November 25 2018

Week of 11.26.18

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

The time off this past week was certainly a gift for my family and I hope it was for your’s as well.  I am very much looking forward to seeing your children at school this week and continue our learning through the end of the semester and beyond.

I don’t know about you, but I did some holiday shopping over this past week (mostly online to avoid the stores) and it got me thinking about how my parents taught me to budget as well as how I’m teaching my kids to budget.  I feel like budgeting is something I can always improve it so I really want to help my own children learning these valuable skills early.  I came across this article in Parent Toolkit with some ideas and suggestions for helping our young ones learn the skills they need to be successful managers of their money.  I hope you find this helpful!

Teaching Teens to Budget

Feedback on $15,000 Investment (repeat post)

Thanks to the generous support of school through the PTO Check Drive we have money above and beyond our goal to invest in Westlake!  As a school we have identified three areas of priority that we would like to use the $15,000 for and would like your feedback on these priorities.  Staff were asked to prioritize  ways to invest this money that impacted as many students as possible.  Below are the three priorities identified:

  1. Water Bottle Filing Stations– our 2016 bond project will install 1-2 stations and this money would allow us do more
  2. Classroom Furniture- this money would allow us to provide classrooms with flexible furniture options or additions that best meet the diverse needs of our students
  3. Subscriptions-  this money would allow us to continue or add to subscriptions such as Newsela or Rocketlit which engages students in literacy based learning across the content areas

Your feedback and insight on how to best invest this money is important.  Please take a moment to share your thoughts through this Google Form regarding the priorities we identified for the $15,000.

Colorado Measures of Academic Success (CMAS) 

While it may feel a ways off we wanted to share with you the assessment schedule for the Spring for CMAS as a means of helping to plan ahead.  Please take a moment to review this schedule and the dates through the link below.  If you have any questions on CMAS please feel free to reach out to David Weisbart, Assistant Principal, at 720.972.5200.

CMAS Assessment Schedule

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November 11 2018

Week of 11.12.18

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Monday, November, 12th, as a country we observe Veterans’ Day.  As a parent myself, it is easy to forget the reason for this day off from work and school with all the various things we have going on.  As I imagine your families have some sort of military connections or perhaps you are an active or retired member of the military, my family has a legacy of military connection and I’m pausing today to consider those who have and do serve to protect our country.  As my eldest daughter considers the possibility of military service after high school this Veterans’ Day takes on new meaning for me.  So, in typical Dr. Heide fashion I did some research on the history of Veterans’ Day to gain a greater sense of what this day of honoring means in historical context.  I came across a short video from The History Channel that I thought I would share with you.  It is designed for middle school and high school so would be appropriate to share with your children if you would like to.

Bet You Didn’t Know: Veterans’ Day

Feedback on $15,000 Investment

Thanks to the generous support of school through the PTO Check Drive we have money above and beyond our goal to invest in Westlake!  As a school we have identified three areas of priority that we would like to use the $15,000 for and would like your feedback on these priorities.  Staff were asked to prioritize  ways to invest this money that impacted as many students as possible.  Below are the three priorities identified:

  1. Water Bottle Filing Stations– our 2016 bond project will install 1-2 stations and this money would allow us do more
  2. Classroom Furniture- this money would allow us to provide classrooms with flexible furniture options or additions that best meet the diverse needs of our students
  3. Subscriptions-  this money would allow us to continue or add to subscriptions such as Newsela or Rocketlit which engages students in literacy based learning across the content areas

Your feedback and insight on how to best invest this money is important.  Please take a moment to share your thoughts through this Google Form regarding the priorities we identified for the $15,000.

New Building Entry System

As part of our security upgrades to the building we have moved the AiPhone which is the “doorbell” you’ve used previously to gain access to the building into the foyer between the double doors.  Please see the video below to see how this new system works.  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us at the school.

Entryway Video

Happy Thanksgiving!

Of the many things we are grateful for as a school community, we are most grateful for being given the opportunity to spend each day with your children.  Thank you for choosing Westlake for your children and for your partnership in shaping the next generation!  We hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing you after the break.

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November 4 2018

Week of 11.05.18

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

It is hard to believe that we have just two weeks until Thanksgiving Break!  I am reminded each and every day how grateful I am to work in the Westlake community.  Seeing students learning skills and applying learning in the classroom or greeting students in the hallways are those daily reminders to me of the amazing community in which I am so fortunate to serve.  Thank you for sending your children to us Westlake!  We are grateful for you trust and value your partnership.

 

Gifted and Talented Testing

Testing for 6th (only newly enrolled since September 10th), 7th and 8th grade students to be considered for Gifted and Talented identification will take place in December.  If you are interested in having your student tested, please visit the Gifted and Talented page on the Westlake website to access the two forms you need to submit no later than Monday, November 5th. Please contact either Michelle Cantwell or Christy Smith for further information.
michelle.cantwell@adams12.org
Christy.l.smith@adams12.org

School Accountability Committee (SAC)

Join us this Wednesday at 4:15pm in the library for our first SAC meeting of the year.  We will be reviewing our data from CMAS and discussing our goals and action steps we are taking to achieve the goals.  The parent/guardian role is critical to the success and achievement of our goals as a school so please consider joining us on Wednesday.  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to Dr. Heide at 720.972.5200 or rachel.e.heide@adams12.org.

 

Choice Guidelines

District outlines deadlines for 2019-2020 Choice process
Submit application by January 31 st deadline for priority consideration

Last year, Adams 12 Five Star Schools received more than 4,500 Choice applications for the 2018-2019 school year. In accordance with the state’s open enrollment law, the district’s Choice program allows for students to apply to attend schools outside of their attendance area boundary.

Both in-district and out-of-district students can apply for Choice. Out-of-district Choice requests are considered after in-district requests. Acceptance to a Choice school is based on several criteria: availability of space, sufficient teaching staff, appropriate programs and the necessary facilities for special needs students.

Adams 12 Five Star Schools will publicize the schools open to Choice for the 2019-20 school year on December 1, 2018. The Choice application and list of open schools are available online at www.adams12.org/choice. For families without computer access, a computer kiosk is available at all schools and at the Educational Support Center located at 1500 E. 128 th Avenue in Thornton.

The deadline for priority consideration is January 31, 2019 and is not first-come, first-served. If the number of requests exceeds the spaces available in a given school, the district will hold a lottery. Parents and students submitting an application for priority consideration will be notified of the results of their application no later than the third week of February. The second deadline to submit a Choice application for the 2019-2020 school year is March 30, 2019. As with the first round, if the number of requests exceeds the spaces available for priority consideration in a given school, the district will hold a lottery. Notification of approval or denial will be made no later than the third week of April.

In addition to the two deadlines above, in some years a third round of Choice may be held in August and September if space is available. Schools open to the third round of Choice will be posted online at www.adams12.org/choice by August 1st. While not a guarantee, when possible, priority will be given to sibling applications so that families will attend the same school. Families with children already attending schools that are not open to Choice are eligible to submit an application for their existing student to remain at the school or for younger siblings to attend the school with their older siblings.

The duration of a Choice placement is valid for all grades served by the school. For example, if a student attends a Choice elementary school, the approval is valid to the end of fifth grade, as long as there are no significant changes in that school’s enrollment or facilities. When a student transitions from elementary to middle school or from middle to high school, they must reapply for Choice. If they don’t, the student’s placement automatically reverts to their boundary school. Students that are approved for Choice are responsible for their own transportation.

Extended-day kindergarten
For traditional elementary schools, admissions to extended-day, tuition-based kindergarten (EDK) are not managed through our Choice Program but rather directly by each school with an EDK program. Parents of extended-day, tuition-based kindergarteners at traditional schools should note that enrollment in that program does not automatically mean the student will go to the same school for first grade. The student must apply through the Choice program for first grade placement if he/she wants to go to a school other than his/her boundary school. Also note that the school the child attended for kindergarten may not necessarily be open for Choice.

For magnet schools, extended-day, tuition-based kindergarten are managed by the Choice Program. Parents of extended-day, tuition-based kindergarteners attending magnet schools do not need to reapply for Choice as their Choice approval remains in effect through the highest grade served at their magnet school.

Secondary programs
In-district students are not required to apply for Choice to attend secondary programs like Horizon SOAR, Legacy 2000, Mountain Range High School of Business, Northglenn High STEM and EC@N-STEM Programs and Thornton High International Baccalaureate (IB). Admissions to those programs are managed by each school. Out-of-district students wishing to attend high school programs that are not schoolwide must apply for both Choice and with the program. If the school is not open to Choice then the program is closed to out-of-district students. If the student is not selected in the Choice lottery, they are wait listed for the school and program.

To learn more about Choice and find answers to frequently asked questions, visit the district website at www.adams12.org/choice. The Five Star District Planning and Admissions Department determines the acceptance of Choice requests and can be contacted via email at choice@adams12.org

Election Day is on Tuesday. Don’t forget to vote!

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