Westchester Weekly
All-Star Newsletter October 21, 2021
Dear Westchester families,
October continues to be a busy month filled with exciting happenings. The Book Fair has been a huge success, and it has been amazing to see the joy on students’ faces when they choose a new book. They are also being very responsible with their money and making choices about how they spend it! Thank you to Ms. Nation for leading this wonderful event.
Next week includes Spirit Week, culminating in Book Character Dress Up Day on Friday 10/29. Please keep in mind the need for our students to continue wearing their masks for mitigation purposes, and refrain from any other type of mask on this day.
Friday the 29th is also Westchester Spirit Night at the Decatur High School football game! Wear your Westchester spirit-wear and cheer on our undefeated home team!
Please continue to keep yourselves and each other safe and healthy, and as always please reach out if there’s any way we can support you.
Sincerely,
Spotlights
Staff Spotlight on : Nadine Howarth
Position at WE: Art Teacher
Hometown: Decatur, Ga.
Education/Background: Undergrad BFA GA Southern Graduate MAED UGA
Family: John, MaryRyan, Dorsey
Hobbies: All things ART! Cooking and eating, walking, hiking, flowers!!
Favorites: Music favs: Punk, Grunge, 80's Newwave. Book favs: Harry Potter Series, and all Jane Austin Movie favs: all Star Wars
Hero/inspiration: My mom, Dolly Parton, Tina Fey, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Georgia O'Keeffe, Debbie Harry
Favorite thing about Westchester: The best thing about Westchester is making art with such awesome young artists EVERYDAY!
So much Fun Learning in Mrs. Seides & Ms. Gordon's Class!
Oliver, Theodore & Lyla know how to collaborate!
Hooray for Kindergarten!
Lauchlan, Nicholas & Andrew are a team!
Upcoming Calendar Events
October 22- Community Circle- watch with us! at 8:30 am. Ms. Dusak's class is leading!
October 19th-25th- WE Fall Book Fair- Come shop outside from 4:30-6:00pm
October 25th-29th- Red Ribbon Week Fun
October 29th- 8:30 am Coffee Chat with the Principals
November 1st- Teacher Work Day- No school for students
Picture Day
It has been brought to our attention that the photos were sent to parents, student or emergency contact emails. Here is the link to access your child's school photos if you had any issues.
https://roger-cannon-photography.hhimagehost.com/V2/Home/LoginConsumer?EK=182174
Password: Your child's student ID number
WE Fall Book Fair
Thank you for allowing your children to shop our book fair this week. The excitement is wonderful! Please come by Thursday afternoon between 4:30-6:00pm for in person shopping outside on the front porch of Westchester. We will bring out books that you can browse for shopping. As well, PTA will be selling spirit wear! We can accept cash, credit or check.
Red Ribbon Week Fun!
Coffee Chat
Join your Interim Co-Principals for a coffee chat!
When: Friday 10/29 immediately following arrival at 8:20
Where: In person! (Near the picnic tables on the field side of the school)
What: An informal meet and greet with Coach Henry and Mrs. Manasso for an overview of the great happenings at Westchester.
How to Help Children Calm Down
HERE is an article from the Child Mind Institute on How to Help Children Calm Down that is filled with tips for parents and teachers to support students in emotion regulation development.
Logging into launchpad at home
PTA News
PTA SPIRIT WEAR AT BOOK FAIR
Please visit the outdoor book fair event on Thursday on the front porch of the school from 4:30-6:00 pm! The PTA will be there selling spirit wear so make sure you stop by.
FIELD TRIP SHIRTS
The PTA would like to continue our tradition of providing a free orange Westchester field trip shirt to all new students. This includes incoming kindergartners, 1st graders who did not receive one last year due to the pandemic, and any new student who has transferred into the school and has not received one. If your child(ren) meets this criteria, please complete this form for each child so we can get your student our signature orange shirt! When they are all in, shirts will be sent home in your student's backpack.
NEEDED: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) PTA BOARD MEMBER POSITION
We are currently looking to fill a critical new position on our Board this year — heading up our PTA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee!! The Board position and committee will work to:
· Educate our community of adults and children on the heart behind matters of race and diversity
· Initiate previously unexplored and enhance existing conversations around acceptance and understanding
· Strengthen empathy between families through sharing of tradition
· Advocate for families and students adversely affected by incidents and concerns of inequity or discrimination
DEI Chairs in other schools love the position, because “it provides an opportunity to celebrate holidays and cultural traditions that are important to different families in a way that is not necessarily part of the curriculum. For example, celebrating Chinese New Year is not part of the official school calendar, but being on the DEI committee would provide an opportunity for parents to arrange such a celebration. Likewise, if your child is neurodivergent, then DEI creates a space in which to open that discussion up to the community - by hosting a reading of a book or celebrating during a federally-sponsored Day to create awareness. If you consider your family to be strongly feminist, DEI could create a program or activity during Women's History Month. Etc."
If this sounds like something you’d be interested in or if you have any additional questions about the position and being on the PTA Board — please let us know by sending an email to ptawestchester@gmail.com.
Teaching and Learning Department
The Teaching and Learning Department of the City Schools of Decatur is providing your students' families a description of the implementation of the new comprehensive literacy curriculum: American Reading Company (ARC) for Grades K-5, as a result of family requests.
