PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Principal Disch
Welcome back, and I hope everyone had a relaxing and enjoyable holiday! I need to give a big shout-out to Mr. Collins, Mr. Cruz, Mrs. Barron, and Mrs. Fontelroy-Linzer who were on campus last week supporting contractors who updated the MPR floor. Unfortunately the wooden floor was not the best surface for the day-to-day demands of the space. There were rotted and raised boards, which created safety concerns. Even after they were replaced multiple times, the same issues continued to arise. The district recognized these concerns and took the necessary steps to put in a completely new surface. Pictures are included!
 
All the best,

Scott C. Disch
Principal
PTO'S MESSAGE
I hope everyone had an enjoyable Thanksgiving break and a chance to recharge and relax with your family.

We were excited to have our first ever virtual Art Night. There are some great Art Night projects you can do all week when you have time for creative fun! Many thanks to our Art Night chairs Amanda Duguid, Erika Wagner, and Alyse Hawkins for their hard work to put together this fun, virtual event for our kids. Additional thanks to Mendocino Farms for hosting our school spirit dinner last night! I hope you got to enjoy a yummy dinner and raise money for our PTO at the same time!

Our custodians and cafeteria workers are working extra hard this year to keep the school safe for our kids. Each year the PTO collects donations in December as a thank you. Please consider donating through December 16th. Additional details below.

Please mark your calendar for our virtual December PTO meeting on the 15th at 7 pm. In this meeting, we will review any budget requests that have been received. If you have any requests, please submit them here by today, December 2nd More details will follow. 

As the weather gets colder and we enter the holiday season, please continue to be diligent by wearing your masks in public, practicing social distancing outside your home, and avoiding large gatherings so our kids can stay in school.

Have a wonderful week!

Olivia Benitez
PTO President 2020-21
CALENDAR
PTO & SCHOOL NEWS
Announcements + Events
ART NIGHT = ART WEEK!
HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS!
Who: ALL grades Welcome!

What: This year, WUES Art Night will be Art Week. Thank you ALL who have already made this event a great success!

How: Students can continue to participate by following the saved tutorial and performance links at https://www.westupto.org/art-night.

STUDENT HIGHLIGHTS - The entire week, we will be highlighting our budding artists on the West U PTO’s social media pages and website. Parents can snap some shots and send photos of students creating or with their finished artworks to artnight@westupto.org

When: NOW - through Tuesday, December 7th

More Info:
RAFFLE DRAW - Every student that submits a photo will be entered into a prize giveaway for a $25 Michael's gift certificate (we will be awarding 5 of them). If you’d like to enter the drawing but prefer to not have your photo featured on social media please indicated that when submitting.

Contact Info: For questions, please contact the Art Night
MATERIAL DISTRIBUTION DAY
Who : Virtual Learning Students ONLY

What: Virtual Learning Students may pick up their materials for the upcoming cycle.

When: THIS FRIDAY, December 4th from 8:00am -12:00 noon *Any parent that cannot pick up during this timeframe can stop by the front office doors at their convenience.

Where: Pick up is on University Blvd.
CUSTODIAN HOLIDAY GIFT DONATIONS
Who : WUES Families

What: Every year, the PTO collects donations in December for our amazing custodians and cafeteria workers. While we always appreciate these much needed staff members, it goes without saying how important their job is this year.

When: NOW through December 16th

Where: DONATE using this PayPal Link or scan the QR code!

How: Please consider contributing by December 16th, so we can present our 12 custodial and cafeteria workers with a generous holiday gift on the last day of school before the Winter Break.

More Info: For questions, please contact Mary McCulloch.
WUES GIVES THANKS - VIRTUAL SERVICE PROJECT
Who : All WUES families

What: We are hosting a virtual service project to give thanks to first responders, active duty military, and veterans. Families can write thank you notes, assemble paracord bracelets, or make direct donations.

When: NOW - Wednesday, December 9th

Where:

How: The website allows you to register to write letters, provides instructions for paracord bracelet kit ordering, and lets you make financial contributions.

More Info: For questions, please contact Courtney Bucy.
SPRING 2021 BUDGET REQUESTS
Who : ALL

What & When: Submissions due by TODAY, December 2nd

How: Submit Spring 2021 budget requests online, using the Budget Request Form *NEW* link -

More Info: Please email VP Budget & Finance 
Nancy Kate Prescott with questions.
PTO MONEY AT WORK
Each week in this section, we will highlight how our PTO supports our school. Your PTO membership directly impacts our students. Join today!

¡Saludos amigos de West U! Welcome to our new ancillary class, the Spanish Lab! The PTO helped purchase curriculum and supplemental materials to set up the Spanish Lab for the school. Now, students of every grade level will be able to enjoy learning Spanish with Mr. Castaneda!

Keep up the MOMENTum!
ANCILLARY NEWS
Who: All WUES Families

What: We’ve made some changes to ancillary this year -

Each ancillary teacher stays with the same class for a full week.

The counselor has joined the ancillary rotation for 1st and 5th grade students.

Computer Lab 2 is now a Spanish Class.

Computer Lab 1 is now Listening Lab.

Four homerooms go to PE each week.

We still have art, library and science lab classes.

When: School year 2020-2021

More Info:
For questions or concerns, please contact Elana Adkison at eadkison@houstonisd.org
Diego Vergara - December 2

Zara Alousi - December 3
Priya Vasan - December 3

Sofia Thompson - December 4

Payton Lafitte - December 6
Riley Lafitte - December 6

Malo Constanza - December 6

Community | Announcements + Events
WEST U PARKS & RECREATION - DECEMBER CLASS OFFERINGS
Who: All WUES Families

What: The Recreation Center has several great in-person classes beginning in December. Programs will follow COVID-19 safety guidelines. In-person classes offered include: Tennis, Pilates, Line Dancing, Aqua Cross Fit, Youth Swim Fit, Jazzercise, and same-household swim lessons.

When: Now

Where & How: For class and registration information, visit
http://www.westutx.gov/activities or call 713-662.7420 for additional information.
YMCA ANGEL TREE
Who: All WUES families

What: Every year, WUES supports the YMCA as they provide holiday cheer to 850 area children. WUES families can "adopt" a child for the holidays by giving them their requested gifts!

Please pick up envelopes from the Angel Tree at the Weekley YMCA. Each child will have a wish list of three items. Return items in a gift bag by December 14th.

When: Now - All gift items should be returned by Dec. 14th.

Where: Weekley YMCA on Stella Link.

How: Stop by the YMCA to pick up your envelope.

Families can email Courtneybucy@yahoo.com with questions.
FREE GIRL SCOUT MEMBERSHIP
Who: Any Girl / Parent interested

What: Free Girl Scout membership for any new girl / parent interested in the Girl Scouts. FREE membership into an amazing program!

When: Month of December 2020

Where & How: Use the FREE MEMBERSHIP LINK HERE and follow the prompts.

More Info: Please contact Melody Alanis if you have any questions, at malanis@sjgs.org
Taking a MOMENT to thank our Corporate Sponsors!