Westwood Way
Happenings In Panther Nation - October 2020
I’m not sure about you, but I love popcorn! And I’m not talking about the popcorn you pop in a microwave; I love movie popcorn!! Freshly popped popcorn straight out of the popcorn machine is fantastic, and I can eat a large tub of it by myself!!
The best part is standing in line and watching the popcorn pop and knowing that you are getting a tub of that fantastic popcorn. You get the opportunity to watch the attendant pour the kernels in the kettle after allowing the oil to heat up. As you patiently wait, you begin to hear a kernel pop and then another until kernels pop right and left, and popcorn spills out of the kettle. The smell of popcorn begins to fill the concession area, and in anticipation, your mouth begins to water as you can almost taste popcorn.
Something that many of us miss as we watch this is that even though the kernels are poured in the kettle all at one time, they pop at random times. Even though all the popcorn kernels entered the same environment simultaneously, each one pops at different times. When popcorn is spilling out of the kettle at the end of the cycle, the kernels are still popping individually.
This school year seems to be very similar to the popping of popcorn!! As we think about it, this year is just like the kettle with hot oil in it, and we are the kernels of popcorn. Like the kernels, each of us feels the pressure of this year differently and at random times. Some have experienced the stress early in the school year, while others seem not to be impacted by the pressure.
The reality is that this stressful experience will eventually impact each of us. Just like each kernel popping, each of us will eventually reach that point that the stress and pressure are too much to handle. My encouragement is for us to be intentional about noticing our teammates’ anxiety and being there for them. None of us can handle extreme stress by ourselves, but we can overcome so much more standing together.
As we enter this stretch before Thanksgiving and Christmas break, please be mindful of those around you and be ready to offer the help they may need. For over four years, I have been talking about being a part of something bigger than ourselves, and I can’t think of a better way to accomplish it than being there for somebody struggling!
As always, I would love to hear your feedback.
Wade
School Board Update
During the October Board Meeting, the following items came before the School Board:
Kyle Johnson presented a finance update in which he discussed the 2020-2021 budget, preparation of the 2021-2022 budget, and COVID expense reimbursements from the state, City of Palestine, and Anderson County.
Tiffany Carwell presented an ESL update in which she discussed the academic progress of our ESL students and learner proficiency of our students.
Christine Bedre presented a curriculum update in which she discussed synchronous learning.
The Board unanimously approved the TEA Homebound Instruction Waiver.
The Board unanimously approved the purchase of two school buses for the 2020-2021 school year.
The Board unanimously approved the budget amendment as presented.
Curriculum
A focus for October and going into November should be the TASK our students are given to complete. In one of my favorite books titled Instructional Rounds in Education, the discussion centers around the single most significant observational discipline, “we have to teach people to look on top of the students’ desk rather than the teacher in front of the classroom.” The statement refers to the “task” or the “work” the students are being asked to do. To honestly know what our students need to learn, we must have a deep understanding of the TEKS and the verbs within each TEKS. Utilizing TRS, ITRS, TEXGuide, and other instructional resources will help gain core goals or skills to assist in planning tasks directly aligned to the TEKS. Remember, what “predicts performance is what students are doing.” If your students are not performing at the level you expect, ask yourself, is the TASK directly aligned to the TEKS?
The teaching and learning team has worked hard to streamline the curriculum and resources on the Curriculum and Instruction website this month. Please reference the WISD Curriculum and Instruction website at http://bit.ly/WISDCandI.
BOY assessments are now complete, and it is time to dig into the data. As we plan with our teams/departments, take time to look for trends, differentiation, grouping, and both tier 1 and two instructional practices. Intentional planning is essential to student success. Student growth is the key success factor.
Our first district vertical alignment day is rapidly approaching on November 9th. Schedules will be sent out with content focuses, meeting locations, and times. If you have questions regarding this day, please reach out to your campus instructional coach or campus principal.
Primary IC SMORE: https://www.smore.com/m3jyg
Elementary IC SMORE: https://www.smore.com/5swxj2
JH/HS IC SMORE: https://www.smore.com/s9w5f
Special Programs
Our department has spent quite a bit of time in the last few weeks checking and double-checking PEIMS coding for several students. We know the PEIMS department is preparing for Fall Snapshot, and we want to do everything we can to support them in ensuring our data is correct.
We also continue to build teacher and staff knowledge of working with students served through special programs as well as supporting our Title I programming. We have several new paraprofessionals attending training with Region 7 this month and in November. This training will provide them with scientifically-based strategies in reading, writing, math instruction, and other important topics that will help target the specific needs of our students at our primary and elementary campuses. This thorough training meets ESSA's highly qualified requirements for our paraprofessionals who serve our Title I campuses. Our dyslexia teachers met earlier this month to share best practices and support one another in implementing MTA, our dyslexia curriculum. I will be meeting with teachers throughout the district in the coming weeks to help target the needs of our students who are identified as English Learners. Our goal is to continue providing ongoing professional development by supporting staff as they work with students who are served through our programs, including ESL, Section 504, and Gifted and Talented.
