Westwood Elementary Newsletter

I know this is the November newsletter, but I have a few important reminders for tomorrow. Students are able to wear school appropriate costumes or Halloween/Fall colors to school tomorrow- Thursday, October 31st. Costumes cannot include ANY weapons, gore, or anything else that is not school appropriate. Blow up costumes, masks or full head coverings can be worn during the parade only. We will not be having traditional classroom parties, but we will be “trick or treating” through the WW campus. This is for students and staff only. If you do not want your child to participate in Halloween activities, please let the classroom teacher know, and we will have alternate activities for them. Pease remind your child that even though its a fun and exciting day, and may be dressed in costume that we still need to make good choices and be ready to learn, as it is a school day.

Please continue to talk with your student about the "3 Bees"- consistent language and expectations can help make the day go smoother- both at school and at home! We appreciate all you do to help your child be successful at school.

This newsletter contains important information, and I will send only one each month. Please take the time to read it each month- it is packed full of information. We also will have printed copies in the main office, should you need one. Please make sure you have an email listed in PowerSchool that you check regularly- we frequently communicate electronically.

If you drop off or pick up your student- please make sure you are only doing so in the designated pickup and drop off area where staff are located. We do this to ensure your student is safe and supervised by an adult, thank you for your cooperation. You can see more details below in the drop off and pickup procedures.

Regular attendance at the elementary school level is crucial to each student’s success, as it sets up a good pattern for your child’s entire school career. Please make sure your child is here every day that it is possible.

Please follow us if you are not already: Westwood Elementary-Elyria City Schools;

https://www.facebook.com/westwoodelementaryecsd

If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us. We are excited to continue to work with our staff, you, and our students to make it a great year.

Your Partner in Education,
Ms. Stacey Gatten
Principal

November

2- Westwood Middle School Chili Cook-off (see flyer below)

5- Professional Development for staff- no school for students

11- World Kindness week and spirit week (see below for details)

12- Picture retake day

14- TechE Club

19- Interims sent home electronically

27-29- No school for students

To ensure drop-off and pickup run smooth and effective:

· You may ONLY enter at 42101 Griswold to enter the car line. Adelbert entrance is only for Preschool. Please do not cut through- this creates additional traffic for EECV, and we want ALL students to be safe. Also please only drop off and pick up in the designated area, do not use the visitor parking for drop off as it it not an area that is supervised by staff.

· Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 8:55 for Elementary School drop off in the morning. If Elementary students arrive early you will need to keep your student(s) in the vehicle with you until staff comes out to unload students at 8:55am.

· Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 3:00pm for Elementary pickup in the afternoon.

· Once in the lot, please pull up to the car in front of you, as this will allow more cars to enter the lot, and keep cars off the street.

· Please be ready and prepared so that we can keep cars moving efficiently in the lot.

· Follow all directions from staff, they are there to help.

· Please drive safe and slow- this is a school zone and we need to keep all students and staff safe. Please ONLY drop off students on the drop off zone that has staff available- stop signs and non drop off zones are prohibited.

· You will exit at Griswold also.

We appreciate your help in keeping our students safe.

School hours are 9:10am-3:10pm.

Doors do not open until 8:55- please do not drop off early or allow students to walk early.

If you are dropping off, please hold your child in the car with you until 8:55am.

Please call the office to report your child(ren)’s absence at 284-8002 before 9:30AM. Our phone has 24-hour voicemail so that you may call and leave a message anytime. Please leave a voicemail if no one answers the phone in the office; voicemails are frequently checked and the office will receive your message.

Please make sure you always have a photo ID with you, when you come to the school, this is for the safety of our students.

The Main Office of any school building is a hub of activity. Students and staff are always on the go, in and out of the space throughout the school day.

It’s an active place for regular check-ins and meetings with students, as well as staff conferences and daily interactions with school principals and counselors. The Main Office is also a confidential space at times for conversations and interactions between school personnel and students.

Parents and caregivers are part of the equation, too. For any number of reasons, parents may be asked to come to their child’s school during the day. When that happens, parents should follow the district’s visitor procedures by using the school’s main entrance buzzer and intercom system to gain entrance to the school, and then signing in at the front desk.

If parents/caregivers do not have a meeting at the school but still need to come to the school during the day to see their child or to speak to a staff member, call-ahead notice or an appointment is required.

This ensures parents will be seen in a timely manner and upholds the safety practices of the school. To contact the Main Office, please call 440-284-8002

Our school address is: Westwood Campus, 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035

Our phone number will stay the same: 284-8002

Hello Westwood families!

