September Opportunities to Collaborate:
Connect: Spend time on campus building community and supporting our staff & students by volunteering in your Explorer’s classroom or attending an athletics game!
Engage: Check your teacher’s newsletter for information about what your student is learning, and bring it up at the dinner table with your Explorer! Showing that you are in the know about school makes it more important to your student!
Contribute: September is a big month for contributions! Thank you for giving your time and talent during our Olympic Triathlon Event Day! Until the 30th of September, we need your support through donations and fundraising to meet our Olympic Triathlon goal!
Celebrations
WCHS’s Fly Me to the Moon Homecoming Spirit Week was out of this world! Throughout the week, our students and staff showed off their creativity and school spirit through our themed spirit days. Friday’s rally brought incredible energy and school pride, and Saturday night’s Homecoming Dance was a wonderful celebration for our students. A huge thank you to Activities Directors Mrs. Grimaldi and Ms. Threadgill, Student Council, and Leadership for creating such a fun and memorable week for our WCHS community!
Our 4th Grade Explorers engaged in A Touch of Understanding, a program designed to increase disability awareness and help students explore both visible and invisible disabilities. Fourth graders had the opportunity to try equipment such as wheelchairs and mobility canes and listen to presentations from individuals with disabilities. Our students were actively engaged in Joyful Learning!
With only three days left of the Olympic Triathlon fundraising competition, we are thrilled to celebrate that our Explorers have now raised over $40,000! Congratulations to the following classes for having the highest percentage of participation thus far: Our K-5 Winner – Ms. Hilliard’s Class; Our Middle School Winner – Ms. Alexander’s Class; and Our High School Winner – Mr. Gray’s Class. Way to go, Explorers!
Announcements
K-12 Announcements
Olympic Triathlon: Our 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon Event Day was a huge success and the fundraising campaign comes to a close this Wednesday, September 30th, but it’s not too late to participate!! We’re aiming for 100% student participation as we come together to support Westlake’s incredible programs. If you haven’t done so already, CLICK HERE to set up a family donation page on the PledgeStar website. You can customize it with your student’s name, a photo, and a donation goal. It is easy to quickly request sponsors via email or text, explaining why Westlake is amazing and how they can help us meet our goal this year.
K-12 Picture Retake Day: Our Picture Retake Day is THIS Thursday, October 1st. See below for who should have their picture taken on October 1st:
- Students & staff who are new to our school since the original picture day
- Students & staff who were absent on the original picture day
- Students & staff who would like to retake their photo
- CLICK HERE to order pictures
Fall Break: Our high school campus will be closed over October Break, however our BASE program will be open during Fall Break. Please CLICK HERE to register for the day(s) you plan to have your Explorer attend.
Lost and Found: The Lost & Found at each campus is overflowing with jackets, lunch boxes, water bottles and more! K-8 families: Swing by to check for missing items behind the Admin Building. WCHS students: Look in the Commons during arrival, lunch, and dismissal. All unclaimed items will be donated over Fall Break.
K-8 Announcements
Explorer Groups: Throughout the course of the school year, Westlake Charter School offers groups to help students be successful at school and in their lives. Groups focus on building skills on various topics such as coping, emotional regulation, healthy relationships, and focus and organization. Explorer Groups meet for 20 minutes once a week for six weeks during Specialties. These groups will be led by Westlake’s two school counselors, Ms. Ariana Munoz and Ms. Jessica Krivoy. If you are interested in having your student participate in one of these skill building groups, please CLICK HERE to fill out the form.
Mystery Reader Challenge: October and November are Mystery Reader Months at Westlake Charter School. We are welcoming families into our Kindergarten – 5th grade homeroom classrooms, and Humanities classes in Middle School to encourage family engagement that centers on literacy. We are encouraging families to sign up to be a Mystery Reader in 4 different ways:
- Classic In-person Surprise Mystery Reader:
- Recorded Surprise Mystery Reader: Perfect for families who may work different schedules, and long-distance family members.
- In-Person or Recorded Surprise Chapter Mystery Reader: Perfect for older classes where teachers are already doing immersive reading activities that include the teacher reading a book aloud and students reading along.
Below is all the information you will need to connect, engage, and contribute during the Mystery Reader Challenge!
- CLICK HERE for more information about the Mystery Reader Challenge
- CLICK HERE to sign up to be a Mystery Reader
- CLICK HERE for some fun ideas about how to be an excellent Mystery Reader
- CLICK HERE for our Family Volunteer Process
- CLICK HERE for our Classroom Volunteering 101 training in Everest Academy
Community Helpers on Campus: Our Kindergarten Explorers are learning about Community Helpers. Next week, we will have special guests talking about how they help the community. On Monday, September 28th and Thursday, October 1st we will have visits from Sac PD – no need to be alarmed if you see a police car on the playground or parked in front of the school.
9-12 Announcements
Upcoming Home Athletics:
- Tuesday, September 29th @ 5:30 PM: Home – Girls Varsity Volleyball Game vs. CCAA
- Tuesday, September 29th @ 6:00 PM: Home – Boys Varsity Soccer vs. CCAA
- Thursday, October 1st @ 4:30 PM: Home – Girls JV Volleyball Game vs. Elite
- Thursday, October 1st @ 5:30 PM: Home – Girls Varsity Volleyball Game vs. Elite
- Thursday, October 1st @ 6:00 PM: Home – Boys Varsity Soccer vs. Elite
WCHS Conference Week: Our first WCHS Conference Week of the year will take place October 12th – 16th. Our Canyon Creek conference scheduler is now live. CLICK HERE for step-by-step instructions for scheduling your conference. CLICK HERE to visit the Canyon Creek Online Scheduler, the school password is explorers. You can use Canyon Creek to schedule your conferences or sign up directly with your student’s Advisory teacher. Please remember, during conference week students will dismiss at 1:30 PM every day of the week.
