Westside Middle School
October 9, 2020
Next week we will continue to have in person learning Monday (A day) and Tuesday (B Day). Extended campus learners will attend their WebEx meetings on Wednesday, October 14th and in person learnings will obtain their work from Google classroom.
There will be NO School on Thursday, October 15th and Friday, October 16th.
Monday, October 19th we will begin Quarter 2 and return to school 5 days a week. We will be sending out some information to Extended Campus students next week.
Please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Kim Eymann - Principal
eymann.kimberly@westside66.net
402-390-8211
Brian Stevens - Assistant Principal (He will handle all questions on Busing)
Dean for 8A & 7C
402-390-6494
Jenni Allen - Assistant Principal & Special Services Department Chair
402-408-8589
Dan Carlson - Dean & Athletic Director
Dean for 7A, 7B, & 8B
402-390-8669
Corrie Philo - Dean for 7D, 8C, & 8D
402-390-8670

Parent - Teacher Communication
Parent-Teacher Conferences will look a little different and be referred to as Parent-Teacher Communication. Teachers will begin reaching out to families on October 10th and will continue through Friday, October 16th. Teachers will spend all day on Thursday, October 15th to reach out to families.
Quarter 1 ends Friday, October 16th. Please check your Powerschool for your student's grades.
Please let your student's dean or counselor know if you have any questions.
From the Counselors
Hello parents/guardians,
As we approach the end of the first quarter, the counseling team wanted to extend an invitation to you to meet with your student’s counselor during Parent Communication Week. Your child’s school counselor can be a valuable resource in helping to support your child. If you have any questions, we welcome your phone calls and emails. You may have already received communication from one or more of your student’s teachers inviting you to chat with them via a phone call or WebEx meeting.
We wanted to extend a similar invitation to you to have an individual meeting with your student’s counselor. In case you are not sure who your student’s counselor may be, here is how to get in touch with your student’s counselor
Last Names A - G - Sarah Lieske - email lieske.sarah@westside66.net, phone (402) 408-8618
Last Names H - O - Doug Hauserman - email hauserman.douglas@westside66.net, phone (402) 408 - 8577
Last Names P - Z - Mike McCann - email mccann.michael@westside66.net, phone (402) 408-8591
We have also provided a Google form for you to schedule a meeting time with your student’s counselor. Please click on the form next to your student’s counselor to request a meeting time:
Lieske - Lieske Fall Parent Communication Sign Up
Hauserman - Hauserman Fall Parent Communication Sign Up
McCann - McCann Fall Parent Communication Sign Up
We look forward to meeting with you.
The Westside Middle School Counseling Team
Community Club
Hello Westside Middle School Families! It is hard to believe we are already at the end of the first quarter! Our next virtual Community Club meeting will take place on Monday, October 12 at 6:30 on WebEx. The link to the meeting is
https://westside66.webex.com/westside66/j.php
MTID=m0f6b1ae1a2ce9008b24cae45eef2c39b
Meeting password: inNmvv8gm52
The Community Club is selling Westside gear to help the club support students and staff throughout the school year. A brand new website is now up and running with some exciting new merchandise. Orders will be available through October 30 with delivery before the holidays. https://westsidewarriors.orderpromos.com/
Please feel free to reach out if you would like to get involved in Community Club or have any questions. I can be reached at villatoro.ka@gmail.com.
Ashley Villatoro

Yellow Ribbon Presentation
On Tuesday, October 20 7th grade grade students will have a presentation on the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program. Teams 7B and 7C will have the presentation in the PAC beginning at 8:15. Students on 7B and 7C will be dismissed to the PAC from their 1st period class at 8:10 to report to the PAC. Students on teams 7A and 7D will have the presentation in the PAC beginning at 9:35. Students on these two teams will be dismissed from their 3rd period class at 9:35 to report to the PAC.
The Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program is a nation-wide program designed to help students and communities recognize warning signs of suicide, what suicide is and is not, and give students a way to ask for help. Here is some more information on the Yellow Ribbon Suicide Prevention Program:
It is not uncommon for teens to think about suicide. Every year 1 in 5 teens seriously considers suicide and youth will most often seek help from their peers. It is imperative that youth are provided the tools to recognize other youth who may be at risk for suicide and the knowledge of how to respond if they are concerned. Studies have shown that youth peer training is an effective practice for education for youth. Designated a National Best Practice program, Yellow Ribbon utilizes a unique community-based model that increases the competence and confidence of youth to recognize and respond to suicidal individuals. Modified to be age and culturally appropriate, the curriculum follows the recognized safe messaging prevention practices.
We recognize that this may be a difficult topic for some students. Our counselors are prepared to help individual students process this presentation if it is needed. Sometimes the students for whom this topic is the most difficult are the most in need of hearing it. With that in mind, if you and your student believe it would in their best interest to not be in the presentation, please contact your student’s assigned counselor.

