Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
Westwood Families,
The school was bustling with students, families, staff, and opportunities at the meet and greet last night. It was fun to see our new fifth graders and reconnect with our sixth, seventh, and eighth graders. If you were unable to make the event, we will see our students on the first day of school Tuesday, September 3. Schedules and class placements can be found in Campus Parent Portal.
For first day of school
For grades 7 and 8, school starts at 7:45 a.m.
- We’re asking students to please have a copy of their schedule either printed or take a screen shot on their iPad.
- If student's need to practice their locker lock, staff will be able to assist them on the first day of school and teachers are providing time during the day, too.
- Please remember that phones need to be at home or in your student's locker for the entire day.
- Students should take a screen shot of their lunch pin card from Campus on your iPad. Student ID cards will be handed out the first day of school. Students will need this with them each day for lunch, checking into school if they are late, and to use library materials.
For grades 5 and 6, school starts at 8:40 a.m.
- Families, please have your student write down on a sheet of paper their teacher’s name and room number. With the excitement of the first day, students often forget who their teacher is. We will have staff to help students find classes and teacher names.
- Please remember that phones need to be at home or in your student's backpack for the entire day.
- Have your student's bus tag on their backpack. If they do not have one yet, we will have one for them in their classroom.
- Your student's teacher will have Student ID cards for lunch.
Parent drop off and pick up procedures
We are asking all families to follow drop off and pick up procedures to ensure the safety of our kids and their drivers. There is no pick and or drop off in the staff parking lot. If you need to park to pick up your child, use the visitor parking, exit your vehicle, and cross with your child.
Drop off procedures:
- Students do not enter the building until 7:20 a.m. for grades 7-8 and 8:25 a.m. for grades 5-6.
- Follow the one-way arrows when entering and exiting the Westwood campus.
- Drop off at the curb side only.
- Once you stop at the curb to drop off, your child must exit the vehicle – no waiting.
- Follow the one-way arrows to exit.
Pick up Procedures:
- Dismissal is at 2:30 p.m. for grades 7-8 and 3:15 p.m. for grades 5-6.
- Follow the one-way arrows when entering and exiting the Westwood campus.
- Pick up at the curb side only from one of two pick-up zones.
- Pull all the way forward when waiting in line.
- Once your child enters the vehicle on the curb side, pull out of the waiting line and exit following the one-way arrows.
Enjoy the last few days of summer break!
Tom Larson
Principal
2024-2025 School Handbook
Find our Spring Lake Park Schools School Handbook for 2024-2025 at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/schoolhandbook. The handbook is a guide for families and students on the practical aspects of school – start and end times, procedures for absences, transportation, meals, policies and more. Please review the information and refer to it, as needed, throughout the year and contact your school as you have questions.
Nutrition Services: School meal updates for a new year
As we enter a new school year, there are several important things to know about school meals:
- Breakfast and lunch meals: Each student will continue to get one breakfast and one lunch free of charge each day at school.
- Purchase of additional food items: During lunch, students have the option to purchase additional food items (second milk, extra entree, bottled water, etc.) if they have funds in their account. You can add funds to a meal account through Campus Parent Portal, or by sending cash or check with your child or directly to your school. If you do not want your student to purchase additional items, please complete this form and email it to foodservice@district16.org.
- Educational Benefits Application: Although no application is required to receive meals at no cost this school year, filling out the application for Educational Benefits is still important and it is critical families who may be eligible complete an application each year. By completing the application, students may receive free or reduced fees for a number of school programs. Applications have recently arrived in family mailboxes. We did a district-wide communication to families earlier this week encouraging families to complete an application. Please note, if your family already received an approval letter for the 2024-2025 school year, you do not need to re-apply for educational benefits.
Learn more about school meals on the Nutrition Services webpage.
Transportation reminders for a new year
- Bus Tracking (MyStop app): We use MyStop, which is web-based application available to parents and students that allows them access to live bus GPS information. Using a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, parents and students can view the current location of buses on routes and the estimated time of arrival at their neighborhood bus stops. Learn more about MyStop.
- Bus Safety: It is very important all students and families understand our bus safety rules:
- Stay out of the “Danger Zone” around the bus
- Follow the driver’s instructions
- Be on time for the bus – five minutes early
- Always sit down and face forward
- Be courteous. No pushing, tripping, swearing or yelling.
- No eating or drinking
- Keep your bus clean. Do not damage the bus.
- Keep your head and arms inside the bus window
- Never throw objects inside or out of the bus
- No animals on the bus
- Plan to ride the bus: For students who ride the bus, please plan for your student to ride the bus on the first day of school to help us work out all our routines and eliminate as much confusion as possible. The transportation department appreciates your patience as we navigate the beginning of a new school year.
- Transportation webpage and contact information: Find all transportation information on the transportation webpage. For any questions regarding transportation, please contact the transportation department at transportation@district16.org or 763-600-5590.
Panther Store Kick-Off Sale!
Now through September 6, save 20% of Panther Gear at the store and online with code 24Kickoff. The store, located at Spring Lake Park High School, will be open Thursday, August 29 from 1-3 p.m. and Thursday, September 5 from 4-8 p.m.
