December 16 2018

Week of 12.17.18

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

As Winter Break approaches at the end of this week, I’ve been reflecting on the importance of this time “off” for our students.  Westlake kiddos have been working really hard for several months now at the challenging and, sometimes, taxing work of learning.  Winter Break is a great time for families to reconnect and for the learning to take on a different form.  Check out this article from Parent Toolkit about what learning can look like over break.  

School is Out, but Learning Is In!

On behalf of the staff at Westlake we thank you for a wonderful first half of the school year and wish you and your family the best in 2019.  Take care and see you in the New Year!

2016 Bond Update

Over the past few months I have been working with the district to plan our 2016 Bond project for Westlake.  There are essentially two parts of this bond project: 1.) Instructional Upgrades and 2.) Bond project- renovation.  As part of the 2016 Bond we were allotted money towards “Instructional Upgrades.” Our school community, staff and parents/guardians, participated in providing feedback on how to prioritize spending for this money and determined the following three areas:

 

 

    • Classroom technology
    • Furniture
    • Large outdoor spaces

Our budget dollars for Instructional Upgrades (IU) have gone far allowing us to upgrade technology in every classroom space and come in under budget!  As such, I am looking at quotes for refreshing technology in the tech labs and furniture options based on the priorities identified through our 2016 Bond process.  

In terms of the second part of the overall project we are rounding the corner on finalizing various elements of the renovation.  There are a number of elements to the renovation.  Based on the material samples and designs I’ve seen so far I do believe you will be pleased at the result. If you have any questions about either the IU or the larger bond project please let me know. This is a very exciting time for us at Westlake as our school receives upgrades and a face lift as a result of the 2016 Bond.  Thank you, voters, for your support of our school in passing the 2016 Bond!

 

Save the Date!

 WLMS 3v3 Basketball Tournament, Saturday, 2/9

WLMS PTO is sponsoring a 3v3 basketball tournament on Saturday, February 9th! There will be 6th, 7thand 8thgrade divisions for both boys and girls.  Details and registration will be forthcoming upon return from winter break, so stay tuned and start planning your teams!  Make sure you save the date for this fun event!

All proceeds from the event will go towards a new sound system in the WLMS gym.

 

 

We need you!  Consider substitute teaching

We need YOU to substitute teach!
Substitute teaching jobs are a great way to be involved with your school community and provide:

  • Increased competitive pay
  • Flexible days and hours
  • Meaningful work with students
  • Training opportunities
  • Pathways to teacher certifications
Get started right away! Apply now: www.adams12.org/BeASub
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December 9 2018

Week of 12.10.18

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Thank you to all who provided your input around the $15,000 donation to our school and how we will invest this money.  Based on the feedback I feedback we will be investing the money in the following order of priority:

  1. Subscriptions/Resources
  2. Flexible furniture options
  3. Additional water bottle filling stations

Many changes to our building will be occurring over the course of the next many months thanks to the passing of the 2016 Bond and this additional $15,000 will help us even further.  I am so grateful for the support of our community in making a difference in the lives of the children and families we serve.

Precious Child Toy Drive

Broomfield needs your help!  Would you be able to help?  Please send an unwrapped toy to Westlake Middle School by December 14 so we can proudly help our community and children in need during this holiday season.
We’re open to all toys however they are really short on items for Middle School Boys, here are some ideas:
  • Boardgames
  • Card games (ie. UNO)
  • Gift Cards
  • Baseball Caps
  • Hats
  • T-Shirts
  • Body wash, cologne (ie. Axe Cologne)
  • Frisbees
  • Sport Equipment
We truly appreciate all you do for WLMS, and in advance we Thank You for your generosity.

Finance Park- Volunteers Needed!

Every year Adams 12 students have the opportunity to participate in Finance Park.  Finance Park is an amazing opportunity for students to apply the Personal Financial Literacy Standards in a real life situation.  In order to make this program a success volunteers are needed. Parents make the perfect volunteers as it is all about real-life financial situations that we find ourselves in. Training for the volunteers takes place on the same day as the field trip.   The time commitment is from 8-2 on any one of the following days:  March 18th, 19th or 22nd.  Please use the following link to sign up:    http://adams12.jacolorado.volunteerhub.com/

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December 2 2018

Week of 12.03.18

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Happy December!  This time of year is busy and exciting as we near the end of the first half of the year.  There are a number of events happening this week and we look forward to seeing you at Westlake.  Please know that we value our partnership with our parents and guardians a great deal and welcome your involvement in the school.  It truly does take a village to give our children access to the future they deserve.  Below is a link to an article around understanding the middle school brain and how we can support our children to thrive in middle school.

Supporting Middle Schoolers to go From Survive to Thrive

 

Important change to February Conferences

I wanted to reach out to our parent and guardians to inform you of a schedule change to our Spring conferences.  The WLMS teaching staff will be engaging in professional development around how to support students with Language Development on the morning of February 14th when we originally had a session of Parent Teacher conferences scheduled.  Below is the updated schedule for our Spring Parent Teacher Conferences:

February 13th- 4-8pm (No changes made to this date)

February 14th- 1:30pm-4pm (conferences moved to the afternoon from the morning)

If you have any questions regarding this change please reach out to Dr. Heide at 720.972.5200 or rachel.e.heide@adams12.org.

 

Toy Drive

The WLMS PTO Toy Drive has begun!  Please consider supporting our broader community in partnership with A Precious Child.  Below are a few details regarding this drive.

Please feel free to reach out to the school with questions on this event.

-The drive will run from 11/15-12/14.
-The focus is on the 14-18 year old age group, specifically boys.
-All gifts donated should be UNWRAPPED.

6th Grade Movie Night RSVP

The WEB leaders will be holding a movie on Friday December 14th for the 6th graders only to celebrate the end of the first semester. From 4 pm to 6 pm, we will be showing WALL-E (rated G) in the cafeteria.

Please click on the link below for the RSVP for this event.

6th Grade Movie Night RSVP

 

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake MIddle School

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