WMS Book Fair
WMS will celebrate the power of reading at our upcoming virtual Scholastic book fair! You are invited to help our school create a culture of reading, build our school libraries, and have the opportunity to shop and select books with your child for your home library. A portion of all proceeds will go back to our school--your support makes a difference!
Please mark your calendars to visit our online book fair and help your student discover their next favorite read:
Book fair dates: October 5-18
Shopping hours: 24/7!
Shop the Scholastic Store online and choose from over 6,000 items! All book orders ship directly to home with any $25 order. Visit our fair's homepage to get started:
To view middle school-specific books that are featured at this year's fair, please take a look at the attached flyer:
After School Library
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday - 3:15 - 5:00
Wednesday - 2:45 - 4:00
If your student is already signed up, there is no need to complete the form again. If you would like to sign your child up for the after school library program, please complete this form.
Please contact me if you have any questions.
Corrie Philo
402-408-8670
AttendanceParents must call into the attendance secretary, Ms. Hilt, if your student is ill or not able to attend/participate in school that day. This is necessary no matter if the student physically attends school or is an extended campus learner. Please make sure this is done by 9:00 AM. The attendance number is 402-408-8649 or 402-390-6464 | Picture Retakes We will be having picture retakes on Tuesday, October 13th starting at 8:00 am. Please check the back of the picture packet for Martin Photography Retake Policy. If your student has not had their picture taken this year, please make sure they do this. We use the photo for the yearbook, Powerschool, and student IDs. | How to protect your student during COVID-19Keep your student home if they are sick. DON'T come to school if:
Your student will be sent home if any of these symptoms are present during school. |
Attendance
Parents must call into the attendance secretary, Ms. Hilt, if your student is ill or not able to attend/participate in school that day. This is necessary no matter if the student physically attends school or is an extended campus learner. Please make sure this is done by 9:00 AM.
The attendance number is 402-408-8649 or 402-390-6464
Picture Retakes
If your student has not had their picture taken this year, please make sure they do this. We use the photo for the yearbook, Powerschool, and student IDs.
How to protect your student during COVID-19
Keep your student home if they are sick.
DON'T come to school if:
- Fever of 100 or higher
- Shortness of breath of difficulty breathing
- New onset of headache, sore throat, congestion or runny nose
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- ANYONE in the family at home has potential COVID-19 symptoms, has been tested for COVID 19 and /or waiting for results.
Your student will be sent home if any of these symptoms are present during school.

PowerSchool Help
We-Side Poster Contest


National Junior Honor Society
The National Junior Honor Society chapter of Westside Middle School is a duly chartered and affiliated chapter of this prestigious national organization. Membership is open to those students who meet the required standards in five areas of evaluation: scholarship, leadership, service, citizenship, and character. Students in the second semester of seventh or eighth grade are eligible for membership. If students were inducted as a seventh grader, they will NOT need to reapply.
Those students who meet the scholarship criterion of a 3.8 on the 4.0 scale are invited to complete a Student Activity Information Form that provides the Faculty Council with information regarding the candidate’s leadership and service. This will be sent out late January-early February. A history of leadership experiences and participation in school or community service is also required. Examples of leadership may happen within the school building (student council) or outside of the classroom (team captains, scouting honors, etc.). Service to the community is considered volunteering in a capacity that does not benefit the student (getting paid for a service or merely helping an extended family member) services considered would be volunteering at a non-profit organization (Film Streams, the zoo, Do Space, among many others). Service learning is not considered volunteering for a team activity to raise money for team expenses (car washes for a soccer team, selling concessions for a concert the student might participate in at a later time.) A student should have at least 5 hours of service learning when filling out the application.
Once again the Student Activity Information Form will be sent out in late January-early February.
Westside Community Schools is Hiring!!!
