October 4 2019

Week of 10.07.19

 

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Thank you all so much for your support of our school through the PTO Booster Bash Fundraiser this past week!  The event was a lot of fun for our kids and we surpassed our fundraiser goal!  Through the fundraiser we will be able to purchase some furniture for the school as well as offer teachers mini-grant opportunities for the classroom.  Thank you to our PTO for your hardwork and putting on such an amazing event for our kids as well as to raise funds for our school.  We are grateful for our partnership with our families and look forward to the benefits our kids will experience thanks to the generosity of our community.  Be on the look out on the PTO Facebook page for photos from the event!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences are just around the corner.  We will have conferences on Tuesday, October 8th from 4:30 -7:30 pm and Wednesday, October 9th from 4:00-7:00 pm. Conferences will be arena style in our gymnasiums. This means that you will have an opportunity to talk with each of your child’s teachers for about 3-4 minutes. In order to make conferences as efficient as possible for families, we will be having families sign up for half-hour time slots. You should have received a link for the sign-ups in your email. If you need to contact teachers prior to conferences, you are always welcome to email or call teachers with questions or concerns. Kona Ice will be selling refreshments by the flagpole both nights, proceeds will benefit Westlake.

Conference Core Sign-Up Genius Links:

Phoenix Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall5
Eagle Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall6
Grizzly Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall7
Wolf Pack Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall8
Summit Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall9
Mountaineer Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall10
Timberline Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall11
Fusion Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall12
Avengers Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall13
Galactic Core https://www.signupgenius.com/go/5080444a4a729a46-fall14

After you attend conferences, we would love to have feedback as we are always trying to improve upon our practices.

Book Fair!

Reading for pleasure inside and outside of school has real and long-lasting benefits. It unlocks the power of information and imagination and helps kids discover who they are.  Here’s what you can do to help kids develop stronger reading skills and a love for reading:

  • Set the example. Let your kids see you read.
  • Have a collection of books in the home. Update this collection routinely to keep pace with changing tastes and reading skills.
  • Support our school’s Book Fair. Allow your kids to choose their own books to read. 

Our Scholastic Book Fair is a reading event that brings to school the books kids want to read. It’s a wonderful selection of engaging and affordable books for every reading level. Please make plans to visit our Book Fair and be involved in shaping your child’s reading habits. 

Book Fair dates: October 4 – 9

Shopping hours: during school and conferences

Don’t forget to enter the trivia contest.

Before you visit the Book Fair, be sure to download the Book Fairs app to help you find the right books for your child.  For more information, visit: scholastic.com/apps/bookfairs. And if you are unable to attend the Fair in person, we invite you to visit our online Book Fair at scholastic.com/fair. Our online Fair is available from October 1 to October 11.

We look forward to seeing you and your family at our Book Fair! Remember, all purchases benefit our school. 

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

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Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 10.07.19
September 29 2019

Week of 09.30.19

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

We are half way through our Booster Bash Fundraiser and as of Friday our donation numbers took a big jump thanks to the generosity of our far reaching school community.  Below are our current stats as of Friday morning:
  • % of participating students: 17%
  • % of registered students: 37%
  • Number of States: 31
  • Current School Profit: $7,275
Thank you all so much for your support of our school in reaching our goal of raising $18,000.  We are excited to be hosting the culminating event on Friday and I know the kids are most excited for it.
Weekend Challenge-

Any student that earns $30 in donations or sends 10 easy emails, will earn a bungee rocket! They will get to take it home this week to practice and bring it back for a game at the Booster Bash. The winner of the game will win a grand prize! As a bonus, students that earn the Bungee Rocket will also be entered into a raffle for a personal COTTON CANDY MACHINE!

Parent Teacher Conferences

Parent Teacher Conferences are just around the corner.  We will have conferences on Tuesday, October 8th from 4:30 -7:30 pm and Wednesday, October 9th from 4:00-7: 00 pm. Conferences will be arena style in our gyms. This means that you will have an opportunity to talk with each of your child’s teachers for about 3-4 minutes. In order to make conferences as efficient as possible for families, we will be having families sign up for half-hour time slots. We will soon be sending out a sign-up for time slots. Please lookout for this email. If you need to contact teachers prior to conferences, you are always welcome to email or call teachers with questions or concerns.

Want to volunteer at the book fair?

Every year we hold a book fair in the library during the week of Parent Teacher Conferences.  If you would be interested in volunteering for this fun event please click on the link below to sign up.  Thank for your partnership and support of our school!

Sign-up for Book Fair Volunteers

Halloween Guidelines

Adams 12 Five Star Schools encourages the opportunity for students and families to engage in celebration that is respectful to all cultures, religions, races, and beliefs.  In our continued efforts to maintain a respectful, safe and secure learning environment, the following guidelines for Halloween celebrations have been developed. These guidelines apply to students, staff, and participants of all Halloween celebrations both during and after the school day.

Halloween Guidelines

  1. Costumes that would otherwise violate the Student Dress Code (Superintendent Policy 5060) will only be allowed if approved by an administrator prior to wearing to school.  For safety reasons, masks or makeup should not cover the student’s face in a manner that makes the student unrecognizable. Masks or makeup that conceal student’s identity may be worn only during designated times such as during a costume contest.  
  2. The following are considered not appropriate for school or school events:
  • Costumes that are overly graphic, promote violence or otherwise might logically be assumed to be offensive to others 
  • Costumes that are sexually suggestive and would otherwise violate the school’s dress code
  • Costumes with sound effects, lights or other components which would disrupt the classroom learning environment
  • Costumes that could be considered insensitive to various races, genders, cultures and religions
  • Toy or facsimile weapons of any kind (guns, knives, swords, bats, etc.) are not allowed
  • Costumes or dress of any kind that may be potentially disruptive to the educational or school environment

In alignment with Superintendent Policy 5060, school administrators may ask students or participants  to change into school appropriate attire and/or remove masks, makeup, or costumes.

Halloween Guidelines Addendum (RE:  Clown Costumes)

As you may recall, in 2016 the Five Star District prohibited students and staff from wearing clown costumes on school grounds due to social media threats nationwide. Although we have not been made aware of any similar threats this year, district  leadership made the decision to leave this prohibition in the 2019 Halloween guidelines, acknowledging the release of the movie, IT, and in anticipation of a social media response.  As always, the safety and security of students and staff is our first priority, therefore students and staff are prohibited from wearing clown masks or costumes on school grounds. This adjustment was made in the best interest of the school community and creates a safe environment for students and staff at Halloween celebrations this year. 

Keep in mind,  district and school leadership will reevaluate the guidelines each year and make adjustments as needed to ensure a safe celebration for the entire school community. Students who violate or are suspected to be in violation of this policy will be referred to school administration.

 

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

[wmd-accordion tab_background=”#066196″ tab_color=”#fff” content_background=”#2196d1″ content_color=”#fff” border_radius=”4″ ls-id=”5d8ff90147348″][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EWear Red- World Heart Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENewspaper Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECoding Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EStudent Council %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Tuesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EStudent Council Election Today%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Soccer %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EWEB Leader Meeting %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Wednesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EEarly Release Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENational Walk to School Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E7th Grade Jazz Band %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EArt Club 7%3A45am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Thursday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ERobotics Club %40 7%3A40am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECreative Writing Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGSA %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ELove and Logic Class %40 6pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Friday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E8th Grade Jazz Band Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E%3Cspan style%3D%22color%3A %23ff6600%3B%22%3E%3Cem%3E%3Cstrong%3EBooster Bash Fun Day%21%21%21%3C%2Fstrong%3E%3C%2Fem%3E%3C%2Fspan%3E%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EFall Book Fair 8am-4pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][/wmd-accordion]

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 09.30.19
September 22 2019

Week of 09.23.19

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Parents and Families—this year’s main fundraiser is the Westlake Middle School Booster Bash! It’s a two-week fundraising campaign that kicks off with a Pep Rally on September 20th and ends on October 4th.  Throughout the fundraising campaign students will have the chance to qualify for our EPIC Booster Bash on October 4th.

