West Elementary School

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As we prepare for our "One School One Book," we would like you to send in a digital picture of your child with their pet(s) or their favorite stuffed animal. Please email this to your child's teacher. This is a surprise! Please do not mention it to your child. Send photos by April 7th at the latest in order for your child's photo to be featured in this surprise presentation during our whole school kick-off assembly.

Thank you to all the West Families for raising an amazing amount of money for the Kids Heart Challenge. West raised over $17,150 for the American Heart Association and $1,300 will go for new equipment for our PE Department! ❤️

District 47 teaches students how to Be Safe, Be Smart and Be Kind online through a student-led, digital citizenship program called Project B3. Approximately 30-40 8th graders from each middle school are selected to participate in this program each year. In November, student B3 leaders prepared and delivered digital citizenship presentations for 6th-8th graders.

On Wednesday, March 22, student B3 leaders from Bernotas will travel to West to deliver the program to students in grades 3-5. In groups of three or four, B3 leaders will visit classrooms to read books and engage in discussions with 3rd, 4th and 5th graders about the importance of being smart, safe and kind online. See below for the books that will be read.

For more information about Project B3, visit the D47 website. For a link to our virtual parenting session in December on managing screen time and use of technology, click this link: https://youtu.be/F29TW4spp4A.

Digital citizenship books by author Hannah Whaley:

• “Webster’s Friend” - Project B3: “Be Safe”

• “Webster’s Manners” - Project B3: “Be Kind”

• “Webster’s Email” - Project B3: “Be Smart”

Note: If time allows, students may read a fourth book, “Nerdy Birdy Tweets” by Aaron Reynolds.

In previous years and prior to COVID, District 47 (like many other school districts) implemented Fitnessgram testing in the spring for students in grades 3-8 as a way to measure student physical fitness and as a mandated practice per the state of Illinois. Due to a continuation of the Illinois Governor’s disaster proclamation, the state is not requiring school districts to conduct Fitnessgram assessments for the 2022-23 school year. While data from fitness assessments may not be collected and/or reported, District 47 PE teachers are still engaged in many of these practices that measure aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and flexibility. In addition, they are teaching students how to assess their fitness levels, set goals for improvement, and monitor progress in reaching their goals. If you have any questions about your child’s PE class, please contact your child’s school.

The D47 Parent Group Advisory Council (made up of D47 PTO/PTA representatives) have collectively created a fact sheet for D47 parents about the upcoming school board election on April 4, 2023. This fact sheet is intended to inform parents about the candidates running for open school board positions and provides an explanation of the roles and responsibilities of school board members.

• 3/1-3/16 - Spring Spirit Wear Sale
• 3/14 - WPO Meeting 7 PM
• 3/14-24 - West Plant Sale Pre Order Forms can be submitted
• 3/15 - Early Release at 2 PM
• 3/17 - Last Day for the Reading Incentive Program
• 3/24 - PBIS - Glow Party-Wear neon colors and glow necklaces!
• 3/24 - Plant Sale Pre-Orders Due
• 3/27-4/2 - SPRING BREAK
• 3/31 - Last Day to Submit 5Essentials Survey
• 4/3 - Class Resume
• 4/3 - Mileage Club Begins
• 4/7 - NO SCHOOL
• 4/7 - Last Day to Send your Surprise Photos to your Students' Teachers
• 4/15 - West Family Night - Wolves Hockey 6 PM
• 4/19 - Early Release at 2 PM
• 4/20 - Nick's Pizza - (11 AM-4 PM Carry Out Only and 5-9 PM Dine in & Carry Out)
• 4/26-28 - Spring Book Fair (Family Night on 4/26 6:00-8:00)

The WPO is excited to offer a BEAUTIFUL assortment of items for this year’s sale: hanging baskets, confetti bowls, a variety of sun/shade flats plus herbs and veggies! We look forward to working with our new local vendor, Countryside Flower Shop and Nursery, striving to provide their best and most mature plants available. Please click on the link to place your online presale order.

• Plant pick-up will be at West on May 3 (Wed.) & May 4 (Thurs.). Times & further details to come.
• Orders will be accepted until midnight on Friday, March 24th!

Please note, that if you choose to not order now, you may still shop at the event, however, some items are only available for presale. Thanks again! Looking forward to a great event!

All District 47 families are invited to attend the final session of a four-part virtual parenting series with Jackie Rhew on Wednesday, March 15, 2023 @ 7pm via Zoom. The topic is Parenting with a Growth Mindset. Parents will learn how to use a growth mindset and help their child step out of their comfort zone, handle disappointment, set healthy boundaries, and increase motivation. These are valuable skills that correlate to engaging and succeeding in the school environment. This approach has proven successful with students who are fearful of failure, as it teaches them how to embrace a ‘bounce back’ mentality. Translation will be available in multiple languages via captioning in Zoom. To learn more and join the meeting via Zoom, visit the D47 website.

• Virtual parenting session recordings (including the 2/15 session) on District 47's YouTube Channel: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6oeQbeVgF0nKSODrY4to0zxasys1PulA

Come out and join West families & friends for a night of fun at a Chicago Wolves hockey game. All attendees will receive a FREE Chicago Wolves knit hat & be seated together in the same section. Doors open at 6:00 pm and the puck drops at 7:00 pm. Order tickets here: https://fevo.me/westfamilynight. Deadline to order tickets is noon on Friday, April 1.

The 5Essentials parent survey, administered online by UChicago Impact, is designed to generate a detailed picture of the inner workings of schools. It is intended to help school districts understand the conditions at each school and to help guide improvement. The survey gathers data related to five indicators that can predict important student outcomes, including improved attendance and larger test score gains. Parents are encouraged to take the survey for their child's school by visiting https://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/. Parent identity and survey responses will be kept confidential and will not be connected to their student(s). Families can submit one survey for each child. The 5Essentials survey window will be open through March 31, 2023.

Last Tuesday we only had 6% parent participation! We need at least 20% of parents to participate, if we do not receive 20% we do not receive a report that shares parent feedback. A QR Code will be going home this week with your youngest student. Just open your camera app, hover your phone over the code and please fill out the survey for West. It only takes a few minutes and it means a lot to us to get your feedback.

Fifth grade will be taking their Illinois Science Assessment (ISA) on March 13th, 14th, and 15th.

After Spring Break, students in Third, Fourth, and Fifth grade will be taking IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness). This is a state assessment that is given annually in grades 3-8. The students will take two ELA assessments and three Math assessments on their chromebooks. Please make sure your child has working headphones at school as they will need them during testing. ELA will be given on April 5th and 6th. Math will be given on April 12th, 13th, and 14th.

Starting April 3rd, Kindergarten-5th grade students will have the option to walk/run laps on the track during lunch recess on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Kindergarten students now have the opportunity to participate too. Mileage Club allows students to earn tokens, while getting exercise at recess. Participation is optional and students may choose how often they want to participate.

We need volunteers to make this club a success. Volunteers hand out student cards and scan laps during recess. If you can help, please return the volunteer slip on the bottom of the letter that was sent home on March 27th. https: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080f45aba82fa2fe3-west2#/

Wear it loud and proud, WEST IS BEST! Shop all the new designs and we also have NEW shorts in both Youth and Women's sizes in our Spirit Wear Sale now until March 16!

• https://shopcottonandink.com/collections/west-spring-2023
• Password: West_23

District 47’s online kindergarten registration for the 2023-24 school year is now open! Families are encouraged to register now to secure their child's spot. To register, visit the D47 website at https://www.d47.org/kindergarten for step-by-step instructions. Families who submit online kindergarten registration before March 15th will get a free T-shirt for their incoming kindergartener! For any questions about kindergarten registration, please contact student services at the district office at 815-788-5000.

• English Video

• Spanish Video