Twelfth Grade Field Lesson to Sacramento State: THIS Friday, October 2nd, our 12th graders will be heading to Sacramento State for Future Hornet Day. This field lesson gives seniors the chance to explore the Sacramento State campus and learn more about academic and student life opportunities at our local California State University. Senior families – permission slips have been sent home and need to be returned prior to the field lesson.
Graduation Day – Tuesday, June 8, 2027: We’re excited to share that the date for our Class of 2027 Graduation Ceremony has been confirmed! Senior families, please mark your calendars and begin making plans to celebrate this special milestone. All WCHS families should also mark their calendars, as Tuesday, June 9th will be an early release day with dismissal at 12:00 PM to allow our campus to prepare for graduation.
Winter Girls & Boys Basketball Tryouts: We will be launching our Boys and Girls Basketball seasons with tryouts in October. Tryouts will take place at Natomas Middle School in the Gymnasium, 3200 N. Park Drive, Sacramento, CA 95835. Students must have a Home Campus account to register for tryouts.
- Boys: October 13th and October 14th as follows:
- Returning JV and Freshmen/Sophomores/Juniors: 6:00 – 7:00 PM
- Returning Varsity Boys and Seniors + Invitation: 7:00 – 8:00 PM
- Girls: October 12th and 16th from 6:00 – 7:30 PM
Reach out to s.jordan@westlakecharter.com with any questions.
Save the Date – PSAT/NMSQT Testing for 11th Grade: All 11th graders will have the opportunity to take the PSAT/NMSQT (National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test) on campus on Wednesday, October 21st. CLICK HERE for more information about this test. WCHS will register students and work with them to ensure they have access to the Bluebook App prior to testing. Students will need to use their school issued Chromebook for testing on campus. Students will need to bring their Chromebooks the Monday prior to testing, on October 19th, for a digital readiness check. If families would like to opt their student out of taking this assessment they can email [email protected]. Thank you for helping your student be prepared for this opportunity!
2026-27 WCHS Yearbook: Attention WCHS Families! Capture all the memories, friendships, events, and special moments from the 2026-27 school year with a WCHS Yearbook! The current price is $55, but the price will increase to $65 on October 10th! So, don’t wait! Purchase your yearbook early and save some money. Yearbooks make a wonderful keepsake that students can look back on for years to come. CLICK HERE to purchase!
Save the Date:
- Wednesday, September 30th: End of Olympic Triathlon Fundraiser
- Thursday, October 1st @ 7:00 PM: WAVE Planning & Board Meeting
- Friday, October 2nd @ 8:30 AM: WAVE Coffee Talk – K-8 Library
- Saturday, October 24th @ 3:00 PM: Fall Festival – K-8 Campus
Olympic Triathlon: Our Olympic Triathlon is in full swing! We’ve reached almost 90% of our $45,000 goal. We’re also aiming for 100% participation across our Westlake community, and setting up your student’s fundraiser page takes just minutes.
Amazing prizes await, including a Nintendo Switch 2, a 3D printer, a DJI drone, and lots of gift certificates! Every family that participates helps fuel the extracurricular and specialty programs/events our students love. Let’s make this a huge win for our Explorers! It’s not too late to participate! CLICK HERE to set up your student’s PledgeStar account today!
Fall Festival: Mark your calendars for an afternoon of fall fun, carnival games & community! Join us for games, pumpkin painting, arts & crafts, a dessert walk, vendor fair, and plenty of carnival favorites – including nachos, chips, drinks & sweet treats! CLICK HERE to purchase pre-sale tickets featuring our NEW Unlimited Play Wristband option!
It takes a village to plan and make our Fall Festival happen, and we need our Westlake community to contribute your time, expertise, and resources, to make it a success! CLICK HERE to volunteer during the festival or donate a dessert for our popular Dessert Walk!
Vendor Fair sign-ups are open! Westlake students, families, staff, and community vendors are invited to participate. Calling all makers, small businesses and entrepreneurs! We especially want to encourage our Westlake student vendors to participate and showcase what they create. CLICK HERE to learn more.
Support our teachers through the Silent Auction! Bid on special items and experiences, with 100% of proceeds going directly to participating teachers. Have an item, gift card, experience, service, basket or other donation? Submit it for our Fall Festival Silent Auction! 100% of the proceeds from each silent auction donation go directly to the designated grade level. CLICK HERE for more info.
Open WAVE Positions: If you or someone you know is interested in one of our vacant WAVE positions (Treasurer, K-5 Lead, HS Lead), or would like to chair an event committee (Trivia Night, Family Dance, etc), please reach out to us at [email protected].
Westlake Blankets for Sale: LAST DAY to lock in $25 price is Sept 30th! Parents have been asking for a Westlake blanket and we heard you loud and clear. We are making a limited edition run of a comfy blanket to show your school pride. Just in time for colder temperatures. CLICK HERE to get your order in before the September 30th deadline.
Coffee Talk Topic Ideas: Have a topic for our WCS Admin Team to discuss at our next Coffee Talk? CLICK HERE to fill out a quick form to share topics of interest.
Kudos: Thank you to the dozens and dozens of volunteers who contributed their time to make this year’s Olympic Triathlon Event Day such a massive success. We were thrilled to see so many families experiencing the joy of seeing the smiles on their student’s faces. What an incredible way to connect with our Westlake community and engage in your Explorers’ educational journey. Special out to Patrick Hanna and Manpreet Padda or worked with such enthusiasm for several hours of volunteering on Friday. Your infectious energy and dedication to the Westlake community does not go unnoticed! We appreciate you so much!
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