Westside Pack Post

October was a busy month at Westside! Our kindergarten families practiced their reading while dressed like pirates, our 2nd graders had a visit from the Idaho Falls Fire Department to learn about fire safety, and our teachers participated in Stop the Bleed training where we learned life saving measures for emergency situations. We also enjoyed celebrating Halloween and our students loved showing off their costumes. Time is flying by and we are loving every second we get to spend with your kiddos. We are ready to finish off 1st trimester this month!

Kelsey Anderson

Westside Elementary - Principal

November 1, 8, 15, and 22 - Early Release Friday

November 5 - At-Home Learning Day

November 7 - PTO Meeting at 2:45 pm

November 13 - Picture Retakes

November 15 - 3rd Grade Field Trip to the Frontier Center (Civic Auditorium)

November 20 - Homestead Pizza Night

November 21 and 22 - FAME

November 22 - End of 1st Trimester

November 25-29 - No School

December 4-5 - Parent Teacher Conferences

December 5 - Early Release at 1:25 pm

December 6 - At-Home Learning Day

Our first bell rings at 8:15 am and our dismissal bell rings at 2:25 pm. On Fridays, our first bell rings at 8:15 am and our dismissal bell rings at 1:25 pm. You can find our calendar, which includes no school days, here: https://id50010859.schoolwires.net/domain/1083

In September and October, we focused on the character traits of respect and responsibility. In September, our students learned the definition of respect and what it looks like. In the younger grade levels, we reviewed problem solving using Kelso’s Choices. Students in the upper grade levels learned about self respect and looked into the things they respect about themselves. In October, we focused on responsibility. Discussion topics included problem solving, positive self-talk, making mistakes, and what it looks like to be responsible for ourselves at school. Students talked about the differences between teacher and student responsibilities. Teachers were able to see what students expect of them when they come to school and teachers were able to share their expectations with students. Some of my favorite memories as a school counselor are being in the classrooms watching students learn socially and feeling proud of their social skills.

Amy Gallagher

Westside Elementary - Counselor

We have two at-home online learning days coming up! The first is scheduled for November 5th and the second is for December 6th. November 5th is due to schools being used for the Presidential Election. The Bonneville County Election Office anticipates a large turnout for voting this year and they will be using the gym/cafeteria. Teachers and staff members will use this day to plan, collaborate, and prepare learning opportunities for students. December 6th is a compensation day for teachers after parent teacher conferences. Teachers and staff members will not be working this day.

Prior to at-home learning days, teachers will send work home with students. Work will be a review of concepts already taught in class and will be provided for all subjects. Students can complete the work on their own time and should bring that work back to school after the at-home day. If you have questions, please reach out to your student's teacher.

Picture retakes are scheduled for Wednesday, November 13th. If you would like your child's picture retaken, they need to bring their original pictures back to school on November 13th. If your child was absent on picture day, they can have their picture taken on retake day. If you have questions, ask your child's teacher or call the office and speak to one of our secretaries.

Once a month, all students will have the opportunity to learn more about music and art through a 30 minute Fine Arts Mini Experience (FAME) taught by a PTO volunteer. FAME is an art and music program designed to familiarize students with historically well-known artists, composers, and their works. The content is presented by focusing on specific art and music elements as parts of a composition and by providing a connection, be it life experiences or artistic similarities of featured artists.

This year's parent teacher conferences will take place December 4th and 5th after school. Thursday, December 5th will be a one hour early release. December 6th will be an at home learning day for students! Teachers will send home meaningful work for them to complete that day.

Prior to Thanksgiving Break, teachers will be sending home assigned conference times. We do our best to accommodate families with multiple children with back to back conference times.

Each conference will last 15 minutes and we have a lot of information about your child’s progress to share with you, including their 1st trimester report cards. As you prepare for your conference, we have a few suggestions for you:

• Plan what you would like to ask the teacher and bring your questions with you.
• Ask your child if there is anything they would like you to discuss with their teacher.
• Ask the teacher about activities you can do at home with your child to reinforce or extend new skills and concepts.
• When possible, it is beneficial for both parents to attend the conference.

Westside is a school wide Title 1 school. Wondering what that means? All students have the opportunity to receive Title 1 services such as interventions in subjects they may struggle with and/or enrichment in subjects they excel with. Check out this PowerPoint for more information:

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1H5Rw1XUnXUwnqSCkik-LVsGAxr9TQxNL/edit?usp=drive_link&ouid=108139177252455257680&rtpof=true&sd=true

This year one of our big focuses will be attendance. It is extremely important for students to be at school every single day. We understand that students can't control when they are sick and there will be some absences. Students are allowed 5 absences per trimester, excluding medically excused absences. Students must attend at least 4 hours per day for a full day of attendance to be counted and 2.5 hours per day for a half day to be counted. If your child is absent, please call the office at (208) 525-7666 to report their absence. We miss your student when they are gone because all of our students are an important part of our Westside community!

Red - no drop off or pick-up (other than those using the handicap parking spot located in the staff parking lot)

Blue - drop off and pick-up zone

Yellow - crosswalks

Green - park and walk your student to their door

We need everyone to fill out the free and reduced lunch application! The results of this form help determine the amount of funding we receive for programs such as Title 1 and All Day Kindergarten. You may be surprised that you qualify for breakfast/lunch assistance! The form only needs to be filled out once per family. Fill out the form here: https://linqconnect.com/

Come work at Westside! We have two open positions that we are hiring for:

• Lunch and Recess Duty Aide - 12 hours per week
• English Language Tutor - 19 hours per week
  

Find more information and apply here: https://www.applitrack.com/d91/onlineapp/default.aspx?AppliTrackPostingSearch=location:%22Westside+Elementary%22

October was a great month because of you! Thank you to all the volunteers that made our Halloween class parties so successful. We couldn't have done it without you! We had a successful Chick-Fil-A night in October where we made $517.00 to put towards new playground equipment. This is only the second time they have had anyone make over $500.00. Way to go Westside!

We are looking forward to our restaurant night at Homestead Pizza on November 20th. They are very generous and give back 50% of all food sales and 25% of fundraiser bucks, so please consider supporting this great opportunity! Also, keep an eye out for news about the Scholastic Book Fair coming right after Thanksgiving break!

Please consider joining us for our PTO meetings! The next meeting will be Thursday, November 7th at 2:45 pm in the library at Westside.

Thank you for your donations and support for our efforts to get Westside new playground equipment. We are getting closer to our goal!

Are you looking for Christmas support? Check out this wonderful opportunity in our community!

Email: andekels@sd91.org
Website: https://www.d91.k12.id.us/16/home
Address: 2680 Newman Drive, Idaho Falls, ID, USA
Phone: (208) 525-7666
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrskelseyanderson/