WESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL NEWS

March is here and hopefully you have the luck of the Irish this month. The weather has been up and down but we have had several beautiful days. As the weather get warmer, we wanted to remind everyone of our dress code. We appreciate your help in making sure students are dressed for school. We are in the middle of our Stoller fundraiser. If your child participates in the fundraiser, a portion of the proceeds your child brings in will go directly towards the cost of an event for your child, such as the cost of field trips. Our Kalahari tickets will be coming in soon. The end of the 3rd grading period is the end of the month as well as spring break. Please check the calendar dates below. We appreciate your support and working together as a team in your child's education.

We have been focusing on important vocabulary words throughout the building and across grade levels. We are going to focus on 1 word per week in homeroom but it will also be discussed in each class as to its definition, discuss why it is important, and how it pertains to each subject. This would be a great conversation piece to talk about with your student at home.

March words are:

Measure: To determine the Quality or size of

Classify: To Place into categories or groups

Interpret: To understand the meaning of something

Demonstrate: To provoke or make something clear

February words are:

Compare: To show similarities between two or more things

Contrast: To show differences between two or more things

Reason: A cause or explanation; to think and understand

Advantage: In a really good position that increases the chance of success

January words are:

Predict: To declare or tell in advance

Infer: To form an opinion based on what we see/know

Observe: To watch; to inspect; to take notice

Evaluate: To judge the merit or worth; assess; solve

December words were:

Design: To plan or create something

Analyze: To separate into parts for close examination

November words were :

Conclude: to bring to a close; end; finish

Apply: to put to use

Develop: to build up, grow or improve

Identify: to recognize or be able to name

Our PBIS matrix for expected behavior here at Westwood Middle School. PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.

Tips for Families to Help Children Eat Healthy

• Eat breakfast every day. Skipping breakfast can leave your child hungry, tired, and looking for less healthy foods later in the day.

• Plan healthy meals and eat together as a family. Eating together at meal times helps children learn to enjoy a variety of foods.

• Buy and serve more fruits and vegetables (fresh, frozen, or canned). Let your child choose them at the store.

• Buy fewer soft drinks and high fat/high calorie snack foods like chips, cookies, and candy. These snacks are OK once in a while, but keep healthy snack foods on hand too.

• Start with small servings and let your child ask for more if he or she is still hungry. It is up to you to provide your child with healthy meals and snacks, let your child stop eating if full.

• Offer your child water or low-fat milk more often than fruit juice. Fruit juice is a healthy choice but is high in calories.

• Eat fast food less often. When you visit a fast food restaurant, try the healthful options offered.

• Do not get discouraged if your child will not eat a new food the first time it is served. Some kids will need to have a new food served to them 7 times or more before they will eat it.

• Try not to use food as a reward when encouraging kids to eat. Promising dessert to a child for eating vegetables, for example, sends the message that vegetables are less valuable than dessert.

• Make healthy choices easy by putting nutritious foods where they are easy to see and keep high-calorie foods out of sight.

Healthy Snack Ideas

• Fresh or frozen fruit, or fruit canned in juice or light syrup

• Small amounts of dried fruits such as raisins, apple rings, or apricots

• Fresh vegetables such as baby carrots, cucumber, celery, zucchini, or baby tomatoes

• Reduced fat cheese or a small amount of peanut butter on whole-wheat goldfish crackers

The 5-2-1-0 Message Provides Suggestions for Building Healthy, Active Lives

• Eat at least 5 fruits and vegetables a day.

• Keep screen time (like TV, video games, computer) down to 2 hours or less per day.

• Get 1 hour or more of physical activity every day.

• Drink 0 sugar-sweetened drinks. Replace soda pop, sports drinks, and even 100 percent fruit juice with milk or water.

Be Supportive

Throughout any process or program that you undertake to address your child's eating habits, be supportive. Help your child set specific goals and track his or her progress. Reward successes with praise and hugs. Be positive.

Tell your child that he or she is loved, special, and important. Children's feelings about themselves are often based on how they think their parents and other caregivers feel about them. Children need compassion, understanding, and encouragement from caring adults.

Website to check out with ideas on how to save money on groceries and other ideas: https://www.myplate.gov/shopsimple

Rose Hess RN. BSN. LSN. ~ Westwood School Nurse

Now that the school year is almost 1/2 of the way through, just a quick reminder that hoods may not be worn up during the school day.

The Student Code of Conduct offers guidance on attire. Clothing must be school appropriate and may not present a health or safety hazard or disrupt the educational environment. Pants and tops must fit properly and be in good repair. Crop tops are not permitted.

Additionally, footwear must be school appropriate--slippers and slipper socks are not permitted. Blankets also may not be worn in school.

Students may bring their cell phones to school but they must be turned off and put away during the day.

Parents may contact Westwood Office to reach their student during the school day.

3/2 - Boys basketball tournament games

3/8 - Stoller Fundraiser due

3/21 - End of 3rd Grading Period

3/22 - No School - Records day

3/25-4/1 - No School - Spring Break

4/8 - No school