Week 1 was amazing. I am so impressed by our team's absolute devotion to making Westport the best learning environment there is. This crew is constantly stepping forward into growth, and meeting the daily challenges head on. I am excited to see where we go together as a Westport Community this year. Thank you for your daily dedication to the building's mission and vision. Let’s make Week 2 even better!
Westport K-8 Wildcat Chat Topics
Classroom Supplies
I believe as Week 1 comes to an end we are getting a better idea of what school supplies and needs some of our students have. Priority #1 for your classroom budget is to prioritize students’ needs. I recommend getting to know your students a bit before making any purchases. This is crucial. You may have some very specific and unusual needs that must be prioritized.
The school is able to supply teachers with basic items such as pens, pencils, paper, paperclips, sticky notes, staple, etc. THese items will be in the cabinets in the teacher workroom 122B. Please understand this is for everyone, please do not take a year long supply of items from this area, leaving others without resources.
If items are running low please let Stacy know so we can restock as needed, if possible. In some cases your classroom will require specific needs. In this case please complete the form below. Stacy & I will review the items listed, and try to order them through the district supply store.
Health Minute
Red backpacks have been distributed for those missing them.
Any staff that needs to send students for medication has been contacted. Students leaving class for the nurse, especially with daily medication, should be handled discreetly and not announced to the whole class.
No students should have medications on them or in their bags; this includes cough drops and other over the counter (OTC) medications.
We have extra clothes ONLY for bathroom accidents. If students have other clothing needs, please direct those students to Ms. Mann, Ms. Deckard, or Dr. Mitchell so they can access the Care to Learn Closet.
A reminder of when to visit the nurse: The seven B’s are below!
Make sure you send them with a Pass!!
Counseling Corner
Middle school schedule changes will be closed Wednesday, Aug 28, 2024.
School Counseling Lessons: Please remember the expectations when having a counselor as a guest in your classroom:
Classroom teachers will remain in the classroom, and participate, to provide lesson support.
Teachers should provide active supervision during instruction and maintain any necessary IEP/504 accommodations as necessary.
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Middle School Counseling Lessons
Middle school counselors push into science or social studies classrooms each month for counselor lessons.
6th grade: Friday, August 30th in Science (Dove)
7th grade: Friday, August 30th in Science (Lindsey)
8th grade: Monday, August 26th in Social Studies (Knaak)
Elementary Counselor Lessons
This year, counselors will be pushing into classrooms to conduct weekly classroom lessons that will last approximately 25 minutes.
Kindergarten:
Toomey Monday 12:40-1:10 PM
Clutter Tuesday 12:40-1:10 PM
Jones Wednesday 12:40-1:10 PM
1st:
Beckner Tuesday 9:30-10:00 AM
Bryant TBD
Yost Thursday 9:30-10:00 AM
2nd:
Gray Monday 1:45-2:15 PM
Tucker Wednesday 1:00-1:30 PM
Bair Thursday 1:00-1:30 PM
3rd:
Franklin Tuesday 1:45-2:15 PM
Stone Wednesday 1:45-2:15 PM
McGuire Thursday 1:45-2:15 PM
Morris Friday 1:45-2:15 PM
4th:
M. Brown Wednesdays 1:00-1:25
Welch Thursdays 9:55-10:20
5th:
Behrends Tuesdays 1:40-2:05
A. Brown Wednesdays 1:40-2:05
Roberts Thursdays 1:40-2:05
Student requests to see the counselor:
There are many ways students can ask to see their counselor.
On Canvas, students may go to the Westport Counseling Commons and click “Ask to see a counselor”. Students will be directed to fill out a Google Form, which is sent directly to us. Teachers are also welcome to fill out the Google Form for their students.
Middle school students may also request to see their counselor using SmartPass.
Once the students’ pass is approved, counselors will notify teachers and meet with the student.
If you have any questions or concerns about a student, please contact your grade level counselor.
Mandated Reporting
The process for mandated reporting is linked on the Hub under “Counseling & Mandated Reporting”.
Step 1: Create a copy of the Hotline Mandatory Reporting Checklist and gather needed information
Step 2: Call the hotline phone number 800.392.3738 or complete the online report.
Step 3: Fill out and complete (typed) the Hotline Mandated Reporting Checklist and once completed send the form in an email to the appropriate counselor.
K-3 Kelsi Watson klwatson@spsmail.org
4-6 Kirstin Hoffman kmhoffman@spsmail.org
7-8 Jolee Jordan jfjordan@spsmail.org
Step 4: A counselor completes the District Google Form.
If you have any questions or need support with this process, please reach out to your grade level counselor.
Wildcat Athletics & Activities
Coach Barnes has her Westport Apparel Store Open until September 2. Please make sure you place your order, to support our kids and programs 🙂
Please check out our store through the link below. All orders will be delivered to the school. The store closes at Midnight on Sept 2nd. Click Image for site.
Instructional Highlights
Weekly we will highlight instructional activities you might choose to use in your classroom. These activities are useful and will help to increase engagement in your classroom.
1-Four Corners Debate
A fun and versatile Marzano-inspired activity that can be used for both elementary and middle school students is the "Four Corners Debate." This activity aligns with Marzano’s strategies for "Practicing Retrieval and Hypothesizing" and "Cooperative Learning."
Objective: Encourage critical thinking, decision-making, and active participation by having students express their opinions on various topics.
Materials Needed:
Signs labeled "Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Disagree," and "Strongly Disagree"
A list of statements or questions related to the lesson topic
Instructions:
Preparation: Before the activity, create a list of statements or questions related to the topic being studied. These should be opinion-based or open-ended to encourage different viewpoints (e.g., "Homework should be optional" or "Group work is the best way to learn").
Set Up the Room: Place the four signs in different corners of the room, each representing a different stance: "Strongly Agree," "Agree," "Disagree," and "Strongly Disagree."
Explain the Activity: Present a statement or question to the class. Students must think about their position and then move to the corner that best represents their opinion.
Debate and Discuss: Once students are in their chosen corners, ask them to discuss with others in their group why they chose that position. After a few minutes, have a spokesperson from each group share their reasons with the class.
Reflection: After hearing all sides, give students the opportunity to change corners if they’ve been persuaded by another group’s arguments. This encourages open-mindedness and critical thinking.
Why It Works:
Engagement: The activity gets students up and moving.
Critical Thinking: It encourages students to think critically about their beliefs and consider multiple perspectives.
Communication Skills: Students practice articulating their thoughts and listening to others, fostering a collaborative learning environment.
This activity is easily adaptable to different grade levels and subjects, making it a valuable tool for both elementary and middle school classrooms. It also promotes active learning and higher-order thinking, key components of Marzano’s instructional strategies.
2-Vocabulary Scavenger Hunt
Objective: Reinforce vocabulary learning through a fun and interactive scavenger hunt.
Materials Needed:
Vocabulary list
Clues or riddles related to the vocabulary words
Various locations or items around the classroom or school where clues are hidden
Instructions:
Preparation: Select a list of vocabulary words that students are currently learning. Create clues or riddles for each word that will lead students to different locations or items around the classroom or school.
Explain the Activity: Tell students they will be going on a scavenger hunt to find and identify vocabulary words. Explain how each clue is related to a specific vocabulary word.
The Hunt: Divide the class into small groups. Each group starts with a different clue, leading them to a hidden vocabulary word. Once they find the word, they must write a sentence using it correctly.
Share and Reflect: After the hunt, gather the class together to share the sentences. Discuss the meanings of the words and how they were used in context.
Why It Works:
Engagement: This activity is highly engaging as it gets students moving and working together, which helps to reinforce learning in an enjoyable way.
Reinforcement: By finding the words and using them in sentences, students actively apply their knowledge, reinforcing their understanding of the vocabulary.
Collaboration: Working in teams encourages collaboration and communication, key skills in the learning process.
Westport Communication Tree
Who do I ask or talk to?
Important Dates
Friday, August 30, Fueling the Future
Rapid Roberts will be donating 10 cents for every gallon of gas sold. PLUS, for the entire month of August, Ozarks Coca-Cola Company and Hiland Dairy will donate 5 cents for every 20oz Coke, Dr Pepper, Red Diamond Tea, and Lemonade.
