Westwood Community Update
News and Information for Distance Learning - Nov. 2020 V. 1
#WildcatPride
Dear Westwood Families,
#ThisIsHowWeRoar: Our annual costume parade is one of our most popular events of the year, for both students and families. We have been looking forward to today's car parade for weeks, and want to thank the Wildcats who came out in their costumes. It was so great to see you! Please share your pictures on our social media accounts!
Connect!: Some of our families have been asking how they might be able to connect with other Westwood families to give their children a chance to virtually socialize outside of class time. We have set up shared Directories in Google for each grade level to allow parents/guardians to voluntarily share contact information. A separate email will be sent with the link associated with your student's grade level. Teachers will also be given access to this link, and each will be posted to the corresponding Grade Level Facebook Group files. We know how challenging Distance Learning has been for all of you, and my hope is that we can work together to try to support you all in any way we can! Maybe a new friend will do the trick for some of our kiddos.
Re-Opening Information: Last Monday, our Superintendent presented a Hybrid Reopening Plan to the School Board. You should have received an email from Dr. Clark yesterday regarding procedures for preparing for the re-opening of schools. The first of 2 parent/caregiver surveys will be distributed today (10/30). I encourage you to review the School Board Meetings and COVID-19 Response webpages on the district's website, as well as read through the Superintendent's weekly Friday Newsletters for more details. At Westwood, we are in the process of rearranging classrooms, preparing to paint/post safety reminders around campus, distributing PPE to classrooms, ordering supplies, etc. Until we know how many students and staff we can expect to return to in-person instruction, it will be difficult to finalize our planning. Please be sure to complete the district surveys within the deadlines to help us move forward with final preparations. If you have any specific questions, suggestions, etc. regarding Westwood's re-opening plans, please feel free to contact me directly by phone at 925-685-4202 or via email at klinknern@mdusd.org.
For those who celebrate, Happy Halloween, and Feliz Dia de los Muertos!
Stay well and be safe,
Ms. Klinkner, Principal
Mark Your Calendars!
OCTOBER
Friday, 10/30
-Costume Parade (3:00, Parade Route)
NOVEMBER
Sunday, 11/1-Monday, 11/2 - Dia de los Muertos / Day of the Dead
Tuesday, 11/3 - Election Day!
Wednesday, 11/4
-County-wide Shelter-in-Place Drill (11:00am)
Friday, 11/6 - End of 1st Trimester
Sunday, 11/15 - Deadline to Submit Application for Intra-District Transfer for Student Entering Grades 6-12 for the 2021-2022 School Year
Monday, 11/9
-School Site Council Meeting - Open to the Public (3:00 pm, Zoom)
Wednesday, 11/11 - Veteran's Day (NO SCHOOL) - County Celebration
Friday, 11/20 - Report Cards Distributed/Available in HomeLink
Monday, 11/23- Friday 11/27 - THANKSGIVING BREAK (NO SCHOOL)
Get Your Wildcat Spirit On!
Westwood Virtual Hip-Hop Class
Sign up here.
Recycling Volunteers Needed!
Happy Birthday, Wildcats!
NOVEMBER
1 - Leslie Moreno
2 - Weston Bonifacio
3 - Samuel Amaya, Ayla Menefee
4 - Brooklyn Moore
5 - Marissa McCarty, Helen Petrosyan
8 - Eduardo Alvarado, Hector Dolores Sandin
9 - Suzana Halder, Killian Rhib
10 - Paul Koski
15 - Andrew Linborg, Anthony Melara
Friendship Groups
The virtual Friendship Club is up and running! Your students will have a chance to join in activities (games, dancing, breathing activities) led by School Counselor, Ms. Andrews, on the following days:
Days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday
Time: 11:00 - 11:30
Join Zoom Meeting:
https://us04web.zoom.us/j/72597496130?pwd=ck1iN2I0d1dWUDRGTVJXRXRib3h0dz09
Meeting ID: 725 9749 6130
Passcode: g37axc
The link is also included on our School Counselor's Virtual Wellness Center (click on the teddy bear).
Thank you Rotary Club of Concord!
Teachers are Super-heroes!
Say Boo! to Drugs
Attendance & Reporting Absences
If your child is unable participate in Distance Learning activities for any reason, please call the school office to report his/her absence:
- Call 925-685-4202 or
- Email Ms. Little at littlek@mdusd.org
The following codes are used by teachers during Distance Learning to report attendance. These codes represent the highest level of student participation for that day:
P=Present: online 'live', 1:1 office hours6=Support Service Provided: Speech Therapy, OT, PT, Counseling
4=Online Activity: completed an online assignment/activity
3=Communication with Teachers: 2-way communication with student or parent via email or phone regarding learning activities (reporting absences is not counted as a 3)
A=Absent: None of the above engagement.
In the Case of a Power Outage
- read (silent reading, read aloud, and/or audio book)
- write (engage in a writing activity in any form - creative, journal, etc.)
- practice math facts
- complete unfinished assignments
- play board or card games
- engage in physical activity
Campus Safety Reminders
- contact the office first by calling 925-685-4202 so we can effectively monitor the number of individuals who are in the office at one time.
- wear a mask at all times.
- maintain at least 6 feet of distance from others.
- sign in - if you have to connect with a staff member, you must report directly to the office. Do NOT walk through the hallways or go to the classrooms.
- minimize your time on site. Take care of as much business as possible through email.
Important Links
Nancy Klinkner, Principal
Westwood Elementary, established in 1958, is a K-5 public school in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District, with an enrollment of 280 students. In addition to our 9 General Education classrooms, we also host 3 classes for students enrolled in our Deaf/Hard-of-Hearing program, and 2 classes for students with moderate/severe disabilities. We are a diverse and caring community, with a dedicated staff and amazing students!
Email: klinknern@mdusd.org
Website: westwood.mdusd.org
Location: 1748 West Street, Concord, CA, USA
Phone: 925-685-4202
Facebook: facebook.com/WestwoodElementarySchool
Twitter: @MDUSD_Wildcats