Westfield Arrow
Aiming to Keep You Informed
FEBRUARY 25, 2022
From the Office
Next Thursday, March 3rd marks the end of the 2nd Trimester. Teachers will have until March 11th to finalize their grades. Please encourage your student to complete any outstanding work and to stay in close contact with their teacher on any final assignments, projects, or assessments. If you have any questions regarding your students performance or progress in a given course, please do not hesitate to reach out to your child's teacher.
2022 Illinois 5 Essentials: Parent Survey
The 5Essentials Survey measures schools in 5 key areas: Effective Leaders, Collaborative Teachers, Involved Families, Supportive Environment, and Ambitious Instruction. The survey should take about 10 minutes to complete and is phone friendly! We really value your feedback and we encourage you to complete the survey. Thank you!
Link to survey: http://survey.5-essentials.org/illinois/survey/parent/
It will ask you to type in DuPage and Westfield Middle School
The survey closes on March 11, 2022
5 Essentials: Student Survey
Westfield students will be provided time next week to complete the 5 Essentials Student Survey. Please reach out to our Main Office if you would like to exclude your child from the survey.
Celebrate Women's History Month
Women's History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions made by women throughout U.S. history. Although students at Westfield learn about the achievements and history of women throughout the school year in all courses, we also believe it is important to use this month to encourage students and families to learn more. We encourage students to have conversations at home about the contributions made by women throughout the history of the United States. The links below from History.com and Womenshistorymonth.gov have wonderful resources.
https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/womens-history-month
https://womenshistorymonth.gov/
Looking ahead
No School on Friday, March 4th for an Institute Day.....No School on Monday, March 7th, for Casimir Pulaski Day....Please see the Revised District 13 Calendar for 2021-2022 for additional important dates.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Stefan Larsson
Principal
Amanda Vreeland
Assistant Principal
WARRIOR OF THE WEEK
Each week the staff recognizes students for demonstrating outstanding character based on attitudes or actions that follow the Character Counts Pillars and our WARRIORS Mission and Vision:
''We are W.A.R.R.I.O.R.S.; our mission and vision for the future are for all staff and students to be Welcoming, Ambitious, Respectful, Responsible, Innovative, Optimistic, Reflective and Successful."
UPCOMING DATES
Please visit our Google Calendar for all activities and schedules!
- Student Contest Deadline 'Falling in Love with PAPER': February 28th (info below)
- D13 Board Meeting: February 28th, 7:00pm at District Office
- Chicago Wolves WF Family Day: February 28th--form/payment due-see below; PTO sponsored event on March 13th
- Women's History Month: March 1st--31st
- 8th Grade Graduation Pictures: March 2nd (see info below)
- End of Trimester 2: March 4th
- NO SCHOOL/Teacher Institute: March 4th
- NO SCHOOL/Pulaski Day: March 7th
8th Grade STEM Sheep Dissection
Getting Started
Newton's Laws of Motion
WESTFIELD THIS WEEK
Grade Level News:
The teams will be updating the links weekly during the school year with news and any upcoming information.
Congratulations to Our Westfield Artists!
Special congrats go out to the 60+ talented Westfield students for making it into the 38th Annual Student Art Show which displays various works of Art from each of the local participating schools at the Bloomingdale Park District Museum.
The Student Art Show will be on display from Saturday, February 26th to Saturday, March 26, 2022. . The museum hours are Wednesday 4 - 8pm, Thursday 12 - 4pm and Saturday 12 - 4pm to view the artwork.
STUDENT INFORMATION
8th Grade Graduation Pictures on Wednesday, March 2nd
- Grad Pictures will be taken only during the school day on Wednesday, March 2nd.
- Each 8th grader will receive a time-stamped card during their 1st-period class telling them what time >between 8:30am-11:45am< they will have their picture taken in the LIBRARY READING ROOM. The pictures will be taken alphabetically by last name.
- Students may wear their nice clothes to school all day, or bring clothes to change into afterward. Pictures wearing the graduation gown will also be taken.
- Parents will receive an email from Color Portraits with their student's picture proofs and online ordering information.
- If parents have questions, email info@colorportraits.com
- Graduation Picture RETAKE DAY is Wednesday, April 6th.
Comic-Con at Lake Park H.S. is Back!
The fifth episode of LPC-2, Lake Park's own Mini Comic-Con, is happening March 11, 2022 from 4:00pm-7:30pm. At LPC-2 you can celebrate and learn about comics, art, anime, manga, comics, superheroes, and more!
Plus, there are tons of fabulous vendors, an art show, and a Smash Tournament!
Learn more about the activities as they are announced on the LPC-2 website.
Registration for 2022's Mini Comic-Con (LPC-2) is currently open. Click HERE to register.
Enter Your Art in the Comic-Con Contest
- Do you like to Draw, Paint, create Sculptures, or just make Art in general? If so, enter Westfield’s Annual Comic-Con Themed ART CONTEST for Lake Park's Comic-Con!
- All artwork should be surrounding the theme and feel of a Comic-Con, which could mean anything from superheroes, zombies, manga, or anything in between.
