Wildcat Weekly

Westfield families:

We are excited for the start of school on Wednesday! The staff have been busy getting the building ready, and we hope to see many of you for meet & greet on Tuesday from 8:00-8:30 a.m.

This is a particularly long newsletter with lots of back to school information so everyone is informed heading into the first week. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

See you next week!

Kristen Ulery

Westfield Principal

The first day of the 2024-25 school year for students will be Wednesday, August 21. Staff will start the school year with two planning days on August 19 and 20.

View the 2024-25 calendar here: www.ccsd89.org/2425calendar

Looking for information on the 2024-25 school year? We’ve collected answers to some of the most common questions about calendars, food, transportation, supplies, and more on our back-to-school page: www.ccsd89.org/welcome

Arrival: Please remember there is no supervision of students before 8:30 a.m. Please do not drop off students any earlier than this.

• The drop-off/pick-up zone is for quick student exit and is a no-parking zone.
• For student safety, students must exit the car on the passenger side near the curb.
• Please pull as far forward as possible in order to allow as many cars into the area as possible.
• If you want to walk your student up to the school, you will need to park on a neighboring street and cross at the crosswalk.

Line-up locations are:

Kindergarten & first grade: Students enter through their classroom doors

Second and third grade: Enter the main door

Fourth and fifth grade: Enter door 17 (after 8:40 a.m., these students will enter the main entrance)

Students can enter the school at 8:40 a.m. The tardy bell rings at 8:50 a.m. Any student arriving after 8:50 a.m. will need to be signed in at the office by an adult.

Dismissal:

Your child's teacher will collect information on how your child will typically be getting home each day. If that varies from your normal schedule, it is important that you notify the teacher and the office as early as possible.

Changes to pick up: If you have any changes in how your student will go home, you will need to email the teacher and Tessa Carter (tcarter@ccsd89.org) prior to 2 p.m. If you have an unavoidable last-minute change, please call the office as emails sent after 2 p.m. may not be read in time.

Parent walk-up and students who walk home:

• Students who walk home or are picked up by parents who walk up will be released at 3:35 p.m.
• Kindergarten and 1st grade - parents pick up students at doors 2 and 3 (1st grade) and door 4 (kindergarten)
• 2nd & 3rd grade - parents pick up students at the main entrance (door 1)
• 4th & 5th grade walkers will be dismissed through door 17
• Kindergarten and 1st grade parents are encouraged to park and walk to pick up their student

Car pick-up:

• Car line dismissal will begin approximately 3:38 p.m. after walk-up dismissal has occurred and our special transportation buses have dismissed
• Please pull all the way forward in the car line to allow as many cars in the loading zone as possible. Cars waiting further down Mayfield, please be respectful about blocking neighbors' driveways while waiting.
• Students must enter cars from the passenger's side onto the sidewalk. No student should walk between cars. Parents should remain in the car if using the car line.
• There is no parking in the drop-off zone.

Families can log in to their student’s PowerSchool account to see their teacher assignments and school schedules. You can find out more information about logging onto PowerSchool here. Families new to the school district were sent a letter in the U.S. Mail with their PowerSchool log-on information. More info: https://bit.ly/4fOepKH

Please join me in welcoming Brian LaPointe as a part-time PE teacher at Westfield. He will be at Westfield in the mornings, where he will teach a section of second grade PE and assist with instructional aide duties when he is not teaching PE. Brian is coming to us with years of experience as a special education paraprofessional, and he taught preK-8th grade PE last year at a private school.

Articles of clothing, boots, tennis shoes, backpacks, and lunch boxes should be marked with the child’s name and grade or room number so they may be returned if lost. A lost-and-found box is located in the hallway outside the office. Found articles should be brought in immediately and children should check the lost-and-found as soon as they lose an item. Parents are encouraged to occasionally go through the lost-and-found as sometimes students don't recognize a missing item on their own.

Join us on Tuesday, August 20th from 8:00-8:30 a.m. to meet your child's teacher and drop off school supplies in your child's classroom.

