May 13 2020

Final Post of the 2019-2020 School Year!

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

I hope that this communication finds you doing well and staying healthy.  The end of a school year is always bittersweet, but this year I’m feeling it very acutely.   At Westlake, we’ve missed our students so much while we’ve been in remote learning, yet, we’re glad that we’ve been able to still connect remotely.  The summer break is just around the corner and I’m feeling very hopeful for  our future.  For all of us, the remote learning situation we’ve found ourselves in has taught us new skills and has helped us better understand how to best learn and teach.  We hope that through all of this experience you and your family have found joy in this unprecedented time.

Students, thank you for doing your best to show the Westlake Way by showing kindness to yourself and others, respecting the remote learning environment and the work that went into it, and demonstrating engagement with your teachers and school work during remote learning.  Parents and guardians, thank you for helping your child stay positive, for encouraging them, and for tending to their physical and emotional needs.

We wish you all the best in the summer and look forward to seeing you in the Fall for our returning students.  For our 8th graders, we wish you all the best in high school and beyond.

 

Student belonging pick-up- “Give and Take”

We are pleased to share that we will have the opportunity to allow families to collect student items and personal belongings, and return school- or district-issued items on May 18-20. 

In light of the ongoing health and safety precautions, this will be a curbside process. There will be no student or parent access to our building. The district has consulted with our local health department partners and confirmed that this plan aligns with ongoing health and safety requirements. 

There will not be a collection of district-shared electronic devices at this time. However, if you are not planning to return to a district-managed school for the 2020-2021 school year, please bring your district-shared device during your scheduled drop off/pickup.

If you will be keeping your device(s) for the summer, please continue to safeguard and care for your device. These items will be collected at some point in the next school year.

 

A few important notes about the pick-up protocol:

    • Pick-up times are alphabetized by family last name. 
    • Only parents or guardians will be able to pick up items on behalf of a student. If you are sick or unable to attend during the scheduled times, please contact your school to identify an alternate individual to pick up items.
    • Families can choose either day to pick up items.
    • In order to keep the process moving efficiently, please plan to arrive within  your pick-up time window. 
    • If you have children with different last names attending the school, you will be able to pick up items for these students at the same time.
    • Yearbooks will NOT be available for pick up.  We are working with the yearbook company on a plan for delivery.  

 

  • This will be the only opportunity for student item pickup. 

 

Student Belonging Pickup/Item Return
Monday May 18th Tuesday May 19th Wednesday May 20th
Last Name Alpha Time Last Name Alpha Time Last Name Alpha Time
A-M Noon – 3pm N-Z Noon – 3pm A-M Noon – 3pm
N-Z 3pm – 6pm A-M 3pm – 6pm N-Z 3pm – 6pm

 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Please use the image below to help guide you. This will be a drive through ONLY, there will be no walk ups. Please remain in your vehicle and open the trunk or roll down your window for us to retrieve or hand you an item.

  1. Please enter through the NE Entrance and stop for the greeter. The greeter will ask you your student name(s) and grade(s) and hand 8th grade their end of year patch. The greeter will ask you if you have a student in PE that has items in their locker, if your student has artwork to pick up and if you are dropping off an instrument. You will be given a color coded slip to place on your dashboard.
  2. The greeter will direct you which way to proceed through the fork in the parking lot. If you are picking up artwork you will go to the right(towards the building) if you are not then you will proceed to the left of the fork.
  3. If you are dropping off an instrument or other school owned item (textbooks, Lang. Arts books, library books, choir music, etc.)  proceed to the back of the school and use the right (closet to the building) lane. Please pull all the way forward – someone will greet you and retrieve the items. 
  4. If you ARE NOT dropping anything off – please use the left lane and continue to the main entrance. Someone will direct traffic when you come around the corner of the school building.  
  5. If your student DOES NOT HAVE PE (7th and 8th grade) you will use the left lane (westside), please pull all the way forward. Someone will greet you and bring you your child’s locker items.
  6. If your student DOES HAVE PE (all 6th grade and some 7th and 8th grade) you will use the right lane (eastside), please pull all the way forward. Someone will greet you and bring you your child’s locker and PE locker items.
  7. Once you have completed all tasks you may proceed to exit the school.

We want to thank you in advance for your patience as we complete this process. 

Schedule for Last Days of School

With the last full week of school underway and the final days coming up last week I wanted to be sure to share the schedule of events/expectations.

  • Week of May 11th– Teachers will post final assignments (this will have already been completed)
  • Week of May 18th– Students have time to complete any needed assignments, say goodbyes to teachers and classmates, and core award videos will be sent out
      • Student belonging pickup “Give and Take” is scheduled ( see above)
  • May 21st– Final day for all students

Panorama Survey Feedback – Spring 2020

Trends/Patterns + Possible Solutions

Each year, our school asks staff, parents, and students to share their perception of the culture and climate of our school.  Our staff have reviewed the data from all three surveys and have captured some high-level trends and patterns along with possible solutions we have or will put in place to address the area of growth.  Below is an outline of the resulting trends/patterns along with solutions:

AREAS FOR GROWTH STRATEGIES & SOLUTIONS
COMMUNICATING WITH PARENTS & FAMILIES
  • Add a section to the Principal’s Blog that features a different content area each week, sharing tidbits about what students are learning and doing.
  • Once a quarter, share updates about what is happening in our clubs.
  • Increase teacher communication with parents.
SUPPORTING SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING OF STUDENTS
  • Institute a weekly homeroom class specifically to teach SEL (Social Emotional Learning) curriculum.

 

 

Thank you all for a great school year!  If you have any questions please feel free to reach out to us via email or call the school and leave a message.

 

Warmly,

Dr. Heide

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Final Post of the 2019-2020 School Year!
April 29 2020

Week of 04.29.20

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

I can’t believe we are already finishing up the month of April!  The time is going by so quickly!  I’m grateful for our Westlake school community and all the wonderful people (students, staff, and parents) who make every day a joy.  I know things aren’t what we imagined they would be at this time a few weeks ago, but it is important that we try to find the joy in the current situation as best as we can.   Thank you to all of our  parents and guardians for your work in the essential work field and for supporting your children’s education at home.  You all are doing a great job during such a historic and challenging time. 

Digital Family Resources

Check out the following from our library!

Best Family Documentaries by Common Sense Media 

Common Sense Media is a nonprofit resource for families discussing technology and entertainment.  There are libraries of reviews organized by age and content to browse.  Best Documentaries

Recommended Audiobooks by Common Sense Media

There is also a list of audiobooks organized by age from Audible (for free).  Best Free Audiobooks on Audible

 

Podcasts recommended by Common Sense Media

For something a little different try listening to these podcasts – maybe even during dinner.  Podcasts for Tweens and Teens

 

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 04.29.20
April 15 2020

Week of 04.15.20

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

I hope you and your family are doing well and staying healthy.  I know the state-wide stay at home order has provided each of our families lots of time together which is good….and probably has caused patience with each other to run a bit thin.  Cultures of Dignity published an interesting article around how to navigate the family dynamics during quarantine….I hope you find it helpful!  Take care of yourselves and stay healthy!

YOU HATE EACH OTHER… NOW WHAT?
Navigating household dynamics during quarantine

We need to keep healthy, safe, and connected to each other. But the everyday moments of living together can be seriously challenging. Even in the best of times, the ability to regulate yourself and have a high level of social and relationship skills has always been the most important skills a person needs to function and thrive. Now, it is critical to you and everyone you’re living with.

Let’s keep in mind:

  • Conflict is always inevitable. In this situation it’s even more likely.

  • Conflicts are usually about two things: the actual thing people disagree about and how we are talking to each other about the problem.

  • It’s up to us to try our best to be easy on people, hard on ideas.

  • No matter what happens, we still have to interact with each other. We aren’t going anywhere, so it’s in everyone’s best interest to get to a better place. That means really listening; being prepared to be changed by what you hear.  Beware the temptation to wait for someone to stop talking so we can tell them why they’re wrong and we’re right.

  • Everyone is going to have to change at least one thing about what they’re doing to make the problem better and get us closer to where we want to be.

Before talking to the person you’re frustrated with go to a quiet place and write your responses to the following questions:

  1. What are the three things you want to accomplish in this meeting?
  2. Are your three goals realistic?
  3. What is one thing you want to hold yourself accountable during this meeting?

During the conversation, it is important to aks “curious” questions instead of a “why would you ever think X question” is. Try using these sentence stems:

Can you tell me more about…

Help me understand why…

What’s success look like here?
Maybe it didn’t go perfectly. That’s OK. It’s unrealistic to expect that one meeting will solve the conflict. So have a short check the next day. And don’t worry, you’ll have more opportunities to practice.

