Welcome to October. I hope everyone had a great first month of school and is ready for a busy October. I know I enjoy the cooler weather and the changing of the leaves. Please use the calendar below to help you remember important dates this October. Each student will be receiving a Pioneer Way shirt this week. We ask that students wear them on our assembly days, field trips and other school spirit days. We will try and inform you when to send your child in with his or her shirt. Please keep the shirt in a place where it can be found easily.

The PTO is running a school fundraiser selling Pizzas. All orders and money is due by October 7. Please make checks payable to Westfield Elementary PTO. The delivery is November 7.

We start off with Homecoming Week. This is a fun time for students across the entire district. The below flyer gives you information about each dress up day. We will also have our first all school assembly where we will celebrate all the wonderful things we have at Westfield Elementary. The assembly will happen at 2:15pm on Thursday, October 3. We will be recognizing our Student of the Months, PE Student of the month, Art Student of the Month, Library Leaders, Summer Reading Challenge Awards and some others. October 4, 2024, is the Homecoming Parade. Please be sure to turn in the permission slip if you are planning on picking your child up early from school that day. We ask that parents pickup between 1:00-1:15. If you are planning on picking your child up at the parade you should have marked it on the permission slip. You will have to sign out with your child's teacher at the parade.

Monday, October 14, is a NO SCHOOL day for students. All staff will be participating in training and conducting Parent Teacher Conferences from 1-7pm. Please schedule your conferences with your students’ teachers through your Skyward Family Access account. The conference scheduler is now available. All students are expected to be signed up for conferences. Once logged into your Skyward Family Access account, you will then sign up for conferences under the teacher conferences tab. We encourage that if you have more than one child needing a conference, to schedule them as soon as possible to ensure closer scheduled times. 4K families you have a Make and Take activity on this day but your conferences will not be until December 2. The PTO will be hosting a Book Fair from October 10-14. You will be able to send money with your student or you can set up an eCard and fill it with money for them to spend. The book fair will also be open during Parent Teacher Conferences. The 4K teachers will be setting up times for families to sign up for their Make And Take activity. This will be held at the Multipurpose building at Westfield High School/Middle School. Please look for more information to come.

Unity Day is on October 16 were we ask all staff and students to wear Orange. This day was created by Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center. We wear orange to represent that "Together we can create a better world without Bullying!" We will be handing out something orange as students enter the building but have your child wear orange on this day. Linked below is a little video about Unity Day.

Red Ribbon Week runs from October 23-31. The school counselors will be setting up different activities for students to work with around the theme "Life is a movie, film drug free!"

Picture Retakes are on Friday, October 25, 2024.

Lastly, October 31, is Halloween. We do allow students to wear their costumes to school but ask that you keep all fake weapons at home. Also, limit the accessories brought to school. Things get lost and students get very upset. Masks are only worn during the classroom parties or during the Boo Bash. They should not be worn around the halls, in the classroom, at recess or lunch other than the listed times above. Please limit. the gory or scary costumes, some of our younger students get scared over these things. If you have any questions regarding your child's costume please contact your child's teacher. Different this year, the PTO will be sponsoring the Boo Bash Dance during school hours. This allows all students to participate and students to wear their costumes to school. Grade levels will be split into one hour times 4K-2nd grade during one time and 3rd-5th during another. Class parties will be held opposite of the Boo Bash in the the afternoon. As this event gets closer we will send more information out.

As many parents have noticed, our district has built in several inservice days, early release days, and late start days for professional development and to enhance our instructional practices to improve student learning by operating as a Professional Learning Community (PLC). As a PLC, we focus on four questions:

1. What do we want students to know?
2. How will we know if they learn it?
3. What will we do if they do not learn it?
4. How will we extend the learning for students who are already proficient?

As a PLC, staff members collaborate to improve student learning by doing the following:

• Analyze student assessment data to identify an area in need of improvement,
• Research ways to improve instructional practices in the identified areas
• Create and implement action plans to improve student learning in the identified areas
• Assess student performance to determine if the action plans were successful
• Adjust action plans as needed and share ideas to further improve student learning.

This year, the Elementary teachers will be focusing on improving their mathematical practices through the use of analyzing data, planning lessons together and utilizing a new resource called Math Genius. All elementary staff are also participating in LETRS training as a requirement of Act 20, a state initiative to improve the reading performance of all students in Wisconsin.

🕷 Fun crafts with stuff you really do have around the house

🍪 A quick and easy recipe for green monster sprinkle cookies

🎶 A clean, fun Halloween-themed playlist