Westside Weekly Newsletter
May 13-17, 2019
Duty Schedule Week 2
Milestone Testing
Don't forget to open your mystery box with your students on Thursday, May 16th! I will send each testing homeroom teacher an email on the 16th with further instructions. :)
Surviving the last weeks of school
1- Keep students engaged: Plan fun, structured, content-related activities for your students. Learning has not stopped, it may just be occurring a little differently through projects or activities that were not done throughout the year. When students are engaged, there is little down time to get restless and exhibit unwanted behaviors. Too much down time leads to behaviors that are quick to get out of control and lead to students getting hurt. Less structure equals more disruptive and unwanted behaviors. Plan activities ahead of time, have materials ready and keep the pace of your lesson/activity moving. Movies and extra recess should be minimal.
2- Maintain rules, routines and procedures: This time of year, teachers tend to relax on rules, routines and procedures. However, it is actually the time of year to maintain or even tighten up on your rules, routines and procedures to prevent disruptive behaviors. Students are ready for their summer break and may try to test your expectations. Don't throw away the routines and procedures you've established all year. They are just as important now as they were at the beginning of the school year.
3- Be empathetic: While many of our students are excited to have summer break, we do have students who are not looking forward to summer without you. You provide structure and a safe place for them, which they may not have outside of school. These students will challenge you over the next couple of weeks by acting out. Students may have bursts of being out of control. It has nothing to do with you. Don't take it personally. Instead, be more empathetic. I'm not saying accept their inappropriate behavior nor am I saying consequences for their behavior shouldn't be given. What I am saying is try to work through it with your students with understanding and support. The students have a lot of big feelings and many struggle with being able to express their feelings in appropriate ways. Help them navigate through this time. Treat students the way you want to be treated when you were going through a difficult time.
4- Take care of yourself: This is a stressful time of year. Please take care of yourself by getting sleep and finding ways to release stress. When you're at your best, you can provide your students with the school environment they need to have a successful year.
Curriculum Orders
Tier 2 Folders
Important Dates to Remember
May 13: Kindergarten field trip to the Atlanta Botanical Gardens
May 15: Westside Talks (grades 5-7); Guest Speaker, Josh Ellis
May 17: Library Visit for all grades; END OF THE 4TH QUARTER
May 20: COMPLETED REPORT CARDS DUE
May 21: Talent Show @ 1:00 p.m.; Awards winners per category due to Elizabeth Lesley
May 22: Field Day and Family Picnic
May 23: Awards Ceremony; Early Dismissal 11:30- LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!!!!
May 24: Staff Retreat; DEADLINE FOR GRADES ENTERED IN IC
May 28 & 29- Post planning days
Staff Birthdays
May 29: Katie Burns
May 31: Jessica Wang
June 13: Kelly Polinsky
June 16: Christine Mattke
June 23: Esther Celestin
June 26: Andra Burns
July 4- Caitlin Muldoon
July 5- Samantha Whisner
July 20- Jenny Borders
Westside Atlanta Charter School
Email: dana@wacs.us
Website: www.wacs.us
Location: 2250 Perry Boulevard Northwest, Atlanta, GA, USA
Phone: (404) 802-1350