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PRINCIPALS' CORNER
Jan Murphy and Ashley Furnari
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WELCOME BACK!
Welcome to each of our new and returning families at West! The opening of our 2018-19 school year went off without a hitch and we thank each of you for your continued support!
Our current K - 4 enrollment is 438 students with four sections in grades K and 1, and five sections in grades 2, 3 and 4. Enrollment at West remains within the Board of Education guidelines for class sizes. Here's to another GREAT year at West!
PARENT PICKUP LINE
Thanks to all parents who are using the bright yellow cards that our secretary,
Kelly Maar, printed for you this summer. You should have received them on the first day of school in your child's backpack. Placing these brightly colored cards in your front passenger side window makes loading students in the pickup line run in an efficient manner and hopefully makes your wait time in line a bit shorter. If you need another card for a second car or for your nanny or caregiver, please give Kelly a call and we can get those to you quickly. Thanks again for helping us keep the line moving and the loading safe for all students.
OPEN HOUSE
We are looking forward to seeing you at our upcoming Open Houses on
September 12th (K-2) and
September 25th (3-4). This will be an opportunity for you to visit your child's classroom and receive information regarding grade level curriculum as well as the daily routines and expectations unique to your child's class. The special area teachers will also be presenting information relative to their subject area and you are encouraged to visit them.
On September 12th
- Grades K, 1 will meet in their child's classroom from 6:30 PM - 7:10 PM
- Administrator/PTC Welcome will be in the BBT from 7:15 PM - 7:40 PM
- Grade 2 will meet in their child's classroom from 7:45 PM - 8:25 PM
On September 25th
-
Grade 3 will meet in their child's classroom from
6:30 PM - 7:10 PM
-
Administrator/PTC Welcome will be in the BBT from
7:15 PM - 7:40 PM
-
Grade 4 will meet in their child's classroom from
7:45 PM - 8:25 PM
WELCOME BACK TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCH
On behalf of the entire faculty at West, we would like to express our thanks to our parents, who made our Back to School Luncheon so memorable! The food was healthy and delicious and the decor was exceptional! Our PTC parents, as always, went above and beyond to "Create a Great Luncheon at West". Thank you to everyone who took time from their busy lives to provide such a great experience for our teachers!
WHAT'S NEW? BUILDING ONE HALLWAYS WERE PAINTED!
Check it out! Our West School hallways continue to be transformed! This summer, under the leadership of
Dan Clarke, our Manager of Facilities, the West School hallways received a much needed facelift with new paint throughout building one. We hope to continue the work into buildings two and three as the year continues.
HALLOWEEN PARADE
Planning ahead for the month of October, it won't be long until Halloween is here! We will be hosting our annual Halloween Parade on Wednesday,
October 31st at 2:00 PM. As your child begins to plan his/her costume for the parade, please remember that toy guns, swords, or other weaponry will not be allowed as part of a costume. Costumes must be of a non-violent nature. Also, be careful of masks and/or headgear that could block vision and/or scare others. The children will be walking a good distance and we want them to be safe in their costumes. We appreciate your cooperation and support.
KINDERGARTEN PLAYDATES AND BUYING LUNCH
The youngest and newest members of our West School community are busy learning the routines and procedures expected of a kindergarten student. They have visited all parts of the building and participated in fun scavenger hunts while learning about our school. As they become more confident and knowledgeable about West School, we provide them with more opportunities to grow and learn. Kindergarten students will be able to buy lunch in the cafeteria on
Thursday, November 1st. They will also be able to add "playdates" to their dismissal options on
Thursday, November 1st. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact your child's teacher.
BEN'S BELLS
West School has again joined the Ben's Bells Project 2018-2019 this year. We continue to be committed to be a "Kind Campus".
Mrs. Shelby Land, a member of our school climate committee, is leading this initiative for us this year.
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ROSH HASHANAH, Monday, September 10th
No school.
