Westwood Intermediate/Middle School
May 25, 2022 - Newsletter
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Westwood Families,
The school year is winding down and this is a time when we focus on fun learning activities to finish out the year. That sense of spring fun has been interrupted today with the headlines coming out of Texas.
Earlier today, Superintendent Jeff Ronneberg pulled us together as district and school leaders in the wake of the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Texas yesterday. We are all deeply saddened and feeling for the families who have lost a loved one due to this senseless act of violence.
We want to remind families that we have supports in place at school as our students process events like this in different ways. Please reach out with any specific requests and concerns and encourage students to access counselors at school any time.
At home, you may find this resource from the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) helpful: Talking to Children About Violence: Tips for Parents and Educators along with the accompanying infographic. This resource is also available in Spanish, Arabic, Amharic, Somali and Vietnamese.
Nothing is more important than providing the safest school environment possible. Security features in each of our buildings have been installed and upgraded in recent years, and we’re making certain that all security procedures we’ve established are being followed. We also have very strong partnerships with our local law enforcement agencies and a school resource officer at Westwood each day.
We do hope to continue to find some fun in these final days of the school year. The eighth grade watershed project is wrapping up with the planting of the MN native plants at the Northtown library. Students are giving their final performances of the year in band and choir. And, fifth and sixth graders are gearing up for an outdoor activity day on June 6.
Here are a couple of additional updates for this week:
- Welcome - grade 7-8 student advocate: We welcomed Mrs. Hardy to Westwood as a student advocate working directly with our seventh and eighth graders. Read more in the Great News section.
- Grade 8 trip to Nickelodeon Universe: Our eighth grade students will be going to Nickelodeon Universe at the Mall of America on the last day of school. Permission slips were sent home. The cost of the trip is $10. Students will need to bring a bag lunch, bring money to purchase a lunch, or request a lunch from the Westwood Cafeteria. Students will leave school at 9 a.m. and depart the mall at 1 p.m. The wristband is good for three hours of rides, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Students will remain in the amusement park area except for lunch when staff will chaperone students to the food court.
- iPad updates: Please pay special attention to information in the newsletter today about updating your student’s school-issued iPad for summer use and for next school year. If you don’t want to keep the iPad over the summer or won’t be returning next year, please contact our main office – 763-600-5300.
Please remember, there is no school next Monday, May 30 in observance of the Memorial Day holiday.
Tom Larson
Preparing student iPads for the summer and next year
As we near the end of the school year, it's a great time to assess the status of your student's school-issued iPad and complete a little easy maintenance. Here are three steps to getting your student's iPad ready for summer - and next school year.
- Update your student's iPad: Student iPads need to be wiped, set up and updated. This will free up storage and ensure the iPad's software has been fully updated. Follow the instructions at our iPad Resource Hub to make these updates so your student will be prepared and successful for next school year.
- Report iPad issues: Let us know if your student's iPad is damaged, lost or stolen, or if you are having issues with accessories not working correctly. We want to get any issues resolved prior to the new school year. If accessories are lost, a fee will be applied online on Campus Parent Portal. Learn more in the iPad Repair and Fees Frequently Asked Questions.
- Use these best practices for summer: We're compiled these recommendations for the best way to care for, clean and use your school-issued iPad this summer. It's also a great time to review the district's Technology Responsible Use and Safety Policy. Families have full control when and how iPads will be used over the summer. Find out how to block access to certain websites and set up Screen Time here.
Need help or have questions? Contact the help desk at techsupport@district16.org or 763-600-5555.
Free Compassion Clinic - June 11
Reminder from our nurse
If your child has any medications at school - inhalers, over-the-counter, scheduled and/or emergency medications, they will be sent home on the last day of school with your child, unless other arrangements are made with the health office. No meds can be kept at school over the summer.
Also, please remember to check your child's immunizations this summer so they are ready for back to school in September. For any questions, please call our health office at 763-600-5304.
Grad Gifts, Staff Gifts, Panther Gear - just because!
Welcome Mrs. Hardy
We welcomed Mrs. Hardy to Westwood as a student advocate working directly with our seventh and eighth graders. She has been busy making connections with students and gathering their ideas of changes they would like to see at Westwood. She is full of energy and puts a smile on the kids’ faces each day as they enter the building. It has been great to see the connections she has made already.
Monday, May 30 - No school, Memorial Day
- Wedneday, June 1 - 8th grade visit to SLPHS
- Thursday, June 9 - 8th grade to Mall of America
Thursday, June 9 - Last day of school
In case you missed important information from last week's newsletter, check out the topics below and click to learn more.
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