Westbrook News & Updates
September 2019
Westbrook Elementary
Email: muck.catherine@westside66.net
Website: http://westbrook.westside66.org/
Location: 1312 Robertson Drive, Omaha, NE, USA
Phone: 402-390-6490
From the Desk of Mr. Hottovy...
Welcome back Wildcats!
We are off to another great year at Westbrook. This year, our theme is “The Power of Yet!” We will be focused on helping each student and staff member create a “growth” mindset. Having a growth mindset means understanding that you can get better at anything with practice and perseverance. Our skills in things like Math, Reading, Music, and Art are not predetermined. Skills in those and all subject areas are things that we can improve. One way to acknowledge this is to use the word “yet”. Instead of saying “I can’t read very well”, we want to teach kids to say “I can’t read very well… yet”. I instead of “I’m not very good at math,'' we want to hear “I’m not very good at math... yet”. One tiny word can completely change the meaning of these negative thoughts.
We would like to invite you to come to school for family engagement night on September 17 from 6-7pm to see all of the great “yets” that your child is working on. This event has formally been called Curriculum Night, but we have tried a different format the past few years. On this night, you and your Wildcat will receive a punch card with different areas of the school to visit and different teachers to meet. Stop by each of the stations to get your card punched and to learn more about what your child is learning at school. If you get at least 5 punches, your child can bring their card into the office for a prize. Please join us on this night if you are able, it’s sure to be our best family engagement night… yet!
Mr. Tyler Hottovy
Westbrook Principal
402.390.6490
Mr. Tyler Hottovy
Westbrook Principal
402.390.6490
From Mrs. Poell
At Westbrook we focus on creating safe, respectful and responsible students through teaching expectations and social skills. We follow a proactive teaching approach to behavior called PBIS (Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports). PBIS is “A proactive strategy for defining, teaching and supporting student behavior resulting in academic and social gains and a positive school environment.” This means we teach students skills and expectations to avoid disruptions to teaching or problems with classmates. Since 2016, Westbrook has been working with the State of Nebraska PBIS coaches for training and implementation support. This year, Westbrook is focusing on Reducing the number of times students are sent to the office for defiant behavior. Examples of defiant behavior include refusing to work or follow directions. To do this we focus on skills such as following directions and how to appropriately disagree with an adult. We will share our progress with this goal throughout the year. Also, teachers begin every school year focusing on teaching expectations throughout the school. Ask your child(ren) how their classrooms discussed being safe, respectful, and responsible in their specific environments. Thank you!
From the Main Office...
We are off to a running start for the 2019/2020 school year! It is great to have the kids filling the hallways and classrooms with their creative energy and we are enjoying the hustle and bustle!
A few housekeeping notes to find the important items for this school year.
-Please make sure you have done your back to school update in powerschool, If you still need to do this task please follow the link here http://ps.westside66.org/ If you need your username and password please send me an email with your student name and your name and I will email that info back to you as soon as possible.
-Please register on http://myschoolbucks.com to get a lunch account set up for your child if you have not already. You will need your students ID# and I can provide that to you as well.
-If you student will be tardy or absent from school please call the office at 402-390-6490 ANYTIME and let us know that he/she will be late or absent. This will save us from waking you up in the morning if you are snoozing with a sick kiddo or interrupting any appointments with a phone call. If it is after hours you may leave a message. Voicemails are sent right to my email and I can get them even if I am not at work.
Mrs Muck
Administrative Assistant
Mrs. Lowe's Lookout
Hello Westbrook Families,
I would like to take a moment to introduce myself and share more about my role at school. My name is Jessica Lowe and I am the Westbrook counselor. This is my 3rd year at Westbrook and 10th year at Westside. As the counselor at Westbrook, I meet with students in their classrooms several times throughout the year to support their learning on topics such as social emotional skills, career education, positive relationships, etc. I also see some students individually or in groups to provide extra practice or work on developing specific skills.
Another way I can help is by connecting families to our school and community resources for things such as food, clothing, holiday assistance, etc. I work closely with our school social worker, April Anderson, who is also an excellent resource for our Westbrook families. Be sure to watch future newsletters for information about registration for holiday assistance, which will be coming up soon.
I am in the building everyday and available to provide support as needed. Please feel free to stop by or contact me at 402-408-8519 or lowe.jessica@westside66.net if there is something I can do to help.
I look forward to working with you and your student!
Health Office Hot Spot...
Some students will need to take medication while at school. You will need to have a form signed by the doctor and on file at the school in order for us to disperse these medications. If you are in need of a form please contact the main office and they would be happy to provide one for you. If your child has an inhaler at home make sure they have one here at school.They will need to have an asthma action plan on file and doctors know what this is. It MUST be housed in the health office so the student can be monitored and no other student finds it in the hallway. Last year we had several inhalers found in various parts of the school.
If you have any questions please call Laurie Beatty, Health Assistant at 402-390-6490.
Library Line Up
Hello and welcome back! Here are some reminders from the library:
The Scholastic Bookfair will be back October 14th through the 17th. We are looking for parent volunteers to help with the bookfair. All parent volunteers will receive a $10.00 credit towards a purchase at the fair. High school students are also encouraged to volunteer to earn service hours. Those interested can email Miss Mejstrik at mejstrik.molly@westside66.net
Band Corner Blurbs
Mentor A Wildcat...
Consider being a TeamMates Mentor
The positive impact of TeamMates Mentoring on a student/mentees’ levels of hope, engagement in school, and well-beinghas been well researched.
In a recent school year,
§ 75% of TeamMates mentees had fewer unexcused absences
§ 84% of TeamMates mentees experienced fewer disciplinary referrals
§ 55% of TeamMates mentees improved their academic performance
Please consider making a 1-hour a week commitment (meeting at school, only during school calendar) to make an incredible difference in a child’s life. TeamMates prefers mentors to be able to commit to the program for at least 3 years to make a lasting impression. If you are interested in learning more about TeamMates Mentoring, contact Mrs. Lowe (402-408-8519). The comments below from mentees reveal how mentoring touches a child’s life:
"Thank you so much for coming and seeing me each week. I'm so happy that you're my mentor. I love spending time with you. I will do anything to make you proud. I won't ever let you down.” - TeamMate Mentee
“"Thank you for being a teammate of mine. I enjoy spending my time every week to talk about how I am. You're like a pal to me.” - TeamMate Mentee
Need some help... Westbrook families have a great resource when needed... see below.
Did you know Westside has a Food Pantry and Clothing Closet??
Who: Any family with a student attending a Westside school can receive items from the food pantry and clothing closet. Families can receive assistance as needed.
How: Call to schedule a pick up or delivery or a time to come to the clothing closet. Summer pantry and closet hours will be available.
To learn more or to request assistance:
Contact April Anderson, School Social Worker
Office: (402)-408-8914 Cell: (402)-680-2409
What is Happening in the Family Enrichment Center...
We have pre-school story time every Tuesday at 9:30am in the Early Childhood Center starting Sept 10th. You can pull in the lot off Western and follow the driveway that runs all the way back behind the school. There is an Early Childhood entrance there for your convenience.
We have parent play time every Thursday at 9:30am. Please stop by the main office and we will get you a visitor pass and directions to the Family Enrichment Center.
Parent group times for this upcoming year, from 10-11 am in room 119.
You are welcome to come any time.
June 18
July 30
Aug 27
Sept 24
Oct 22
Nov 19
Dec 17
Jan 28
Feb 25
March 24
April 28
We welcome everyone so spread the word.
We can't wait to see you at Westbrook!
What is MTSS... Multi-Tiered System of Supports READ all about it!
Westside Community Schools continues the implementation of MTSS, which stands for Multi-Tiered System of Supports.
What is MTSS? MTSS is a process of providing instruction and support to promote the academic and behavioral success of all children. Individual children’s progress & skills are monitored and results are used to make decisions about further instruction and intervention. The MTSS process is flexible and designed to meet the needs of all students. This process allows for a continuum of support based entirely on students’ individual needs. This support may be provided in a small group by the classroom teacher or other support staff, either within or outside the classroom.
What does this mean for my child? A key component of the MTSS process is that all children receive high quality instruction in their classroom. Universal screenings are used to review the progress of all students and are given three times per year. As a result of the screening, students may be identified as needing supplemental intervention in addition to instruction they are receiving in their classroom. If your child is identified as needing intervention you will receive notification. Please contact your child’s building principal with questions.
Nebraska Reading Improvement Act The Nebraska Reading Improvement Act became law in 2018 and will go into effect the 2019-2020 school year. The goal is that all Nebraska students are able to read at or above grade level by the end of third grade. The Nebraska READS initiative emphasizes the need for kindergarten through third grade students to have access to high-quality instruction and for struggling readers to receive targeted support. Our current MTSS structure in Westside Community Schools already allows for us to meet these requirements.