Westwood Monthly Newsletter
October 2026
A Message from the Principal
What a great first month it has been at Westwood! It is hard to believe we have already completed our first month of school. As I walk through classrooms each day, I am so proud to see our youngest Dukes settling into routines, building friendships, taking on new challenges, and growing as learners. Our teachers and staff have worked incredibly hard to create classrooms where students feel welcomed, supported, and ready to learn.
We have also reached an important milestone in our academic work by completing our Fall benchmark assessments and diagnostics. These assessments give our teachers valuable information about what each student knows and is ready to learn next. We use this information to make intentional decisions about instruction and how we can best support every learner.
This year, we have intentionally aligned our daily schedule to strengthen core instruction while providing students with opportunities to apply skills and engage in repeated practice. One of the ways we are doing this is through our Duke Time intervention block.
Based on our diagnostic data, every student is assigned to a Duke Group for targeted instruction, intervention, or enrichment. During this 40-minute daily block, students receive instruction connected to the five pillars of the Science of Reading: phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
You may see some students participating in book study groups and reading chapter books, while others are working with the UFLI (University of Florida Literacy Institute) resource to receive explicit, systematic, and targeted phonics instruction. Our “all hands on deck” approach allows each grade level to have a common block of time when students can receive support from classroom teachers, paraprofessionals, Intervention Specialists, and our Reading Specialist.
I am especially proud of the collaborative approach our staff has taken to this work. By bringing our team together during Duke Time, we are able to be intentional about targeting areas of need while also providing enrichment and opportunities for students to continue to stretch themselves. Every student. Every day. Every opportunity to grow. That is what Duke Time is all about!
Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences
As we look ahead, we are excited for the opportunity to connect with families during our Fall Parent-Teacher Conferences. Building a strong partnership between home and school is an important part of helping our students succeed, and these conversations provide a valuable opportunity to celebrate your child's successes, discuss areas for growth, and work together on next steps.
We have three conference opportunities:
- Thursday, October 8 | 3:30–7:30 p.m. (INVITATION only)
- Thursday, November 12 | 3:30–7:30 p.m.
- Friday, November 13 | 8:00 a.m.–2:45 p.m. (No school for students.)
Please sign up for a 20-minute conference with your child's teacher. Teachers will review your child's Fall assessment information, including Acadience Reading and NWEA MAP Growth Math results. These benchmark assessments are administered three times throughout the school year—Fall, Winter, and Spring—allowing us to monitor progress, celebrate growth, and adjust instruction and support along the way.
Thank you for trusting us with your children each day and for partnering with us in their education. I am incredibly proud of our Westwood staff and the care they put into knowing each student and meeting them where they are. Most importantly, I am proud of our students—their hard work, their perseverance, and the way they continue to show their Duke Pride each day.
There is so much to celebrate after our first month, and I am excited for all that is ahead! Thank you for being an important part of our Westwood family. Together, we are helping our youngest Dukes learn, grow, and thrive!
Sincerely,
Mrs. Milks
Ohio State Testing
3rd Grade State Testing- All 3rd graders are required to take part in 3rd-grade testing. The ELA test is given once in the FALL and then again in the SPRING, and the Math test is only given in the SPRING.
3rd Grade Fall ELA Ohio State Testing - October 20th- October 22nd
https://oh-ost.portal.cambiumast.com/ (resources for state testing)