Whether you’re cooped up at home or not, you can use this strategy anytime you’re in conflict with other people.

News from the Library

Have you taken a look at the reading resources on the Westlake Library homepage?  During this time of remote learning across the state and country, publishers have increased access to digital books for students and families.  These are available along with the titles already a part of the Westlake Library. Two of the resources (Sora and MackinVia) provide access to both eBooks and digital audiobooks.  Two other links offer access to LightBox Interactive books. These titles have embedded quizzes, games, and activities as well as titles in multiple languages. The Audible link also includes titles in six different languages along with two additional audiobook resources focused on YA literature.  Instructions for accessing each resource are linked as well.

Now might be a great time to revisit the Harry Potter series (through the Audible).  Start a family book club at the dinner table. Learn new science facts while taking care of the laundry.  Reading is beneficial for all aspects of children’s lives. Of course it improves academic skills like literacy, but it also increases imagination, expands world views, and builds compassion.  Take a look at the Westlake Library page has to offer. If you would like a book recommendation, just answer the questions on this link: https://forms.gle/MUFxv8kuWtrFdKxt5

For even more options, don’t forget to visit your public library’s site.  They have many more digital titles available and a digital library card if you need one! 

 

Info for 8th Graders Interested in Color Guard at Legacy HS

Are you interested in getting more information about the Legacy Color Guard?  If you are fill out this form by clicking HERE.

 

 

WEB Leader Application is now available!

We are excited to inform our current 7th grade students and families that the W.E.B. Leader application for the 2020-2021 school year is now open.  Please click HERE for information and the application.

Staff Member of the Year Nominations Extended!

If you would like to nominate a staff member for our new recognition program you still have time.  Click HERE to submit your nomination today!

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 04.15.20
April 8 2020

New posting day! Week of 04.08.20 through 04.14.20

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

I hope you are all doing well and enjoying the spring weather we’ve had the past few days.  The sun has certainly been a welcome addition to our days at home and remote learning!  I came across an interesting set of 10 tips from Random Acts of Kindness that I wanted to share with everyone.  Check out the Random Acts of Kindness website for more ideas around kindness during this time of challenge and difficulty by clicking HERE.

One of the things we know about times of crisis is that sticking to a routine is crucial to our own mental health. So, we’ve put together 10 tips on how to maintain a routine of kindness during difficult times:

  1. Maintain a sleep schedule and manage your hygiene. This may be difficult for those working on the front lines, but remember that sleep is critical to wellness. Getting enough (continuous) sleep is so important! Keep up with your hygiene habits. Get showered, brush your teeth, wash your face, wear something other than pajamas (even though they are so comfy!) and include bright colors in your daily wardrobe.
  2. Do good for others! When we help others and increase altruistic behavior, we are doing good for ourselves. There is a LOT of evidence about the science of doing good and why it benefits our own health. Make sure that while you’re taking care of yourself, you’re doing what you can to support others.
  3. Get outside. Go for a walk. Play frisbee. Plant some flowers. Try to go for at least 30 minutes. If you can’t go outside, open the windows. Get fresh air and sunshine. Vitamin D is so important to our physical and mental health. Soak up some rays!
  4. Connect with others. Use your phone or platforms like FaceTime, Skype or Zoom to talk with family and friends. Share how you’re feeling and actively listen to others when they share how they are feeling.
  5. Spend a little extra time with your children and/or pets. They may be confused and/or scared. This is a great time to build stronger connections with those around you. Looking for ideas for things to do with your kids? Did you know we have a curriculum that has all kinds of great ideas and activities? Check it out and adapt the lessons for use at home! And, it is SO IMPORTANT to keep kids on a schedule as well. Let your children help with creating a daily schedule that includes academics, exercise, creative time, quiet time and time to connect with friends.
  6. Drink lots of water! Eat healthy. Often, during stressful times we over-indulge and don’t maintain a healthy diet. Use this time to re-evaluate your diet and try new recipes!
  7. Develop a self-care plan for yourself. Consider strategies that are proven to work well for many. Listen to music you love, burn a candle that smells good, write in your journal or read a book. When was the last time you colored something? Get out the crayons and colored pencils and color a picture! Take a long warm bath. Start a craft project. Organize a room. Whatever feels good to you… do it and pat yourself on the back for taking care of yourself.
  8. Be kind. Everyone is doing their best right now. It is easy to be judgmental of how others are handling this challenging time, but know that we all operate a little differently. Offer a bit of grace to others during this time. Notice all the good things happening in the world right now. There are a ton of great things… just do a search online for “good news during Covid-19” and you’ll find a lot!
  9. Find a reason to smile every day. In fact, find a way to generate a good hearty belly laugh every day. It does a body good.
  10. Be grateful. There is SO MUCH to be grateful for right now. Practicing gratitude builds resilience and helps us through the toughest times. Find three things every day that you are grateful for and write them down. Put the lists in a jar and look at your lists months from now to remind you of all the little reasons you were able to get through this period.

We can do this if we keep a routine of love, laughter and beauty at the forefront.

Students not returning to school this school year…..when can we get our things? And other questions you might have with the school closure and remote learning

I know the news from our district regarding school being closed for the rest of the year might have raised a number of questions for you around when/how do we get our belongings from our lockers, what about awards ceremonies or other end of the year events, or when/how do we get our yearbooks, to name a few.  Please know that Westlake along with our district are working on how we address all of these questions.  A plan will be shared with you soon around all these pieces, especially how students will get their items out of their lockers, within the next few weeks.  Thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate this unprecedented event of the school moving to remote learning for the remainder of the year.

In addition, teachers are posting the upcoming week’s assignments on Fridays by noon.  Teachers will respond to questions from students and parents regarding new assignments after the weekend.  Please feel free to reach out to us any time with questions.

Virtual Spirit Week!

Please join us this week for a couple of fun days of virtual school spirit!  Check it out!

 

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on New posting day! Week of 04.08.20 through 04.14.20
April 3 2020

Week of 04.06.20

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

 

We made it through the first week of remote learning!  It was great to reconnect with kids this week and see their shining faces either in live class meetings or in pictures of them posted in the classroom spaces.  I know it is a challenge trying to balance your own work from home and overseeing what your children are doing in the virtual classroom space.  We are working hard to learn from the feedback our students and parents are giving us and what we are seeing in the virtual classroom space in order to create the best possible learning opportunity for students under the circumstances.  I came across this Parents’ Ultimate Guide to Google Classroom that I thought you would be interested in it.  Check it out by clicking HERE.  I hope this helps you!  If you have questions please feel free to reach out to the teachers or school administration any time.

We have put together a one-stop-shop location for access to all the Westlake teacher’s remote learning access points.  To access this information click HERE

Online Class Etiquette Tips and Tricks

Across the nation schools have moved to a remote learning environment and it has highlighted the critical nature of understanding how to interact with one another in this virtual environment.  Below are some guidelines for students as they engage in the online environment:

1. Be respectful. While it is easier to say hurtful or disrespectful things without standing face-to-face with someone, it is important to remember that your classmates and teachers are real people who are affected by the words you say and write.  It is essential to keep in mind the feelings and opinions of others, even if they differ from your own.  If you wouldn’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it online either.

2. Be aware of strong language, all caps, and exclamation points. It is easy for written text to be misread and misunderstood.  Have you ever sent a text message with good intent but your recipient thought you were being rude? If so, then you’ve experienced this firsthand.  By being cognizant of strong language, you can identify potential confusions before sending messages.  Tip: Read everything out loud before you send it.

3. Be careful with humor and sarcasm. Certainly you shouldn’t avoid being funny. We love to see your personality shine through in online classes.  Many of our teachers are exceptionally funny too.  But like mentioned in Rule #2, make sure that it is clear you are being funny and not being rude. Emoticons and smileys can be helpful when conveying humor or sarcasm so that it is read correctly. Just remember to keep the smiley faces away from academic papers. 😉

4. Yes, grammar and spelling matter. While texting, textspeak can b gr8 4 ur friends.  In an educational setting (even online) however, keep it formal.  Your written communication should be professional and reflect proper writing style.  Save written shortcuts and less than stellar grammar for Snapchat if you must, but follow grammar rules for school.

5. Cite your sources. Whenever you are sharing an idea that originated from someone else (even if it is not word for word), it is good practice to cite that source.  This applies to discussion forums too.  If you read a great thought in your text, share it, but be sure you let your audience know where you saw it first.

6. Don’t post or share (even privately) inappropriate material. Enough said there. Nothing is truly private online.

7. Be forgiving. Remember that not everyone will know these rules before posting. Try to be understanding of others when they struggle with written communication.  It is very different than simply talking to a person face-to-face.

(“7 Rules for Online Etiquette.” Achieve Virtual Education Academy, 7 Feb. 2019, achievevirtual.org/7-rules-for-online-etiquette/.)

 

Technology Help and Support

Our district has tech support for you!  If you are struggling with the Remote Learning technologies, we have several options for assistance with technical issues, including:

For each option above, please provide as much information as possible to help us respond to the issue you are experiencing (student name, student ID / lunch number, a phone number or email we can use to contact you, a complete description of the problem).

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 04.06.20
March 29 2020

Week of 03.30.20

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

I hope you all had a restful and relaxing extended Spring Break and are staying healthy and safe.  We have really missed the kids over this extended break and have been thinking of all of our community throughout this unprecedented time in history.  This week we kick off our remote learning at Westlake and in Adams 12!  Our teachers are working through developing lessons and ensuring students have access to continued learning and connection through online resources.  I’m so proud of the Westlake staff in how they have made the needed changes from face to face instruction to meeting the needs of kids at home.  As you may imagine, this will be an imperfect plan.  Please have patience with the Westlake and Adams 12 staff as we navigate this new landscape of remote learning together.  You can expect more communication from your child’s teachers on how to access their online learning by Wednesday.  Keep an eye out for an email from us!

Like you, I have kids at home with me and I’m feeling a bit anxious about managing my work from home and their learning.  We are in this together as a Westlake school community so please don’t hesitate to reach out to myself or the assistant principals and the teachers with any questions or concerns.  All the staff email addresses can be located on our website by clicking HERE.   Below are some resources that might be of help to you as we begin remote learning and parents/guardians are balancing student learning and their own work:

Common Sense Media

Adams 12 Website

NPR Article

Most importantly, take care of yourselves, let your kids know we miss them and that we look forward to reconnecting (in a new way) with them this week.  We are so grateful for our community and are honored to get to serve our community by educating our youth!  Thank you for your partnership and please reach out to us through email any time.

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 03.30.20
March 13 2020

Week of 03.16.20

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

 

As you know, our Spring Break has been extended to begin March 16th.  For those of you who have a child with medications at the school or need to pick up items from your child’s locker please come to the school between 9am-12pm.  All scheduled events such as the incoming 6th grade Welcome Night, music concerts, field trips, and Saturday School are all postponed until further notice.  Because this is an extended Spring Break there is no expectation that students complete school work or do remote learning.  However, many of the Westlake teachers have added additional resources to their websites for students to keep their learning fresh while we are on break.

We know there are a lot of unknowns right now in regard to the impact and spread of the COVID-19 virus.  Our Westlake school community cares for our students and families and we hope that our families will have very limited impact by this virus.  You are all in our thoughts and we look forward to seeing you again when we return to school.

Places to get Food/ Health Care and Necessities 

Lugares para obtener alimentos / atención médica y necesidades.

We will start meal service on Tuesday, March 17 and operate through the last day of the extended spring break (Friday, March 27). Meals will be served at the following locations from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

Comenzaremos el servicio de comidas el martes 17 de marzo y operaremos hasta el último día de las vacaciones de primavera extendidas (viernes 27 de marzo). Las comidas se servirán en los siguientes lugares de 10:30 a.m. a 1:30 p.m., de lunes a viernes.

 

Horizon High School – 5321 E. 136th Avenue, Thornton , CO

Legacy High School – 2701 W. 136th Avenue, Broomfield, CO

Mountain Range High School – 12500 Huron Street, Westminster, CO

Northglenn High School – 601 W 100th Place, Northglenn, CO

Thornton High School – 9351 N Washington Street, Thornton, CO

 

Community Food Share- Broomfield

303-652-3663

650 S. Taylor Ave., Louisville, CO 80027

 

North Denver Cares Food Pantry

6900 W. 117th Ave., #700 W

303-466-2115

Tuesday & Wednesday from 10:00am to 2:00pm

Thursdays 5:00pm to 7:00pm

Seniors only on Thursdays 9:00am to 11:00am

Emergency baskets available on request.

 

Broomfield FISH, Inc.

26 Garden Center, Ste. # 1

303-465-1600

For Broomfield residents in need.

Open Monday through Friday 9:00am to 12:00pm, and 1:00 to 4:00pm. (Wednesdays until 6:30pm)

Call first for an appointment to come to the food pantry.