Students qualify by earning $60 in donations or sending 20 emails using our easy emailer system on theboosterbash.com. After our Pep Rally kick off you will be able to register your students and use our donation tools on theboosterbash.com.

Our school goal is to raise $18,000 for PTO general fund, classroom furniture and staff mini-grants. So please help our school by getting connected to friends and family and asking them to help our school. We know your students won’t want to miss out on the Booster Bash filled with inflatables, games, giveaways and time out of class!

 

 

 

Grief Group

Judi’s House is a nonprofit organization that offers free group grief counseling for students during the school day. A grief counselor would lead a multi-grade level weekly group for about 10 weeks. If your child has experienced loss of a family member or friend and you feel like this could be a valuable fit for your child, please contact your grade level counselor in the next week to discuss further.
6th grade to Mr. Austin: danny.austin@adams12.org
7th grade to Ms. Smith: candice.s.smith@adams12.org
8th grade to Ms. Cochran: kathy.cochran@adams12.org

Parent Teacher Conferences

Believe it or not, parent-teacher conferences are less than a month away! We will have conferences on Tuesday, October 8th from 4:30 -7:30 pm and Wednesday, October 9th from 4:00-7: 00 pm. Conferences will be arena style in our gyms. This means that you will have an opportunity to talk with each of your child’s teachers for about 3-4 minutes. In order to make conferences as efficient as possible for families, we will be having families sign up for half-hour time slots. We will soon be sending out a sign-up for time slots. Please lookout for this email. If you need to contact teachers prior to conferences, you are always welcome to email or call teachers with questions or concerns.

Want to volunteer at the book fair?

Every year we hold a book fair in the library during the week of Parent Teacher Conferences.  If you would be interested in volunteering for this fun event please click on the link below to sign up.  Thank for your partnership and support of our school!

Sign-up for Book Fair Volunteers

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

[wmd-accordion tab_background=”#066196″ tab_color=”#fff” content_background=”#2196d1″ content_color=”#fff” border_radius=”4″ ls-id=”5d86a3ace1f91″][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EPicture re-takes%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EStudent Council Endorsements due TODAY%21%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENewspaper Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECoding Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EStudent Council %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Tuesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDHH Field Trip%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Soccer %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E8th Grade Matters and HS Panel- 9 months to 9th Grade Event %40 6%3A30pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Wednesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EEarly Release Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E7th Grade Jazz Band %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EArt Club 7%3A45am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Thursday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ERobotics Club %40 7%3A40am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECreative Writing Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGSA %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENJHS %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ELove and Logic Class %40 6pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Friday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E8th Grade Jazz Band Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EFilm Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][/wmd-accordion]

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 09.23.19
September 8 2019

Week of 09.09.19

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Over the weekend I took my youngest son to the amazing playground area by the Premium Outlet Mall.  If you haven’t been there yet, this playground is kid heaven!  So many different areas to go and climb….it’s become a Heide family favorite.  While I was there and watching my son climb around there was a girl who was trying to get her dad’s attention.  She kept saying to him to put his phone away and watch her until she finally said, “Ok, I give up.”  I’ve been on the receiving end of those pleas by my own children to put my technology down and the guilt inducing question of, “Is your phone more important than me?!”

As adults we often complain or act surprised at how glued to phones and technology our teens have become and yet we don’t look in the mirror and see how we’ve modeled for our kids the time to be on our phones and the times to put it away.  After receiving many pleas from kids about being more present with them and not on my technology I’ve tried really hard to designate more time technology free when we’re together as a family.  I’m by far not perfect at protecting family time from technology, but it has made a difference.

Check out this article from Common Sense Media about ideas for getting our teens (and ourselves) to use our phones less and at more reasonable times.

Join our PTO- Get information about kids and vaping too!

Please join us for our first PTO meeting on Wednesday, September 18th from 6:30-7:30pm in the WLMS library.  
 
Meredith Warman from the Broomfield Public Health Department and Jessie Reeder from the Tri-County Health Department will be providing an overview of vaping (what is in e-cigarettes/vapes, harms), tips for how to talk with your kids about vaping, and give an update on what’s going on at the city/county level to help prevent youth from vaping.   They will present for 20 minutes and allow for 10 minutes of Q&A.
This presentation will be followed by a PTO update/overview of the school year and finally a school update from Dr. Heide.
We hope to see you there!

PTO Boosterbash!

We are excited to introduce this year’s new Fall Fundraiser. We are taking the Color Run up a notch and moving toward an EPIC during school event- The Booster Bash! Students will get donations to help our school and earn their ticket to the Booster Bash. This exclusive event will include games, giveaways, inflatable activities, freedom to socialize and more! This fundraiser will kick off with a Pep Rally on September 20th and will wrap up with the big event on October 4th!

This year our school goal is to raise $18,000 for general funds, teacher mini grants and school furniture. And we need your help! With your student, brainstorm a list of friend, family, coworkers and neighbors who would make a donation to our school! Stay tuned for more information via email and Facebook!

 

Parent/Guardian Opportunities- English classes, Cooking Matters classes, and Love and Logic

Please consider joining us for opportunities coming up at Westlake!  We will be starting a Conversational English class for parents for starting September, 16th 9:00am – 11:00am in the Teacher Planning room by the library.

Are you interested in learning how to:

  • Set kids up for success by allowing them to make small mistakes when the price tag is small.
  • End arguing and manipulation
  • Avoid power struggles
  • Guide kids to own and solve their problems
  • And more!

If so, you should join us for Love and Logic!  Class will start on Tuesday September 17th  6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Library.  Please contact Ms. Martinez for more information.  veronica.martinez@adams12.org

Westlake is going to be welcoming Cooking Matters in November! Stay tuned for more information about the Cooking Matters opportunity in the upcoming weeks.

Sign up for Code Red Updates

Are you signed up for Code Red updates yet?  If not, consider signing up Westlake’s address to receive updates for Westlake and the surrounding neighborhood.  You can sign up multiple addresses with Code Red to get updates for multiple areas.  Click on the link below to get information on how to sign up for Code Red updates.

Code Red Updates

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

[wmd-accordion tab_background=”#066196″ tab_color=”#fff” content_background=”#2196d1″ content_color=”#fff” border_radius=”4″ ls-id=”5d7576084716a”][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENewspaper Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Tuesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Soccer %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Wednesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EEarly Release Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EArt Club 7%3A45am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Thursday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ERobotics Club %40 7%3A40am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECreative Writing Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGSA %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENJHS %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Friday”/][/wmd-accordion]

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 09.09.19
September 1 2019

Week of 09.02.19

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Raising children is not easy.  I often think about how with my own personal children it isn’t just myself and my husband raising our children.  Our extended family is involved in day to day elements of raising our children such as pick up from school, help with homework, and going to extracurriculars to name a few.  Most of the day our kids spend their time at school with teachers and other educational support staff.  It seems to me, from my personal and professional experience, the best way for us to achieve the desired outcomes for our children is to partner together and work towards the same goals.  At Westlake, we are committed to our relationship with you (parents and guardians) in order to ensure students are being nurtured, cared for, and educated in partnership with you.

As a parent, it can be difficult to find ways to be involved when it feels like our children are pushing away.  There are a number of ways to be involved at Westlake such as getting involved with our PTO or by becoming a Watch DOG (Dads of Great Students).  In fact, this week we are holding our Fall Watch DOGS kick off event.  So, if you’re interested in learning more about becoming a Watch DOG at Westlake join us on Thursday at 5:30pm.  Anyone is welcome to attend this event….you don’t have to be a dad of a student to support our school through Watch DOGS.

Check out this article below from Edutopia that has a variety of resources to support parents in finding ways to partner with the school.  If you have any ideas of how you would like to be involved please let me know!  We welcome your involvement and look forward to continuing our partnership through this school year .

Parent Partnership in Education 

 

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

[wmd-accordion tab_background=”#066196″ tab_color=”#fff” content_background=”#2196d1″ content_color=”#fff” border_radius=”4″ ls-id=”5d6bd8fbedfde”][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ELabor Day- No School%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Tuesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Soccer %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EWEB Meeting %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Wednesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EEarly Release Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Thursday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ERobotics Club %40 7%3A40am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EWatch Dogs Fall Kickoff %40 5%3A30pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Friday”/][/wmd-accordion]

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 09.02.19
August 25 2019

Week of 08.26.19

Westlake School Community:

We’ve got the first full week of school under our belts!  Your children have been engaged in learning in their classrooms as well as setting learning goals for themselves.  It is exciting to see kids back in the action of learning at school.  It was also very exciting to meet so many of our parents and guardians at our Back to School Night this past week.  Thank you to our PTO for supporting our school community by providing the lovely BBQ at Back to School Night.

 

The Westlake PTO has been a huge support of our school and has made many things possible either through connecting parents to school or supporting us financially.  In fact, this last year our PTO raised funds to support technology upgrades across our school.  Over the next few weeks you will be hearing about our major PTO fundraiser for this current school year.  In preparation for the fundraiser I am asking members of school community to share how we should focus the money we earn.  Please take a moment to share your thoughts by clicking on the link below.  Thank you for all your support and partnership!

2019-2020 Major Fundraiser Areas of Focus

Student Handbook

Our Student Handbook can be found on our website or by clicking on the link below.

Student Handbook 2019-2020

For those of you who have had students come through Westlake previously or are returning students to Westlake much of the information is the same as in past years.  Below I’ve highlighted a few areas to pay close attention to as they may have changed or is something that is always good to look at again.  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to the school.

  • Cell phones/Electronic Devices
  • Discipline Action
  • Internet Use
  • Student ID’s

Parking Lot Update and Regular Parking Lot Flow

As you know from a previous message sent out to our Westlake families we had some damage occur on the asphalt in the East parking lot.  As a result, we have had to reroute parent/guardian

traffic to the Northwest hug and go lane or 135th.  Repairs are being completed currently on the asphalt and I’m hopeful that we will have access to the East parking lot area again after Labor Day weekend.  I will keep you updated on the progress of the work in the East parking lot and ask that parents/guardians please find an alternate drop off/pick up plan until the East lot is available again.

When using the Northwest hug and go lane please remember to pull as far forward as possible and only use the hug and go lane for drop off or pick up.  Please stay in your car and do not park in the hug and go lane as this impedes the traffic flow and causes our students to be late for class.  Thank you for your help in getting all our students to school safely and on time.

 

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

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Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 08.26.19
August 18 2019

Week of 08.19.2019

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Wow!  What a wonderful start to the 2019-2020 school year!   Students have already been engaging in our school community through learning about the Westlake Way, what kinds of topics students will be learning in their various classes, making new friends, and so much more!  For those you with 7th and 8th graders or who have had older children go through middle school already, you know that middle school is so much than just learning about Social Studies, Math, and so on…..you probably remember this from your own school experience too!  Learning how to be a part of a community is a huge part of middle school.  At this age students are learning so many different skills around topics like empathy, communication, relationships, etc.  As a parents, this can be a bit daunting (and frustrating) to support your child as they journey through this social emotional learning.  Check out the link below to the Parent Toolkit to learn more about supporting your child through middle school and the many areas in which they are learning.  While this article is titled for 6th grade topics, I feel the topics apply across middle school.  I hope you find something meaningful in this article for your family.

6th Grade Social Awareness Skills- Parent Toolkit

Back to School Night!

Back to School Night is this Wednesday starting at 4:30pm.  Come join us for an opportunity to meet your child’s teachers, enjoy some BBQ from our PTO, and see the beautiful new face to our building.  Parents/Guardians will follow their child’s schedule to meet their child’s teachers as well as to get to see the classrooms where your child spends their day.  Click on the link below to access the schedule and flyer for this event.  We look forward to greeting you Wednesday at 4:30pm.

