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.  

Next Steps in Health and Safety: We are very happy to recognize that COVID case rates have dramatically decreased both on our county dashboard, and in our school community as well. Rates this week were the lowest they have been since returning from winter break, and attendance was its highest. Great job, Explorers!

Some of our families have reached out in regards to changes in the statewide indoor masking requirements which will make face coverings optional for fully vaccinated individuals starting February 16th in many public locations. While these new guidelines apply to businesses, K-12 schools have a separate indoor masking requirement which is still in effect. Governor Newsom indicated that there will be changes for statewide K-12 masking requirements announced this coming week. We are hearing that the guidelines may not take effect right away but may lead to change as early as March or April. 

While we await guidance from the state, it feels like an appropriate time to work together to decide what might come next. Now that we are hosting after-school activities, sports, and dances, we would like to hear from families how we might begin to reconnect our community even more. As health and safety requirements adjust, we are looking forward to inviting our families back to campus and reconnecting in collaboration with our community. We have been working with our WAVE team to discuss on-campus events and volunteer opportunities. We have also been dreaming of how school may look at arrival and dismissal, at lunch, and at recess, as health and safety guidelines adjust. 

This week, as we learn more from California about new guidelines, we would like to learn from our families. We will send out a survey next week to all families to learn what next steps you would like to see here at Westlake Charter School. 

Coffee Talk: Join us for our K-12 Virtual Coffee Talk on Tuesday, February 15th @ 6pm. 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 join the Virtual Coffee Talk. CLICK HERE to submit celebrations, questions and comment.

February Break and Staff workday: Westlake Charter School will be closed Monday, February 21st through Monday, February 28th for February Break. Monday, February 28th will be a staff work day, there will be no school for students. Students will return to school on Tuesday, March 1st. 

BASE over February break: BASE will be open Tuesday-Friday of February break, and also on Monday, the 28th. CLICK HERE to register your Explorers to join us for a week of fun! Half days are $25 per student; full days are $45 per student. Sibling discounts apply. Email [email protected] with any questions.

Virtual K-9  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

Middle School Dance:  We will have our middle school dance on Friday, February 18th.  The 6th and 7th Grade Dance will be at 5:00pm, while the  8th Grade Dance will take place at 6:30pm.  This dance will be held outside in covered dining and there will be some other opportunities to socialize by playing board games inside.  Students need to sign up to attend the dance during lunch. Attendees are required to show proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or negative results test within 48 hours of the dance. 

• CLICK HERE to submit your documentation of vaccination or negative test results.
• CLICK HERE to complete the testing consent form. Testing will be available in the 8th grade flex room from 3:15-3:45 PM on Thursday, February 17th. 
• CLICK HERE if you are interested in volunteering to support the dance.  All volunteers will need to be vaccinated or have a negative COVID test within 48 hours as well and can subject documentation HERE.  

High School Shadow Day:  On March 4th Westlake Charter High School will welcome our WCS 8th graders on campus for a shadow day.  8th graders will transport to the high school in small groups for a tour of the high school and a chance for a Q/A with high school students. We are so excited for next year’s 9th grade class on campus!  Permission slips for the Shadow Day will go home on Tuesday 2/15.  

9th Grade Families Save the Date:  We will be hosting a virtual 4- year planning event for all 9th grade families on the evening of  March 3rd. This event is the next step in our 9th grade 4 year planning package.  Details for this event will be sent out in next week’s weekly and to 9th grade families.  We are looking for 100% attendance from our 9th grade families. 

In case you missed it…

Hearing/Vision: We will have our annual hearing and vision screening on February 17th and 18th. The screenings are for Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 8th grade students. Letters went home on Friday. If you would like your student to opt out, please email [email protected]. 

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.

Volunteer Opportunities:  Do you have a passion for planning events? Do you prefer focusing on fundraising? Can you help an hour a month from home? We have an opportunity for everyone to get involved! CLICK HERE to take a look at committee descriptions to decide which one is the best fit then send an email to [email protected]  to learn more or get started. Not sure which committee sounds best? No problem, we can help! Just send an email to let us know what you are looking for. We can’t wait to hear from you!

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: Thank you to the families who donated items and volunteered their time for our High School Winter Wonderland Formal. Huge thanks to Mrs. Grimaldi, Kerri Price, Rachel Songer, Leadership and Dr. Galloway’s Planting a Revolution class for all of their work to make this night magical for our students.