This week in Pre-K, students continued exploring how trees change during different seasons and discussed how our families prepare for Thanksgiving. Students counted family members, shared favorite family foods for Thanksgiving, and created festive crafts, including flint corn. In literacy, students practiced letter formation with wooden pieces, creating dot art, and reviewing key pictures and sounds for letters they’ve learned so far. In math, students played games to practice matching sets that are the same, an important skill for young learners. They also read about trees in each season and talked about the clothes we wear during those times of the year.

This week in Kindergarten, students explored a variety of skills across subjects! In Fundations, they practiced identifying consonants and short vowels, skywriting and tracing letters, reading simple sentences, and identifying rhyming words. Read-alouds like Fry Bread and Mrs. Wishy Washy supported listening and retelling skills, while Readers’ Workshop focused on rereading books, connecting pictures to text, and answering story questions. During Writing Workshop, students wrote bravely about things they love and began a new “Show and Tell” unit. In Math, they explored number pairs that add to 10, created number books, and deepened their understanding of shapes through movement activities. For Social Studies, students discussed family similarities and differences, drew family pictures, and learned about veterans’ roles in the community. In Science, they observed and recorded weather patterns. It’s been a busy and rewarding week of learning!

Enjoy this week's photo gallery -

There's still time to provide your feedback about our school counseling program. Please CLICK HERE to participate in a quick survey to help us better understand how we can improve the support services available at your school. Your feedback will help us to create a more supportive environment where students feel comfortable addressing personal or academic concerns. The survey will ask about the types of issues addressed, how satisfied you are with the current services, and what improvements you'd like to see. Your input is invaluable and will help shape the resources available to you. Please submit your survey responses no later than Friday, November 22. Thank you for participating.

We are pleased to announce that the Westfield Public School District and Town of Westfield are recipients of the 2024 Green Team Collaboration Award from Sustainable Jersey for Schools. This award recognizes the efforts of school and municipal green teams in creating and promoting sustainable practices in the schools and community.

We've added a quick link on our mobile app to the Genesis Parent Portal, This easy-to-navigate tool provides the latest updates and notifications, all in one place. You can customize it by district and school, and easily access the website. Download for free today on the App Store for the iPhone or Google Play for Android devices.

Thank you to all who participated in this year's annual Food Drive to benefit the Westfield Food Pantry. Through your generosity we were able to collect 121 items.

Reminder: Monday (11/18) and Tuesday (11/19) are one session days for students. Please refer to our School Hours document for arrival and dismissal times.

Our school is excited to participate in Scholastic’s Pajama Drive, which collects new pajamas for children in need, ages 0-12, to help ensure a warm and comforting bedtime. Join us in the spirit of giving by wearing your coziest pajamas to school on Pajama Day, Friday, Dec 13, and consider donating a brand-new set of pajamas to support this wonderful cause!

The PTO will be offering Kindergarteners Pizza Lunch every Friday this November and December! Place your orders today on Membership Toolkit. Deadline for ordering is Monday, October 28th.

Pizza Lunch Fridays will begin on Friday, November 1st and run 11/15, 11/22, 12/6, 12/13.

You will have the option to purchase 1 slice for $3 or 2 slices for $6. Your order includes all 5 lunch dates and there are no refunds once purchased.

Please see details about an upcoming pediatric COVID clinic offered through the Westfield Regional Health Department.

⏰ Timely Arrival

We appreciate your cooperation getting students to school on time each and every day! Late arrivals interrupt the flow of the class, and the late comer requires time to catch up with what the class has already accomplished.

📥Parent Pick-Up & Changes to Dismissal Plans

When the dismissal plan of a student is a parent pick up, it is the expectation that a parent or guardian will pick up. Any change to the plan must be communicated in an email to the teacher and the main office secretaries on the day of the change. The designee for pick up will have to show the teacher a government issued photo ID. These practices help us to manage the safe dismissal of all students.

🤒 Flu Vaccine

A message from Nurse Oviedo: The flu vaccine is required yearly for students ages 4 and under. Please email documentation of your child's 2024-25 flu vaccine to Nurse Oviedo no later than December 31. If your child is in Kindergarten or will be 5 years of age by December 31, providing proof of your child's flu shot no longer required. To learn more about how to protect against the flu, visit the CDC website.

Also known as National American Indian Heritage Month and National American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, Native American Heritage Month in November honors the rich and diverse cultures, traditions, and histories of Indigenous communities.

In her TED Talk, 7-year-old, Molly Wright, emphasizes the power of parent-child interactions like talking and playing, which help young minds thrive by age five. As we approach Thanksgiving, she inspires gratitude for sharing small, everyday moments with young children, as these interactions foster brain development, resilience, and lifelong success.

November

18-19: Parent Teacher Conferences | Early Dismissal

22: PTO Kindergarten Pizza Day

27: Early Dismissal

28-29: School Closed

December

2: National Special Education Day

6: Training Day | PTO Kindergarten Pizza Day

13: Pajama Drive Day | Holiday Concerts, EIS Broadway Singers

20: Early Dismissal | Spirit Day