Westwood Elementary Newsletter
Welcome Back Edition- August 2022
Welcome Back Families!
I hope this email finds you well. We are so excited to be back and cannot wait to see you! This newsletter contains important information, and I will send only one each month. Please take the time to read it each month- it is packed full of information. We also will have printed copies 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.
I would like to let you know some exciting news: Ms. Joy Jones will be joining me at Westwood as an additional administrator. Ms. Jones will be at WWES and Ely Elementary this school year. Ms Jones is coming to us from Eastern Heights Middle school and was previously the principal at Oakwood Elementary, prior to it closing. Welcome Ms. Jones!
Please follow us if you are not already: Westwood Elementary-Elyria City Schools; https://www.facebook.com/westwoodelementaryecsd/
I am excited to watch your student learn, grow, and succeed. My goal is to make your student feel loved and comfortable here, all while meeting their needs, growing them academically and finding their strengths and interests. I am committed to helping every child reach their full potential; academically, socially and emotionally.
If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.
Your Partner in Education,
Ms. Stacey Gatten
Principal
Happenings this Month
August
22- Open House (details below)
24- First day for students with last name A-G only (last names beginning H-Z DO NOT attend today)
25- First day for students with last name H-O only (last names beginning A-G and P-Z DO NOT attend today)
26-First day for students with last name P-Z only (last names beginning A-O DO NOT attend today)
29- First full day for all students
Drop off and pick up procedures
Please be patient- drop off and pickup takes time.
Here are Four things we need you to do during drop off and pickup:
1. Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 8:55 for drop off in the morning.
2. Do not let students out of the car before 8:55, if you arrive early you will need to keep your student(s) in the vehicle with you.
2. In the afternoon, please do not plan to come before 3:00. This will cause a traffic backup.
3. Car riders can ONLY ENTER at Adelbert, at the former Middle School entrance. You can not enter for drop off or pickup using Griswold. See map below.
4. Once in the lot, please park closely to the car in front of you, as this will allow more cars to enter the lot, and not be in the street.
Doors open at 8:55am.
The tardy bell rings at 9:10am. Any student who arrives after 9:10am must enter through the main office and sign in.
Please make sure you are following our procedures for drop off and pickup- there is one drop off line, and the detailed map is below. Please enter off Adelbert only; cutting through the parking lot and attempting to cut in line is not fair to everyone else. Also, please take your time, and in order to keep everyone safe, please do not speed through the lots. Cars should NOT be using the elementary circle as a drop-off/pick-up point; this is why we have started placing cones to block it off. We have put this plan in place to provide the safest route for our students; we ask that you please follow those directions while being kind to the adults at drop off and pickup. If you have any questions, please call the school at (440) 284-8002.
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
Westwood Elementary Open House and Title Information Night
Please join us at Westwood Elementary school for Open House on Monday, August 22nd from 6-7:00pm.
You will have the chance to meet your title teachers and receive more information on Title 1 services.
Stop in your student’s classroom and visit their teacher.
Staggered start begins Wednesday, August 24th for grades K-4.
8/24-First day for students with last name A-G only (last names beginning H-Z DO NOT attend today)
8/25-Frist day for students with last name H-O only (last names beginning A-G and P-Z DO NOT attend today)
8/26-First day for students with last name P-Z only (last names beginning A-O DO NOT attend today)
8/29-First day of school for ALL students
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
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.
Whose class will my child/children be in?
Here is the PowerSchool link https://ps-elyr.metasolutions.net/public/
News from the School Nurse
Hello Families,
I am Mrs. Hess and will be your school nurse again this year. Mrs. McKinney will be our school health aide, and we are excited to start a new school year!
You can get vaccinations from your family doctor or the Lorain County Health Department at 9880 S. Murray Ridge Rd. Elyria. Call 440-284-3206 for an appointment.
There is a grace period after school starts but after September 20, 2022 students will not be able to attend without proof of vaccinations per state mandate after that.
When you get the vaccinations, please send a copy to the office or email to the nurse at hessrose@elyriaschools.org
If your student has a serious medical condition that I need to know about and share with the staff, please call me at 284-8153
Thank you for your hard work getting ready for the start of the new school year.
Please send your updated shot records to the office as soon as possible.
Call Lorain County General Health District for more information 440-322-6367
Thank you,
Rose Hess
School Nurse
School Picture Day
Stay Connected
Website: https://www.elyriaschools.org/domain/30
Location: 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Phone: 440-284-8002
Staggered Start August 24,25 and 26th.
- August 29th is the first day of school for ALL students
- 8/24-First day for students with last name A-G only (last names beginning H-Z DO NOT attend today)
- 8/25-Frist day for students with last name H-O only (last names beginning A-G and P-Z DO NOT attend today)
- 8/26-First day for students with last name P-Z only (last names beginning A-O DO NOT attend today)