Westridge Wildcat Newsletter
Friday, January 13, 2023
Message From the Principal
Hello Westridge Community!
With today’s assembly about empathy, and as we head into the three-day weekend honoring Martin Luther King, Jr., I was reflecting on his words, “The time is always right to do what is right.” They hold special significance in our school setting and beyond! In addition to the academic learning at Westridge, students are learning to become empathetic citizens who take action for what they believe in. We appreciate partnering with you in the social-emotional learning of our children.
Have a wonderful weekend and we’ll see you back here on Tuesday!
Thank you,
Laura Weaver
Recipients of this month's Life Skill Award for Empathy
In This Newsletter:
Save the Dates!
Tardy Reminder
School Newspaper Contribution
Continuing Reminders:
Registration for 2022-2023 School Year
Kindergarten Counts Information Night
Westridge: Our Heritage Celebration Info
Nurse Notes
Counseling Corner
Pacer Jr. Dance Clinic
Opt Out Form: State Assessments
STEM Newsletter and IG Page
Reporting Tardies and Absences
Statewide Assessment Notice
Save the Dates!
1/16: No School - MLK Jr. Day
1/18: Registration opens for 23-24 school year
1/18: Kindergarten Counts Information Night 6:00pm
1/19: PTSO Meeting 7pm at Westridge and on Zoom
1/23: PTSO Fundraiser - Aji Tram 12-9pm (flyer below)
1/27: No School - Grade Prep Day
2/5: (Sunday) Wildcats: Our Heritage Celebration 2-4pm at Westridge
2/20: No School - Presidents' Day
PTSO Event's Page Calendar can be found here for more info on Parents Nights out and Meet Ups!
Thank you for being on time!
The school building opens at 8:10am and arriving as close to that time as possible benefits your child! Allowing students time to settle in and get started with their class makes for a calmer start to the day and ensures children are a part of the community building and academic content that begins right away. In the last weeks of school, tardies have been nearing 30 per day! We appreciate your help in getting kids here on time!
Registration for the 2023-2024 school year opens January 18th
Kindergarten Information Night
January 18th 6-7 pm.
All resident elementary schools
Immersion Program Information Night
January 25th
Mandarin Chinese 6pm, Spanish 7 p.m.
Palisades World Language School
Online registration and more information can be found here
Westridge: Our Heritage Celebration Event!
The Culture of Belonging Committee is excited to present Westridge's first ever "Wildcats: Our Heritage Celebration" event on Sunday, February 5th from 2-4:00pm in the gym. We invite you to experience the countries and cultures that are special to our Westridge community. Your child will have the opportunity to "travel the world" and experience these countries and cultures complete with a passport to be stamped! You can also expect entertainment throughout the event. Open to families! Would you like to participate in the event? Here are 3 different ways:
1. Country host: Volunteers who want to put together a table to represent a country close to your heart
2. International fashion show: would your student enjoy showing off traditional dress from a special country?
3. Story time: would you, your student, or a grandparent like to read a book that represents your culture?
If you're interested in any of these opportunities, Sign up here:Volunteer Sign Up
Goedenmiddag (good afternoon) Westridge! I am Han Lievens, a native of Leuven, Belgium, and my son, Daniel, is in the second grade. I’d like to share a brief overview of some fun facts about Belgium and its diverse cultures with more to come at the Heritage Celebration on Sunday, February 5th.
Belgium is one of the smallest countries in Europe (it’s about the size of Maryland) and comprises two main regions: Flanders, which is in the north and Dutch speaking and Wallonia, which is in the south and French speaking. Brussels is not only the capital of Belgium, but also serves as the governmental and administrative capital of the European Union.
Belgians (myself included!) are very proud of their food culture. You may already be aware that some of the best chocolates and beer in the world are made in Belgium, but did you know that most food historians agree that fries originated there too? Frieten, as they are called in Flemish Dutch, are available from carts called fritkots and are served with a variety of mayonnaise based sauces - a family favorite!
To find out a bit more, please take a look at this video created by the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Tot Ziens! (See you soon!)
STEM Newsletter!
Mrs. Lang has created a newsletter so that families can follow along with the projects that are happening in STEM class! She also posts about donations needed for upcoming projects. Click here to check it out! You can also follow along on Instagram by scanning the QR code.
Counseling Corner: January Newsletter
January 2023
Dear Wildcat Families,
As we start the new year of 2023, we will be spending the month
of January practicing the character trait of PERSEVERANCE
in our Social Emotional Learning (SEL) lessons. The definition
we will be using for Perseverance is: pushing yourself to work
through challenges and obstacles.
