W.E.stchester Weekly
News from the Principal
Greetings WE Families,
We made it to the end of the first semester! It has been a really great first half of the year. I am looking forward to the great things to come next semester. However, I know we are all looking forward to having the upcoming break. I hope this break is restful and relaxing for you and your family.
Join us at 8:15 a.m. tomorrow morning for Community Circle. It is also an Early Release Day, so we will dismiss at 12:50 p.m. The semester break is December 22nd-January 5th. We will see all students back on January 6th. Stay safe and warm.
From your very grateful principal,
Christine Knox
Westchester Crew Holiday Gifts
It’s December and, as we all know, one of the busiest times of the year! I wanted to take the opportunity to inform you that all of the Westchester Crew members will be receiving a holiday gift from the class funds (these are not associated with PTA as those are separate) that were collected earlier this school year. If your family wishes to gift any support staff members a gift this holiday season, then please refer to the staff list. Please note that this is always optional. Additionally, this list does not include the bus drivers and crossing guards.
Please reach out to Anne at annehaist11@gmail.com should you have any questions or concerns.
Wishing you all the happiest of holidays and the very best in 2026!
STAR Assessments
What’s the difference between the STAR Early Literacy assessment and the STAR Reading assessment?
The Star Early Literacy assessment evaluates the foundational components of reading development, including phonemic awareness, phonics, vocabulary, and comprehension, for students in Pre-Kindergarten to 3rd grade. This streamlined assessment generally requires 10-15 minutes to administer and is conducted with the assessment being read aloud to students. Students who achieve a score of 853 or higher are classified as "probable readers".
The Star Reading assessment evaluates the independent reading capabilities of students in grades K-12. This assessment delves into various aspects, including word knowledge, comprehension strategies, text meaning, and analysis of the author's craft. It is important to note that the assessment is not administered orally; students are required to be independent readers. The duration of the assessment typically ranges from 25 to 30 minutes. It is common to observe a decrease in scores from the Early Literacy assessment to Star Reading, reflecting the increased complexity of the latter.
If you have any questions about your child’s scores, please contact your child’s teacher or our Instructional Coach, Christie Manasso, at cmanasso@csdecatur.net.
Thank you!
Firefighter Donation
School Lunch Policy: Please be sure to maintain a positive lunch balance for your child. This will help us avoid any unexpected lunch changes for students. Check your Parent Portal frequently to make sure your child has adequate funds for the cafeteria. You may also find the Parent Portal app (for Apple or Android) to be more convenient.
Westchester Elementary School
Who to Contact: Please see who the best contact is for your questions for a quicker response.
Website: https://westchester.csdecatur.net/
Location: 758 Scott Boulevard, Decatur, GA, USA
Phone: 404-370-4400
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/westchesterelementarycsd