Westfield Arrow
Aiming to Keep You Informed
September 6, 2024
From the Office
Thank you to everyone who was able to attend Curriculum Night yesterday! Our staff truly enjoyed meeting all of you and making connections with the parents and guardians of our students. If you have any follow-up questions, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher at any point throughout the school year. Thanks again for spending the evening with us!
Fall MAP Testing & Goal Setting
This week, most students completed their Fall MAP testing in both Reading and Math. Makeup testing for any students who were absent will be completed by the end of next week.
Students and staff will utilize the Fall MAP data to help set academic goals for the school year in both Reading and Math that they will hope to achieve by the Spring MAP testing dates. The Winter MAP tests will help students to monitor their progress towards their goals. Please take a moment in the coming weeks to discuss your child's recent MAP scores with them and ask your child about their goals for the year.
Should you have any questions regarding MAP scores or your child's goals, please feel free to reach out to your child's teacher or one of our specialists, Mrs. Tina Kolzow (Reading Specialist) or Mrs. Natalie Thompson (Math Specialist).
Anniversary of 9/11
Wednesday, September 11th, marks the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 and provides us a time to reflect and remember the men, women and children who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Despite our students being born after this watershed moment in American history, the world they have grown up in was significantly shaped by the tragic events of that September day and the events that followed. Along with the discussions in classrooms, we also encourage every student to take a moment this weekend to speak with a relative or family friend who recalls the events and atmosphere of that day. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum might be a resource that you find helpful for your children.
2024 Illinois Assessment of Readiness Scores Coming Soon
Student reports from the 2024 IAR will be mailed home next Friday, September 13th and test results will also be available soon in Otus for parents and students to view.
Cross Country
The first meet of the season for Westfield runners will take place on Tuesday, September 10th at Roselle MS. The team is scheduled to compete in three regular season meets, including a Home Meet at Westfield on September 17th in Circle Park, followed by a Meet at Peacock MS on September 19th, and then the Conference Meet on September 24th at Lake Park East. We hope you can make it out to an upcoming meet to cheer on our Westfield athletes!
Have a wonderful weekend!
Stefan Larsson
Principal
Amanda Vreeland
Assistant Principal
Upcoming Dates
- SEPTEMBER 9 PTO Meeting 4:00pm at Westfield
- SEPTEMBER 10 Wear Orange for Hunger Awareness
- SEPTEMBER 16 Student Picture Day [retakes on October 21]
- SEPTEMBER 20 Early Dismissal at 1:40pm
GRADE LEVEL NEWS:
The teams will be updating the links weekly during the school year with news and any upcoming information.
- 6th GRADE TEAM
- 7th GRADE TEAM
- 8th GRADE TEAM
- EXPLORE TEAM (grades 6, 7, 8)
- P.E. TEAM (grades 6, 7, 8)
- WF SPECIALISTS (grades 6, 7, 8)
WARRIOR OF THE WEEK
Each week the staff recognizes students for demonstrating outstanding character based on attitudes or actions that follow the Character Counts Pillars and our WARRIORS Mission and Vision:
''We are W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S.; our mission and vision for the future are for all staff and students to be Welcoming, Ambitious, Respectful, Responsible, Innovative, Optimistic, Reflective, and Successful."
Westfield This Week
Genetics terminology in 8th Science
Floor hockey in PE
Band rehearsal before school
Team building in 7th Science
Choir rehearsal before school
Origami in 6th grade Art
Curriculum Night
Taxpayer referendum information
Art alliteration project
Student Information
Wanted! Empty Cereal Boxes
The Westfield Art Room is in need of empty cereal or cracker boxes (really any box made from thin cardboard) for an upcoming student 3D Art Sculpture Project.
Please save all thin empty cereal boxes and bring them to Westfield!
Thank you in advance for giving your empty boxes a second use!
