Westwood Elementary Newsletter

October is here, hopefully bringing cooler days, colorful leaves, and many exciting opportunities for learning and connection! Our students have settled into the school year and it has been exciting to see their growth, curiosity, and enthusiasm each day.

This month, we look forward to celebrating learning, building strong relationships, and creating meaningful memories together. Thank you for your continued partnership and for all you do to support our students and our school community.

To help keep families connected and informed, I will be sending out a monthly newsletter with important updates, upcoming events, and information about everything happening at Westwood Elementary. Please take the time to read it each month- it is packed full of information. We also will have printed copies in the main office, should you need one. Please make sure you have an email listed in PowerSchool that you check regularly- we frequently communicate electronically.

One of the greatest predictors of student success is consistent attendance. Being at school every day and arriving on time helps students build strong academic skills, develop positive routines, and stay connected with their classmates and teachers. We ask for your partnership in making school attendance a priority by ensuring your child arrives on time each and every day, ready to learn.

We value our partnership with our families and encourage you to reach out anytime with questions or concerns. We are here to support your child and look forward to working together throughout the year.

If you drop off or pick up your student- 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. You can see more details below in the drop off and pickup procedures.

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

https://www.facebook.com/westwoodelementaryecsd

Your Partner in Education,
Mrs. Stacey Basinski
Principal

October:

6- Picture day

8- Schuster's Hayrides night (see flyer below, send home with students)

9- NEOEA Day; no school

14- Marco's Pizza Night

20- 3rd Grade Fall OST, Part 1

21- 3rd Grade Fall OST, Part 2

21- Unity Day, wear orange

23- End of Quarter 1

26- Records Day; no school

27- Fall Conferences (By appointment only all students get scheduled)

29- Fall Conferences (By appointment only all students get scheduled)

30- Halloween classroom celebrations, trick or treat for students only.

Hello!

October is a busy month with National Bullying Prevention Month, Unity Day, and Red Ribbon Week. Beginning next week, the focus of our Second Step classroom curriculum will be the Bullying Prevention Unit along with making healthy and kind choices. In our lessons, your student will learn specific skills to help stop bullying.

Students will learn how to:

• Recognize when bullying is happening

• Report bullying to a caring adult

• Refuse to let bullying happen to themselves or others

• Be a bystander who stands up and is part of the solution to bullying

Unity Day is Wednesday, October 21st. Please wear orange on that day to "Send a visible message of building commUNITY through kindness, acceptance, and inclusion to prevent bullying"!

Also, feel free to continue the conversation at home with your student using the Second Step information below. Thank you!

Visit: www.secondstep.org and use the activation key based on the grade of your student:

Kindergarten: BPUK FAMI LY00

First Grade: BPU1 FAMI LY01

Second Grade: BPU2 FAMI LY02

Third Grade: BPU3 FAMI LY03

Fourth Grade: BPU4 FAMI LY04

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time either via phone (440-284-8002) or email (yeestacey@elyriaschools.org).

Stacey Yee

School Counselor

At Westwood Elementary, we are committed to creating a safe, positive, and supportive school where every student can learn and grow. Through our Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS) program, we teach, model, recognize, and reinforce positive behavior.

Our school-wide expectations are the 3 Bees:

🐝 Be Kind – Use kind words and actions.
🐝 Be Respectful – Respect people, property, and our school.
🐝 Be Responsible & Ready to Learn – Make good choices, follow directions, and be prepared to learn.

The 3 Bees apply everywhere at Westwood—in classrooms, hallways, the cafeteria, playground, buses, and school events.

🐝 How We Support Positive Behavior

Students are taught and reminded of expectations throughout the year. Staff recognize positive choices through Bee Bucks, classroom incentives, PBIS celebrations, attendance incentives, and special rewards.

When expectations are not met, staff focus first on reteaching and supporting students. Depending on the behavior, responses may include reminders, reflection, parent communication, loss of privileges, restorative practices, or administrative consequences.

🤝 Families Are Part of the Team!

Families can help by talking with children about the 3 Bees, celebrating positive choices, and partnering with school staff when concerns arise.

Together, we can help our Pioneers be kind, respectful, responsible, and ready to learn every day!

🐝 Stay in the Game & Attendance Matters!

Every day at school matters! Westwood Elementary is proud to partner with the Cleveland Browns and the Stay in the Game! Attendance Network to encourage students to make attendance a priority.

Being at school on time and ready to learn every day gives students the opportunity to learn, grow, build relationships, and be part of our school community. Throughout the year, we will celebrate students and classrooms who show strong attendance habits through special recognition and incentives.

Help your child Stay in the Game! Make attendance a family priority and help your Pioneer be Responsible & Ready to Learn each day! 🐝

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!

Vision screenings were completed by Vision to Learn on September 21st and 25th. The mobile vision van will be visiting the school for exams on October 19th, November 30th, and December 1st, 2nd, 16th, and 17th.

The Ohio Student Eye Exam (OhioSEE) Program is a statewide initiative designed to provide comprehensive, free eye care services to young students across Ohio. Officially launched in early 2026 by Governor Mike DeWine and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH), the program addresses a critical gap: previously, up to 80% of children who failed a school vision screening never received a follow-up exam.

How the OhioSEE Program Works

The program brings vision care directly to students at school to eliminate barriers like cost, scheduling, and transportation:

• Target Audience: The program initially launched to support kindergarten through 3rd-grade students—a critical time frame when children are actively learning to read.
• Delivery Models: Participating schools choose between mobile vision vans or temporary, in-school vision clinics.
• Full Care Coverage: With parental consent, contracted vision professionals conduct complete eye exams. If a child needs glasses, they choose their frames and receive the prescription eyeglasses completely free of charge.

If your student failed the vision screening and in grades K-3, you will need to OPT-IN to the program. The clinic will be sending out emails in the near future to the students in grades K-3 that failed and need to complete the OPT-IN to be seen for a vision exam.

If you have any questions regarding immunizations, please feel free to reach out via phone: 440-284-8153 or email: mccallamanda@elyriaschools.org.

Amanda McCall RN, BSN

Westwood Campus

440-284-8153

PBIS & Stay in the Game

What a GREAT kickoff to the school year! September was filled with opportunities for our Pioneers to learn, grow, and show what it means to Be Kind, Be Respectful, Be Responsible and Ready to Learn!

Our students did an amazing job learning and practicing our 3 Bees throughout the school day. From the classroom to the cafeteria, playground, hallways, buses, and beyond, our Pioneers are learning that positive choices and responsible behavior help make Westwood a great place to learn.

PBIS: Celebrating Positive Choices!

We kicked off the year by teaching and reinforcing our school-wide expectations. Students had opportunities to earn Bee Bucks, receive positive recognition, and participate in special incentives for demonstrating the 3 Bees. We are so proud of the positive choices we are seeing across Westwood!

Stay in the Game!

September was also a fantastic kickoff for Stay in the Game! Attendance Matters. Our message is simple:

SHOW UP TO STAY IN THE GAME!

Every day at school is an opportunity to learn something new, spend time with friends, participate in classroom activities, and be part of our school community. We celebrated students and classrooms who are building strong attendance habits and showing up ready to learn.

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.

School pictures are scheduled for October 6th.

We’re proud to share that all K–12 students in Elyria Schools will continue to receive free breakfast and lunch every school day, thanks to our participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program.

Through CEP, all students are automatically eligible—no forms required. This program ensures that every student has access to the nutritious, well-balanced meals offered daily in our school dining centers.

We’re committed to supporting the health and well-being of every child, and this is just one way we make that a priority.

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