Westside Elementary
January 2024 Newsletter
Important Dates
January
- 1st-3rd: Winter Break - No School
- 4th: School Resumes
- 5th: Spirit Day - Wear Panther Apparel
- 8th: PTO Meeting in Westside Library - 6:30pm
- 15th: No School - Staff Professional Development Day
- 23rd: Westside Music Concert 7:00-8:00pm at JCT (SH).
February
- 2nd: Spirit Day - Wear Panther Apparel
- 5th: PTO Meeting in Westside Library - 6:30pm
Back to the Old Grindstone
Welcome back!
I hope you had a restful and relaxing Holiday Break. We look forward to getting back into our routines. Thank you for a wonderful first semester. Our students are excellent and have been a joy to be around. They are a direct reflection of the wonderful families they come from.
Keep up the good work!
Mr. Lichty
PTO Schedule Change for Muffins with Mom
Families,
It was decided at our last PTO meeting that we would move our Muffins with Mom event from January 26th to March 14th. The hope is that the weather will be nicer and a safer event for families. We also hoped it wouldn't need to be postponed or cancelled.
More info about Muffins with Mom will come as we get closer to March.
Westside Music Concert is on January 23rd
We will have the Westside Music Concert on Tuesday, January 23rd at Johnny Carson Theater (Norfolk Senior High) from 7:00-8:00pm.
Homework Room and IXL club
With us starting back up on a Thursday, we will not have Homework Room and IXL club on January 4th. All students will be dismissed at 3:15pm
We will have Homework Room and IXL club begin the week of January 8th.
Water Bottles
Also, we are only allowing water or flavored water. No carbonated drinks please!
Seesaw guidelines
Families,
We utilize Seesaw exclusively for our communication between home and school.
However, if you have any messages or appointment information for your child, please call the office at 402-644-2561. Penny will take down your information and make sure it gets to the proper people. As you can imagine, teachers are busy working with their students and will likely miss a message that needs to be delivered.
On the subject of contacting teachers, we love to utilize Seesaw for contact with families. However, please do not expect a response outside of school hours. Teachers are encouraged to avoid emails and Seesaw when not on duty. We want them to enjoy their time with their families. It is possible they may message you in the evening, though, it is not the expectation.
Also, please give them grace if they happen to check a message and forget about it. There are so many distractions in the course of a day, it is easy to forget about returning a message or checking on a request. It is always a good idea to follow up if you don't hear back in 48 hours. (excluding weekends)
Thank you for your understanding.
Mr. Lichty
In case you didn't notice...Seesaw has changed their logo and icons.
Bucket Fillers of the Month
For the month of December we focused on Behavior Expectations in the area of Assemblies.
I also included photos from our Minute to Win It game and our Christmas Sing-Along.
Minute to Win It Game: The Christmas Ball
December Birthdays
Holiday Field Trip to Norfolk 7
On December 19th, the whole school was treated to a movie at Norfolk 7. The students saw "Wish". They were also provided a drink and popcorn. Thank you to the PTO for organizing that event. The staff and students had a great time!
See some of the photos below.
Mrs. Truex's, Mrs. Schold's, and Mrs. Pospisil's classes.
Mrs. Young's, Mrs. Brommer's, and Mrs. Prokopec's classes.
Mrs. Boubin's and Miss Konz's classes
Mrs. Merchant's and Mrs. Torson's classes.
NHS Show Choir Visit
Back in mid December, we had the Norfolk High School Show Choir come and perform for our students. It was a great experience for our staff and students. The photos and a couple of videos are below.
Former Westside students introducing themselves.
Holiday Extravaganza
On December 20th, we celebrated our Holiday Extravaganza. Students were encouraged to dress up in their best holiday spirited outfits. We also were visited by Santa and one of his Elves.
4th Grade Students Visit the Meadows
A few of our 4th grade students visited the Meadows to deliver Christmas Cards they made in Art and Guidance. The Staff and Residents of the Meadows were very appreciative and our students had a great time.
Westside Social Media
Westside Twitter page. (maintained by Westside Elementary)
Westside Facebook page. (maintained by Westside PTO)
Drug free zone
Free and Reduced Lunch Applications still need to be filled out!
If you qualified for free or reduced priced lunches in the past (in the Norfolk Public Schools), you must fill out a new application every year. However, you may have had a new application mailed to you with info already filled in to make the task easier. Kindergarten and new students to the district will need to fill out a new form. If you have multiple students in our district, your family will only need to fill out one packet. If you lost your form, you can fill out a new one as well. Please fill these and all other forms out completely and remember to sign and include all Social Security numbers. This paperwork is also used for other programs and purposes like fee waivers for activity cards and fees for athletics participation.
Westside Calendar
https://www.norfolkpublicschools.org/calendars/
7:50 am - All students go to the blacktop in the back of the school. Breakfast served in gym.
8:05 am - Tardy bell rings
3:15 pm - Dismissal bell rings (M, T, Th, F)
2:00 pm - Dismissal bell rings (W)
Change of Information
If you have had a change of address, phone number, or place of employment, please send a note or contact the office at 402-644-2561 so we can keep our emergency information updated. This is for the safety of our students.
Thank you!
Classroom Rules
Prepackaged Treats
The safety of our children is of utmost importance. We have many students with a wide range of severe, life threatening allergies to various food products. To keep our children safe we are asking that any food products that are brought into the classroom as treats are prepackaged items with ingredients listed.
Thank you for your support in keeping our kids safe.
Toys, Trading Cards, Etc.
Box Top App
We have been asked if Box Tops are still a thing...well they are!
Box Tops has changed how they collect the Box Top. The new and improved Box Tops mobile app uses state-of-the-art technology to scan your store receipt, find participating products and instantly add Box Tops to your school's earnings online.
How does the new program work?
At its core, the program structure and purpose remain the same – to help schools get what they need. The main difference is how you’ll earn – instead of clipping, all Box Tops will be earned digitally via receipt scan.
You’ll now download the new and improved, user-friendly Box Tops app, register and select a school, and then scan an eligible receipt containing Box Tops products. You’ll earn 10 cents for each Box Tops product purchased plus extra earnings for any Bonus Box Tops opportunities. The app will automatically add Box Tops to your school’s earnings online, giving visibility to see how you are supporting your school in real-time.
Our family often shops online; how will that work?
Great news! If you shop for groceries online, you can now submit your email receipts from select retailers to earn Box Tops for your school. To ensure that earnings are properly credited to your account:
1. Make sure you have a Box Tops for Education account (you can create one via the Box Tops app or website)
2. Forward your email receipt to receipts@boxtops4education.com using the same email that’s associated with your BTFE account
3. Box Tops will be credited within 10 business days – view your earnings detail in the MY EARNINGS section of the app or website
A little humor...
Fox Trot by Bill Amend
Westside Elementary School
Email: TracyLichty@npsne.org
Website: http://www.norfolkpublicschools.org/schools/westside-elementary/
Location: 1703 Phillip Avenue, Norfolk, NE, United States
Phone: (402) 644-2561
Twitter: @WestsideElem