American Reading Company (ARC) Guide for CSD Grades K-5 Families
Dyslexia Upcoming Event
CSD has received $15,000 in grants from IDA (International Dyslexia Association) to help fund Orton-Gillingham training for staff. Part of the terms of the grant are to host some community outreach events about dyslexia. To that end, IDA and CSD will be partnering to host a virtual event to spotlight CSD's work and training around dyslexia as well as an informational session by IDA. Please join us virtually on Thu, Oct 28, 2021, at 7:00 PM EDT. Use this link to register!
National Bus Safety Week
Next week is National School Bus Safety Week Oct 18-22
Be Safe: Know the Danger Zone
Buses are big! If you can't see the driver, the driver can't see you! Protect yourself and others by staying out of the danger zone.
FIRST DINE OUT OF THE YEAR!
Join us at Raging Burrito on Thursday, October 28th from 5-9p for WE's first dine out of the year. Our school will get 10% of the profits and you and your family will get a tasty meal! Just mention WE during the ordering process (you can type it in for online orders).
COVID Surveillance Testing
Some of you have opted to have your student participate in the district’s upcoming weekly surveillance testing program. Westchester testing is expected to begin during the week of October 20th. The day and time of testing for Westchester will be Wednesdays between 8:30-10:00. Below are some resources that may be helpful for preparing your child for the testing and to know what to expect. Please reach out with any questions.
District Website: Surveillance Testing Page
Information from the Mayo Clinic about how to help your child prepare for a COVID test
School Nutrition Department
National School Lunch Week was just last week, and we wanted to give a BIG thank you to all our students for eating with us! At the K-5 level, we had a ton of students draw beautiful coloring sheets and return them to our cafeteria spaces. We also passed out stickers, bookmarks, and temporary tattoos. The majority of our staff (and many of our students!) dressed up in animal print on Friday 10/15 to celebrate the end of an awesome week of lunches. We enjoyed delicious and nutritious meals at no cost and celebrated school lunch with an awesome attitude!
City of Decatur
Decatur Acts on Affordable Housing Task Force Report
The City of Decatur has implemented several recommendations from the Affordable Housing Task Force report and will host three virtual focused conversations on the Missing Middle Housing policy to inform final policy recommendations: October 20 from 6-7:30 p.m., October 26 from 11:30 a.m.- 1 p.m., and November 11 from 6-7:30 p.m. Each session will have a short panel discussion before entering into participant breakout rooms for further conversations, concluding with Q&A portion. Visit www.decaturga.com/affordablehousing to learn more about these recommendations and the history of housing in Decatur and to register for the sessions. If you wish to submit a question for the panel email Kristin.allin@decaturga.com.
In addition to the sessions, a community survey is available until November 15 to collect input from the community on potential zoning changes to Decatur’s neighborhoods. Visit surveymonkey.com/r/MissingMiddleHousingSurvey to complete the survey.
A hotline is also available from 1-4 p.m., Tuesday thru Thursday, Oct. 26 – Nov. 11 for the public to call to ask questions, make comments or learn about specific events. During this time period, call 470-868-5114.
Legacy Park Invasive Plant Removal Open House | Saturday, Oct. 16 • 2 p.m.
Trees Atlanta will partner with the City of Decatur to start work on a five-year woodland restoration and regeneration project at Legacy Park. Come out to Legacy Park on Saturday, Oct. 16 at 2 p.m. to learn about the invasive and native plants on the property, Trees Atlanta’s approach to invasive plant removal, and opportunities to get involved and help protect the park’s tree canopy. A short demonstration will follow the presentation, with attendees taking back invasive plant removal techniques and knowledge to their own backyards.
Tree Canopy Conservation Ordinance Open House | Thursday, Oct. 21 • 4-8 p.m.
Residents and property owners are invited to an open house to learn about proposed revisions to the City’s tree canopy conservation ordinance. The open house will take place from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, October 21, 2021, in the dining hall at Legacy Park. A temperature check and wearing of a face covering are required for entry into the building.
The City Commission is considering changes to the City’s tree canopy conservation ordinance, including additional protection for trees located on single-family residential, townhome and multiple-family residential properties and new requirements for commercial developments.
Learn more about the tree ordinance at decaturga.com/dec/page/decatur-tree-canopy-conservation-ordinance-update. In addition to attending the open house, comments can be emailed to treeordinance@decaturga.com.
Decatur Education Foundation
Thank you, Madison Ave Derby – and everyone who came out to watch the Soap Box Derby last Saturday. This incredible event raised a whopping $35K that will all go to support student behavioral health at the Decatur Student Center. We are so thrilled to live in a community that puts on such fun events that benefit #ourkids. Thank you!
Homework Help: Does your elementary school or middle school student need a little extra help? We have the Virtual Pal Tutoring Program in which we pair a 2nd-8th grade student with an upper high school student or adult volunteer to help with homework, time management, and motivation. If you would like to sign your student up for the program, you can go here: https://forms.gle/nLrKbwkXyvYjEAJB8
Could you be a mentor? We have two mentoring programs for which we’re seeking 15 women and 15 men volunteers to serve as mentors. Our AIM Scholars mentoring program pairs third-grade students with an adult mentor who help them by supporting their Academics and exploring their Interests; Mentors also help their students connect to educational and enrichment opportunities. Our REACH Georgia program pairs five 8th graders with mentors to help navigate high school and preparation for college. In just 2-4 hours per month, you can have a meaningful impact in the life of a student. For more information, please visit www.decatureducationfoundation.org/mentoring
Reminders from Last Week
Visit past newsletters for answers to your questions🤗
Westchester Elementary School
Email: bnation@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/Westchester
Location: 758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterelementarycsd