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

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. The remaining kits are available to pick up at our Mabry campus from 9:00 am to 4:00 am on Monday, January 3rd. 

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 3rd.

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

GATE Testing:  The goal of the Westlake Charter School’s GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) Program is to provide differentiated learning opportunities during the regular school day for our students.  All current 2nd graders and referred 3rd-9th graders will be given the opportunity to take the GATE qualification test. Referral forms for students currently enrolled in grades 3rd-9th will be accepted from January 3, 2022 – January 28th, 2022. CLICK HERE for the parent referral form.  CLICK HERE for more information about the GATE program at WCS.

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. 

High School Counselor’s Corner:  CLICK HERE to read the most recent newsletter from our high school counselor, Parwana Duad. 

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. 

Olympic Triathlon: Thank you to every family member, staff member and student who helped to make our 14th Annual Olympic Triathlon a huge success! Special thanks to Mrs. Grimaldi, Shari Kantor, Rocio Owens and the onsite volunteers for helping make our Event Day fun and successful. We have 4 classes that earned class parties. Congratulations to Mrs. Erickson’s class, Mr. Mallove’s class, Mrs. Poole’s third  grade class and Mrs. Clemmer’s class. 

BJ’s Restaurant Fundraiser: Our next restaurant fundraiser is coming up on Wednesday, January 5th from 4-9pm at BJ’s (3531 N Freeway Blvd). Your family can participate by dining in, ordering online or picking up take out. CLICK HERE to show the team member a digital flyer prior to paying or CLICK HERE to order online using code NOV001. We will receive 20% of the total sales. Thank you for the continued support!

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. 

Monthly WAVE Meeting: The January WAVE Meeting has been canceled. Please join us on Tuesday, February 1st to discuss upcoming volunteer opportunities, staff appreciation, community building and more. 

Kudos: We would like to thank you all for a great 2021. Wishing the entire Westlake Charter School community a Happy New Year!