West Elementary School

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The safety of our students and staff remains a top priority for District 47. As a result of a safety audit done by an outside consultant in August, District 47 is implementing an additional safety measure related to visitor management effective immediately. All visitors and volunteers (including those who’ve had their ID scanned in Raptor) will be required to bring their drivers license or state ID when visiting a school building. In addition, individuals will be required to leave their ID with the main office in exchange for a visitor lanyard. When leaving the building, visitors must return to the main office to drop off their lanyard and pick up their ID. This added layer of security ensures that visitor lanyards are kept in the building and do not get circulated in the community and also ensures everyone in the building is accounted for in the case of an emergency. Should you have any questions or concerns about this additional security measure, please contact Gary Snep, Director of School Safety, at gsnep@d47.org. Thank you for helping to keep our schools safe!

District 47 online kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year will begin February 6, 2023. At that time, families can register their incoming kindergartener by completing the steps on the District 47 website at www.d47.org/kindergarten. Early registration helps with adequate staffing, home school placement, and appropriate class size. See below for additional information.

• A child must turn 5 years old on or before September 1, 2023 to be eligible for kindergarten. Information about early entrance to kindergarten is posted on the D47 website.

• Families interested in District 47’s dual language program for their incoming kindergartener MUST attend an informational meeting in February 2023 if they do not already have a sibling enrolled in the program. Meetings will be held in-person and via Zoom on 2/2 at 9:15 a.m.; 2/7 at 5:30 p.m.; and 2/15 at 6 p.m. For more information, visit the D47 website at www.d47.org/duallanguage.

• Current Wehde students eligible for kindergarten will follow a separate process for kindergarten registration and will receive an email the second week of January.

• Fees and student physical/immunization forms are not due at the time of registration.

• 1/3-1/20 - Fastbridge Testing
• 1/10 - WPO Meeting at 7 PM
• 1/12 - Family Library Night 6:30-7:30 PM
• 1/13 - NO SCHOOL - Teacher Institute Day
• 1/16 - NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• 1/17 - Noodles and Company Food Fundraiser 4-8 PM
• 1/27 - PBIS: Art/Creative Day

All District 47 families are invited to attend the second of a four-part virtual parenting series with Jackie Rhew on Thursday, January 19, 2023 @ 7pm via Zoom. Rhew is a clinical consultant, author/speaker, and co-founder of the Center for Emotional Wellness in Crystal Lake and Arlington Heights. In this presentation, Rhew will discuss strategies for providing critical social and emotional support for children and teens, including how to build their self-confidence and empathy for others. Parents will learn how to help their child(ren) manage their feelings, problem solve, and engage in their education. She’ll also cover key strategies for parents to help foster engagement, model healthy coping skills and develop a deeper connection with their child. Translation will be available in multiple languages via captioning in Zoom. See below for a link to join the meeting and to enable captions for language translation. January 2023 Virtual Parenting Flyer

Join the meeting via Zoom at:

https://d47.zoom.us/j/87342475555?pwd=cUJNdGxUOXpZQnZBMUttMUdlc2xxdz09

Since we still have outdoor recess when it's snowing out, please consider creating a "Winter Kit" for your child to keep in their locker. Suggested items include spare clothes (pants, shirt, socks, underwear, mittens), chapstick and a small bottle of lotion. Your child's name should be written on the bag. This will eliminate the need for calls home and will help keep students dry once the wet winter weather begins!

Winter Fastbridge testing is underway. The window is open until February 20th. Testing should wrap up this week with the exception of any students that need to make assessments up due to absences. District 47 students take FastBridge assessments in reading and math three times a year -- fall, winter and spring. FastBridge assessments help determine a child’s instructional level and measure growth over time. Such determinations are made by individual school teams. More information about FastBridge assessments can be found at https://www.illuminateed.com/products/fastbridge/. Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact your child’s teacher or Aimee Kasper, assistant superintendent of curriculum, instruction and assessment, at akasper@d47.org.

All students must have working headphones to be kept at school. During the year headphones can break or stop working and should be replaced once your student informs you that they need a new pair. Thank you!

Yearbooks start at just $19.50 and all orders must be placed online. The books will be sent right to your home, so please make sure your home address is complete and correct when ordering. Click here to order your yearbook now!