Student Count Day – February 8th
Every school day is important to your child’s learning! Count Day on Wednesday, February 8th, determines funding amounts, based on student attendance, that help schools pay for many academic programs and services. Help your school by being in school on Count Day. In the event school is closed on Feb. 8th, then count day will take place on the following school day.

Searching for the Kindergarten Class of 2012-13
We are looking for any boy or girl who will be 5 years old on or before December 1, 2012. If you, or someone you know, has a neighbor, family member, or friend with a child entering Westwoods Kindergarten in September of 2012, please click here and complete this form. A registration packet will be sent to you in the spring.

Kindergarten Class of 2012-13 Dinner & Parent Meeting
If you have a student who will be starting Kindergarten in the fall, please plan on attending the Kindergarten Dinner & Parent Meeting. The dinner and meeting for all new 2012-13 Kindergarten students will be Wednesday, February 8th. Spaghetti dinner begins at 5:45 p.m. in the cafeteria and the meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. in the Westwoods Library. For more information, please call Hilary at 933-7970.

Noteworthy News
It's Concert Time! Westwoods Elementary School's Third, Fourth, and Fifth Grade students will be sharing their exciting musical activities in performances for family and friends on Thursday, February 16th, at 2:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. in the Westwoods Elementary School Gym.

There will be songs, dances, instruments, and fun creative movement-even a sing along! Please come join us for this Winter Celebration!

Mrs. Pierson (933-5720) and Mrs. Wiliford (933-7979)

Westwoods Wonderful Westside Carnival
This year, as in years past, the carnival promises to be a great night for the Westwoods community. The carnival will be held Friday, February 10th.

Carnival Dinner: Dinner will be available starting at 5:30 p.m. Continuing with a great Westwoods tradition, the fifth graders will be in charge of the carnival kitchen. All profits from the kitchen will be used to pay for LOC camp that fifth graders attend in the spring. This camp has long been a tradition at Westwoods and is a super experience for the students. Please help our 5th graders get to camp!

Popcorn Sale: New this year, we will have popcorn for sale. It is a great chance for parents to get a taste of our tasty school popcorn!

Carnival Games: Carnival games will begin at 6:00 p.m. This year, we will have two distinct hallways for games; in the preschool hallway will be games designed for our younger audience (duck pond, lollipop tree, etc.). The difficulty level will jump up a notch in the other hallway. The traditional cake walk and cookie walk will be back as well.

Overflowing Lost and Found
Our Lost and Found items are piling up! Next time you are at school take a look to see if anything looks familiar to you! The Lost and Found Tables are located in the hallway outside the cafeteria.

Spring "Fun Day" Pictures
Mark your calendars. Timeless Image will be here Thursday, April 19th, for spring "fun day" pictures! Flyers with order forms will be sent home two weeks before picture day.

Scholastic Book Fair
Scholastic Book Fair will be at Westwoods, February 20-27, in the Library. Stock up on some good books in preparation for the Reading Month of March and help support the Westwoods Library.

Dr. Seuss' Birthday Celebration
It's Dr. Seuss' birthday in March and we're celebrating this special day here at Westwoods on March 1st! Known for his funny rhymes for children, Dr. Seuss wrote and illustrated nearly 50 books of quirky children's verse during his lifetime.

At Westwoods, we invite all students and staff to dress up on March 1st as your favorite whimsical character from any Dr. Seuss books such as The Cat in the Hat, Green Eggs and Ham, Horton Hears a Who, One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish, or many more! We'll be reading Dr. Seuss books, eating green eggs and ham, and enjoying many other fun Dr. Seuss activities throughout the day!

When Should I Keep My Child Home from School?
Whenever a child complains of not feeling well on a school day, parents are faced with the decision of whether or not to send the youngster to school. Generally speaking, if a child is sick, he/she should NOT come to school. If your child is vomiting, experiencing diarrhea, has a rash, sore throat or running a fever of 100 degrees or greater, please keep your child home for at least 24 hours after these symptoms are resolved. See the communicable disease chart in Healthy Learner’s section on page 27 of the Handbook for further information.

District LEAP Updates
4th & 5th Grade Co-Ed Volleyball practice begins Monday, February 6th.

Baseball Pitching Clinics available for students in Grades 2-12. Clinics begin Saturday, January 28, and are offered Saturday and Sunday afternoons through March 18. Students can participate anytime throughout the clinic dates, however parents should register prior to students attending their first clinic.

For all LEAP programs visit www.tcaps.net/LEAP for more information, to register, and to make online payments.

Please feel free to contact LEAP Director Scott Robertson at 231-933-1758 or 231-933-1722 for more information or questions.

