Westbrook News & Updates
April 2019
Westbrook Elementary
Email: muck.catherine@westside66.net
Website: http://westbrook.westside66.org/
Location: 1312 Robertson Drive, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-390-6490
From the Desk of Mr. Hottovy...
Greetings Westbrook Families!
The time is here! It is time for our 3-6th graders to take the Nebraska Student Centered Assessment System (NSCAS). All 3-6th graders will take the English/Language Arts and Math exams. 5th graders will also take the Science exam.
At Westbrook, we take a lot of pride in educating the whole child and understanding that there is more to a child’s education than an assessment score. However, we also know that these scores are often how we are judged by the public and the state. For this reason, we really want to make sure that every student has an opportunity to perform at their best. Please watch carefully for communication from your child’s teacher so that you know the exact dates of testing for your child. You can also help them do their best by following these guidelines:
Please make sure that your child gets a good night’s sleep the night before their exams. Elementary school aged children should be getting at least 10 to 11 hours of sleep a night.
Ensure that your child either eats a good breakfast at home, or eats breakfast at school the morning of their tests. It is difficult to concentrate when you have an empty stomach.
Talk with your child about the importance of trying their hardest. It should take the average student about 90 minutes over two days to complete each exam (60 minutes for science). Last year, we had a large number of students finish in 30 minutes or less. Take some time to talk with your student about giving their best effort and follow up with them after they have taken each session as well.
Make sure that your child attends school on the days of their exam. We obviously want you to keep them home if they are ill, but you can help us stress the importance of these exams by making sure that your child is not missing school over trivial matters.
If your student is not old enough to take the exam, please take a few moments to talk with them about how they can encourage the older students in our school and about how they can take responsibility to make sure that the hallways are quiet for all of our students testing.
We are looking forward to seeing all of our students give their best effort on the NSCAS exams. If you have any questions about the exams, or you want to know more about how the results are used to guide our instruction, please do not hesitate to reach out.
Thank you again for your help in ensuring that your child does their best!
Tyler R. Hottovy, Westbrook Principal
From the Desk of Mrs. Poell...
Every day at Westbrook staff strive to teach students to be safe, respectful, and responsible. This language is used as students walk into school, learn in their classrooms, eat lunch in the cafeteria, and play on the playground. We also highlight an area each week and create teaching strategies for students to develop positive behavioral skills. Being safe includes hands and feet to self and walking throughout school. Responsibility looks like getting work done and taking care of materials. Being respectful looks like following directions and using kind words and actions. The Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) team creates and examines school procedures and activities to highlight behavior expectations. This time of year is used to examine how we are currently doing with teaching students positive behavior expectations and other components of PBIS. Staff provide feedback through surveys and helps us plan for the next year. We want to hear from parents too! If you have any feedback for the PBIS team to consider for the 2019-2020 school year, please email me at poell.megan@westside66.net. Thank you!
From the Main Office...
As we are looking ahead to next school year there will be a transition of students... new Kindergartners coming in and saying farewell to our current sixth grade class! We have a parent meeting coming up for kindergarten students on April 25th. For our outgoing sixth grade class we have a few reminders of items you need for the upcoming year in middle school. Be out the lookout for the returning student registration email. We will be opening up the registration portal in April to returning students.
The school nurses have asked us to share with you these requirements for the incoming students...
Melissa Smith RN from WMS has requested that the elementary schools begin putting the 7th grade requirements in the weekly school newsletters. Students are now eligible (after March 1st) to get their 7th grade physicals and immunizations. If they are playing sports, their physicals need to be completed after May 1st. Regardless, they can start making appointments for both. Please over communicate this information so parents have many opportunities to get this done before school starts. Thank you!!!
7th Grade Requirements:
Physicals and Immunizations
From our Middle School Nurse:
Nebraska law requires all students entering 7th grade to have a complete physical (also fulfills the requirements for a sports physical).
• For those playing sports, physicals must be performed after May 1st; for all others, examinations must be performed after March 1st.
• A Tdap booster given after 10 years of age prior to entering 7th grade is also required.
