November 21st, 2025
Assistant Principal ~ Mark Wackwitz
As we wrap up our month of gratitude, we want to start this newsletter off by thanking all of you for your support of your students and of West Middle School. With all of your support, students show up ready to learn and tackle new challenges every day and WMS as a school continues to move to bigger and better places. To keep this momentum going, please make sure you take a look at the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge in the Counseling section below.
Continuing with our gratitude theme, we also want to highlight last week’s Veterans Day assemblies, held on Friday, November 14. We were honored to welcome more than 30 veterans to West and enjoyed wonderful performances from the 8th Grade Choir, Orchestra, and Band. A huge thank you to Barb Hilinski for organizing communication, decorating the school, and coordinating with our guests to help the day run smoothly.
From all of us here at West, we wish you a safe, healthy, and relaxing Thanksgiving Break!
As we approach the Thanksgiving holiday, this is a wonderful time to talk with your student(s) about gratitude. When the days grow shorter and the weather turns cold, many of us can start to feel a bit more isolated—especially when we spend less time outdoors. Practicing gratitude is a simple, uplifting way to boost our mood, stay connected, and build positive habits at home.
Below are a few fun and meaningful ways to explore gratitude together. If you’re interested, consider trying the 21-Day Gratitude Challenge as a family!
- Share daily gratitude at dinner. Go around the table and have each person share something they’re grateful for that day.
- Create weekly “Thank You” postcards. Encourage your student to make a card for someone they appreciate—teachers, friends, neighbors, or family members.
- Start a “Giving Thanks” jar. Have family members add daily or weekly notes about things they’re grateful for. Collect them through December and choose a special day to read them together.
- Make a Gratitude Wreath. Decorate paper leaves with words or drawings of things each family member appreciates. Add as many creative touches as you’d like!
- Volunteer or donate to a cause. Giving time or resources is a powerful way to model gratitude and kindness.
Practicing gratitude doesn’t just brighten our days—it helps build strong, resilient kids. We hope these ideas spark meaningful conversations and moments of connection in your home this season.
CARE Values
Each quarter, we celebrate students who embody our CARE values of Community, Achievement, Respect, and Equity. These students don’t just know our values, they show them through their choices, interactions, and commitment to our school community.
CARE Values
Calculators
You are supporting our daily math classrooms by helping us purchase essential materials like calculators and tape. These items may seem simple, but they play a huge role in keeping lessons running smoothly, supporting hands-on learning, and ensuring every student has access to the tools they need.
CARE Values
CARE Values
CARE Values
CARE Values
CARE Values
CARE Values
VETERANS DAY
VETERANS DAY
VETERANS DAY
November Giftcard Drive
We’re honored to participate in CCSD’s November Donation Drive to support local students and families!
🗓 November 1–30
📍 Drop-Off: Security Office / Main Entrance
We could really use your help Wildcats, we’re extending help to West families impacted by recent funding pauses and shutdowns through $25–$50 Walmart or King Soopers gift cards, which will be confidentially distributed to those in need.
Your generosity supports CCSD’s mission of literacy, well-being, and equity for all students.
Thank you for helping make a difference in our community!
Don't have time to grab a gift card?
DON'T WORRY! Our PTCO President, Erin Hornstein, is happy to pick them up! Just Venmo her any amount - every bit helps! Your support directly funds activities, supplies, and events that make West such a great community for our students and staff. Thank you for always stepping up and showing your Wildcat pride!
Venmo QR Code is attatched!
Username: Erin-Hornstein
Hoodie = $45
T-Shirt = $25
Long Sleeve T-Shirt = $30
West Turkey Trot – Tuesday, November 25!
Students, get ready to move, give, and celebrate community at our First Annual West Turkey Trot! All students will have the chance to walk, jog, or run during their elective period as we promote fitness, gratitude, and connection across our West community.
Students are encouraged to bring one non-perishable canned food item to support the Cherry Creek School District Resource Pantry. After school, join us for a bake sale, with all proceeds going toward our annual Puppy Project, which helps purchase a service puppy for a deserving military veteran.
There will be music, water stations, and a “gratitude stop” where students can write messages of thanks on West paw prints. Weather permitting, we’ll head outdoors, but we have an indoor route ready too!
Let’s come together as one West community to celebrate health, wellness, and gratitude. 🧡
West Families:
We are so fortunate to be participating in CCSD's Donation Drive to support students and families during the upcoming month! We will be collecting individually packaged snacks, toiletries, and shelf-stable items to stock our school-based community pantries from November 1st until November 30th.
Students & families are welcome and encouraged to bring donations starting Monday, November 3rd to the Security Office/Main Entrance!
Help us by:
- Collecting individually packaged snacks, toiletries, and shelf-stable items in the bin.
- Make a Monetary donations via RevTrak
- Purchase from CCSD Amazon Wishlist.
Donation drives are one of many ways we support students through our CCSD strategic plan, which includes a focus on literacy, whole well being, and disproportionately.
Visit the CCSD Donation Drive page for more information!
📚 Yearbooks for Sale ! 📚
RevTrak will no longer be available after December 20th.
If you’d like to purchase online, please do so before Winter Break while the RevTrak link is still active.
Starting January 1st:
The yearbook price increases to $40.
We are beginning the transition to MySchoolBucks for online payments; however, we do not yet have a confirmed date for when the new link will be active. While we wait for the system to go live, yearbooks can be purchased in cash only with Ms. Wheeler in the Main Office or Mr. Klein in Bookkeeping.
We encourage families to purchase early - both to save money and to ensure a guaranteed copy, as we have a limited number of books available!
Not sure if you’ve already ordered a yearbook?
Email our yearbook sponsor, Caroline Rose Wheeler, to double-check!
Transportation is required by CDE Regulations to account for all students on the bus and unauthorized passengers are not permitted. However, the Transportation Department recognizes that circumstances may arise, e.g. a family emergency, parents out of town, etc., when a student needs to ride home with another student on a one-time only basis. The student must get off at the assigned stop of the student they are riding with (no exceptions).
Make sure to fill out and turn in the linked Permission Slip to the Campus Admins office no later than 9:00 AM on the requested ride date. Forms can be printed and handed to the Campus Admins Assistant. Hard copies of the form can be picked up from the Campus Admins office if they are needed but must be picked up prior to the day they need to ride a different bus. No emails will be accepted. If there is an emergency, please call the Campus Admins office at 720-554-5155.