We have several teachers working with our GT programming at the Primary and Elementary. Our plan is for our students to continue their participation in the Region 7 GT Student Seminars this year as part of their services. WISD 2nd and 3rd graders who are currently served through our GT program, participated in the Imagination Fair, which allows them to hear a professional storyteller. The students were then able to showcase their storytelling using Flipgrid and problem-solving skills by participating in storytelling groups and hands-on problem-solving activities. The students had a great time and participated well with the virtual set-up! Huge shoutout to Julie Axum and Debbie Chambers for assisting the students with this! The G/T referral period is now open. Please click here if you have a student you would like to refer for possible placement in the Gifted and Talented program.
Lastly, our department applied for and received a $2,000 grant from Northrop Grumman Corporations to further support Westwood ISD’s virtual learning needs!
Business & Finance
Wow, this school year is flying by!! It has been amazing to see all departments and campuses coming together to get the school year off to a great start and to continue to allow staff and students to attend school safely or to attend virtually at a high level.
As we move through the fall semester, the finance department is settling into the day-to-day tasks that keep the school running smoothly. PO’s are being processed, bills are being paid, payroll is going out each month, and HR needs that arise are being met. This time of year, we also begin looking at our current enrollment and attendance numbers to ensure that our revenue projections are still holding steady. We have also been spending time on submitting requests for reimbursement for expenses due to COVID. On this subject, I want to give a huge THANK YOU to the City of Palestine and Anderson County for supporting education in this area and helping financially and PPE donations. We would also like to introduce you to our new Director of Human Resources/Benefits, Andrea Johnson. We are so excited to have her at the administration building and know she will do a great job in this role.
We continue to push forward and to have a victor's mindset. Together we will overcome any challenge and keep striving for Excellence. Thank you to the community and to the staff of Westwood ISD for what you do for the students of Westwood!
PEIMS
Teamwork makes the dream work in the Westwood PEIMS department! We have a new PEIMS clerk on the Primary campus, and Ms. Calzada is off to a great start! It is just not possible to brag enough on how the district PEIMS clerks have rallied together during this crazy fall semester. Your campus PEIMS clerks wear so many hats, and they are so appreciated!
In the last month, the PEIMS department has constantly been adjusting to the attendance data requirements, which are ever-changing. We are becoming more comfortable with the remote learning attendance procedures and how that data affects our reports. If you or a teacher you know is still having trouble with remote attendance procedures, please give us a call. We are here to support you!
In addition to constantly changing attendance requirements, TEA has added multiple data submissions. Thus far, the first round of crisis codes and fall class roster submissions have been completed. This year’s snapshot date for Fall PEIMS Submission falls on October 30, 2020. All student data must be accurate and verified, so PEIMS clerks will be sending validation reports out very soon. Watch for validation reports and make sure that your piece of student coding (including grades & attendance) is accurate and on time.
Looking ahead at the PEIMS calendar, we have one submission after another. With your teamwork and cooperation, Westwood ISD’s data will be cleaner than ever for TEA submissions! And as always, call if you need us!
Food Service
Hello Westwood, Juan Torrez, Child Nutrition Director in partnership with Southwest Foodservice Excellence (SFE) here, where we know the children are absolutely first.
October has allowed us to gain new ground as we have noticed participation numbers increasing every day. With our current process, we were able to implement grab n go Salads at High School, which will soon be coming to Jr. High. We were able to have 25 cases of bottled water donated from Brookshires Brothers, which are being offered at the Primary and Elementary Schools. We are looking at possibly getting more for Secondary schools to have another option other than milk for lunch.
Safety is, of course, our top priority for cafeteria staff and students, so we are continuing with safety processes and procedures to ensure absolute safety for all. As we look forward, we are looking at implementing some new foods such as scratch-made Calzones, Chicken & Dumplings, and cobblers, which are in line with the upcoming season very soon on our upcoming menu.
As Always, I am very humbled to be a part of this community, and SFE is always available to lend a hand with school and community. Happy Fall, everyone.
Facilities Services
Our Facility Services Departments have been very productive over the past month, completing many projects and work requests. Though this is a hectic time of the year for our staff, they have done a good job of cleaning up after events, and completing work orders, while keeping our facilities looking sharp. Thanks to the grounds and maintenance departments, our athletics facilities look good and continue to be ready for visiting teams. As the cooler weather sets in, they will be looking forward to changing the pace into fall and winter maintenance needs.
