Though the month of December brings a chill, Palos West warms up with many opportunities to spread compassion. This month is filled with student programs, performances, and opportunities to help those in need. It certainly is a wonderful time of the year, and I couldn't be prouder of the staff and students!
The Palos West Student Council is sponsoring a fundraiser for L.L.S. (Leukemia Lymphoma Society.) We are calling this "Pennies for Patients." This will be starting Monday Dec. 5th and go until Wed Dec. 21st. Please look for the flier coming home for more information! In addition, our 2
nd grade team is collecting mittens, hats, and gloves in our 27th annual "Mittens for Kittens" Collection. And for our November PBIS "Compassionate Craft" celebration, many of the classrooms made fleece scarves to donate! The mittens and gloves are donated to an underprivileged school where many of the students are in need of items such as gloves and scarves. Lastly, many classes are writing letters to troops that are currently serving our country and are on active duty and can't be home with their families. Not only are they practicing their writing, but they are showing kindness and support as well. Service learning projects provide valuable experiences for the students as we learn about compassion and helping others in need. Thank you to the families that either donated fleece or donated their time in helping the students make the scarves. As always, your support and generosity are much appreciated!
November's Book Fair was a success! Thank you to the families that volunteered your time. All profits from the book fair will be used to purchase new books and digital supports in the West Media Center for students to enjoy! We also thank our PFA for arranging and funding the entertainment Tim Hannig from Pro Kids. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the presentation, and we loved having our West families join us for the visitation time!
Students began their winter benchmarking testing November 29th. Students are reassessed through Aimsweb and MAP reading and math tests. We use this data along with classroom assessments to take a closer look at how each student is performing. In doing this we can ensure that instruction is differentiated to meet the needs of each child. Teachers target specific skills for individual students during TIDE (Targeted Instruction, Differentiation, and Enrichment) time as well as throughout the day.
Finally, don't miss our Cardinal Choir and 5
th
Grade Band performances. The band will be performing at Palos South on December 7th at 7 pm, and the Winter Choral program will be held at Palos West December 14th at 7 pm. Also our Kindergarten Holiday program is December 16th at 10:30 & 2:00. These performances will be sure to put you in the holiday spirit! Enjoy the winter break, the holiday season, and some quality time.....with your family and friends.
This is the time of the year when many parents ask the question, "How do we determine if it is too cold for outdoor recess?" We want to remind parents that we send the students out when the temperature is above 15 degrees including the wind chill. Although this may seem to be a bit cold, the students truly benefit from the fresh air and exercise during the winter months. Regardless of the weather report, remember to dress your child appropriately including a heavy coat, hat and gloves. If your child has a medical condition that is affected by the cold weather, please contact Mrs. Segredo, our school nurse. By working together, we can be sure that the children will get through the winter months in a healthy and productive manner.
Monday, January 23, 2017 & Thursday, March 30, 2017