From the Office

We hope everyone had a wonderful start to the school year! It was so nice to meet our newest Warriors, catch up with familiar faces, and hear all about everyone's adventures over the summer. We have also enjoyed seeing the students' reactions to our newly renovated spaces and we look forward to parents & guardians seeing the building on Curriculum Night.

We truly appreciate all of the support our students receive from parents, guardians, grandparents, office staff, teachers, our PTO, bus drivers, paraprofessionals, siblings, and more! It all helps tremendously to make a transition like the first day of school a success for our students!!

Anniversary of 9/11

Today, marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11 and provides us with a time to reflect and remember the men, women and children who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. For those of us who lived through that tragic day, the memories remain vivid of the lives lost and the heroism displayed. Despite our students being born after this watershed moment in American history, the world they have grown up in was significantly shaped by the tragic events of that September day and the events that followed.

Along with the discussions that took place in our classrooms, we also encourage every student to take a moment this weekend to speak with a relative or family friend who recalls the events and atmosphere of that day, in order to learn more about our shared history. The 9/11 Memorial & Museum might be a resource that you find helpful for your children.

Picture Day - Monday, September 14th

Students will be taking their picture for the yearbook during the school day on Monday, September 14th. Starting this school year, there will no longer be a prepay system to order your student's school pictures. Parents/guardians will receive an email with your child's proof when it is ready to order. The Westfield code is: 10020701. Picture RETAKE Day is scheduled for October 19th. Please see the flyer in the Parent Information section below for further Picture Day details.

Safety Drills

Today, our students and staff participated in safety drills for fire evacuation, lockdown, and for severe weather situations. We would like to thank Officer McGuire from the Bloomingdale Police Department for joining us and offering her guidance! We would like to thank all students and staff for their cooperation during our drills and for helping them run smoothly!

Early Dismissal on Wednesday, 9/16

Next Wednesday, September 16th is our first early release day of the school year, with dismissal at 3:00pm for students. Please note that the early release schedule (8:30am - 3:00pm) will be used each week throughout the year on Wednesdays. 2026-2027 District 13 Calendar All normal bus routes will run at 3:00pm on Wednesdays, with drop-off times at bus stops approximately 30 minutes earlier than on typical school days.

Our staff will use the early release time to participate in professional learning with their colleagues to support our School Improvement goals.

In the past, many students have used the early release time to visit local businesses. If your child has your permission to visit local stores and restaurants after dismissal on 9/16, please remind them to be respectful to customers and staff at these establishments and to demonstrate great character while in the community. Thank you!

Fall MAP Testing - 9/22 & 9/23

Dates: Tuesday, September 22nd, and Wednesday, September 23rd.
Testing on both days will take place in the morning between 8:30am and 11:00am.
Lunch periods remain the same, 11:38 - 12:22 (on Tues.) and 11:24 - 12:08 (on Wed.)
Afternoon classes on 9/22 will run 1, 2, 3 & 4
Afternoon classes on 9/23 will run the normal line-up of 6, 7, 8, & 9
Links from NWEA MAP that you may find useful: NWEA.org & MAP Fact Sheet

Teachers will provide students with specific details regarding the MAP testing format, times, breaks and locations. If possible, please avoid student absences on testing days. Thank you!

About Your Child's Medication:

The district's medication administration policy mandates that all medication administered by the Nurse requires a Medical Doctor's order. This includes over-the-counter medications; students may NOT keep over-the-counter meds in their backpacks or in their lockers--including cough drops, Advil, etc. This is an important safety concern!
If your incoming 6th grader requires an inhaler, Epi-Pen, or any oral medication, please obtain the medication form and appropriate health care plan from your physician when your child has their mandated, 6th grade physical exam.
Questions? Please email the Westfield Nurse at WFHealthOffice@sd13.org

DOCTOR MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION FORM
PARENT MEDICATION AUTHORIZATION

Scan Receipts for Education All Year-Round!

Westfield Middle School collects Box Tops for Education™.

All you need is your phone!

Download the Box Tops app
Use the app to scan your store receipt within 14 days of purchase
The app will identify Box Tops products on your receipt and automatically credit your school’s earnings online

Twice a year, Westfield will receive a check for whatever the school needs!

Questions? Please don’t hesitate to contact the PTO at westfieldmpto@gmail.com Thanks for your support!!

Student Attendance Reminders

School Day Hours:

8:30am - 3:30pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, & Fridays

8:30am - 3:00pm on Wednesdays

Students are guided into the building by staff between 8:10 - 8:20am and are expected to be seated in their 1st period class at 8:30am. All classes on M,Tu,Th,F are 44 min with a 3 min passing period. Lunchtime, Flextime, & Study Hall for all grades are between 11:38 - 12:22pm on M,Tu,Th,F and between 11:24 - 12:08pm on Wednesdays. Students will be dismissed from school at 3:30pm (3:00pm on Wednesdays). All students attend the following courses: ELA, Math, Science, Social Studies, PE, & Exploratory.

ATTENDANCE EMAIL FOR LATE OR ABSENT STUDENTS: wfattendance@sd13.org

Standards & Expectations for Student Behavior
Westfield Student Handbook
Social Worker, Sheila Zagotta (szagotta@sd13.org)
School Counselor, Lindsay Fenton (Lfenton@sd13.org)

Honors Recognition - ARROW Awards

Students who demonstrate excellence in a combination of academics, citizenship, and effort will be recognized throughout the year by their teachers and awarded an ARROW ribbon for their achievement. The A in ARROW represents Academic achievement, the R's represent Respect & Responsibility to reflect citizenship, and the O and W represent being On target and displaying a great Work ethic in regards to working towards individual goals.

Staff members collaborated to nominate a list of students for the 1st trimester to be added to our yearly Arrow Award list. All students who are selected will receive an ARROW Award ribbon prior to winter break and their names will be displayed in our main hallway. Each trimester the staff will collaborate to recognize additional students and more names will be added to the yearly list.

Trimester Progress Reports

Trimester Progress Reports are available through Alma. At the end of each Trimester, the office will notify parents that the latest progress report is available in Alma. To access the Progress Report, please go to westfield.getalma.com and on the left hand side, select your child’s name. Then select the “Report Cards” tab. Underneath this tab, you will see a Trimester 1 Progress Report PDF. This will show you your child’s current progress for the school year.

E-Learning

During the school year, there is a possibility that District 13 will utilize our D13 E-Learning Plan 2024-2027 in the event of an emergency school closing due to severe weather or other circumstances that may arise. Winter weather increases the likelihood of school closures, so we are asking all Westfield parents, guardians, students, and staff to review the Westfield E-Learning Schedule & the D13 E-Learning Plan 2024-2027 in order to be prepared if we implement an E-Learning day.

Teachers will also be reviewing the Westfield E-Learning schedule with students in classes, along with the expectations for an E-Learning Day. The D13 E-Learning Plan does account for the possibility that some students may not have access to the internet and/or the ability to attend classes on an E-Learning day, therefore students will have up to 3 days to complete any work that was assigned on an E-Learning day.

From the District Office

The Working Families Tax Cuts allows parents, guardians and other authorized individuals to establish a new type of individual retirement account for their children, called Trump Accounts. The account is for a child who has not turned age 18 before the end of the calendar year in which the election is made and has a valid Social Security number.

The account features a pilot program contribution of $1,000 for children born between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2028, and who are U.S. citizens with a valid Social Security number.

Learn more about Trump Accounts and how they work at Trump Accounts - Jumpstarting the American Dream