Westchester Weekly
All-Star Newsletter September 16, 2021
Dear Westchester Families,
Throughout this term we have watched teachers and students build the foundation for their 2021-2022 educational journey. With an emphasis on collaboration, craftsmanship, kindness, and perseverance, students are forging a path to become leaders of their own learning. This transformation would not be possible without our amazing community working together. Thank you to the PTA for providing additional classroom funding for teachers as well as organizing the Amazon Wishlist. Thank you to the amazing parent volunteers for setting up and breaking down tents to ensure we have a nice outdoor lunch space. Thank you to every parent who continues to support their child’s learning by preparing them for school each day. Thank you to our extraordinary school staff for showing up and showing out each day for our students and each other. We are beyond proud and thankful for the Westchester community!
There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Have you used one to thank someone today?
Stay safe and healthy!
Sincerely,
Look at all this shade for our lunches outside!
WE are Having so Much Fun learning!
Following Directions🤗
Habits of Scholarship Examples
Which Book Should I Read First?
Upcoming Calendar Events
September 15th-October- Hispanic Heritage month begins
September 16th-17th Early Release Days for Parent/Teacher Conferences @12:50pm both days
Flu Clinic 9/29 3:15pm-4:30pm
Conference Time
Dear Westchester Families,
We will be scheduling virtual family-teacher conferences during the week of September 13th. We look forward to a rich discussion about the academic and work habits-related progress your child demonstrated throughout the first six weeks of school. You should receive an email/notification from your child's teacher with information regarding how to sign up for a family-teacher conference soon. Be sure to record the time and date of your child’s conference in your personal calendar.
At this conference, your child’s teacher will share information regarding how your child is adapting to the routines of the classroom, the behaviors your child exhibits that promote learning, as well as results from formative and universal screener assessments that we have administered.
This conference will be the official method for communicating your child’s progress for the first term of school.
Students will be dismissed early at 12:50pm on Thursday 9/16 and Friday 9/17 for conferences.
Thank you so much for collaborating with us. We look forward to partnering with you so that we can support your child's continued growth and success.
Hispanic Heritage Month
Hola familia!
It’s Septiembre! The 15th will start a month of celebration for all Hispanic people who live in the United States. We celebrate our heritage, the significant presence and influence of Hispanics in our society, and our broad spectrum of traditions and culture.
We encourage you to explore and to join us to celebrate, in some way, “The Hispanic Heritage Month”! How? There are many ways to celebrate! Here, just a few of them:
Current Events:
Happening Now! https://www.visitdecaturgeorgia.com/visit/page/placita-latina
Listen to Music
A great way to teach children about Hispanic culture is by exposing them to music in Spanish. Choose age-appropriate music or music by key figures in Spanish music or just sing along with the 21 Speaking countries song in Rockalingua (username and password: westchester)
Get into the Kitchen
Food is always something that reminds people of home. Hispanic culture has a plethora of cuisine to enjoy from every Hispanic culture. Parents can get into the kitchen with their children and prepare recipes from diverse Hispanic cultures. Another option is to eat from a Hispanic restaurant and try something new. Nowadays, it is easy to find Argentinian empanadas, Cuban sandwiches, El Salvadorian pupusas, and Mexican tacos in the Metropolitan Atlanta area. Very close to us, here at 1365 Clairmont Rd we can find ”Buena gente”, another Cuban restaurant.
Read Spanish or Bilingual Books
Books and stories often tell a story that reflects the background of a certain culture. You can read Spanish language or bilingual books to your children to learn more about various Hispanic cultures. We are developing a virtual Spanish library here.
Have a great Hispanic Heritage Month celebration! Celebremos juntos!
Important Information about Gifted Review
Each fall semester the gifted review team looks at existing student data to discuss students’ needs and to determine if a further evaluation for possible gifted identification is needed. If you are interested in having the team discuss your child’s needs, you may complete a Recommendation for Review Form (found at the website below) and submit it to the Gifted Specialist at your child’s school by October 6th. No additional information is needed. The Gifted Specialist for Westchester is Wanda Nesbitt. For more detailed information about the review process and to obtain a copy of the Recommendation for Review Form, please contact the Gifted Specialist for your school at wnesbitt@csdecatur.net or visit the following website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Page/581.
Join the PTA Board!!!!
We are currently recruiting for this year's PTA Board Members. ALL positions are open and available. This is a great opportunity to help identify ways to support teachers, students, and staff, promote quality education, encourage community involvement, and work for a healthy and safe environment for our kids.
Open positions include:
· President/ Co-presidents
· Secretary
· Treasurer
· VP of Technology
· VP of Communications
· VP of Community Outreach
· VP of Fundraising
· Head of Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion
You can see position descriptions here.To indicate your interest in any of these positions, please submit your name and position you are interested in to the Westchester PTA email (ptawestchester@gmail.com) by Friday, September 17th.
PTA Membership:
Become a member and join us for monthly meetings. You’ll not only support our school, but you’ll learn the latest about what is happening at Westchester and within CSD. Join here. Note: All donations to Westchester PTA are tax deductible! Password to join PTA: WCWolves
ROOM PARENTS/CONTACT INFORMATION REQUESTED
information to inform you of what is happening in the classrooms in
addition to your regular school communications. The information you
provide in this form will be shared with the room parents of the
specific homeroom.
