Westfield Arrow
Aiming to Keep You Informed
SEPTEMBER 3, 2021
From the Office
It was exciting to see students after school participating in Cross Country this week! It is our goal to provide as many extra-curricular opportunities as possible for our students this year. Staff sponsors for each activity will share information regarding their programs with students and parents/guardians throughout the year. Currently, Band, Choir, Cross Country, Culture Club, and Student Council are up and running, with many more opportunities to be shared soon. Please encourage your child to join one or more of our Westfield sponsored activities!
Curriculum Night - Video Presentations
Next Thursday, September 9th, Westfield teachers will provide parents & guardians with video presentations outlining the teaching and learning formats your child(ren) will experience this year in each of their classes. The links to each video presentation will be shared through email on September 9th at 4:00pm. Each link will also be posted under the Grade Level News portion of the Arrow Newsletter. The Curriculum Presentations can be viewed at your convenience and will not require a login. Should you have any questions regarding a particular course after viewing the presentations, please feel free to contact your child's teacher(s) at anytime.
Fall MAP Testing - Next week
- Dates: Wednesday, September 8th, and Thursday, September 9th.
- Testing on both days will take place in the morning between 8:30 and 11:35am.
- Lunch (period 5) remains the same time, 11:38 - 12:22.
- Afternoon classes on 9/8 will run 1, 2, 3 & 4
- Afternoon classes on 9/9 will run the normal line-up of 6, 7, 8, & 9
- Links from NWEA MAP that you may find useful: Parent FAQ & MAP Fact Sheet
Teachers will provide students with specific details regarding the testing format, times, breaks and locations. If possible, please avoid student absences on testing days. Thank you!
Health Protocols
Social distancing, mask wearing, cleaning of surfaces, and frequent handwashing will be practiced. Students are required to wear masks as they enter buses and District 13 schools. Students will be able to remove masks during designated breaks, while eating & drinking, and during certain outdoor PE activities.
At lunchtime, we are encouraging students to put their masks back on after they complete their meal. The lunch period remains at 20 minutes. After 12 -14 minutes, our lunch supervisors will encourage students to finish eating, put their masks on, discard any trash, and then use the remaining time to socialize while wearing their masks. Students are always allowed to lower their masks to take drinks at any point throughout the day, including during the latter part of the lunch period. Our goal is not to rush students during lunch, but simply to balance their needs for some normalcy with the need to keep everyone safe and comfortable.
Drop-Off / Pick-Up
The parking lots are for bus traffic and staff only. Students arriving by car must be dropped off along Fairfield Way on the Westfield side of the street. Students are not allowed to cross Fairfield unless they use a designated crosswalk. Please do not block the crosswalks or parking lot entrances while waiting for your child.
Upcoming Dates
Monday, September 6th there is No School for Labor Day. Friday, September 17th is our first early release day of the school year, with dismissal at 1:40pm. Please reference the 2021/2022 Calendar for additional important dates.
Have a wonderful holiday weekend!
Stefan Larsson
Principal
Amanda Vreeland
Assistant Principal
WARRIOR OF THE WEEK
Each week the staff recognizes students for demonstrating outstanding character based on attitudes or actions that fall under the Character Counts Pillars and our WARRIORS Mission and Vision.
UPCOMING DATES
Please visit our Google Calendar for all activities and schedules!
- NO SCHOOL: September 6th Labor Day
- 1st Choir Practice: September 8th (see info below)
- Virtual Curriculum Night Presentations: September 9th
- Goodwill Donation Drop Off: September 10th DONATION INFO
Reminders
Social-Emotional Supports
If you feel that your child is struggling on a social-emotional level, please do not hesitate to contact our Social Worker, Mrs. Sheila Zagotta, and she can work with you to coordinate supports for your child for both inside and outside of the classroom.
The Middle School years can be very tricky for students to navigate even during the best of times, so with a uniquely challenging year like this one, it's even more important for all of the adults in a child's life to collaborate on supporting each student's needs. We are here to help, so please reach out if we can be of assistance and we will continue to do the same!
