October Newsletter

Although Mother Nature continues to keep us guessing whether this is the month of October or not, the Westlake School fun and enriching activities and events supporting the monthly theme of Respect and Anti-Bullying make it blatantly evident that it is. The month kicked off with “Unity in our Community,” spreading the power of positivity and teamwork through staff and students participating in profoundly significant events and activities such as displaying positive and motivating sayings, identifying acts of kindness throughout the school, interacting in a “Superhero” Anti-Bullying and Violence assembly and wearing theme based clothing to foster a learning environment of kindness, inclusivity and empathy towards each other within our community. Students were actively engaged in classroom lessons, focusing on values of acceptance, friendship and a Westlake community mutual understanding that it is a shared responsibility to create a safe, welcoming and empowering learning environment that ensures that every individual feels valued, respected and accepted for who they are, and their unique characteristics, skills and abilities we are blessed to see on a daily basis.

Till next time my friends…

Be good to yourself and each other 🙂

-Mr. P.

L.P. is a new student at Westlake, during her first few days, she has been showing everyone her positive and friendly attitude! Awesome job!

Our October Employee of the Month, AF! She was chosen because of her positive attitude, great work ethic, her initiative, and excellent training skills.

On October 8th, we had a visit from Dynamo and his wife. They are apart of The Hero Revolution that aims to reach the largest possible number of children, teens, and adults to help raise public awareness of bullying. They will provide help, support, and information to individuals, youth, schools, workplaces, and community settings affected by bullying.

The staff of the Sunshine Cafe have been preparing new Spooky Halloween Treats! They put up some cute new fall decorations!

The SNACK SHACK for Hillcrest Academy South and all staff is OPEN everyday from 12:15 - 1:00pm!

Music has a profound impact on our students, helping them to engage, express themselves, and grow in confidence. With a very generous donation from Diana and Adam Silverstein, they donated a piano, victrola and record albums that will assist students to continue to be engaged musically and express their creative side with music. They will also be able to hear different genre of music that will engage their knowledge in the music industry.

Some time ago during hurricane Ida, our entire school building became flooded, and Westlake lost everything including our piano. Diana Silverstein had this piano as a child and for a lifetime. She played piano and wanted to donate it to a special place that would really benefit from having it. Westlake is so appreciative that she chose us to donate to, since it will inspire students and enrich their lives for many years to come. Mr. Patrick, the Westlake music teacher will be incorporating the donated musical instruments into music classes.

This month we have launched our Work Based Learning program for the school year. We are excited to introduce and begin our new location at Lidio’s Cafe & Flowers in Roselle Park. We continue to partner with Cranford Movie Theater, Overlook Hospital, Walgreens, Suplee, Clooney & Company, and Tony’s Pizza Delight. We also have some students working on internal Work Based Learning assignments with Maschio’s Food Service, making deliveries to classrooms, filling supply orders for the teachers, and collecting breakfast and lunch orders from the classrooms.

The Work Based Learning program is designed to bridge the gap between school and real-world practice, providing students with invaluable hands-on experiences. By integrating classroom learning with professional environments, the program allows participants to apply their skills, gain insights into industry standards, and develop essential workplace competencies. As students embark on this journey, they are introduced to a variety of organizational settings, mentorship opportunities, and collaborative projects that enhance their understanding of career expectations. This foundational experience not only equips them with practical knowledge but also fosters personal and professional growth, preparing them for successful futures.

Our Behavior Team and our School & Safety Monitors participated in Safety Care Trainer Training.

During the training, the Westlake RBT's did an amazing job managing everything! They received the Avocado Pin from Ms. Tantillo & Mr. Peneno!

Welcome to the Wolf Pack Press!

On October 11th, two people from M&T Bank came to our classroom to teach us about how to budget our money. They were very nice, they did a great presentation and they were very helpful.

Here are some things we learned:

That a bank account is a safe place to save your money.

The difference between wants and needs.

The 50-30-20 rule on how to spend your money.

The 50/30/20 rules are: 50% of our needs, 30% of our savings, and 20% of our wants.

We learned so much and we even got some gifts from the bank!

We look forward to their next visit in January!

Report by Ashanti F.

Edited by Jonathan D.

This month our school’s SEL topic was respect! Our class celebrated Anti-Bullying Month by learning about respect and ways we can be kind to others. We talked about being kind to our friends and teachers, and also being kind to our things and classroom. We read The Legend of Spookley the Square Pumpkin and talked about how each of us is unique! We talked about how each of our unique differences is part of what makes us special and helps to build our school community.

This month, we also learned about Fall! We learned about apples and pumpkins, and all the fun Fall activities we can do. We talked about each of our favorite activities to do in the Fall. We also took a nature walk outside to find different Fall things like colorful leaves and pumpkins! We learned about the holiday of Halloween, when and how it is celebrated, and what each of our favorite candy is. We also learned the poem, “Five Little Pumpkins,” and practiced counting to 5! We talked about what costumes we want to wear this year and practiced how to say, “Trick or treat!”

Throughout October, we’ve been talking a lot about our monthly SEL theme - Respect! We practiced showing respect for each other by accepting our differences and encouraging each other. After an exciting visit from Omegaman superheroes (who taught us all about making good choices), we talked about our own superpowers: from surfing, to dancing, to arts and crafts, our class showed self-respect by acknowledging our own strengths. We even talked about how we can use our strengths to change the world - making friends and being kind to everyone were two of our top answers!

This month, we also began making greeting cards! We’ve been learning new skills, including stamping, die cutting, and assembling cards. When it comes to cardmaking, teamwork makes the dream work! Each card is carefully prepared by multiple students, taking turns for each step of the process. Currently, we are building our stock of “Thank You” and “Happy Birthday” cards!

Happy Fall Westlake School!

I am Nurse Veronica Zyska! I take pride in ensuring all our students and staff are safe & healthy here! The Westlake Health Office is a safe place filled with a Zen feel of natural diffusers to calm and welcome students and staff when not feeling well or simply needing an ear or vote of reassurance throughout the day. We have many students with complex medical conditions that I am able to monitor and treat throughout the day with regimens in place overseen by health care providers. When students feel unwell, we have an area where they can rest and relax until they go home to recover called the “cooties quarter.”

I am available always for any concerns and will help support the needs of the Westlake Family.

Have a cozy fall season and please stay healthy!!

We are having a great time in physical therapy (PT) this month working on our strength, balance/coordination and gross motor skills!

This month we were excited to start using an innovative tool called “Blaze Pods” which we received through a grant. Blaze pods are interactive lights that can be programmed for various exercises and games. They can be utilized to improve balance, coordination, and reaction time through activities where students tap or step on illuminated pods. Additionally, therapists can design games to improve visual tracking and attention, fostering engagement and motivation in therapy sessions.

We also started a new initiative this year called “Fitness Club.” Once weekly a group of our students meet with the physical therapist to work on their cardiovascular endurance on our treadmills. We chart our progress on a “treadmill tracker.” We then perform lower extremity stretching and use a muscle chart to discuss which muscles are being engaged.

Overall our students are having a great month in PT and are continuing to make steady progress towards their goals!

Aliza Feuerstein PT, DPT, PCS

Website: www.ucesc.org/schools/westlake_school

Location: 1571 Lamberts Mill Rd, Westfield, NJ, USA

Phone: 908-232-4181

Visit us!