Westwood Elementary Newsletter

As we move into March, we’re excited to celebrate the progress our students are making. With the end of the third quarter quickly approaching, please remember to regularly check PowerSchool to stay updated on your child’s grades and progress. The last day of the 3rd quarter is March 12th.

Safety is always a priority, and I have need to again address 2 ongoing concerns with you. This information is for car rider drop-off and pickup. School hours are 9:10am-3:10pm and doors do not open until 8:55am.

- Please do not drop off students early -

Students must stay in the car with you until 8:55am when staff opens the building doors. Staff opens the doors at 8:55 and until then they must remain in the car with you. We cannot have unsupervised students waiting alone outside of the building.

Also- please make sure you are only doing so in the designated pickup and drop off area where staff are located. We do this to ensure your student is safe and supervised by an adult, thank you for your cooperation. The visitor loop, which states "no student drop-off" is not a drop off area. You can see more details below in the drop off and pickup procedures, or feel free to ask if you have any questions,

Please continue to talk with your student about the "3 Bees"- consistent language and expectations can help make the day go smoother- both at school and at home! We appreciate all you do to help your child be successful at school.

Please follow us if you are not already: Westwood Elementary-Elyria City Schools;

https://www.facebook.com/westwoodelementaryecsd

Your Partner in Education,
Ms. Stacey Gatten
Principal

March

3- PTO @ 3:30pm @ WWES

6- Suzin L Fundraiser ends (PTO)

10- TechE Club @ 8:00am

10- 4th and 1st grade music concert @ Elyria High School- see info below

11- Marco's Pizza Night

12- End of Quarter 3, No Boys and Girls Club, Westwood Culture Night

13- Records Day, no school for students

17- Student Council 8:15am

20- Quarter 3 report cards sent electronically

24- Ohio State Testing ELA Part 1, Grade 3

24- TechE Club @ 8:00am

25- Ohio State Testing ELA Part 1, Grade 4

26- Ohio State Testing ELA Part 2, Grade 3

27- Ohio State Testing ELA Part 2, Grade 4

31- Suzin L Fundraiser pickup

Hello Westwood families!

The 1st and 4th grade music concert will take place on Tuesday, March 10 at the Elyria High School Performing Arts Center. The concert begins at 6, but performing students should arrive at 5:30/5:45 to check in with their teacher and be placed onstage. Students who are walking to and/or home from the PAC should be accompanied by an adult.

All 1st and 4th grade students will participate in the concert. Performers’ attire should be nice, but does not have to be too fancy (think school picture day).

Your students have been working hard on learning their songs, and we can’t wait to show you the product of all their hard work. We hope you’ll join us on March 10th!

Attendance Matters in March!

As we head into March 2026, we are excited to keep building strong attendance habits together! Coming to school every day — and arriving on time — helps students stay connected to learning, build friendships, and feel confident in their daily routines. Consistent attendance also helps students develop responsibility and strong learning habits that support long-term success.

As schedules get busier and spring weather changes quickly, here are some helpful ideas to keep mornings running smoothly:

March tips for getting to school on time:

• Review the weekly family calendar together to avoid surprises
• Set a consistent bedtime — even after busy evenings or activities
• Encourage students to help prepare lunches or snacks ahead of time
• Keep a small “grab-and-go” bin ready for last-minute items
• Check homework folders the night before to avoid morning searches
• Allow extra time for rainy or unpredictable spring weather
• Practice independence by having students follow a simple morning checklist
• Use music or a positive message to help start the day on a good note
• Aim to arrive a few minutes early so students can begin the day calmly
• Reach out to the school if attendance challenges arise — we are here to support you!

"Stay in the Game" Lunch Table and Bee Buck Breakfast

We are proud to partner with the Cleveland Browns and the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network to promote the importance of showing up each day ready to learn. Through this partnership, students continue to be recognized and celebrated for positive attendance and effort.

Last month, many students earned the opportunity to attend our Bee Buck Breakfast by following our 3 Bees expectations — Be Kind, Be Respectful, and Be Responsible and Ready to Learn— and by coming to school ready to learn each day. Students got to pick a friend to eat with in the cafeteria with games and a movie. We are proud of the positive choices our students are making! In addition, students have been selected based on strong attendance habits to sit at the special “Stay in the Game” lunch table, celebrating their commitment to showing up and being ready to learn.

March brings even more exciting opportunities for students to stay motivated! Watch for attendance celebrations, student recognition opportunities, and fun surprises designed to encourage strong habits as we move closer to spring.

Thank you for partnering with us this March to help students build strong routines, feel successful, and continue to Stay in the Game! 🏈

Dear Families,

As you know, we are using the Second Step curriculum in your student’s classroom. The Second Step curriculum teaches children important skills for getting along with others and doing well in school. It also helps our school to be a safe and supportive place where everyone can learn. To help make our school even more safe and supportive, we are also continuing to use the Second Step Child Protection Unit. In these lessons, students will learn three types of skills:

• Personal Safety. Students will learn important safety rules, such as safety with guns, sharp tools, and fire, and when riding on wheels or in cars. They will also learn ways to help them decide if something is safe or not.

• Touching Safety. Students will learn about safe, unsafe, and unwanted touches, and rules about touching private body parts. They’ll also learn to say no to unsafe or unwanted touches, and to tell an adult if someone breaks rules about touching private body parts.

• Assertiveness. These lessons will also give students a chance to practice asking an adult for help, telling an adult about an unsafe situation, and being assertive to get out of unsafe situations.

More information on the lessons based on your student’s grade can be found using the information below:

• Visit www.secondstep.org

• Kindergarten: CPUK FAMI LYGK

• 1st Grade: CPU1 FAMI LYG1

• 2nd Grade: CPU2 FAMI LYG2

• 3rd Grade: CPU3 FAMI LYG3

• 4th Grade: CPU4 FAMI LYG4

If you have any questions about the Child Protection Unit or the Second Step program, please contact Mrs. Yee. If you do not want your student to participate in these lessons, please complete this Google form (link also below) > Westwood Elementary's Child Protection Unit Opt-Out Form

Thank you for helping us to make our school a safe and supportive place where everyone can learn.

Sincerely,

Stacey Yee

Westwood Elementary School Counselor

To ensure drop-off and pickup run smooth and effective:

· You may ONLY enter at 42101 Griswold to enter the car line. Adelbert entrance is only for Preschool. Please do not cut through- this creates additional traffic for EECV, and we want ALL students to be safe. Also please only drop off and pick up in the designated area, do not use the visitor parking for drop off as it it not an area that is supervised by staff.

· Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 8:55 for Elementary School drop off in the morning. If Elementary students arrive early you will need to keep your student(s) in the vehicle with you until staff comes out to unload students at 8:55am.

· Please do not plan to arrive earlier than 3:00pm for Elementary pickup in the afternoon.

· Once in the lot, please pull up to the car in front of you, as this will allow more cars to enter the lot, and keep cars off the street.

· Please be ready and prepared so that we can keep cars moving efficiently in the lot.

· Follow all directions from staff, they are there to help.

· Please drive safe and slow- this is a school zone and we need to keep all students and staff safe.

· You will exit at Griswold also.

We appreciate your help in keeping our students safe.

School hours are 9:10am-3:10pm.

Doors do not open until 8:55- please do not drop off early or allow students to walk early.

If you are dropping off, please hold your child in the car with you until 8:55am.

Please call the office to report your child(ren)’s absence at 284-8002 before 9:30AM. Our phone has 24-hour voicemail so that you may call and leave a message anytime. Please leave a voicemail if no one answers the phone in the office; voicemails are frequently checked and the office will receive your message.

Please make sure you always have a photo ID with you, when you come to the school, this is for the safety of our students.

The Main Office of any school building is a hub of activity. Students and staff are always on the go, in and out of the space throughout the school day.

It’s an active place for regular check-ins and meetings with students, as well as staff conferences and daily interactions with school principals and counselors. The Main Office is also a confidential space at times for conversations and interactions between school personnel and students.

Parents and caregivers are part of the equation, too. For any number of reasons, parents may be asked to come to their child’s school during the day. When that happens, parents should follow the district’s visitor procedures by using the school’s main entrance buzzer and intercom system to gain entrance to the school, and then signing in at the front desk.

If parents/caregivers do not have a meeting at the school but still need to come to the school during the day to see their child or to speak to a staff member, call-ahead notice or an appointment is required.

This ensures parents will be seen in a timely manner and upholds the safety practices of the school. To contact the Main Office, please call 440-284-8002

Our school address is: Westwood Campus, 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035

Our phone number will stay the same: 284-8002

Families may bring in prepackaged treats (with ingredients listed by the company that packaged it) BUT we are really encouraging non-food items. We have to be very careful of food allergies, to keep all students safe. Birthday treats ARE not required or encouraged, but okay, if you choose.

Birthday/Holiday treat ideas include:

Pencils, bookmarks, fidgets, pop-its, bracelets, crayons, squishes, pencil toppers or erasers, glow sticks, play dough, slinkies, stickers, prepackaged snack with ingredients listed (from the company that produces it).

Stay Connected: Opt In to Receive District Text Messages

Have you opted in to receive text messages from Elyria Schools?

If you haven't already, please take a moment to sign up to receive automatic text messages from Elyria Schools. This is a valuable tool in an emergency or when there's important, time-sensitive information to share.

To begin receiving text messages from Elyria Schools, parents and guardians must opt in. The service is free and signing up is simple:

Text “Y” or “Yes” to 67587

That’s it! You’ll start receiving important updates and reminders via text.

Need to stop messages later? Just reply with “Stop” to any of our messages.

Please note: our texting feature and robocall system are tied directly to the contact information on file for your student. It’s essential to keep your phone numbers and email addresses up-to-date with your child’s school to ensure you continue receiving calls and texts.

Don't miss out on timely updates—opt in today!

• Head lice can occur commonly among school age children. The head lice policy is listed below for your reference:

Amanda McCall RN, BSN

Westwood Campus

440-284-8153

Hoodies, and similar tops or jackets with hoods, are "fan favorites" when it comes to school attire. We like them, too, but not when they are worn up and over the head during the school day.

The district's Student Code of Conduct provides direction on headgear, stating that it may not be worn over a person's head or scalp (excluding headgear that's worn for religious or medical reasons.) Hoods can make it difficult to identify an individual in an emergency, and they can also be a distraction in class. Please remind students that hoods may not be worn up during the school day.

The Student Code of Conduct also offers guidance on attire. Clothing must be school appropriate and may not present a health or safety hazard or disrupt the educational environment. Pants and tops must fit properly and be in good repair; crop tops are not permitted.

Additionally, footwear must be school appropriate--slippers and slipper socks are not permitted. Blankets also may not be worn in school.

Students may bring their cell phones to school but they must be turned off and put away during the day. An updated Ohio state law now prohibits students from using cell phones during instructional time throughout the school day. While Elyria Schools already has a policy in place that restricts cell phone use during learning time, this new law now requires that the policy be enforced in all schools.

As a result, students may not use their cell phones during the instructional day, unless part of a teacher-directed lesson. Phones must be powered off and stowed in a locker or backpack during school hours.

More details will be shared as the school year begins, but we’re asking for families’ attention and support in helping students understand and follow these rules. Our goal is to maintain a focused and respectful learning environment for all students.

While we’ll always start with reminders and redirection, continued disregard of the policy will lead to appropriate consequences in line with our student code of conduct. According to the law, exceptions can be made for medically documented situations, emergencies, or instructional needs that the classroom teacher considers essential.

Thank you for your partnership in preparing students for this important change and helping ensure a successful start to the year.

If you need to reach your student during the school day, please contact the main office and our staff will convey a message or assist you in reaching your student.

Website: https://www.elyriaschools.org/domain/30
Location: 42350 Adelbert St, Elyria, OH 44035, USA
Phone: 440-284-8002