Tenth Annual Teacher and Parent Education Series
Northern Michigan Psychiatric Services will deliver presentations from Dr. Sander Weckstein, Board Certified Child, Adolescent, and General Psychiatrist. Presentations will run from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at the TC Central High School Library Media Center, 1150 Milliken Drive, on the following dates:

February 7, 2012 “Depression and Bipolar Disorder in Children and Adolescents”

March 6, 2012 “Autism Spectrum Disorders in Children and Adolescents"

All presentations are open to the public and are free of charge. Please call Northern Michigan Psychiatric Service, P.C. at 231-935-0355 for more information.

Searching for the Kindergarten Class of 2012-13
We are looking for any boy or girl who will be 5 years old on or before December 1, 2012. If you, or someone you know, has a neighbor, family member, or friend with a child entering Westwoods Kindergarten in September of 2012, please complete the form below.

Happy Holidays!
Happy Holidays to our Wonderful Westwoods Community!

Westwoods Welcome
Our new administrative assistant is Hilary Gessner. Welcome Hilary to our Westwoods Family!

All-City Girls and Boys Choir
Congratulations to the following Westwoods students who were selected to participate in the All-City Girls and Boys Choir. These students auditioned and were selected to be a part of this 6-week program, which concluded with a concert at Lars Hockstad Auditorium on November 19, 2011.

Congratulations to: Atlas Rosenburg, Breanne Canning, Cassie Iadeluca, Abigail Krohn, Samantha Kubesh, Megan Mead, Katie Mikowski, Priya Phifer, Kylie Redmond, Brooke Robinson, and Madelynn Shepherd.

Westwoods Way to Grow Playgroup
The next playgroup at Westwoods will be on Tuesday, December 13, from 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM in the gym.

Way to Grow is open to all families who have children birth to 5 years old. If you would like more information about the Way to Grow program, please call Kathy Nester-Pohlman at 342-9772.

Sweet Rolls with the Jolly Old Fellow
Santa is accepting lists and taking notes! Come for coffee, juice, and something delicious to eat on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at the Long Lake Fire Station, 10:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. There is no charge but we will have a boot for donations for the needs of the firefighters of Battalion 10 in Long Lake Township. $750 is needed to replace 2 blood pressure devices.

World Language News
¡Hola Westwoods Familias! We have had another busy month in Spanish class. We have finished our first unit of study by introducing shapes, emotions, learning correct pronunciation, and stating likes and dislikes. Later this month, we will be discussing the Hispanic holiday of Las Posadas and studying "The Legend of the Poinsettia." Here is a link to a page with some poinsettia projects and facts: http://www.first-school.ws/activities/crafts/holiday/poinsettia.htm.

CAAP Assessment: In the middle of November students completed the first CAAP for Spanish class. The children were given random colors, letters, and numbers to tell a teacher. They were also asked two greeting questions. They LOVED to show off all the Spanish they know! Look for El Passaporte (the passport) to be coming home with your child's CAAP score. If your child has scored low on an area, SOL would be a great way to gain practice!

Report Cards: You will find your child's grade for Spanish class on the Classroom Report Card. Please take note, that at this early stage of second language learning, it is very common for MOST children to be at a "developing and learning" level. We are just getting started, after all!

Moodle: SOL (Spanish On-Line) assignments have included lessons 1-7. These lessons can be done at least twice a week for extra practice. Remember that lessons will usually be assigned on the last day of your child's weekly Spanish class (barring days off, snow days, field trips, and similar occurrences). As one of the third grade teachers recently pointed out, if you haven't done each step of the Moodle lesson, you haven't completed the lesson. Thank you for helping to be certain students are taking full advantage of their online practice.

I wish you and your family love and peace this holiday season!
~Señora Koski

Facebook Page
Are you "friends" with Westwoods? Our Facebook page is a great way to stay up-to-date and in touch with the Westwoods Community this year! Please visit us today at: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/Westwoods-Elementary/263449585758.

Winter Weather Clothing
All students are expected to take advantage of the fresh air and movement opportunities during outdoor play, and to be dressed appropriately for the current weather. Please make sure your student has appropriate winter clothing for recess. Students need boots, snow pants, warm coat, mittens, and hats each day.

Winter Weather Reminders
The time of year for school closings and delays is here. The Bus Hotline number is 933-1955 and is updated by 6:00 a.m. If TCAPS has a snow day ALL AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES ARE CANCELLED. Occasionally, the school district will cancel activities if bad weather develops during the school day. If this happens, students are expected to go to their normal after school location.It may be helpful to talk with your children regularly and remind them where they should go if there is a change in their normal routine. Helpful questions include: Where do they go if school is let out early? Where do they need to go on 1/2 days? Do they need to stay after school for special meetings or activities? These reminders help alleviate any anxiety and ensure their school day is a productive and enjoyable one.