Westfield Arrow
Aiming to Keep You Informed
AUGUST 20, 2021
From the Office
Welcome to the 2021-2022 School Year!
We are very excited to welcome all of our students back on August 25th! It was wonderful seeing so many students, parents, and guardians visiting Westfield on Tuesday for Information Day. Yesterday, we also had the pleasure of spending the morning with our new 6th graders. We look forward to being in-person with all of our Warriors and look forward to building relationships with our students, parents & guardians!
As we start the 2021-2022 school year, we have a few procedures to share with you that will assist with a smooth start to the year for all students. In addition to the previously shared document Start of the Year Parent & Student Information, please review the following:
Parents/Guardians must complete a pre-certification form for each of their children attending District 13 schools prior to the First Day of School on August 25th.
Health Protocols
Social distancing, mask wearing, cleaning of surfaces, and frequent handwashing will be practiced. Students are required to wear masks as they enter buses and District 13 schools. Students will be able to remove masks during designated breaks, while at lunch, and during certain outdoor PE activities.
2021/2022 Calendar for District 13
School Day: 8:30AM - 3:30PM
- 8:20AM - Students enter the building
- 8:30AM - 1st Period Bell
- Note: All classes are 44 min with a 3 min passing period
- 11:38 - Lunch & Study Hall for all grades
- 3:30 - Students dismissed from school
Arrival
Students will be asked to wear a mask as they approach the building, and maintain a 3 foot distance from others when entering the building.
All student entrances are along the front side of the building.
- 6th Graders enter through Door 1 (Main Entrance)
- 7th & 8th Graders enter through Door 32 (Athletic Entrance)
- Students will be able to enter at 8:15AM on August 25th and at 8:20AM on future days.
- Students will be asked to go directly to their 1st Period class upon entering on Day 1. Locker usage will be explained during morning classes and beginning with Day 2 students will be able to place their lunch in their locker at 8:20am before proceeding to 1st period.
- Weather: In the event of poor weather, students will be allowed to enter at 8:10AM and wait in designated locations, supervised by staff.
Drop-Off / Pick-Up
The parking lots are for Bus traffic and staff only. Students arriving by car must be dropped off along Fairfield Way on the Westfield side of the street. Students are not allowed to cross Fairfield unless they use a designated crosswalk. Pick-up by car is also along Fairfield Way. Please be aware that traffic on Fairfield will be congested during Drop-Off and Pick-Up times.
Bus Routes
Bus routes and stops were recently shared with all bus riders. If you did not receive bus route and bus stop information, please contact our main office.
Dismissal
All students are asked to exit through either Door 1 or Door 32.
Attendance
It is expected that parents/guardians will make reasonable efforts to ensure the regular attendance of their children. Please contact our Main Office to report any absences or late arrivals. In addition, please do not hesitate to contact our School Nurse, Social Worker or Assistant Principal should you need any assistance related to your child's attendance at school.
Everyday school materials
Students may choose to carry with them a variety of school appropriate materials each day. Below, please see a list of required/recommended items:
- Facemask
- Chromebook & charger
- Lunch
- Water Bottle (reusable)
- Backpack or Bag to carry school supplies
- Earbuds/Headphones
- Pencil/Pen case
- Folders, Notebooks, Paper
Teachers will provide more detail on classroom specific supplies during the first week of school.
Lockers
At this time, students will only be allowed to place their lunch and outerwear in their lockers. The lockers will not be locked and it is understood that all students will respect each others property and personal items.
Lunch
Students must bring a lunch. Lunch drop-off or deliveries will not be accepted. The exceptions include approval by our Nurse for individual circumstances and a one-time a year drop-off on or near a students birthday. (Half-birthday for summer birthdays) Please alert the Main Office for any lunch drop-offs.
Our PTO is planning to sponsor Hot Lunches during the year and they will communicate the sign-up process with parents in advance.
Physical Education / Wellness
Students will not be changing for PE at this time and they will not be able to access the locker rooms. Students should wear clothing to school that allows them to be active in PE class.
Extra-Curriculars
Several extra-curricular opportunities will be offered this school year. Please see the flyers in this week's Arrow for Choir and Cross Country. Additional extra-curricular activities will be shared with students in the next few weeks and throughout the year.
Student Passwords
In the next few days, students will receive new passwords for their chromebooks from our Technology Department. The new passwords will be sent to student and parent email accounts.
Starting a New School Year
We understand that students may have some anxiety with starting a new school year. Our goal is to make sure students are safe and comfortable on a daily basis. Staff will be on hand to assist with entrance & dismissal, finding classrooms, lunch procedures, and more.
If you feel that it would benefit us to know specific information regarding your child that you have not recently shared, please do not hesitate to reach out to our nurse, Beth Jones (bjones@sd13.org), or our Social Worker, Sheila Zagotta (szagotta@sd13.org).
You may also feel free to share information with any classroom teacher if you feel it would benefit your child's experience at Westfield.
We are here to help! Please contact our Main Office at 630-529-6211 if you have any questions.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Stefan Larsson
Principal
Amanda Vreeland
Assistant Principal
WARRIOR OF THE WEEK
Each week the staff recognizes students for demonstrating outstanding character based on attitudes or actions that fall under the Character Counts Pillars and our WARRIORS Mission and Vision.
UPCOMING DATES
Please visit our Google Calendar for all activities and schedules!
- FIRST School Day: August 25th 8:30am-3:30pm (see below for what to bring)
- Cross Country Team Info Meeting: August 27th at 8:15 am
- 1st Cross Country Practice: August 30th 3:40-4:50pm
- Deadline to Order Spirit Wear: August 30th (see info below)
- NO SCHOOL: September 6th Labor Day
- Goodwill Donation Drop Off: September 10th DONATION INFO
Reminders
Social-Emotional Supports
If you feel that your child is struggling on a social-emotional level, please do not hesitate to contact our Social Worker, Mrs. Sheila Zagotta, and she can work with you to coordinate supports for your child for both inside and outside of the classroom.
The Middle School years can be very tricky for students to navigate even during the best of times, so with a uniquely challenging year like this one, it's even more important for all of the adults in a child's life to collaborate on supporting each student's needs. We are here to help, so please reach out if we can be of assistance and we will continue to do the same!
Academic Supports
Paper is a support that connects students in grades 1-8 to a live, human tutor in that content area via chat. Students can access this support through their school login whenever they have questions on homework, would like someone to review an essay, or need help reviewing for an assessment. Please see this video for Parent Information on Paper tutorial for more information. (Papel para Padres en Español)
Daily Attendance
Please contact the Main Office at 630-529-6211 to report any student absences. This will help us to keep accurate records of every student present in our building. Thank you!
WESTFIELD THIS WEEK
STUDENT SCHOOL SUPPLIES
- No supplies kept in lockers; extra supplies kept at home
- Teachers will review additional key supplies during the first week
ORDER SPIRIT WEAR TODAY!
SPIRIT WEAR ONLINE ORDER Access Code: WESTFIELD2
Grade Level News:
The teams will update these weekly during the school year with news and any upcoming information.
STUDENT INFORMATION
GOTTA RUN? >>Join Cross Country!
Show Off Your Voice! Join the Westfield Choir
GOODWILL DONATION DROP-OFF
SUMMER MATH...with PRIZES!
Instead of a summer math packet, there will be an incentive using NWEA MAP Accelerator. If your Westfield student records 300 minutes or more and has at least 8 level-ups starting June 9 until August 25, 2021, they will be eligible for a prize. Good Luck, and Math On!
Upcoming Student Council Events
- Bloomingdale SeptemberFest on Saturday, September 11th
Want to give someone a shout out?
FROM WESTFIELD TECHNOLOGY
Chromebook Trouble?
If you need assistance from the Technology Department, please use this link to request support:
Students: Please log out of your Chromebook and log back in daily
See this video on how to log in and out of your chromebook.
Otus Student Progress for 6th & 7th Grade Parents
Get the Parent PowerSchool App
Similar to the PowerSchool Parent Web Portal, parents can download the PowerSchool Mobile App from the App store on your iOS device or the Play Store on your Android device. Simply search for “PowerSchool” to find and install the mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
- After downloading the mobile app to your device, connect the Mobile App to the correct PowerSchool server for Bloomingdale School District 13, by entering our unique, four-character code: G M K T
- You can also search for Bloomingdale SD13 by district or school name.
- The PowerSchool Mobile App will display your child(ren)’s schedule and assignments.
- PowerSchool Mobile app users can also enable Push Notifications to receive alerts when attendance is recorded or a final grade changes. To setup notifications within the app: Tap Account, then tap Notifications to configure the notifications you want to receive. Use the slider icons to turn the notifications on or off.
- Note: Parents must have a PowerSchool Parent Web Portal account created and students linked to their account before using the PowerSchool Mobile App. Click here for instructions on how to create a parent Portal account.
'How-To' for Parents/Guardians:
FROM THE WESTFIELD SOCIAL WORKER
The Glenbard Parent Series
Join other parents, high school and middle school students, and professionals to learn about issues facing today’s youth such as Student Social Skills and Anxiety, Rethinking Parental Pressure.
The Glenbard Parent Series engages top experts, parents and school staff to become proactive and informed in pursuit of the mutual goal to strengthen our communities. Programs are free and open to the public. Coming August 24 & 25, 2021:
Parents, please complete this needs assessment:
LOCAL FOOD PANTRY AT BLOOMINGDALE CHURCH
Roselle Community Food Pantry
FROM THE WESTFIELD NURSE
Discard Your Masks Safely
By cutting the ear straps on your masks before throwing them away, you can prevent wildlife from getting tangled in them. If the straps aren’t snipped, the loops can easily catch onto an animal’s legs or wings, and animals can easily choke on or consume them, leading to fatal bowel obstructions.
Teenage Depression and Anxiety
WESTFIELD'S PARENT TEACHER ORGANIZATION (PTO)
VOLUNTEERING IS BACK!
- Westfield Parents and Guardians! Sign up to volunteer for school year 2021-2022.
- CLICK HERE to fill out what you would like to do.
- Questions? Email Loriann Hoyle or Linda Baker for information.
PTO MEMBERSHIP DUES
- All-school parties
- Teacher appreciation
- Scholarships
- Field Trips
- Student awards
NEW CONTACTS FOR OUR PTO
Loriann Hoyle, parent of an incoming 6th grader hoylefamily04@hotmail.com
AND
Linda Baker, parent of an incoming 6th grader sasha0708@yahoo.com
BLOOMINGDALE PARK DISTRICT
WESTFIELD SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
How-To Videos
Gmail:
- How to delete all email (6th grade)
- How to appropriately write an email
- You can only email other sd13.org email addresses
- Creating Bookmarks
- Starring and snoozing Emails
Google Classroom:
- How to Join Classroom(with Code)
- How to Join with Teacher Invite
- Check Stream and classwork page
- How to Turn in assignments
PowerSchool: Coming Soon
- Logging in
- Checking grades
- Seeing assignments
- Comments from Teachers
FlipGrid:
Chromebook: