Published: September 29, 2007 11:21 pm            

School Happenings for 9-30-07

ELEMENTARY SCHOOL

• Special Thanks — The teachers at Westwood Elementary School would like to thank the Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce for the beautiful appreciation reception held this past Monday.

The work that teachers do is of great value to the community, but it is not only teachers who have an impact on our youth. The saying that it takes a village to raise a child rings true, and as teachers we appreciate all that the parents and other community members, who work toward the shaping of our children’s lives, do.

• Fourth Grade News — Many exciting discoveries are being made on the fourth grade hall at Westwood Elementary!

Mrs. Love and Mrs. Axum's classes are each planting gardens. Small groups of students are measuring the dimensions necessary for their plant's space in maturity. This is an extension of our math concept: perimeter.

Mrs. Lanier, Mrs. Wade, and Mrs. McCarty's classes are blasting off into space and discovering the phases of the moon via the internet! All fourth graders are also diligently working to become better writers!

• Fifth Grade News — Fall is in the air and the students at Westwood Elementary are feeling “frisky” because of it. Everyone has enjoyed the best part of the day, recess, in the wonderfully mild temperatures.

Students have also been hard at work in Mrs. Oliver’s fifth grade math class. They have worked on three-digit times two-digit multiplication successfully and are now moving on to division. Division is a hard concept to learn and Mrs. Oliver would like to encourage all students’ family members to help their fifth grader in this endeavor. Students are encouraged to always do their best and not to forget their homework.

We would also like to remind students and parents that the Bob White program will be at the school Friday. A small cost of $1.50 per student is required for this very worthwhile program. Parents, be on the lookout for more information in the upcoming week.



JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL

• Important Dates — Monday, girls volleyball vs. Fairfield at home, 4 p.m.; Tuesday, Student Council meeting at 7:30 a.m.; Tuesday, Parent Support Group meeting, 5:30 p.m. in the cafeteria; Tuesday, fund-raiser deadline; Thursday, football at Rusk; Friday, Spirit Day (punk rock).

• Class Representatives — The following students were elected as class representatives on the 2007-2008 Student Council: Selena Cotton, Jacob McKinney, Sukari Williams, JD Harris, Kimberly Blair, Sarah George, Sierra Westley, Jorden Reed, Dalila DeLeon, Christopher Criss, Julie Belcher, D'Metria Lacy, Lindsey Bentley, June Garcia, Tori Wardell, Jordan Roberson, Cassidy O’Neal, Skylar Alexander and Heather Wooden.

• Fund-raiser Update — A school-wide fund-raiser kicked off last Tuesday on the Junior High campus and the students are doing great! Mrs. Kennedy’s first-period art class won ice cream with their lunch for having the highest sales in the first three days. Sierra Brister won an electric guitar in a drawing held for all those students who sold three or more items. If the students meet the challenge of raising $25,000, Mr. Shepperd, the principal, will let the students decide what color to dye his hair! The deadline for the fund-raiser was even extended until Tuesday. WJHS would like to say we really appreciate everyone’s efforts and would also like to say thank you to all those who have helped support the Junior High. Please contact vranderson@westwoodisd.net or call 903-723-0423 if you have any questions.



PRIMARY SCHOOL

• Upcoming Events — Sept. 28-Oct. 12, fund-raiser; Thursday, Bob White, the magician.

• Character Club — The following students were named as Character Club members for the week of Sept. 17-21 because they demonstrated the character trait, “Honesty”: Abigail Nichols, Joshua Hudson, Abby Ormand, Cali Widener, Sarah Walsh, Kamren Moore, Ra’Shaila Billups, Jerius Fuller, Desarea Dodd, Danielle Blair, Dylan Boothe, Katelyn Franklin, Travis Blevins, Landon Tarrant, Jaytione Barnett, Eric Arceneaux, A.J. Ashford, Taylor Marks, JT Moore, Molly Ormand, Lajuan Davis and Maggie Furnish.

• Kindergarten — Kindergarten at Westwood Primary School has been working very hard on identifying school and community helpers. We have also been talking about why it is important that people have jobs in the community and at school. In addition to identifying helpers and describing their jobs, the children have also been creating their own rules to keep them safe and happy!

• Second Grade — Baseball, baseball everywhere! This week our Ronald Morgan Goes To Bat story was based on a true story just like Ducky from last week. We really enjoy realism as much as we do fantasy. We shared our experiences in learning how to bat and throw a ball with our teachers. After we estimated our own pitching speed, Coach Mike Holder used a radar gun to measure the speed of our throws. That was so cool! We even tried to bat blindfolded to prove what the coach always says…”Keep your eye on the ball if you want to hit the ball!” It is true!

Animals, animals everywhere! While the second grade has been learning about sharing and caring for others, the Wee Care Project has been collecting stuffed animals for sick children. We decided that we would help and we were very successful! All growling animals were picked up and taken to benefit children who are hurting.

• Book Fair Coming — Our annual Scholastic Book Fair will be the week of Oct. 15-19, with a parent shopping night planned in conjunction with our Open House on Oct. 16. During this awesome week of book shopping, we need parent volunteers who can come help the children make their selections and purchases. Can we count on you? If so, please call 903-729-1774 and ask to speak with Mrs. King, our Book Fair coordinator.

        

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