Friday, September 6, #GiveSPS Day
#GiveSPS Day: This is our 24-hour online fundraiser where all proceeds will benefit Back to School Grants submitted by our educators. Donors do have the opportunity to direct their donation to your site meaning…more money that could be awarded to your site!
Friday, September 13, Grant Delivery Day
Our Christmas in September…This is the day volunteers and donors join us to surprise educators who submitted and will receive a Back to School Grant. Our office will be in touch with your site closer to date if you have a grant recipient.
Westport Attendance
Monday we will hand out:
$10 ROARwards for students with 90%-99.9%
$20 ROARwards for students with 100%
36 ELE students with 90%-99.9% attendance week 1 and 268 students with 100% attendance week 1!!!!
37 MS students with 90%-99.9% attendance week 1 and 268 students with 100% attendance week 1!!!!
This information will be added to the Pack Time Morning Meeting to celebrate the number of students who met this goal and will receive their ROARwards so they can be recognized along with a slide noting that the attendance terrace will be up and running as of Monday! Please make sure to acknowledge these kiddos throughout the week for being with us 🙂
Share Cart
Information regarding the cafeteria share cart process; this procedure helps to feed our kiddos even further and help reduce waste.
The share cart is a black rolling cart that is kept in the cafeteria. The cafeteria staff will have 4 bins with icepacks set out for the cart by the lunch line condiments cart each day for us at 10:00 (they also wash them for us each morning). When student trays are being dumped, anything prepackaged that is unopened, we need to add to the cart bins to save and distribute to classrooms for afternoon snack.
At the end of 5th grade lunch, two 5th grade student helpers (we will observe over the next week positive behavior to select these students), will take the share cart and divide the gathered items up into the 4 bins with 20-25 drinks and 20-25 snacks and pass out to the elementary classes and then return the cart to the commons. There is a delivery schedule on the cart that the student helpers will follow to let them know where to deliver the bins each day, this also helps stock snacks in both focus rooms.
Anything left over each day will be added to the common share table for middle school students to have if needed - the process will continue during middle school lunch; staff will be gathering unopened items and will be adding them to the share table for students to grab on their way to their seats the following day. We will also add items from MS breakfast to the share table since they eat breakfast in the commons.
PBIS
Our building-wide PBIS incentive system is the ROAR-Wards Store. ROAR-Wards bills range from $1 to $20 and are awarded for ROAR behaviors (Respectful, Organized, Attend, Responsible). They can be used by students to purchase items from the ROAR-Wards Store on the first day (elementary) and last day (middle school) of the month. If you do not have any ROAR-Wards, contact your School Community Liaison (ELE: Terry Mitchell; MS: Adrienne Deckard).
Tips for PBIS Incentive Success:
Set clear goals. Ensure that students know what they need to do to earn the incentives. Clear, achievable goals help students understand the connection between their efforts and rewards.
Provide immediate feedback. Offer rewards or recognition promptly after students achieve their goals to reinforce the behavior and maintain motivation.
Meet them where they are. Recognize and reward effort, improvement, and perseverance, not just final outcomes. This encourages a growth mindset and values hard work.
Are ROAR-Wards Becoming a Distraction? Be clear with students on these guidelines:
ROAR-Wards are not rewarded when they are asked for. They must be earned. This also applies when a student asks for a ROAR-Ward in exchange for a behavior you didn’t see by action or evidence.
Efforts to earn ROAR-Wards that disrupt instruction do not earn ROAR-Wards. Interrupting instructional time or being late to class to tell you about behaviors does not show ROAR behavior.
Rewards are not transactional. Incentives should be regular but intermittent for maximum results. In other words, students are not entitled to ROAR-Wards for every behavior reported. Best practice would include positive praise for all behaviors, with regular, intermittent ROAR-Wards.
A note from your School Community Liaisons:
I'm excited to begin my role as Elementary School Community Liaison. It is an honor for me to be able to work at a school with students, staff, and the community. Having the opportunity to support the staff, students, and families at this school is very rewarding for me. I am excited to work together with each and every one of you.
Dr. Terry Mitchell
ELE School Community Liaison
I am thrilled to be joining this powerhouse team at Westport! The dedication I have seen from our staff and the community has been truly inspiring and I am so proud to support the Westport family in its growth toward excellence.
Adrienne Deckard
MS School Community Liaison
Adopt an Administrator
The administrative team is excited to be in your classrooms and with your students. Please take a moment to sign your class up for opportunities for administration team members to participate in activities in your classroom. Example activities could include: reading books, science lab, etc.
Westport K-8 Professional Learning
District Approved Communication Tools
#WildcatsLove2Learn - Band App
Please join the Westport K-8 Band App group for building only communication. This is not a communication platform for student communication.
All Middle School Teachers & Staff - Remind App
This is the required district communication tool for all Middle School teachers & staff.
All Elementary School Teachers & Staff - Seesaw App
This will be the required district communication tool for all Elementary School teachers & staff.
Building Committee Reps
Guiding Coalition -
PBIS Building Team -
Social Committee -
Emergency Response Team -
Calendar Invites
You will be receiving building wide calendar invites to building activities. This will include items such as: PLC meetings, Staff Meetings, etc.
Master Schedule
Instructional Highlights
Elementary School (Leigh Anne Patrick, Learning Coach)
Congratulations, week one is in the books and you are preparing for week two. Our BOY assessment schedule will begin this week with 1st-3rd giving 3 Galileo Dyslexia assessments Monday and Tuesday, August 26 & 27. 4th and 5th Grade will test ELA Galileo on Tuesday, August 27, Math Galileo for 4th & 5th on Wednesday, August 28th. Galileo testing for 1st-3rd will take place on September 4th for ELA and September 5th for Math. Please make sure you are signed up for a substitute for your BOY assessments. Sign up here.
Middle School (Jeffrey Pettibone, Learning Coach):
You survived the first week! I want to commend you all for your AMAZING flexibility, especially with all the new things the district has implemented this year.
We will kick off PLT Meetings this week (8/20-8/23) by creating our group norms, assigning PLT jobs, and determining conflict resolution plans. In addition, I will help each of you find your PLT Digital Binder in the Shared Drive and explain how we are going to use it this year.
Please begin utilizing those some cooperative learning strategies. If you need a few of those, there are Kagen books on top of the book shelf in the Professional Library (the small room off of the Library). Here are a few to consider:
Mix and Mingle- students stand and begin moving around the room (not following their friends) while the music is playing. When the music stops, they high five the person closest to them. They stand silently while you give them the question to discuss with their partner. You can say “The person with the longest hair shares first” or whatever iteration you would like to replace that with.
Team Chants- If you want students to remember something such as a memory task, try this! Students get into teams of 3 to 4 people. They will support their cognitive growth throught the use of kinesthetic and auditory means. Give each group a different item, word, phrase, or thing you want them to remember. They will have 3-5 minutes to create chants and physical actions. Afterward, each group will then share out.
Drills
Our first drill will be Thursday August 29.
Library One Stop Doc
Every year the librarians like to share a document with links to our schedules, our library catalog, helpful forms, resources, ways we can support you, and lots more. You can find anything and everything library related here:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FDxlI4GoReg_az6L6GzhZ0Tcl1-X9twGTEoQuCpf2jg/edit?usp=sharing
You’ll also find a card in your mailbox with a QR code and bit.ly link to the document. Pin it to a bulletin board or tape it to a desk for easy access throughout the year!
Parent Teacher Conferences
Parent Teacher Conferences will be the week of: October 21st - October 24th
Thursday will be the late night until 7:00pm
Other nights until 5:00pm
Focus Rooms
A place for executive skill lessons and regulation.
Elementary: Mrs. Amanda Foster, Behavior Interventionist
Middle School: Mr. Caleb Abbott, Behavior Interventionist
K-8: Dr. Chris Davis Behavior Specialist
Focus Rooms will be closed during lunch.
ELE closed: 10:00-11:20
MS closed: 11:25-12:43
ALL students will complete a reflection form while in the Focus Room
