November 11, 2021
Greetings, Westview families,

Today is Veterans Day, and this holiday is observed annually to honor the men and women who are serving or who have served in the U.S. armed forces. For a bit of historical reference, Veterans Day is celebrated on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to commemorate the signing of the armistice to end World War I.
 
On the very first Veterans Day, formerly known as Armistice Day, Woodrow Wilson addressed the nation. He said, “[World War I] showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men.”
 
I am struck by the words “acting together for high purposes” and the idea of enduring success when we “act justly” with a plan that promotes the “common interests” of all. We are inspired by the dedication and service of our military.
 
In honor of Veterans Day, our front lawn is lined with American flags. We asked our families to share the names and a photo of the veterans in their families. We have compiled them into a commemorative video. Westview recognizes and sends our appreciation to all of the brave men and women with ties to our community. They are a role model for all of us.
Head of School
The Westview School
Westview Salutes Our Veterans!
Calendar at a Glance

Wednesday, November 17
  • New Family Zoom

November 22 to 26
  • Thanksgiving Break

Thursday, December 2
  • Westview EDU

December 17 to January 2, 2022
  • Winter Break
When it comes to developments on the fight against COVID-19 that most impact our Westview community, The Westview School has been fortunate to be able to rely on the expertise of medical professionals within our community. The Westview School COVID-19 Medical Advisory Board has once again weighed in on the vaccine discussion in our latest Westview Blog post: What Every Parent Should Know about Pediatric COVID-19 Vaccines.

How are these vaccines different from the adult ones? What are the side effects? WHY should I vaccinate my child? Our Medical Advisory Board has some answers for you. We hope this information is helpful for all parents as they discern vaccination for their children.
Annual Fund is Happening NOW
Thank you to everyone who has already contributed to this year's Westview Annual Fund. We are three weeks in and have already raised $20,000. There are a couple of ways to support this fundraising effort. First, please donate. You can access our online giving via our website or use the donate link found in the email. Secondly, please share. We would love for you to share our Annual 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 Annual Fund page on our website. A print mail-out of our Annual Fund letter is being mailed ongoing for those who like to write checks instead of using our online giving. 
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING FAMILIES WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS YEAR’S ANNUAL FUND

Janette and Josh Babin
Misty and Tom Cornell
Teresa and Roland Cortez
Christine Hobson and Amy Girimonti
Jackie and Sylvester Neely
Laura and Ryan Smith
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING GRANDPARENTS AND FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THIS YEAR'S ANNUAL FUND

Sherri Carver (The Rugaard Family)
Betsy Buisson-Fusselman (The Buisson Family)
Matthew Hoeg/HungerRush LLC (The Howarth Family)
Mariah Alexandria Schaefer (The Babin Family)
Jamie Walczak (The Babin Family)
Thomas E. Zalewski (The Buisson Family)
THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING WESTVIEW STAFF WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND ANNUAL FUND
Kristi Anders
Gena Brown
Jackie Casper
Michelle Chappa
Jared Dawkins
Marian Hanvey
Katie Hazeldine
Helga Hood
Dr. Bevan Koch
Claudia LeBlanc
John Moring
Trevie Pearlman
Candi Pettit
Notes from Nurse Ana: Hearing and Vision Screenings Continue
Next week, Nurse Ana will begin administering vision screenings for our students. These state-required screenings will be conducted on campus. There is no charge for the screening.

If you do not wish for your child to participate in the state of Texas mandated school screening, a physician-signed hearing and vision evaluation for the student must be submitted to Nurse Ana. 
As required by Texas State Law, the following must be screened for both vision and hearing: 
  • All children who were four years old as of Sept. 1, 2021
  • All kindergartners, first, third, fifth & seventh graders
  • All first-time entrants from another Texas school who are not in the above categories unless he/she can bring written documentation from the other school
  • All first-time entrants (4 years through 12th grade) from an out-of-state school

If your child fails the vision or hearing screening and rescreening, a referral letter will be sent home. Please do the following: 
  • Have your child evaluated by your pediatrician or vision/hearing specialist
  • Have your doctor complete the referral form and return it to Nurse Ana.

All screening results will be sent to the state of Texas as required by law. 

If you have any questions or require additional information about the upcoming screenings, please contact Nurse Ana in the clinic.
Travel Guidelines Reminder
As the Thanksgiving holidays are quickly approaching, it is important for us to remind families that our ability to stay open and serve our students on campus depends on all of us doing what we can to stay healthy and avoid contracting and spreading the COVID-19 virus. One of our school policies requires quarantine for all unvaccinated individuals after traveling by airplane, train, bus, etc. 

If you and your family are planning to travel during any upcoming Thanksgiving holiday, please let us know so we can plan for your student to be absent from school 7-10 days following your trip. Thank you for your continued attention and dedication to keeping our students safe and healthy. For additional information, please refer to the CDC’s recommendations for minimizing exposure to the virus during travel.

It continues to be the practice of The Westview School to rely on the CDC recommendations plus advice from our Medical Advisory Board for all COVID-19 policies, procedures, and protocols. 
Thanksgiving Food Drive to Support the Houston Food Bank
Once again, Westview will participate in a Thanksgiving Food Drive. Thanksgiving has always been a season where our teachers guide our students towards expressing love and gratitude to both families and friends. In place of gathering together on campus and feeding our families, we will once again extend the love and gratitude of the season to the Greater Houston community, many of which have been less fortunate than us. The Westview School will support the local Houston Food Bank during November with a school-wide food drive. Non-perishable donations can be dropped off at morning carpool now through Friday, November 19. Please help us make the biggest impact by donating some of their most needed items. These items include canned meat (chicken, tuna, Vienna sausage), other canned proteins, canned pasta (pasta with meat sauce and ravioli), canned fruit, canned applesauce, canned vegetables.
Westview is Hiring
The Westview School is hiring! Westview is seeking qualified, enthusiastic professionals, to join our team of educators and therapists to fulfill our mission of providing a stimulating, specialized learning environment where children with autism spectrum disorder can reach their fullest potential. If you or someone you know is interested, send a resume and letter of interest electronically to Candi Pettit cpettit@westviewschool.org.

The Westview School is looking to increase our substitute teacher list. We have found that Westview parents are a perfect fit for this role. As a Westview substitute, you will primarily work as the class assistant for the day. We are so appreciative of all our parents who have dedicated time to support our school by being a part of our sub-list. We would love to include YOU too! If you are interested in substitute teaching on a preschool, elementary, or middle school level or if you know someone who would be, please contact Michelle Chapa to complete the necessary paperwork and background check to be added to our list.