Westfield is looking for lunch/recess supervisors. Supervisors work from 11:30 a.m.-1:00 p.m. each school day. The pay is $18 per hour. Supervisors oversee students to ensure a safe and orderly lunch and recess.

A job description and application can be found on the district's website. If you are interested or would like more information, contact Principal Ulery.

All incoming kindergarten students are invited to the PTC's kindergarten scavenger hunt on August 19 at 6:00 p.m. Students will meet some other kids and do a scavenger hunt to learn their way around the school.

Students entering preschool, kindergarten or sixth grade, as well as students who are new to CCSD 89, must have a current certificate of child health exam and updated immunization record on file. All Illinois children entering kindergarten, second, and sixth grades are required to have a dental exam. An eye exam is required for children enrolling in kindergarten and students new to Illinois. Additionally, any Glen Crest students who want to try out for athletics have a pre-participation form filled out by a doctor. Go to the CCSD 89 health page for forms, resources, and more information: www.ccsd89.org/health

Learn about low-cost dental and immunization resources: www.ccsd89.org/Page/534

School supply lists for all five CCSD 89 schools and the CCSD 89 preschool are available on the district’s website at www.ccsd89.org/supplies

Lunch menus for all CCSD 89 schools will be available using the links at www.ccsd89.org/lunch Once you have opened a lunch calendar, clicking on any menu item will pull up nutritional information.

In addition to the traditional hot lunch options, you will notice that the menu now lists two cold entree choices each day. These are new items this year that were popular during taste tests. They each contain a variety of fruits, vegetables, and proteins along with either sunbutter or a chickpea-based chocolate spread (like a nut-free version of hazelnut chocolate spread). During lunch count each day, teachers will ask students selecting a school lunch to choose which menu option they would like.

CCSD 89 partners with the B.R. Ryall YMCA (Safe 'n Sound) and the Butterfield Park District (RecKids) to provide before- and after-school programs for students at Arbor View, Briar Glen, Park View, and Westfield elementary schools. More information: www.ccsd89.org/beforeafter

Families should contact the Butterfield Park District and B.R. Ryall YMCA directly with questions about those programs.

The GPS Parent Series hosts free presentations with insights on students and parenting. You can see the full schedule of 2024-25 speakers at: https://gpsparentseries.org/

The next speaker is developmental psychologist Dr. Aliza Pressman, the author of “The 5 Principles of Parenting”. At noon and 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 22, Pressman will discuss strategies for parents to help their children start the school year strong. Learn more: https://gpsparentseries.org/events/aliza-pressman/

August 19-20: Teacher Institute days

August 19: Board of Education meeting, 7 p.m.

August 20: Meet the teacher & school supply drop-off, 8:00-8:30 a.m.

August 21: First day of 2024-25 school year for students

August 22: Parent Series: Helping kids start strong, noon and 7 p.m.

August 26: Parent Series: Body language to boost confidence, noon and 7 p.m.

August 27: Parent Series: How to raise a health gamer, noon and 7 p.m.

August 28: Blood drive at Glen Crest, 2-6:30 p.m.

August 28: Parent Series: Anxiety in young children, noon and 7 p.m.

September 2: No school (Labor Day)

September 4: Parent Series: Becoming the parent you want to be, noon and 7 p.m.

September 7: Board of Education workshop (tentative), 8 a.m.

September 11: Parent Series: Stress reduction for teens, adults, noon and 7 p.m.

September 13: Preschool developmental screenings

Please join us on August 22 from 5:30-7:00 p.m. for a fun evening of music and ice cream on the Westfield playground/blacktop! This is a free event, and we can’t wait to see you there!

We are in need of some volunteers to help with setup, clean up, and serving ice cream. Please use the link if you are interested.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4DADAC2FA4F5C52-50471144-back

If you are chairing or are interested in chairing an event for the 2024-2025 school year, we are asking that you attend our kick-off meeting on Wednesday, August 28th at 6:00 p.m. in the Westfield LMC. We will share important information and answer any questions you may have. See you there!

Want to get involved in the PTC, but aren’t sure where to start? We have committee and chair positions open for the 2024-25 school year! Many volunteer opportunities throughout the year do not require a lot of time or planning. Please see the PTC Event Summaries and use the signup genius link to find out what is needed and to volunteer.

Signup genius: 2024-25 Chairs/Committees

PTC uses a “Volunteers at Large” email list to reach out to people when we need help/volunteers. This is not a commitment to any event, however, it allows you to stay informed when we need help. Please complete this form if you are interested in receiving emailed requests regarding PTC needs throughout the 2024-25 school year.

Volunteers at Large Interest Form

Westfield PTC has a new website which has a lot of helpful information and will be updated regularly. Please bookmark it! http://www.ccsd89.org/westfieldPTC

Thank you to Amber Liset for planning the kindergarten meet-ups and thank you to those who attended!

Show your Wildcat pride by visiting the Westfield Spirit Wear site. There are many new logos and clothing this year that allow you to get the look you want!

https://apparelnow.com/westfield-elementary-spirit-wear-apparel

Aug 13 - Kindergarten Playground Meet Up at 5:00 p.m.

Aug 19 - Kindergarten Scavenger Hunt at 6:00 p.m.

Aug 22 - Back to School Bash/Ice Cream Social, 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Aug 28 - PTC committee chair kick-off meeting, 6:00 p.m. in Westfield LMC

Sept 12 - PTC meeting, 7:00 p.m. in the LMC

Please feel free to connect with the PTC via:

• Our private group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/417506058937748/
• Our updated website: http://www.ccsd89.org/westfieldPTC
  
• Our email: westfieldptc@gmail.com
  

Students, families can report crises and threats through Safe2Help

Students and families can confidentially call, email, or text the Safe2Help tip line to report bullying, threats, or classmates in crisis. Students or families can call (844) 4-SAFE-IL, which is (844) 472-3345; text SAFE2, which is 72332; email Help@Safe2HelpIL.com; or submit tips through the online form. Safe2Help submissions are monitored every hour of every day. More info: https://bit.ly/3BPxObO

Be sure to review requirements before bringing food for other students

If you’re bringing food to the school for a holiday party or other event, be sure you know which foods are approved. You can see the holiday party food list at www.ccsd89.org/holidayfood and the pre-approved food list at www.ccsd89.org/preapproved.

Need tech support for your CCSD 89 device? Use this site

Families that need support for iPad or Chromebook issues should use the district’s online help system. Enter your contact information and some details about the problem at: https://bit.ly/89techsupport

Stay connected with CCSD 89 and Westfield

Stay connected with the latest news by following Community Consolidated School District 89 on Facebook (facebook.com/CCSD89), Twitter (@CCSD89), and YouTube (www.youtube.com/@CCSD89). You can also follow Westfield on Twitter at @Westfield89

See all the CCSD 89 community fliers at www.ccsd89.org/backpack

Butterfield Park District Touch-A-Truck (August 17)

Abundant Services Back-to-School Event (August 31)

Safe Kids Class (September, October)

Butterfield Park District Doggie Dip (September 5)

At-Home Safety Class (September 9)

Car Safety Class (September 11)

Fall Craft Fair (September 14)

Community Partners Playdate at Wheaton Library (monthly)

CCSD 89 preschool developmental screenings 2024-25

DuPage Health Coalition: help paying insurance premiums

DuPage Health Coalition: medical debt care

DuPage County low-cost dental clinic

Glen Ellyn Park District scholarship program

People’s Resource Center clothing closet

Butterfield Park District birthday party rentals

Affordable Internet Connectivity Program

Illinois Rental Assistance Program

Career resources for parents

Attendance phone: (630) 858-2770

Lunch menus

Supply lists

Westfield calendar

School news

District news

Email: info@ccsd89.org
Website: www.ccsd89.org/westfield
Location: Westfield Elementary School, Mayfield Lane, Glen Ellyn, IL, USA
Phone: (630) 858-2770
Facebook: facebook.com/CCSD89
Twitter: @westfield89

When you call our school, you’ll hear a new message this year. All CCSD 89 schools received new phone systems over the summer. Parents who need to report their student’s absence can call the school’s general number, then press 1. To reach the nurse, press 2. The main office can be reached by pressing 3.