NEW! Art Clubs
Sign and return permission slip(s) to Art Teacher. Mrs. Matt dmatt@sd13.org
Help for Student Chromebooks
If a student needs Chromebook/Password/Repair assistance from the Technology Department, the student must use the link below to request support:
A Charge for Chromebook Repairs
District 13 will absorb the first $50.00 of the Chromebook repair annually.
These repair costs will be charged through My School Bucks.
Parent Information
Student Absences
As a reminder, absences may be considered excused for reasons of 1) personal illness/Dr. appointment, 2) quarantine, 3) bereavement, 4) family emergencies, 5) observance of religious holidays, 6) mental health, and 7) request in writing, approved in advance by the administration.
Please, be sure to use the Westfield Attendance Email: wfattendance@sd13.org, or call the Westfield Main Office available 24/7 at 630-529-6211 regarding the reason for your student’s absence or late arrival.
Thank you!
Westfield Student Picture Day is on September 16th
Parents may pre-pay before September 16th:
DISTRICT 13 FEE PAYMENT
Parents/Guardians:
- You received an invoice email of fees for 2024-25 on August 16th. If it is not in the inbox, please check the spam folder.
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Please sign into My School Bucks and create an account and attach your student(s).
Click on the Person Icon in the upper right hand corner
- In the drop down that appears select "My Students"
- On the My Students page click the blue "Add Student" button
>> Once the fees are posted to your student(s) account(s), you will receive an email notification from My School Bucks. If you have not received an email, this means the fees were probably posted prior to you creating an account
>> The payment deadline has been extended to October 1, 2024.
Westfield Families:
- Along with the registration fee, 8th-grade students will have their graduation fee applied to their account to be paid at the beginning of the school year.
- Sixth-grade students will have their lock fee applied to their account to be paid at the beginning of the school year.
First View Bus App for Parents of Daily Bus Students
STEP 1: Download the FirstView ® ParentView App. Go to firstviewapp.com or find FirstView ® in the App Store or Google Play. Follow the instructions to download the app to your smartphone. *You can also access the ParentView in your browser at https://web.firstviewapp.com/login
STEP 2: Set Up Your Profile. Open the FirstView ® app from your home screen and begin the registration process. You’ll be asked to: a) Select State: Illinois b) Select District: D11-12-13-108 c) Enter Student ID You’ll then be prompted to REGISTER*.
STEP 3: Follow a Stop. Once you have confirmed your account, login and select Profile to “Add A Student”. This is specific to your student: 1) Enter Student ID 2) Security Code. Once you select “Done”, you will be able to see stop information in your Profile. The Scheduled Stop times will also appear on your FirstView ® Map. You may track multiple student’s stops.
STEP 4: Set Notifications Go to Settings and select “Notification Recipients” to add email notifications for up to 3 recipients, including yourself. From this screen, you can also edit your Profile or follow another student’s stop. Alerts and notifications from your district or the bus depot will appear under Notifications in the menu.
From Westfield's Nurse, Mrs. Rider
A current, physical examination is required by the Illinois Department of Public Health for all children entering 6th grade -- completed by a Physician and signed by a parent/guardian.
STATE OF ILLINOIS HEALTH EXAM FORM
>> TO ALL 7th and 8th GRADE PARENTS re: SPORTS PHYSICAL for 2024-25
A current, sports-physical exam is required if your 7th or 8th grade student wishes to participate in sports -- BEFORE their sport season starts and in time for tryouts.
SPORTS PHYSICAL FORM
Questions? Email Westfield's Nurse: dawnrider@sd13.org
About Your Child's Medication:
- The district's medication administration policy mandates that all medication administered at school requires a Medical Doctor's order. This includes over-the-counter medications; students may NOT keep over-the-counter meds in their backpacks or in their lockers--including cough drops, Advil, etc. This is an important safety concern!
- If your incoming 6th grader requires an inhaler, Epi-Pen, or any oral medication, please obtain the medication form and appropriate health care plan from your physician when your child has their exam. Forms may also be obtained on the district website.
- Questions? Please contact Mrs. Rider, Westfield Nurse at dawnrider@sd13.org
- DOCTOR MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION FORM
- PARENT AUTHORIZATION
Westfield Parent Teacher Organization (PTO)
Meet the 2024-2025 PTO BOARD
- President: Cynthia Perez
- Vice-President: Melissa Graham
- Treasurer: Agata Rojba
- Secretary: Kavita Maharaj
Spiritwear for Sale!
Have you gotten your Westfield Spirit Wear yet?
Don't forget that there's still 30% off site wide until September 17th!
PTO Membership Dues 2024-2025
(Please, pay with MySchoolBucks) MEMBERSHIP FORM
- All-School parties and dances
- Classroom 'wish' lists
- Teacher appreciation
- Scholarships
- Field Trips
- Student awards
2024-2025 Parents/Guardians: Want to Volunteer at Westfield?
- Committee Chairpersons still needed: Hot Lunch, Parties/Dances, Teacher Appreciation, Spirit Wear, Social Media, Box Tops
- CLICK HERE to fill out what you would like to do.
- Questions? Email westfieldmpto@gmail.com for information.
Scan Receipts for Education All Year-Round!
Westfield Middle School collects Box Tops for Education™.
All you need is your phone!
- Download the Box Tops app
- Use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase
- The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online
Twice a year, Westfield will receive a check for whatever the school needs!
Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact the PTO at westfieldmpto@gmail.com Thanks for your support!!
Scan Your BoxTops
Buy 1, earn 10! Win Box Tops items for Westfield NOW THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30th.
Just scan your receipt within 14 days of purchase, and win for Westfield!
Throughout the School Year
District 13 Virtual Backpack
The Bloomingdale School District has a Virtual Backpack that is filled with flyers and information from District 13 and various organizations located throughout Bloomingdale.
Please click on the link if you are also interested in activities or information from outside organizations.
Reminders
School Day Hours: 8:30am- 3:30pm.
Students are guided into the building by staff between 8:10 - 8:20am and are expected to be seated in their 1st period class at 8:30am. All classes are 44 min with a 3 min passing period. Lunchtime, Flextime, & Study Hall for all grades are between 11:38 - 12:22pm. Students will be dismissed from school at 3:30pm. All students attend the following courses: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, & Exploratory.
ATTENDANCE EMAIL FOR LATE OR ABSENT STUDENTS: wfattendance@sd13.org
- Standards & Expectations for Student Behavior
- Westfield Student Handbook
Social Worker, Sheila Zagotta (szagotta@sd13.org)
School Counselor, Lindsay Fenton (Lfenton@sd13.org)
Take Learning on the Go With the IXL App
Your child can take IXL with them anywhere with the IXL app for tablets and smartphones! This app is tailor-made for mobile devices to create a fun and immersive experience that learners love.
Illinois School Report Card - Exemplary Rating!
On October 30, 2023, the Illinois State Board of Education released the 2023 Illinois Report Card for schools. Westfield received a summative designation of Exemplary for 2023. The Exemplary rating is given to schools performing in the top 10% of schools statewide, with no underperforming student groups. This is the second year in a row that Westfield has received the Exemplary rating. We would like to congratulate everyone in the Westfield Community, including our students, staff, and parents. We are extremely proud of the students and staff at Westfield!
Schools are rated on a number of factors, including student scores on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) in both ELA & Math and on the Illinois Science Assessment (ISA). This year the School Report Card also included the percentage of students who showed growth on IAR in ELA & Math. For a quick comparable, here are some scores from Lake Park feeder schools showing the percentages of students who Met & Exceeded on IAR and ISA along with the growth of students relative to other students in the state in ELA & Math.
Westfield Social Media Communication
How-To Videos
Gmail:
- How to delete all email (6th grade)
- How to appropriately write an email
- You can only email other sd13.org email addresses
- Creating Bookmarks
- Starring and snoozing Emails
Google Classroom:
- How to Join Classroom(with Code)
- How to Join with Teacher Invite
- Check Stream and classwork page
- How to Turn in assignments
FlipGrid:
Chromebook: