Weekend Wire

08/29--Friday Flag

09/01--Labor Day--No School

09/12--Friday Flag

09/19--PTA Family Picnic 4pm-7pm

09/25--VAPA

09/26--Friday Flag

09/29--District Professional Growth Day--No School

10/02--VAPA

What an amazing first week and a half of school we had! A big thank you to our PTA for sponsoring the Welcome Back popsicle party on Tuesday, where students were able to walk around campus, reconnect with friends, and see where their classroom would be for the year.

Last Wednesday was an exciting day as we welcomed students back onto campus for their first day of school. On Thursday night, it was great to see all of the parental support as families came out to learn about their student’s classroom teacher and how to best support their child this year.

We ended last week on a high note with our first Friday Flag assembly of the year. We had a very special guest make an appearance—our Roadrunner mascot! We truly appreciate our Foundation for making that possible. Be sure to ask your student about the appearance if you haven’t already heard about it or witnessed it live. That event truly showed what makes Westwood such a special place: our students, our staff, and our school community all coming together with excitement and positive energy.

This positive energy continued into this week as students began to settle into their classrooms and learn more about their teachers and classmates. On Thursday, our students also had their first VAPA lesson of the year, where they learned about theatre.

The year is off to a wonderful start, and I continue to be amazed by our students, our staff, and our community. I’m looking forward to another amazing year and a strong partnership with all of our parents.

Dear Families,

This week, our school is focusing on the character strength of Curiosity. Curiosity means being interested in learning new things and asking questions to discover more about the world around us.

When we are curious, we want to know more and understand better. Curiosity helps us stay interested in stories, try new activities, and even explore new places. Everyone experiences curiosity in different ways, whether it's through asking questions, thinking deeply, or feeling excited about new ideas.

Being curious also takes courage. It means asking questions when we don’t know the answers and being willing to try new things, even if we might not succeed right away. But it’s through this curiosity and exploration that we learn and grow.

To practice and encourage curiosity at home, please visit The Positivity Project’s mobile-friendly P2 for Families (available in English and Spanish), where you will watch a video together and discuss a quote and three questions. Below are links to this week’s P2 for Families lessons. Click on the grade level that best meets your child’s needs.

Pre-K–K

Thank you for your support!

To ensure a smooth start to the school day and maximize learning time, please follow these guidelines for arrival:

Students should arrive at school after 7:10 am for breakfast or after 7:20 am to be on the playground unless they are involved in special activities before school. Supervision is not available before these times.

It is important for your child to be on time each day. The bell rings at 7:40 am, signaling students to line up for class.

Students need to be seated in class and ready to learn by 7:45 am.

If students arrive on campus after the main gate closes at 7:43 am, they must enter through the office and will be marked tardy.

By ensuring timely arrival, we can help your child start their day positively and be prepared for a successful day of learning.

Westwood Families

This year, we will have all 800+ students departing at the same time each day beginning day 1.

1. It is our recommendation to arrive early, park on the street, or walk if possible.
2. Please respect our student safety patrol and all staff members in the parking lot who are trying their hardest to keep students and families safe.
3. The loading zone along the red curb closest to the school building is for loading only. Please do not leave your car unattended. This line moves very quickly as students are entering vehicles, and the system relies on drivers to stay in their cars at all times. This lane is marked on the parking map with a red line.
4. There is also a lane to use to circle around the parking lot if you are waiting to enter the loading lane. The only way to enter the loading lane is at the entrance to the driveway, marked with a red star on the map, or when there is space just past the exit driveway.
5. There is a large section blocked off with orange cones just past the front office. This is for the many school buses and after school programs who pick students up. Please do not park in the coned off section. This area is marked with an orange line on the parking lot map.
6. Please do not double park along any of the red curbs on the exit side of the parking lot. This prevents other cars and buses from being able to exit. This means the driver cannot leave their vehicle if parked at the curb.
7. Please follow all traffic rules including using crosswalks in the school parking lot as well as out on Matinal Rd.
8. Please discuss with your student the pickup plan.
   

Based on feedback from families and staff, the district is working on improvements to make the volunteer process more efficient and user-friendly.

While our new system is being finalized, we are still welcoming volunteers. For now, anyone interested in helping on campus can do so as a visitor until our updated process launches, tentatively scheduled for mid-September.

We encourage you to take this time to complete your TB assessment so you’ll be ready when the updated system is in place. We will share more details as we get closer to launch. You can learn more about this process by visiting the District website.

Thank you for your ongoing support. Our volunteers truly make a difference in the lives of our students.

Under California’s Universal Meals Program, all PUSD students continue to receive school breakfast and lunch meals at no cost. The Application for Free and Reduced-Price Meals, however, is still very important for meal reimbursement purposes and for LCFF funding. Because income eligibility guidelines change annually, families must reapply every year. Please encourage households to apply online at MySchoolApps.com, or to complete a paper application. Students that meet income criteria for free or reduced-price meal eligibility may qualify for additional benefits, such as discounts on after-school care, AP testing fees, transportation, home internet, and some utilities. Families with questions about the meal application should call PUSD Food and Nutrition at 858-668-2570.

The San Diego County Office of Education is excited to share a new Mindfulness Series for Parents and Caregivers coming this September. "Learning to Relax Through Mindfulness" are free online classes designed for parents and caregivers of school-aged children offering insights on stress management and relaxation tips and techniques. Please see the flyer for more information.

2025-2026 Yearbooks are on sale now! Buy yours now to save 10% and to not have to worry about it at the end of the year.

To purchase a yearbook, use the following link:

https://www.treering.com/purchase?PassCode=1015978769242468

Bill Egan

Principal

Email: kholmes@powayusd.com
Website: https://westwood. powayusd.com
Location: 17449 Matinal Road, San Diego, CA, USA
Phone: 858-487-2026
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WWESRoadrunners
X: @RoadrunnersWwes

Nondiscrimination Philosophy and Policy Statement

The Poway Unified School District (PUSD) is an equal opportunity employer/program and is committed to an active Nondiscrimination Program. PUSD prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, and bullying based on actual or perceived race, color, ancestry, national origin, nationality, immigration status, ethnicity, ethnic group identification, age, religion, marital or parental status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or gender expression or association with a person or a group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. For more information, please contact: Title IX/Equity Compliance Officer, James Jimenez, Associate Superintendent of Personnel support Services, Poway Unified School District, 15250 Avenue of Science, San Diego, CA 92128, 1-858-521-2800, extension 2121, jjimenez@powayusd.com. For students, you may contact Title IX Coordinator/504 Coordinator Jamie Dayhoff, Director of Attendance and Discipline, Poway Unified School District, 1-858-521-2840, jdayhoff@powayusd.com.