Recent Posts
#WestlakeCharter School`s annual Fall Food Drive benefiting Joey’s Food Locker runs through our Annual Chili Cook-Off on Wednesday, December 2nd. Donations may be dropped off in the K-8 or WCHS Front Office. Thank you for helping us give back to our Natomas community! #Stewardship
Our Fall Scholastic Book Fair was a huge success! Families enjoyed exploring the selection of books together at the Fall Festival and after school. Shout out to Ms. Polanco for creating a beautiful display and welcoming environment for all of our Explorers! And, thank you to everyone who bought a book or another item - those purchases earned our school more than $5,000, which puts more books in students’ hands at school!
K-8 Families - Our conference scheduler is live! Remember, during conference week our K-8 campus will dismiss early to allow time to meet with each of our families. Our K-8 BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day. See the Westlake Weekly newsletter for more details. #Connect #Engage #Contribute
It was wonderful to see so many families and athletes come together at Basketball Family Night to celebrate girls and boys basketball and show their excitement for the season ahead. A big thank you to our Athletic Director, Stephanie Jordan, for doing a great job kicking off the season, and to our coaching staff for their leadership and enthusiasm. We are grateful for the energy and support of our Explorer community and can`t wait to see what this season brings.
Westlake Charter School will be observing Veterans Day TOMORROW, Wednesday, November 11th. There will be NO SCHOOL and our BASE program will be closed.
Our 5th Grade Explorers have partnered with Jibe and Project Ride Smart to teach students all about how to safely ride a bike! Some students are riding bikes for the first time, others are learning hand signals, how to look for traffic, right of way, basic bike repair and more! #JoyfulLearning
#WestlakeCharter School and our K-8 BASE program will be closed Monday, November 23rd through Friday, November 27th for Thanksgiving Break.
#WestlakeCharter School`s annual Fall Food Drive benefiting Joey’s Food Locker runs through our Annual Chili Cook-Off on Wednesday, December 2nd. Donations may be dropped off in the K-8 or WCHS Front Office. Thank you for helping us give back to our Natomas community! #Stewardship
Our first WCHS Club Fundraising Fair of the year was a wonderful success! The OASIS came alive with joy as students brought their ideas to life, showcasing everything from delicious treats to unique, handmade creations to support their clubs. It was inspiring to see their creativity, collaboration, and dedication on full display.
Westlake Charter School engaged in Red Ribbon Week this past week. Red Ribbon Week is a national school-centered activity related to making healthy choices by avoiding drugs and alcohol. Our K-8 Explorers participated by decorating classroom doors and dressing up for each day’s themed Spirit Day. #JoyfulLearning
Enormous amounts of gratitude to all of the wonderful volunteers who made the Fall Festival such a success! We’re so grateful to everyone who donated to the silent auction, contributed desserts for the Dessert Walk, or lent your pop-up tents and other gear to make the event run so smoothly. Special thanks to those who served food, sold tickets, ran game booths, set up, and cleaned up. Events like these wouldn’t be possible without you! #BetterTogether
Our next WAVE Coffee Talk is on Friday, November 6th at 8:30 AM. Join us for coffee, conversation, and connection in the K-8 Library. Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you there! #WestlakeCharter #Connect #Engage #Contribute
K-8 Families - Our conference scheduler is now live! Remember, during conference week our K-8 campus will dismiss early to allow time to meet with each of our families. Our K-8 BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day. See the Westlake Weekly newsletter for more details. #Connect #Engage #Contribute
#WestlakeCharter School`s annual Fall Food Drive benefiting Joey’s Food Locker kicks off on Mon, November 2nd. Donations may be dropped off in the K-8 or WCHS Front Office. Thank you for helping us give back to our Natomas community! #Stewardship
We have a record number of Middle School Explorers participating in After School Live Volleyball this season! Over 90 middle schoolers are playing on eight intramural teams coached by #WCHS Varsity Athletes! It’s an incredible cross-campus example of leading as a #GlobalCitizen. #BetterTogether
#WestlakeCharter had quite the turn out of walkers who participated in International Walk to School Day! What a great way to beat the traffic, get some exercise, and build community in the morning on the way to school! And to top it off, the DJ got everyone moving even more on the blacktop upon arrival! #LetsExplore
Our WCHS Boys Varsity Soccer team is headed to Playoffs TONIGHT! Come support our #Explorers at 4:30 PM at Natomas Middle School, 3200 N Park Dr., Sac, 95835! Purchase tickets in advance at wcsinfo.cc/BVSPlayoffTix
Our WCHS Girls Varsity Volleyball team is headed to Playoffs TONIGHT! Come support our #Explorers at 6:00 PM at Sutter Union HS, 2665 Acacia Ave., Sutter, 95982! Purchase tickets in advance at wcsinfo.cc/GVVBPlayoffTix
November Opportunities to Collaborate:
Connect: All Explorer families can connect by attending a WCHS Cross Country event or a game at the launch of our WCHS Winter Basketball Season to support our Explorer athletes!
Engage: K-8 Families, attend your Explorer’s conference to stay engaged in your child’s educational journey.
Contribute: Contribute to our annual Fall Food Drive benefiting Joey’s Food Locker, a resource for the community of Natomas providing bags of groceries to families and individuals in need.
Celebrations
The introduction of classroom and on-campus experiences as part of the Fall Festival Silent Auction has been quite a hit! From a tortilla making demonstration and Glow Reading to a Visit from Everest, Bubblegum Day, Stuffy Parties and more — these unique opportunities provide a way for our families to connect, engage, and contribute, which demonstrates what is possible when school and community collaborate.
Our Juniors traveled to Chico State last week to check out another college campus and recently, our Seniors visited American River College’s Natomas campus for their ‘College Isn’t Scary’ event! About their experiences, some of our Explorers remarked that, “they enjoyed the campus atmosphere and the fall beauty!” They also “liked how everything felt accessible.”
Westlake Charter High School loved welcoming our 8th grade Explorers to campus last week for our annual Shadow Days! These future high schoolers got a firsthand look at high school life, spending time with current students, building connections, and discovering all that WCHS has to offer. A big thank-you to our middle school and high school students and staff for making this experience possible and helping our Explorers take an exciting step toward their high school journey!
Announcements
K-12 Announcements
Family Survey: We have a brand new Family Survey that reflects the feedback our communities provided last year during our Strategic Plan development. We want to hear from every family, twice a year, regarding the progress we are making toward our Strategic Plan goals. Please CLICK HERE to complete the Family Survey by THIS Friday, November 20th.
Fall Food Drive: Our Annual Fall Food Drive benefiting Joey’s Food Locker will run through Wednesday, December 2nd, concluding at our Annual Chili Cook-Off. Food collection bins can be found in the reception area of each campus. Suggested donations are:
- Beans
- Rice
- Pasta
- Broth/stock
- Canned Vegetables and Chicken
- Cooking Oil
- Spices (salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.)
Thank you for helping us give back to our Natomas community!
Lost and Found: The Lost & Found at each campus is overflowing with jackets, lunch boxes, water bottles and more! K-8 families: During Conference Week, 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 Thanksgiving Break.
Thanksgiving Break: Both campuses will be closed for Thanksgiving Break Monday, November 23rd through Friday, November 27th. We look forward to welcoming staff and students back on Monday, November 30th. Our BASE program will also be closed during Thanksgiving Break.
Chili Cook-Off: We are excited for the upcoming, and always popular, Chili Cook-Off on Wednesday, December 2nd from 5:30 – 7:00 PM on our K-8 campus. We invite every family to come sample chili and vote for their favorite! The winning grade level will take the Golden Spoon to display with pride in their classrooms. All of our families can take part in making the Chili Cook-Off a success. See below for details about the event and how to participate.
- Each grade level (6-12) decorates one shared booth with several different chilis to sample.
- The cost is $5 per person.
- Families of four or more are just $20.00.
- Each bowl comes with a drink (while supplies last).
- Desserts can be purchased for $1.
Kindergarten – 5th Grade: CLICK HERE to sign up to donate desserts, drinks, spoons, and/or napkins. 6th – 12th Grade: CLICK HERE to sign up to supply and/or serve chili, help with booth decorations, or setup/cleanup.
Attendance Challenge: HERE for the Hot Cocoa! Our Here for the Hot Cocoa Attendance Challenge is back! From November 30th – December 18th grade levels will be competing to win a hot cocoa celebration. The grade level with the highest attendance percentage from K-5, middle school, and high school will win a hot cocoa celebration! More important than the hot cocoa is knowing that students who don’t show up for school regularly miss out on fundamental reading and math skills and the chance to build a habit of good attendance that will carry them into college and careers.
K-8 Announcements
K-8 Conferences: Conference week is this week, November 16th – 20th. CLICK HERE to schedule your conference. The online scheduler is available through November 17th. We strive to have 100% of our families meet with their teacher! CLICK HERE for instructions on how to use the online scheduler. Remember, during conference week, we will dismiss early to allow time for teachers to meet with each of our families. Kindergarten will dismiss at 1:00 PM, and 1st–8th grade will dismiss at 1:30 PM. Our K-8 BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day.
Learning Lab: The Learning Lab will be closed this week, November 16th – 20th, due to Conference Week. The Learning Lab will re-open to Middle School Explorers on Monday, November 30th.
Eighth Grade Shadow Days Were a Huge Success: Our Eighth Grade Explorers ventured to our high school campus last week for Shadow Days. WCHS Link Leaders hosted and led students throughout their visit, helping them explore campus, connect with other high school students, and get a glimpse of life as a WCHS Explorer. Families, save the date for our upcoming WCHS Prospective Family Tours on Thursday, January 14th at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM. In addition, our K-8 Prospective Family Tours will be on Tuesday, January 12th at 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM.
9-12 Announcements
WCHS Seniors – UC and CSU Applications Due November 30th: The University of California (UC) and California State University (CSU) application deadline is November 30th! We encourage every senior to complete at least one college application. Our counseling team will continue offering Flex Block application support during the weeks of November 9th and 16th, and counselors are ready to help with application questions, the submission process, and fee waiver options. Please plan ahead and submit applications before Thanksgiving break, when campus will be closed and staff will be unavailable. Let’s keep those doors open and finish strong, Class of 2027!
Dual Enrollment Orientation for Spring Semester: If your student is taking a Dual Enrollment class through ARC next semester, they will need to attend a virtual orientation as a part of their pre-enrollment tasks. There is one final orientation date. THIS Wednesday, November 18th. If your student has not attended an orientation yet, CLICK HERE to sign up for a session. If students do not complete the orientation requirement, we cannot guarantee their enrollment in a course in the Spring. Please reach out to the counselors with any questions!
Save the Date:
- Thursday, December 3rd @ 7:00 PM: WAVE Planning & Board Meeting
- Friday, December 4th @ 8:30 AM: WAVE Coffee Talk – K-8 Library
- Friday, December 11th @ 6:00 PM: Movie Night
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.
Event Leaders: WAVE would love to invite our Westlake Families to help lead our amazing community events like Movie Night, Trivia Night, the Family Dance, the International Festival. and more. If you are interested in leading an event or being part of a planning committee, CLICK HERE. Or, join us at our monthly planning meetings via Zoom at 7:00 PM on the first Thursday of each month.
Movie Night: We are excited to announce that Movie Night will be on Friday, December 11th at 6:00 PM in the K-8 cafeteria! We will have snacks and hot cocoa on hand, and kids are encouraged to bring their sleeping bags and blankets to set up camp on the floor and get cozy for the show. It is going to be a fun, relaxed evening for the whole family. We are excited to announce that the movie of the evening will be “Forgotten Island”. Please CLICK HERE to RSVP so we know how many to plan for. We can’t wait to see you there!
Kudos: A huge thank you to Kristene Torbeck for her amazing work finding vendors and business supporters for our Fall Festival. We are grateful to Kristine for contributing so much of her time reaching out to the business community as a member of WAVE. Having these vendors and partners on board made a real difference in the success of the event. Thank you, Kristine!
Add comment