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Dear Westwood Family,
Wow, and wow again!!!! The Round Up on April
12th was such an awesome success. We are hugely grateful for your
support. Trust that your children will be the benefactors of this
generosity. We plan on replacing one, and possibly two, of our
student computer labs. The "old" computers will be recycled
into the classrooms for use as centers. Your money will also purchase
an updated playground set outside third grade near the soccer
fields. Classroom teachers will have money to purchase needed
and wished-for items. The copy machine lease is also supported
by you. Thank you so, so, much! We saw you give your time, your
talents and your money to support Westwood, and we couldn't be
more thrilled.
This is the time of year when we are saddened
about having to wrap up a fun year with one teacher, and we begin
thinking hard about what the next year will bring. Parents who
have the best interests of their child in mind know that their
child will be spending 180 school days with a certain person.
You want that teacher to be an excellent match.
Westwood desires to be in "partnership"
with our parents in this concern. I invite you to write a letter
describing your child's personality traits and the traits of a
teacher you believe would best fit your child's needs, if you
so desire. Please do not request a specific teacher; we cannot
honor specific requests. However, we will do our best to match
student needs. We want to assure you that every teacher
in this building is highly qualified; however, we do understand
that teacher personalities differ just as student needs differ.
We also want to make you aware that inclusion/cluster/ESL/etc.
teachers vary each year - we change assignments around from year
to year.
Be sure that your letter is written by May
30, in care of Mrs. Hobratschk, re: class placement. Letters that
arrive past this date may not be considered once classes have
been formed. Include your child's name and the grade into which
your child is going. If there are siblings, it is helpful to write
a separate letter for each child. Every letter is read, and we
do our best to take care of your kids.
Our last Colt Corner of this year wishes to
thank you for a wonderful 2007/2008 school year as we celebrated
40 years of excellence and beyond! We wish you a restful, delightful
summertime break. It won't be long before we're once again saying,
"Welcome back!" and launching another great year. Learning
and growth marches on! That's what we're all about!
In partnership,
Lynn Hobratschk, Principal
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Has there ever been a time that you struggled
to say thank you, when words were too simple to convey your gratitude?
Well, last week at Round Up was certainly one of those times.
I found myself in an awkward position with an emotional loss for
words. It wasn't so much the money raised that gave me an emotional
rise, and it wasn't necessarily the smiles and laughs on Saturday,
but rather the sacrificial work that went into the whole weekend.
Several families worked late into Friday evening filling water
balloons, preparing booths, and getting concessions prepared for
the rush. Then they unselfishly sacrificed their entire Saturday
to make Round Up a Westwood success. It was the heart of generosity
and the labor that went into the weekend that put me at a loss
for words, making a simple thank you seem so inadequate. Oh, certainly
I have sent some thank you notes, but it doesn't seem to be enough
some time.
After a week to reflect on the Round Up, I
am grateful for the people who organized it to make it possible
and the families that supported it through attendance. It is that
heart of generosity that makes me tender with appreciation. I
hope that in the near future all of you have a chance to be on
the receiving end of the hand of generosity. Or maybe you find
the greater satisfaction in the open hand of giving. In either
case, I am happy to be a part of this blessed school!
Lee Whitlock, Assistant Principal
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Mallet Madness! Coming to a music room near
you this May! Mallet Madness is a fast paced, high energy Orff
instrument unit involving all grade levels. Students will play
many different instruments through a class period and be able
to make up their own melodies. The second graders did a magnificent
job presenting their grade level musical, Child of the World.
Thank you for delivering a positive character message through
song. The first graders are working on a special treat for Mother's
Day. That's all I can say! Kindergarten is working toward their
graduation- can you believe the year is almost over? The third
grade choir and recorder club will present their final concert
of the season on Monday, May 5th at 6:00 pm at Friendswood United
Methodist Church.
Thank you for a fabulous year! See you in August!
Laura Rachita, Music Teacher
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Third grade fitness testing is now complete
and scores will be sent to the state by May 31, 2008. Students
are now in a basketball unit, working on skill development, ball
handling skills, and lead-up games.
I have noticed several students with bad sunburns.
Please remember these sun safety tips to prevent developing skin
cancer:
*stay out of the sun between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm
*apply sunscreen and dispose of sunscreens one year old
*wear hats and sunglasses
*stay in the shade as much as possible
Field Day dates and times are listed below.
Please come and join us for the fun.
Wednesday, May 28th
Kindergarten 8:00-9:00 am (6 stations)
Second Grade 9:15-10:45 am (9 stations)
Thursday, May 29th
Third Grade 8:00-10:30 am (9 stations, class relay, and tug
of war)
First Grade 9:35 -10:35 am (6 stations)
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Thank you for our Round-Up success and for
being such a generous and supportive community. As I write my
last article for this school year, I'm focused on ways to keep
your child(ren) engaged this summer without running all over the
place and that doesn't require any technology. Here are five fun
summer-activity ideas:
1. Write letters to manufacturers praising (or constructively
criticizing) their products.
2. Learn to play chess or knit or cook. Friendswood Community
Education always offers lots of fun day camp experiences during
the month of June.
3. Rearrange your bedroom to reflect your tastes and interests.
Draw your ideal room on paper, including structural changes. Imagine
the possibilities!
4. Create and illustrate your own cartoon strip.
5. Find a volunteer opportunity in your community and get your
family to go with you. Or, if transportation is an issue, why
not draw pictures or make cards for residents at a nursing home
or hospital and send them in the mail that way you can be
creative and cheer someone up!
Have a wonderful last month of school and a
fantastic summer.
Barbara Gruener, Counselor
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It's important to shield your children's skin
from the damaging effects of the sun. No matter what they're doing,
or what time of year it is, if they're outside, they need to be
protected. Build safe sun habits into your family's daily routine.
Lead by example-children will respond better when they see you
protecting your skin. Begin by teaching them the American Cancer
Society's easy and fun "safe sun habits": Slip! Slop!
Slap! The American Cancer Society recommends:
1. Slip! on a shirt. Wear protective clothing when out
in the sun. Teach your children the shadow rule. When outside,
if your shadow is shorter than you are, then the sun is high in
the sky, and the UV rays are intense.
2. Slop! on sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. The
sun's rays are generally strongest from 10 am to 4 pm. If your
children are outdoors, be sure their skin is protected.
3. Slap! on a hat that shades the face, neck, and ears.
Don't forget that sunglasses block UV rays and they protect eyes
and the surrounding tender skin.
4. Plan outdoor activities to avoid the midday sun.
Use these recommendations to help prevent skin
damage from the sun, and you will enjoy the day more without developing
a sunburn.
Kathleen Jolibois, RN, BSN
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In third grade we will be learning about Impressionism
through the video "Linnea in Monet's Garden." We will
visit the nature center at Westwood and sketch our impression
of the day. We will make our notes on the mood and lighting of
the day and observe nature. We will paint a scene from the nature
center or a garden. Our second grade art students have been learning
about personification through stories like The Jazz Fly
and Mystery in Brighton. Students create their own town
for bugs in human terms. Later, we will illustrate an interesting
field trip in the story The Day Jimmy's Boa Ate the Wash,
by Trinka Hankes Noble and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The
illustrations should be funny and animated as the students draw
pictures of Jimmy taking his pet boa on a field trip to a farm.
First graders are currently drawing animals gathering around a
water hole after listening to the beautifully illustrated story
The Water Hole by Graeme Base. Later we will be drawing a dragon
scene from St. George and the Dragon, originally by Edmond Spenser.
Westwood kindergarteners have been watercolor-painting frogs based
on The Wide-Mouthed Frog, by Keith Faulkner and illustrated
by Jonathan Lambert. They have all had fun painting. We will explore
Spring characters in Eric Carle stories like The Grouchy Ladybug
and The Very Hungry Caterpillar. We are always busy artists
here at Westwood!
Jody Blessitt, Art Teacher
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LOCKED DOORS: This thought should make you shudder: a lone student
standing at a locked school door, wishing to come in. Yet, parents
who are dropping their children off in the back parking lot may
be exposing their child to this dilemma. Our back doors are locked
for safety purposes at 7:40. Entrance to the school after 7:40
is expected to be at our front doors where a receptionist is ready
to greet and monitor incoming visitors. Our back door is not monitored
and is therefore locked.
It is imperative that students enter our building
through the front doors after 7:40. This is about child safety
and placement of our limited personnel. Please honor this important
request.
NEW STUDENT REGISTRATION: Kindergarten and new first grade student registration
for the 2008-2009 school year was held on Thursday, May 1, from
5:00-6:30 pm in the Westwood cafeteria. Beginning May 5, registration
for new students K-3 will be Monday - Thursday 8:00 am
- 12:00 noon. Students entering kindergarten are required to be
5 years of age on or before September 1, 2008. The following documents
are required:
*original birth certificate
*immunization records
*a utility bill (must be gas, electric, or water) or
lease/rental agreement
*child's Social Security card
*parent's valid driver's license
*previous report card (for 2nd and 3rd)
WEB PAGE REMINDER: From our webmaster: Pictures in the WW web site Photo
Gallery will be deleted in June, so now's the time to make those
copies and preserve those memories.
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| Thurs. May 1 |
Kindergarten Registration 5-6:30
pm |
| Mon. May 5 |
New student registration begins
for K-3 (see article above) |
| Wed. May 7 |
Volunteer Appreciation Day 7:35
am |
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School Nurse Day |
| May 12-16 |
Teacher Appreciation Week |
| Thurs. May 13 |
Open House |
| Fri. May 23 |
Kindergarten Graduation 8:30
& 9:30 am |
| Mon. May 26 |
Memorial Day Holiday for students
and staff |
| Wed. May 28 |
Field Day K & 2 |
| Thurs. May 29 |
Field Day 1 & 3 |
| Fri. May 30 |
Last Day of school |
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Early Release 12:45 |
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