WELCOME BACK PTC COFFEE,
Tuesday, September 11th, 9:30 AM, BBT
Please join us
for the first PTC Coffee featuring:
- New Year Welcome from Principal Jan Murphy
- District update from Superintendent Dr. Bryan Luizzi
- Introduction to the district's new Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) curriculum at West School by Student Support Coordinator Dr. Susan Bliss
- Meet Ellen Brezovsky, the new Executive Director of New Canaan Cares
- Join the PTC by clicking here and pick up your West School Directory
OPEN HOUSE GRADES K-2,
Wednesday, September 12th
-
Grades K, 1 meet in their child's classroom from
6:30 PM - 7:10 PM
-
Administrator/PTC Welcome in the BBT from
7:15 PM - 7:40 PM
-
Grade 2 meet in their child's classroom from
7:45 PM - 8:25 PM
YOM KIPPUR, Wednesday, September 19th
FALL FAMILY FUN NIGHT,
Friday,
September
21st, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM
Don't miss the first and largest family social event of the year! Grab a picnic blanket and bring the entire family to enjoy dinner from a variety of amazing food trucks plus ice cream, g
ames, music by DJ Stella and more! We look forward to seeing you there!
$15/person in advance and $20/person for walk-ins. Kids 2 and under are free. To purchase tickets click
here
and to volunteer click
here
.
(Rain or shine!)
OPEN HOUSE GRADES 3-4,
Tuesday, September 25th
- Grade 3 meet in their child's classroom from 6:30 PM - 7:10 PM
- Administrator/PTC Welcome in the BBT from 7:15 PM - 7:40 PM
- Grade 4 meet in their child's classroom from 7:45 PM - 8:25 PM
SHARE-A-BOOK FOR WEST SCHOOL'S LIBRARY AT OPEN HOUSE NIGHTS Wednesday, September 12th and Tuesday, September 25th
Our Libr
ary Media Specialist,
Mr. Murren
, continues to build an inspiring and forward-l
ooking space for our school. Parents and caregivers can strengthen that vision by d
onating books. Please look for our table in the lobby at both Open Houses this month. Share-a-Book is the only fundraiser
for the library at West. With a $20 donation, donors will receive a bookplate that can be personalized. The bookplates will be placed in new books selected by Mr. Murren. Please contact
Barb Rosen
at
(
shareabook@westschoolptc.org
) with any questions.
SPIRIT DAY, Friday, September 28th
Wear your
Green, White, and Westy! Spirit wear will be on sale at the Welcome Back PTC Coffee on
September 11th
and the Open Houses on
September 12th
and
25th
. Shop early to get the best selection, and Be Ready for Spirit Day.
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Join the West PTC and get a free copy of the school directory. Dues are $30 and directories can be picked up at the Welcome Back PTC meeting on Tuesday, September 11th at 9:30 AM or will be sent home with your oldest child. Click here for more information and to join the PTC online.
LUNCH OPTIONS
Click
here for monthly lunch options. Students now have several choices for lunch. Please be sure your child knows about the new choices. Classroom teachers will be asking them to order one of the five choices in the morning. If students order something other than hot lunch, they should let the lunch staff know once they are in line. Please be aware that options like yogurt, cheese sticks and fruit that do not come with the meal are charged as extras.
- Hot lunch
- Boars Head turkey and cheese sandwich
- SunButter and jelly
- Bagel lunch (bagel, yogurt, cheese stick)
- Fun Lunch (pinwheels or cheese, fruit, crackers)
SIGN UP NOW FOR 3RD AND 4TH GRADE NUTMEG READING GROUPS
 West School's Nutmeg Book Clubs were established by the West PTC to give kids a chance to read some top-notch, age-appropriate literature and discuss it with their friends. Each club chooses their own books from the annual Nutmeg Book Award nominees. The students vote on the annual winner. Each group will meet six times throughout the year at West, separated by grade and gender before school or during lunch to discuss books. Sign up
here now!
BASP REGISTRATION ENDS TODAY!
Registration for Before and After School Programs ends tonight,
Friday,
September 7th!
Don't miss out on these fun and exciting enrichment opportunities, including Rad Lab Science, Lego Robotics, MakerLab at West, Art & Soul Pottery & Crafts, Club Invention, Creative Drawing, Free Play Basketball, Scrapbooking, Computer Scratch Jr, and more! Click
here
for class offerings.
WEST FAMILY PHOTO DAYS
The PTC is thrilled to announce that Family Photo Days are back! This is one of West School PTC's most popular fundraisers. Book your Family Photos Days session today! Click
here fo
r all the details and to sign up.
WEST SCHOOL VOL
U
NTEER HUB
 The PTC needs parent volunteers throughout the year to keep our programs running smo
othly
. We hope all parents will find an opportunity to get
involved.
Click
here
to see the c
ur
rent volu
nteer opportunities around school.
LUNCHROOM VOLUNTEER SHIFT SIGN UPS
Click
here
to see and help your children and their friends during lunch!
T
he lo
n
g
awaited media center signups has arrived and we need you! Come see your chil
d during their class session and help make it a great day in the West School Media Center. Please click
here
to sign up.
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A
GREAT BACK TO SCHOOL DAY AT WEST
It was a great week back at West, with lots of smiles and excitement!
BAC
K TO SCHOOL TEACHER APPRECIATION LUNCHEON
On Friday, August 31 the West School Teachers Lounge was transformed with flowers a
nd the West School staff were t
reated to a delicious lunch. A big thank you to Back to School Lunch Chairs
Kristina Ancker, Jennifer Houle, and Anca Jordan.
These women outdid themselves this year
!
NEW TO WEST AND
KINDERGARTEN AMBASSADORS
Thank you to
Chrissie Schwart
z
,
West PTC's New to West Chair
, for helping with the New to West Orientation and providing terrific communications for our new families. Thank you also to
Erin Marich
and
Jennifer Leffers
,
Kindergarten Ambassadors
, for welcoming our new kindergarteners and their families with play dates and events starting last spring.
SCHOOL SUPPLIES
Thank you to School Supplies Coordinator, Pratha Singhania, for her terrific organization of the school supplies for each grade. She did an outstanding job ensuring our students were ready to go on the first day of school with their new supplies!
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Principals of each of the district's schools presented "Opening of the School Reports" detailing student population numbers and staffing levels as well as an enrollment report from Gary Kass. Currently, there are 4,173 students in the NCPS system and 50 new hires. West School welcomed 30 new students/28 new families with a school-wide enrollment of 438 students. In addition, the unaudited EOY 2018 Budget Report was submitted and approved at this meeting. Meeting notes and detailed information on the EOY Budget Report and Enrollment numbers can be found here.
The next BOE meeting is scheduled for
Monday, September 17th at 7:00 PM, NCHS, Wagner Room All BOE meetings are broadcast live on cablevision channel 78 and rebroadcast on
Thursdays at 7:30 PM and Mondays at 4:00 PM. Questions? Please contact the West BOE Reps
Janée Hunter and
Mary Blanc at
edurep@westschoolptc.org
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NCLA FALL LACROSSE CLINICS
New Canaan Lacrosse Association Fall Ball Clinics are open for registration. Girls' clinics are grades K-8 and boys' clinics are K-4. Click
here for details and to register.
NEW CANAAN NATURE CENTER
CIDER SATURDAY
Celebrate the fall cider season here at NCNC on September 15th, 2018 from 11 AM to 3 PM! Come and enjoy an early autumn afternoon of family fun with cider press demonstrations, old-fashioned games, a pumpkin scavenger hunt, seasonal harvest crafts for kids, baked apples, and corn bread on a stick. Fill your bellies with delicious corn dogs, grilled corn, fresh cider, and baked goodies, all available for purchase. New for 2018: A Bounce House courtesy of Mad Hatter Moon Bounce! Also new for 2018: Apple Olympics at 11:30 AM and 1:30 PM! Join us on the Green to see if you have what it takes to complete our Pollination Relay Race, get a strike while Bowling for Apples, score a three-pointer at Apple Hoops, and crush the competition during our first ever Cider Donut Eating Contest! Pre-register here or purchase tickets at the door! Members: $10/person Non-Members: $15/person
ANIMALS, AUTHORS & ART CLUB: KINDERGARTEN & 1ST GRADERS
If you love animals, stories, and crafts than this is the club for you! This club will offer participants the chance to meet two animals each week, read a nature-themed story, and show off their artsy side. Come get creative with us as we discover the many ways animals & humans alike express themselves! Join us on the Green at the nature center every Tuesday after school from 3:45 PM to 5 PM. Program runs for 8 weeks starting September 25th to November 20th, 2018 (we will not meet November 6). Cost to register for all 8 weeks: $230 per member/$310 per non-member Register here today!
ADVENTURES IN NATURE CLUB: 2ND & 3RD GRADERS
If you like to get outside, explore the natural world, and have a love for animals, this club is for you. We will have the opportunity to explore everything nature has to offer, by looking for wildlife, finding animal prints and signs, and interacting with the animals in our collection. Adventurers will meet every Wednesday after school from 3:45 PM to 5 PM at the nature center. Program runs for 8 weeks starting September 26th to November 14th, 2018. Cost to register for all 8 weeks: $230 per member/$310 per non-member Register here!
WILDLIFE EXPLORATION CLUB: 4TH & 5TH GRADERS
If you want hands-on wildlife experience with a professional naturalist, than the Wildlife Exploration Club is for you. Students will get to help handle and care for the captive animals at the Nature Center. They will also be able to handle and study the native wild animals found in our ponds, fields, and forests. Join us on the trails and in our Animal Care Center every Wednesday after school from 3:45 PM to 5 PM. Program runs for 8 weeks starting September 26th until November 14th, 2018. Cost to register for all 8 weeks: $230 per member/$310 per non-member Register here!
NEW CANAAN LIBRARY
CRAZY 8's
A registered program for math exploration & fun! Learn more about time, measuring, shapes, angles & other concepts. Tuesdays, September 11th to October 30th at 4:15 PM for grades 1 & 2.
AFTER SCHOOL ADVENTURES
Join Miss Marie for a session of mystery! Each week you'll listen to chapters from The Boxcar Children series & learn to make secret codes or how to track footprints & fingerprints, how to make disguises or other mysterious activities! Wednesdays, September 12th to October 31st at 4:15 PM. A registered program for grades K-2.
NEW CANAAN YMCA
Elementary schoolers have the run of the Y for one night this month on Saturday, September 29th from 6:30 PM to 9 PM! For this event participants will be divided into groups of 5 or so and lead around the Y to several activities! These will be free swim in the Scooter pool(non-swimming option available), time in Bouncing Bears, events in the gym, and activities in the Flex Space! A snack will also be provided at the start of the event! Register here. Member and non-member rates $20/$35. Must register before hand! Join the fun at the Y this fall! Other dates for the program are October 20th and November 10th.
HELPFUL AND HEALTHY STRATEGIES TO FEED KIDS BETTER MEALS
Join New Canaan resident and former West School mom Dawn Kurth of No Kidding Nutrition (www.nokiddingnutrition.com) on Thursday, September 20th, 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM for a workshop for anyone who is tired of dealing with the six o'clock scramble or had one too many pizza nights. Dawn will provide parents with practical advice, sensible strategies, and time-saving tools for feeding their families nutritiously. Actionable steps, local and online resources, and kid-friendly recipes are included. This event is free and open to the community, but space is limited. Please sign up here. Location: Martin House Workspace, 69 Westchester Avenue, Pound Ridge.
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