K-12 Announcements

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

Family Handbook: Please be sure to CLICK HERE to read our WCS K-8 Family Handbook and/or CLICK HERE to read our WCHS Family Handbook. Our Family Handbooks include important information such as our WCS Core Values, dress code information, attendance, health and safety protocols, and so much more.

Meet the Teacher: Our Meet the Teacher events will be held in person on both K-8 and WCHS campuses from 12:00 – 2:00 PM on Tuesday, August 8th.  This will be an opportunity for families to come on campus to see their student’s classroom(s). Class lists will be posted and schedules for 6th-11th graders will also be available for pick up.

First Day of School: Our first day of school is Wednesday, August 9th. This will be an early release day for all students. See grade level first-day dismissal times below:

• Kindergarten:  11:30 AM for kindergarten conferences 8/9, 8/10, 8/11
• 1st-8th grades: 1:30 PM
• High School: 1:30 PM

Bell Schedules and Academic Calendar: 

• CLICK HERE for our K-8 Bell Schedule
• CLICK HERE for our High School Bell Schedule
• CLICK HERE for our 23-24 Academic Calendar

Back to School Shopping:  Each grade level has purchased all the school supplies that your students will need for the entire year. We get a great discount as a school, so we like to purchase everything in advance. We ask each student for a $35 donation toward school supplies. CLICK HERE to donate toward school supplies and grade level field lessons. 

Employment Opportunities: Have you ever thought about what it might be like to work at Westlake Charter School? Have you ever wanted a job where you could work flexible hours and days that worked best for you? If so, please read below to find out more about our current openings: 

• SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS: Westlake is actively looking for substitute teachers; all that is needed to earn a substitute credential is a BA/BS degree and successful background check. Our team can help you complete the paperwork and welcome you into a classroom. Plus: All new substitute teachers will have one paid-day where they shadow one of our amazing teachers! CLICK HERE, complete the form, and a member of our team will reach out and get in contact with you. Can’t wait to see you!  Let’s Explore!
• SUBSTITUTE INSTRUCTIONAL AIDES AND PROGRAM AIDES: CLICK HERE to apply to be an Instructional Aide at Westlake Charter School. Instructional Aides work with small groups of students, support teachers, help at recess and lunches, and more!

K-8 Announcements

School Uniforms/Dress Code: The uniform policy of Westlake Charter School was adopted as a means of enhancing positive interaction between students and eliminating issues surrounding attire. Uniforms are to be worn Monday-Thursday. On Fridays, blue  jeans and a spirit shirt or College-logo printed shirt can be worn. Each student will be provided a spirit shirt at Meet the Teacher (sizes can be exchanged at the Front Office). This dress code and uniform guideline applies during school hours and extracurricular events whereby the student is representing WCS. CLICK HERE for all the details. 

Uniform Swap: Our WAVE team is coordinating a uniform swap during Meet the Teacher! If you have gently used or new uniforms that no longer fit your Explorer, bring them to Meet the Teacher! They will be available for families to use for their students for this school year! 

7th Grade TDAP:  7th grade families – if you haven’t already turned in your proof of the TDAP immunization, please email it to [email protected] or turn it into the front office at Meet the Teacher. As a reminder, 7th grade students will not be able to attend school without this immunization.

6th Grade Orientation: On Tuesday, August 8, from 8:30-12:00, our WEB Leaders are hosting an orientation for all incoming 6th graders. This event is for 6th grade students only. As part of the orientation, we will provide pizza lunch for all 6th graders and their leaders. At 12:00, families are welcome to join us on campus for Meet the Teacher! Email [email protected] with any questions about orientation.

Arrival Dismissal Reminders/FAQs: When dropping off or picking up students, please help keep our Explorers safe by pulling forward as far as possible and remain in your vehicle.  Staff will help your student to and from your car if needed. We appreciate your support on this.  

• K-8 BASE  Program: Our BASE team is prepared for a fantastic year! Our Before and After School Explorer program will be available beginning at 7:00 AM each morning. BASE will also be available after school each day until 6:00 PM and will accept drop-ins. CLICK HERE to register your child(ren) for the 2023-2024 school year. CLICK HERE to read through our BASE Family Handbook for additional information. Email [email protected] with any questions.
• Arrival and Dismissal: CLICK HERE for the Arrival and Dismissal Quick Glance.
  • Changes for the 23-24 School Year
    • At 8:10 AM, the Maybrook Gate and C Gate will be available entrances
    • The Bike Path Gate will be available only for the Walking School Bus, and closed immediately after their arrival on campus.
• School Dismissal Manager: Our K-8 campus uses a program called School Dismissal Manager to determine how students will be dismissed each day. Parent/Guardian logins and next steps were emailed Friday, August 4th.  Please email [email protected] with questions you may have.
• Walking School Bus: Join our daily Walking School Bus! The adult supervised walk departs from Burberry Park, Monday-Friday, rain or shine. Students can be dropped off between 7:45 and 8am to allow plenty of time to safely walk to our K-8 campus. Not only do families avoid and decrease congestion near campus, students also earn points to use towards prizes. We need volunteers to walk and check students in near our campus entrances. Please email [email protected] to get involved today!

Be on the lookout for a special Arrival/Dismissal communication on Monday!

9-12 Announcements

9th Grade and Transfer Student Link Orientation: Our incoming 9th graders and our 10th graders who are new to WCHS will be welcomed to our high school campus on Tuesday, August 8th, from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM. Students can be dropped off behind the Commons and will be led through the day by our Link Leader Crew.  Lunch will be provided for students during orientation. At 12:00 PM, families are welcome to join us on campus for Meet the Teacher! Questions about orientation can be directed to [email protected].

Arrival and Dismissal: Each day our campus will open at 8:00 AM. Students will enter through our Commons door in the back of our campus.  Students who arrive between 8:00-8:27 AM will be able to receive breakfast in the Commons.  Students will dismiss at 3:45 PM or on early release days on Wednesdays at 1:30 PM.  Students may exit from the Commons or the front office.

Co-Ed Cross Country:  It’s not late to join our Cross Country Team for the fall season! Our head cross country coach, Mr. Schoenberg, has room for more Explorer Athletes who are interested in running with the team.  If you’re interested, email our Athletics Director, Dave Evans at [email protected] for more details and to get started on your athletic clearance requirements.

Class Change Requests: Schedules have been emailed out to families and will be available at Meet the Teacher.  CLICK HERE for schedule change request protocols. CLICK HERE for the class change requests.  Class change requests will be accepted until August 22nd.

Honors Class Enrollment: Beginning in 10th grade students at WCHS can opt into embedded honors courses. According to the University of California (UC), Office of the President, these UC honors designated classes are comparable in terms of workload and rigor to Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), or introductory college-level courses.  Students will be able to attend their courses, review the honors syllabus, and determine if they would like to participate in the honors course. Students must opt in to honors courses by the class change deadline, August 22nd.

How to volunteer: We are so excited to have families volunteer for the 2023-24 school year! If you would like to learn more about volunteer opportunities, please email our WAVE President, Toni Elgamiel, at [email protected].

Meetings: If you’re interested in joining our parent group meetings you can CLICK HERE to see the entire 2023-24 schedule. We hope to see you at the first WAVE Meeting on Wednesday, August 16th and the first Coffee Talk on Friday, August 18th!

Facebook Page: WAVE has a private Facebook page which is a fantastic resource for our families. The page is a great way to connect with the community, ask questions, give ideas and post pictures of your students.  CLICK HERE to join the page.

Amazon Smile: If you happen to be shopping on Amazon please add Westlake Charter as your charitable organization (Amazon Smile). Amazon donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice when you shop at smile.amazon.com. App purchases are now eligible for the donation as well! CLICK HERE for a short tutorial that was put together by Rocio Owens on how to add Westlake Charter School as your charitable organization.   

Kudos: A big thank you to the families that offer their time to being involved in our school. Whether it’s running our social media, organizing the uniform swap, or volunteering at events; you truly embody what it means to be part of the Westlake Community. Here’s to a great start to our 2023-24 school year!