Westwood Wire
News and Information for our Wildcat Community
College & Career Day Community volunteers, recruited by Junior Achievement of Northern California, joined us on January 15th for our College & Career Day event. 3rd-5th grade students heard from engineers, bankers, student leaders, and advertisers to inspire and motivate them to work hard in school so they can achieve their dreams! Throughout the day, students took notes and reflected on each presentation. | 100th Day Celebration January 28th marked the 100th Day of School this year. Our 5th grade and Kindergarten buddies celebrated by participating in a variety of activities involving grouping 10s to make 100. Thank you to the many parent volunteers who stopped by to join and help with the festivities across campus! | "Best Me" Assembly The Kaiser Family Foundation hosted a free assembly for our entire student body on Friday, January 31st, which focused on helping students make healthy choices. This is always a favorite, with students having an opportunity to be part of the action! |
College & Career Day
100th Day Celebration
Principal's Message
This month we will be focusing on the life skill of 'Trust'. This theme flows nicely after last month's focus on Kindness/Caring and ties in well with the Soul Shoppe workshop coming up this week: "I've Got Your Back", where students will learn that in order to help others who are experiencing teasing, tricky friendships, or other troubles, they can speak up, help out, and be an ally. At Westwood, we strive to provide a safe and enjoyable learning environment for all students, which includes providing them with tools and strategies they can use to help navigate the inevitable conflicts and challenges they will face along life's path. This also includes working with the students who make negative choices to help them learn from their mistakes by providing logical consequences, helping them recognize the impact their behavior has on others and our community as a whole, and making reparations. It is always a work in progress, but it never ceases to amaze me how willing these young people are to listen to each other, accept responsibility, and work toward a resolution. In many ways, we learn more from them about what it means to be patient, empathetic, and forgiving. All of this is a team effort, and we appreciate all of your support in reinforcing our school-wide rules and expectations, and conflict resolution and self-management strategies at home. For example, sharing the video below with your child, may help him/her determine if he/she is involved in a peer conflict, or is experiencing true 'bullying'. Please reach out to your child's teacher or myself with any questions or concerns.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Klinkner, Principal
Mark Your Calendars!
February
3-7 - Fund Education Week
3 - Special Board Meeting (4:30, District Office)
4 - Kindergarten Registration (9-12, 1-3); Community Advisory Committee (7:00, District Office)
5 - Community Coffee (7:40-8:00, Courtyard); Global School Play Day; Soul Shoppe Workshops
7 - Spelling Bee (1:15pm)
10 - NO SCHOOL (Teacher In-Service); Elementary Intradistrict Transfer Window Opens (through March 10 - click here for more information)
11 - Valentine's Family Dance (5-6:30pm)
14 - NO SCHOOL
17 - NO SCHOOL (President's Day)
19 - STEM Fair (6-7pm)
20 - District English Learner Advisory Committee (5:30, Willow Creek Center)
21 - Reading Challenge Ends; English Learner Advisory Committee (2:30, Library)
24 - Reading Logs Due; School Site Council Meeting (2:30, Library)
25 - Parent Faculty Club Meeting (6:30-8:00)
28 - Reading Challenge Top Readers Announced; End of 2nd Trimester
Transitional Kindergarten and Kindergarten Registration
- Completed registration packet (printed)
- Proof of Residency (2 items required; NO utility bills will be accepted)
- Original Birth Certificate
- Immunization Record
Additional documentation required for registration will be provided upon receipt of a completed packet.
If you are unable to come in on Tuesday, you may stop by the office at any time during regular office hours (M-F, 7:30-3:30) to complete your child's registration. Please contact us with any questions you may have at 925-685-4202.
Soul Shoppe "I've Got Your Back" Workshop We are excited to be hosting our next Soul Shoppe workshop, "I've Got Your Back", this Wednesday. Students will learn what it means to be a 'R.E.A.L.' ally, and practicing self-management, social awareness, and relationship skills. Be sure to ask your child(ren) to teach you all about R.E.A.L. allyship after the workshop! A letter will be sent home following the workshop to help you with strategies for helping your child integrate these skills into their daily lives. | Stem FairMark your calendars! Our annual STEM Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19th (note the change in date), from 6-7pm. Student and Classroom science and engineering projects will be on display, and there will be activities for the whole family to enjoy! Only 4th and 5th grade students are required to do a project (display boards will be provided), however, all students are welcome and encouraged to complete a project - alone or with a group of friends. All participants will be recognized for their efforts, and formal awards will be given to selected projects from grades 3-5, as determined by our panel of judges. If your child is interested, please ask his/her teacher for the informational packet. | Diagnostic Assessment Results Coming Soon! This is the last week we will administering the Diagnostic 2 assessment in i-Ready for both Math and Reading. Students have been working hard and many are showing excellent progress. We are eager to see the results once everyone has finished both assessments. Parents should start receiving reports as early as this week. Please be sure to review the results of these assessments with your child(ren), and don't hesitate to consult with your child's teacher if you have any questions. |
Soul Shoppe "I've Got Your Back" Workshop
Stem Fair
Mark your calendars! Our annual STEM Fair is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19th (note the change in date), from 6-7pm. Student and Classroom science and engineering projects will be on display, and there will be activities for the whole family to enjoy! Only 4th and 5th grade students are required to do a project (display boards will be provided), however, all students are welcome and encouraged to complete a project - alone or with a group of friends. All participants will be recognized for their efforts, and formal awards will be given to selected projects from grades 3-5, as determined by our panel of judges. If your child is interested, please ask his/her teacher for the informational packet.
Diagnostic Assessment Results Coming Soon!
*Response Requested* California Healthy Kids Parent Survey
Dear Parent or Guardian,
Some students will be taking the California Healthy Kids Survey soon. We want to hear from you as well. We would appreciate your participation in the a CA School Parent Survey (CSPS). Your survey responses are anonymous. This is an opportunity for parents to confidentially communicate their perceptions and concerns about the school and its environment.
MDUSD values the survey data for addressing the needs of students, improving the learning and teaching conditions, and addressing LCAP requirements. Each family is invited to participate in the CA School Parent Survey (CSPS) however, there should only be one survey participant per student.
Parents can access surveys in the following languages online or on paper: English, Spanish, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Hindi, Korean, and Vietnamese. Parents can access surveys in the following languages on paper: Arabic, Armenian, Cambodian, Farsi, Hebrew, Punjabi, Russian, Somali, Tagalog, and Thai. Please let your school office staff know if you would like a paper copy of the survey in one of these languages.
If you have any questions about this survey or your rights contact Linda Pete; MDUSD Administrator, Student Services at 925-682-8000, Ext 4061.
Reading Challenge Happening Now!

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Nancy Klinkner, Principal
Westwood Elementary, established in 1958, is a K-5 public school in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, with an enrollment of 300 students. In addition to our 11 General Education classrooms, we also host 3 classes for students enrolled in our Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing program, and 2 classes for students with moderate/severe disabilities. We are a diverse and caring community, with a dedicated staff and amazing students!