WESTVIEW ELEMENTARY SC HOOL
OC TOBER 201 5
The Bulldog
The
BulldogBulletin
Bulletin
Editor:Shawnessy
Heidi
Larson
Editor:
Schwartz
Editor:
Larson
Editor:Heidi
Heidi
Larson
thebulldogbulletin@yahoo.com
thebulldogbulletin@yahoo.com
thebulldogbulletin@yahoo.com
thebulldogbulletin@yahoo.com
thebullhoo.com
Principal’s Corner
Dear Parents/Guardians,
We have already had many
opportunities to connect this
year during assessment days, curriculum
meetings, Bulldog breakfasts and our first
PTO/Site Council meeting. More upcoming events include our annual Spaghetti
Dinner, conferences and the Fall Parade.
These times allow us to share our stories
about the children, gain further understanding about our goals (both academic
and social) and develop our relationships.
Important Dates—October 2015
Wed, Oct. 1
8:15-9:00 am
Student Council Meeting
Fri, Oct. 2
8:30-9:10 am
Before School Achievers Classes
Mon, Oct. 5
Tues, Oct. 6
Chip Shoppe Sales Orders Due
8:30-9:00 am
International Walk & Bike to School Day
Thurs, Oct. 8
Lifetouch Fall Picture Day
Fri, Oct. 9
No School for Students – Data Analysis/Instructional Day
Mon, Oct. 12
4:00 pm
PTO/Site Council Meeting; library
Tues, Oct. 13
8:30-9:00 am
Grade 1 Bulldog Breakfast with Families
Tues, Oct. 13
5:00-7:00 pm
Family Network Spaghetti Dinner
Wed, Oct. 14
8:00 am
FIRST Band Rehearsal
Thurs, Oct. 15
No School for Students – MEA
Fri, Oct. 16
There are multiple ways to measure the
success of a school. As a person who values people and relationships, I hold Westview staff and parents as a highpoint of a
success indicator. The highly qualified,
caring staff at Westview continually seeks
better ways to enhance the learning experiences for our students. We are committed to meeting regularly to evaluate
student progress and make ongoing adjustments to be sure students are engaged.
Our professionals here think critically
about individual students and work together to find productive solutions. At the
beginning of September, results of the
spring state tests for 3rd-5th graders in
math and reading were released. We
have been designated as a Celebration
Eligible school for our achievement
growth. We do celebrate this measure of
success while realizing we still have room
to improve. Our focus this year is on
RESULTS as measured by these tests and
our ongoing analysis of students during
the year.
I would be interested to hear your insights
about Westview at any time. I want to be
sure all the wonderful things happening
here are part of our ongoing story of
rigor, relevance and relationships. We
need to be the messengers of all the positive success stories to the greater community of people around us, so please share
your stories with each other and your
neighbors.
Respectfully, Tami Staloch-Schultz
Grade 2 Bulldog Breakfast with Families
Wed, Oct. 7
No School for Students – MEA
Mon, Oct. 19
9:00 am
PTCFast Launches – Parents may now sign-up for Fall
Tues, Oct. 20
8:15-9:15 am
Family Network Committee Meeting
Tues, Oct. 20
8:30-9:00 am
Kindergarten Bulldog Breakfast with Families
Tues, Oct. 20
5:00-8:00 pm
Apple Valley Dairy Queen Night for Westview
Wed, Oct. 21
8:00 am
Band Rehearsal
Thurs, Oct. 22
8:15 am
Grade 5 REACH Two Steps Girls Group
Thurs, Oct. 22
8:30 am
Guys Read Book Club
Thurs, Oct. 22
8:30-9:00 am
Title One, EL & Resource Room Parent Meeting
Fri, Oct. 23
8:30-9:10 am
Before School Achievers Classes
Wed, Oct. 28
8:00 am
Band Rehearsal
Thurs, Oct. 29
8:15 am
Grade 5 REACH Two Steps Girls Group
Fri, Oct. 30
8:30-9:10 am
Before School Achievers Classes
Fri, Oct. 30
2:00 pm
Fall Parade
Fri, Oct. 30
2:15-3:00 pm
Fall Parties
Parent/Teacher Conferences Nov. 4-5
Fri, Oct. 30
Westview Student Council Spirit Day
Looking Ahead …
Tues, Nov. 3
9:00 am-4:00 pm
Scholastic Book Fair – opening day
Wed, Nov. 4
9:00 am-8:00 pm
Scholastic Book Fair
Wed, Nov. 4
4:00-7:00 pm
Chip Shoppe Order Pick up Night
Wed, Nov. 4
Lunchtime
Scholastic Book Fair, Read ‘n Feed
Wed, Nov. 4
4:00-8:00 pm
Fall Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thurs, Nov. 5
No School for Students – Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thurs, Nov. 6
12:00-8:00 pm
Scholastic Book Fair
Thurs, Nov. 6
12:00-8:00 pm
Parent/Teacher Conferences
Fri, Nov. 7
No School for Students
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS DISTRICT CHANGE TO WINTER CONFERENCE DATES: CONFERENCES WILL BE HELD
ON TUES, FEB 9 FROM 4-8PM AND THURS, FEB 11 FROM 12-8PM.
