Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
January 5, 2022 - Newsletter
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Westwood Families,
Welcome back. I hope everyone had a great break and lots of time with family and friends.
We are getting back in the swing of things. The fifth and sixth graders will have a concert from our afterschool choir group, Soundtrax, next week. Believe it or not, signs of spring are jumping at Westwood as the seventh graders will be dissecting frogs as a part of the life science unit on systems.
As we return, we also are keeping a close eye on our school health data as the fast-spreading Omicron variant of COVID-19 impacts our community. In these first few days back from break, we are seeing significantly more student and staff absences due to illness. Our priority continues to be keeping students learning at school, which requires us to have appropriate, safe staffing levels.
Today, we are approaching the 5 percent threshold of people out due to COVID-19 and with COVID-like symptoms on the middle school side of the building. The Face Mask Decision-Making Guide would require us to implement masks, for at least one reporting period, should we exceed this threshold. We are monitoring the numbers and will institute any necessary mitigation strategies if necessary.
If interested, you are able to review the numbers on the COVID-19 hub (These will be updated for this week as soon as the intermittent website outages are resolved). Please see some additional reminders and clarifications about our COVID practices in today’s newsletter.
January is when our 8th graders begin to learn more about high school. High school counselors will be here at the end of the month to provide an orientation for students and families will have a chance to visit the high school early next month. Watch your email in the coming days for more details about the high school transition.
Finally, on Thursday, January 13, from 3:30 – 5 p.m. staff will have office hours. This is a time when you can connect with teachers to check in on student progress. Information on office hours can be found in the Need to Know section of the newsletter below.
I hope each of you are having a great start to the New Year.
Tom Larson
Principal
COVID-19: Illness, testing, face masks and quarantine
The fast-spreading omicron variant of COVID-19 has raised some questions in the first days after winter break. Here are a few reminders and clarifications for families regarding illness, testing and quarantine.
- Illness and symptoms: Please do not send your student to school if they are sick or experiencing symptoms – even for testing. Contact your school's health office to coordinate testing and for other guidance.
- COVID-19 testing: All testing – whether at school during the day or after hours – is coordinated through the school health office. Testing is optional, free and only done with parental consent using the Cue Test which provides accurate results in about 30 minutes. Testing is only for students experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or for students who are identified as close contacts of someone with COVID-19.
- COVID-19 testing consent form: You may choose to complete a COVID-19 Cue Testing Consent Form now and keep it on file with our schools. Completing the consent form before testing is needed helps speed up the process when, or if, a student needs a test. School nurses only administer a test with a signed consent on file and will communicate with families before any test is done. Review and sign consent forms for your student(s) by logging into the Campus Parent Portal. Select the Surveys link from the main Message Center screen and select "COVID-19 CUE TESTING CONSENT FORM." You will find links to complete for each child you have enrolled in Spring Lake Park Schools.
- Face masks: We continue to follow our COVID-19 Face Mask Decision-Making Guide. Face masks are required at grades K-6 and we are strongly recommending masks at grades 7-12. Masks also continue to be required on buses. While not a perfect solution, face masks are one strategy to help support us in keeping our schools open for learning in person.
- Quarantine guidance: While the Centers for Disease Control updated quarantine guidance over the winter break, we are continuing to follow the Minnesota Department of Health’s quarantine guidelines. The state guidelines have not yet been updated as officials are waiting for additional clarification from the CDC.
The COVID-19 hub continues to be the place for the latest information. Updates will also continue to be communicated directly to families.
Join us for a virtual screening of "Like" on January 20
There will be a free virtual screening of the IndieFlix documentary "Like" on January 20, 2022 from 6-7:30 p.m. that will explore the impact of social media on our lives and the effects of technology on the brain.
Hosted by Spring Lake Park Schools, as well as five other metro school districts and the Mental Wellness campaign, the goal of the film is to inspire and help us to self-regulate. Social media is a tool and social platforms are a place to connect, share, and care... but is that what's really happening?
A panel discussion will follow the film with experts who will share resources and do a Q&A.
Viewing information:
- When - Thursday, January 20, 6-7:30 p.m.
- Where - Virtual
- Trailer - Watch the "Like" trailer
- Registration - register for the screening
Monthly Office hours coming January 13
We will offer office hours once a month as an approach for ongoing communication throughout the year instead of an artificial timeline when parents and teachers may need to connect. Office hours will occur one time per month 3:30–5 p.m. on January 13, February 10, March 24, April 21, and May 12.
We realize that conferences, office hours and other scheduled options are not the only time that parents and teachers can connect in a month so if something arises during the week, please be sure to reach out and the staff at Westwood will do the same.
Westwood Yearbooks on Sale Now!
Opportunities for students
Crazy for Manga
If you find your child doodling characters and comics on their off time, and if they like visual novels and animated series, Crazy for Manga is the course for them! In this course, students will learn authentic techniques for drawing and sketching Manga and Anime style characters. Register here.
Westwood Intramurals - Archery with AKASPORT
Opportunities for families
Family Snowshoeing
Opportunities for adults
New Year Resolutions: Get Moving, Try a New Hobby, Learn a New Skill
Glass Mosaic Frames & Signs
Basic Home Repair-Plumbing
James Bond with North Metro TV
Indoor Walking Club
Siama's Congo Roots visited Westwood
"Why am I learning this?"
Middle schoolers are asking themselves, "Who am I online, and what is a digital footprint?" Meanwhile, elementary students are learning economics as they run their own businesses, discovering a love of reading while getting connected to their local library, or finding their spark by trying out everything from karate to cooking. What’s happening in the classroom is being connected to real life. Through these experiences, students are answering the question, “why am I learning this?” When students find a “why” in what they are learning, learning means something. It matters.
Read the full story and view the Economics Marketplace photo album
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.
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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