To continue to combat the effects of COVID, we will continue to follow the cleaning and disinfecting schedules implemented at the beginning of the year, as they are proving to be very effective. Our custodial team has done a great job adapting to the schedules and keeping our campuses safe for the staff and students. We will stay on top of any issues if they arise.
Kudos to our Facility Services Departments for all of their hard work and swift response to incoming work requests. They all seem to have an unbelievable desire to be excellent and improve their craft daily.
Transportation
The Westwood ISD Transportation Department has been busy this month. Daily bus routes and district trips are in full swing. We understand that without a strong transportation department, many students would not have the ability to arrive at school or go home at the end of the day. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously.
With all of the changes due to COVID, we want to thank the community for helping us follow guidelines for safe bus travel. Expectations are high in our department as well as great attitudes by all employees, and the whole department continues to do an excellent job. I want to thank everyone for a great start to school as it takes a big group effort from all to make our job work daily. Bus Safety is a top priority as we never want to let our guard down when transporting our students. Job Complacency has been discussed in our department for this month's safety topic. Our department continues to clean daily and meet all CDC requirements. If I can help you with a transportation problem, please let me know.
Technology
The Technology Department had a hectic month last month. We completed two separate roll-outs of devices. Our first roll-out that included our plan to issue older devices and ipads to fill our Chromebook gap went extremely smoothly. Our new Dell Chromebooks shipment arrived earlier than expected, which allowed us to pick up the older temporary devices and issue out new devices. Now every 3rd through 12th grader has a Chromebook. My team worked really hard to get these devices processed and in every student's hands as fast as possible.
Now that every student has a device, we are experiencing an above-average number of breaks. Please remind students to take care of their technology. The protective shell of the Chromebook will only provide basic protection from everyday use. It is not designed to prevent damage from drops or abusive handling. Carrying the Chromebook in a padded backpack or padded book bag is acceptable, provided the backpack or book bag is handled with care. For example, you shouldn’t toss the bag or drop the bag if your Chromebook is inside.
Here are some general precautions to remind students. Chromebooks should be shut down when not in use to conserve battery life. Chromebooks should never be shoved into a locker or wedged into a book bag as this may break the screen. Do not expose your Chromebook to extreme temperature or direct sunlight for extended periods of time. Extreme heat or cold may cause damage to the Chromebook.
Helpdesk At A Glance: The Technology department has resolved 560 tickets since the start of school. Within the last 30 days, we have resolved 323 tickets.
Our department maintains and supports our current systems and infrastructure by monitoring, tweaking, and resolving problems as they arise.
Athletics
We are focusing on building Champions instead of Winning Championships.
We have reached a pivotal phase in our athletes’ training regiment (the mental training). The athletic department focus during this phase (BOOT CAMP) is two-fold:
1.YOU WILL SINK TO THE LEVEL OF YOUR TRAINING.
2. F.A.M.I.L.Y. - Forget About Me I Love You.
We are excited about the opportunity to watch them GROW through this phase when faced with adversity.
Philosophy
The Panther Mission Statement: (program/coach’s part)
To GROW men and women of integrity who relentlessly pursue excellence.
The Panther Vision Statement: (athlete’s part)
GROW Everyday
Execute Westwood DNA
Be the toughest program in Texas
WESTWOOD DNA (core values):
Energy/Tempo Monday - relentless effort. We will attack with tenacity and make them quit.
Competition Tuesday - 1-0 Mentality. We are one play warriors who always compete.
Toughness Wednesday - comfortable being uncomfortable. We will impose our will and dominate with toughness.
Family Appreciation Thursday - value others above ourselves. We are a team of ‘foxhole’ brothers.
Discipline/Finish Friday - Discipline - always doing what needs to be done. We will continue to row the boat every day.
Finish - do more than is expected. We are a freight train that terrorizes with our finish.
Updated results from Volleyball, Cross Country, and Football:
Volleyball:
The young Lady Panther Volleyball team has continued to gROW each time they take the court. They have rebounded well throughout the second round of district play, winning some tough matches versus opponents that beat them during the first round, including Buffalo last week. They will finish their season in Groesbeck on Friday, 10/23/2020. The JV volleyball team is 7-6 on the year.
Cross Country:
The Junior High Cross Country team finished their season up at the district meet in Fairfield last week, where we had a Top 10 finish on the boys' side. The High School Cross Country team travels to Woden this week for their last tune-up before the district meet next week.
Football:
The Westwood Football program has taken the next step during the 2020 season and is right in the middle of the playoff race with three games left on the schedule.
Junior High football teams are a combined 7-3 on the season.
Junior Varsity football currently sits at 3-3 on the year.
Varsity Football Latest Results: Overall record 3-4 on the year
Westwood at Elkhart (W) Westwood vs. Crockett (L) Westwood at Diboll (L)
Westwood will host Coldspring on Friday night, 10/23/2020, at 7:00 PM.