Westwood Intermediate/Middle School

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November is often a season of reflection and giving thanks. The focus for our Westwood community this month will be on gratitude. Our Panther Mentor students chose this theme, and they, along with their staff advisors, have planned some special activities for our students to help foster a sense of appreciation and mindfulness.

Here’s a glimpse of what we have planned:

• Gratitude Tree: Each student will have the opportunity to contribute a leaf to our Gratitude Tree by writing down an Act of Gratitude or something they are personally thankful for. These leaves will be displayed in the school to remind us of the many blessings we share within the Westwood community.
• Gratitude Jars: Every classroom will have a Gratitude Jar, where students can write messages of thanks or appreciation for classmates, friends, or family. It’s a small but meaningful way to spread kindness throughout the month.
• Weekly Circles: In grades 7 and 8, our weekly circles will revolve around gratitude questions to spark thoughtful discussions and reflections on the importance of being grateful.

We’re grateful for insights you share with us about your experience. Our next pulse check will be sent out tomorrow. Your insights are essential as we continue to celebrate our successes and identify areas where we can improve. We appreciate you taking a few minutes to share your experiences with us!

We also have opportunities coming up for you to connect with our staff in real-time. Our staff is available to meet with parents and students during office hours on Thursdays, 3:30-5 p.m. You can connect with us in person, by phone, or in an online meeting. Staff will also be reaching out to families directly for check-ins, so please feel free to reach out if you need support, have a question or just want to check in.

A thought to reflect on . . .

“Gratitude is one of the most powerful human emotions. Once expressed, it changes attitudes, brightens outlook, and broadens our perspective.” — Germany Kent

As we work together to cultivate gratitude this month, we are reminded of the importance of these simple yet powerful practices in shaping our school community. Thank you for your continued support and partnership in making Westwood a special place for our students to grow and thrive.

With gratitude for each of you,

Tom Larson

Principal

Winter weather is soon upon us which means it is time to check Spring Lake Park Schools’ emergency notification system. We use this system to keep you informed about school closings or delays and other emergency information. The district will be testing the system on Thursday, November 14 at 6:30 p.m. Depending on your communication preferences, you will receive an email, text message, voicemail and/or push notification on the SLP mobile app.

If you do not receive the message on your preferred device in your preferred way or if you need to update your phone number or email address, visit the Stay Connected page and click on the “Update contact information and communication preferences” accordion to find directions. If you have any questions, please contact communications@district16.org.

Our next Possip pulse check is coming your way Thursday, November 7. You will receive a text message and email with a few simple questions asking for feedback on your experience with school. Watch for the messages from Possip and make sure to reply - in your preferred language - to the brief survey and help keep us updated on your experience. You can choose to share your name - or stay anonymous. We do appreciate when people share their names in case there is a need to follow up. It all takes less than a minute.

• Thursday, November 7 -
• Office Hours, 3:30 - 5 p.m.
• Fundraiser Delivery, Cafeteria, 3-6 p.m..
• Monday, November 18 -
• Grupo de Padres Hispanohablantes de SLP reunion, 5 p.m., Woodcrest Spanish Immersion School
• 7/8 Grade Choir Concert, SLP High School, Fine Arts Center, 7 p.m.
• Monday, November 25 - PTO meeting, The Den, 6 p.m.
• Tuesday, November 26 - End of Trimester 1
• November 27- December 2- No school, holiday
• Wednesday, December 4 - Live on 65: North Country Christmas Ft. Kat Perkins, Fine Arts Center, 7 p.m. - purchase tickets
• December 23-January 1 - No school, holiday

Ms. Duffy's Spanish class did some activities related to Dias de Los Muertos like making paper Cempasúchil (Marigold) flowers and doing color by number activities in Spanish. Students had a fun time with these hands-on learning experiences!

In Spanish 1, Mrs. Delgado class prepared Marigold flowers “cempasúchil” to learn about Mexican traditions related to the Day of the Dead.

This week students are visiting "STARBOOKS COFFEE CAFE" in the Den to learn about the Maud Hart Lovelace Award. Named after a famous Minnesota author, this annual award is chosen by student voters across the state at the end of March who read at least 3 of the 10 nominees. At the preview, students got to see and reserve hard copies of the books, learn where to find digital copies - (see Mackinvia info below), and find out how to turn in review slips for each book, which will be entered into a weekly prize drawing. Slips can be turned in any time the den is open.

Students who turn in slips for all 10 books will be called a judge and will receive a ticket to a party in April where the Westwood and statewide winners are announced, as well as playing trivia game about the books and eating snacks. Books can also be checked out through the public library and on SORA. There are two divisions for the award - 5th grade is Divison 1 and 6-8 is Divison 2. For a list of all books in each division, check the MYRA website at https://myrahome.org/mhl-2025.

All students have access to download this app onto their iPads through self-service. They can check out digital copies of MHL and other books for 21 days. When you get to login page, type in WESTWOOD SCHOOL, BLAINE, MN and students use their regular school user id and password. Once in the system, you can search for a certain book by clicking on magnifying glass. If copies are available you can press checkout and immediately receive book. Otherwise you can press on the request button to get on the wait list.

WW PTO is Westwood’s Parent Teacher Organization, whose goals are to increase parent involvement and enhance student learning and experiences. WW PTO focuses on family enrichment, staff/student support, and community engagement. It is free to participate and any staff/student guardians are welcome to join the fun.

Join our BAND app at to get all the volunteer sign-ups and information throughout the year. We are also on Facebook. Or contact us any time with questions or ideas at slp.westwood.pto@gmail.com.

The Winter Market is back! Join us Saturday, December 7 from 9 a.m.-noon at Spring Lake Park High School, door 29, for some holiday cheer. All are welcome.

Activities include:

• K-4 Gift Shop: Students in grades K-4 can register for FREE to shop for family members in our Gift Shop. Children will be paired up with high school and adult volunteers to shop in our shop so that the gifts can be kept as a surprise. Spots are limited so sign up early. Sign up to shop.
• Panther Store Pop-up: Shop at our Panther Store pop-up and give the gift of Panther apparel and accessories this holiday season. Holiday discounts will be available.
• Entertainment & Treats: Guests will be treated to live music and treats provided by the Panther Foundation
• Kid Activities and Crafts: Young guests are invited to get creative at the activities and crafts table.
• Vendor Tables: Guests will be able to shop various vendor tables. If you are interested in hosting a vendor table to sell items such as baked goods, handmade products, etc. please contact us today.

• Westwood Video Gamers - Do you have a passion for video games? Are video games something you enjoy playing? If so, join the Video Game Club with Mr. Bianco! We will be learning about some of the history of gaming, as well as playing on some of your favorite consoles, such as Xbox, Nintendo Switch, PC, and even a Nintendo 64 - we might even have other surprise systems to try out!

• Archery with AKASPORT -Ignite your passion and excitement for sports by way of bow and arrow. Each day you'll learn the safety, technique and fun of archery, a sport that dates back hundreds of years. Master your aim and accuracy in this sport that is gaining popularity. All equipment provided. Presented by AKASPORT.

Mark your calendars for February 16-22, 2025 for the Panthers for a Purpose Week of Giving celebration. To top off the week, the biggest Panther Party celebration will be held on February 22, 2025 at Bunker Hills Event Center in Coon Rapids. Tickets will go on sale the first week of January. Want to help Spring Lake Park Schools? The Panther Foundation is collecting item donations for the annual silent auction fundraiser. Please see our Silent Auction Wishlist on the Panthers for a Purpose webpage to donate items and experiences for our community to bid on during the fundraising week.

• 8 Reasons Families Choose Spanish Immersion
• Live on 65: Kat Perkins Holiday Concert, Dec. 4
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• What does personalized learning really mean?

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