Back to School Night- Flyer

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

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Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 08.19.2019
August 11 2019

Week of 08.12.19

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

This is the big week when we welcome your children back to school!  The staff have been working hard to prepare classrooms, lessons, events, and so much more.  The building looks so much different than it did when you last saw it…..while there is still some work to do you will be pleased at the result of the 2016 Bond Project for Westlake Middle School.  Thank you for supporting our schools through passing the 2016 Bond.

We can’t wait to greet your children on Wednesday!  Thank you for sharing your children with us for this school year!

 

Reminders for the First Day of School

Wednesday, August 14th

6th Graders

The 6th graders’ first day will be 8:30-11:15 and will be the WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) 6th grade orientation event led by 8th grade WEB leaders.

Students do not need any supplies. Wear good shoes. No lunch on this day.

There is no need for schedules on the 1/2 day.

For the days following the orientation, students can take a picture of their schedule on Infinite Campus or print it out at home. Thursday, August 15th staff will be at the front of the building by the flag pole passing out printed  6th grade student schedules to students. Lockers will be added to schedules by Monday, August 12th at 4pm. Students will practice opening their lockers with their teachers during training camp.

All 6th graders will only have electives on their schedule at this point. After training camp, the schedule will be complete with academic classes.

7th and 8th Graders


7th/8th graders will be on campus from 11:30-2:15pm. They will go to their regular classes on an abbreviated time frame. Students can bring a pencil and their schedule. Lunch is not served on the first day.

7th and 8th grade Schedules: It is recommended that students take a picture of their schedule on Infinite Campus or print out a copy at home. Students can receive a printed copy at the front of the school by the flag pole. There will be tables of staff members who will pass out schedules to students on Wed. August 14th at 11:15-11:30 if students don’t already have their schedules. Lockers will be added to schedules by Monday, August 12th at 4pm.

6th Grade Orientation and 6th Grade Parent Orientation

The week of school starting is always an exciting week, but I am sure this is a particularly exciting week for you and your student as you transition to middle school. At Westlake we have some activities at the beginning of school to support both you and your students through this transition.
 
Please take a look at the items below that are scheduled for the first day of school! Students are welcomed into the building at 8:20
Wednesday, 8:30 – 11:15 – STUDENTS
WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Orientation for Students
Your students will be greeted at the entrance of the school by teachers and our 8th grade WEB Leaders so there is no confusion of where they should go for their first day. Our goal today will be fun, meeting people and figuring out the new school.
Wednesday, 9:30 – 11:00 – PARENTS
Parent Welcome Orientation
Drop off your middle schooler, go grab yourself a coffee, then join us for a Parent Orientation in the small gym. Danny Austin, 6th grade counselor, will be giving a short presentation and answering any questions you might have about the upcoming year. Some of the topics at the parent orientation include training camp, schedules, devices, and much more.
Welcome to Westlake Middle School! We are excited to support your child!

 

Upcoming Dates- Mark your calendar!

August 19th– Student Picture Day

August 21st- Back to School Night and Community BBQ- stay tuned for more information about the details of Back to School Night in the next few days.

August 23rd- 6th Grade Social- more info to come!

To see any upcoming events click on the link on the yellow “post-it” note on the top corner of this page for the Westlake Middle School calendar.

 

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

[wmd-accordion tab_background=”#066196″ tab_color=”#fff” content_background=”#2196d1″ content_color=”#fff” border_radius=”4″ ls-id=”5d4f241f0d7d5″][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ESummer Vacation%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Tuesday”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ESummer Vacation%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Wednesday”]%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EEarly Release Day%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EFirst Day for All Students%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E6th Graders- 8%3A30am-11%3A15am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E7th and 8th Graders- 11%3A30am-2%3A15pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Thursday”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E6th Grade Training Camp%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Friday”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E6th Grade Training Camp%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ESign up for Locker Decorating Contest- Main Office%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][/wmd-accordion]

 

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 08.12.19
August 4 2019

Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!