Westchester FLU Clinic
Wednesday, Sept. 29th
For the 5th year in a row Westchester will be hosting a FLU Clinic. While flu activity was lower in the 2020-21 season, this season could see increases as we continue to return to pre-pandemic life. Currently the CDC recommends a flu vaccine by the end of October.
The DeKalb Board of Health will be at Westchester on Wed. Sept. 29 to administer flu shots. They will set up outside on the front patio. The clinic is open to all staff, students and WE families. Masks required.
2-3:15 pm- Westchester Staff Only
3:15-4:30 pm- WE staff, students and families
Bring your ID and Insurance Card. There is NO charge with accepted Insurance.
Insurance accepted: BC & BS of GA, Cigna, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, Medicaid, Medicare Part B, PeachCare for Kids, & SHBP (excluding Kaiser)
Cost: Standard flu Vaccine: $35
High-dose flu vaccine for ages 65+: $65
To save time: Print the Consent form, fill out the top and bring with you.
Questions? Contact Nurse Nancy ngarrison@csdecatur.net
WE Fall Book Fair
The Book Fair is Coming to Westchester, Save the Dates
Want to stock up on great books to start off the school year?
Never fear, the Westchester Fall Book Fair is coming up!
Mark your calendars for . . .
Wednesday, October 20th - Tuesday, October 26th
Details coming next week!
Special Education Department
Families Of Children Under Stress (FOCUS)
CSD Special Education Department welcomes Ms. Jaide Camacho, Program Director of FOCUS. Ms. Camacho will share the variety of ways her organization assists families with children who have special needs. FOCUS provides multi-levels of support for the whole family. Come and learn what this wonderful organization has to offer you and your family!
Audience: Families of Special Needs Students, K-12th grades & all Levels of impact.
Date: October 7, 2021
Time: 6pm-7pm
Location: Virtual
Click here to RSVP or email cgrant@csdecatur.net
The Power of the NOW & COMP Waivers
Jackie McNair, Parent Mentor of Gwinnett County, will present a detailed explanation of the New Options Waiver (NOW) and the Comprehensive Supports Waiver Program (COMP) for CSD families. These waivers can provide a financial bridge to assisting your student in having a positive outcome once they transition out of school. In this meeting, Ms. McNair will share how her family manages and utilizes the waiver to assist with sustainable supports for post-secondary transition.
*It is important for families to apply for these waivers while their child is in school.
Audience: Renfroe & DHS Parents of High to Mid. impact special needs students
Date: October 14, 2021
Time: 6pm-7pm
Location: Virtual
Click here to RSVP or email cgrant@csdecatur.net
Decatur Education Foundation
The Race is ON! One of Oakhurst's most anticipated events -- the Madison Ave Derby --is happening on October 16th and registration has begun at www.madisonavesoapboxderby.org! Participation in this community event is practically a rite of passage for Decatur kids, and it raises important funds for issues affecting our students. This year's Derby beneficiary is the Decatur Student Center, located in CSD Decatur High School and equipped to attend to our students' behavioral health and nonacademic needs. To learn more about the Student Center, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation/behavioral-health. See you at the Derby!
Homework Help: We are continuing our Virtual Pals tutoring program in which we pair a 2nd-8th grade student with an upper high school student or adult volunteer to help with homework, time management, and motivation. If you would like to sign your student up for the program, you can go here: https://forms.gle/nLrKbwkXyvYjEAJB8
Could you be a mentor? We’re also seeking 15 women and 15 men volunteers to serve as mentors for our AIM Scholars mentoring program. Third grade students are paired with an adult mentor who help them by supporting their Academics and explore their Interests; Mentors also help their students connect to educational and enrichment opportunities. For just 2-4 hours per month, you can have a meaningful impact in the life of a student. For more information, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring
City of Decatur News
Surveillance Testing Information
In case you missed the consent form in Dr. Fehrman's September 3 Friday Follow-Up, the information she shared is below.
Parents - it is time to fill out the consent form for surveillance testing! The more participation we have, the better the program will be at identifying positive cases in our schools and slowing the spread in our community.
If you consent, your child will receive a free weekly diagnostic test for the COVID-19 virus. Our goal is to conduct testing at least once a week at each school (K-12). The types of tests that may be used include rapid antigen tests such as BinaxNow and PCR tests (for students with a positive rapid test). Collecting a specimen for the rapid antigen testing involves inserting a small swab, similar to a Q-tip, into the front of the nose. The PCR test is obtained through a nasopharyngeal swab inserted into the nasal cavity until it reaches the nasopharynx. The rapid antigen test is considered non-invasive, and the PCR test is considered minimally invasive. Notification of positive results will follow the same communication procedures we currently use.
Click here to fill out the consent form. Each student will need a consent form to participate in testing.
Go to https://www.csdecatur.net/covid19 to learn more about surveillance testing.
DHS Homecoming
Reminders from Last Week
Visit past newsletters for answers to your questions🤗
Westchester Elementary School
Email: bnation@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Westchester
Location: 758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterelementarycsd