As we stop to reflect in the middle of February we are feeling the love for our students, teachers and community. Thank you all for the impact you each have on our campus life. Westwood is a very special place and it is because of each and every one of you.

A big shout out to PTA for continuing to stock our lounge with coffee, creamer, snacks and drinks. We are looking forward to the very generous faculty breakfast that PTA is providing tomorrow.

During the month of January teachers worked with their teams to review their students' first semester performance and implemented instructional changes as needed. Our teachers are designing high quality instructional environments and we are proud of the work being done in our classrooms. Teachers have already started reviewing the MOY MAP data to determine specific student needs and will work alongside their team, Instructional Coaches, and Assistant Principals to accelerate student instruction as we approach STAAR testing and final exams.

This month we are celebrating Black History Month and last week we showered our amazing counselors with love during National Counselor Appreciation Week.

Wonderful work is happening at Westwood and value your continued collaboration and partnership.

Sincerely,

Katie Mottram

Westwood Junior High Principal

What a Saturday morning for Westwood Wolves athletics

7th grade girls finish 2nd with a loss to LHJH of 50-34

8th grade girls finish 1st with a win over PHJH of 31-23

8th grade boys finish 1st with a win over LHJH of 47-34

Congratulations to all of our teams and thank you to our coaches for all that you do for our student athletics both on and off the court. Parents, thank you for continued support of Westwood athletics!

Let’s go Wolves!!!

Westwood is proud to have Mr. Price and the rest of the music department represent us at the Texas Music Educators Association Conference in San Antonio!

• February: Black History Month
• 2/13-2/14: Athletic Photos
• 2/16: General PTA Meeting & Counselor updates; 5:45 PM; Large Gym
• 2/20: NO SCHOOL- Student Holiday
• 2/24: Winter Dance
• 2/28: Mandatory Parent and Student Meeting for Cheer Tryouts

Last week Westwood Jr. High School administrators have worked diligently to focus on school safety and to reassure teachers and students that plans are in place in the event of an incident, emergency, or disaster at our school site or in the community. Our campus is participating in a series of safety drills to review campus safety procedures.

Talk to your student about safety: It is important for parents to be well informed about the safety practices on our campus. Conversations with your children following scheduled safety drills are essential to help families and students prepare for emergencies whether at school or some other venue. Understanding the expectation of safety protocols helps to reduce fear and build trust for the systems in place. Open conversations between parents, teachers, support staff and students build upon the processes and strengthen the response plan.

Be Alert: “If you see something, say something!” WWJH promotes this quote, and encourages students, parents and staff to be proactive in reporting any concerns for safety to school administrators or appropriate first responders. In the event of an emergency, WWJH communication will be via phone call/text/email/social media. Please be sure the school has your current emergency contact information (i.e. phone number(s), cell phone, and/or email.

Come and join us for our annual Title One meeting on February 24th at 4:30 PM.

Enrollment for the 23-24 school year begins February 28, 2023!

Beginning Wednesday, January 18 students will NOT be called down to get their lunch. A cart will be outside of the office where lunches can be placed and students can pick them up. Please inform your student their lunch will be dropped off beforehand as we will NOT disrupt their learning.

Deliveries from 3rd party vendors such as Uber Eats, Door Dash, etc. will not be accepted. This is for the safety of our campus, students and faculty.

RISD parents and guardians are now able to submit an attendance note electronically via Focus. Handwritten notes are still accepted at all campuses.

Focus is the safe and secure online portal available to RISD parents to access their student’s grades, schedule, attendance, and assessment history.

Click here for a short tutorial on how to submit an attendance note via Focus.

Click below to check out the latest newsletter from our WWJH Counselors!

Rank One

Please remember, all students must have an updated physical and all UIL Rank One paperwork completed prior to participating in any tryouts, practices, or games. All UIL information can be found on Westwood, RHS, and RISD Athletics websites.

https://schools.risd.org/WestwoodJH/athletics/

https://richardsonisd.rankonesport.com/

Athletics Winter and Spring Sports Yearbook Photos:

We have scheduled with the yearbook photos people for girls and boys basketball, track, and soccer teams.

