield-middle-school-2025/57898

D13 2025 PTO SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION

We appreciate everyone who drives extra slow along Fairfield when students are present and for your patience when the roadway is congested during drop-off and pick-up times. To help us keep our students safe as they arrive at school each day, please review the following vehicle drop-off procedures. Thank you!

• The school parking lots are only for Bus traffic and staff vehicles during morning drop-off and afternoon pick-up times.

• Students arriving by car must be dropped off on the Westfield side of Fairfield Way to avoid hazards for students and undue congestion along the street.

• For their safety, students are not allowed to cross Fairfield unless they use a designated crosswalk.

• Designated crosswalks are located at the corner of Fairfield Way & Hingham Lane, the corner of Fairfield Way & Schick Rd. and at both of our parking lot entrances and exits. We ask that No U-turns are made near crosswalks or in front of the school.

• Drop-off by the main doorway is not required in middle school. When the weather allows, it may be best to have your child safely exit the vehicle further down along Fairfield and walk along the sidewalk to the school.

• Our District 13 Buildings & Grounds staff maintains the sidewalk and patio areas along the front of the school property, from the edge of Circle Park by our parking lot entrance up to the corner of Fairfield Way and Schick Rd. This maintenance includes snow removal and salting of the front walkway. When notified by students or residents, we do alert the Village of Bloomingdale of any hazards along sidewalks outside of school district property.

• When using the designated drop-off lane along the front of the school, please pull all the way forward whenever possible. Our paraprofessionals who assist with morning supervision will continue to do their best to ask drivers to pull forward.

We are excited to share tentative dates for some of our 8th Grade end-of-the-year events. As we get closer to early April we will provide you with more details for each event.

• 8th Grade Dance - Wednesday, May 21st
• 8th Grade Celebration Field Trip - Thursday, May 22nd
• Warrior Excellence Awards Assembly - Tuesday, May 27th
• Graduation Ceremony - Wednesday, May 28th at 6:00pm

We are planning to hold the Graduation Ceremony outdoors again this year at the Lake Park West Stadium on May 28th at 6:00pm. One of the advantages of being outdoors means that each graduate is able to invite more guests. Unfortunately, if weather forces us to hold the ceremony indoors in the auditorium each graduate will be limited to approximately 4 guests due to the capacity of the auditorium. Tickets for the ceremony will be distributed to 8th graders along with their gowns.

The 8th Grade Dance is co-sponsored by our PTO and is typically held off site at a local venue. All school rules apply for students while attending the event and students may lose their eligibility to attend the dance due to behavior infractions. There is no cost to students for this event.

The 8th Grade Trip to Six Flags Great America is led by our 8th grade teachers. The 8th grade team will be sharing details of the trip with students and their families once the plans have been finalized. The 8th Grade Dance and 8th Grade Field Trip are optional events for 8th graders. If you have any questions about the trip or need financial assistance, please do not hesitate to contact our 8th grade Team Leader, Mr. Al Sparks or our School Counselor, Ms. Lindsay Fenton.

The Warrior Excellence assembly is held during the school day and due to the capacity of our gymnasium, attendance by guests is by invitation only. Parents and guardians of students nominated for an award will be sent an invitation to attend the assembly once nominations are finalized.

ALMA: is used to register students, contains attendance information, grades and progress reports. ALL families have login information for ALMA.

Please utilize this site to view grades, attendance, and for trimester and quarterly progress.

CLICK HERE for Alma Parent Login Instructions at westfield.getalma.com

OTUS: is our District's Data Warehouse (https://my.otus.com/login).This site contains historical (K-8) data and current student assessment data: MAP data, IAR data and CoGat data. Please review this OTUS PARENT LETTER to learn more about accessing your child's information in OTUS. If you are a returning student, you created an OTUS account last year and can view the assessment data.

If you have not paid your 2024-2025 school fees, please sign onto My School Bucks to pay your fees. Detailed instructions to create your account can be found here.

In order to be notified when fees are posted to your student(s) account, you must have an account set up with a valid email address. Payments are due by September 1st of each year.

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Please sign into My School Bucks ,then, create an account and attach your student(s).

2. Click on the 'Person Icon' in the upper right hand corner

3. In the drop down that appears, select 'My Students.'
4. On the My Students page, click the blue 'Add Student' button.

>> Once the fees are posted to your student(s) account(s), you will receive an email notification from My School Bucks. If you have not received an email, this means the fees were probably posted prior to you creating an account.

