Westwood Updates
March 6, 2024
Principal's Note
~Translation available in many different languages by clicking "Translate Newsletter" at the top.~
~Traducción disponible en muchos idiomas diferentes haciendo clic en "Translate Newsletter" en la parte superior.~
Home & School Connections:
As you’ve probably found in your experience as a parent, asking "how was school today?" might not get you very far. Instead, ask questions like these for a better picture of your child's day. You'll also be coaching them towards being an optimistic person, choosing a positive attitude, & these kinds of questions will sometimes lead to you being able to talk them through how they can learn to solve problems if/when they come up. Specific questions about their day make it easier for them to share:
"What's the coolest thing that happened today?"
"Pretend you're the teacher. How would you describe the day?" (This may give you a good laugh too!)
"What made you laugh?" or "Did anything funny happen today at school?"
"What was the most creative thing you did?"
"How were you kind or helpful today? How was someone kind or helpful to you?"
"I was thinking about you today! Want to know what I was thinking?"
"Seeing you again makes me so happy." (Our kids deserve our delight. When we show our kids we delight in their presence, they feel loved, safe, & known.)
"Who did you play with today?" (Asking them who they play with will allow you to enter into their world. Showing interest in their friends helps them discuss friendships with you & can help lay the foundation for their willingness to talk & share with you later on as they get older.)
"Did you make any mistakes today?" (And tell them you did too. Allowing your child to reflect on their mistakes & failures with your love & support helps them see that making mistakes will help them learn & it builds resilience in them. Resilience can help them handle disappointments & frustrations later on in life in healthy ways.)
"What do you need right now? I'm here for you, like quiet time or a chat." (After school meltdowns are common in kids. Kids often save all their tears for when they feel safe to unload them, we can help by allowing space for their big feelings. Adults have big feelings sometimes, so it's only natural that kids have them too sometimes.)
Thank you for your support of Westwood & if you have any questions, feel free to contact me directly anytime at 815-206-7740.
Ryan Hart, Principal, Westwood Elementary School
7:20am Start Time
We do start our instruction promptly at 7:20am each school day & we want to ensure all of our students are ready for learning in their classroom at that time. Please do your best to ensure your child arrives sometime from 7:05-7:15am, because that will give them enough time to be in their classroom before 7:20am each day. If your child is arriving at 7:20am or later in the morning, please make sure they stop in the office to get a tardy pass.
Registration for Next School Year - Please Complete by Friday, May 3
Elementary parents are reminded to submit their forms no later than May 3, 2024.
Students whose elementary registration forms are received after that date may be placed at a different elementary school to balance class sizes. Feel free to call us if you need help at 815-337-8173.
Elementary Registration Info -
Middle School Registration Info -
Quick Reminders:
Important Dates:
- Thursday, March 7 - 1/2 School Improvement Day, student dismissal at 10:45am
- Monday, March 11 - Spring Picture Day, only students whose parents placed an order online or sent in an order will have their picture taken
- Friday, March 15 - Optional: Wear green for St. Patrick's Day
- Love To Read Week Spirit Days:
- Monday, March 18 - Tie-Dye or Favorite Color
- Tuesday, March 19 - Hats
- Wednesday, March 20 - Workout Wear
- Thursday, March 21 - Pajamas
- Friday, March 22 - Westwood Spirit Wear
Headphones for Classroom Use - Please make sure your child has a working pair of headphones at school. We do have earbuds available for purchase in our library, however, the “over the ear” headphones are more durable and easier, especially for grades 1-3. There are a variety of places you can get some nice over the ear headphones such as Dollar General, 5 Below, Walmart, Target, Amazon, & many more. You can send in $1 with your child if you wish to purchase earbuds from the library. Thank you for your support!
Changing Your Child's Dismissal Plans - If you need to change your child's after school dismissal plans, please don't send this through Class Dojo. The teachers are teaching during the school day & most likely won't see their messages while they're teaching. Instead, please either send a note to school with them explaining the change in plans (include their first & last name & the date) or call our main office at 815-337-8173. If you have a change of after school plans that comes up the day of, please contact the office (815-337-8173) prior to 1:30 p.m. so we have sufficient time to notify your child’s teacher of the change & they'll make sure your child is notified. Thank you so much for your consideration.
Sending $ to School with Your Child - If you are sending money to school with your child, please make sure it is in an envelope or baggie labeled with your child’s first & last name, homeroom teacher’s name, & what it is for.
