Parent Welcome Letter
Welcome to the 2020-2021 School year! August 2, 2020
From the Principal
Dear Westchester Families,
Welcome to the 2020-2021 school year at Westchester Elementary! We are excited to begin the school year together, virtually. I’m Dr. Kimberly Watson, the grateful and proud Principal at Westchester Elementary School. Westchester is an incredible school with a significant culture of kindness, high academic performance, and a commitment to excellence. The school is sincerely loved by all. I am honored to serve as I lead the Westchester crew. As we embark on this year’s learning journey, please know that we are in this together. We have a talented crew at Westchester. Together, we are going to achieve wonderful things. We are thrilled about all this new school year has to offer. It’s going to be wonderful to watch everyone learn and grow. At Westchester, we are committed to providing an educational experience that meets the needs of all students. Albeit virtual instruction or in-person, we are Westchester and we will achieve our mission.
Westchester Elementary is a diverse and inclusive school community where every child
grows socially, emotionally, and academically in an engaging and innovative learning
environment.
This communication contains important information that will help you prepare for the new
school year. Please read carefully as it contains details about our school and district. If you
have any questions not answered here, please feel free to email me at kwatson@csdecatur.net
I hope you can join us for the CSD PreK - 2nd grade town hall on Monday, August 3rd!
Kindly,
Dr. Kimberly Watson
Principal
Westchester Elementary School
Gearing up for the new year...
Virtual Learning/Daily Schedules
The City Schools of Decatur shared CSD Back to School 2020 Details with families earlier this week. Please take a moment to read the communication in its entirety if you haven’t already done so. The communication includes specific virtual learning details including schedules, Virtual Learning Readiness Form, town hall meeting dates, direction regarding the release of teacher assignments and more.
In preparation for the new school year, our teachers are engaged in specific training regarding student engagement in the virtual world, dissolving the screen, and much more to enhance the virtual learning experience your children will receive. Teachers will provide blended learning which will include whole group instruction, small group instruction, recorded videos, and time
for independent practice (online and online). Live instruction allows for differentiation, more direct engagement, and increased feedback. However, we understand that children might not always be available as scheduled. Therefore, live sessions will be recorded so that students can have access to instruction if they cannot login at their assigned time. Crew, closing circle, and scheduled live instruction sessions are set times. But the independent work tasks are flexible and can be completed at your discretion and pace. Please communicate directly to your child’s teacher if you are having difficulty with the schedule/workload. We want our students to succeed and we will work with you every step of the way. Remember, we are in this together. Together, we will succeed.
Grade Level Welcome Letters
You can expect to receive additional communication from classroom teachers beginning next
week. Our teachers are so excited to work with you!
New Kindergarten Students
We have created a presentation for new Kindergarten students and parents, called K101. This presentation will share information about the First 6 weeks, classroom agreements, EL Education, curriculum, and more! Our kindergarten teachers have something extra special planned for kindergarten. I believe their communication will bring a great smile to your faces.
Meet & Greet
The Westchester PTA has coordinated a parade so that you can drive by and wave hi on Thursday, August 6th from 3:00PM - 5:00PM. Check out the Flyer!
Due to Covid-19 and social distancing, the traditional “Meet and Greet” will be held virtually on
Friday, August 14th. You will receive more information from your child’s homeroom teacher
next week.
Classroom Assignments
Your child’s classroom and teacher assignment will be shared via the Infinite Campus portal on August 5th. Our rosters were created to ensure balance on various levels. Please contact Ms. Campbell, our dynamic Administrative Assistant, if you need assistance with your Infinite Campus account.
Instruction
At Westchester, most new content instruction begins around week 6. We utilize “The First Six Weeks” to emphasize community and our Westchester agreements. New instructional content will be folded in as students are learning routines and procedures. We also spend the first few weeks assessing students to measure their mastery of understandings at the beginning of the year. Students will learn what it means to be “crew” with this year’s classmates/teacher.
Additionally, students will learn how to be successful in virtual learning. Daily crew meetings will focus on Social/Emotional health just as they would in the classroom. On Wednesdays, students will have an opportunity to take a break from content lessons and participate in lessons from our new SEE Learning curriculum. Join the Virtual Town Hall on Aug. 12th to learn more about it.
School Tours
Material Pickup
Thursday, August 13th has been designated as materials pickup day. All parents should plan to drive up to school to retrieve items students will need for Virtual Learning from 12:00 - 4:00. This includes: school supplies (EPI orders), instructional materials such as Fundations materials, math learning kits, etc. We will communicate further details such as times for the pick up later.
If you did not purchase school supplies from EPI, please see the supply lists below.
Kindergarten School Supply List
First Grade School Supply List
Communication
The Westchester website is a great source of information that’s regularly updated. We communicate electronically with our families weekly during the school year. Westchester Website. Teachers will also communicate weekly by sending classroom newsletters and providing feedback about student performance.
Parent Portal/Infinite Campus
Families new to CSD will receive an email from Infinite Campus with a prompt to set up a parent portal account.The parent portal allows parents to view their child’s attendance records, assessment records, lunch balance, and an online lunch payment option. Parents can customize their contact information to ensure they receive weekly newsletters, and emergency school and CSD robo-calls. This is also how classroom assignments will be shared prior to the start of school. If you need assistance with the parent portal, please email Ms. Campbell, our dynamic Administrative Assistant.
Westchester PTA Website
This is another great source of information about the school, including events, membership, and how to connect with other parents. The PTA is focused on supporting the instructional program of the school and building community. Learn more here.
School Leadership Team
Westchester Elementary School
Email: bnation@csdecatur.net
Website: https://www.csdecatur.net/westchester
Location: 758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4400