September Newsletter

West Families,

It has been a great start to the year and we are so pleased with how quickly students have adapted to having a routine and schedule. Seeing students interact with their teachers and classmates is very exciting and we want to do everything we can to continue to have students learning in person. You can help by keeping your children home if they are sick. Here is the BSD Illness Procedure and link to the illness Decision Tree.

Illness Procedure: Recognizing that our community is currently in the Red Category for the spread of COVID-19, it’s more important than ever that we follow the Boise School District’s Illness Procedure, which includes a daily wellness check to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our schools.

• If a student has any of the symptoms on the Illness Decision Tree, they can return to school after 10 days AND when their symptoms have resolved OR they have a negative COVID test OR with an alternate diagnosis from their healthcare provider.
• Staying home when you have symptoms of illness protects the school community by preventing the spread of illness and allowing individuals the opportunity to rest and recover.

Our nurse, Ann Allard, can help with any questions you may have regarding the illness procedure. Of course, you may also contact me with any questions. Have a great Labor Day Weekend.

Mrs. Cherry

Monday, September 6-No School-Labor Day

Tuesday, September 7-PTBC (Parent Teacher Booster Club) Meeting at 3:00 in the library (all are invited)

Thursday, September 30-Spirit Day (Borah Homecoming Game). The PTBC will be selling West and Borah Spirit Wear at both lunches before this day. More information to follow.

All students at West Junior High are on a "Team." We want to ensure every student at West feels a part of our community. Besides being a part of a grade level, students are also assigned to a team. There are two teams per grade level.

7th Grade: Super 7's or Endeavor

8th Grade: GRIT or Discovery

9th Grade: Courage or Valor

The teams consist of core teachers and those core teachers meet daily to discuss student needs, concerns and progress. They also plan team building activities throughout the year, set team goals and have celebrations. Ask your child what team his/she is on and what it means to be on a team.

Thank you for everyone pulling forward and having your child ready to exit the car when entering the parking lot. It has really helped with the traffic flow on Trabuco. In the afternoons, please do not park in the neighborhood to wait for your child. We have had complaints of driveways and mailboxes being blocked. If there is not room in the parking lot, you may use the street over beyond the tennis courts and by Frank Church. Please just do not block the buses from driving to the back of the school. Also, double parking is not allowed on any of the streets. Thanks for helping us keep a good traffic flow and being good neighbors.

If you need to pick up your child during the school day, please call the attendance office at (208) 854-6450 and get a Permit To Leave (PTL). We will need the following information; your child's name, your name, and the time you need your child out of class. Only parents or legal guardians can request a PTL. Please try and give one hour notice. Once we receive your message, we will deliver the PTL to your child. Your child will show the PTL to the teacher and that will "permit" the student to leave class at the time needed.

Please call the attendance line if you child is going to be absent or was absent from school. The number is: Attendance: (208) 854-6454

If your child has lost their device charger, here is an option to replace it. The district is not replacing charging cords.

https://www.amazon.com/Charger-Adapter-Chromebook-CP311-CP315/dp/B085T959R7/ref=pd_lpo_1?pd_rd_i=B085T959R7&psc=1

Want an easy way to help West Junior High raise money? If you have a Fred Meyer Rewards Card all you have to do is link it to West Junior High and when you shop at Fred Meyer be sure to swipe your Shopper’s Card. Fred Meyer donates annually to participating organizations based on your percentage of spending as it relates to the total spending associated with all participating Fred Meyer Community Rewards organizations. Here is the link with more information and directions on how to link your card to West Junior High.

https://www.fredmeyer.com/i/community/community-rewards

Dear Parent/Guardian:

In the event of a school emergency, please understand that each school in the Boise School District has an Emergency Response Plan that has been carefully developed and addresses a multitude of emergency situations including active shooter. All of these plans have been developed through a coordinated effort with Ada County Emergency Management. If there is an emergency at your child's school, your cooperation is necessary to help us respond effectively to such situations.

In the event of an emergency, please help us by doing the following:

• Please do not call and do not go to the school.

  • In an emergency, onsite staff are focused solely on getting everyone to a safe location. Showing up to the site can create unnecessary traffic, preventing emergency vehicles from responding quickly. You could also put yourself or others in danger.

  • If you get a call or text from your student, help him or her remain calm. Remind your student that school staff know what to do in an emergency situation, and will work to keep everyone safe.

  • Please know we will communicate with parents/guardians about reunifying you with your child and that this reunification site may not be at the school.
    

• Check the Boise School District homepage at www.boiseschools.org, the District Facebook page or our Twitter feed.

  • We will provide credible, accurate and useful information to the public as soon as possible. Please be aware that Information received from sources other than the school administrator or Boise School District may be inaccurate.

  • Expect to see our posts updated as necessary. We will also provide updates to local news media, but emergency situations can change rapidly. Typically, multiple agencies are involved, so communication is coordinated through the " lead agency," which may cause a delay in notification.
    

• Sign-Up for Emergency Text Messaging:

  • We will use our emergency text notification system to contact parents and guardians. Please make sure your emergency contact information is always up to date at your child's school.

  • Parent/guardians whose contact information is on file with your child's school may sign-up for emergency text messaging.

1. Simply text SUBSCRIBE to the number 67587. You'll know you were successful if you receive the following reply message in English:

   1. "You're now registered with School Messenger notification service. Reply STOP to cancel, HELP for help. Msg&data rates may apply."

2. Repeat the opt-in process for any wireless numbers that you wish to include.

3. In addition to performing the opt-in process above, please ensure that the District has your wireless number(s) in our student information database. If you haven't already provided that information to your school please contact them as soon as possible.
   

• Non-parents may receive emergency text messages by downloading the Boise School District's Mobile app. The app is available in the Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

• Familiarize yourself with the terms that can be used during any emergency situation:

  • Shelter-in-place: Used to secure the building from a potential threat outside the building, such as when an unauthorized person is loitering on school grounds or when there is criminal activity in the neighborhood. Exterior doors are locked, but normal activities continue inside the building. Used during severe weather or other environmental threats (e.g., air contamination due to a local fire) to keep people safe while remaining indoors.

  • Reverse Evacuation: Used to secure students when they are outside and brought into the building if there is a potential threat from outside.

  • Hall Check: Used to return students quickly to their classrooms. All interior doors are locked and students continue with classroom activities.

  • Lockdown: Used when there is a perceived danger inside the building. Doors are locked, windows are closed and locked, blinds are closed. People are directed to move away from windows and doors. Hallways are cleared of students and school staff.

  • Evacuation: When students and staff are moved out of the building to a pre-designated safe location.

  • Reunification Site: An alternative site other than the school where school administrators will check-out students to the child's parent/guardian. Students will only be released to authorized parents/guardians with proper identification (e.g. driver's license, state identification, etc.)

All Boise School District staff members, parents, students and community members are encouraged to report anything they see, hear or are made aware of that may impact a school or school program. If you see or hear something, say something: call 911 or Boise Police Department at 208-343-COPS.

Please discuss these matters with your immediate family. Planning ahead will help alleviate concern during emergencies. Thank you in advance for following these steps to ensure our students, staff members and public remain safe and secure.

If you are coming to West, or any Boise School District event, please remember that masks are mandatory for all spectators inside the building. In addition, at outdoor events, masks are required if social distancing is not possible. Thank you.

AVID is having a car wash on Saturday, October 2. In preparation for the car wash, we are in need of any old bath towels. If you would like to donate any old towels, you can drop them off in the main office. If you have any questions, please email Mr. Moore at Patrick.moore@boiseschools.org

If you need to drop off medication or talk with the nurse about any of your child's health related issues, please call or email to make an appointment. She can be reached at (208) 854-6450 or ann.allard@boiseschools.org.

The following documents can help you decide if it is safe to send your student to school based on symptoms, or possible exposure to COVID-19. Please see the district website for more information. https://www.boiseschools.org/parents___patrons/health_services/coronavirus__covid-19__information___resources_

Support for Your Student

Although we hope that every student will have a smooth and productive year, we also know that there can be stressful situations at school. Our message to you is: We Want to Help! If your child texts/calls you at any time letting you know that they are currently struggling, please respond with “go to the office and ask to speak with a counselor, nurse, administrator” and then also call the office so we are aware of the situation. If your child is not in class, please let us know the location so we can ensure that your child is safe and being supported. Our goal is to support, problem solve and assist students to resolve the situation so that they can return to class and remain current with school work. If the situation is such that your child cannot return to class, we will contact you.

Please remember to tell your friends and neighbors about our self serving food pantry. The pantry is maintained by our West Student Council and is possible because of generous donations from our families. If you know of a club or organization wanting to sponsor the pantry for a service project, please contact Mrs. Warnock at jonelle.warnock@boiseschools.org.

We are always in need of grab and go items such as granola bars, individual fruit cups, peanut butter and jelly. Hygiene products are always needed as well.

Annual Notification Regarding Public Release of Student Directory Information

The Boise School District complies with federal law (Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act) as it relates to the release of student directory information to the public. To learn more, log on to www.boiseschools.org and navigate to Parents & Patrons > Parent Information > FERPA Form. Or, please call the Clerk of the Board at 208-854-4123 to obtain a copy of the FERPA form.

Janet Cherry - Principal

Bryce England - Assistant Principal

Email: janet.cherry@boiseschools.org
Website: https://west.boiseschools.org/
Location: 8371 W. Salt Creek Ct., Boise, ID 83709
Phone: 208-854-6450
Twitter: @WestMustangsBSD