Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
March 23, 2022 - Newsletter
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Westwood Families,
Welcome back after spring break. I hope all our students enjoyed their break and are ready for trimester III. Trimester final grades / report cards will be available in Campus on Friday at the end of the day for parents and students.
At the beginning of the year, our goal was to start strong and now we are focusing on all students finishing strong to be ready for next year’s learning. The third trimester also brings assessments to be aware of. Please note the dates with more information to come:
- APPL Testing (Spanish language testing for all Juntos and Spanish Immersion Students) is April 5 and April 6
- MCA Reading (all grades) is April 20
- MCA Math (all grades) is April 27
- MCA Science (5th and 8th graders only) is May 4
- NWEA Testing for Grade 8 is in May (dates to be determined)
As shared prior to break, we did hold a (mock) trial of Goldilocks yesterday. Goldilocks has been found not guilty on all charges in both the morning and the afternoon sessions. In reflection with students, they discovered the courtroom process is formal. There are rules that need to be followed when asking questions, and there are many sides to a story. A special thank you to Westwood parent, Judge Schommer, for overseeing the trial. Stay tuned next week for a story and photos from the event.
Students in our EPIC game design class shared their games with classmates and staff at the end of the trimester. Students used coding to develop and add graphics to their game. I was able to play a number of the games and can say I think we have some game designers at Westwood. The games were entertaining and became more complex as a person passed different levels.
We’re off to a great start with this final trimester.
Tom Larson
Principal
Optional Washington D.C. field trip information for 7th grade families
7th grade students have an amazing opportunity to take a field trip to Washington D.C. next year. Below are the details for the trip. Please note, this field trip is optional for each student.
- When: October 16-19, 2022
- Where: Washington, D.C. and surrounding sites
- Who: Students who will be in 8th grade during 2022-2023 school year
- What: Visit numerous museums, monuments, and other historic sites
- How: Fly both ways. We will leave early morning on October 16 and return the night of October 19
- Why: Fantastic lifetime memories
- Trip ID#: 199960
For the World Strides trip information and registration, please click here. If you have any questions, please email Ms. Visser.
Register for spring CE offerings
With tons of programs, variety and options - there are many opportunities for students, families and adults to find their "spark" this spring through CE programming! Check out a few highlights from each program below and find a full list of offerings.
Westwood programs:
- Intramurals: Ultimate Frisbee - Participants will focus on fundamentals and sportsmanship with lots of games and scrimmages!
- Intramurals: Conditioning/Weight Room (grades 7-8) - Students will engage in fun conditioning and lifting workouts.
- Lego Club - With a collection of more than 5,000 LEGOs, students will get to work on various free build models. This session will focus on building for a stop-motion movie.
- Westwood Robotics with Stem Builders - Using the brand-new SPIKE curriculum, kids will develop STEM skills and build their imagination. Students will build some of the most popular toys (including bumper cars, a ferris wheel and a car race) and code them with only the limits of their imagination.
Adult programs:
- Pyrography (Wood Burning) - Learn how to use the pyrography tool and various tips to create one or more springtime works of art. Apply color to your wood burning with easy-to-use acrylic liquid pens that will add a nice final touch!
- Basic Home Repair - Electrical - Learn the basics of home electrical repairs and save the money and hassle of calling an electrician. In this class, you will learn skills such as: proper electrical safety, wire stripping, circuit testing, rewiring lamps and extension cords and installing light fixtures/ceiling fans.
- Basic Home Repair - Plumbing - In this hands-on course, you will learn how the basic plumbing system works and common problems and repairs that may be required. Topics covered include replacing pop up drain assembly, repairing a leaky toilet and cutting and soldering cooper pipe fittings.
- A Veteran's Story: K-9 Unit in Vietnam - Join local veteran and retired teacher, Vince Smith, as he recounts his experiences as a dog handler during the Vietnam War. Vince's engaging presentation will take you on a journey from basic training to MP school, to Vietnam and back again.
- History Talk: Working on the Railroad - Vince Smith will recount his time working on the world-famous White Pass Railroad in the Yukon Territory of Alaska in the 1960s-70s. Experience a different side of this iconic and beautiful tourist destination.
Family Program:
Mini Cake Fondant Decorating - Have fun learning how to color, roll and cut colorful fondant into a wide variety of shapes and sizes. You will apply a base coat of buttercream icing. Next, add decorative fondant pieces to your 5-inch, two-layer cake, to create a springtime edible work of art! All abilities welcome!
STEM Class
At the end of Trimester 2, 7th and 8th grade STEM students participated in an egg drop challenge in STEM class. The challenge was to protect a raw egg using a limited number of materials and following a budget as engineers and scientists do. Students worked in pairs to create a design using their knowledge of potential and kinetic energy and how that would affect the egg falling then were able to test their skills. Students were creative with their designs, got to see some eggs survive the drop while others splattered, and had tons of fun!
Westwood Intermediate & Middle School’s PTO Next meeting is scheduled for Monday, March 28 at 9:30 a.m. in person!
Each month, we are committed to bringing you the most authentic and up-to-date understanding and insight regarding the daily school life of our students, teachers and staff at Westwood! If you are unable to attend in person, we will have a virtual option for attendance as well! Meeting details will be coming soon!
Upcoming Meeting Dates:
- April 25 - 6:30 p.m. Zoom and in-person
- May 23 - 9:30 a.m. Zoom and in-person
- Monday, March 28 - PTO Meeting at 9:30 a.m.
- March 28-April 8 - MTAS Testing Window
- April 5-6 - APPL Testing
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
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