 

 

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

 

Welcome to the 2019-2020 school year!  This has been a very exciting summer with the 2016 Bond Project in full swing.  It has been an adventure to watch the old carpet being removed and seeing the installation of new, beautiful flooring, seeing the creation of a new classroom space, concrete being removed and replaced, and I could go on and on.   While our Bond Project won’t be 100% completed when students return the building will have a new look and feel. Thank you to our community for supporting the 2016 Bond initiative that has allowed for our school to get this much needed repair and update. Please take a moment to read through the following information regarding the beginning of the school year and updates for Westlake Middle School.  

 

Important Dates

 

Below are the important dates for the school year.  

2019-2020

IMPORTANT DATES

 

Date Event
08/14/19 First Day Back for Students  (6th Grade: 8:30-11:15; 7th/8th Grades: 11:30-2:15)
08/21/19 Back to School Night/BBQ  4:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
09/02/19 Labor Day – No School
Fall 2019- TBD Fall Fundraiser
10/8/19 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00 pm-7:00 pm
10/9/19 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:30 pm-7:30 pm
10/10/19-10/11/19 No School
10/10/19 End of First Quarter
10/25/19 Fall Dance 4:00 pm-5:30 pm
11/11/19 Veterans’ Day – No School
11/25/19 –11/29/19 Thanksgiving Break – No School
12/19/19 End of Second Quarter/End of First Semester
12/20/19 No School
12/23/19-01/05/20 Winter Break – No School
01/20/20 Martin Luther King Day – No School
Feb. 2020- TBD PTO Night 
02/12/20 Parent Teacher Conferences 4:00 pm-8:00 pm School In Session
2/13/20 Parent Teacher Conferences 1:00 pm -4:00 pm – No School
02/14/20 No School
02/17/20 Presidents’ Day – No School
03/13/20 End of Third Quarter
03/23/20 –03/27/20 Spring Break – No School
03/30/20 No School
Spring 2020- TBD Spring Fundraiser
05/20/20 8th Grade End of Year Awards Assembly/ 8th Graders Last Day

No School for 6th and 7th Graders

05/21/20 6th/7th Grade End of Year Awards Assembly

No School for 8th Graders 

 

Building Access and Bond Project Update

 

If you’ve happened to travel past our school in the last couple of weeks, you’ve noticed there is a lot of work happening around the exterior of our building, including our front entrance. 

 

This work is scheduled to be completed for the start of the new school year but current access to our building is very limited.

 

  • If you need to come to our building for walk-in registration, you can enter through the doors on the north side of the building near the hug-and-go lane. This is the only current public access point for our building.

  • The interior of our building is still very much a construction zone. For your own safety and to allow for work to be completed in a timely fashion, please do not enter through any other doors or travel into any other parts of our building not designated for registration assistance. 

 

  • Parking is available in the hug-and-go lane or along West 135th Avenue. For your own safety, please don’t park or walk in any designated construction zones as this construction work is completed.

  • As our front office is also being reconfigured, we have limited phone access. If you do not reach someone when you call, please leave a detailed message and we will return your call as soon as we can. If you need immediate assistance please call the district office at 720-972-4000.
  • Student schedules are now available on Infinite Campus.  Lockers will not be available until students return which is why they are not visible on IC at this time.

  • Please visit our calendar at westlake.adams12.org/ for important dates and times for the new school year.

 

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Initiative

 

Over the summer you should have received some messages about the BYOD initiative here at Westlake.  Last year was our first and transitional year to BYOD. This year will be our first year of full implementation.  As you may know, students are encouraged to bring an approved device (see below) for use in the classroom. The use of these devices is not to replace good teaching but to help teachers and students have access to learning strategies and experiences that this technology allows.  The plan is that teachers will use device-based strategies about 50% of the time while still mixing in more traditional methods of instruction.  

 

The learning experience should be the same for kids with and without a device, but the kids with a device will have the added convenience of being able to personalize their device, use it at home, get familiar with one device and develop the responsibility of taking care of one.  For students who are not able to buy a device for one reason or another, more communication will come out later about plans we have for assuring these students have access to technology as well. The hope is that over the three year period your student is at Westlake (and the years beyond) that the device will pay for itself in other school supply savings given that we have significantly trimmed the school supply list.

 

This is an initiative that has broad support from both our staff and parent community.  We are excited for the opportunities this initiative opens for your students.

