Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
March 3, 2021 - Newsletter
See translation information below / Consulte la información de traducción a continuación.
Westwood Families,
Happy Spring. This past week we are feeling the warmer weather and longer days. In addition, we’ve had an exciting week as nearly all of the Spring Lake Park Schools staff have had their first dose COVID-19 vaccine. This is great news for the health and well-being of our staff as we offer more and more in-person services and also great news for helping ensure more consistent in-person learning experiences for students and families.
For any family that requested a learning model change for trimester 3 last week, we are working through those requests. We will follow up with each family by the end of the day Thursday, March 11 with more information on schedules and or homeroom assignments.
We’ve spent the last 10 days planning with our staff toward a transition to full-time learning at school. We are excited to transition students in the Modified Campus (hybrid) model to 5 days-a-week learning at school when we return from Spring Break on Tuesday, March 23. Please refer to the message sent earlier.
Next week, we’ll have more information for families about some unique elements of our planning and structure at Westwood. In the meantime, families of students in the Modified Campus (hybrid) model – including those who have requested it for Trimester 3, should plan to come to school each day starting March 23.
Students in Extended Flexible Learning will continue, uninterrupted, in their current schedule and format as we come back from Spring Break. This means they will continue with the four days a week of “live” (synchronous) learning for all and a combination of “live” (synchronous) and “independent” (asynchronous) learning on Wednesdays.
Families of sixth grade students, we hope to see you at a virtual information session tomorrow, Thursday, March 4. We’ll cover the transition to Middle School including the class registration process and take any questions you may have about the transition. The information will be recorded for those who can’t join us live tomorrow.
Thank you to everyone who participated in any of the activities that were a part of Panthers for a Purpose over these couple months. The finale was the virtual giving event on Saturday and raised over $100,000 for the Panther Pantry and Weekend Food Pack Program. I grew up in a family who benefited from the generosity of others to fill our cupboard with food. It is incredible to see the difference each of you make in the short term to help the SLP community and in the long term by inspiring others to pay it forward in future years.
Thank you,
Tom Larson
Principal
MDH encourages regular testing for youth and their families
As our students return to school, youth sports and/or extracurricular activities, the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) recommends that students and their families get tested every two weeks through the end of the school year. While it is not a requirement, regular testing complements other safety measures we already have in place, such as masking and social distancing.
Testing has never been easier – you can visit a community testing site, order an at-home test kit, or get tested through your health care provider. Learn more about the different types of COVID-19 tests. All options are quick and free to you.
By wearing a mask, social distancing and getting tested regularly, we can help limit the spread of COVID-19 and keep our schools and sports open.
For 6th grade families: Transition to Middle School sessions happening tomorrow, March 4
The Transition to Middle School virtual sessions are happening tomorrow, Thursday, March 4. Join us and learn all about what to expect with your student's transition to 7th grade.
Plan to attend a live virtual session during one of these three times tomorrow, Thursday, March 4. Click on the WebEx link below to join the session:
- Coffee and Conversations - 9 a.m. - WebEx Link
- Lunch and Learn - Noon - WebEx Link
- Dessert and Discuss - 6:30 p.m. - WebEx Link
The content of each presentation will be the same so families only need to attend one session.
If you're not able to make these live sessions, there will also be a recorded presentation available to families after these sessions with the same information.
8th graders: Baby Photos needed for the Yearbook
Questions may be directed to Mrs. Powell, kpowel@district16.org.
Panthers for a Purpose raises more than $100k
The Panther Foundation’s virtual giving event was a huge success raising over $100,000 for the Panther Pantry and Weekend Food Pack Program.
“We knew this effort really connected with people’s passions, but we had no idea what to expect,” says Colleen Pederson, Panther Foundation Executive Director. “The results are far surpassing any expectations we had. We are incredibly grateful for everyone who participated, including a record number of sponsors. It shows us once again how special this community is.”
Read more about this successful event and the event's purpose: https://bit.ly/382enxN
The DEN Schoology Group
The next Westwood PTO Meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 29 at 9:30 a.m. via Zoom.
We are looking forward to working with all of our parents and families this year to support the staff and students at Westwood.
Visit the PTO Facebook page: Westwood Intermediate and Middle School PTO
- Click here to receive email notifications about Westwood PTO.
- Thursday, March 11 - End of Trimester 2
- Friday, March 12-22 - Spring Break, No School
- Tuesday, March 23 - First Day of Trimester 3
- Monday, March 29 - PTO Meeting. at 9:30 a.m.
Spring athletics registration is now open for grades 7-8
Spring athletics registration at Spring Lake Park High School is now open. Students in grades 7-8 are encouraged to register and participate. Note, some athletics will have tryouts. The start dates for the sports offered during the spring season are as follows:
- March 29 - Boys and Girls Golf, Softball, Boys Tennis and Track & Field- Co-Ed
- April 5 - Boys and Girls Lacrosse
Register for spring athletics here.
Register Now for Spring Flag Football
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
- Library Book Checkout for Extended Flexible Learning Students - Scroll to the bottom of the page to find this information
- Funds for food through Pandemic EBT
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