Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
January 19, 2022 - Newsletter
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Westwood Families,
I hope you each enjoyed the long weekend and were able to get outside the past few days to enjoy the warmer weather. Or, maybe you enjoyed yelling at the refs over the weekend if you were able to watch any football playoff games.
The grade 5-6 Soundtrax choir and grade 7-8 Encore choir performed for all of the fifth and sixth graders throughout the day last Friday in the Den during the students’ specialists times. The music was upbeat, complete with choreography and a small band to accompany the choir groups. Both the audience and especially the performers were outstanding.
This week, we continue to successfully match SLP staff from across the district with opportunities to fill needs our school is experiencing due to higher staff absences. We’re grateful to have a team – at school and across the district – to support in-person learning and appreciative of the collective efforts of our community to do everything we can to provide a safe place for students to learn and teachers to teach.
When we have Westwood teachers who need to stay at home, we are using a variety of approaches to support continuity in learning, including:
- In grades 7 and 8, teachers are teaching from home when they can and posting asynchronous videos, lessons, and work for students while a staff person supervises the classroom.
- In grades 5 and 6, our goal is to continue to have a substitute teacher lead each lesson. When they can, teachers are also continuing to teach from home with the support of in-classroom supervisors.
While there is no perfect solution right now, we remain committed to doing everything we can to keep Westwood open for students to learn and to access essentials like nutritious meals. We are hopeful this is a short-term challenge and that this latest surge peaks soon.
8th grade families – You should have begun to receive information about high school registration from the high school team. The week of January 31, middle school and high school counselors will meet at school with our 8th graders for their first orientation to the high school and registration process. I hope 8th grade families can engage in the information sessions - and specifically the High School Kickoff and Registration event at the high school February 9. You can start exploring now with information available at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/HSRegistration.
Have a great week – and bundle up if you are venturing outside.
Tom Larson
Principal
MN Student Survey coming to Westwood on January 28
MN Student Survey is the primary source of comprehensive data on youth at the state, county and local level in Minnesota and is the only consistent source of statewide date on the health and well-being of youth. It provides valuable information about issues vital to the health, safety and academic success of young people.
Westwood's students in grades 5 and 8 will be participating in the MN Student Survey on Friday, January 28. For additional information, please go to the 2022 Minnesota Student Survey website or find information on this flyer.
Parents have the option of opting out of the MSS. Please use this opt out form (Spanish Version) and send it to the Westwood Office at jsmith@district16.org.
Masks reminder for WW
Picture Retake Day delayed delivery
It’s time to start planning for the 2022-2023 school year!
Panthers for a Purpose: Week of Giving and Panther Party
WW Soundtrax and Encore
The 5-6 grade Soundtrax and 7-8 grade Encore Show Choir ensembles had a great season this year, and recently celebrated all of their hard work and success with a day filled with concerts at Westwood Intermediate. All of the fifth and sixth grade students and staff enjoyed six concert performances held by the two show choirs, and the ensembles ended their day of song with a heartfelt performance at the SLPHS Performing Arts Center.
After coming back from a year off due to COVID-19, the ensembles showcased musical pieces that united students together through dreaming big about the future, saying thanks to all of the heroes in society, and to remember to let loose and just dance when life gets you down! The students had a great time making music together and truly made the world a better place by simply showing up and showcasing their hard work and talents! They are looking forward to coming back next year, even bigger and brighter!
The next Westwood PTO Meeting is scheduled for Monday, January 24 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, January 20, 6:30 p.m. - Online 8th grade High School Kickoff and Registration event | WebEx Link
- Wednesday, January 26, 2 p.m. - 8th grade High School Kickoff and Registration online event | WebEx Link
- Wednesday, February 9 - In-person 8th grade High School Kickoff and Registration event. Additional details coming soon.
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
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