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Hello, Westview families,
This week our Kindergarten and Lower Elementary students were treated to an on-campus field trip. The Houston Public Library brought in its Astronomy Dome - an inflatable planetarium donated to the library from a grant from NASA to enable the library to offer a mobile planetarium experience to students in the Houston area. The inflatable dome popped up in Largent Hall, and students watched a presentation all about the skies of Houston and the planets and stars beyond.
“It was very informative. The kids loved it! The introduction to the planets was super engaging for the kids," said Liza Reyes, Kindergarten teacher. "I was so surprised how many of my kindergartners knew the planets by name and could shout out facts about the planets.”
“These experiential learning opportunities are a huge benefit to our students," said Liza. "A few of our kiddos were very apprehensive about the activity, but being in a familiar place like school – it was a safe space to explore the new experience. Hopefully, if they go to a similar event outside of school, students will have a familiar experience to tap in to."
“The interactive piece was so great," said Shenny Harilall, Lower Elementary teacher. "We loved zooming to the planets, and the kids loved sharing what they knew about space. This coincided perfectly with what our students are learning about in science with Mrs. Katie." "When the library representative showed the students what the sky would look like at a specific time, it had a direct correlation in their mind to science class," said Shenny. "I looked around our group, and everyone was looking up, engaged, and listening to what she was saying."
“On-campus field trips are great!" said Shenny. "They take away a lot of the anxiety that sometimes outside field trips can bring. There’s a familiarity with the space, so kids are better able to absorb the information presented.”
In addition to off-campus field trips for each program level, Westview has plans to welcome the Houston Public Library back to campus this spring for all grade levels to have the opportunity to experience additional Community Outreach programming the library has to offer. Upcoming presentations include Minecraft education, Lego Engineering, Puppet Theatre, and Storytime Fitness.
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STUDENTS GET AN "OUT OF THIS WORLD" EXPERIENCE ON CAMPUS | |
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Calendar at a Glance
DECEMBER 8, 2022
- POW Meeting | Largent Hall @ 9:15 AM
DECEMBER 15, 2022
- Westview Holiday Play | New Life Church @ 9:30 AM
- No Extended Day
DECEMBER 16, 2022 to JANUARY 2, 2023
JANUARY 3, 2023
- Westview Staff Development Day | Student Holiday (No School)
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Westview Welcomes - Early Childhood Instructional Assistant | | |
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Westview welcomes Ashley Diaz to our Early Childhood team as an Instructional Assistant. Ms. Ashley is a Houston native and a current student at the University of Houston studying English. She recently moved back to Houston after living abroad in Paris, France, where she worked at a language school and as an au pair. Her life bucket list includes living in Japan and Copenhagen. As a child, Ms. Ashley dreamed of being a circus clown and a zookeeper. We are excited to have Ashley and her adventurous and creative spirit supporting our youngest Wildcats. We asked Ashley what she was most excited about working at Westview. She said, "I am excited to connect with the kids, gather new experiences, and learn from educators here." Welcome to Westview, Ashley! | |
Save the Date for the Holiday Play | Thursday, December 15 | | |
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Save the date for the Westview Holiday Play, 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. Mr. Armstrong and his music classes are working hard to prepare for the production, and we can't wait for you to see your student take the stage. Mark your calendar and invite your family to as well.
WHAT TO WEAR?
You should have received an email from your child's teacher this week about the Holiday Play and what to wear for performance day.
CLASSROOM PICK-UP FOLLOWING PLAY
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 We can't wait to see you!
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Thank You for Your Support of The Westview Fund | | |
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Thank you to everyone who has supported and is continuing to support the Westview Fund. We got a boost on Giving Tuesday yesterday, and we are making progress toward our goal of $150,000. If you haven't made your gift yet, please click here to make your tax-deductible donation! We will do one more push for the Westview Fund before the end of the year, but we need your help to finish strong.
Here's how you can support us. First, donate. You can access our online giving via our website or the donate link in the email. Secondly, share. We would love for you to share our Westview Fund information with any family or friends interested in supporting our school. Here is the link to our email, or you can just direct them to The Westview Fund page on our website if you like. Thank you for your continued support.
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New Sign-Ups for Extracurriculars Coming in 2023 | |
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CHESS WIZARDS
Join Chess Wizards in the new 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 Tuesdays from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM for 8 sessions beginning on January 17. The cost is $168 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.
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JASNA'S YOGA
Westview is welcoming Jasna's Yoga back again to The Westview School beginning in the new year. Classes will be moving to Wednesday afternoons. 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 Wednesday, January 8, through March 8, 2023. 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 January 12, 2023. See the flyer for more details.
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The Stewart Center: Top Tip of the Week | | |
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This week's top tip is from Carlie Krueger, Speech-Language Pathologist Clinical Fellow at The Stewart Center.
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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AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVE COMMUNICATION (AAC)
AAC is an umbrella term that includes many modes of communication, such as speech generating devices, facial expressions, gestures, email, communication books and more. Low/no technology AAC with visual supports are a great way to enhance learning and relieve anxiety at home and in the classroom. Social stories (short narratives with pictures) and visual schedules support understanding of future events and foster independence. The Teachers Pay Teachers website often has cheap or free premade visual schedules and social stories for a variety of circumstances that can quickly be implemented at home.
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Message from POW: Join Us for the December POW Meeting | | |
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POW will hold its monthly meeting next Thursday, December 8, 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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STAFF APPRECIATION COOKIE EXCHANGE
The holiday season is upon us, and it is almost time for the most wonderful day of the year! Help POW spread holiday cheer to our teachers and staff by donating to the Westview Staff Appreciation Cookie Exchange on Thursday, December 7. If you’re a baker, bake up some treats. If you’d rather buy, that’s awesome too. Sign up here and help give all our staff a sugar high. Thank you in advance for making the holiday season special for the Westview staff.
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ORDER YOUR YEARBOOK
The deadline to order your 2022-2023 Westview Yearbook and dedication pages is January 2023. The link to purchase can be found 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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The Westview School provides a unique, specialized, and nurturing learning environment offering outstanding educational and social opportunities for children on the autism spectrum. | | | | | |
