Westwood Intermediate/Middle School

See translation information below / Consulte la información de traducción a continuación.

Thursday we will have office hours from 3:30-5 p.m. During office hours, families can stop by school to meet with teachers, schedule a time to connect for a virtual meeting over WebEx, or talk on the phone. Teachers will be reaching out to families as well. Our next office hours / conferences will be on Thursday, February 13, 4-7 p.m.

For our 8th grade families, high school course registration is now open for next year. Students will make their choices by February 14. High school counselors will be here to meet with 8th graders later this month. See the calendar for ways to connect and engage with information you need to help support your child in making great decisions for their next steps. Everything you need is on the high school registration hub.

Reminder that there is no school Friday, January 17 or Monday, January 20.

Have a great long weekend,

Tom Larson

Principal

As a reminder, students who have vomited, had diarrhea, or a fever must remain home until they have been symptom free for 24 hours without the use of medication. How do we stay healthy? The best defense against germs is to wash hands with soap and water for at least 30 seconds.

Do you know an educator who is dedicated, inspiring, and making a difference? The Spring Lake Park Teachers' Union (SLPTU) is requesting nominations for SLPTU Teacher of Year by Friday, February 14. Each year, the union selects an elementary and secondary teacher from their membership to celebrate as teacher of year. See the online form or PDF form for criteria and to nominate.

Here is the updated WW Lost and Found Slideshow in efforts to reunite the many lost coats and sweatshirts with their owners. Please share with your students that lost items can be found in the cafeteria.

• Thursday, January 16 - Office Hours, 3:30-5 p.m.

• Friday, January 17 - No school

• Monday, January 20 - No school, holiday

• Monday, January 27

• PTO meeting at 10 a.m.
• Wind Ensemble/8th Grade Band Concert, Fine Arts Center, SLPHS, 7 p.m.

• Tuesday, January 28

• High School counselors visit 8th graders at Westwood to discuss registration
• 8th grade family online registration info session, 6:30 p.m. | WebEx
• 7 and 8 grade Choir Concert, Fine Arts, 7 p.m.

• Wednesday, January 29 - 8th grade family online registration info session, 9 a.m. | WebEx

• February 3 - High school spring athletics registration opens for grades 7-12

• February 4-7 - PTO Book fair open during school hours

• Wednesday, February 5 - Explore your Options event at the high school for grades 8-11, 5-7 p.m.

• Friday, February 7 - PTO Family Night & Book Fair, 6 p.m.

• Tuesday, February 11 - 6th to 7th grade transition online info sessions, 10 a.m. or 6 p.m. | WebEx

• February 13-18 - No school

• Thursday, February 13 - Conference Office Hours, 4-7 p.m. (walk-in ONLY, no scheduled conferences)

• Friday, February 14 - High school registration closes for the 2025-2026 school year

• February 16-22 - Panther Foundation's Panthers for a Purpose Week of Giving

• February 19-27 - ACCESS testing, Grades 5 & 6

• February 22 - Panther Foundation's Panthers for a Purpose Party

• Tuesday, February 25 - 7th to 8th grade transition online info session, 6 p.m. | WebEx

Spring Lake Park High School course registration is now open for the 2025-2026 school year and materials are available online. Browse the online, interactive catalog and more. Students will meet high school counselors and get an introduction to high school on Tuesday, January 28. Students have until February 14 to make their selections in Infinite Campus.

See the upcoming events for several opportunities for 8th grade families to learn more, including online events on January 28 and 29 and an in-person Explore your Options event at the high school on February 5.

Students in Mrs. Ketz's class showed a high level of engagement skills while working on a keyboarding activity. Keyboarding is a valuable skill for these students as they progress through their studies.

Students in Mrs. Bowman's and Ms. Davé's Language Arts class are reading Out of the Dust. As part of their assignment, students were asked to identify how people sustained their spirits during the Great Depression. Some chose to write an essay, while some students like Ali and Bjorn as well as June and Adelina used a One-Pager to present their findings. We got to see the artistic side of these very creative students!

A few students had fun with kinetic sand and shaving cream working on letter and number formation, word spelling, and good old fashioned fun!

Math league finished their season at Highview Middle School. The students had a strong showing all season and were able to take home some awards. It was a great season with lots of individual and team successes!

• We had four students in the top ten individuals within the division
• Vansh and Tri tied for fourth place overall
• Madden ended up in fifth place overall
• Isaac finished in a tie for sixth place overall
• For the team competition, one of our teams scored second place in the division

Teams competed in their first meet this week. Both teams finished in the top 10, with Team 1 earning an impressive 30 points in the written round. Additionally, Team 2 was recognized with the meet's sportsmanship ribbon for their outstanding team spirit, positive attitude, and kindness toward other teams. Great job to both teams!