Westfield Families:

• Along with the registration fee, 8th-grade students will have their graduation fee applied to their account.
• Sixth-grade students will have their lock fee applied to their account.

MY SCHOOL BUCKS INSTRUCTIONS

Fee Waiver Application

STEP 1: Download the FirstView ® ParentView App. Go to firstviewapp.com or find FirstView ® in the App Store or Google Play. Follow the instructions to download the app to your smartphone. *You can also access the ParentView in your browser at https://web.firstviewapp.com/login

STEP 2: Set Up Your Profile. Open the FirstView ® app from your home screen and begin the registration process. You’ll be asked to: a) Select State: Illinois b) Select District: D11-12-13-108 c) Enter Student ID You’ll then be prompted to REGISTER*.

STEP 3: Follow a Stop. Once you have confirmed your account, login and select Profile to “Add A Student”. This is specific to your student: 1) Enter Student ID 2) Security Code. Once you select “Done”, you will be able to see stop information in your Profile. The Scheduled Stop times will also appear on your FirstView ® Map. You may track multiple student’s stops.

STEP 4: Set Notifications Go to Settings and select “Notification Recipients” to add email notifications for up to 3 recipients, including yourself. From this screen, you can also edit your Profile or follow another student’s stop. Alerts and notifications from your district or the bus depot will appear under Notifications in the menu.

Your child can take IXL with them anywhere with the IXL app for tablets and smartphones! This app is tailor-made for mobile devices to create a fun and immersive experience that learners love.

On October 30, 2024, the Illinois State Board of Education released the 2024 Illinois Report Card for schools. Westfield received a summative designation of Exemplary for the third year in a row! We would like to congratulate everyone in the Westfield Community, including our students, staff, and parents.

The Exemplary rating is given to schools performing in the top 10% of schools statewide, with no underperforming student groups. Schools are rated on a number of factors, including student scores on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in both ELA & Math, the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA), and the school environment. We are extremely proud of the students and staff at Westfield!

To ALL 7th and 8th GRADE PARENTS re: SPORTS PHYSICAL:

A current, sports-physical exam is required if your 7th or 8th grade student wishes to participate on Westfield, after-school, sports teams -- BEFORE their sport season starts and in time for tryouts. (6th graders already have mandated forms submitted.)

[WESTFIELD SPORTS: Cross Country/Basketball/Cheer/Poms/Volleyball/Track & Field]

SPORTS PHYSICAL FORM

Questions? Email Westfield's Nurse: dawnrider@sd13.org

• Please note that all PE excuses need to be sent to Mrs. Rider, Westfield's nurse, not the PE teacher. Mrs. Rider will communicate with the PE Department.
• A parent may excuse a student from PE for 3 days. Thereafter, a medical doctor's note is required.
• Extended PE absences require updated MD notes on a monthly basis.

• When exercising vigorously or sweating, children from 9-12 years of age need to drink about 3-8 ounces of water every 20 minuters to stay hydrated.
• Teens need to drink about 34-50 ounces of water per hour.
• Energy drinks contain high concentrations of caffeine and other stimulants. They are NOT regulated as foods. The labels DO NOT reveal the exact amount of caffeine in each drink; it can be equivalent to 4 to 5 cups of coffee.
• In children, energy drinks can cause life-threatening, irregular heart rhythms, shaking, stomach aches, headaches and nervousness.

• The district's medication administration policy mandates that all medication administered at school requires a Medical Doctor's order. This includes over-the-counter medications; students may NOT keep over-the-counter meds in their backpacks or in their lockers--including cough drops, Advil, etc. This is an important safety concern!
• If your incoming 6th grader requires an inhaler, Epi-Pen, or any oral medication, please obtain the medication form and appropriate health care plan from your physician when your child has their exam. Forms may also be obtained on the district website.
• Questions? Please contact Mrs. Rider, Westfield Nurse at dawnrider@sd13.org

1. DOCTOR MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION FORM
2. PARENT AUTHORIZATION

• What is Whooping Cough?
• Pertussis Fact Sheet
• The DuPage County Health Department MEDICAL ALERT & FACT SHEET

HEALTH RESOURCE INFORMATION FROM THE CDC

Hot Lunch needs you! Please sign-up using the link below -- even if you can only offer occasional assistance! Westfield hot lunch happens Wednesdays-Thursdays-Fridays 11:38am-12:22pm.

It's easy, it's quick, plus, you get to see your middle schooler in action!

