W.E.stchester Weekly

Greetings WE Families,

Everyone at Westchester is settling into the new school year very well. Hopefully that is happening for you all at home also. Communication is very important to us so we would love to hear how things are going so far. Are you pleased with the weekly newsletter? Do you feel like you are informed and have what you need to know? Please feel free to share your thoughts with me.

A few reminders:

• Announcements start at 8:15. Crew starts at 8:20

• Check your Parent Portal frequently to make sure your child has adequate funds for the cafeteria. You may also find the Parent Portal App (Apple or Android) to be more convenient.

• Transportation changes are made through Pick Up Patrol.

• Please add absence notification in Pick Up Patrol under the “Other” tab. This is the one place to go to communicate these changes.

• Early Check-out must happen before 2:00. Plan accordingly for afternoon appointments.

• Interested in serving on our School Leadership Team? Contact me at cknox@csdecatur.net

Thank you to all who have completed the Annual Update and registered for Pick Up Patrol. This information is very beneficial to us. I am looking forward to a successful school year.

From your grateful principal,

Christine Knox

The Westchester Birthday Book program gives you the opportunity to both honor your child on their birthday and help our library collection continue to grow. To honor your child with a birthday book donation, send $20 cash or check (made payable to Westchester Elementary School) by Friday, August 30th. We welcome friends or other family members to participate in this program as well. Families are not limited to one book, share with your loved ones.

After receiving your donation, your child will choose a new library book during their birthday month during library time. We will affix a book dedication label to the inside of the book your child chooses indicating that the book is donated in their honor to our library. We would like for you to write a special message that will be printed on the label.

Your child may keep the new book for two weeks before returning it to the library. This book will be checked-out in addition to the regular library book(s). Your student will also receive a birthday card that includes a picture of them an their selected book(s).

We are only sending this sign-up sheet home ONCE (Forms are in your student's communication folder today). This form must be submitted, along with payment, by Friday, August 30. July and August birthdays will be celebrated in September and June birthdays will be celebrated in May.

Please find important PTA dates, more information about will be published as we get closer to each event:

Friday, August 9th, 7pm - PTA table at the DHS Football game (come see the Mascot Race)

Thursday, August 29th, 6pm - Parent Engagement Night

Saturday, October 26th, 3-6pm - Fall Festival at Westchester

Thursday, November 14th, 6pm - Pizza Bingo at Westchester

Thursday, January 23rd, 6pm - Parent Engagement Night

February, date TBD - Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade - Westchester Krewe

Thursday, March 20th, 6pm - Pajama Dance Party at Westchester

Thursday, April 17th, 7pm - Virtual Parent Engagement Night (PTA Board elections)

The Fall Merchandise drive will end this Friday, August 9th at midnight, get your merchandise orders in now (merchandise will be delivered to your child's classroom).

https://pswear.com/Westchester

Thank you! Heather Hart

Join us at the DHS Football home opener on Friday, August 9th for our first-ever CSD Mascot Run! Mascots from our CSD schools will face off in a halftime competition to see who is the 2024 CSD Mascot Run Champion. We are inviting our Future Bulldogs to come support their school's mascot and cheer on the Decatur Bulldogs for a fun Friday night to start the school year! Long-time Decatur Bulldog Booster sponsor Keller Knapp Realty is giving away cowbells for fans, and there will be a special half-time Mascot Race. Which CSD school mascot has what it takes to bring home the winning hardware?

Kickoff will be at 7 PM. Tickets can be purchased at gofan.co using the link HERE.”

Dine Out/Spirit Nights supports our school. You get to feed your family and help our little school. Each month we will host a Dine Out/Spirit Night to bring our Westchester Community together.

The news and announcements in this section are sent form the Wilson center.

Reminder! City Schools of Decatur's first Early Release Day is Wednesday, August 28, 2024. Here is the schedule of release times by school level:

Pre-K: 12:15 PM

Lower Elementary: 12:50 PM

Upper Elementary: 12:15 PM

Middle School: 1:45 PM

High School: 1:35 PM

College Heights: (0-3 and the Pre-K program will remain on the normal schedule)

The remaining early release dates are listed below:

Friday, September 20, 2024
Wednesday, October 30, 2024

Friday, November 22, 2024

Thursday, December 19, 2024

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

Wednesday, February 26, 2025

Wednesday, March 26, 2025

Wednesday, April 30, 2025

New 2024-25 Superintendent's Student Advisory Council Members Needed

Applications for the 2024-25 Student Advisory Councils opened in the Student Launchpad on Wednesday, July 31. The Superintendent's Council allows students to meet each other and discuss matters affecting their education with Superintendent Dr. Whitaker. Additionally, there will be opportunities for students to share creative ideas, concerns, or suggestions for improving our district. The application deadline is Wednesday, August 14, at 5 pm.

The application requires a Google account to enable students to upload submissions. While student CSD Google accounts are preferred, any Google account will access the form. Please contact your school's media specialist if support is needed to access the CSD Google account. Students may also access the application here using their Google account.

All CSD Pre-K through grade 12 students will take the STAR assessment instead of the MAP for the 2024-25 school year. The STAR assessment will be administered three times per year, beginning August 12 and then again in December and May. See frequently asked questions about STAR here.

The Teaching and Learning Department will host an informational webinar to provide an overview of STAR and discuss score reports on Tuesday, September 17, 6 p.m. Join the webinar here.

Additional resources:

• To learn more about STAR, click here.

• STAR vs. MAP? View a research study on score correlations here.

Save the date for a virtual meeting to learn more about the following support programs and services available to CSD students:

• Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS)

• Gifted and Talented Services

• ESOL and Federal Programs

• 504 and Psychological Services

• Professional School Counseling

• Behavior Support

• School Social Work

• Special Education

Click here to submit your questions about the Programs Overview before Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 4 p.m. A meeting link will be provided closer to the meeting date.

Decatur HS Varsity Cheerleaders and JV Hosts Parent Night out and Mini-Camp

Who to Contact: Please see who the best contact is for your questions for a quicker response.
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Westchester
Location: 758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterelementarycsd