Westwood Email Template

As Lodi USD continues to move towards our goal of clear, timely, and transparent communication, we want to ensure that our families are receiving communication with ease. You should already be receiving communication through email and text - if you're not, please reach out to our school's office to let us know. The next step with staying connected is downloading the ParentSquare app! Available for both iPhones and Androids, downloading the app ensures instant access to updates, and provides an easy way to interact with posts, direct messages, forms, and more. Download the free app by following the link in the button below.

If you need help accessing ParentSquare, please reach out to communications@lodiusd.net.

🎃 Week 11 Family Update – Westwood Elementary 🍂

Dear Westwood Families,

We have an exciting week ahead at Westwood! We are looking forward to bringing our school community together for some fun fall activities. Here are a few important reminders!

Photo Retakes Tomorrow - Life Touch

Tomorrow Monday 10/19, we will have photo retakes for students that missed our original photo day or students that parents want their student to retake their photos.

🍬 Candy Donations Needed!
We are collecting candy donations for our upcoming festivities! Every donation helps, and we appreciate your support. The class that collects the most pounds of candy will win a pizza party! 🍕 Let's see which class can bring in the most!

⏰ Wednesday, October 21 – Minimum Day
Please plan accordingly for our early dismissal.

🏫 Thursday, October 22 – School Site Council Meeting
Our first Westwood School Site Council meeting will take place at 2:30 p.m. We look forward to connecting with families and working together to support our students and school.

🍁 Friday, October 23 – Westwood Fall Festival!
We hope all of our families will join us for our Fall Festival this Friday! It’s a great opportunity to enjoy some fall fun and spend time together as a school community.

🎟️ Presales begin tomorrow after school! Be sure to stop by if you would like to purchase tickets in advance.

👻 Costumes are welcome! Students and families are encouraged to dress up for the event. Please remember that masks and dangerous accessories are not permitted.

Thank you for your continued support and for helping make Westwood such a wonderful place for our students. We look forward to seeing everyone at the Fall Festival!

💙 Go Westwood!

Please see the flyer below for information about our upcoming Jump Into English classes.

Our first Westwood School Site Council meeting of the school year will be on 10/22 after school at 2:30 pm. All are welcome to attend along with the voting members of School Site Council. Attendance can be in person or virtually via the link below. We look forward to your attendance. The first agenda of the year will be published in next Sunday's bulletin.

https://meet.google.com/png-zusn-nzh

📣 An Important Message for Westwood Families

As a Title I school, Westwood is required to share our Parent and Family Engagement Policy with families. This policy outlines how we will work together to support student success and create meaningful opportunities for families to be involved in our school community.

📖 Please take a moment to review the policy included in this week's S'more.

Your voice and participation matter! We value your partnership and welcome your ideas about how we can continue to strengthen family engagement at Westwood.

Together, we can help every Westwood student learn, grow, and succeed! 💙

Please work with us to Board Policy states that a student is allowed 14 illness days for the school year. After this time a medical note is required or the absence is NOT excused.

Examples of unexcused absences include missing school due to:

• Going out of town or on vacation
• Attending weddings
• Oversleeping
• A parent/guardian/sibling having an appointment
• Not having a babysitter
• Attending a graduation

Guardians have 10 days to clear an absence before it is considered unexcused regardless of reason. After 10 days, the absence cannot be changed.

If a child is on an intra-district transfer from another school, regular attendance is mandatory and required to approve the intra-district agreement.

• DEADLINE: October 30, 2026
  

  
  TITLE: Imagine this... Story Writing Contest

The Imagine This... Story Writing Contest is now open, and we're inviting students in grades 3–8 to write and submit original stories—real or imagined—based on accurate information about California agriculture. This one-of-a-kind contest combines agriculture, creativity, and literacy. Each year, one state winner from each grade level is selected, and their story is illustrated by talented high school art students before being published in a beautifully bound book!

Important Dates:

📅 November 1 – Story Submission Deadline

🏅 December 1 – Regional Winners Announced

🏆 December 1 – State Winners Announced

Winners Will:

📖 Become a published author

🏛️ Travel to Sacramento to be recognized at the State Capitol (travel expenses covered)

🎨 Have their story professionally illustrated by high school art students

🖼️ Receive a giant poster featuring their story's illustrated book cover

If your child is riding an E-Bike or scooter to school, please review the following information provided to Lodi USD by law enforcement to ensure that your child is following regulations and is riding with safety.

• E-Bikes - There are three classifications of e-bikes. All e-bikes must have an electric motor of less than 750 watts.
• Class 1 and 2: These e-bikes are similar to regular bicycles. They can be identified as pedal assisted with an electric motor that reaches a maximum speed of 20mph. Class 1 and 2 riders must wear a helmet while riding and adhere to the same regulations as regular bicycles.
• Class 3: These e-bikes are pedal assisted with an electric motor that ceases to provide power at 28mph. These e-bikes have age restrictions, riders must be 16 years or older, and must be wearing a helmet at all times when riding.

• Motorized Scooters - Motorized scooters are two-wheeled devices with a floorboard or seat, and are powered by an electric motor.
• Riders of motorized scooters must be 16 years of age or older, and must have a valid driver's license or learner's permit to legally ride. Riders must also wear a helmet.

Please help us keep students safe by ensuring these regulations are followed. Thank you!

English

The School Accountability Report Card (SARC) provides parents and the community with important information about each public school.

Lodi Unified School District’s SARCs are available on the District’s webpage at https://www.lodiusd.net/about/sarcs. If you have questions regarding Lodi Unified’s SARCs or would like to receive a printed copy of a particular school, please contact Accounting at (209) 331-7141. For further information on School Accountability Report Cards, please visit the California Department of Education's web site at https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/.

Spanish

Resumen del Reporte de Rendición de Cuentas Escolar (SARC) provee a los padres y a la comunidad con información importante sobre cada escuela pública.

Los informes SARC del Distrito Escolar Unificado de Lodi están disponibles en https://www.lodiusd.net/about/sarcs página web del Distrito. Si usted tiene preguntas con respecto a los SARC de Lodi Unified o le gustaría recibir una copia impresa de una escuela en particular, por favor póngase en contacto con el departamento de Contabilidad al numero 209-331-7141. Para más información sobre School Accountability Report Cards (SARC), por favor visite el sitio Web del Departamento de Educación de California en https://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/ac/sa/.