7th grade Westwood music and band students welcomed the performing ensemble, Steam Machine! Steam Machine is a Minneapolis based bluegrass band, and the students learned about folk, country, and bluegrass music. The performers gave a brief demonstration and history of the banjo, fiddle, and acoustic guitar while also teaching the students a tune to sing along with for "Down in North Caroline." We thank Class Notes MPR for including our school in this amazing teaching artist program!

6C had an amazing visit to the Minnesota History Center! We explored various exhibits, diving into Minnesota’s rich past. The highlight of our trip was a workshop where we learned about the diverse reasons people from different backgrounds chose to immigrate to Minnesota. We also discovered Minnesota’s important role in the Fur Trade, gaining a deeper understanding of how this history shaped the region. It was a fun and educational experience for everyone!

7th graders on Yellow Team participated in a simulation to better understand the difference between individual and factory made clothes while studying the Industrial Revolution.

Our next PTO meeting is Monday, January 27 at 10 a.m. in the Den. Afterwards, at 10:30 a.m., there will be a presentation about Schoology, competencies, and how competencies look in Schoology. If you are wondering how your student submits work and want to check if they have any missing assignments - this will be a great place to learn! If you have any specific questions, you can submit them in advance by clicking here. To view past meeting minutes, please visit our PTO page.

Our annual book fair will be open during the day from 7:25 a.m.- 3:30 p.m. week of Feb. 4-7. There will be a Family Fun Night Friday, February 7 from 6-8 p.m. Families can play Bingo in the cafeteria, check out some of the games/puzzles or bring their own from home, have open gym time, or play KanJam or Corn Hole.There will be $1 concession snacks/drinks for sale in the cafeteria. The Book Fair will also be open. This is not a drop-off event. Students must have a guardian in attendance. The book fair will also be open for families to shop.

We will need the help of several volunteers to run these events hours are subject to change based on volunteer availability. Volunteers will receive a $5 off coupon for use at the book fair.

• Family Night Volunteers can sign up here.
• Book Fair Volunteers can sign up here.

Art Adventure is like a field trip brought to students right at school. It introduces six pieces from the Minneapolis Institute of Art's collection to 5th & 6th grade students, and encourages creative, critical thinking through discussions & explorations of art across various cultures & time periods. It’s a wonderful opportunity for students to experience art in a personal way through reproductions and tactile props. Volunteers need no previous art knowledge as they ask students questions about the pieces during their normal art time. We need 4-6 volunteers who can be in the school 4-6 hours to interact with students. Not all hours need to be on the same day. Free training is provided by MIA. More info coming soon!

Enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is open. Do you have a child getting ready to start their K-12 journey? Or, maybe you have a friend or neighbor looking ahead to a kindergarten start in the fall. We know it is exciting and a little scary to send a child into their school experience for the first time. How do you know if they’re ready? We asked our early childhood and elementary education experts for their insights on kindergarten readiness. They also shared ways families can help support their child’s development for success in school. Check out their insights and feel free to share with a friend or neighbor. See 5 Ways to Know Your Child Is Ready for Kindergarten.

We’ll be hosting events geared to families new to SLP looking at kindergarten starting later this month:

• January 28, 5:30 p.m. – Northpoint Elementary
• January 30, 5:30 p.m. – Centerview Elementary
• February 4, 5:30 p.m. – Woodcrest Spanish Immersion (for those interested in learning more about a Spanish immersion learning option)
• February 6, 5:30 p.m. – Park Terrace

RSVPs are encouraged. Find and share more information about kindergarten at SLP at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/Kinder

The Panthers for a Purpose Week of Giving celebration will take place February 16-22. To top off the week, the biggest Panther Party celebration will be held on February 22, 2025 at Bunker Hills Event Center in Coon Rapids featuring an amazing silent auction and Dueling Pianos performed by Sweet Keys Dueling Pianos. Save money and purchase your Early Bird Ticket now. Prices go up on Monday, January 20.

There are many ways to get involved including sponsorship, silent auction donations, volunteering and more! Learn more here.

• It’s time to start planning for the 2025-2026 school year
• Panthers for a Purpose Party Tickets are now on sale!
• Students Bring Big Ideas to Life in ‘Shark Tank’ Style Competition
• From paper plants to community circles
• Now Hiring Paraprofessionals - apply online today

To translate this information to another language, please click anywhere on the message to open it in a web browser and at the top of the page, select your language from the dropdown menu.

Para traducir la información a otro idioma, por favor presionen en cualquier lugar del mensaje para abrirlo en un navegador web y en la parte superior de la página seleccione su idioma del menú.