Westwood Elementary Newsletter
NOVEMBER 2023
WWES Families,
I thought I could safely say- Happy Fall! However, the snow last night makes it look more like winter. Either way, Happy November 1st! We are moving forward into Quarter 2 and it is so exciting to watch your student bloom and flourish. Thank you for your support this year.
Thank you to all of our families and grown ups who attended conferences- it was great to see so many people here, having meaningful conversations with teachers and staff. We appreciate your commitment to your student's success.
Just a reminder that Kalahari fundraisers are due on Monday, November 6th- Thank you to families who have been able to sell, and we hope you are able to enjoy some of these discounted tickets with your friends and families.
Looking ahead, we will host the Santa Breakfast at Applebee's again this year- look for information to come home on how to purchase tickets. This event will be on Saturday, December 2nd at the Applebee's in Elyria.
Please encourage your student to exemplify the "3 Bees"- ask your student about this, they will be happy to tell you all about them!
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.
Regular attendance at the elementary school level is crucial to each student’s success, as it sets up a good pattern for your child’s entire school career. Please make sure your child is here every day that it is possible.
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
Happenings this Month
November
4- WWMS Chili cookoff
6- Kalahari fundraiser due
7- PD Day- no school for students
8- Marco's pizza night
13- World Kindness Day
15- Picture retake day
22/23/24- No school Thanksgiving break
28- 2nd and 3rd grade Music Performance @ PAC 7:00pm, Interims
Drop off and pick up procedures
To ensure drop-off and pickup run smooth and effective:
· You may ONLY enter 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.
Building Information-
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
Bus info
You can also find more information here:
Follow us on Facebook!
Westwood Elementary- Elyria City Schools.
Also follow Elyria City School District for district information.
Food Services
You may apply online
for free/reduced lunch. Please complete this form as soon as possible.
A breakfast will be available to all students at no cost this year
Firstview Bus information
You can sign up here:
https://www.elyriaschools.org/departments/operations/transportation
Counselors Corner
Hello!
Our students have wrapped up the busy month of October with our Bullying Prevention Unit as well as our Red Ribbon Week lessons. We learned to Recognize, Report, and Refuse bullying and participated in lessons about making healthy choices for ourselves through the Red Ribbon Week theme this year of "Be kind to your mind. Live drug free."
As we move into November, we will be starting our Second Step Emotion Management unit in each grade level as well as completing lessons on gratitude and mindfulness leading up to Thanksgiving break. One final important date in November is World Kindness Day on November 13 when we will promote and celebrate acts of kindness. Even though this is done each day at Westwood Elementary, World Kindness Day serves as a great reminder for all of us!
Feel free to continue the conversation at home with your student using the Second Step information below. Thank you!
Kindergarten - Emotion Management
First Grade - Emotion Management
Second Grade - Emotion Management
Third Grade - Emotion Management
Fourth Grade - Emotion Management
Mrs. Stacey Yee
School Counselor
News from the School Nurse
Hello Families,
With the cold weather approaching Asthma will be flaring up.
Tips for better breathing for everyone in your home:
Maintain your home heating system.The furnace in your home goes unused for months at a time. The filters may contain dust, mold and other asthma triggers. Be sure to replace the filter to prevent blowing those triggers all over your home.
Changes in temperature and humidity can trigger asthma on their own, while cold, dry air may also be a trigger. Try using a humidifier to keep the humidity between 30 and 45 percent. That is high enough to make breathing easier, but low enough not to encourage growth of mold and mildew.
Along with the flu, people are more likely to get sinus and upper respiratory infections during the winter, both of which can cause flare ups of asthma. Do your best to limit your family's exposure to people who might pass along harmful germs and encourage your family to wash their hands frequently.
Having asthma does not make your child more susceptible to the flu but getting the flu can make asthma symptoms worse. Prevent this by getting a flu shot.
Smoke of any kind can trigger asthma, and it can also travel through your home. If using wood-burning stoves or fireplaces, sit farther away from them.
Your nose warms up air for your lungs, so encourage your child with asthma to breathe through their nose. Wearing a scarf or mask on the face will also help to warm and humidify winter air.
Holiday decorations may be covered in dust, so clean them thoroughly and throw away any decorations that have signs of mold, mildew or contact with pests.
Follow your child's Asthma Action Plan and give medications/inhalers as ordered.
Do not smoke around your child, especially in the car.
Thank you and for questions please contact me at hessrose@elyriaschools.org or @ 440-284-8153
Thank you,
Rose Hess RN. BSN. LSN.
School Nurse-Westwood Campus
Sending in treats......
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/Holiday 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).
Information is Just a Text Away!
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.
School attire and cell phones
Hoodies, and similar tops or jackets with hoods, are "fan favorites" when it comes to school attire. We like them, too, but not when they are worn up and over the head during the school day.
The district's Student Code of Conduct provides direction on headgear, stating that it may not be worn over a person's head or scalp (excluding headgear that's worn for religious or medical reasons.) Hoods can make it difficult to identify an individual in an emergency, and they can also be a distraction in class. Please remind students that hoods may not be worn up during the school day.
The Student Code of Conduct also offers guidance on attire. Clothing must be school appropriate and may not present a health or safety hazard or disrupt the educational environment. Pants and tops must fit properly and be in good repair; crop tops are not permitted.
Additionally, footwear must be school appropriate--slippers and slipper socks are not permitted. Blankets also may not be worn in school.
Students may bring their cell phones to school but they must be turned off and put away during the day unless they are used as a part of a teacher-directed lesson in class. Same rules apply to Bluetooth headphones--they may not be worn during the school day.
If you need to reach your student during the school day, please contact the main office and our staff will convey a message or assist you in reaching your student.
Stay Connected
Website: https://www.elyriaschools.org/domain/30
Location: 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Phone: 440-284-8002