What's Up, Westy Academy!

Nice work, Owls! We made it through the first week of CMAS testing! The kids all did an amazing job, and we have to give credit to parents too! Thank you for getting students to school on time, and helping to ensure they were all well rested, fed, and ready to take on the day! With continued support from home, we are positive that all our students will shine next week, too.

Aside from CMAS, we are closing in on the end of the school year. Which means, school events and activities are really going to start taking off, soon! Make sure to check the calendar for all the fun happening around school--from Graduations, to Field Day, Flicks on the Field Movie Night, and more!

RSVP IS REQUIRED!! LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP!!

https://bit.ly/3lYF4NV

Are you interested in joining your friends and classmates for an amazing trip to Washington D.C.? We are in the beginning stages of planning for the upcoming 5th grader 2024 trip for all current 4th graders! Be sure to mark your calendars and join us on

TUESDAY APRIL 18th, @ 5:00pm

for the first informational meeting.

Can't wait to see you all there!

Ms. Michelle Ka; 4th/5th Intermediate level Teacher & Ms. Michelle; Secretary to Principal

• April 11th-April 28th: Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) Testing window
• April 18th: Washington D.C. 2024 Informational Night @ 5pm--Open to all current 4th grades
• April 27th: Community Engagement Night; Future Planning @ 4:30pm
• April 28th: CMAS Cinema during school hours
• May 1st: NO SCHOOL; Teacher Exchange Day
• May 4th: STEM Rockies Game Day field trip; Intermediate grades 3rd-5th
• May 5th: Dollar Dress Down Day
• May 8th: Westy Academy Art Show; 5p-6pm
• May 12th: Flicks on the Field; Family Movie Night Event
• May 15th: Westy Academy Field Day; grades preschool-5th grades
• May 15th: Middle School field trip to Chautauqua Park
• May 17th: Zoo field trip; Preschool through 2nd grade
• May 17th: 8th Grade Graduation @ 6:00pm
• May 18th: Kindergarten Graduation @ 5:30pm
• May 22nd: End of the Year School Skate Party @ Skate City Arvada; 2p-4p
• May 24th: Last Day of School for Students

Hello Westy Academy Families,

Due to recent events, I have had a lot of questions around student safety. Please know that I take security very seriously and very personally at Westy Academy. At the age of 18, I attended funerals for victims of Columbine High School and my father taught high school science with one of the teacher that lost his life at the Columbine shooting over 20 years ago.

Sadly, as student, teacher and now principal, school safety is never far from my mind.

One of the best ways to keep students safe is to have near absolute control over who enters the building, and to have tight school safety plans that are practiced and reviewed regularly. Below is a list, which is not exhaustive, of the many things we do at Westy Academy to keep students, staff and parents safe.

• No one enters the building without our consent. In order for visitors to enter he building they have to be buzzed in a total of three times: once to enter the building, once to enter the office and once to access the hallways. As visitors approach the building, we can view them through a camera next to the doorbell. No visitors are allowed unescorted into the building unless they are a parent volunteer who has passed a background check, and any other visitors must make an appointment prior to being lead into the building.
• Exterior doors are locked at all times. In both Udalve and Tennessee, perpetrators were able to access the building through unlocked or propped open side doors. This does not happen at Westy Academy. All staff have electronic key cards that they must carry with them at all times in order to gain access to the building. Even the exterior doors leading to the playground must be unlocked using a fob. The only time we leave exterior doors open is for performances and community events after hours.
• All play areas are fenced in. If students are outside, they are monitored by several staff members in an enclosed area.
• Practice, practice, practice. Although it’s unpleasant, we practice lockdown drills twice a year. In between those, we also practice “Secure” drills monthly (formerly known as “lock out”) in which we seal the building and do not allow any visitors in until we confirm that the building is secure.
• We know our students. Westy Academy's small student community is a strength. Because we have close and personal relationships with each of our 300 students and many of their families, we are able to help any student struggling emotionally or psychologically. We have a full time psychologist as well as a therapeutic psychologist that is in the building on Thursdays, and we pride ourselves on the close relationship our teachers and staff have with each of ours students.

Westminster Public Schools is exploring even more ways to ensure the safety and security of our schools. If you have more questions you can ask us in the office about security. The topic has also been discussed at recent Board of Education meetings—those videos are archived here.

Violence in schools is deeply troubling to all of us. Please know that we are doing everything we can to ensure students have a safe and caring learning environment. Please don’t hesitate to ask if you have questions or concerns.

Sending a reminder to all parents that morning drop off should be quick and efficient if you are utilizing the drop off lanes around the school. All lanes of traffic--North parking lot, the bus lane, and the drive-thru at the front of the school should all flow smoothly. These are "no parking" lanes in the morning. Parents should be using these lanes if their children are able to get out of the car without assistance, and walk to the school alone.

If you have a need or desire to help your child out of the car, or walk them to the building, please access a parking spot to do so.

This will greatly improve the flow of traffic, and prevent people from stopping in the "no parking" lanes.

How Does Kids Bowl Free Work?

More than 1,500 bowling centers around the globe provide 2 FREE Games of bowling each day to kids during the Spring and Summer. This program is designed by bowling centers to give back to the community and provide a safe, secure, and fun way for kids to spend time this summer.

Since 2007, more than 35 million kids and families have participated!

Step 1: Register Your Kids at https://www.kidsbowlfree.com/center.php?alley_id=6802

*Children whose age does not exceed a limit by a participating bowling center are eligible to register for 2 free games each day of the KBF program, all summer long, courtesy of the participating bowling centers along with the schools and organizations. Participating bowling centers set their age limits, see the center registration page for more details.

Step 2: Go Bowling All Spring & Summer!

Give yourself one less thing to worry about for next school year and re-register your students today!

All students will need a re-enrollment registration for the 2023-24 school year.

To re-enroll, please visit your Parent Portal account through Infinite Campus.

https://westminsterco.infinitecampus.org/campus/portal/westminster.jsp

• Log in as Parent

• On gray left side bar, click “MORE” button

• Then click the “Online Registration” button

• Ensure ALL your WPS students are highlighted in green

• Click “Begin Registration”

**Parents should complete ONE registration application for ALL students living in the household, regardless of the WPS school they attend.