Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
November 17, 2021 - Newsletter
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Westwood Families,
We’re sharing appreciation for our staff this week as part of American Education Week. They have done a tremendous job navigating yet another school year impacted by COVID-19. They make me proud to be their colleague. If you have a chance to share appreciation you and your family may have, I know it goes a long way.
Parent and teacher communication
Parent and teacher communication is an ongoing process that should occur throughout the school year. We began the year with several opportunities for parents and teachers to begin the partnership between home and school – open house meet and greet, curriculum night, PTO meetings, and fall conferences. We now looking ahead to:
- December 3: We continue our ongoing effort to connect and communicate. We have a communication, learning design and grading day. This time is set aside for teachers to reach out to parents on the progress students are making.
- Conferences: In place of February conferences, teachers will have office hours each month and will work to meet with families either in person, over the phone, on WebEx, and through email.
- Monthly office hours: We will offer office hours once a month as an approach for ongoing communication throughout the year instead of an artificial timeline when parents and teachers may need to connect. Office hours will occur one time per month 3:30–5 p.m. on December 9, January 13, February 10, March 24, April 21, and May 12.
- Reach out to connect: We realize that conferences, office hours and other scheduled options are not the only time that parents and teachers can connect in a month so if something arises during the week, please be sure to reach out and the staff at Westwood will do the same.
Latest social media challenge
We have been made aware of a few cases of 7th and 8th graders doing a one chip challenge from TikTok. This is a challenge where a person tries to eat a chip coated with Carolina reaper and scorpion pepper. This can create serious and specific health concerns, including trouble breathing resulting in a poison control call and possibly hospitalization.
Please discuss this one chip challenge – and others like it – with your child and the serious nature of potential health risks. These chips are not permitted in school. If we see students with the chips, we will confiscate them to avoid endangering students and to prevent injury.
We’re a week away from our Thanksgiving break. There is no school Wednesday, November 24 through Friday, November 26.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the break,
Tom Larson
Principal
Enrollment is open for the 2022-2023 school year
Register for The Holiday House - December 10
Kindergarten through 8th grade shoppers have the opportunity to purchase inexpensive gifts ranging from $1 - $5 for members of their family on Friday, December 10 at Spring Lake Park High School. Each child can purchase up to five gifts. Leo Club and SLP Lions Club will be on hand to help students purchase and wrap gifts so they can bring them home for the holiday season.
Children must be present to shop and be accompanied at the event by an adult. Families will be able to enjoy other fun activities during this event along with holiday treats and music.
In an effort to make the shopping experience for families smoother, shoppers should register here to choose a time to shop. You can pick from three different time slots. Happy shopping!
Events for the whole family!
Cupcake Decorating with Paige: Join us for an evening of cupcake decorating with Paige Goehner, winner of Food Network’s show Kids Baking Championship! Register here.
Horse Drawn Sleigh Ride: Join us for a special horse-drawn sleigh ride through the snowy trails of Bunker Hills Park. After the ride, we’ll have S'more supplies and bonfires. Register here.
Conditioning/Weight Training, grades 7-8
Middle School boys’ basketball, grades 7-8
Panther Store Black Friday Sale
Save 20% on Black Friday and shop the Panther Store "Online Doorbusters" starting at 8 a.m., while supplies last. Doorbusters will include deep discounts on Panther Gear products. Shop online at SpringLakeParkSchools.org/pantherstore and use the online discount code: BlackFriday2021
Spring Lake Park Lions President Debbie Roberge visited Westwood Middle School on November 12, 2021, to meet with, thank and present prizes to the school's three local winners of the 33rd annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest, an international contest that encourages children ages 11-13 to creatively express what peace means to them.
Phoebe Collins, age 13, was the first place winner and she received $200. Second place winner was Kiera Katra and she received $100. Third place winner was Donna Rehder and she received $50.
Spring Lake Lion members, who served as judges, evaluated 13 posters on originality, artistic merit, and expression of the theme. Peace poster contest coordinator, Lion Jan Kugler, said the contest theme this year was “We Are All Connected". It is obvious that these young people have a strong idea about what peace means to them. The first place winner from our local contest will advance to the 5M7 five county district, with the possibility of advancing to the multiple district and world competition.
Picture: Westwood Principal Tom Larson, 2nd Place Winner Kiera Katra, 1st Place Winner Phoebe Collins, 3rd Place Winner Donna Rehder, and Lion Debbie Roberge, Spring Lake Park Lions President.
The next Westwood PTO Meeting is scheduled for Monday, December 13 at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.
We are looking forward to working with all of our parents and families this year to support the staff and students at Westwood.
Visit the PTO Facebook page: Westwood Intermediate and Middle School PTO
- Click here to receive email notifications about Westwood PTO.
Fall Fundraiser updates!
- November 24-26 - Thanksgiving Break
- December 2 - Last day of Trimester 1
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
- Vaccination opportunities for ages 5-11
- Technology Tools, Resources and Log Ins for families - this hub is your one-stop-shop for technology log in and resources, including:
- Schoology
- Seesaw
- Campus Parent Portal
- Password Portal
- and more!
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