Weekend Wire
February 7, 2021
WESTWOOD ROADRUNNERS
Roadrunners, We Are Proud of YOU!
DATES TO NOTE:
2/15--Washington's Birthday(observed)--No School
2/16--XPloration
2/17--100th Day of School
2/17--Brennan's Materials Distribution
2/18--Wise & S. Clark Materials Distribution
2/19--Lincoln's Birthday(observed)--No School
2/24--Varga, Wilkinson & Williams Materials Distribution
2/24--Dining for Dollars--Flippin Pizza 4S
3/9--XPloration
3/11--1st & 2nd Grade(Virtual) Materials Distribution
3/12--Spirit Day--Dress like an Animal
Be On the Look Out!
Social Justice Conversations Coming Your Way!
Like so many of you, we at WWES have struggled to process recent events in this country that have challenged even the most optimistic and resilient of us. The emotional toll of injustice necessitates creating classroom opportunities for students to ask questions, research, and challenge bias. These opportunities are critical in a classroom where students will develop resiliency and self-efficacy.
The tragic events of the past months show us that we must do more to amplify student voices. During our recent Professional Growth Day we learned how to access additional resources through our district adopted language arts curriculum. This includes the following: the Social Justice Standards from Teaching Tolerance, based on the four domains of Identity, Diversity, Justice, and Action; Racial Equity Tools; and the National Council for the Social Studies.
Social Justice Learning Experiences Integrated experiences provide opportunities for valuing human dignity, fostering cultural diversity, and building critical thinking. Utilizing a critical questioning lens, lessons focus on:
Building and drawing on intergroup awareness, understanding, and skills. Creating classroom environments that reflect diversity, equity, and justice. Engaging families and communities in ways that are meaningful and culturally competent.
Encouraging students to speak out against bias and injustice.
Writing responses that reflect a responsibility for self and others, and community action.
Supporting students’ identities and making it safe for them to fully be themselves.
Using instructional strategies that support diverse learning styles and allow for deep exploration of focused themes.
We are looking forward to bringing these conversations into the classroom and facilitating safe and productive conversations. Please feel free to reach out to your child’s teacher with any questions and / or great ideas. We welcome them!
Library Newsletter
Bringing the Library to You
February 2021
What better way to celebrate Black History Month than with books and activities. Enjoy these resources for parents and teachers.
Learn about Black History Month from National Geographic Kids
Resource List of Black History Month Books in Westwood Library
Curated list of books on SORA celebrating Black History Month
More resources from Common Sense Media
Teaching Hard History from Teaching Tolerance offers an age-appropriate framework, teaching tools and resources for teaching young students about the history of slavery. There are 4 minute videos from notable authors and scholars with 10 key concepts presented.
10 Inspiring Activities for Black History Month from Prodigy, a game-based learning platform.
Black History Month - 8 Great Free Resources from District Administration
Brightly books and activities to celebrate Black History Month.
Black Stories Matter from Random House
Lunar New Year Learn more about Chinese New Year HERE
Looking for fun read aloud videos? Click HERE
Ruby’s Wish by Shirin Yim Bridges (google slide presentation)
Some of the videos are a bit longer, so students might want to review them on their own time. Which is your favorite one?! You can vote HERE by filling out this google form. I look forward to your responses! I will let you know the winner for Westwood Elementary when the voting is finished. The winner for the State of California will be announced in May.
Grades 3-5, have been invited to read these CYRM nominated books which are listed below. Read all three and you can vote on your favorite one! These books are available for you to put on hold. To participate in the voting, you need to have read all three books. Voting will take place the week of March 22nd. The last day to vote will be March 26th.
Nominees for the Intermediary Category for grades 3-5 are:
Looking for the next award winning book? Announcing the 2021 Youth Media Award Winning books. This article, from School Library Journal, includes a review of the books including the next Newbery winner. Click HERE to read the reviews and check out award winning books.
Valentine’s Choice Board (from Del Sur Elementary)- Have a little fun with these Valentine Day Activities and read alouds.
Funding has been very limited this year and your donations make a difference. Please consider giving the gift of reading. Donate books to Westwood Library from this Amazon Wish List and know that many students will enjoy them. These books go directly to the library. A mounted bookplate with your childs’ name will be placed on the inside the front cover and your child will receive first-check-out privileges. It’s a great way to encourage your child’s love of reading and it makes a difference in the library enjoyed by many students and teachers.
Storytime Lessons with Mrs. Whitelock. Want to see what your children have been enjoying from the library? Go to Westwood Library Google Classroom.
Need more resources and information? Visit Westwood Library Canvas Course to view the many resources available.
Getting Started:
How to Put Books on Hold, Renew and Return library books - short tutorial
Library Services:
Checking Out Books for On-Campus Students
Checking Out Books for VLA Students
Happy Reading! Mrs. Whitelock, Librarian at Westwood Elementary
EMOTIONAL SUPPORT RESOURCES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH, AND PARENTS
In partnership with Gov. Newsom, Parents Anonymous® Inc. recently launched the California Parent & Youth Helpline and Online Parents Anonymous® Support Groups in response to COVID-19 to provide free trauma-informed, evidenced-based emotional support to parents, children, and youth in any language via calls, text, live chat, and email. Please share with your school community these flyers about the parent and youth helpline, and the parent support groups in English and Spanish.
