A note from our Principal
Happy February, West Side Families!
Do you realize we just made it through the coldest month of the year? That's right: January is statistically the coldest month of the year in Worland. Now, full disclosure, February isn't a great improvement, but in terms of temperature averages, February is the 3rd coldest month behind January and December, so that is some good news. Some more good news is the amount of daylight we gain in the month of February. I shared this last year, and I'll share it again this year: we gain 76 minutes of daylight from February 1 through February 28! That means the sun rises about 39 minutes earlier and sets 37 minutes later on February 28th than on February 1st. To me, that is a pretty good positive for the month of February.
The start of February also means we are at the midterm of 3rd quarter, which is crazy. Our students are working hard to reach proficiency on all of our math and English standards, and our teachers are continuously providing learning opportunities to enhance and enrich our students. We continue to ask for your support at home to help our students come to school with good energy and positive attitudes. We believe in our Core Values here at West Side, and this month we will be working on the following: Respect and Relationships. I think we all want our children to be respectful individuals who build strong relationships with each other. We would really appreciate your continued help at home this month on these two values. Thanks in advance and have a great February!
Principal
West Side Elementary
307-347-4298 (office)
Thunderbirds will begin a Battle of the Books competition on January 28th with the competition set for March 13th. This is a challenging competition in which teams of 4 read books from a given list. After each book, students write a summary of the book. At the end of six weeks, teams will compete in a "Family Feud," or "knowledge bowl-style" tournament by answering questions about the books. At the end of the preliminary rounds, the teams with the most points will proceed to the championship! We will send out information to parents about the competition day. Ready, set, read!
Thanks to our PTO for their help with this and our upcoming March Madness reading!
Happy February!
This year is flying by and we are looking forward to spring and warmer weather! This month in Guidance, our School Resource Officer, Colleen McClain, will be starting to teach DARE to our 5th graders. This is approximately a 10-week program, with a DARE graduation program to follow. Meanwhile, I will be teaching 4th Graders about growth mindset and why it matters.
In January, our Kindness Squad had the opportunity to make bags of candy (aka survival kits) to appreciate Worland's law enforcement. They even got to deliver them, but unfortunately, I totally forgot to take pictures! As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me.
Heather Rollema
K-12 School Counselor
TO: All PARENTS/GUARDIANS OF STUDENT(S) THAT ARE ELEVEN OR TWELVE YEARS OLD. The Wyoming Health Department is now aligned with the ACIP (Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices). New guidelines state if your child has turned eleven or twelve they are ready to receive their booster Tdap (Tetanus, Diptheria, pertussis) immunization. Please be advised that your child needs to have their Tdap booster before their 13th birthday to be in compliance with the Wyoming law. Please call your medical provider or Washakie County Public Health Office at 347-3278 to schedule an appointment for this immunization. Medical or Religious waivers may be obtained through the State of Wyoming Health Department or County Public Health office.
Thank you,
Gina Miller, RN WCSD#1 School Nurse