 

Supply List and Device Criteria (English)

 

Supply List and Device Criteria (Spanish)

 

New Staff Members

 

We have some new faces at Westlake who will be working with your children to support them through their middle school experience.  We are very fortunate to have such amazing and dedicated individuals join our school community!

 

Jason Hall- 6th Grade Math

Sandy Kraus- 7th Grade Math

Sheri Lohmann- 7th Grade Math

Nina Gustafson- 7th Grade Science

Michael Wedermyer- 7th Grade Science

Shannon Wilson- 7th Grade Language Arts

Jerrie Strunk- 7th Grade Social Studies

Matthew Hunsucker- PE/Health

Catrina Ho- ELD Teacher

Jessica Montoya- DHH Interpreter

Dwayne Miller- SRO

LaShauna Quarles- Assistant Principal

 

The Westlake Way

 

The Westlake school community follows The Westlake Way: Be Kind, Be Respectful, and Be Invested.   We feel The Westlake Way encompasses the behaviors and attitudes we want to see from everyone in our community, every day,  throughout our school. Students will have an opportunity to receive rewards/incentives for showing achievement of these principles. The Westlake Way is an approach for students to grow socially, behaviorally and work collaboratively. Each principle is modeled and practiced throughout our school in a variety of settings. Our Westlake Way team represents teachers from all grade levels, electives and administration. We meet regularly to access behavioral data, review best practices and plan for interventions. Coming soon: Look for our new posters around the school featuring The Westlake Way!

 

The Principal’s Blog

 

Throughout the school year at the beginning of each week I will be sending you a link to my blog.  In my blog I will communicate important upcoming events, information, as well as any other goings on around the school.  The blog serves as my weekly communication to our school community and I look forward to engaging with you through this communication.  

 

Parents and guardians, we know that when schools and parents work together and have shared expectations, students are more successful. You can help with this effort by using this language with your child and encouraging them to be kind, respectful and invested in everything they do!

 

Westlake Middle School Principal’s Blog

 

We are thankful you have chosen to send your child to Westlake.  We look forward to working together to create the best possible environment and middle school experience for your child.  Please feel free to reach out to the school with any questions at 720.972.5200. See you soon!

Regards,

Dr. Rachel Heide, Principal

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Welcome to the 2019-2020 School Year!
May 19 2019

Week of 05.20.19

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

What an amazing year this has been!  Westlake students have worked so hard this year in gaining academic and social learning and I’m so proud of all they have accomplished!  There are so many highlights from this year from the amazing growth seen in musical performances from the beginning of the year to the end, exhibitions of knowledge at the Social Studies Celebration of Learning, daily interactions with students, and the list goes on and on.  Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to work with your children this year and be a part of their lives.  We look forward to our continued partnership into next year and hope you all have a wonderful summer!

End of Year Awards Events and Last Days of School Schedule (repeat)

Every year, our staff select students to receive awards for various demonstrations of success at Westlake.  The Awards Ceremonies for each of the grade levels are on the dates below:

Wednesday, May 22nd

  • 8th Grade Awards Ceremony at 9am
  • No school for 6th and 7th graders; last day for 8th graders

Thursday, May 23rd

  • 7th Grade Awards Ceremony at 8:45am
  • 6th Grade Awards Ceremony at 11:00am
  • No School for 8th graders

More information about the awards ceremonies will be forthcoming.  Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.  We hope you will plan to join us!

Summer School Closure and 2016 Bond Project Update (repeat)

Thanks to our voters, Westlake will be receiving the bulk of the 2016 Bond Project this summer!  The designs for various parts of the building look amazing and I’m so excited for you all to see the results!  Please take a moment to click on the link below to access a letter regarding the work we will be doing and building access during the summer months.

WLMS 2016 Bond Project Letter- English and Spanish

 

Back to School Bash!

The Adams 12 Five Star Schools is hosting a Back to School Bash so be sure to mark your calendars!  Checkout the fliers below:

 

Upcoming Events

Click on each day to reveal the upcoming events.

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Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 05.20.19