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September 12, 2025

Upcoming Dates

September 12th: Walk to School with Mrs. Osterhoudt (Burberry Park, 7:50 am)

September 15th:  JIBE Bike Doctor on K-8 Campus (3:15-6:15 pm)

September 19th: Walk to School with Mrs. Osterhoudt (Burberry Park, 7:50 am)

September 19th:  School Spirit Day (Sports Day) & Safety Drill

September 26th:  Olympic Triathlon

October 6th-10th:  Fall Break (No School)

October 3rd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)

October 20th-24th: Red Ribbon Week- CLICK HERE for Spirit Days

October 25th:  Fall Festival

December 12th:  Movie Night

Classroom Content

We continued to learn about complete sentences this week. We focused on identifying the telling part of each sentence. In math, we used data to answer questions, we had fun making surveys, and took our first math assessment on addition and subtraction. We completed our first personal narrative draft about our favorite recess activity. In social studies, we learned more about the lives of pioneers and what it was like to attend school long ago.  We enjoyed using slate boards and chalk and making pioneer puppets.  

School Supplies and Field Lesson Donations:

Great news, Explorer families! Westlake Charter School has already reached 26% of our School Supplies donation goal and 12% of our Field Lesson donation goal. Keep up the great work, Explorers! CLICK HERE to make your donation today! 

Current Trick Words: 

Click here for word lists and sight word games to support your learner at home.

Nightly Reading: Be sure to have your child read for at least 15-20 minutes nightly. Your child can read independently, to someone, or someone can read to your child. RAZKids, Lexia, and the local library are great resources for your child to utilize. Trick word practice counts, too! Remember, the more children practice their reading, the more proficient readers they become!

Nightly Math Practice:  I recommend children practice their math skills 10-15 minutes nightly using Imagine Math.  

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested in volunteering in class or completing projects at home, please use the links below.

Coming Up Next Week

Explorer of the Week:  💜 Jasper 💜

Math:  Illustrative Math, Unit 2: Addition and Subtraction Story Problems

Phonics: Fundations Unit 2, Week 1 (CVC words...bat, net, rap, etc.)

Comprehension: Compare and Contrast

Grammar: Statements (Telling Sentences)

Writing: Narrative Writing

Thematic Study: Life Long Ago (home life & chores)

Assessment Information

* During the first few weeks of school, students will be assessed on their letter sounds, and trick words (sight words).

Homework/Schoolwork Resources

Week 5, September 8-12

Math

We have been surveying, looking at data, and answering questions about data in math this week. We have also been exploring addition and subtraction this week. Students may log into Imagine Math at home to practice their math facts and skills (access Imagine Math through Clever). Watch this video to learn more about the concepts covered in this unit.  Click here for additional information to support your child throughout Unit 1 of math.

Writing

This trimester we are focusing on Personal Narrative Writing. Personal Narratives have a Topic Sentence, First, Next, Last, and a Closing Sentence. Please utilize this resource to help your writer at home. Click here to access the documents we will use to organize our writing this trimester.

Phonics

This week in phonics we focused on the letters z and qu.  We learned about correct letter formation, which line to write a letter, how to grip our pencil, and how to extend the vowels. Please practice writing, saying, and using these letters in things you write, read, and see. We have been practicing how to tap to read words. Please practice tapping out each sound in a word (sad, sat, sap, sip, sit, mop, map, mad, mud). Click here for additional information and activities to support your child throughout Unit 1 of phonics. 

Comprehension

We have been focusing on identifying the problem and solution in a story to help us understand what we read and what is read to us. Use these posters to help your reader identify story elements in books at home. 

Grammar

We have been focusing on the telling part of a sentence to help us make sentences interesting and precise. Please use these posters and this resource to help your child at home. 

Social Emotional Learning

This week, we focused on the core values of respect.  We read stories and discuss how we can show respect by following our classroom community agreements and showing kindness to others.  

Westlake Weekly Information

School Supplies and Field Lesson Donations:

Great news, Explorer families! Westlake Charter School has already reached 26% of our School Supplies donation goal and 12% of our Field Lesson donation goal. Keep up the great work, Explorers! CLICK HERE to make your donation today!