Chromebook Reminder - We've seen an increase lately across grade levels in students forgetting their Chromebooks (CB) at home or forgetting to charge their CB when they have it. Please remind your child to bring their CB each day & to charge it if they ended their day with a battery that was below 30%. The first couple times your child's teacher will either send a note or Dojo message, because anyone can forget to charge once in awhile. However, if it becomes a repetitive problem, the teacher will have their student call home to make you aware of the issue & later it could result in the student not being allowed to take their CB home for a few days. Thanks for your support in building this responsible Chromebook habit in your child!
Breakfast at School - Breakfast is served daily in the cafeteria from 7:10-7:18am. We encourage our students to eat all of the breakfast, however if they don’t finish it, they may take some items with them for a snack later in the day. The cost per breakfast is $2.45, reduced $.30 and free is $.00. Perishable items such as milk, juice, yogurt and hot breakfasts (eggs, hash browns, pancakes, etc.) should be consumed in the cafeteria. The rest can be brought with the students to eat later (like during the classroom snack or after school at home).
Illinois Dental Examination Requirements for 2nd Grade - Dental exams are required for students entering kindergarten, second, sixth and ninth grades. For the 2023-24 school year, these dental exams should be completed by May 15, 2024. Please use the form linked below when you visit the dentist. If you do not have access to dental care or need assistance, school dental exams are available at:
Community Health Partnership of Illinois
62 N. Ayer Street, Suite A & B, Harvard, IL, 60033
(815) 943-4339
Please submit the completed dental form to your School Nurse.
MCHELP is a valuable mental health resource for McHenry County. It is a free mobile app available for youth and adults to get help with mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, stress, and substance abuse. The app is an anonymous texting service that provides the ability to confidentiality text concerns - 24 hours a day, seven days a week - to trained, licensed mental health professionals. Besides the texting capability, the app also provides information on mental health and substance abuse resources in McHenry County. To download the app, search "MCHELP" in the Google Play Store or iOS App Store.
Recognize a Staff Member - Do you know a staff member here at Westwood that goes above & beyond? How about one that means or meant a lot to you or your child? How about one that just deserves a nice "pat on the back"? If so, please take a moment to recognize them for their efforts by filling out the form below. It won’t take long & it will mean a lot to them! Thank you for your time!
Egg My Yard!
Our awesome D200 Music Boosters are raising money for their scholarship fund. Please consider participating in these fundraisers! The orders are due by March 15 for the "Egg My Yard" Fundraiser. https://form.jotform.com/230374689642162 Candy donations would be very gratefully accepted (give to your music teacher).
If you have a love for music, and are interested in getting involved- please send an email to Debbie Schweihs (band director) dschweihs@wcusd200.org We will connect you to the best people!
PTO Information
Fun Fair - Mark your calendar & save the date for a family night out on Friday, April 26, from 5:30-8:00pm. The Fun Fair is our biggest PTO sponsored event of the year & our biggest fundraiser by far. 100% of the funds raised during this event go directly towards the students of Westwood Elementary School so please come & enjoy games, prizes, music, face painting, balloon artist, 50/50 raffle, silent auction, & great food provided by Antioch Pizza & Kona Ice! Look for wristband sales to start soon! Flyers went home this week! Make sure to send them in & get your early bird special!
- Wristbands = $10 each or a family maximum of $25 (prices increase after April 24). Adults and kids 2 and under do not need wristbands.
- Raffle tickets = $1 each and can be used for classroom baskets, pie in the face, tape the teacher to the wall, face painting, food and drink.
Come Check out the PTO - We're just like you. We're parents, teachers, workers... you name it. And the one thing we all have in common is our dedication to the students at Westwood. And the more involvement we have, the bigger impact we can all make. Our next meeting is Monday, April 8, at 6:00pm in the Westwood library! See you there!
Spirit Days - Every Friday is Westwood Spirit Day! Show your school spirit & wear your favorite Westwood Spirit Wear! You can purchase Westwood Spirit Wear anytime by coming into our main office, filling out an order form, & paying by cash or check (made payable to the “Westwood PTO”). The Spirit Wear order will then be delivered to the classroom within a couple weeks!
Food Service Department
Jackie McBride, Director jmcbride@wcusd200.org
Mary Hammond, Secretary 815-338-8166
Free & Reduced Lunch Information - Application Information (Spanish)
- Online Application Link (Parent Application Guide - Spanish)
- Please call us if you have questions or need help signing up for free or reduced lunch at 815-337-8173. We are here to help!