West Weekly Update
October 13, 2023
A message from Ms. Elizabeth Martinez, Principal
Principal Message Community
Thank you for contributing to a smooth start to our 2023-2024 school year! Creating a supportive and collaborative culture in schools is essential for the overall development and success of students. When schools work together, they can share resources, knowledge, and best practices to create a more enriching educational experience for all our learners.
We are moving in the right direction but still have a lot of work to do. Our collective success is found in the collaborative. Teachers, Support Staff, Social Workers, Counselors, Security, Maintenance, Food Service, and community members are not an island to themselves. We must work together with voice and agency to build a better Proviso.
Starting this week, administration, security, PTU Union, maintenance, and key stakeholders will meet regularly to discuss the need for our building to be more proactive and far less reactive to the issues and needs that impact our school, the kids, and, by extension the community we serve.
We welcome two new instructional leaders to our admin team! Dr. Gottlieb is our Assistant Principal of Academics, and Ms. Jones is our Assistant Principal of Student Success.
Dr. Anne Gottlieb has been an educator for over 20 years, beginning her career as an English teacher in Chicago Public Schools. She later became a Principal of an alternative school in Chicago before coming to Proviso West in 2019. She has worked as an Academic Interventionist and English and OneGoal teacher here. And she is thrilled to be an Assistant Principal of Instruction. She holds degrees from Northwestern University and DePaul University and earned her Doctor of Education from National Louis University in Chicago. When she is not working, she is trying to keep up with her three sons and two dogs. Or she is writing poetry and essays. Her work has been published in Salon and East on Central.
Shameka A. Jones was born and raised in the south suburbs of Chicago. As the daughter of two retired teachers, she never thought to explore the teaching profession because of witnessing the difficulty that each day brought for her parents. It wasn't until she began subbing that she ultimately discovered the impact she could make in the classroom and the power of building relationships. Thus, she attained her Secondary Education certification through National Louis University in 2010. Her career in education spans 13 years of experience ranging from elementary to high school settings, primarily in the area of Special Education. She started her educational career with the Chicago Public School District as well as the Chicago Charter and Summer Youth Science Programs. Her passion and love for children with the greatest academic challenges has equipped her to frame her instruction with various social emotional learning strategies coupled with content specific knowledge. Her belief is to teach the whole child in order to create the value within each and every learning experience. By doing so, children begin to believe that success is something they can achieve.
Academics Update:
PSAT for grades 9, 10, and 11 will be on Tuesday, October 24. This is an essential practice for the state test in April. These grades will be taking the test from approx. 9 am - 12 pm.
Please prepare your students for testing by ensuring they get a good night's sleep and eat a proper breakfast. Students should wear their IDs daily. They must be in attendance and on time for testing days.
Senior will report to school for post-high school planning.
All classes will resume at approx. 12 pm until 3:15 pm dismissal.
Student Success Update:
As a school community, we are working on building a culture of restorative justice to ensure diversity and inclusivity. We have launched our new tardy policy in hopes that students see the value in attending class and excelling academically. Our restorative program will be a stepping-stone to accomplishing this goal through fairness and equity. Our partnerships with West40 will help teachers build efficacy with restorative practices and the direct work impacting our students’ mindset and behavior through PLCCA and our Behavior Interventionists’ efforts.
West is the Best! ❤️
We do everything better together! 😉
Elizabeth Martinez
Principal
Proviso West High School
708-657-6190 cell
On Thursday, October 12, the Soccer team and the Swim team acknowledged and celebrated their seniors. The students were awarded a plaque that highlighted their accomplishments and commitment.
During the ceremony, the soccer players shared what they learned and enjoyed most about playing soccer and being a part of the Proviso West team. The players also talked about their plans for the future and how the lessons they learned on the soccer field have help prepare them for life after high school whether its college career or entrepreneurship. Family, friends and coaches were in attendance to show support and help them celebrate.
Proviso West is Panther Proud of all of our sports teams and appreciate them for representing us on the field, in the water and on the court.
Proviso's Technology Department has been hard at work this summer, ensuring that all technology resources and support are ready and available for the start of the school year. Below is a list of common links, building IT staff, and application-specific contacts.
District 209 has made tutoring accessible to all students through PAPER! This tutoring resource provides FREE Academic Support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Common Links
PowerSchool Teachers: https://pschool.pths209.org/teachers
PowerSchool Substitutes: https://pschool.pths209.org/subs/
PowerSchool Students: https://pschool.pths209.org/
Schoology: https://pths209.schoology.com/
Clever: https://clever.com/in/pths209
Support Contacts
PowerSchool & Clever: Mr. DeJuan Moon dmoon@pths209.org
Schoology & Other Instructional Applications: Ms. Felicia Lee felee@pths209.org
Proviso West IT Support: Mr. Victor Chielo vchielo@pths209.org (Room D202)
Parent Coordinator: Gail Hibbler ghibbler@pths209.org (Room E134) (708-427-8247)
