From the Office
It was wonderful to see so many of our new 6th graders today at our Back to School Camp! We hope the students made some new friends and now feel a bit more comfortable with things like locks, room locations, technology, and what to expect in middle school.
It was also great seeing everyone at Information Day on Wednesday! If you were unable to stop in or you have any questions, please call our Main Office at 630-529-6211.
Start of the year information
As you and your child continue to prepare for the First Day of School on August 22nd, please take a moment and review the following key dates and information listed below.
School Day Hours: 8:30am- 3:30pm. Students are guided into the building by staff between 8:10 - 8:20am and are expected to be seated in their 1st period class at 8:30am. All classes are 44 min with a 3 min passing period. Lunch & Study Hall for all grades are between 11:38 - 12:22pm. Students will be dismissed from school at 3:30pm.
Morning Drop-Off - The parking lots are for Bus traffic and staff only. Students arriving by car should be dropped off along Fairfield Way on the Westfield side of the street. Students are not allowed to cross Fairfield unless they use a designated crosswalk. For safety reasons and to avoid too much congestion, please avoid dropping off students across the street from Westfield and instead circle around and drop them off on the school side of Fairfield, starting even down by Circle Park and have them walk up the sidewalk to Westfield.
Afternoon Pick-up - Please be aware that traffic on Fairfield will also be congested during Pick-Up times, so please coordinate a good spot to meet your child. The front parking lot is for Bus traffic and staff only.
Extra-Curricular opportunities at Westfield - We encourage all Westfield students to be active in athletics and activities at Westfield. It is our goal to provide a variety of opportunities to meet the interests of our students and each year we make adjustments to our offerings. Please check out the link for more information regarding some of our current programs.
Emergency Preparedness
Next week, we will begin conducting our annual safety drills with the cooperation of both the Bloomingdale Fire and Police Departments. As part of our annual safety drills, students and staff will participate in a lockdown drill, a severe weather drill, and several fire drills.
The purpose of conducting safety drills is to make sure that students and staff have the opportunity to familiarize themselves with new locations, practice routines that we will use in the event of an actual emergency, and ensure the safety and comfort of everyone at Westfield.
Students and staff are notified in advance of the drills and students are able to ask questions during each of the practice sessions. During our lockdown drill we use the time to review options that students and staff may utilize in the event of an actual emergency. Parents/guardians may opt their child out of the lockdown drill each year by emailing one of our administrators, Stefan Larsson or Amanda Vreeland. If you have any questions related to our safety drills, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Main Office at 630-529-6211.
Social-Emotional Learning
Next week in our Warrior Time, we will begin introducing our students to what it means to be a WARRIOR. Each letter stands for a word that we believe will help keep our students on the path to success in High School, College, and Beyond. We use the phrase "We are WARRIORS" as both our daily Mission statement to represent our values, and as our ongoing Vision statement, or in other words, the goals we continually strive to improve upon.
After the first 8 days in Warrior Time, we will transition to more of a traditional Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) format, using time each week to focus on good character & citizenship and the Illinois Social Emotional Learning Standards, which include the SEL competencies of Self-Awareness, Social Awareness, Self-Management, Relationship Skills, and Responsible Decision-Making. Our core curriculum for SEL is a combination of resources from both Second Step and Character Counts!.
From District Office - Registration Fees
Thank you for your patience. Integration between Alma and My School Bucks has been completed. Please sign into My School Bucks and create an account and attach your student(s).
*Click on the Person Icon in the upper right hand corner
*In the drop down that appears select "My Students"
*On the My Students page click the blue "Add Student" button
Please review your account for any existing fees. Once any new fees are posted to your student(s) account(s), you will receive an email notification from My School Bucks. If you have not received an email, this means the fees were probably posted prior to you creating an account. The payment deadline has been extended to October 1, 2024.
Looking ahead
Thursday, August 22nd - First Day of School for 2024-2025
GRADE LEVEL NEWS:
The teams will be updating the links weekly during the school year with news and any upcoming information.
- 6th GRADE TEAM
- 7th GRADE TEAM
- 8th GRADE TEAM
- EXPLORE TEAM (grades 6, 7, 8)
- P.E. TEAM (grades 6, 7, 8)
- WF SPECIALISTS (grades 6, 7, 8)
6th GRADE: (Choose one or MORE!)
