Westwood Elementary Newsletter

Spring seems to be right around the corner, although we have already had some spring like days with the warmer weather. Looking ahead, spring break starts on Friday, April 7th.

I am sure many of you already know that we follow "Bee" expectations at Westwood. Be sure to talk with your child what the "3 Bee's" are. At Westwood, we expect our students to Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and ready To Learn each and every day. Students should be able to explain to you what each of the "3 Bee's" look like.

This month, we will have a lot going on as third and fourth grade students prepare to take the Ohio State Tests in reading and math (in April). It is important that your child attend school, on time, each and every day as the skills they learn each day will lead into the next day. Here is our testing schedule:

Gr. 3 ELA part 1 Tuesday March 28

Gr. 4 ELA part 1 Wednesday March 29

Gr. 3 ELA part 2 Thursday March 30

Gr. 4 ELA part 2 Friday March 31

Makeups April 3-6

Gr. 3 Math part 1 Tuesday April 25

Gr. 4 Math part 1 Wednesday April 26

Gr. 3 Math part 2 Thursday April 27

Gr. 4 Math part 2 Friday April 29

Makeups May 1-5

Please make sure your student is dressing for the weather. If there is a need for winter items, please contact our Community Engagement Liaison (CEL), Ashley Hayes @ 440-284-8226.

Looking ahead, we have Ohio State testing for 3rd and 4th grade at the end of March.

Thank you for taking the time to read this digital newsletter! There is important information and dates included, to help you plan ahead.

We also will have printed copies of this newsletter 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.

I’d like to remind parents to continue to check their child’s progress on PowerSchool. If you need your login or password information, please contact Mrs. Carey in the front office. It’s important to continue to watch your child’s grades so you are aware of any areas to focus on at home or areas to celebrate with your child

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.

Your Partner in Education,
Ms. Stacey Gatten
Principal

10- Learn from home day (students will have work to complete at home)

14- PTO @ 3:30pm- all are welcome

14- Marco's pizza night

17- End of 3rd Quarter

20- Records day (no school for students)

24- March Madness Family Fun Night 5-7

28- 3rd grade ELA test, part 1

29- 4th grade ELA test, part 1

30- 3rd grade ELA test, part 2

31- 4th grade ELA test, part 2

Join us on Saturday, March 4 from 9:30-12 p.m. at Ely Elementary to BE A PIONEER!

The district’s registrars will be onsite that day to assist with the registration process. Goodies for new registrants and breakfast provided.

To enroll parents must provide photo identification such as a driver’s license; two proofs of residency, for example a rental agreement or utility bill; their child’s immunization records; the child’s birth certificate, and proof of custody if applicable.

Children who will be three or four years old (for preschool) or five years old (for kindergarten) by September 30 are eligible to enroll. Full day kindergarten is free in the Elyria Schools. Bussing is also provided for preschool students.

First Student offers a live tracking app called FirstView that makes it easy for parents to follow the progress of their student's bus before and after school. This is helpful to allow you to see your students bus and in the event of a delay you could get the information quickly.

You can sign up here:

https://www.elyriaschools.org/departments/operations/transportation

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

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.

March is National Nutrition Month

Busting food myths just because a grocery item contains the word fruit, grain, or vegetable doesn’t make the food healthy.

Myth: Fruit juice is a good source of nutrients.

Fact: While fruit juice does contain vitamins, it lacks fiber and is usually full of sugar.

Best bet: Encourage your student to eat whole fruits, such as bananas and oranges, which give them more fiber ounce for ounce than juice.

Myth: Cereal is always a nutritious breakfast.

Fact: Many cereals, especially those marketed to children, pack in lots of sugar. Look out for “sneaky” sugars in the list of ingredients, such as cane juice or molasses.

Best bet: Opt for 100% whole grain cereals that are high in fiber (5 grams or more per serving) and low in sugar (less than 8 grams per serving). Send your student on a “treasure hunt” in the cereal aisle to find varieties that meet those standards.

Myth: Vegetable chips make a healthy snack.

Fact: Packaged veggie chips can have as many calories as potato chips, and they may be high in sodium, too. Plus, nutrients are lost when the vegetables are processed.

Best bet: For the crunch without the calories, get your child in the habit of snacking on raw vegetables like carrots and snap peas.

Happy Snacking and call Mrs. Hess, Licensed School Nurse for any ideas or questions about health related matters. Clinic 440-284-2853

Thank you,

Rose Hess

hessrose@elyriaschools.org

School Nurse

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 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).

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

· You may ONLY at 42101 Griswold to enter the car line. We will no longer be using Adelbert for drop off- Adelbert is only for Preschool now.

· 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.

· You will exit at Griswold also.

We appreciate your help in keeping our students safe.

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