Reopening Survey 2021: As we mentioned last week, the COVID-19 case rate has continued to drop in Sacramento County. We are continuing to meet with staff members to support what they need to be able to reopen school safely based on the new elements in the governor’s plan. We would now also like to ask our families what they need as we continue to make progress toward reopening. 

Please take a moment to review the Return to School page and videos that were released in November. There may be some changes if the Governor’s plan is adopted, but the core of our reopening plan is the same. Please remember that when we are able to return to campus for instruction, school will not look like it did in February of 2020 before school closed. For example, health screening will take place at the gates each morning, and could include weekly testing. The bell schedule has been adjusted to accommodate teachers providing instruction to on-campus and distance learning students, so all grade levels will dismiss by 11:30 AM. Students will have activity time with their classroom cohort only. Students and staff will be required to wear masks at all times while on campus, and will be spaced 6 feet apart inside and outside. 

After reviewing the Return to School plan, we ask every family to complete this survey for each of their students by Friday, February 26th.

Click HERE to complete the Reopening Survey for each of your students.

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

Conference Week: Conference week is March 8th – March 12th. Parent-Teacher Conferences will take place virtually. Click HERE to schedule your conference. The online scheduler is available February 8th – March 8th so reserve your meeting time now. Click HERE for instructions on how to use the online scheduler. Remember, families will log in with their student’s google account to access the conference.

February Break: Westlake Charter School and BASE will be closed Monday, February 15th through Friday, February 19th for February Break.

• NUSD Meals: 

• Meals will still be provided from 10:30 AM to 12:30 PM February 16th to 19th during February Break at all NUSD sites, including Westlake Charter School. 

Assessment Days: On assessment days, your teacher will launch the day with their class with Morning Meeting and take attendance and then release students to participate in asynchronous learning for the remainder of the school day.  During the day, your child will be pulled into small groups or 1 on 1 to do assessments for the end of the trimester report card.  Your teacher will share the schedule for individual or group assessments. 6-8th Grade students will launch each block with their teacher to take attendance and then be provided asynchronous work.  

• February 8th  – Kindergarten – 3rd Grade
• February 22nd  – Kindergarten – 8th Grade 

Talent Show: We are excited to announce that our annual Talent Show will be offered virtually this year! Click HERE to sign up to participate in this year’s Virtual Talent Show. The process this year is streamlined:

1. Click HERE to sign up to participate by Friday, February 12th.
2. Submit your final performance video by Friday, March 5th.
3. View the Talent Show on Friday, March 12th.

Spirit Day – Reverse Day: Reverse Day will be Friday, February 26th. Students and staff can wear their clothes backwards and/or inside out and show their WCS spirit by posting pictures on all social media platforms and using the hashtag #WcsSpiritFridays!

Get to Know your WCS Board: Our dynamic WCS Board is made of several committees that work hard to support WCS and its strategic goals. One of those committees is the WCS Development Committee. This committee launched WCS Explorers Partners last year. Explorers Partners seeks to build a robust group of partnerships within our community. This team also ensures that these partners are properly recognized and show gratitude for the support they have given to our school. 

• Click the link above and check out their new website. 
• Do you know a business or person who you think may need recognizing as an EP because of their contributions to our school. Choose the “Click to Partner” button on the WCS Explorers Partners site to share their information and how they have partnered with WCS.

High School Happenings:

There are many exciting things that are coming soon for our Westlake Charter High School.  Over the next few months keep coming back to this section for:

• The unveiling of our Westlake Charter Explorer Mascot which is being developed with help from our amazing high school spirit council.

• Introductions to our founding team of staff members.

• Ways to get involved with our high school as we prepare to open the doors in 103 Days.

In case you missed it: 

Office Appointments: During Distance Learning, our office is not open for visitors. If you need to pick up a device, headphones, or missed a Distance Learning Kit pick up, please click HERE to make an appointment to pick up your item. Without an appointment, we may not have your items prepared, or may not have staff available to help. For virtual support, you can call 916-567-5760 or email [email protected].

Jibe Five Senses Bingo: Thank you to all who participated in the January Jibe student challenge. Winners will be notified this week! Be on the lookout for the next challenge coming up this month. If you are interested in learning more about Jibe please visit https://jibe.org/.

International Festival: Each year Westlake Charter School celebrates our cultural diversity at our phenomenal International Festival. Families share food, traditions and information about their culture while taking a trip around the world to experience the cultures of other Explorer families. This virtual event is tentatively scheduled for 4/25. Are you interested in sharing recipes, crafts, traditions or information about your culture? This can be a video, picture, recipe or just about anything else. We want to make sure as many cultures as possible are represented! Please send an email to [email protected] to sign up or learn more. 

Kudos: Once a month we have a school-wide Spirit Day. Thank you to every student and staff member who participates in these fun Fridays. These days are a great way to further connect to classmates and our community. The pictures of classes, families and students shared on social media are guaranteed to make us smile!