- How They Croaked by Georgia Bragg & Kevin O'Malley
- Zach's Lie by Roland Smith
- Darkroom by K.R. Alexander
- The 39 Clues by Rick Riordan
7th GRADE: (Choose one or MORE!)
- A Night Divided by Jennifer A. Nielsen
- Small Spaces by Katherine Arden
- The Mona Lisa Vanishes by Nicholas Day
- Clean Getaway by Nic Stone
8th GRADE: (Choose one or MORE!)
- Dan vs. Nature by Don Calame
- The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Scythe by Neal Shusterman
- "The President Has Been Shot!" by James L. Swanson
Help for Student Chromebooks
If a student needs Chromebook/Password/Repair assistance from the Technology Department, the student must use the link below to request support:
A Charge for Chromebook Repairs
District 13 will absorb the first $50.00 of the Chromebook repair annually.
These repair costs will be charged through My School Bucks.
REGISTRATION for the 2024-2025 School Year
Parents & Guardians should have received login credentials from District 13 on March 1st. As the District moves to Alma >> a NEW REGISTRATION PORTAL for the 2024-2025 school year, ALL families (New and Returning) will be required to prove residency. Previous documents submitted are not able to be transferred to Alma, the new registrations system. Please reference this REQUIRED RESIDENCY DOCUMENT for more information on the proof of residency documents.
- RETURNING STUDENT = CHILD IS CURRENTLY AT WESTFIELD OR COMING FROM DUJARDIN OR ERICKSON
- NEW STUDENT = CHILD IS BRAND NEW TO DISTRICT 13
District 13 Registration Information
DISTRICT 13 FEE PAYMENT
Parents/Guardians:
- You received an invoice email of fees for 2024-25 on August 16th. If it is not in the inbox, please check the spam folder.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Please sign into My School Bucks and create an account and attach your student(s).
Click on the Person Icon in the upper right hand corner
- In the drop down that appears select "My Students"
- On the My Students page click the blue "Add Student" button
>> Once the fees are posted to your student(s) account(s), you will receive an email notification from My School Bucks. If you have not received an email, this means the fees were probably posted prior to you creating an account
>> The payment deadline has been extended to October 1, 2024.
Westfield Families:
- Along with the registration fee, 8th-grade students will have their graduation fee applied to their account to be paid at the beginning of the school year.
- Sixth-grade students will have their lock fee applied to their account to be paid at the beginning of the school year.
WESTFIELD MIDDLE STUDENT SUPPLY LIST 2024-2025
Parents may purchase their student's own supplies or purchase an online supply kit for the 2024-25 school year.
The online order link: SCHOOLTOOLBOX.COM
A current, physical examination is required by the Illinois Department of Public Health for all children entering 6th grade -- completed by a Physician and signed by a parent/guardian.
STATE OF ILLINOIS HEALTH EXAM FORM
>> TO ALL 7th and 8th GRADE PARENTS re: SPORTS PHYSICAL for 2024-25
A current, sports-physical exam is required if your 7th or 8th grade student wishes to participate in sports -- BEFORE their sport season starts and in time for tryouts.
SPORTS PHYSICAL FORM
[The Cross Country Team season will begin in August.]
Questions? Email Westfield's Nurse: dawnrider@sd13.org [see info below regarding medication]
PTO Membership Dues 2024-2025
(Please, pay with MySchoolBucks) MEMBERSHIP FORM
- All-School parties and dances
- Classroom 'wish' lists
- Teacher appreciation
- Scholarships
- Field Trips
- Student awards
Scan Receipts for Education All Year-Round!
Westfield Middle School collects Box Tops for Education™.
All you need is your phone!
- Download the Box Tops app
- Use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase
- The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online
Twice a year, Westfield will receive a check for whatever the school needs!
Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact the PTO at westfieldmpto@gmail.com Thanks for your support!!
Take Learning on the Go With the IXL App
Your child can take IXL with them anywhere with the IXL app for tablets and smartphones! This app is tailor-made for mobile devices to create a fun and immersive experience that learners love.
Gmail:
- How to delete all email (6th grade)
- How to appropriately write an email
- You can only email other sd13.org email addresses
- Creating Bookmarks
- Starring and snoozing Emails
Google Classroom:
- How to Join Classroom(with Code)
- How to Join with Teacher Invite
- Check Stream and classwork page
- How to Turn in assignments
FlipGrid:
Chromebook: