Greetings Westwood Heights Elementary Parents, Community Members, and all Invested Stakeholders,

Welcome back to what we anticipate will be a successful 2022-2023 school year of working collaboratively with all stakeholders to ensure we provide our scholars with a First Class 21^st Century Education” in a supportive and nurturing learning environment.

Thanks for your continued partnership, commitment, and support as we embark upon a new school year. The safety of our WHE staff and families continues to be our number one priority. Equally important, we are steadfastly determined to ensure, “No Child Gets Left Behind” as we strive to provide equity and access to quality learning experiences for all students.

WHE Vision, Theme, and Performance Data

Our vision this school year is to maintain a laser focus on the work of closing achievement gaps by delivering rigorous TIER 1 Instruction.  Consequently, emphasis will be placed on early literacy development in K-2 to ensure scholars are ready for a successful transition to the intermediate grade levels.  Additionally, we will prioritize building essential foundational and pre-requisite skills that will provide the building blocks our students need to master on grade level standards.  Equally important, the work this year will be grounded and centered around “The Opportunity Myth” best practices: (1). Instructional Leaders, Coaches, and Teachers with High Expectations; (2). Strong Instruction; (3). Deep Student Engagement; and (4). Alignment of Grade Appropriate Assignments. Furthermore, our work this year will be guided by “Leverage Leadership” high impact strategies for closing the achievement gaps: Data driven instruction; effective lesson planning, quality professional development; and a laser focus on building positive student and staff culture.

Providing optimal support for our WHE teacher task force will be a key component to achieving our overarching literacy, foundational skills development, and SIP targets this school year. Therefore, top priority will be placed on providing on-going data driven professional development opportunities to build pedagogy, ensuring teachers are adequately prepared to deliver TIER 1 instruction, authentic teacher led PLCs, and hands-on high impact coaching support. Finally, cultivating positive staff and student culture will be emphasized this school year as we work to foster supportive relationships, establish and promote high leverage embedded best practices that will ensure an optimal learning environment at WHE.

2022-2023 Theme

For the 2022-2023 our theme is “Teaming Up for Success”, One Team, One Spirit, One Championship! Our overarching goal is to “Cultivate a School of Excellence”.  WHE is an aspiring A school. Therefore, with fierce-determination and resiliency we are playing D.E.F.E.N.S.E to win big come game day. D-determination, E-excellence, F-fortitude, E-ethical, N-nurturing, S-skillful, E-empowered.

WHE FSA 2022 performance results

Our 3-5 grade student performance data indicates that we are making progress, yet we still have much work to do to further close the existing achievement gaps. Undoubtedly, we are moving student achievement forward, and while we missed the “C” by 1% point, we have increased our school grade from a “F” at 181 points 26% (FSA 2021) to high “D” at 277 points 40% (FSA 2022). Noted: C grade begins at 41%. Therefore, it is safe to say we are moving in the right direction, and I am especially confident that with a laser focus on closing the achievement gaps, we will ultimately meet our school grade goal of a “B” when our scholars take the new state assessments at the end of the 2024 school year. SIP Targets for 2024: Proficiency ELA 40%; Math 60%; Science 40%. Learning Gains: ELA 65%; Math 75%. Bottom Quartile Learning Gains Targets: ELA 70% and Math 70%.

Uniform Colors, School Hours, and Arrival/Dismissal Procedures

For the 2022 – 2023 school year Westwood Heights is a mandatory uniform school. Therefore, all students are expected to come to school dressed in the approved uniform colors. Uniform tops: red, dark blue, and white polo shirts. Unform bottoms: Blue and Khaki.

School hours for the 2022-2023 school year is 8:15am – 2:15pm. Please ensure students do not arrive to school before 7:30am since there will be no adult supervision. We are excited to announce that breakfast and lunch are free for all Westwood Heights Elementary scholars this school year. Breakfast begins at 7:30am – 8:00am. Instruction starts promptly at 8:15am. Monday – Friday regular dismissal is 2:15pm. Early release dismissal is 12:15pm.  Students who arrive late for school, after 8:15am must report to the front office for a late pass and will be escorted to class by a support staff. Parents please be informed that due to transitional preparation for regular dismissal, the latest time you can pick up a student for early dismissal is 1:30pm. Please inform the office or your child’s teacher in advance if there is a change in how your child will be getting home on a particular day. Please complete the “How Home” form in your child’s first day packet and return it to your child’s teacher. All parents and visitors to the school campus must be checked in at the front office. Identification badge is required for all students, staff, and district employees to gain access to the building each day.  

Meet & Greet & Aftercare Information

Parents are invited to attend Meet & Greet: August 15^th at 1:00pm. First day of School for Students is August 16, 2022. Parents, please be informed that ASP will no longer be our aftercare school provider. Firewall Centers will be our new after school program. For more information on how to register your child for aftercare, please go to our school’s website. Open house is scheduled for Wednesday, September 14^th. More information regarding open house will be shared via parent link.

Home-School Connection & Communication

Timely communication will be vitally important in order to best coordinate learning support services for your child. Therefore, your child’s teacher and other support staff will be contacting you on a regular basis as needed to ensure we are delivering optimal learning experiences every day. Likewise, you are encouraged to reach out to your child’s teacher as needed for guidance and support.  Furthermore, please stay informed and engaged in WHE school events by regularly visiting our school website for up-to-date information you will need to know for a successful school year. If you have any questions or needs, please call do not hesitate to call the office between the hours of 7:30 am – 3:00 pm. We are looking forward to a continued partnership with all of our stakeholders for students’ academic success this school year! 

It is truly an honor to serve as your principal. Please know that I am always just a phone call or an email away. I am here to serve you!

Respectfully,

Dr. Georgia A. Stewart
Proud Principal, Westwood Heights Elementary

Contact Number: 754- 323-7900

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WHEPrincipal