A lot of research today is telling us that the highest indicators of success in our kids isn’t just about their grades or their IQ. The number one skill that helps people of all walks of life be successful is GRIT! Grit is the ability to persevere in the face of adversity or even failure.
Over the course of the month, we will talk about inspiring people who faced many failures before they found success. We will talk about what it means to navigate tough stuff, even when it feels overwhelming or really hard. We will talk about having a Growth Mindset; to see challenges and failure as an opportunity to grow instead of a brick wall. During my SEL time in each classroom we will also talk about Anxiety/Worries and how to push on through when things get tough.
Ways to reinforce our teaching hers at school is to let your child know it’s ok to not be perfect. Students are often expected to perform their best from tests to on the field. Complimenting their effort, determination and good character does much farther than the outcome!
Here are links for extension activities to explore PERSEVERANCE further as a family:
Kindergarten Perseverance Family Newsletter
1st Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter
2nd Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter
3rd Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter
4th Grade Perseverance family newsletter
5th Grade Perseverance Family Newsletter
As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns at kieserg@loswego.k12.or.us.
Sincerely,
Westridge School Counselor
Community Information and Events
Dates and Holidays in January
New Year's Day, January 1.
Martin Luther King Jr. Day, January 16, honors Reverend King's life and commitment to equality and unity.
Lunar New Year, January 22, is the festival that celebrates the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar.
District Information
Nurse Notes:
What services does your school nurse provide?
School Nursing by Definition:
School nursing, a specialized practice of nursing, protects and promotes student health, facilitates optimal development, and advances academic success. School nurses, grounded in ethical and evidence-based practice, are the leaders who bridge health care and education, provide care coordination, advocate for quality student-centered care, and collaborate to design systems that allow individuals and communities to develop their full potential. (Adopted by the NASN Board of Directors February 2017.)
Some of the services provided by your school nurses:
Provide first aid care and health assessment;
Write care plans and coordinate the care of students with chronic or acute health conditions;
Communicate with teachers and staff to ensure the safety and well-being of students;
Administer medications and monitor delegated medication administration;
Assist in the evaluation of students for Special Services (Special Education);
Coordinate and provide vision screenings and vaccination clinics;
Track and monitor immunizations and dental care and;
Educate and train staff on: asthma, life threatening allergies, diabetes, and blood borne pathogens.
If you would like to speak to your school nurse, click the link below for contact information.
Oregon State Assessment Opt-Out Form
Each school year, Oregon students take assessments to meet federal requirements. The purpose of these assessments is to provide data that schools can use to ensure that every child is on track and achieving learning goals.
State law requires us to inform you that a form is available from the State Department of Education that allows you to opt your child out of the math and English Language Arts assessments for the current school year. Should you wish to opt out your child, fill out the form and submit it to the main office at your child’s school. Please note the submission deadlines listed on the form. Meeting the deadline will help the school with planning and preparation. If you wish your child not to participate in the science assessment for grades 5, 8, and 11, submit this request in writing to the principal of your child's school.
If you have questions or want more information about state assessments, please contact your child’s principal or teacher(s).
Click here for opt-out form for Math and English Language Arts.
Safe Oregon
Parents-guardians who have concerns about a student’s well-being are encouraged to reach out to their principal, and to maintain strong lines of communication and partnership between students, families, staff, and other resources.
SafeOregon is also an effective way to report a tip regarding safety threats or potential acts of violence to our students or schools.
(Students should also be aware that intentionally providing a false report is a serious offense.)
Stay connected with the LOSD AP:
Westridge Information
Annual Application for School Volunteers
For the safety of children, volunteers are required to have an approved background check when volunteering in schools. Please click here: Volunteer Application for LOSD to start the online application and background check process.
Reporting tardies, absences and illnesses:
Office phone number and voicemail: 503-534-2371
Attendance Secretary: Andrea Murphy (murphya@loswego.k12.or.us)
Principal's Secretary: Jodi Steward (stewardj@loswego.k12.or.us)
Contact information for the Westridge PTSO
Find us on Facebook!
Follow us on Instagram @westridge.ptso
Email: westridgeptso@gmail.com
Yearbook Photos: yearbookwestridge@gmail.com
Westridge Elementary School
Email: weaverl@loswego.k12.or.us
Website: https://www.losdschools.org/wr
Location: 3400 Royce Way, Lake Oswego, OR, USA
Phone: 503-534-2371