CLICK HERE to volunteer for hot lunch

> > ALREADY HAVE A WESTFIELD HOT LUNCH ACCOUNT? CORRECT YOUR STUDENT'S GRADE!

Please remember to update your student's ordering profile here! This information ensures accurate distribution of your student's lunch for the 2024-25 school year.

> > NEW TO WESTFIELD HOT LUNCH?

1. Go to www.wholesomefoodservices.com; select 'Sign Up'

2. Click 'Create Account' and set up a profile for each student by selecting 'Add New Profile' under the 'Profiles' tab

3. Select School name; select 'Order Now' to view menus and place orders

4. Enter your credit/debit card information to pay securely online

ORDER HOT LUNCH HERE

Westfield Parents and Guardians! Sign up to volunteer for the school year 2024-2025:

• Committee Chairpersons still needed: Hot Lunch, Parties/Dances, Teacher Appreciation, Spirit Wear, Social Media, Box Tops
• Questions? Email westfieldmpto@gmail.com for information.

And, it's on sale!

Westfield gear and spiritwear...check it out.

Shop at https://1stplace.sale/31131

• President: Cynthia Perez
• Vice-President: Melissa Graham
• Treasurer: Agata Rojba
• Secretary: Kavita Maharaj
• Westfield PTO Email: westfieldmpto@gmail.com

Benefits of your $20 membership for all students:

(Please, pay with MySchoolBucks) MEMBERSHIP FORM

• All-School parties and dances
• Classroom 'wish' lists
• Teacher appreciation
• Scholarships
• Field Trips
• Student awards

Westfield Middle School collects Box Tops for Education™.

All you need is your phone!

• Download the Box Tops app
• Use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase
• The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online

Twice a year, Westfield will receive a check for whatever the school needs!

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact the PTO at westfieldmpto@gmail.com Thanks for your support!!

School Day Hours: 8:30am- 3:30pm.

Students are guided into the building by staff between 8:10 - 8:20am and are expected to be seated in their 1st period class at 8:30am. All classes are 44 min with a 3 min passing period. Lunchtime, Flextime, & Study Hall for all grades are between 11:38 - 12:22pm. Students will be dismissed from school at 3:30pm. All students attend the following courses: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, & Exploratory.

ATTENDANCE EMAIL FOR LATE OR ABSENT STUDENTS: wfattendance@sd13.org

• Standards & Expectations for Student Behavior
• Westfield Student Handbook

• Social Worker, Sheila Zagotta (szagotta@sd13.org)

• School Counselor, Lindsay Fenton (Lfenton@sd13.org)

UPCOMING EVENTS FOR STUDENTS & PARENTS Registration is open for all events!

1. SHADOW at SFHS – 7th grade students see classes with a student host, have lunch, and experience college prep with a Franciscan spirit.

• Select days, Monday-Friday

1. CAMPUS TOURS (Talk & Tour) – Visit for a tour during school hours.

• Select days, Monday-Friday

Register for events at https://www.sfhscollegeprep.org/admissions/visit-st-francis-high-school

St. Francis High School, a co-educational Catholic institution in Wheaton, Illinois, is dedicated to college preparation and has been fostering students' spiritual, academic, physical, and social growth for over 65 years.

The Bloomingdale School District has a Virtual Backpack that is filled with flyers and information from District 13 and various organizations located throughout Bloomingdale.

Please click on the link if you are also interested in activities or information from outside organizations.

DISTRICT 13 AND COMMUNITY VIRTUAL BACKPACK FLYERS

We are W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S.

Website: sd13.org > Schools > Westfield Middle School

Location: 149 Fairfield Way, Bloomingdale, IL 60108

Phone: 630-529-6211 Fax: 630-893-9336

We are working with students to create "How-To" Videos to support students and parents. Below are some of the topics we have videos for so far. We will continue to cover different topics as they come up. (*If the video is not linked here it is in the process of being made and edited, but we wanted you to know it is coming!)

Gmail:

• How to delete all email (6th grade)
• How to appropriately write an email
  
• You can only email other sd13.org email addresses
• Creating Bookmarks
• Starring and snoozing Emails

Google Classroom:

• How to Join Classroom(with Code)
• How to Join with Teacher Invite
• Check Stream and classwork page
  
• How to Turn in assignments

FlipGrid:

• Accessing
• Creating
• Responding/Replying

Chromebook:

• Pinning Apps to Chromebook Shelf

• How to set up Google Classroom email summaries for Parents and Guardians