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Hello, Westview families,
The Westview School is proud and honored to announce that the National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) has distinguished The Westview School as a 2022 School of Excellence. Since 2008, NASET has annually bestowed upon qualified licensed private special education schools throughout the United States the distinction of being selected as a NASET School of Excellence. This selection is the highest honor a private special education school can achieve through our professional association. Recipients of this The recognition is bestowed on private special education schools that meet rigorous professional criteria and have demonstrated truly exceptional dedication, commitment, and achievement in the field of special education.
In addition, The Westview School has been awarded a Top Workplaces 2022 honor by Houston Chronicle Top Workplaces. This award will be announced in this Sunday's edition of the Houston Chronicle, but we couldn't hold onto the secret any longer. We are very proud of this honor as the list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third‐party anonymous survey. The survey is administered by employee engagement technology partner Energage LLC and measures 15 culture drivers that are critical to the success of any organization; some of these include alignment, execution, and connection.
"Earning a Top Workplaces award is a badge of honor for companies, especially because it comes authentically from their employees," said Eric Rubino, Energage CEO. "That's something to be proud of. In today's market, leaders must ensure they're allowing employees to have a voice and be heard. That's paramount. Top Workplaces do this, and it pays dividends."
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Calendar at a Glance
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17
- POW Meeting | Largent Hall @ 9:15 AM
NOVEMBER 21-25, 2022
DECEMBER 1, 2022
- Westview EDU: Mainstreaming 101
DECEMBER 8, 2022
DECEMBER 15, 2022
- Westview Holiday Play | New Life Church @ 9:30 AM
DECEMBER 16, 2022 to JANUARY 2, 2023
JANUARY 3, 2023
- Westview Staff Development Day | Student Holiday (No School)
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Westview Welcomes - Middle School Instructional Assistant | | |
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Westview welcomes Jyra Pringle to our Middle School team as an Instructional Assistant. Jyra is a student at The University of Houston, where she studies English and Education. She is also an active member of the U.S Army National Guard. Her bucket list includes a goal to see every state in the U.S.A. and to travel to as many foreign countries as possible. Jyra is inspired by family and friends and quoted Maya Angelou when she said, "My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style." She brings considerable experience to Westview as she most recently worked with Kidventure Houston as a lead counselor and director. She was also a teaching fellow with Breakthrough Houston, an educational program that places motivated students from underserved areas on the path to college. When asked what part of joining Westview has her most excited, she said, "I'm looking forward to getting to know the students and to learn as much as possible from them and all the Westview staff." We are looking forward to getting to know you too, Ms. Pringle! Welcome to Westview! | |
October Wonder Wall Winners | |
Congratulations to Prekindergarten student, Colton for being an October Wonder Wall Winner for his SELF-CONTROL. Colton has been telling his teachers what he wants or needs and asking questions about situations that worry him. He has recently begun to recognize his emotions and will choose tools that best help him. Colton is more confident in himself and will try new things. He will inquire about new situations, process what he is told, and follow through. This year, Colton has shown a love of learning that has been infectious in the classroom. We are so proud of all your hard work, Colton! | |
Will in Middle School is being noticed for his COOPERATION, and we are so proud of his efforts. Will has shown himself to be a leader amongst his peers. He continues to impress his teachers by being cooperative and responsible. He does his homework and participates in class. Will is a helper to his friends when they struggle with their Chrome Books, Google docs, or Google Classroom. Will is a top-notch student who is attentive and always does what he is supposed to do. He is a role model for others, and when new students join Westview, he always offers to help them around the school and with just about anything they might need to be successful. Will is confident in his abilities and sets a great example for others to follow. Congratulations on being recognized as an October Wonder Wall Winner, Will! | |
Thank You for Your Support of The Westview Fund | | |
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We had a great start to The Westview Fund last month and are making good progress toward our goal of $150,000. We’re about 1/3 of the way to our goal, so keep up the great work. Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to this year's Westview Fund. If you haven’t made your gift yet, please click here to make your tax-deductible donation!
It is not too late to support this fundraising effort. First, donate. You can access our online giving via our website or use the donate link found in the email. Secondly, share. We would love for you to share our Westview Fund information with any family or friends who might be interested in supporting our school. Here is the link to our email or you can direct them to The Westview Fund page on our website. Thank you for your continued support.
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Did you know that many employers sponsor matching gift programs and will match any charitable contributions made by their employees? To find out if your company has a matching gift policy, visit our matching page online. | |
Save the Date for the Holiday Play | Thursday, December 15 | | |
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The holidays are coming, and we are overjoyed to invite our families to join us for the return of the in-person Westview Holiday Play. Save the date for Thursday, December 15, 2022. The all-school performance will begin at 9:30 AM at New Life Church, directly across the street from The Westview School. There will be no early seating, and doors will open at 9:00 AM. Music classes are very busy preparing for the production, and we can't wait for you to see your student take the stage.
Also, please note that there will be no school or extended day following the performance, so your student should be picked up from their classroom immediately following the program's conclusion. More details to come, but mark your calendar and invite your family to as well. We can't wait to see you!
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The Stewart Center: Top Tip of the Week | | |
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This week's top tip from The Stewart Center comes from Elisabeth Dawkins, Play Therapist.
The Stewart Center at The Westview School is our on-campus therapy clinic staffed with qualified professionals ready to meet the needs of families and students at Westview and the Houston community. The Stewart Center team is always ready to go above and beyond to support a child. We are thankful to The Stewart Center for sharing their words of wisdom with our community.
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LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES HELP CHILDREN TO LEARN
Did you know that the word “discipline” originates from the Latin word for knowledge? When deciding how to discipline your child, keep in mind that the focus should be more on teaching them, and less on punishing. To do this, make sure you are using logical consequences. For example, if a child's punishment for hitting their sibling is not getting dessert at dinner, this is confusing to them and teaches them nothing about what to do next time they feel like hitting. Instead, to help them learn, we can remove them from the sibling/play area and let them return once we have seen them practice strategies to use next time they want to hit(using their words, walking away, breathing exercises, etc.). Consequences that the child can connect with their behavior are much more effective and will help them know what to do in the future.
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Message from POW: Join Us for the November POW Meeting | | |
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POW will hold its monthly meeting next Thursday, November 17, at 9:15 AM. The meeting will be available either in person in Largent Hall or via ZOOM.
Join ZOOM Meeting
Meeting ID: 828 0455 1473
Passcode: 926974
Please do not post or share this ZOOM information on social media.
POW Meetings are held once a month, typically on the second Thursday. Dates will be posted in the Calendar at a Glance and in the Westview Weekly each month. A reminder and ZOOM link will be sent the week before the meeting.
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WILDCAT SPIRIT TEES
The remaining inventory of our new POW Spirit Tees is live in the POW School Store. Westview Y'all is a classic style with an "On Fridays We Wear Blue" twist. Show your Wildcat spirit and choose from POW's two new tee styles - long sleeve ($20) or short sleeve ($15). The shirts are perfect to show school spirit on Fridays. Check out what we have for sale in the school store here.
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The Westview School provides a unique, specialized, and nurturing learning environment offering outstanding educational and social opportunities for children on the autism spectrum. | | | | | |
