WEST PTC | WEST PTC CALENDAR | WEST SCHOOL | NCPS DISTRICT

WestFest 2021 is our first ever annual appeal, and will be the PTC’s main fundraiser this school year. The WestFest fun begins on Monday, November 8th and runs through Thursday, November 19th. We look forward to celebrating West at its Best! All donations will go towards the programs the PTC coordinates to enrich West School including teacher classroom grants, Visiting Authors, Performing Arts Assemblies like Surcari (the multi-cultural Latin music group coming to West next week) the Talent Show, Outdoor Learning Center maintenance, STEM initiatives and so much more! Upon donating, your child’s name will be entered into a drawing that will be held 2x each week to win prizes. There will also be school-wide celebrations throughout WestFest when school wide participation milestones are hit, with fun events like Pajama Day, an extra 15 minutes of recess and a popsicle party! We are deeply grateful for the continued generosity of the West parent community and hope you’ll consider a donation; any amount is appreciated as we try to reach our ambitious goal of $35,000. Look for more information about how to donate on Monday! Questions? Please contact Roxana Burciago and Cindy Cash at auction@westschoolptc.org

Veterans Day Assembly, 10:00am

Performing Arts Committee presents Surcari

Spirit Day

Early dismissal, 1:05pm

Parent teacher conference, 1:05pm

Thursday, November 25th and Friday, November 26th - Thanksgiving Break

Attention all 4th Graders! The West School Memory Book needs you to design its cover! First and second place winners each receive a free Memory Book! All submissions must be returned to your teacher by Friday, November 12th. See flyer for additional details. Any questions, please contact the Memory Book team at memorybooks@westschoolptc.org. Be creative and have fun!

Help make it extra special for our fourth graders! Please fill out the Google Form and submit a baby photo (.jpg format please, with a filename in the format of StudentnameTeachername.jpg) as well as your child's answers to the two questions listed in the Google form. All submissions are due by Monday, November 15th. Please email memorybooks@westschoolptc.org with any questions.

Mighty math is under way and students are excited to be engaged and recognized! Don't forget to log your at home math minutes to win prizes! Mighty Math is a program open to all West School students. It is designed to encourage the practice of mathematics at home and recognize students at school for their efforts. This program is voluntary, although we encourage all students to give it a try. Click here to learn more about the program, including examples of Mighty Math activities and how to record minutes. If you have any questions, email mightymath@westschoolptc.org.

At the Monday, November 1st Board of Education meeting, several department chairs from NCHS discussed the implementation of the new state mandated Mastery Based Graduation Requirements. Ms. Darlene Pianka gave a Staff Utilization and Enrollment update. NCPS enrollment in k-12 is 4069, 101 fewer students than last year. Average class size throughout all schools is 17.7, with all classes well within or below the Board guidelines. Dr. Luizzi gave a Covid update, including that New Canaan will host its first vaccine clinic for students 5 - 12 years old on Thursday, November 11. Signup here.

The next Board of Education meeting is Monday, November 16th, 2021. Questions? Email Meghan Gould at edurep@westschoolptc.org.

Join the Team at 84 Sports for our very first Wellness Fair on Saturday, November 6th from 11am to 3pm! Our goal is to celebrate local businesses while providing mental health and awareness, and raise funds for the charity RADical Hope. We will teach you how to get mentally and physically fit with activities, games and fun for the whole family! RADical Hope’s groundbreaking wellness programs empower and equip young adults with skills to stay well and stay resilient. Join us!

Why are students in affluent communities considered at risk, and what role does adult self-care play in all of this? Join NC CARES on Thursday, November 11th at 7pm for a conversation with Dr. Suniya Luthar via Zoom. She addresses why the rates of depression, anxiety and rule-breaking in high-performing communities are higher than the national average and provides us with tools to change the culture. Register here.

Mental Health is just as important as physical health. Join Dr. Chris Bogart, PhD, Sasco River Center, on Monday, November 15th at 7pm at the NC Historical Society to examine: How to build the psychological immune system; What is the functionality of anxiety?; How do we eradicate the protective coating of anxiety?; and When do we, as parents, need to jump in and help or pull back and let children learn and adapt? Register here.

Bring the whole family to see New Canaan High School’s Production of Freaky Friday, a new musical based on the celebrated novel by Mary Rodgers and the hit Disney film. It is a heartfelt, comedic, and unexpectedly emotional update on an American classic. When an overworked mother and her teenage daughter magically swap bodies, they have just one day to put things right again. By spending a day in each other's shoes, Katherine and Ellie come to appreciate one another's struggles, learn self-acceptance, and realize the immeasurable love and mutual respect that bond a mother and daughter. Don’t miss our incredibly talented students - including our own West School 4th grader Jamie McGee who stars as little brother "Fletcher" - as they share the stage with special guest, Principal Egan, making his NCHS Theatre debut! Performances will be in the NCHS Auditorium on Friday November 19th at 7:00pm and Saturday November 20th at 2:00pm and 7:00pm. Purchase tickets here. Audience members are required to wear masks.

Join us in supporting Filling in the Blanks' CommUNITY Luminary Event! On November 24th at 7pm, homes across Fairfield County will place their lit luminaries outside to raise awareness for childhood hunger. The luminaries will shine as a symbol of hope and unity for kids struggling with food insecurity. How to support? Please visit Filling in the Blanks to learn more or click here to purchase luminaries by November 15th. Encourage your neighbors to do so also! All proceeds will be donated to Filling in the Blanks, a nonprofit organization that provides nutritious meals to thousands of children in CT and NY each week. Don't forget to make it social! Help us raise awareness by sharing photos on social media using hashtag #ShineALightFITB and tagging @filling_blanks!

We are excited to announce NC Youth Wrestling is Back for the 2021-2022 season! Season kick off begins Monday, November 29th and ends with our annual King of the Room tournament and banquet on Thursday, February 27th. More info to come about tournaments, dual meets and practices with other towns. Register here.

This winter, NCPS students entering grades K-4, are invited to explore the forests, fields, and ponds of the New Canaan Nature Center during our new after school program! Create hypotheses, conduct experiments, and get ready for some awesome hands-on collaborative learning. Delve into fun and engaging weekly themes while exploring our natural world. Who knows what we will discover! Program includes bus transportation to the Nature Center from the 3 NCPS Elementary Schools, snack time, outdoor free play, sustainable STEAM activities, and homework time. To register or for more information, please click here or email Director of Environmental Education Michelle Hips at mhips@newcanaannature.org. We will also run a Spring Session (April 18 – June 15, 2022) with registration opening for that session in February.