· 8th grade sports: Monday February 13th during 8th period

· 7th grade sports: Tuesday February 14th during 1st period

WWJH tennis teams began the regular season will begin on Wednesday, January 18th and will resume play this week against West JH. Play will continue each week through February 27th. The RISD JH Tournament is scheduled for the first week in March 2023.

At the conclusion of the RISD JH Basketball Tournament on February 11th, WWJH track teams will begin practices on Monday and Tuesday, February 13th and 14th. If you have any questions, please contact one of the coaches at Westwood.

The new RISD Mobile Parent App is now live for our school and available to parents of enrolled students. Created through RISD’s Blackboard system, this app allows parents of enrolled students to easily view important information related to your student’s education, like classes, assignment grades, attendance, cafeteria balance, bus stop info, an archive of messages sent from the school or district, and more. Use of this app is optional, and parents who have tested it have found it to be a useful and convenient way to keep track of their student’s information.

RISD parents were sent an emailed message that included login information and instructions to download the app and view information about enrolled student(s) within the app. The app is available for Apple and Android devices.

For more information and a QR code to download the app, please see the flyer here, or visit the RISD website here. Parents of enrolled students who did not receive a message with login information, or who need support viewing student information within the app, may contact the RISD Technology Support Center at 469-593-4357.

Feb. 15 and April 6 are no longer early release days.

The snow days incurred during the first week of February necessitate these days becoming full school days.

Additional snow make-up day information will be shared in early spring once all snow days are known. Make-up information about school events and activities will be shared with parents and students by campus staff, as needed. Decisions about postponed district events will be shared when available.

According to SAMHSA- Prevention and early intervention strategies can reduce the impact of substance use in America’s communities. Prevention activities work to educate and support individuals and communities to prevent the use and misuse of drugs and the development of substance use disorders. With this in mind, advisory lessons addressing substance use awareness and prevention will be provided for secondary students throughout the spring semester. We encourage parents to ask students about their learning during these advisory lessons.

JH Substance Use Prevention Lessons

As always if you have any questions or concerns regarding this information, please reach out to your student’s campus or to Prevention Programming.

Suzanne Tsatsoulas, Prevention Programming Director, 469-593-0800

RISD trustees have adopted the student academic calendars for the next two school years.

View the 2023-24 Calendar (en español)

View the 2024-25 Calendar (en español)

Did you forget to do this when school started? Don't worry, it's not too late! Click below to access the Free & Reduced Lunch Application.

RISD's 2023 Strategic Planning efforts are currently underway, and there continue to be opportunities for district staff, residents, partners, and students to be involved and provide feedback. This important process sets strategic goals for the district to pursue over the next five years, and informs future decisions in the budget process, bond process, and much more.

Strategic Planning Metric Team meetings are the next step in the process, and there are currently openings for RISD stakeholders to participate. Between February 13 and March 6, Metric Teams will meet to provide input and ideas related to how progress can be measured (metrics) related to each strategic goal previously identified in the process.

To learn more about Metric Team topics and meeting dates, along with information about previous and future opportunities for input and feedback, please see the attached flyer or visit the 2023 Strategic Planning website here.

Sign up here to serve on a 2023 Strategic Planning Metric Team.

Richardson ISD wants to recognize the work teachers do to support every child, every day. RISD believes there is an opportunity EVERY day to show appreciation for teachers and all they do to ensure student success.

Please join us in our efforts to celebrate our teachers throughout the year. It is always a good time to let our teachers know that they are appreciated for everything they do. A kind note, a friendly email, or a thoughtful act are always appreciated by professional educators who work for all students, all year long.

Some ways to “Thank a Teacher” include the following, but are not limited to:

Host a snack cart

Host breakfast or lunch

Provide soft drinks or coffee for a staff meeting

Donate gift cards or other incentives

Donate time to a service project on campus – help decorate the lounge or entryways, paint outdoor tables, provide traffic support in the carpool lane, help in the garden, etc.

Write a note of appreciation

These are just a few ideas. Let us hear yours!

Click here to learn more and and we will connect you with a campus. All community partners will be acknowledged at an upcoming board meeting, in addition to having appreciation signage placed on each campus.

Check out the WWJH Parent Hub!

Contains all the important information you may need from teacher contact information, bell schedules, student code of conduct and much more! It can also be translated to several languages!