The Westgate Wire

• Students will not have school on Thursday and Friday of next week due to Parent-Teacher Conferences on February 17th and 18th. We will have school on President's Day, Monday, February 21st.
• We will celebrate Valentine's Day on Monday, February 14th. Please do not send in candy or candy bags with your child's Valentines.

• Please continue to talk with your child at home to express your expectations for masking. District 25 staff cannot be responsible for monitoring your family’s mask choice throughout the day.

We are hoping to partner with parents to help reduce the number of students who are using their electronic watches and cell phones to communicate with parents or other people during school hours. Below is the information provided in the Parent/Student Handbook. Student use of cell phones and electronic watches during the school day is not allowed. It is important that students communicate with school staff should they need to reach out to speak with parents during the school day.

Parent/Student Handbook:

"The possession and use of cell phones and other electronic devices, including wearables, are subject to the following rules: • Elementary students are expected to leave cell phones in the “off” position and in their backpacks throughout the school day. • A supervising teacher may grant permission for them to be used or if needed during an emergency. • They may not be used in any manner that will cause disruption to the educational environment or will otherwise violate student conduct rules. The District recognizes that whether students have their own mobile learning devices and if they are allowed to bring those devices to school is a family decision."

Parents, students, and teachers across Illinois will have an opportunity to participate in the tenth annual statewide Illinois 5Essentials Survey. This survey is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of Westgate School. As a parent, this opportunity will allow you to share your thoughts on the important elements of school effectiveness. Your participation in the parent portion of the survey will help us understand the conditions at Westgate School and guide improvement. Your identity and survey responses will be kept completely confidential and will never be connected to you or your child.

Please take a few minutes to complete the survey linked below. The survey window will close on March 11, 2022. If at least 20 percent of Westgate parents complete this survey, a parent supplement report will be generated.

Link for parents to take the survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Arrival and dismissal is a busy time at Westgate, and student safety is our top priority. Please be mindful of the following things when dropping off or picking up your child.

• Double parking is prohibited on Grove Street, Dwyer Street, and all parking lots.
• Please do not encourage your child to walk between cars when parked or waiting in your car on the street.
• The street section between the parking lot and Dwyer Street on the north end of the building is used for bus parking. Please do not park or drop off or pick up your child in those areas between 8:45 a.m.- 9:00 a.m. and 3:15 p.m.-3:45 p.m.

Kindergarten pre-registration is now open for the 2022/23 school year. To begin the process, please visit the district website at:

https://www.sd25.org/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1574

If you have any questions, please contact the Westgate office at (847) 398-4292

• Parent/Teacher Conferences-2/17-2/18
  
• Animal Day-2/25
• PTA Meeting-3/2 from 7:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.
• Report Cards-3/4
• Beach Day-3/18
• Spring Break- 3/21-3/25