AT HOME SELF SCREENING
Fever
Cough
Runny Nose/Congestion
Headache
Fatigue
Body/Muscle Aches
Chills
Sore Throat
Shortness of Breath or Difficult Breathing
Nausea/Vomiting
Diarrhea
Loss of Smell and/or Taste
Students may not be at school with any ONE of the symptoms listed. Please keep your student home and notify the school of the absence (Attendance Hotline: 858-487-2059). Students experiencing any of the symptoms will be sent home immediately.
Cold Weather Procedures
With the colder temperatures outside and toasty warm temperatures in your vehicles, body temperatures run high. This will cause a delay in our check-in process. To help ease this situation, we are requesting that you warm up your car before you leave home. When you approach the school, please turn off your heaters and partially open windows so your student has a chance to acclimate to the outside temperature. We hope that this will help us get accurate readings from our students. Thank you for your help in keeping our students healthy & safe!!
Safety Reminders
The safety of your children is very important to us!! Please pull up to the curb to pick up your children. Children then go from the curb directly into their cars. Parents should remain in their cars. Cars cannot pick up from the passing lane. If walking, please use the sidewalk. Do not walk through the parking lot, as it is not safe due to passing traffic. With this in mind, parking in the lot is also not encouraged.
When dropping off students, students should exit the car from the right hand side. Parents should remain in their cars. Please do not park and let your students out in the parking lot.
Let's work together to keep our students safe!!
SHORTENED FEBRUARY BREAK
Just a reminder to families that the 2021 February break has been shortened from five days off to just two days off due to COVID-related adjustments to the 2020-21 school year calendar. There is no school on Monday, February 15 and Friday, February 19 due to the observance of Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays. However, school will be in session Tuesday through Thursday, February 16 through February 18, so students are expected to attend class on those three days. Spring Break remains the same, Monday, April 12 through Friday, April 16. The last day of school was changed to Friday, June 18, 2021. You can view the official District calendar here.
FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH!!
Throughout February we celebrate Black History Month. Students from the 4-5 Combo Class are pleased to share their mini videos about well-known Black Americans with WWES. Students filmed and collated their videos, and teachers have access to the links to share in their classrooms. We enjoyed learning more about the wide variety of remarkable contributions made by Black Americans, both past and present.
Transfer Window Is Open
The Poway Unified transfer window is now open! Transfer requests for students who live in Poway Unified and would like to attend a school other than their school of residence should be submitted online … just go to the Poway Unified website and click on “Transfers” on the home page.
If you have a current child in a Poway school and would like a younger sibling to attend the same school, please submit a transfer request at this time. Transfer submissions are accepted even if your younger child is not yet enrolled. Then please enroll your child at their school of residence in May. The transfer window closes on March 31st.
Hiring Now for Limited-Term Instructional Assistants
Yearbooks
2019-2020 YEARBOOKS
Your student will want to remember this unique year with a 2020-2021 yearbook! Your student gets to customize two pages just for them which will print in their individual yearbook so it will really be unique and special! Also, for every yearbook purchased a tree is planted!
Purchase yearbooks here:
https://tr5.treering.com/validate Use passcode: 1015978769242468
Or scan here:
We want to see your pictures!! Please upload pictures from Dress to Impress Spirit Day, Winter break fun, virtual learning, and lots more here:
https://tr5.treering.com/school/231813/photos/shared-photo-folders
We want to see your pictures!! Please upload pictures from Dress to Impress Spirit Day, Winter break fun, virtual learning, and lots more here:
https://tr5.treering.com/school/231813/photos/shared-photo-folders
Health Office Notes
Please remember to be proactive and prescreen your student at home prior to leaving for school. If your child has any of the following symptoms, please keep them at home. If your child has developed any one of the symptoms below while at school, they must be sent home immediately. Parent(s) will be notified to pick up their student immediately.
- Fever or chills
- Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Fatigue
- Muscle or body aches
- Headache
- New loss of taste or smell
- Sore throat
- Congestion or runny nose
- Nausea or vomiting
- Diarrhea
Per the CDC Guidelines (use link below of Decision Tree updates as of 1/11/21):
The individual may return based on one of the following:
https://covid-19.sdcoe.net/Portals/covid-19/Documents/Health%20Practices/COVID-19-Decision-Tree.pdf
a) 10 days from the day symptom(s) first appeared, AND improved symptoms and no fever (or fever reducing meds) for the last 24 hours.
b) With proof of negative PCR COVID viral test, may return after 3 days if all symptoms are fully resolved; or after 10 days from the day symptom(s) first appeared, AND improved symptoms and no fever (or fever reducing meds) for the last 24 hours.
c) A signed note from a licensed MD, DO, NP, or PA (who manages that condition) must: confirm the chronic diagnosis (i.e., cites labs, date-of record when diagnosed); include provider’s contact information; explain how symptoms are unrelated to COVID-19; and be accompanied by signed consent for school to interact with MD, DO, NP, or PA.
Please call the Health Office for any questions or concerns.
Amazon Smile
Amazon Smile
Does the Amazon driver know you by name? Got enough boxes to stack to the moon? Did you know that with every delivery you can raise money for Westwood Elementary?
1. Go to smile.amazon.com
2. Sign in to your Amazon account
3. Search for Westwood Elementary PTA San Diego
4. Sign up!
Or scan here:
PTA Membership
The year may look different but Westwood still needs you! Join the PTA so we can all work together to make this year the best possible.
About Us
Principal
Email: kholmes@powayusd.com
Website: https://powayusd.com/en-US/Schools/ES/WWES/Home
Location: 17449 Matinal Road, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: 858-487-2026
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWESRoadrunners