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Hello, Westview families,
If you follow us on social media, yesterday, we gave our followers a live-action look into the joy that is music class at The Westview School. Our music program is led by Nelson Armstrong, a Houston native who began his musical education at HSPVA (High School for the Performing and Visual Arts) and is a graduate of Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. Mr. Armstrong, as he is called by our students, is a fan of all music but especially loves jazz and is proficient at the trumpet.
Mr. Armstrong brings much joy, creativity, and talent to the music program at The Westview School. On any given day, you will find Mr. Nelson motivating students to engage through active learning and guiding them through critical thinking and problem-solving. Through exploration, our students are developing creative expression. Creativity is essential to nurture and develop the whole child.
The state standards for music education include four strands:
MUSIC LITERACY is fostered through reading, writing, reproducing, and creating music. This experience develops a student's intellect.
CREATIVE EXPRESSION requires students to apply their music literacy and the critical-thinking skills of music to sing, play, read, write, and/or move.
KNOWLEDGE OF MUSICAL PERIODS AND STYLES helps students understand the relevance of music to history, culture, and the world. This includes learning about the relationship of music to other academic disciplines.
CRITICAL LISTENING requires students to analyze, evaluate, and respond to music, developing criteria for making critical judgments and informed choices.
Our highly engaging music program unlocks students' creativity, builds self-confidence, and provides essential life skills.
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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7
- Westview Staff Development Day | Student Holiday (No School)
MONDAY, OCTOBER 10
MONDAY, OCTOBER 29
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FLY FIVE: The Social Emotional Learning Curriculum | | |
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We have reached the final standard in our new Social-Emotional Learning curriculum which has made its way into the daily lessons for our students. The Fly Five Social Emotional Learning Curriculum supports our students in Kindergarten through Grade 8.
Fly Five is broken down into five social and emotional competencies known as the C.A.R.E.S. Standards. The C.A.R.E.S. acronym is comprised of the traits of cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
This week we will share a little about the next standard - SELF CONTROL
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Standard 1: Adheres to social, behavioral, and moral standards
Standard 2: Manages overwhelming thoughts or emotions
Standard 3: Controls impulses and delays gratification
Standard 4: Shows hope and perseverance
Self-control is the ability to recognize and regulate one’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors in order to be successful in the moment and remain on a successful trajectory.
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The Stewart Center: Top Tip of the Week | | |
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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. This week our "Top Tip of the Week" comes from Elisabeth Shults, Play Therapist. Thank you to The Stewart Center for sharing their words of wisdom with our community. | |
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CHANGE YOUR LANGUAGE FOR MAJOR IMPACT
Changing your language in small ways can have a major impact on your child’s development. Using effort-based praise instead of result-based praise helps to develop a growth mindset and increases resiliency. For example: Instead of saying, “Wow, you made an 'A' on your math test! You’re so smart!” you can say, “Wow, you made an 'A' on your math test! You must have worked really hard to earn that! How does it feel to know your hard work paid off?”
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Westview EDU | Teachable Moments: Ways to Build Learning into Everyday Play | | |
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Interactions with our children are filled with spontaneous learning opportunities that can yield big results over time. Kids learn best when the subject is part of their everyday life or is happening now and when they feel some ownership over the process. How do you make sure you don’t miss out on these fruitful opportunities for growth? What are some simple ways to tweak your playtime to make any moment a teachable one while keeping your child engaged and excited?
Save the date for Thursday, October 6 at 9:15 AM in Largent Hall for our October Westview EDU | Teachable Moments: Ways to Build Learning into Everyday Play. Elisabeth Dawkins, Licensed Professional Counselor-Associate training in Clinical Play Therapy at The Stewart Center, will share some of her favorite take-home tips and best playtime practices from her hands-on experience incorporating learning into everyday play with her clients.
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Elisabeth is a certified provider of DIRFloortime® a child-led, structured approach to play therapy that teaches flexibility and problem solving and helps children and teens to make emotional connections.
This event will be held in person in Largent Hall on The Westview School campus. Zoom attendance will be available by request. All attendees, both virtual and in-person, should register for the event.
REGISTER HERE
Any questions? Having an issue with the online registration form? Email Sarah Chauvin for assistance.
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After School Extracurricular Activities are Back | |
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CHESS WIZARDS
Join Chess Wizards this year for challenging chess lessons, exciting tournaments, fun, team activities, and more! If you’re brand-new to chess, you will learn the basics and get playing right away. If you’re a seasoned checkmate artist, you will learn new ways to let your creativity show on the chessboard. Classes will be Thursday, 12:30 to 1:30 pm for 10 sessions beginning on October 6. The cost is $210 per student. Chess Wizards enrollment is for Upper Elementary and Middle School students only. Register at www.chesswizards.com. See the flyer for more details.
