Next Steps in Health and Safety: Please see our Health and Safety Guidebook and our COVID Dashboard on the Return to Schools website.  

Masking Update: CDPH announced that the state is shifting its masking guidelines from “required” to “strongly recommended,” beginning after 11:59 PM on March 11th. Therefore, on Monday, March 14th, in alignment with the CDPH and Sacramento County Public Health, as well as our partners in Natomas Unified, Westlake Charter School will no longer require students, families, or staff members to mask at school regardless of vaccination status. Masking will, in accordance with the guidelines from CDPH, be strongly recommended. However, each family member, student, and staff member will be allowed to make their own decision regarding masking. 

In alignment with the core values of our school, we will require all persons on our campus to be respectful of the individual decisions made by each of our community members. We will show respect to those who continue wearing masks and we will show respect to those who decide to not wear a mask. Per California guidance, no person can be prevented from wearing a mask, nor required to wear a mask during this next phase of the K-12 masking guidelines beginning on March 14th. 

March 7th Launch Mabry Campus: Tomorrow, March 7th, we are excited to open the gates to allow families on campus for arrival and dismissal, as well as working with our amazing families to encourage on campus volunteering during the school day.

• CLICK HERE to see our updated Guidebook for important updates on K-8 arrival, dismissal, and recess that start on March 7th.
• CLICK HERE for a video overview of the March 7th launch

Westlake Weekly Podcast: CLICK HERE for this week’s Westlake Weekly Podcast.

Traffic Campaign Reminders:  As our families will be allowed on campus starting March 7th, we anticipate that more families will park and walk onto campus. CLICK HERE to watch our video from the fall when we launched our Traffic Safety Plan. We want to be sure that we are good stewards in our neighborhood, so please remember the following guidelines: 

1. Respect all traffic laws. Help keep traffic flowing. If you are slowing down traffic to save time, the time you save is being paid by others.
2. Park responsibility. Do not block driveways, crosswalks, or intersections. If you couldn’t walk away from your car all day, then you have probably parked incorrectly. 
3. Use the Crosswalks. You may think that it is saving time, but jaywalking creates tension and stress for drivers making accidents more likely.

Virtual K-9th  Parent Teacher Conferences: Parent Teacher Conferences will be held March 7th-11th.  Canyon Creek, our online scheduler, is live for all families NOW!  These conferences will be  virtual.  Please use these links to schedule your parent teacher conference. CLICK HERE for the online scheduler. CLICK HERE for the parent directions.

Students will be dismissed early all week:

• Kinder at  1:00pm 
• 1st-8th at 1:30pm 
• 9th at 1:02pm 

8th Grade Parent Information Night:  Please join Mrs. Callau for a virtual 8th grade Parent Information Night on Wednesday, March 9th at 6:00 PM. She will cover end of year activities including promotion, Santa Cruz Trip, and end of year promotion requirements. Join Zoom Meeting: CLICK HERE.

UC is For Everyone: This event is free for students considering attending a UC. Learn more about student life inside and outside of the classroom, application requirements and hear from current UC students and families.  This event is Wednesday, March 9th at 7:00 PM. CLICK HERE for an informational flier.  CLICK HERE for the registration link. 

9th Grade Families 1:1 Counselor Appointments: CLICK HERE Sign up to meet with our counselor Ms. Daud during conference week. 

Parent Survey: The Parent Survey is taken 3 times a year. CLICK HERE to answer six questions to rate your family’s experience at Westlake Charter School during the 2021-22 school year. The deadline is Monday, March 14th.

Enrichment Sign ups: We just wrapped up a fantastic winter session of enrichment classes and there’s more to come! The spring session begins Monday, March 14. CLICK HERE to see what classes are being offered and for registration information. Space is limited, so sign up now to save your spot. Scholarships are available; please email Allison Chavez directly to request a scholarship or with any questions: [email protected].

In Person Coffee Talk – Save the Date: Tuesday, March 15th at 8:30 AM join us for our in-person K-12 Coffee Talk in the covered dining at our K-8 campus. This is a great opportunity to hear from our admin team and WAVE parent leaders, as well as ask questions and give feedback. 

Call for Flag Football Coaches: We’re recruiting volunteer flag football coaches for our 6-8 athletics program! If you or someone you know is interested, please reach out to Allison Chavez ([email protected]). CLICK HERE for our recruitment flier with more information.

In case you missed it…

Reporting COVID-19 Positive Tests and Exposure: If your student has tested positive to COVID-19, or has been exposed to someone who tested positive off campus, please CLICK HERE to complete this form and our contact tracing team will follow up. 

Walking School Bus-Help Needed: We desperately need adult volunteers to join our daily Walking School Bus. Can you walk to school with your student and other Explorers 1-5 mornings a week? The walk begins at Burberry Park at 8am and adults arrive back to the park by 8:30am. It is a fantastic way to start the day and volunteer with students. Please email [email protected] to get started. 

Weekly Surveillance Testing  After School: It’s not too late to participate in the weekly surveillance testing for students. CLICK HERE to pre-register your student. Testing takes place on Wednesdays – at the high school from 1:00-1:30PM and at the K-8 from 1:30-2:00 PM. Email [email protected] with any questions. 

COVID Symptoms: If your student has any COVID-19 symptoms, please keep them home until they are symptom free for 24 hours. Symptoms include: Fever over 100.4, sore throat, runny nose, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headache, muscle/body aches, cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell. If your student has any of those symptoms, please keep them home until they are symptom-free for 24 hours and email [email protected] to report their absence.

Rescheduled WAVE Meeting: This month we will be meeting to discuss community events, parent engagement and the 22/23 school year. If you are interested in learning more about WAVE or finding out how to get involved, this is a great opportunity to ask questions and learn more about our fantastic parent group. Please join us on Thursday, March 10th at 5:30pm on the Mabry campus under covered dining. We will celebrate our first in person meeting of the year with treats and swag. A copy of the meeting agenda can be found by CLICKING HERE.

Community Events Committee: As we begin to plan community events for this Spring and into the next school year, we are building a Community Events Committee to lead the way. We are also rebuilding the Fall Festival Committee, International Festival Committee, Olympic Triathlon Committee and the My Princess and Me Dance Committee. Please send an email to [email protected] with questions or to join a committee. We are so excited to begin hosting events together again! 

WAVE Board Elections: Help us make the 22-23 school year amazing by joining the WAVE Board. All board positions of President, Vice President of Business Operations, Vice President of Parent Participation, Treasurer and Secretary are coming up for election in April. If you are interested in learning more or finding out how to get involved, please contact Amber Hustead, WAVE President, at [email protected]. 

Kudos: We cannot wait to see our parent community on campus for drop off and pick up this week. In the coming months we will continue to make connections and strengthen our community.