The WJHS Panther Update

Welcome back to another exciting school year! We hope you had a restful and joyful summer, filled with special moments and memories. As we embark on this new academic journey together, we want to extend a heartfelt welcome to all of our returning families, and a special greeting to those who are joining us for the first time.

This year promises to be filled with new opportunities for learning, growth, and connection. Our dedicated team of educators is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and engaging environment where every student can thrive.

We believe that strong partnerships between home and school are key to a successful school experience. We encourage you to stay connected with us, share your thoughts, and be an active part of our school community. Together, we can ensure that each child feels valued, challenged, and inspired to reach their full potential.

Westmont Junior High prides itself on its Three Pillars of Expectations: Be respectful. Be responsible. Be Safe. When students exhibit any or all of these expectations, they may earn Panther Paw tickets. Tickets can be redeemed for special prizes or participation in assemblies and other WJHS activities.

Today was Standard Day at the Jr. High, in which our staff reviewed procedural and behavior expectations of our students including an overview of lockers, hallways, bathrooms, buses, technology, safety, and dress code. Please see our handbook for more information on what your child reviewed today.

Our day wrapped up with an extremely fun and competitive life-size game of Hungry Hungry Hippo! Be sure to ask your child who won the championship game!

During the first couple weeks of school, the bus company is working through their new bus routes for the year. We ask for your patience during this time, and should you have a concern, please contact our office so that we can follow up with the bus company.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind drivers in our communities about the rules for stopping when a school bus stop arm extends.

This article supports the reason for the rule and the image below can be used to help instruct drivers:

This is a reminder that you cannot stop or idle on Oakwood Dr. north of our school or anywhere on Blackhawk Dr. when picking up your student after school. This is for your safety, your student's safety, and the safety of those around you. If you arrive early and cannot fit in the drive-through, please park on a side street, drive past the school and park, or drive around until your student is ready to be picked up in front of the school.

Wednesday, Aug 21 is picture day. Make sure to mark you calendar and wear your best smile!

Curriculum night will be held on Thursday, Sept. 5, from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet our staff and learn about our curriculum. Ms. Quattrone and Mr. Lipinski will also host a special presentation from 5:30 to 6:00 that will overview our curriculum and schoolwide behavioral expectations. We hope to see you there.

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time. It is also an important time to teach, review, and reinforce expected behaviors inside of our school buildings. We want to partner with you to ensure that our school is a safe and productive place for learning to take place, friendships to flourish, and memories to be made.

At WJHS we are implementing a clearly defined process of progressive discipline. It is important that all stakeholders understand the process from the start, and know what to expect in terms of intervention and communication.

Please visit the WJHS Schoolwide Progressive Discipline Model page on our school website to learn more.

Did you know that you, as a family member, can view your students' work in OTUS? Here is the informational link to sign up: https://help.otus.com/en/articles/894649-family-guide-create-a-family-account.

We encourage you to visit our website to learn more about the Bilingual Parent Advisory Committee (BPAC). BPAC is a group of parents, educators, and community members dedicated to supporting our bilingual programs and ensuring the voices of English Learner (EL) students in our Transitional Bilingual Education (TBE) program(s) are heard. BPAC helps bilingual parents understand how our programs work so they can advocate for their children's academic needs. The committee also provides resources, encourages ongoing involvement in the district, and strengthens our community’s investment in the success of EL students. We're always looking for new members to join us in making a difference. Your participation can help create a more inclusive and supportive environment for our bilingual learners. If you have any questions or would like to join BPAC, please contact Edith Courington at ecourington@cusd201.org.

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Le recomendamos que visite nuestro sitio web para obtener más información sobre el Comité Asesor de Padres Bilingües (BPAC). BPAC es un grupo de padres, educadores y miembros de la comunidad dedicados a apoyar nuestros programas bilingües y garantizar que se escuchen las voces de los estudiantes aprendices de inglés (EL) en nuestros programas de Educación Bilingüe de Transición (TBE). BPAC ayuda a los padres bilingües a comprender cómo funcionan nuestros programas para que puedan defender las necesidades académicas de sus hijos. El comité también proporciona recursos, fomenta la participación continua en el distrito y fortalece la inversión de nuestra comunidad en el éxito de los estudiantes EL. Siempre estamos buscando nuevos miembros que se unan a nosotros para marcar la diferencia. Su participación puede ayudar a crear un entorno más inclusivo y de apoyo para nuestros estudiantes bilingües. Si tiene alguna pregunta o desea unirse a BPAC, comuníquese con Edith Courington en ecourington@cusd201.org.

BPAC invites ELL and Dual Language Families to join us at Ty Warner park on September 13th at 6PM as we celebrate the beginning of a new school year! (Flyer below)

Come meet other families and share one your favorite dishes at our very first BPAC meeting. Please let us know that you will be attending by registering by scanning the QR Code below. If you have any questions, please email cusd201bpac@gmail.com.

Venga a conocer a otras familias y comparta uno de sus platos favoritos en nuestra primera reunión de BPAC. Háganos saber que asistirá registrándose escaneando el código QR a continuación. Si tiene alguna pregunta, envíe un correo electrónico a cusd201bpac@gmail.com.

For those of you who do not know, Mrs. Debbie Dickert, our school nurse retired at the end of the 23/24 school year. We are very excited to let you know that our staff and students are now in the very capable hands of Mrs. Christine Knight, Nurse and Ram Biswa, our health aide.

Please make note of their contact information, so that physicals and records are sent to the proper emails.

Christine Knight

cknight@cusd201.org

630-468-8234

Ram Biswa

rbiswa@cusd201.org

630-468-8234

Low-cost immunizations may be obtained through the DuPage County Health Department at one of its monthly immunization clinics. Please contact the health offices directly for an appointment. Please contact our school office if you have any questions regarding district immunization records or other health requirements.

Vaccination information

• Vaccine schedule for children 6 or younger: CDC (English / Espanol)
• Vaccine schedule for children 7 and older: CDC (English / Espanol)
• COVID-19 vaccine: CDC (English / Espanol)
• Flu vaccines: CDC (English / Espanol) Facts about the flu vaccine (English / Espanol)
• Meningococcal vaccines for preteens and teens: Fact sheet (English / Espanol) CDC (English / Espanol)

Immunization resources

East Public Health Center, 111 E. Jackson, Lombard
(630) 620-3350
No clinic first Tuesday of the month
Open all other Tuesdays 3 - 6:30 p.m.

North Public Health Center, 1111 W. Lake, Addison
(630) 620-3325
No clinic first Tuesday of the month
Open all other Tuesdays 3 - 6:30 p.m.

Southeast Public Health Center, 422 N. Cass, Westmont
(630) 969-7030
No clinic first Tuesday of the month
Open all other Tuesdays 3 - 6:30 p.m.

West Public Health Center 111 N. County Farm, Wheaton
(630) 682-7560
First Thursday of the month 9 a.m. to noon
All other Thursdays 3 - 6:30 p.m.

DuPage County Health Department
111 N. County Farm Rd, Wheaton
www.dupagehealth.org

Dental resources

Chicago Dental Society
(312) 386-7300
Provides names of dentists in DuPage County who are accepting new patients
(No reduced fees)

College of DuPage Dental Hygiene Program
425 Fawell Blvd, Glen Ellyn
(630) 942-3250
Treatment limited to services performed by dental hygiene students
Public aid not accepted

DuPage County Health Department Urgent Care Dental Clinic
111 N. County Farm Rd. Wheaton
(630) 682-7979 ext. 7776
Urgent dental care for residents of DuPage County must meet income guidelines
Public aid not accepted

Click here for information on dental health services from the DuPage County Health Department

Midwestern University Clinics
3450 Lacey Road, Downers Grove
(630) 743-4300
website

Families with Medicaid and “All Kids” can call for a list of dentists that take public aid.

Remember to check the WJHS calendar for up-to-date information on Clubs, Events, & Athletics.

Thank you for entrusting us with the education of your children. We are excited to see all the wonderful things they will accomplish this year.

Let’s make this school year one of the best yet!

Amy Quattrone

WJHS Principal