JASNA'S YOGA
Westview is welcoming Jasna's Yoga class to The Westview School beginning this fall. Yoga classes are fun, non-competitive, and go at your own pace. Students in Kindergarten through Middle School are eligible to participate. The cost is $120 per student or $240 for student and one parent/guardian. The session will run for eight 45-minute classes beginning on Tuesday, October 4, through November 29, 2022. Times are for Kindergarten + Lower El: Tuesdays at 2:30 PM to 3:15 PM and for Upper El + Middle School: Tuesdays at 3:30 PM to 4:15 PM. Email thouart5@thouart.com to register before September 20, 2022. See the flyer for more details.
CODER KIDS
Lower Elementary: Coder Kids Computer Programing Classes is here at Westview. In this class, students will use hands-on tools, apps, and games to learn the fundamentals of coding on tablets and computers as well as typing. Students will work through multiple levels of the Coder Kids Coding Foundations curriculum. No experience is required! Classes will be held every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 PM. The cost is $176 for the 8 remaining sessions. Coder Kids has already started, but there is still space available if your child would like to participate. Register online for Lower Elementary sessions here. See the flyer for more details.
Upper Elementary + Middle School: In this course, students make games and animations and get creative! Students will use Scratch, which is a block-based programming language developed by MIT. It's perfect for beginners or for experienced students. Students will learn about variables, conditionals, sequential logic, and more! If you can imagine it, you can code it! Classes will be held every Wednesday from 3:30 to 4:30 PM. The cost is $176 for the 8 remaining sessions. Coder Kids has already started, but there is some space available if your child would like to participate. Register online for Upper Elementary and Middle School sessions here. See the flyer for more details.
BOY SCOUTS TROOP 609
Be a Scout with Troop 609. Every Scouting activity moves youth toward the basic aims of character development, citizenship training, and mental and physical fitness. Boy Scouts is for students ages 11 and up only. Boy Scout meetings are held on the first and third Sunday each month from 4:30 to 6:00 PM at The Westview School. Boy Scout Troop 609 is chartered by The Westview School. For more information, please come by a meeting or visit Troop 609 online. You can also follow on Facebook Scout Troop 609 – Westview School. See the flyer for more details. If you have any questions about scouting, email scoutmaster.troop609@gmail.com.
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As part of our educational series, Westview EDU, The Westview School welcomed Natalie Montfort, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist, Montfort Psychology Associates, to share her insight and expertise on Executive Functioning. With over 20 years of experience working with children with autism spectrum disorder and other disabilities, Natalie knows the importance of executive functioning and why it matters. Her talk provided parents with ways to develop and improve their child’s executive functioning skills, offering strategies that are easy to implement at home. If you missed Dr. Montfort's presentation, do not worry. We are very thankful to her for contributing a written version of her discussion for the Westview blog.
Read our latest post on the Westview Blog, Executive Functioning: Air Traffic Control for Your Brain.
READ MORE
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Message from POW: Preorder Wildcat Spirit Shirts + Yearbooks | | |
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WILDCAT SPIRIT TEES
The new POW Spirit Tee is up for preorder 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). You also have the option to gift a teacher a tee. The preorder deadline is October 1st.
ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK
You can also find the preorder for the 2022-2023 Westview Yearbook and dedication pages live on the Balfour website. Below are some easy-to-follow instructions for reserving your copy and dedication space today. Dedications are due January 2023.
- Click on the Balfour School Store link
- Scroll down to Yearbook Products & ADS
- Enter student info & click "shop for this student"
- Then choose yearbook and what size dedication you would like.
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Fall Tutoring at The Westview School | | |
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Did you know that The Westview School offers tutoring for most classes on all grade levels? Tutoring is offered throughout the school year to maintain the skills students learn and "keep up" during the school year if needed. Tutoring takes place in a fun, relaxed environment with highly-qualified teachers.
We currently have spots available for fall tutoring. Space is limited. Anyone interested in tutoring or learning more information on how this might fit into your child's schedule, please contact Teresa Taeger.
Times vary based on each tutor's availability and schedule. Once you sign up, you will be contacted to discuss specific needs and requests. Please let us know if you prefer a specific teacher, and we will see if they are available for tutoring this year. Visit our website to complete the application.
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Save the Date for Alex’s 5K Run/Walk & Kids' K | |
The Westview School provides a unique, specialized, and nurturing learning environment offering outstanding educational and social opportunities for children on the autism spectrum. | | | | | |
