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

School Calendar Update: Families, we are extending Winter Break by one day! School will resume on TUESDAY, JANUARY 4th, 2022. BASE will be open from 7am to 6pm. We are sorry for the short notice, but we have dedicated the day after winter break, the day after February break, and the day after spring break as teacher work days. Each year we see teachers working during these unpaid breaks to prepare their classrooms for the next unit of study, and we hope that these teacher work days will allow our staff to rest during their break and recharge after working as hard as they have during what has been a challenging year.  

• CLICK HERE for a more detailed explanation of this calendar change.
• CLICK HERE for the updated academic calendar.
• CLICK HERE to let us know if your Explorer(s) will be attending BASE on January 3.

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

Take Home Rapid Response Tests: Our partners at NUSD are providing take home rapid response COVID tests for all staff and students over Winter Break. The purpose of the tests is for anyone who wants to take a COVID test before returning to school in January. CLICK HERE to request a take-home rapid test kit for your student. Kits will be distributed December 15th and December 16th. 

Coffee Talk: Tuesday, December 14th at 6 PM join us for our in-person K-12 Coffee Talk at our High School Campus, 4400 E Commerce Way, Sacramento, CA 95834! This is a great opportunity to hear from our admin team and WAVE parent leaders, as well as ask questions and give feedback. CLICK HERE to reserve a table for up to 4 people. Seating is limited, so reserve your table today! If we run out of tables, or if you’d prefer to view from the comfort of your own home via YouTube, CLICK HERE to join the Virtual Coffee Talk. CLICK HERE to submit celebrations, questions and comments. 

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 Thursday, December 16th.

Spirit Day Pajama Day: Thursday, December 16th is pajama day! Students are welcome to wear their cozy Pajamas to school. Please follow the spirit day dress guidelines and make sure all slippers have rubber soles. 

Winter Break: Friday, December 17th – Monday, January 3rd. Westlake Charter School and BASE will be closed for Winter Break. BASE will be open on Monday, January 3rd. 

K-8 Lost & Found: We will have the lost and found at the Parent Walking Gate during dismissal Monday, December 13th – Thursday, December 16th. All items that are in the Lost and Found will be donated over winter break. If your student is missing an item, be sure to look after dismissal, or during dismissal. Email [email protected] if you would like to volunteer with the lost and found. 

Enrichment Sign ups: We are wrapping up a fantastic fall session of enrichment classes and there’s more to come! The Winter session begins Tuesday, January 4th. 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].

Call for 6-8 Volleyball Coaches: We need volunteers to support our 6th-8th grade athletics program. We are recruiting volunteer volleyball coaches for the Winter session!  CLICK HERE for our recruitment flyer with more information. If you or someone you know is interested, please reach out to Allison Chavez [email protected] by Wednesday, January 5th. Coaching experience is not required; we’ll provide training and a coaching manual. Having a student in the program is also not required (a kindergarten parent coached basketball for us in the fall). Thank you for helping us demonstrate what is possible when school and community collaborate.

High School Report Cards: Our first semester of high school will end on Thursday, December 16th.  Report Cards will be mailed home the week of January 10th.  If you need help logging into your students Otus Family Portal please contact [email protected] for login in support. 

In case you missed it…

2022-23 Lottery Application Window Now Open: Our 2022-23 lottery is now open, including our freshman and sophomore classes at Westlake Charter High School! Current students do not need to fill out an application to continue their enrollment at WCS; however, siblings do need to fill out lottery applications to attend. Spread the word and encourage friends and family to visit JoinWestlake.com to apply today.

6-8 Volleyball Sign Ups: The winter session of After School Live Explorer Athletics begins Monday,  January 10th. Our middle school students will be playing girls and boys volleyball. CLICK HERE to sign your student up to play by Wednesday, January 5th. Email Allison Chavez with any questions [email protected].

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. 

Substitute Teaching Positions – Update: If you’ve taken college-level coursework in Reading, Writing and Mathematics – even if you have yet to earn a degree – you might be eligible to substitute teach.  CLICK HERE if  you are willing to get paid as a Substitute Teacher for a day or even part of a day.  Let us know you are interested and we will work with you through the process.

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.

Spirit Store Additions: We have recently added some highly requested items to our spirit store. CLICK HERE to choose from over 70 items. WAVE does not have an inventory so please be sure to check sizing information before placing your order. All items are made to order and shipped directly to you. 

Staff Appreciation Committee: We are looking for a committee of volunteers who are passionate about showing our staff how much we appreciate them. Please CLICK HERE to sign up. Thank you!

Kudos: Thank you to everyone involved in the 2021 Olympic Triathlon Event Day! It was wonderful to see parents and family members back on campus to lead the obstacle course. Special thanks to Mrs. Grimaldi, Shari Kantor, Rocio Owens, Toni Alexander and our High School leadership students.