West Sylvan Family Communication
February 3, 2022
UPCOMING DATES
FEBRUARY
*Black History Month
Fri, FEB 17th: NO SCHOOL for Scholars / Educator Planning Day
Mon, FEB 20th: NO SCHOOL / Presidents' Day Holiday
MARCH
Mon, MAR 27th ~ Fri, MAR 31st: NO SCHOOL / Spring Break
~ View the full 2022-23 District Calendar here ~
Dear West Sylvan Families,
February marks Black History Month! Our Black Student Union (an Equity Affinity scholar group) and our Leadership classes are actively planning ways to celebrate Black excellence throughout the month. Additionally, our Affinity Scholar groups have partnered with Black Excellence Group to roll out a celebration campaign throughout the month. Each week there will be highlights and celebrations, outlined with the messaging below.
Enjoy your weekend,
Jill & Ben
*You belong.
*You are valued.
*You are loved.
*You are able.
*You are excellent.
WEST SYLVAN FOUNDATION SPIRIT WEAR
We are excited to share our new West Sylvan Spirit Wear styles with you!
Wednesdays are Spirit Day at West Sylvan! Show your school pride and wear your spirit gear! And don't forget to order something for parents, guardians, siblings, and grandparents so they can show their Wolfpack pride around town.
100% of the money raised will go directly back to your students.
GRATITUDE
Thank you to our Families for your continued support of our Educators and First Friday luncheons. These Fridays are a bright spot in every month and are greatly appreciated!
TEAM RESPONSE UPDATE
A Team Response is a signal we use to keep all Scholars in classes and to signal that we are responding to an immediate need in the building where we do not want other Scholars to interact with that situation. We called a Team Response on Wednesday when a Scholar, who was no longer enrolled at WSMS, was accidentally brought to WSMS by a DHS worker. The Scholar became very upset at the adult mistake, and BPD was called when the Scholar could not be contained calmly to a single space on campus. Prior to BPD’s arrival, the Scholar was able to de-escalate and was able to wait calmly for the DHS worker to pick up and take the Scholar to the correct school.
SEMESTER GRADES
First Semester report cards are in the mail. Second Semester brings new opportunities for growth and learning and continued success and improvement.
SUPPORTING OUR ISC TEAM
Our ISC (Intensive Skills Classroom) in Special Education has initiated a DonorsChoose project and the description is here: ISC Learning & Sensory Needs Smorgasbord.
The students in our Intensive Skills Classroom have profoundly unique and exceptional ways of learning, communicating, and experiencing the world. They need access to sensory tools before they can fully engage and learn.
DISTRICT DEVICE CONNECTIVITY INTERRUPTIONS
Throughout the week, the OTIS department in PPS has been trying to address district-wide interruptions with our wi-fi and District-issued devices (Scholars’ chromebooks and Educators’ devices). This has impacted our attempts to complete MAP testing and deliver various instructional items throughout the District. We are hopeful that the issues will be resolved soon, and that our Scholars and Educators can resume use of devices without interruptions.
SCHOOL SAFETY EDUCATION
Next week, our School Counselors will be re-engaging our Scholars in anti-racist, upstander, and consent lessons, beginning with our 8th Graders. These lessons will be taught to all Scholars by School Counselors in small groups during Science classes. For additional information on PPS expectations for behavior, the most updated resources can be found below.
INFORMATION FOR 8TH GRADE FAMILIES
Lincoln High School forecasting is open for those Scholars who are in LHS boundaries. The due date for all forecasting to be in StudentVUE is Monday, February 6th.
ADDITIONAL LHS FORECASTING RESOURCES:
- Check out the FAQ
- How To Enter Your Forecasting in Synergy Video
- StudentVue Link: PPS StudentVue
- LHS Counseling Website
Ida B. Wells Forecasting for 2023-24: About 30 of our current 8th Graders are in the boundaries to attend Ida B. Wells for High School next year. The forecasting items are here for these families.
YEARBOOK ORDERS
Each year our Yearbook class, with Educator Mr. Gilley, creates the school yearbook. To order the 2022-23 yearbook, go to yearbookordercenter.com and enter code 6339. All sales of the yearbook will be pre-ordered directly through an outside company and will not be available for purchase through the school at the end of the school year. Don’t miss your chance to get this keepsake for your scholar! We only place orders based on the preorders so that we don’t waste school funds. Please order your yearbook in advance.
LOST & FOUND DONATIONS
We will be collecting all unclaimed items from the Lost & Found today, Friday, February 3rd, for donation. The Lost & Found area is very full, and if your Scholar has lost items, please remind them to check the Lost & Found located directly across from the Upper Gym doors.
STUDENT CHROMEBOOKS
Please encourage and remind your Scholar to bring their charged Chromebook to school each day. We have a very limited, and often depleted, number of loaner Chromebooks. Remembering to bring your PPS-issued Chromebook to school is crucial, as Chromebooks are needed for classes and MAP testing. We want everyone to be able to access their curriculum in a timely manner and in real time. We have a few extra days to finish MAP make-up testing due to District-wide issues with wi-fi and internet access over the last week. The OTIS PPS team is working hard to resolve the network disruptions that have affected the entire School District.
PARENT VOLUNTEERS
We appreciate all family members who have been volunteering in our Main Office, in our Library, and joining us for school lunch periods and recess to help with supervision! The additional adults around campus really help with these busier spaces and the busiest times of the school day! If you are already an approved PPS volunteer, you are welcome to come to campus any day of the week when your schedule permits, and we will find a way that you can help on campus! The periods from 11:00AM-1:30PM and 2:45PM-3:45PM are most needed for Lunch recess help and Office assistance!
"NO CELL PHONE" POLICY
ADVISORY CLUBS
We had our first several days of clubs, and we are looking for PPS-approved volunteers to help run clubs with Students during our Advisory class period on Fridays. If you are interested in volunteering from 3:15PM - 3:45PM on Fridays to run a club, please complete the form here.
ATTENDANCE
Families are now able to record future absences for their Students directly in ParentVUE without needing to contact the Main Office. Please remember, if a student is going to miss multiple days, it is up to the Student and/or Parent/Guardian to communicate absences with each Teacher and make a plan for missing work and assignments.
- If your Student is going to be Absent for a FULL DAY:
Log in to the ParentVUE website or download and open the phone application. In either case, look for the ‘Report Absence’ button to the right of your Student’s photograph. Select start date, end date, and a reason from the drop-down list. Remember to click SAVE, and you should receive a popup confirmation.
- If your Student is Absent for a PARTIAL DAY:
Send an email to westsylvanoffice@pps.net with the date, times, and reason.
No internet access? Call West Sylvan’s main line at 503-916-5690 and select the Attendance option.
SCHOLAR SUPPORTS
IB / MYP (Middle Years Programme)
We are submitting our application in the coming weeks to become an authorized Middle Years Programme (MYP) Middle School. If approved, we move to the final step toward Authorization. Our MYP Learner Trait for February is “Communicators.” Scholars are spending this month discussing and demonstrating that trait. To find out more about the WSMS International Baccalaureate MYP authorization journey, please click the image.
CONTACT US
MAIN OFFICE
(503) 916-5690
PRINCIPAL'S SECRETARY
[Staff / Substitutes / Financial]
Jerda Solonche
SCHOOL SECRETARY
[Students / Attendance / Enrollment]
Kirsten Crombie