- Any type of art medium can be used i.e. marker, color pencil, watercolor, felt, clay, etc., and any type of art: drawing, painting, digital, etc., will be accepted, however, all Art should be school-appropriate. Students may also submit multiple works of Art into the contest too!
- All Art Show entries are due to Mrs. Matt no later than Thursday, March 10th by 12:00pm so they can be labeled and hung in time for the Comic-Con Art Show on Friday, March 11th. The Art show will run from 4:00pm-7:00pm. Remember, you MUST Register your Artwork online in order for it to be displayed - Register at: https://forms.gle/tkXGwJcdPGNuAZkLA
- If you have any questions regarding the contest or you need Art supplies, please create a sketch and then see Mrs. Matt in the Art Room for materials if needed!
'Falling in Love with Paper' Contest!
Have you ever needed help with your homework? Or maybe needed an extra pair of eyes to review a writing assignment? Paper tutors are always there to help and there is no limit to how much help you can get! To stress less about upcoming tests, assignments, and projects, make it a point to build Paper into your study routine and feel more confident in all of your classes.
To help you build Paper into your study routine, we are excited to share our February “Falling in Love with Paper” Student Contest running February 14th-28th! During this two week contest, you are encouraged to login to Paper to get academic support by using the live help and/or essay review feature. The top student users in each grade level will receive a $25 gift card and a treat for their classmates. The winners will be announced March 8, 2022.
For more information about the contest and what you need to do to get started, see the this flyer. To login to your Paper account, simply go to https://app.paper.co/login/student, enter your school and then sign in with Google. For questions about your account, please contact your teacher.
Best of luck and happy learning!
Illinois Radon Poster Contest: Win $$$
If you are interested in entering the contest, please make a sketch of your idea and bring it to Mrs. Matt to get your final materials.
All Illinois Radon Posters Submissions are due to Mrs. Matt before March 18th, 2022
PARENT INFORMATION
District Board Meeting on February 28th
The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Monday, February 28 at 7:00 p.m. at the District Offices. Click the link for instructions if you wish to attend the meeting virtually through the Zoom Webinar portal. Some of the business the Board will be addressing includes:
- A review of Winter MAP scores;
- An update from me on the Tentative Return to Learn Plan;
- Approval of contracts related to summer building projects;
- Lease agreements with the North DuPage Special Education Cooperative;
- Discussion regarding an upcoming special meeting on District facilities planning.
There is a calendar amendment: Friday, March 4 is a Teacher's Institute Day, and there will be no school for students.
Otus: Student Progress for 6th & 7th Grades
How Parents Can Log in to Otus:
- Sign in to Otus (if you have not set up your family account, please follow the directions in this video or this article to do so.)
- PLEASE READ FIRST: Your student already has an Otus account from the school district. To avoid confusion, it's best to use your own name rather than your student's name when creating the Family account. Both the video and the article have the same information. Please view whichever is more convenient for you.
- (If you have created your family account, but need to connect your student's code, have your child log in to Otus and click Edit Profile. Their student code is located at the bottom of that page.)
- To check your child's progress on Otus, click on Gradebook, then choose which class you would like to see progress in.
- To check your child's completed assignments on Otus, click on Gradebook, then click the three dots in the top right corner to change the "Grading Scale" to "Completion Scale."
Order a Westfield Yearbook Today
Yearbooks will be delivered in May 2022. Students can get signatures from teachers, friends, etc. the last day of school in 2022.
If you need a School Code: 1014041382501890
PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO)
PTO Hot Lunch Needs You!
NEW! Spiritwear Designs
Westfield's Parent-Teacher Organization is coordinating spirit wear sales. Questions? Email Linda Korbel at sasha0708@yahoo.com
It's Easy to Scan Receipts for Education!
Westfield Middle School collects Box Tops for Education™.
All you need is your phone!
- Download the Box Tops app
- Use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase
- The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online
Twice a year, Westfield will receive a check for whatever the school needs!
Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact Loriann Hoyle (Box Top Coordinator) at hoylefamily04@hotmail.com. Thanks for your support!!
ORDER HOT LUNCH THROUGH MAY
Please use this link for ONLINE ordering information:
- HOT LUNCH INFO & ORDERING
- Questions? >>Email Linda Korbel at sasha0708@yahoo.com
SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS
The due date to submit the application is APRIL 15, 2022.
Questions? Please email Linda Korbel at sasha0708@yahoo.com
Volunteer to Help at Hot Lunch
Board Contacts for Westfield PTO
Vice-President: Linda Baker, parent of a 6th grader sasha0708@yahoo.com
Secretary: Loriann Hoyle, parent of a 6th grader hoylefamily04@hotmail.com
Treasurer: Ranna Kothari, parent of 6th & 8th graders ranna3@yahoo.com
Want to Volunteer at Westfield?
- Westfield Parents and Guardians! Sign up to volunteer for school year 2021-2022.
- CLICK HERE to fill out what you would like to do.
- Questions? Email Loriann Hoyle or Linda Baker for information.