Educating children about the importance of hand hygiene as well as how and when to wash their hands are key factors in promoting good health and well-being. Hand hygiene is extremely important in schools to help prevent the spread of infectious diseases. Teaching children the importance of hand hygiene and how to wash from an early age is a great way to encourage a lifelong habit. Teaching them how to do it correctly is also very important. According the World Health Organization, you must follow a 6-step process to ensure all surfaces of your hands are clean:

Once you have wet your hand and applied soap, the following technique should be used:

1. Rub your palms together

2. Clean the back of each hand

3. Rub in between your fingers

4. Interlock your hands to clean the back of your fingers

5. Clean both thumbs

6. Finish by cleaning your fingertips

Please reach out with any questions,

Amanda McCall RN, BSN

Westwood Campus

mccallamanda@elyriaschools.org

440-284-8153

Hello!

Our students have wrapped up the month of October with our Bullying Prevention Unit. We learned to Recognize, Report, and Refuse bullying and participated in many discussions about helping each other out and treating everyone with kindness.

The month of November will begin our Emotion Management Unit. Students will be learning to identify the emotions of others, what to do when they are feeling strong emotions, and how taking the perspective of others is important. We will be learning through videos, discussions, and activities surrounding this important topic.

We will also be continuing to recognize students who are demonstrating our Character Trait of the Week. Each week, a new trait is announced to focus on. Classroom teachers choose one student per class each week to receive a certificate and have their name on the morning announcements. Some of our previous traits have been friendship, kindness, bravery, and honesty. The goal is to recognize all of our students who come to school and do the right thing!

In celebration of World Kindness Day on November, 13, WWES will be having a kindness spirit week from Monday, November 11 - Friday, November 15. You will find the theme for each day below. We encourage students to participate as you are able!

Below are some resources to continue our conversation about emotions at home. Thank you!☺

We also very excited to announce that Westwood Elementary School will be periodically incorporating a therapy dog into our campus to visit classrooms and provide an exciting and new learning experience for our students.

Students may be in contact with Henry, a certified therapy dog, throughout the school year always under the supervision of his owner, a volunteer and retired school counselor, as well as a member of our office staff. Henry has been trained through The Bright and Beautiful Therapy Dogs Inc., is up to date on all vaccinations, and has been approved through Elyria City Schools to visit our students!

Research has shown that therapy dogs support psychological and academic growth, while increasing social skills and self-esteem in children. Therapy dogs have been trained to provide emotional support which can positively impact reading skills, emotional functioning, and communication skills. In addition, therapy dogs offer comfort and non-judgmental love with studies to prove that even a short time with a dog can decrease levels of anxiety and release endorphins or feel-good hormones.

Students who have documented dog allergies on file with our school will not be in the presence of Henry. In addition, if you do not wish to have your child participate with or be around Henry, please contact Mrs. Yee at yeestacey@elyriaschools.org or 440-284-8244. If you have any additional questions please feel free to reach out as well.

Thank you!

Stacey Yee

School Counselor

Westwood Elementary

yeestacey@elyriaschools.org

(440) 284-8244

See below for information from Food Services:

Families may bring in prepackaged treats (with ingredients listed by the company that packaged it) BUT we are really encouraging non-food items. We have to be very careful of food allergies, to keep all students safe. Birthday treats ARE not required or encouraged, but okay, if you choose.

Birthday/Holiday treat ideas include:

Pencils, bookmarks, fidgets, pop-its, bracelets, crayons, squishes, pencil toppers or erasers, glow sticks, play dough, slinkies, stickers, prepackaged snack with ingredients listed (from the company that produces it).

Have you opted in to receive text messages from Elyria Schools?

If you haven't already, please take a moment to sign up to receive automatic text messages from Elyria Schools. This is a valuable tool in an emergency or when there's important, time-sensitive information to share.

The service is free and opting in is easy. Parents or guardians simply need to send a text message of “Y” or “Yes” to our district's short code number at 67587.

Just as simple, you can opt out at any time by replying to one of our messages with “Stop.”

The text feature and the robocall system are tied directly a student's contact information that is on file with your child's school. Please make sure this information is kept up-to-date to ensure you continue receiving calls or texts from Elyria Schools.

Hoodies, and similar tops or jackets with hoods, are "fan favorites" when it comes to school attire. We like them, too, but not when they are worn up and over the head during the school day.

The district's Student Code of Conduct provides direction on headgear, stating that it may not be worn over a person's head or scalp (excluding headgear that's worn for religious or medical reasons.) Hoods can make it difficult to identify an individual in an emergency, and they can also be a distraction in class. Please remind students that hoods may not be worn up during the school day.

The Student Code of Conduct also offers guidance on attire. Clothing must be school appropriate and may not present a health or safety hazard or disrupt the educational environment. Pants and tops must fit properly and be in good repair; crop tops are not permitted.

Additionally, footwear must be school appropriate--slippers and slipper socks are not permitted. Blankets also may not be worn in school.

Students may bring their cell phones to school but they must be turned off and put away during the day unless they are used as a part of a teacher-directed lesson in class. Same rules apply to Bluetooth headphones--they may not be worn during the school day.

If you need to reach your student during the school day, please contact the main office and our staff will convey a message or assist you in reaching your student.

Website: https://www.elyriaschools.org/domain/30
Location: 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Phone: 440-284-8002