 

The Refuge

11600 Quay St #200, Broomfield, CO 80020

Phone: (720) 295-2270

 

Health

Broomfield Health and Human Services

Main Information 

Ph: 720.887.2200

Fx: 303.469.2110

100 Spader Way

Broomfield, CO 80020

 

Building Hours:

Monday – Friday (8 a.m. 5 p.m.)

 

Kids First Health Care

303-289-1086

4675 East 69th Avenue, Commerce City, CO 80022

 

 

As our building will be closed over the extended Spring Break, if you have need of assistance please call the district at 720.972.4000.  We are grateful for our families in our school community and we look forward to seeing you all again soon.

 

Dr. Heide, Principal Westlake Middle School

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 03.16.20
March 6 2020

Week of 03.09.20

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

Time is just flying by this school year and I can’t believe we are in March already!  I love Spring semester for all the exciting events that happen and, most importantly, for getting to see how our students have grown over the course of the year in their learning.  From the concerts to the demonstrations of learning through presentations or assessments it just makes me smile to see how far our kids have come from the beginning of the school year.

Please take a moment to read through the information below and please feel free to reach out to me any time with questions.

Congratulations Mr. Hinkle!

Recently, our very own Mr. Hinkle, who teaches Spanish here at Westlake, received recognition from a Westlake alum!  This prior student recognized Mr. Hinkle for having significant impact in her life and influencing her future!  Congratulations  to Mr. Hinkle for making the difference in the lives of Westlake kids.  We are so proud of you!

March 19th- Non-Student Contact Day

Adams 12 Five Star Schools will be closed for students on Thursday, March 19, 2020 due to labor shortages. 

This change to the district calendar is being made because hundreds of teachers from Adams 12 Five Star Schools have indicated they will take personal leave on Thursday, March 19 to participate in The Colorado Education Association’s (CEA) planned statewide rally of educators at the Capitol during that day. 

The lack of sufficient staff would impact the district’s commitment to provide a safe and productive learning environment, and that is why we have decided to not have school for students on Thursday, March 19. 

Although students will not be present, this remains a workday for all Five Star District staff and employees not at work that day must use personal time. 

Here are some additional details about March 19 that you should know: 

  • Field trips and activities originally scheduled during the school day will not proceed unless you hear differently from your school. 
  • After-school athletics and activities will proceed as scheduled, unless you hear differently from your school. 
  • Childcare will be available for families currently enrolled in BASE only. Families will hear directly from their BASE Director with additional information and locations. 
  • No make-up day will be necessary unless we have multiple snow days before the end of the school year. 
  • This closure does not include students attending New America, Prospect Ridge, Stargate and Westgate. If they have a change in their normal day, you will receive separate communication from their building leaders. 

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause families. Our hope is that by making you aware of this situation with advance notice, it will help families make arrangements for Thursday, March 19. 

All schools will be open and operating on a normal schedule for Friday, March 20. 

According to the Colorado Education Association’s (CEA) website, they are promoting a day of action for educators to rally at the Colorado State Capitol because “Colorado students deserve a fully funded education system and educators who can afford to stay in the profession.” CEA has communicated that they are targeting the following outcomes: (1) secure a living wage for educators, (2) pass an initiative for a statewide ballot issue in 2020 to fix the broken education funding system and (3) eliminate the Budget Stabilization Factor (a measure of how far below pre-recession levels schools are funded) by 2022. 

Thank you for your partnership in supporting student success in the Five Star District. 

 

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=”5e62b7fb919c7″][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EAvenger Core Field Trip%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECoding Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGirl Power Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Flag Football %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENewspaper Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EStudent Council Meeting %40 3%3A45pm%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%3EMandarin Club %40 7%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EFusion Core Field Trip%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Flag Football%40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EMath Counts %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %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%3E7th Grade Jazz Band %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Flag Football %40 7%3A45am%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”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECreative Writing Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E8th Grade Band Field Trip%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%3EDisc Golf Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ELove and Logic Class in Spanish %40%C2%A0 6pm%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%3E8th Grade Jazz Band %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGalactic Core Field Trip%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 03.09.20
February 28 2020

Week of 03.02.20

Dear Westlake Parents and Guardians:

This past week was an awesome week of music concerts!  Our students displayed their performance skills in orchestra, band, and choir and demonstrated how much they’ve grown in their musical accomplishments.  It is always a wonderful experience to hear students at the beginning of the year just learning to play an instrument or use their voice along with their classmates to make harmony and then hear them again about two-thirds through the year.  I’m always blown away by how much change there is and the accomplishments our students make.

Thank you for the gift of your children!  We are so grateful at Westlake to be a part of the lives of your children and your families.  We are thankful for our school community!

CMAS State Testing FAQ

CMAS testing is right around the corner on April 2, 3, and 6.  Please take a moment to click HERE to access a FAQ page regarding our state standardized testing. If you have any questions please call the school at 720.972.5200.

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=”5e5829fc57845″][wmd-accordion-tab title=”Monday”]%3Cp%3E%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cul%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3E6th Grade Registration%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDrama Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ECoding Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGirl Power Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Flag Football %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENewspaper Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EStudent Council Meeting %40 3%3A45pm%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%3EMandarin Club %40 7%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EIntramural Flag Football%40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EMath Counts %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EWEB Leader Meeting %404pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EWashington DC Pre-Departure Meeting %40 5%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%3EIntramural Flag Football %40 7%3A45am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EArt Club 7%3A45am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EBattle of the Books %40 lunch time%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%3ECreative Writing Club %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EGSA %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3EDisc Golf Club %40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ELove and Logic Class in Spanish %40%C2%A0 6pm%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%3E8th Grade Jazz Band %40 7%3A30am%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3Cli%3ENJHS Mandatory Meeting%40 3%3A45pm%3C%2Fli%3E%0D%0A%3C%2Ful%3E[/wmd-accordion-tab][/wmd-accordion]

 

 

Category: Weekly Blog Posts | Comments Off on Week of 03.02.20
February 21 2020

Week of 02.24.20

Westlake Parents and Guardians:

I was recently doing some reading about leadership and found an interesting TedTalk on the topic of self-leadership.  The idea is similar to the concept of putting one’s oxygen mask on before helping someone else with their’s in that in order to best lead others one must understand themselves first.  There were three tenets that were mentioned in this TedTalk on self-leadership that I thought any parent/guardian could understand and apply themselves:

  • Self-awareness
  • Self-reflection
  • Self-regulation

While all of these tenets resonated with me as I think about my own leadership role as a principal and a parent the one that really stood out to me was self-regulation.  Part of self-regulation is reframing issues that come up in order to determine the best course of action for one’s self and others.  I know I sometimes (often) react too quickly to things as a mom and only after the fact see a better path once I’ve taken time to understand my emotion and see clearly the issue.  Self-regulation is a valuable skill to ensure I can offer my best self to those around me.

Join Westlake and the PTO for the Dine-out this week!

Save the Date:  Our last Westlake Dine-Out night of the year will be at Your Pie on Tuesday, February 25 from 5-9pm.  No need to show a flyer or mention Westlake – 15% of all sales that night will go to our school.  Your Pie is located at 14342 Lincoln St, Thornton, CO, 80023.  Hope to see you there!

New Share Table in the Cafeteria

We are reaching out to let you know about something new in our school lunchroom.  Starting Wednesday, February 19th, we will have a Share Table available for students in the cafeteria.  The share table is for students who participate in the school lunch or breakfast program. Students can place whole fruit and unopened, packaged items on this table that they are not able to eat or that they don’t want to take with them. The share table will be located in the cafeteria and the food items will be available for other students to take at no cost.  This resource helps in two ways: 1) reduces the amount of food thrown away and eventually put in the landfill and 2) provides additional nutrients to other students. We are excited to provide this opportunity to our school community!  

If after finishing their breakfast or lunch your child wants more to eat, we invite you to encourage them to check the share table for items they may enjoy.  Due to allergy and food safety concerns, the share table can only be used to share items from the school meal program. Foods brought from home cannot be placed on the share table. Items with opened packages or partially eaten food products are also not allowed on the share table. If your child has a food allergy, we encourage you to talk to your child about the allergy and whether you would like them to utilize this new resource.

We want to avoid students taking extra food from the line for the purpose of sharing at the share table.  We ask that you talk to your child about the importance of sharing, but remind them to only take what they can eat.  

We hope that you will talk to your student(s) about our new share table. If you have any feedback, questions or concerns about the new share table, please contact me at 720-972-4194.

Opportunity for Parents/Guardians from Mental Health Partners

At Parent Teacher Conferences, the local Mental Health Partners had a flyer available for parents and guardians regarding an opportunity to attend a free suicide prevention training.  For more information please click HERE.

 

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 02.24.20