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Online Fall Conference
Sign Up
Parent Teacher Conferences are coming up
soon. They are Wednesday, November 4th
from 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Thursday, November 5th from Noon-8:00 p.m.
Sign Ups will be online, similar to Summer
Assessment Appointments and conferences in
the past. The System will be launched
(available for parents to sign-up) on
Monday, October 19th at 9:00 a.m.
To sign up for conferences, please go to the
Westview Web Site after 9:00 a.m. on
Monday, October 19th. There will be a link
and parents can follow the directions for
scheduling a parent/teacher conference. If
you do not have access to a computer, or if
you would like help, please call the school
office (952-431-8380) and we will help you
register for an appointment.
Fall Parade & Parties
Our Fall Parties will be held on Friday,
October 30 from 2:15-3:00 p.m. following the parade at 2:00 p.m. Parents are
welcome to view the parade from the
Westview lunchroom or from outside on
the sidewalk (weather permitting). We
plan to have a regularly scheduled school
day until 1:45 p.m., when students will be
allowed to change into costumes and
apply make-up. Parents should be advised not to send students to school in
costume or make-up.
We also ask your help and cooperation in
guiding your child(ren) in the selection/
creation of costumes that are nonviolent in
nature. Costumes of certain movie and/or
television characters that depict violence
or degrade others are discouraged. Look
-alike weapons are not allowed at school
as per District 196 policy. Your efforts
will help us in our mission to be a model
peace site and not expose students to
violence and be reminded to solve problems and resolve conflict through peaceful
means. Thank you for your partnership in
maintaining a
positive, fun learning environment at
Westview.
P AGE 2
School Lunch Notes
Second Milks
Any student wishing to purchase a
second milk at lunch needs to have
an “extra milk approval’ form
signed by their parent and turned
into the Food Service Manager’s office.
They also must have money in their account
to cover the additional $.40 that will be
deducted from their account. Forms are
available in the main office, clerk’s office
and the cafeteria. Feel free to call the main
office and we will send a form home.
Bag Lunches for Field Trip Days
Bag lunches are available to all
students on Field Trip Days.
Classroom teachers will send home a
Bag Lunch Request Form. If you
would like to take advantage of this option
return it by the due date listed. Lunch will
include a peanut butter and jelly sandwich,
baby carrots, apple, graham cracker variety
snack and vanilla/white milk. The student’s
lunch account will be charged the regular lunch
price.
If you have any questions, please feel free to
contact Kim O’Brien, Food Service Manager.
Her direct phone line is 952-431-8347. Her
email address is:
Kimberly.OBrien@district196.org
If your child is on the Federal Free and Reduced
Lunch Program, you still need to return the bag
lunch request form
.
Box Tops
For
Education
Start seeing PINK!! Box Tops for Education
are the little pink labels found on hundreds
of product that you probably have in your
house right now!!
Clip the Box Tops from the package and
send the Box Tops with your child to
Westview. For each Box Top, we receive
10¢!! It’s that easy! Look for monthly counting
sheets to come home or bag them up and
bring them in.
Last year Westview earned more than
$3,000 in Box Tops!! Happy Clipping!
Please remember to call 952-431-8380
when your child will be absent or tardy
to school.
Thank you!
A Note is Required
If you are making a change
as to how your child is
getting home from school, a
note is required! For
example, if your child
normally rides the bus, but instead is
being picked up at the back door, the
classroom teacher must have a note from
you stating this change. If there isn’t a
note, the child will be sent home as per
the usual manner. This helps to ensure
your child’s safety.
There are Three Bulldog
Breakfasts in October
(Grades K, 1 & 2)
Bulldog Breakfast with Families is a
wonderful opportunity for you to meet
and connect with other families in your
child’s grade level. Grade 1, grade 2
and kindergarten will each host one
Tuesday morning in October from 8:309:00 a.m. A light breakfast is provided
to everyone in your family while you
mingle with other parents and children.
