Westwood Way
Happenings In Panther Nation - March 2018
Panther Pride
Recently, I was watching a YouTube video of Lou Holtz on Leadership. At the 5:40 mark, he posed these three questions:
If I didn’t go home, who would miss me and why?
If I didn’t go to work, who would miss me and why?
If our organization went out of business, who would miss us and why?
As I listened, these questions generated deep thoughts and reflection. I have to be honest and admit that my first thoughts were personal and I spent time thinking about who would truly miss me and then I moved to why they would miss me. I believe it is valuable to spend time reflecting on both who and why but the power probably comes in the answer to the last part.
If people are authentically missing us, it is because we have developed a deep relationship by devoting ourselves to them. If we want an area of our life to have value, we invest in it by spending time and effort in developing it. This is especially true in developing relationships. People will miss us because we have added value to their lives and we are making a difference every day.
I would encourage you to be intentional in developing relationships. Search for ways that you can add value and make a difference in those around you!!
I have included a link to the video if you would like to watch it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7k8oRjpaklg
Wade
School Board Update
During the March Board Meeting, the following items came before the School Board:
Phil Nedbalek presented an update on the operations and future plans for the transportation department.
Christine Bedre introduced data analysis by discussing the purpose behind it and also provided common definitions associated with data analysis.
The School Board and staff continued discussing the book Turning High-Poverty Schools into High-Performing Schools. The first part of Chapter 10 was discussed this month, and the board and staff will continue this discussion over the next several months.
The proposed 2018-2019 Instructional Calendar was presented as a 1st Reading. The administration and school board will continue to gather feedback from the staff and community and bring a final recommendation to the board at the April Board Meeting.
Policy Update 110 was presented as a 1st Reading. Policy Update 110 focuses on updating and reorganizing several policies addressing board member eligibility and qualifications, elections, and vacancies and removal from office. The board will review the update and this item will be presented for a vote at the April Board Meeting.
Tricia Wardell presented a 2017-2018 budget update that showed expenditures and remaining budget by function code.
The School Board unanimously approved the purchase of a 2018 Suburban, with a bid of $39, 500, from Cutshaw Chevrolet of Grapeland.
The School Board unanimously approved the purchase of a maintenance truck, with a bid not to exceed $33,827, from Hall GMC fo Tyler.
The School Board unanimously approved Wade Stanford to the Regional Advisory Committee Board at Region 7 Education Service Center.
The School Board acknowledged professional contracts as presented.
Curriculum
PBMAS continues to evolve and make progress. Our mid-year meeting went well identifying multiple areas we have shown tremendous growth in since the start of the school year.
Our full day pre-kindergarten group is rocking and rolling. Region 7 came at the end of January and filmed a documentary style video explaining the process of expansion from half day to full day and addition of staff members and students. Shooting this documentary was an exciting time to honestly look back and reflect on the hard work and dedication that has flooded into the program. Our students are advancing at a rapid pace showing incredible growth. I am very proud of our teachers and staff for their patience and optimism as we transformed our pre-kindergarten. As a reminder, employee's children can attend for free!
WISD is now part of the Writing Pilot. We have been accepted as a mid-year entry. This affects both the 4th and 7th-grade teachers. As we enter the new uncharted waters, our teachers remain excited and optimistic as we trained with Region 7 on Monday and worked out the kinks during the spring semester. These ladies deserve a pat on the back for their willingness to try something new and innovative.
Professional learning continues to be a focus for all teachers. I am excited as we are beginning to plan summer learning experiences for all staff. We will hold the first round of Westwood University in June 2018. Westwood University will be a two-week span of professional education every day. We will have representatives from Region 7, campus/district program representatives, outside educational leaders, district/campus administration, counselors, and teacher leaders presenting specific training each day. Topics will range from curriculum to technology to student behavior meeting the needs of all of our staff's continual growth. A course catalog will be sent out in April for viewing and session planning. If you would like to pitch an idea to hold a session or a joint session with another colleague, (earning exchange day credit), fill out the following link: Click Here I will meet with each presenter one on one to frame the course. Plan now so you can attend - Dates are June 4 - 7 and 11 - 14, 2018.
Special Programs
The month of March is wrapping up with TELPAS testing on all four campuses. Our secondary campuses completed testing the week of March 19 and our Primary and Elementary are completing testing the week of March 26. We appreciate all of the hard work and efforts of our campus testing coordinators, campus administration, technology staff and test administrators and monitors for making this assessment flow as smooth as possible. As always, we appreciate the hard work and continued effort of our students.
At our last ESL Parent Night, we discussed the reasoning for TELPAS and the importance of students putting forth their best effort on this state assessment. We are thankful for the attendance of our parents and staff at these meetings. A huge thank you to everyone who plays a part in making nights like these possible. A special thank you to our High School Spanish Club students for always helping with childcare!
Our gifted and talented program has made great strides in the last few years. For the second year in a row, we had a student awarded one of the Region 7 Gifted and Talented Scholarships to a summer camp. Zaylean Gonzales, one of our 6th-grade students, will be attending the Youth Adventure Program in the area of medicine this June. We are very excited for her as we know this will be a great opportunity.
Also, our Elementary robotics students will be attending their competitions the week of April 2 at Region 7. Our younger group will compete on May 1st. Ms. Schitoskey has worked diligently with our students the last few months to prepare them for the competition. We know that they will represent our district well. We look forward to growing our robotics program in the coming years.
Westwood ISD participated in the Interim Assessment Pilot last month. These assessments are designed to provide feedback as to how prepared the students are to meet approaches grade level and meets grade level on their actual STAAR. All interim assessments are administered online. These assessments are currently only available for math and reading in grades 3-8, but the state will be expanding them to other subjects and EOCs in the future. A huge thank you goes out to our elementary and junior high campus testing coordinators and our technology department for helping make these assessments possible!
Lastly, we believe we have made great strides in our Response to Intervention processes on all campuses this year. The Primary executed an overhaul of their RtI tracking and intervention process. The Elementary has implemented a Blitz period during the school day where reading and math intervention takes place at each student’s functional level. Lastly, the Junior High and High School campuses have set aside a 30 minute period at the end of the school day where necessary interventions can take place. Each campus has witnessed noticeable growth within their students with these changes. We appreciate all of the hard work that has gone into identifying gaps and helping each of our students become independent thinkers!
Business & Finance
1. We are in the midst of budget preparation in the Finance area. Currently, we have estimated a very preliminary projection for 2018-2019 based on the information currently at hand.
2. We are beginning preparation of the budget worksheets for each campus and department. This requires estimating payroll for the 2018-19 school year and then assigning allotments to each campus and department. On the campus allotment, it is based on the projected number of students that should be attending that campus during the next school year.
3. The next step involves distributing the budget worksheets and instructing the directors and principals on compiling their budgets.
4. We have just hired an HR Specialist to replace an open position in our department. She will work closely with Payroll but add a much-needed customer service piece as far as benefits and certifications are concerned. We are very excited about this addition to our department.
PEIMS
WISD PEIMS department has a new member! March 19th Amanda Kizer took the position as Elementary PEIMS Clerk. We are happy to have her on board.
Moving into April, we are wrapping up revisions for our online registration in preparation for 2018-2019 Pre-K and Kinder roundup. We have also been working with the technology department in finalizing the setup for our new Safe Arrival App. Spring is always a busy time preparing for the end of the year while looking forward to the year to come. We are pressing forward to improve not only our department but also the function and quality of PEIMS on a campus level.
Food Service
The last several weeks have been a whirlwind of activity for the Panther’s Food Service department. We are responding to the Texas Department of Agriculture’s review of our department and its activities. As many students and staff have noticed there were some changes to how and what are acceptable practices. The noticeable changes were no longer being able to provide bottled water or coffee to the students without a monetary charge and the increase in the adult meal price to cover the State and Federal reimbursement costs. The adult meal prices increased by 25 cents, and in the future, we will be able to sell water and coffee to the students.
The good news, tasty new menu items are being added to our selections each month. Our goal is to offer more fresh foods and choices on the lines to encourage the participation of both students and staff in our meal service. The Panther cafeterias are still the best place to eat for the value!
I want to recognize the dedicated Maintenance Staff members and the shared efforts of the Cafeteria staff for working over spring break to completely replace the walk-in freezer and cooler at the High School campus. They accomplished this feat while also repairing the large walk-in freezer unit at the Elementary campus. No child missed a meal, and no food was lost!
We are also working to requalify and continue the CEP (Community Eligibility Program) status for our district. The CEP status allows Westwood ISD to serve all district students as ‘free’ status breakfast and lunch. This is a much-needed program and is beneficial to all households in the district including our staff.
I look forward to answering any questions and taking suggestion concerning our Food Service; please feel free to contact me.
Facilities Services
Current Projects:
· Collecting bids for possible summer work
· Safety and Security Audit
· Improving accessibility at the stadium
· Improving outdoor lighting
· Improving door hardware for quicker intruder lockdown
Completed Projects:
· Moved teacher mailboxes at the Elementary
· Repaired all lighting at the baseball field
· Repaired entryway lights at the High School
· Installed new benches for tennis visitors
· Improved a sidewalk to meet accessibility needs at the Elementary
· Installed a new water heater at the Elementary
· Installed a new walk-in cooler/freezer at the High School
· Installed a new marquee sign at the softball field
· HVAC filter change
Transportation
As we head into April 2018, our Transportation Department continues to meet the needs of the Westwood ISD students and School District. Many sports are going on with numerous trips. My employees continue to do a great job, and it is appreciated daily. Plans for summer bus maintenance as well as summer school are being made. Thanks for your support.
Technology
The Technology Department has had a very busy month. We received our new wireless access points and have begun the process of installing them on the campuses. We are sure this upgrade will provide a more robust wireless experience for staff and students.
We purchased and installed two new Chromebook carts on the Junior High and High School campuses, and we replaced the computers in the old Elementary lab. We are planning out our summer projects and getting ready for the end of the school year.
Athletics
Philosophy
The Panther Mission Statement: (program/coach’s part)
To GROW men and women of integrity who relentlessly pursue excellence.
The Panther Vision Statement: (athlete’s part)
GROW Everyday
Execute Westwood DNA
Be the toughest program in Texas
On March 20th, 2018 just two weeks ago, we started the process of developing elite students, elite young men, and women of high character and elite athletes respectively. The Westwood Athletic Department is trying to establish a culture that puts an emphasis on process over the outcome (emphasis on what a champion looks like daily over winning championships). We want to cultivate champions for life that consistently display the Westwood DNA. It takes a village and we need all stakeholders (teachers, athletes, administration, parents and the community) to jump in the boat and all ROW in the same direction as we continue to GROW together.
With spring sports in full swing, our student-athletes are competing at an elite level and making strides daily. Our Junior High Boys and Girls Track teams are continuing to GROW every week while winning multiple team and individual championships throughout this track season (District is Monday, April 2nd in Malakoff). The Panther Baseball and Lady Panther Softball teams are battling in a very competitive district. We also have an athlete that had a strong showing at the golf tournament last week. In the upcoming week, we will host the high school district track meet as well as the district tennis tournament on Wednesday and Thursday, April 4th and 5th. We are excited about the future of Westwood Athletics. #GROW