PTO Membership Dues
- All-school parties
- Teacher appreciation
- Scholarships
- Field Trips
- Student awards
FROM THE WESTFIELD NURSE
If Students Want to Tryout and Participate in Westfield Sports:
Sports Physicals:
By law, students who wish to try out (including clinics) for any sport must have a current, yearly sports physical on file in the office.Certificate of Child Health Examination Form:
The state of Illinois recently revised the Certificate of Child Health Examination Form. This is the form your physician must use to record the required 6th-grade physicals.It may also be used for sports physicals.
FROM THE WESTFIELD SOCIAL WORKER
Want to give someone a shout out?
Teenage Depression and Anxiety
FROM WESTFIELD TECHNOLOGY
Chromebook Trouble?
If you need assistance from the Technology Department, please have your student use this link to request support:
Students: Please log out of your Chromebook and log back in daily
See this video on how to log in and out of your chromebook.
Info for Parents: 24/7 Online Student Tutoring
1. Parent Webinars [English | Spanish] - 45-minute live sessions for parents
2. Parent Handout PDF - helpful to print and handout at parent meetings
3. Pre-Recorded YouTube [English | Spanish] - helpful resource for parents
Get the Parent PowerSchool App
Similar to the PowerSchool Parent Web Portal, parents can download the PowerSchool Mobile App from the App store on your iOS device or the Play Store on your Android device. Simply search for “PowerSchool” to find and install the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
- After downloading the mobile app to your device, connect the Mobile App to the correct PowerSchool server for Bloomingdale School District 13, by entering our unique, four-character code: G M K T
- You can also search for Bloomingdale SD13 by district or school name.
- The PowerSchool Mobile App will display your child(ren)’s schedule and assignments.
- PowerSchool Mobile app users can also enable Push Notifications to receive alerts when attendance is recorded or a final grade changes. To setup notifications within the app: Tap Account, then tap Notifications to configure the notifications you want to receive. Use the slider icons to turn the notifications on or off.
- Note: Parents must have a PowerSchool Parent Web Portal account created and students linked to their account before using the PowerSchool Mobile App. Click here for instructions on how to create a parent Portal account.
'How-To' for Parents/Guardians:
REMINDERS
Celebrate Black History Month
Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements and contributions made by African Americans throughout U.S. history. Although students at Westfield learn about the achievements and history of African Americans throughout the school year in all courses, we also believe it is important to use the month of February to encourage students and families to learn more. We encourage students to have conversations at home about the contributions made by African Americans throughout the history of the United States. The links below from History.com and the Smithsonian have wonderful resources.
https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month
National Museum of African American History & Culture
Social-Emotional Supports
If you feel that your child is struggling on a social-emotional level, please do not hesitate to contact our Social Worker, Mrs. Sheila Zagotta,
Monitoring Social Media
We believe that it is extremely important for parents & guardians of middle school age children to frequently monitor their child's texting and social media usage and continuously review the expectations for appropriate use of electronics and social media accounts. We encourage parents and guardians to assist us by limiting or restricting access to texting and social media accounts if students are not using them appropriately.
As a school, we strive to promote and encourage positive and respectful interactions among students both at school and in the community. As part of our social and emotional learning program we work daily with students to educate them on appropriate social skills, appropriate technology usage, responsible decision-making, respectful interactions, problem solving techniques, and conflict resolution.
Academic Supports
As you know, teachers use a variety of resources and methods to support and challenge students to reach new academic heights, including opportunities for independent practice of skills and concepts. A few of these independent academic support tools that students have access to include IXL, MAP Accelerator, and PAPER. Students may find time to access these supports during class time, during Acceleration, in study hall, or at home.
First View - Bus app for Parents & Guardians
Bloomingdale SD 13 is excited to inform you that the District will be launching FirstView®, a bus tracking and parent communication app for your smartphone or desktop on Thursday, February 10, 2022. You should have received an email yesterday that contains the necessary information to set-up this application. Please see the District 13 FirstView Parent Letter for more information.
Daily Attendance
Please contact the Main Office at 630-529-6211 or email Laurie Spejcher to report any student absences. This will help us to keep accurate records of every student present in our building. Thank you!
The Glenbard Parent Series
Join other parents, high school and middle school students, and professionals to learn about issues facing today’s youth such as Student Social Skills and Anxiety, Rethinking Parental Pressure.
The Glenbard Parent Series engages top experts, parents and school staff to become proactive and informed in pursuit of the mutual goal to strengthen our communities. Programs are free and open to the public.
Local Food Pantry at Bloomingdale Church
Roselle Community Food Pantry
Lake Park High School Basketball Program
BLOOMINGDALE PUBLIC LIBRARY
Upcoming Library Programs
WESTFIELD SOCIAL MEDIA COMMUNICATION
How-To Videos
Gmail:
- How to delete all email (6th grade)
- How to appropriately write an email
- You can only email other sd13.org email addresses
- Creating Bookmarks
- Starring and snoozing Emails
Google Classroom:
- How to Join Classroom(with Code)
- How to Join with Teacher Invite
- Check Stream and classwork page
- How to Turn in assignments
PowerSchool: Coming Soon
- Logging in
- Checking grades
- Seeing assignments
- Comments from Teachers
FlipGrid:
Chromebook: