Westlake's Monthly Newsletter
January, 2023
Supervisor's Message
Hi friends,
It’s been said that “A house is made of bricks and beams. A home is made of hopes and dreams.” While Westlake School is not a traditional home, it does evoke the same feelings of a warm, inviting and comforting place for students to dream, learn, develop and grow to their fullest potential. With the assistance of our students, families and staff members our shared sense of place and purpose is now becoming our ever evolving Westlake School or perhaps more appropriately our "Westlake Community".
January’s Social-Emotional Learning focused upon the topics of Leadership and Courage. Displays of this were exhibited throughout the school with formal and informal teacher designed lessons and activities that connected SEL concepts with authentic actions and opportunities for students to provide peer to peer modeling and instruction through student led functional group activities. Students participated in courageous self exploration lessons that required them to identify and understand that we all have personal strengths, “needs improvements” and things we are scared of and interventions that can be practiced and exercised before and after to manage a perceived "scary" and/or unanticipated situation.
Till next time my friends, be good to yourself and each other.
Robert Peneno
"Mr. P"
Student of the Month
Elijah is always willing to go the extra mile through his actions and efforts and consistently demonstrates kindness and caring for both peers and Westlake staff.
Teacher Spotlight
Fun facts about Mrs. Swisher!
- She grew up in Florida and Massachusetts
- Her daughter is often a sub at Westlake, and a fantastic one at that!
- She has a dog named Luna
- She has been married for 25 years
Nurse Spotlight
Nurse Veronica has some tips for school nursing!
“Caring goes beyond medical interventions- it is caring for people in a wholistic manner. I always advise working in the health care field while attending nursing school so there is a "taste" of what's ahead in the profession.”
"Get to know each student carefully- not a single one is the same- nuances take a while to learn but each impacts the student and families differently- the more familiar you become, the stronger the bonds and trust are. This is what makes or breaks trust between staff and student/families.
Ms. Schiumo’s Classroom
This month we experimented with peer leadership. We invited students WB and EW to help guide our class through two cooking lessons, pizza and strawberry smoothies. The benefits were immediately apparent as students were happily volunteering to complete the steps. We will continue to build upon this learning strategy as we were able to work on important life skills and make it enjoyable for all.
In line with this month’s theme of courage our class listened to Sebastian’s Roller Skates written by Joan de Deu Prats. The primary themes were overcoming shyness and gaining the self confidence to try something new. This gave us an opportunity to discuss how that may feel and possible strategies or tools one can use to accomplish something that is unfamiliar . We spotlighted the students and staff examples of their ability to try new things. One example of this is that one of our students found the courage to join another class for Karate. We loved celebrating each other’s accomplishments!
Mr. Carten's Classroom
Now that we are back in Westlake School, my students are excited to have a wonderful opportunity to have a co-op-learning experience with Ms. Finver’s class at Lamberts Mill Academy. Prior to the flood at 1571 these two schools had built a good rapport amongst our student populations. Mr Carten’s and Ms. Finver’s students will be interacting every Friday for the rest of this school year. The students engage in a Language Arts activity. The students from Lamberts Mill Academy read a story to my class and ask them questions. This opportunity provides SEL ( Social Emotional Learning) for all students. The students work on communication skills, taking turns, answering questions and appropriate social interaction. The students from Lamberts Mill Academy model appropriate behavior which is then mirrored by Mr. Carten’s students. These types of experiences are critical and necessary for the success of both populations in the post graduate world.
Wellington Campos
Wellington has made a lot of progress since he started attending Westlake School. In the beginning he was a very quiet and shy student. As Wellington became more confident in his abilities, he became more talkative and comfortable in group settings.
This year he had an accident and fell off his bike into the street. He healed quickly, but what motivated him in his recovery was his desire to come back to school so he could be with his friends. When he came back he demonstrated his maturity and courage and never complained about his injuries.
Wellington is a very helpful student. He is always trying to help other students and staff with their tasks. Whenever he sees a student needing help he is the first one to go over and give assistance. When the class was in the Holy Spirit School (our alternate location) he was the first student to get the baskets that held the cooking supplies that we would have to carry down to the kitchen. This was always a job every day; carrying the supplies from one floor to another. Wellington is always willing to try new tasks; he never says no to any tasks that Mrs. Palmer gives him during vocational time. He has learned to stay focused, clean up the work stations, and be as accurate as possible. When he is in Food Prep class he measures all the ingredients accurately.
He is able to follow the class schedule and let the staff know when there is a change in the schedule. He lights up the room with his handsome smile and upbeat personality. Wellington’s positive attitude and kind, helpful approach makes him a valuable addition to the class.
Contact Us
Website: www.ucesc.org/schools/westlake_school
Location: 1571 Lamberts Mill Rd, Westfield, NJ, USAPhone: 908-232-4181