The menu is usually a variety of cereal,
breads and pastries, milk, coffee and
juice. Donations are accepted but not
required. This is the fifth year of hosting
this community building event which has
been successful. Who else will be there?
Teachers ~ classroom, art, music, phy. ed.,
library, resource, Title I, EL, Speech, GT/
YS and other specialized staff; Wesley
our mascot; custodians, food service and
even office staff. Look for invites and
reminders from your child’s teacher as
your morning approaches. All dates are
noted on the front page of this newsletter
and in our Westview Calendar Handbook
We hope to see you there!
Picture Day
Lifetouch Studios will be at
Westview all day Thursday,
October 8rd to take
individual student
portraits. Please contact
your child's teacher or the main office if
you did not receive an order
form. Pictures may also be ordered and
paid for online. Picture retake day and
group photos (band, patrols, student
council, kindness club) will be on
November 11th.
T HE B U LLD O G B U LLE T IN
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Notice to Parents
Under the Federal No Child Left Behind law, parents have the right to ask for certain information about their child’s classroom
teachers, and requires the district to give parents this information in a timely manner if they ask for it. Specifically, parents have
the right to ask for the following information about each of their child’s classroom teachers:
-Whether the Department of Education has licensed or qualified the teacher for the grades and subjects he or she teaches.
-Whether the Department has decided that the teacher can teach in a classroom without being licensed or qualified under
state regulations because of special circumstances.
-The teacher’s college major; whether the teacher has any advanced degrees and, if so, the subject of the degrees.
If you would like to receive any of this information, please call Tom Pederstuen, Director of Human Resources at 651-423-7859.
Westview Spaghetti Dinner - That’s Amoré!
Tuesday, October 13th
Plan your next family dinner out at Westview!
Chianti Grill will be doing the cooking and you will enjoy a delicious spaghetti dinner (green salad, spaghetti
with meatballs, bread, cookie and lemonade) at a reasonable cost. This is the same meal you would be served
at their upscale restaurant.
For entertainment during the dinner, Trades of Hope and Usborne Books representatives will be here and have
items on display and for sale. In addition, local artist (and Westview alumni!) Mark Reif will be onsite doing
drawing demonstrations.
Pre-ticket sales are required. Watch for the flyer coming home with students. A portion of the dinner price
($7.00 per meal) will go towards supporting the Westview Family Network and all they do for Westview students. Some scholarships are
available, contact Patsy Ryan at 952-431-8386 or patsy.ryan@district196.org
Volunteers are needed to greet families, serve food and clean up. Please consider volunteering by contacting Kara Rasmussen
952-393-5216 or rasmussenkaral@yahoo.com We hope to see you for food and fellowship!
Westview Bond Impact
School District 196 is conducting a bond referendum and School Board election on Tuesday, Nov. 3. If approved, the bond referendum
would provide safety and security improvements at all district schools, additional space needed for learning and increased access to
technology for all students.
Specifically at Westview Elementary the bond would provide:
-A modified main entrance/office to route visitors directly into the office
-Updated security cameras, exterior door controls and emergency response button in the office
-Upgraded technology infrastructure and interactive classroom equipment, and
-A district-owned mobile learning device for all students in grades 4 and 5, and a 3-to-1 ratio for students in pre-K through grade 3.
Additional information about the bond referendum is available in videos and text at www.District196.org/Bond2015.
Vote early by absentee ballot
Voters can cast their votes on the bond referendum and School Board election now, by absentee ballot, and won’t have to worry about
finding time to vote at their precinct polling place on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3. As of last year, voters no longer need a reason to vote
early by absentee ballot.
A fillable and printable absentee voting application is available on the bond referendum website listed above and paper copies are
available in our office. To vote absentee by mail, simply complete and sign the application and give it to a school office employee to send
to the District Office or mail it yourself to: ISD 196 District Office, 3455 153rd St. W., Rosemount, MN 55068. Once an absentee voting
application is received and processed, an absentee ballot will be mailed to the voter along with instructions for completing and returning
their ballot in the postage-paid envelope that is provided with the ballot.
Voters can also absentee vote in person, during regular business hours, at the District Office or one of the Dakota County government
centers located in Apple Valley, Hastings and West St. Paul. To vote in person on Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 3, go to your school district
precinct polling place. Go to www.mnvotes.org to quickly find out where you should vote. For more information about voting by absentee
ballot or on Election Day, call the District Office at 651-423-7725.
T HE B U LLD O G B U LLE T IN
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