Hello, Westview families,
One year ago, I sat in the library of the 1900 building for my first interview for the Head of School position at Westview. Tomorrow I anticipate sitting in the same room, except this time on the floor covering rainy day recess with the sweetest little Prekindergartners. There is no way that I could have predicted what this year had in store. Still, I can honestly say that despite the challenges, it continues to be such a rewarding and fruitful "yes" to lead and be a part of the Westview team.
The punches keep coming... don't they? What an unexpected and challenging event the Winter Storm of last week proved to be. Westview was lucky. One small pipe froze in the bathroom of an exterior wall in the 1900 building. We only had four affected areas: the 1900 multipurpose room, the motor lab, one Pre-Kindergarten classroom, and one Kindergarten classroom.
Last Thursday, John Moring and I discovered leaking water as we arrived at Westview to inspect the facilities. There was a lot of it, but we were lucky. Houston water pressure was relatively low at the time, but still, Candi, Carol, John, and I had four shop vacs going to try to suck up all of the water. It was like trying to bail out a sinking ship with a Dixie cup. Mr. Trey finally got the water turned off to the building and helped us get as much of the water out as we possibly could. Mrs. Hanvy notified our insurance company, and we were very fortunate to have remediation specialists out to assess the damage and start work the very next day.
Our displaced teachers, Mrs. Amanda and Ms. Karina have shown so much patience and grace as their classrooms had to be uprooted and relocated. Our students have exceeded our expectations in their flexibility. On Saturday, Ms. Ally supported her colleagues by helping set up new classrooms and writing a social story to prepare students for the transition. On Sunday, Mrs. Taeger came in to pull books for the classes so that the library could be used as a temporary classroom, and Kelli Blake worked to get all of the technology moved for our teachers. Ms. Trevie and Mr. Mike worked together to share schedules and figure out secondary PE locations for our students in the upcoming weeks.
All to say, there were many moving parts and much work to be done to welcome our students back to school on Tuesday. Charles Darwin said it best, "It is the long history of humankind that those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." Or, to put it in much simpler terms, "Teamwork makes the dream work."
No team-building activity that we could have incorporated into teacher in-service this year could have grown our team at Westview like the challenges the 2020-2021 school year has laid in our pathway. The winter storm is just one more example of how well our team works together for the good of your children and our community. I am proud of our school and lucky that one year ago, I said "yes" to the possibility of being a part of Westview.
All the best,
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Head of School
The Westview School
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There's a puppy on campus! Jack oversees Carol and John as they attempt to clean up the water from the multi-purpose room. |
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I spy with my little eye, a shiny new copper pipe! Thankful to team Cotton for repairing our pipe so quickly. |
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Mrs. Amanda's PreK class transitioned seamlessly into our 1900 library. We are so proud of our teachers and students for their flexibility. |
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Calendar at a Glance
February 26
- Re-enrollment Contracts Due by 4PM
March 12
March 15-19
April 2
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Re-Enrollment Deadline is Friday, February 26 by 4PM |
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This is an important reminder that
Also, we cannot guarantee your child’s spot for the 2021-2022 school year after February 26. We will begin enrolling new students on Monday, March 1.
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Early Bird Discount for Westview Champs Summer Camp Ends March 1st |
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Hello, Westview! Crystal Irvin, here, and I am the Summer Camp Coordinator for summer campers K thru Middle School. If you’ve been thinking about signing up for this year’s Summer Camp – Be a Westview Champ, let this serve as your encouragement to DO IT!
I think we are all dreaming of summer days, and including Westview Champs Summer Camp on your summer calendar is a fabulous idea. Our camp sessions are jam-packed with exciting things to keep your kiddo entertained and learning over the summer months.
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In-school field trips, cool and creative arts and crafts, water activities, and super fun PE games are all on the agenda. We also will focus on maintaining your child’s progress from the previous school year with Math, ELA, Science, and Social Skills as part of our daily camp schedules.
Our EARLYBIRD camp special is happening now through March 1, so you will not want to miss the 10% discount for securing your spot TODAY. This is an excellent opportunity to keep your child busy and on routine for the summer. We would LOVE to see you at camp! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. – Crystal
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If you would like to take advantage of the EARLYBIRD discount for Westview Champs Summer Camp, the deadline to register at a discount is Monday, March 1.
The earlybird discount applies to 10% off camp tuition only.
We have several options for students over the summer break. Visit our website to learn all the details and to register your child.
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Travel Reminder for Spring Break (March 15-19) |
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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 virus. One of our policies in the Campus Reopening Plan requires a quarantine after travel by airplane, train, bus, etc.
If you and your family are planning to travel by plane for Spring Break, please let us know so we can plan to transition your student to virtual school after the break. Thank you for your continued attention and dedication to keeping our students safe and healthy.
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Westview EDU: The Birds and the Bees and Kids with Special Needs |
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Your little boy or girl is rapidly growing into a smelly, moody pre-teen. Your pre-teen is all of a sudden a full-blown teenager! How do you cope, especially with the added layer of autism? Please join us for the perennially popular talk on how to prepare yourself and your child for the inevitable – puberty! Dr. Mire will walk you through what to be on the lookout for, how to practice, appropriate social norms for personal hygiene, and much more.
Please RSVP and a ZOOM link will be emailed to you prior to the event. Have questions? Email Penelope Khuri.
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The Fundraising Luncheon Goes to the Movies |
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Have you heard? The Westview School Fundraising Luncheon is Going to the Movies. We would LOVE to save you a parking spot. Our invitation was extended to friends of The Westview School this week. We still have spaces available, and we would LOVE to see you and your family at the movies! Mark your calendars for Friday, March 12 at Moonstruck Drive-In Theatre and RSVP today. All families, children included, are welcome and encouraged to attend this free event to raise money for The Westview School. Families and friends of The Westview School can expect dinner delivered to your vehicle while viewing Disney's new release "Raya & The Last Dragon." We are so excited to be hosting this in-person but socially distanced event. If you are interested in attending, RSVP here.
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One of our favorite things about each year’s fundraising luncheon is growing our Westview supporters with your friends and family. We want to encourage you to share our invite and RSVP with anyone who may wish to attend the movie event and support The Westview School. If you would like to send them a personalized evite, please forward email addresses to Sarah Chauvin. We are limited to 125 vehicles, so additional RSVPs are on a first-come, first-serve basis. We do have space available at this time. Thank you for your support.
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Notes from Nurse Ana: Hearing and Vision Screenings Continue |
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Nurse Ana is continuing to administer hearing and vision screenings for our students. These state-required screenings are being conducted on campus, and there is no charge for the screenings.
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.
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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, 2020
- 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:
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Have your child evaluated by your pediatrician or vision/hearing specialist
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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.
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Did you know that you can send a hot lunch to your child every day at The Westview School? The Simply Fresh Kitchen will send hot, nutritious meals as often as you like; all you need to do is register on their website, look at the menu and make your selections. It’s that simple. Visit the Simply Fresh Kitchen tab under Campus Life on The Westview School website for monthly menus and instructions on how to order.
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Westview is looking to increase our substitute teacher list. Applicants for a substitute teacher at Westview must be over 18 and a high school graduate. Experience working with children is a plus. References are required. As a Westview substitute, you will primarily work as the class assistant for the day. If you or someone you know may be interested in substitute teaching on a preschool, elementary, or middle school level, please email a resume to Russell Avery.
Any additional questions/inquiries regarding job opportunities at The Westview School can be directed to Russell Avery.
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Resources
Please refer to COVID-19 tab on The Westview School website for the most up to date information regarding our Child First Reopening Plan.
For the Kids
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The mission of The Westview School is to provide a unique, specialized learning environment offering outstanding educational and social opportunities for children on the autism spectrum. |
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