Academic Supports
Paper is a support that connects students in grades 1-8 to a live, human tutor in that content area via chat. Students can access this support through their school login whenever they have questions on homework, would like someone to review an essay, or need help reviewing for an assessment. Please see this video for Parent Information on Paper tutorial for more information. (Papel para Padres en Español)
Daily Attendance
Please contact the Main Office at 630-529-6211 to report any student absences. This will help us to keep accurate records of every student present in our building. Thank you!
Quarantining due to Close Contact
A Close Contact is anyone with whom the confirmed COVID case had close contact, within 3 feet, for at least 15 minutes throughout the course of 24 hours. Exposure on a bus must include everyone who sat within 3 feet of the confirmed or probable COVID case for 15 minutes or longer. At lunch, with masks removed, close contacts are anyone within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer.
Westfield Middle School does not have to exclude all students in a classroom from attending school because a student in the classroom tested positive for COVID...Only those students who were Close Contacts with the confirmed student will be required to quarantine for 14 days. It is important for students to wear a mask & maintain 3-feet of social distance from others at all times.
If your child is quarantining at home, student work will be made available by each of their classroom teachers. Students and their parents/guardians should stay in regular contact with each teacher to determine the best method to access materials and resources. Some work may be accessible through digital sites, while other work may need to be picked up from school. Individual teachers may exempt students from portions of the work that is missed or provide alternative activities for lessons that are difficult to recreate at home. In addition, students will receive extended time to complete school work upon their return to the classroom.
Any student who tests positive for Covid or is a Close Contact to an individual who tests positive for Covid may be required to quarantine for up to 14 days. We ask that parents speak with the school nurse to determine the length of the quarantine and return date to school. Students who need to quarantine due to being a Close Contact will not qualify for Remote Instruction. Assignments will be made available to students during their absence.
If your child is in quarantine in excess of 14 days, per doctor's note, remote instruction MAY be made available based on the following criteria:
Unvaccinated
INELIGIBLE for vaccine AND
IN Quarantine due to Positive Covid Test.
Please contact Samia Hefferan, Director of Student Services, shefferan@sd13.org to start the application process
★ Remote Learning/Instruction is defined as: At least one hour of instruction
each school day or five hours in each school week provided by a certified teacher.
WESTFIELD THIS WEEK
Grade Level News:
The teams will update these weekly during the school year with news and any upcoming information.
STUDENT INFORMATION
You're Invited to Culture Club
Culture Club meets every Thursday during lunch/flex, in Mrs. Ocuto’s room: 215.
We are a small group of 6th,7th, and 8th graders who enjoy talking through the pressures and challenges faced as young teens. (No more than 20 students!)
Together, we hope to make this year the best ever!
Please contact me at cocuto@sd13.org to secure your place!You Can Still Join Cross Country
- Let Mr. Buchholz, PE Teacher, and Coach, know you're interested in joining Cross Country.
- Make sure you have a current physical filed with the Westfield Nurse, Beth Jones.
- Go to Cross Country practice after school 3:40-4:50pm.
Show Off Your Voice! Join Westfield Choir
GoodWill Drop Off
Lake Park Football Info
Lancer Fans,
Please be advised of the following policies regarding attendance as it relates to non-Lake Park students before coming out to the game:
- Any non-high school age students (elementary and middle school) attending games at Lake Park High School must be accompanied by a supervising adult. Students arriving without an adult chaperone will not be admitted to the game.
- Backpacks and opened beverage containers are not allowed in the stadium, so please plan accordingly and bring what you need to be prepared for all weather.
- Admission of $3 is charged to non-high school age students over the age of five (5) years old.
- If you are not being driven home by your adult chaperone, please arrange for a ride to pick you up by 9:30pm in the circle drive in front of West Campus and not in the stadium parking lot. This helps to reduce traffic near the stadium and pedestrian areas.
Make your plans to come out and support the football team and GO LANCERS!
STUDENT COUNCIL
- COMING UP: Bloomingdale SeptemberFest on Saturday, September 11th
Go Orange on September 17th!