Please call your health care provider to schedule your child's physical and immunizations (call now—appointments fill up fast). Once completed, we ask that you turn in your completed physical, along with immunizations,to the ABC Building (909 S. 76th Street) before August 1st.
Please email questions to smith.melissaa@westside66.net.
Melissa Smith, RN, BSN, BS
Westside Middle School
Phone: 402-408-8652
Fax: 402-390-6454
Mentor A Wildcat...
Consider being a TeamMates Mentor
January was Mentor Recognition month with TeamMates of Nebraska. The positive impact of TeamMates Mentoring on a student/mentees’ levels of hope, engagement in school, and well-beinghas been well researched.
In a recent school year,
§ 75% of TeamMates mentees had fewer unexcused absences
§ 84% of TeamMates mentees experienced fewer disciplinary referrals
§ 55% of TeamMates mentees improved their academic performance
Please consider making a 1-hour a week commitment (meeting at school, only during school calendar) to make an incredible difference in a child’s life. TeamMates prefers mentors to be able to commit to the program for at least 3 years to make a lasting impression. If you are interested in learning more about TeamMates Mentoring, contact Mrs. Lowe (402-408-8519). The comments below from mentees reveal how mentoring touches a child’s life:
"Thank you so much for coming and seeing me each week. I'm so happy that you're my mentor. I love spending time with you. I will do anything to make you proud. I won't ever let you down.” - TeamMate Mentee
“"Thank you for being a teammate of mine. I enjoy spending my time every week to talk about how I am. You're like a pal to me.” - TeamMate Mentee
Summer School!!
Hello,
Your child has been invited to attend Westbrook's summer school. The information for summer school is below. Please let us know if you have any questions. Please click the link here to either sign up or to let us know that your child will not be attending: Please click HERE.
Thank you!
Summer School 2019
Hillside/Westbrook Elementary
Who: Current Kindergarten through 5th Grade students who need additional
support in Reading, Writing, and Math.
When: June 10th - June 28th
Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
Where: Westbrook Elementary
Sign-up Deadline is April 18, 2019
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Description: The summer school program is a half-day program designed to serve students who completed Kindergarten through 5th grade who need additional support in academics. This program is designed to give students a boost in reading, writing and math prior to the start of the 2019-20 school year. The program will incorporate district curriculum and prepare students for the upcoming school year.
Transportation: Transportation will need to be arranged by the parent/guardian.
Breakfast and Lunch: Students wishing to eat breakfast and lunch at school can eat, free of charge, between these hours: Breakfast: 8:15-8:30; Lunch: 11:30-11:45
Public Kitchen Hours: Breakfast 7:45-9:00; Lunch 11:30-1:00
Fee: Free to all students
How to sign up: Please click HERE on this link to sign up.
Unified Events for April 2019
Dear Westside Elementary Families,
You are receiving this message as a prior attendee for a Westside Unified Activity. We are excited for the success that Unified Activities are having in bringing students with and without intellectual disabilities together for fun and friendship.
Our April event will be a Basketball activity on April 16, 2019. Please find the link below for our flyer.
Unified Basketball Participation Flyer
While you can still turn in a copy of the flyer to your building, we would greatly appreciate if you would make your reservation online using our reservation form. This provides us with your updated contact information directly as we plan for this event.
Unified Activity Reservation Form - https://tinyurl.com/WCSUAR1819
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Mr. Higginbotham, Principal - Rockbrook Elementary
What is Happening in the Family Enrichment Center...
We have story time every Tuesday at 9:30am. Just come to the main entrance at Westbrook and we will buzz you in, get you a visitor pass and send you down to some amazing ladies that will entertain you and your child for story time!
We have parent play time every Thursday at 9:30am.
See the pics above of our new mirrored wall for modeling independent skills such as feeding, toileting, and social expressions.
Bring your preschoolers in to practice with us in room 119.
We welcome everyone so spread the word.
We can't wait to see you at Westbrook!
Band Buzz...
CONGRATULATIONS 5th and 6th grade Band students on a great job at Band-o-rama! Westbrook students did an amazing job during the rehearsal and represented our school with awesome attitudes and positive choices all day. A special thank you as well to all the families who attended our musical extravanganza! Way to go WILDCATS!!!!!!!!!!!