August 28, 2020
Welcome Back!
Dear Westmoor Families-

We've had a great first week back to school! This was a busy week full of learning new routines and procedures, seeing old friends and meeting new ones. It's been wonderful welcoming students back to school both in-person and remotely. I want to thank all our families, staff and students for bringing such a positive attitude to the start of this unconventional school year.

Our first week back we had our safety drills for fire and lockdown procedures. Students did a great job as we learned how to practice these important safety drills while practicing social distancing. We'd appreciate our families continuing to talk with your student about 6ft. social distancing when at school. This is a hard norm to remember and we will continue to practice here at school.

Last night was Curriculum Night for in-person and remote learning academy classes. The staff have been working hard to modify lessons and adjust their teaching while keeping students safe. I hope you had an opportunity to join us last night to learn more about grade level content that will be covered this year.

BIG THANK YOU to all our PTO volunteers for the RLA and in-person room parent volunteers. While this role may look a bit different this year, I'm thankful for the help to keep all our students connected. Don't forget to check out the Westmoor PTO web page for information on how to get your spiritwear!!

Friday, September 4 is a half day for students. Students will not be having lunch on this day and will be dismissed at 12:00pm.

Thank you to all the families that have reached out with well wishes on the start of the school year. I appreciate your support for our Westmoor community.

Have a great weekend,
Mary
Thanks PTO!
Thanks student & families!
We appreciate you too!
School News
Children's Choir for all 3rd-5th Graders :
The Northbrook 28 Children’s Choir will be going completely virtual for the 2020/2021 school year! More information can be found by viewing the NB28CC Handbook. If you would like to sign your child up for the NB28CC, please fill out the registration form by Monday, August 31. Rehearsals will begin on Tuesday, September 8. Click here for some F.A.Q.’s. Please feel free to reach out to Mr. Bartunek ([email protected]t) if you have further questions!
Safety Updates:
Thank you to our families for helping us each morning by performing the self certification process. Please remember this needs to be done prior to a student arriving at school before 8:00AM. It also helps us out tremendously if you do this ASAP, as we track who has not certified and begin calling families by 8:00am.
As in past years I like to remind our families that Shannon Road is not a drop off/pick up location for the school. Please use our carline if you are dropping off or picking up. If you park on Shannon Road to walk your student to the doors please follow traffic laws. By doing this you are ensuring the safety of our students.
Picture Day:
Our picture day for K-5 students in-person is scheduled for Wednesday, September 9. Young Explorers and remote learning students have their picture day scheduled on Thursday, September 10. RLA families please look for an email next week from Mrs. Ferraro with Sign-Up Genius times.
ARRIVAL:
Students may arrive at school any time between 8:15 a.m. and 8:35 a.m. This year, as soon as they arrive, students will enter the building and walk to their classroom. Children will have choice time at their seats until the school day begins.
  • Walkers
  • Kindergarten walkers will enter through the main office (Door A)
  • 1st grade walkers will enter by Cherry Lane (Door B)
  • 2nd-3rd grade walkers will enter by the playground (Door C)
  • 4th-5th grade walkers will enter by the gym (Door D)
  • Bus riders
  • Will enter through Cherry Lane (Door B) with the bus supervisor
  • Carline
  • If you are driving your child, cars enter the parking lot northbound on Cherry Lane and drop students off along the sidewalk next to the parking lot. Staff members will be present to greet students.

School begins at 8:35. Any student arriving after the 8:35 bell will need to be signed in at the front office. Please make every effort to ensure that your children are here on time to begin their days. We will give plenty of leeway in the first weeks of school as we all adjust to the new routines.

DISMISSAL:
We will stagger our dismissal this year to help maintain physical distancing.
3:20pm: Students attending KidCare and riding the bus will be picked up from class and escorted to the bus or KidCare.
3:25pm: Walkers will be picked up from classroom and escorted to the playground. We are staggering grade levels with kinder students coming out first.
3:30pm: Car riders with remain in their class and dismissed once their names are called.

Our kindergarteners and 1st graders who walk or meet parents outside will be dismissed through the back playground doors (Door C).

Please practice social distancing from others if you are waiting to meet your child(ren) and depart Westmoor as soon as your children exit the building. Also, please always wear your masks for arrival and dismissal.

Please note, our playgrounds will be roped off this fall to prevent children from playing on equipment during recess times. If you choose for your child to play on the equipment after school, please make sure they are well-supervised.
Remote Learning Academy News
Books & Class Materials Pickups
RLA students will have the opportunity to select library books from our school libraries. The librarians will work with the RLA teachers to teach students the process for choosing books. We will make your child’s library books available for pickup every three weeks. Teachers will also include classroom materials as needed for your child. The pickup process will be drive-through at your child’s home school. Please mark your calendars (these are also posted on the district and school online calendars) with these pickup dates:
  • Wednesday, September 16 from 4:30 - 5:30 at home school
  • Wednesday, October 7 from 4:30 - 5:30 at home school
  • Wednesday, October 28 from 4:30 - 5:30 at home school
  • Wednesday, November 18 from 4:30 - 5:30 at home school
  • Wednesday, December 9 from 4:30 - 5:30 at home school

Technology Support
Our district’s RLA webpage includes video tutorials and other information for troubleshooting technology issues your child might encounter. You can also submit a help ticket for assistance. 

Video Conferencing Expectations
We’ve updated student and parent expectations for video conferencing on the RLA page of our website. During the use of live video conferencing instruction, we expect students, parents, and other household members to respect the privacy of others by not taking pictures or recording the session; this includes not taking screenshots during a Zoom meeting. Just as recording would not be allowed in a physical classroom, recording is not allowed in a virtual classroom. Click to read more

Picture Day
Westmoor picture day will be fast approaching! Our RLA picture day is scheduled for Thursday, September 10. If you are interested in having your student's picture taken please look for further information coming out soon.

RLA PTO Room Parents Needed
Please consider volunteering to be a Room Parent this year. It will be a very simple task as there are no classroom volunteer opportunities this year – solely, communicating from the PTO to class & coordinating group appreciation/gifts. Please contact Lindsey Baker directly, if you are interested: [email protected].

Attendance *Repeat Information*
To report an absence please either email  [email protected] or call 847-498-7960 before 9:00 a.m. in addition to emailing your child's teacher. Thank you!
PTO News and Events


Celebrate Back to School on Friday, August 28th, ALL DAY, with DQ
Visit Dairy Queen, 2770 Dundee Road, Northbrook and mention: Westmoor Fundraiser. 20% of your purchase will raise funds for the Westmoor PTO.  There is phone in/take-out and on-site dining (indoor & outdoor seating available).
Yoga Mats (K-5) are dispatched from CA – ETA is next week. Contact: [email protected] for specific questions about this order. 
Directory Update Coming Soon!
Due to the rescheduling involved this summer in the transition to remote learning and in-person learning, the student database update was delayed. District staff is working to provide the data needed for the directory as soon as possible.
The back to school packet linked below (repeated from the 8/14 weekly) has a plethora of information that you may find useful in preparing for the 2020-2021 school year.

If you have questions about the PTO or the website, feel free to email us at [email protected].


This packet contains information about:
  • How to Join PTO
  • Paperless PTO & School Directory
  • Free Will Giving
  • Birthday Signs
  • School Supplies
  • Westmoor Lanyards/Yoga Mats
  • Ordering Spiritwear
  • Amazon Smile
  • DQ Back to School Week
District Update
CrisisGo Health Certification Updates Continue
The district team is exceptionally grateful for your patience and flexibility at we implement and refine the student health check certification. It is an essential system for the safety of everyone at school.

As stated in the emails parents of in-person learners have received about this process, the system still only accepts one email per student. This is because the email is linked to the student and provides for the rapid check-in process at daily arrival.

A data update is planned for this weekend to resolve some requests from parents to change the email address that receives the link to the form. In addition, the update should remove those families who are enrolled in the Remote Learning Academy and receiving the email in error.

Text Notifications
We updated our text notification system on Wednesday from an opt-in system to an opt-out system. All families who are participating in the daily health check should now receive a text reminding them to complete the form. You can 'opt-out' from the message on your phone by replying "stop" to the text notification.

Health and Safety Updates
Watch for an email in the coming days from Superintendent Dr. Larry Hewitt with additional health and safety protocols as they pertain to potential COVID-19 cases and quarantines.

Board Briefs
The Board of Education held a virtual meeting Tuesday, Aug. 25 that was live-streamed on the district's YouTube Channel. Watch for the Board Briefs coming soon, which will recap discussion and business.
Virtual Backpack
District 28 shares local non-profit and community partner flyers here in the District's "Virtual Backpack." This approach allows us to provide information about community programs in a way that is environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Please note that District 28 is making this information available as a courtesy and to provide information about local events and programs in our community. Materials posted on this page are the responsibility of the organizations represented. You can always check the Virtual Backpack webpage as a handy reference!
Unmasking the School Year
"Your questions answered, your fears addressed" will be presented virtually at 7 p.m. Sept. 16. Join in a conversation with professionals who will be prepared to answer your questions about everything COVID-19 and this school year. Register and submit questions in advance.
Westmoor School | Mary Sturgill, Principal | 847-498-7960 | Email | Website