Every year the Village of Bloomingdale hosts a “Go Orange Day” to help Raise Awareness about Hunger. Order your Go Orange T-shirts now for only $5 and 15% of your order will be donated to help local Food Pantries and those in need!
Click here to Order your Go Orange Day T-Shirt.Want to give someone a shout out?
FROM WESTFIELD TECHNOLOGY
Chromebook Trouble?
If you need assistance from the Technology Department, please use this link to request support:
Students: Please log out of your Chromebook and log back in daily
See this video on how to log in and out of your chromebook.
Otus Student Progress for 6th & 7th Grade Parents
Get the Parent PowerSchool App
Similar to the PowerSchool Parent Web Portal, parents can download the PowerSchool Mobile App from the App store on your iOS device or the Play Store on your Android device. Simply search for “PowerSchool” to find and install the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
- After downloading the mobile app to your device, connect the Mobile App to the correct PowerSchool server for Bloomingdale School District 13, by entering our unique, four-character code: G M K T
- You can also search for Bloomingdale SD13 by district or school name.
- The PowerSchool Mobile App will display your child(ren)’s schedule and assignments.
- PowerSchool Mobile app users can also enable Push Notifications to receive alerts when attendance is recorded or a final grade changes. To setup notifications within the app: Tap Account, then tap Notifications to configure the notifications you want to receive. Use the slider icons to turn the notifications on or off.
- Note: Parents must have a PowerSchool Parent Web Portal account created and students linked to their account before using the PowerSchool Mobile App. Click here for instructions on how to create a parent Portal account.
'How-To' for Parents/Guardians:
FROM THE WESTFIELD SOCIAL WORKER
The Glenbard Parent Series
Join other parents, high school and middle school students, and professionals to learn about issues facing today’s youth such as Student Social Skills and Anxiety, Rethinking Parental Pressure.
The Glenbard Parent Series engages top experts, parents and school staff to become proactive and informed in pursuit of the mutual goal to strengthen our communities. Programs are free and open to the public.
Parents, please complete this needs assessment:
Local Food Pantry at Bloomingdale Church
Roselle Community Food Pantry
FROM THE WESTFIELD NURSE
Parents/Guardians,
Welcome back to Westfield!
Please remember to turn in all physical, immunization, medication forms, and emergency care plans to the Health Office as soon as possible. Remember to complete and sign the required parent portions as well!
Thank you for attending to these important health mandates; this paperwork allows us to give your students excellent health care! Our goal is to keep them safe and healthy! Thank you!
Discard Your Mask Safely
By cutting the ear straps on your mask before throwing them away, you can prevent wildlife from getting tangled in them. If the straps aren’t snipped, the loops can easily catch onto an animal’s legs or wings, and animals can easily choke on or consume them, leading to fatal bowel obstructions.
Teenage Depression and Anxiety
WESTFIELD'S PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO)
New Board Contacts for Westfield PTO
Vice-President: Linda Baker, parent of an incoming 6th grader sasha0708@yahoo.com
Secretary: Loriann Hoyle, parent of an incoming 6th grader hoylefamily04@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Ranna Kothari, parent of 6th & 8th graders ranna3@yahoo.com
Volunteering is Back!
- Westfield Parents and Guardians! Sign up to volunteer for school year 2021-2022.
- CLICK HERE to fill out what you would like to do.
- Questions? Email Loriann Hoyle or Linda Baker for information.
PTO Membership Dues
- All-school parties
- Teacher appreciation
- Scholarships
- Field Trips
- Student awards
BLOOMINGDALE PARK DISTRICT
WESTFIELD SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION
How-To Videos
Gmail:
- How to delete all email (6th grade)
- How to appropriately write an email
- You can only email other sd13.org email addresses
- Creating Bookmarks
- Starring and snoozing Emails
Google Classroom:
- How to Join Classroom(with Code)
- How to Join with Teacher Invite
- Check Stream and classwork page
- How to Turn in assignments
PowerSchool: Coming Soon
- Logging in
- Checking grades
- Seeing assignments
- Comments from Teachers
FlipGrid:
Chromebook: