What's Happening at Western
Some thoughts for the starting school year
4/24/26
Dear Western families,
I actually wore my winter coat to work twice this week! This needs to stop. My twin daughters have Junior Prom this weekend, and the forecast looks miserable. No one wants to do a pre- or post-prom party (they know better than to ask me), and I am sure the money we spend on their hair will be a waste once they step outside. They will also be freezing in the 40ish degree weather in the short dresses required for the prom. We are praying for a miracle, but it is not looking too good.
Our 8th graders did such a great job on their NGSS assessment that we figured we would have ALL our students do state assessments for the next two weeks. All of our students will take the ELA SBA on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between 9:45am and 11:35am. Please make sure your child gets a good night’s sleep and eats something in the morning. Our wonderful PTA will provide nutritious snacks for all our students before each day of testing, which helps our students have the energy to persevere through testing. Please make sure your children charge their Chromebooks. There will be no homework the night before any testing day, so your children will actually be telling you the truth when they say they have no homework most of the next two weeks! Please see the testing schedule below, so you know when lunches will take place.
I am very relieved to let you know that I have collaborated with our transportation director and bus company to make sure any buses leaving or entering during the testing time will park in the lot near the gym to prevent the beeping near the classrooms. This went well for NGSS testing, and we are very glad the students will have the chance to fully focus on the testing without the noise of beeping.
Below are some pictures from last week's Career Day so you get a peek at what the day is like!
Hope you have a nice weekend, and good luck to all the parents with children going to the Junior Prom.
Sincerely,
Suzanne
As you can see below, we are starting our spring sports season strongly. With our softball and baseball scrimmage wins (which you know I count as official wins), our softball record is 3-0 and our baseball record is 1-1. Track does not officially keep score until the championship (which I have to talk to someone about), but the feedback is that they are running really well, especially in Thursday’s meet against EMS. So, those count as wins to me!
Monday:
Softball vs. CMS- WIN
Track vs CMS- WIN
Thursday
Softball vs EMS- WIN
Baseball vs EMS- LOSS 0-1
Track vs EMS- WINKeep it up next week Wildcats!
Upcoming Concert rehearsals:
Here is the schedule for next week's performing arts rehearsal:
Monday, April 27th: All Orchestra, Chorus and Band students
Wednesday, April 29th: Chorus make -up rehearsal
Thursday, April 30th: 7th & 8th grade Orchestra, Chorus and Band students
Promotion Update
Our 8th grade promotion is set to go on our turf field this year on Friday, June 19th at 9:00am. We will have enough chairs set up for two family members of each student, as well as for handicapped or elderly guests. As many of your friends and family can attend the ceremony, however, personal lawn or beach chairs cannot be brought onto the turf. Wheelchairs and walkers are allowed on the turf. Guests can bring blankets to sit on, so think of it as a kind of promotional picnic. Luckily the ceremony is an hour or less as we like to be very efficient at Western!
We will have handicap spots in the lot by the gym, and a separate email will be sent to 8th grade families with a way to let us know who needs a handicapped spot. Now the challenge is making sure you all only use two chairs per student. I know what you are all thinking….
In the event of inclement weather the promotion ceremony will be held in the Auditorium and we will have to limit the number of guests to 2 per student. The ceremony will be livestreamed in the gym for any additional guests. The decision will be made the night before or morning of June 19th. Keep your fingers crossed for sun!
Western Wish Club Does it Again!
Our Western Wish Club keeps on giving! They raised $600 for the Make A Wish Foundation from their “morning shop” sales and Wear Blue Day. Thank you to Mr. Marmor and Ms. Grundy for working with our students in an effort to continue supporting an organization that means so much to the Western community.
Next Parent workshop: AVID Strategies and Home Routines to support homework completion
Please join us on Wednesday for our next Parent Workshop from 6:00-7:30 pm in the Media Center. The workshop will cover:
- AVID strategies: focused note taking process and identifying points of confusion
- Routines to support HW completion and helpful Aspen parent notifications
A translator will be present.
Please use this RSVP link if you plan to attend. PLEASE RSVP BY MONDAY SO WE HAVE A FINAL COUNT.
Last Reminder about Sports, Grades and Behavior
Here is my last reminder for the year about our expectations for any student on one of our teams. While we want our players to be able to play each day, their main focus is to be a student who maintains good grades and displays appropriate behavior in school. If they want to play sports at GHS, we don’t want either to get in their way. Below are the what will happen if a student is struggling in either area:
1. 2 or more Ds in the Progress category: students can practice and play in games, but they have to complete 3 extra help and or lunch sessions each week until their grades improve to no more than one D in the Progress category.
2. One or more F in the Progress category: the same applies as having 2 Ds, but they cannot play in games until they have no grades of an F in the Progress category.
3. If a student gets detention or any disciplinary action that day (e.g., they are sent to an administrator), then they will not be able to attend a practice or game that day.
We will always meet with a student to help them identify a plan to improve upon either area, so they can continue playing. Our goal is to help them be the best they can be as student while demonstrating their athletic skills on one of our teams.
GPS Withdrawals
We would rather you not leave us, but if your child will not be returning to Greenwich Public Schools next year, please fill out the GPS Withdrawal Form. While we hate to see you go, we do need to plan for next year as well as prepare for a smooth transition to your next school. If you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out to your child’s school counselor or our Administrative Assistant, Taryn Weiss.
Nominate a Western Difference Maker
A reminder that this year only one staff member from each school will receive the Difference Maker Award each month. I am asking for our staff and parents to help in nominating staff for this award. If you or your child believe one or more staff members make a difference in our school community or in your own lives, please use this link to nominate them and explain why they are deserving of this award.
The Science of Snacking
One of our parents came across this super interesting article about the science of snacking and we are sharing it with you all. It explains which snacks are best for fueling your brain during study sessions and offers some other helpful tips as well!
