The Westgate Wire

Allie and I wish you a wonderful weekend! Below are a few things to put on your radar.

• As much as we love dogs, it is important that they not be brought onto school property during school hours. We have students who can become fearful, and we would not want to have an unfortunate situation.
• We ask that all walkers crossing Grove Street use the crosswalk with the crossing guard instead of attempting to cross at Grove Street, Harvard Street, and the back circle drive. There is a lot of congestion with cars, students walking and riding bikes, and loading buses.
• We encourage parents and family members to follow the happenings at Westgate on Twitter @#wgleads and #AHSD25Westgate. Staff is encouraged to post the exciting things that are happening in their classrooms throughout the day. Be sure to check it out!

If your child cannot attend school on a specific day, there are two ways to report an absence. Please click HERE to record absence information using our online form, which is located on our school website on the Absence page. You may also call our office to report an absence. This year, when you call our school’s main line at 847-398-4292, you will initially hear an auto attendant. You will be prompted with a few options: press “1” to report the absence; press 2 for the nurse; press “0” or remain on the line for the front office. This procedure not only helps us fulfill necessary attendance obligations as required by Illinois law, but it also helps us to monitor the safety of our students en route to school.

ALL ABSENCES MUST BE REPORTED ON THE ONLINE ABSENCE FORM OR BY A CALL TO OUR FRONT OFFICE, NOT BY A CALL OR EMAIL TO YOUR CHILD’S TEACHER. If we do not receive notification of your child’s absence, a phone call will be made to your home, to your work number, to your cell phone number, or to the person listed on the child’s emergency form to verify the absence.

Please provide the following information when calling in a student’s absence:

• Student’s name and grade

• Teacher’s name/section number

• Reason for absence (please be specific)

• Duration of absence – morning, afternoon, or for the entire day

We will have our first PTA meeting of the year on Wednesday, September 8th, at 7:00 p.m. in the Westgate LMC. This year we will also provide the ability for parents to join via Zoom as well.

In addition to the traditional PTA meeting, Mrs. Gillespie and Mrs. Zapatka will be here to share a presentation for parents on RULER, our new social-emotional (SEL) program.

All are welcome to attend!!!

During the school year, we practice many safety drills with our students. This year in collaboration with AHPD and AHFD, our school-wide drills WILL be announced. Parents will also receive an email with detailed information before conducting any drill.

Our first fire drill will be held in early September. The Arlington Heights Fire Department will be present to observe the drill and evacuation.

Once a year, we will conduct a “lockdown” safety drill with all students. The “lockdown” is one of the routine safety drills we practice throughout the year, along with evacuation drills, shelter-in-place drills, and a bus evacuation drill. Students are prepared for this drill before the “lockdown” so they are not unnecessarily alarmed, and it will be announced. Classroom teachers will review our emergency procedures with their students. Officer O'Leary from the Arlington Heights Police Department will also be in attendance during our practice drill.

Please note that students who choose to pack a meal from home are invited to take a bag with milk that will also contain a fruit, vegetable, and grain at no charge. If your child has food allergies or food intolerances, please work with them to identify what they can consume from this bag, should they decide to pick it up.

All of these bagged items will be wrapped. If a student chooses not to consume all items, those may be placed on a table in the eating area so as to not be wasted.

As a reminder, lunch is free this school year for all District 25 students.

Thank you,

District 25 Food Services

• Back to School Block Party- 8/27 from 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.
  
• No School- 9/6 and 9/7
• No School-9/16
• Picture Day-9/21
• No School-10/11
• Parent/Teacher Conferences-10/21 and 10/22
• Picture Retakes-10/26
• Fall Break-11/22-11/26
• Winter Break-12/20-12/31