Westwood Intermediate/Middle School

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Thank you for sharing your thoughts through our pulse check last week! We’ve heard from 559 of you so far this year. Last week, 92% of those responding were happy with Westwood. Some themes includes:

• Appreciation for supportive teachers and staff who meet the students where they are
• Praise for the variety of extracurricular activities available to students.
• Questions about the new grading policy and how to access grades in the portal. Our PTO meeting in January will focus on information in Schoology and grading at Westwood. Please continue to reach out to teachers with specific questions and for a conversation.

We take all of the comments, feedback and ideas into consideration as we plan and follow up.

We’ve had a musical month! Congratulations to all our Westwood musicians on their recent performances. Thanks for sharing your talents with us!

As the winter weather approaches please be aware of our student drop off times for students who do not ride the bus. Students arriving prior to these times will need to wait outside of the main doors and it can get cold out there.

• Grades 7 and 8 students can be dropped off starting at 7:15 a.m.
• Grades 5 and 6 students can be dropped off starting at 8:15 a.m.

There is no school Monday, December 23 through Wednesday, January 1. Have a wonderful winter break, and we will see you back at school in 2025 on Thursday, January 2.

Tom Larson

Principal

During winter break, December 23-January 1, the District Services Center will hold the following hours:

• Monday, December 23 - 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
• Tuesday, December 24-Wednesday, December 25 - closed
• Thursday, December 26- Tuesday, December 31 - 8 a.m.-noon
• Wednesday, January 1 - closed
• Normal hours will resume Thursday, January 2

Have a question during this time? Please email SLPComEd@district16.org or enrollment@district16.org and we'll find you the answer.

Orders may be placed online at Westwood Yearbook Order Here or scan the QR code. Questions may be directed to Kristine Powell at kpowel@district16.org.

• Wednesday, December 18 - 5th Grade Choir Concert, Fine Arts Center, 7 p.m.

• December 23-January 1 - No school, holiday
• Monday, January 13
• Grupo de Padres Hispanohablantes de SLP reunion, 5 p.m., Woodcrest Spanish Immersion School
• High school registration opens for the 2025-2026 school year

• 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

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

Students in the Epic Game Design class had to take an existing game and make additions and transformations to the game and present it to an investor. Students got to choose the avenue of communication that they used to share about their new game. Mr. Packingham then asked questions to gain clarity on the quality and potential of each of the games. He then let them know if he would be investing in their game as well as provided real time feedback of where they are at in their learning using the competency rubrics.

The theme for December's Student of the Month is Enthusiastic Effort. Students demonstrated responsibility by being prepared and using extra effort to get the job done. Thank you for showing Enthusiastic Effort at Westwood Intermediate and Middle School!

It's Spirit Week at Westwood. Team 6A dressed as Baby Sharks, 6th Grade Spanish Immersion dressed as Thing 1, 2, and 3. Yaqub from Journeys 5/6 posed with his "Twin!"

Wacky Day

Congratulations to our 6th and 7th grade bands on a job well done! They performed incredible concerts to a full house and thunderous applause!

Fode Bangoura and Whitney McClusky from the MacPhail Center for Music visited the Westwood 6th general music and 7th music appreciation classes to showcase their expertise with African drumming and dance! The students learned about West African and Guinean music through an interactive experience including dance and drumming with the guest performers. Students learned new rhythms as they worked together to create complex rhythm patterns that also helped to tell a story.

General Music students explored the recorder during music class!

During Language Arts class, students had the opportunity to work in collaborative groups to discuss the factors that lead to the Civil War.

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.

There are 14 weeks left in the Maud Hart Lovelace reading challenge. Over break is a great time to get some reading done. Don't forget to check digital resources to see if any books you want have become available. Each student who turns in review slips for three books can vote for their favorite to determine state winner and get a free trimester treat table prize.

Our annual book fair will be open during the day to students week of February 4-7. There will be a family fun night Friday February 7 and the book fair will also be open then for families to shop.

Spring Lake Park High School students in the year-long Marketing and Entrepreneurship class recently stepped into the spotlight to pitch their creative business ideas in the annual “Shark Tank”-style competition. After months of hard work, 12 student groups showcased their product or service ideas to local judges.

Students dreamed big. There were AI-powered glasses to sharpen your golf game. There was an eco-friendly mobile thrift shop. There was a sturdy case intended to extend the life of baseball gloves, and a closet organizer app designed to simplify busy mornings.

In the first round, students presented three times to different panels of judges. Judges were then tasked with rating the pitches. After the scores were tallied, six teams advanced to the final round.

We caught up with the finalists to hear about their ideas, how this unique class is shaping their future goals and what it’s like to pitch their ideas to real-world business pros.

• From paper plants to community circles
• Enrollment is open for the 2025-2026 school year
• Now Hiring Paraprofessionals - apply online today
• Fall 2024 highlights: Panther athletics and activities
• Meet our 2024-2025 student school board reps
• Exploring careers and improving personal health
• All About AVID

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