Olympic Triathlon:

We’re aiming for 100% student participation as we come together to support Westlake’s incredible programs. The Olympic Triathlon event is right around the corner on Friday, September 26th. CLICK HERE to watch our Olympic Triathlon Kickoff video.

🎉 25% Participation – Chips & Drinks for the class!

🍧 50% Participation – Popsicle Party time!

🍩 75% Participation – Donut Party celebration!

🍕 100% Participation – Pizza Party for the win!

✅ Guaranteed Prize – A special Olympic Triathlon medal 

✅ Raffle Entry – For every $100 a student raises they’re entered into a raffle for AMAZING prizes:

💡 The more students who hit the $100 goal, the bigger the celebration for our school community!

Classroom Volunteering 101:

We've launched Classroom Volunteering 101 to give every family the tools and confidence to step into the classroom and make a difference! Our next training sessions are as follows:

If you aren't able to make it to either, or would prefer to complete this training independently, please CLICK HERE to take our training online whenever it works for you.  

Once you've completed Classroom Volunteering 101 either online or in a group, you’ll complete a short form that will let our staff recognize you as a trained classroom volunteer. You can then reach out to your teacher to schedule a time to volunteer in the classroom. When you arrive on campus to volunteer, please check in at the front desk with your photo ID.

We appreciate you and are looking forward to hosting you on campus soon!

September 5, 2025

Upcoming Dates

September 5th:  WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 am)

September 5th:  Bingo Night (6:00 PM)

September 11th:  WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)

September 12th: Walk to School with Mrs. Osterhoudt (Burberry Park, 7:50 am)

September 15th:  JIBE Bike Doctor on K-8 Campus (3:15-6:15 pm)

September 19th: Walk to School with Mrs. Osterhoudt (Burberry Park, 7:50 am)

September 19th:  School Spirit Day (Sports Day) & Safety Drill

September 26th:  Olympic Triathlon

October 6th-10th:  Fall Break (No School)

October 3rd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)

October 25th:  Fall Festival

December 12th:  Movie Night

Classroom Content

This week we wrapped up our citizenship social studies unit and started our Life Long Ago unit. We started learning about pioneer families. We continued to practice writing complete sentences and learned that every sentence needs a naming part and a telling part to make sense. We learned how to play two new center math games.  We enjoyed getting to know our middle school teacher assistants (TA):  Miss Kimberly and Miss Addy, while working with them in small groups during guided reading.  Finally, our class did a great job taking our first computer NWEA Math test. 

Current Trick Words: 

Click here for word lists and sight word games to support your learner at home

Nightly Reading: Be sure to have your child read for at least 15-20 minutes nightly. Your child can read independently, to someone, or someone can read to your child. RAZKids, Lexia, and the local library are great resources for your child to utilize. Trick word practice counts, too! Remember, the more children practice their reading, the more proficient readers they become!

Nightly Math Practice:  I recommend children practice their math skills 10-15 minutes nightly using Imagine Math.  

I placed another copy of your child's login data in their blue folders today in case you need it.  

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested in volunteering in class or completing projects at home, please use the links below.

Coming Up Next Week

Explorer of the Week:  💜 Reejh 💜

Math: Illustrative Math, Unit 1: Adding, Subtracting, and Working with Data

Phonics: Fundations Unit 1, Week 3 (CVC words)

Comprehension: Story Elements (Problem and Solution)

Grammar: Telling Part of Sentences

Writing: Narrative Writing 

Thematic Study: Life Long Ago

Assessment Information

* During the first few weeks of school, students will be assessed on their letter sounds, and trick words (sight words).

NWEA Reading: Tuesday, September 9th

Math Unit 1 (Adding, Subtracting, and Working with Data)  will be assessed the week of September 9th (study guide)

Homework/Schoolwork Resources

Week 4, September 2-5

Math

We are working on Unit 1 in our math curriculum. Watch this video to learn more about the concepts covered in this unit. Students may log into Imagine Math at home to practice their math facts and skills (access Imagine Math through Clever).  We have been exploring addition and subtraction in math this week. Click here for additional information to support your child throughout Unit 1 of math. study guide

Writing

This trimester we are focusing on Personal Narrative Writing. Personal Narratives have a Topic Sentence, First, Next, Last, and a Closing Sentence. Please utilize this resource to help your writer at home. Click here to access the documents we will use to organize our writing this trimester.

Phonics

This week in phonics we focused on the letters e, r, p, j, l, h, k.  We learned about correct letter formation and which line to write a letter, how to grip our pencil, and how to extend the vowels. Please practice writing, saying, and using these letters in things you write, read, and see. Click here for additional information and activities to support your child throughout Unit 1 of phonics.  

Comprehension

We have been focusing on identifying the characters and setting in a fiction story. Use these posters to help your reader identify story elements in books at home. 

Grammar

We have been focusing on the naming part of a sentence to help us make sentences interesting and precise. Please use these posters and this resource to help your child at home. 

Social Emotional Learning

This week's SEL story and discussion focused on what we have in common with our peers.  We also revisited our school cafeteria procedures and expectations this week. We completed a common core lesson on respect and discussed ways we can show respect at home and school by being kind, helping others, using good manners, and cleaning up our messes.  

Westlake Weekly Information

School Supplies and Field Lesson Donations:

Great news, Explorer families! Westlake Charter School has already reached 24% of our School Supplies donation goal and 11% of our Field Lesson donation goal. Keep up the great work, Explorers! CLICK HERE to make your donation today!


After School Live - Fall Explorer Enrichment:

Some of our fall Explorer Enrichment classes have begun, and others start soon - most classes still have space, so CLICK HERE to see the catalog of Explorer Enrichment course offerings and information about how to sign up. E-mail amayle@westlakecharter.com with scholarship inquiries.

Classroom Volunteering 101:

We've launched Classroom Volunteering 101 to give every family the tools and confidence to step into the classroom and make a difference! Our next training sessions are as follows:

If you aren't able to make it to either, or would prefer to complete this training independently, please CLICK HERE to take our training online whenever it works for you.  


Once you've completed Classroom Volunteering 101 either online or in a group, you’ll complete a short form that will let our staff recognize you as a trained classroom volunteer. You can then reach out to your teacher to schedule a time to volunteer in the classroom. When you arrive on campus to volunteer, please check in at the front desk with your photo ID.


We appreciate you and are looking forward to hosting you on campus soon!

August 29, 2025

Upcoming Dates

September 5th:  WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 am)

September 5th:  Bingo Night

September 11th:  WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)

September 15th:  JIBE Bike Doctor on K-8 Campus (3:15-6:15 pm)

September 19th:  School Spirit Day (Sports Day) & Safety Drill

September 26th:  Olympic Triathlon

October 6th-10th:  Fall Break (No School)

October 25th:  Fall Festival

December 12th:  Movie Night

Classroom Content

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me during Back to School Night. You can access the Back to School Night slides HERE.  

I look forward to working with you and your family this year! 

This week we focused on joining numbers, how to write complete sentences, practiced asking questions about books we read (Before, During and After reading), and reviewed letter sounds in our phonics program. Students continued to get to know their classmates and learned what it means to be a responsible citizen at home, school, and in their community.  

I included a copy of a ten-frame math sheet in your child's blue communications folder today.  We spent a lot of time learning how to use a ten-frame and red/yellow counters to add and subtract facts (0-10).  You can use coins (heads/tails), buttons, M&M candies, etc. at home to practice using the ten-frame to add or subtract. Basically, you say or write a math sentence (3 + 5 =) and your child should practice writing the same math sentence, then place 3 counters on the ten-frame and add two more to add up the total number on the 10-frame.  For subtracting, they are practicing placing counters on the 10-frame for the big number first, then flipping over counters for the small number...(i.e., 10 - 3 = ) or they can remove 3 counters from the ten frame to get the difference.  Two math vocabulary words we practiced in class this week were sum and difference.  

A math study guide was sent home today for our first upcoming math test.  All the children used their Chromebooks to log on to Imagine Math today in class.

Lunch Number Challenge: When students know their lunch number, it helps the hot lunch line go faster and gives students more time to eat. We are currently challenging our first-grade students to learn their lunch numbers. All first- grade students who memorize their lunch number will earn a prize! This challenge is available to all first graders, even those who usually bring lunch from home. 

Current Trick Words: 

(click here for word lists and sight word games to support your learner at home)

Nightly Reading: Be sure to have your child read for at least 15-20 minutes nightly. Your child can read independently, to someone, or someone can read to your child. RAZKids and the local library are great resources for your child to utilize. Trick word practice counts, too! Remember, the more children practice their reading, the more proficient readers they become!

Nightly Math Practice:  I recommend children practice their math skills 10-15 minutes nightly using Imagine Math.  

Volunteer Opportunities

If you are interested in volunteering in class or completing projects at home, please use the links below.

Coming Up Next Week

Explorer of the Week:  💜 Daxon 💜

Math: Illustrative Math, Unit 1: Adding, Subtracting, and Working with Data

Phonics: Fundations Unit 1, Week 3

Comprehension: Story Elements

Grammar: Naming Part of a Sentence

Writing: Personal Narrative

Thematic Study: Life Long Ago

Assessment Information

* During the first few weeks of school, students will be assessed on their letter sounds, and trick words (sight words).

History-Social Science 1.1 (Citizenship): Week of September 2nd

NWEA Reading: Tuesday, September 2nd (Please note our NWEA dates have changed)

NWEA Math: Tuesday, September 9th 

Math Unit 1 (Adding, Subtracting, and Working with Data)  will be assessed the week of September 8th (study guide)

Homework/Schoolwork Resources

Week 3 August 25-29

Math

We recently began Unit 1 in our math curriculum. Watch this video to learn more about the concepts covered in this unit.  We have been exploring addition and subtraction in math this week. Students may log into Imagine Math at home to practice their math facts and skills (access Imagine Math through Clever). Click here for additional information to support your child throughout Unit 1 of math. Review the study guide to prepare for the assessment.

Writing

This trimester we are focusing on Personal Narrative Writing. Personal Narratives have a Topic Sentence, First, Next, Last, and a Closing Sentence. Click here to access the documents we will use to organize our writing this trimester.

Phonics

This week in phonics we focused on the letters c, o, a, g, d, s. We learned about correct letter formation and which line to write a letter, how to grip our pencil, and how to extend the vowels.  Please practice writing, saying, and using these letters in things you write, read, and see. Click here for additional information and activities to support your child throughout Unit 1 of phonics.  

Comprehension

We have been focusing on asking questions before, during, and after reading. Asking questions helps readers understand what is being read. Use this  poster to help your reader at home. 

Grammar

This week we practiced writing complete sentences. Use this song to review complete sentences at home.

Social Emotional Learning

We continued to get to know our classmates this week. We will begin our SEL curriculum (Sanford Harmony) next week.  We enjoyed meeting our school counselors, Ms. Krivoy and Ms. Munoz.  Please click HERE if you want to review the presentation they gave to the children during their visit.

Westlake Weekly Information

Fall Picture Day:

K-8 picture day is NEXT Tuesday, September 2nd. This is a uniform picture day for our K-8 campus. All students will have their picture taken for the yearbook and student IDs, even if they don’t purchase a picture package. CLICK HERE to pre-purchase your pictures online. Group pictures will be taken for Kindergarten through 5th grade classes only. 


School Supplies and Field Lesson Donations:

Great news, Explorer families! Westlake Charter School has already reached 20% of our School Supplies donation goal and 8% of our Field Lesson donation goal. Keep up the great work, Explorers! CLICK HERE to make your donation today!


After School Live - Fall Explorer Enrichment:

Some of our fall Explorer Enrichment classes have begun  and others start soon - most classes still have space, so CLICK HERE to see the catalog of Explorer Enrichment course offerings and information about how to sign up. E-mail amayle@westlakecharter.com with scholarship inquiries.


Traffic/Parking Reminders: Please be respectful and mindful during our arrival and dismissal process, following traffic rules is an essential part of maintaining a safe environment for children. This includes parking in designated areas, adhering to the instructions of school staff, and obeying traffic laws. Traffic rules help to ensure that students are not in harm’s way when they are entering and exiting vehicles. When drivers obey traffic laws, they are less likely to be in an accident or cause a disruption in the flow of traffic. Additionally, traffic laws help to reduce congestion and provide a safe environment for pedestrians. 


Jibe Bike Doctor:

Bike Doc is North Natomas Jibe's free basic bike repair and tune up service. This basic repair service is offered at no cost to our community. Students and families of Westlake Charter School are invited to register to bring in bicycles on September 5th from 3:15 – 6:15 PM. CLICK HERE to book a spot or show up day-of for service first come, first served. (Families can register up to 4 bikes for individual appointments.) Note that not all issues are fixable by Bike Doc in the repair window. These issues can be referred to a bike shop for in-depth service.

August 22, 2025

Upcoming Dates

August 27th:  Back to School Night (6:00 & 6:40)

August 29th:  WAVE Social (6:00-8:00 PM) on the patio at Panera (2731 Del Paso Blvd)

September 1st:  Labor Day (No School)

September 2nd:  School Pictures (in uniforms)

September 5th:  WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 am)

September 5th:  Bingo Night

September 11th:  WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)

September 15th:  JIBE Bike Doctor on K-8 Campus (3:15-6:15 pm)

September 19th:  School Spirit Day (Sports Day) & Safety Drill

September 26th:  Olympic Triathlon

October 6th-10th:  Fall Break (No School)

October 25th:  Fall Festival

December 12th:  Movie Night

Classroom Content

We worked on our classroom community agreements by discussing what it means to be responsible, safe, and respectful.  We continued to focus on building relationships, classroom routines, and procedures while building our stamina as learners.  This week, we learned about complete sentences (They begin with a capital letter, make sense, have a finger of space between words, have neat handwriting, and end with punctuation).  We practiced writing letters and numbers neatly, and began our phonics and math curriculum.  We enjoyed reading books together, focusing on making predictions and making crafts to enhance our comprehension skills.  The children learned how to play four different math center games this week and enjoyed working on math with their partners.  Your children should have a "5 in a Row" math game board in their blue folders this week,,, ask your child to teach you how to play the game, (you can use buttons, pennies, cereal, etc as math counters or bingo chips.  Use either two dice or number cards 0 to 5...index cards are great for this... to play the game).  Players take turns rolling the dice or turning over two cards to add then find the sum on the game board and cover it with their counters or bingo chips...players should each have different counters or chips (i.e. use heads and tails on coins, red and green buttons, two different kinds of cereal, brown and green M&M candies, etc).  The player who gets their counters or chips five in a row on the game board first wins the game.  Have fun learning with your first grader!

Trick Words:

Click Here for word lists and sight word games to support your learner at home!

Nightly Reading:  

Be sure to have your child read for at least 15-20 minutes nightly.  Your child can read independently, read to someone, or someone can read to your child.  RAZKids and the local library are great resources for your child to utilize.  Lexia and Trick word practice count too!  Remember, the more your children practice their reading at home, the more proficient readers they will become!

Class Dojo:

I will be using Class Dojo to share class photos.  Many families are already connected from kindergarten.  For those who are not, the easiest way to connect to our class is by using this link.

Back To School Night:

Our Back-to-School Night will take place on Wednesday, August 27th, in our classroom C105.  Your family only needs to attend one of the two sessions offered (session 1 starts at 6:00 pm and ends at 6:30 pm, session 2 starts at 6:40 pm and ends at 7:10 pm).  Please take a look at our school's Westlake Weekly Information, below, for more details.

Blue Communication Folder:

Your child's blue communication folder will come home every Friday in your child's backpack starting today.  Please look through your child's folder over the weekend and return the folder empty on or before every THURSDAY.

Lunch Number Challenge:

When students know their lunch number, it helps the hot lunch line go faster and gives students more time to eat.  Each child has a lunch number card they can use attached to our lunch wagon; however, we are encouraging all students to learn their lunch number since it will stay the same throughout their time at Westlake Charter...all the way through 12th grade.  I am currently challenging our first graders to learn their lunch numbers in exchange for a small prize.  I sent your child's lunch number home in their blue communication folders during our Meet the Teacher event.  If you need your child's lunch number to practice at home, please let me know. 

Fall Picture Day:

Fall Picture Day is Tuesday, September 2. All students will be photographed for the yearbook and student IDs.  This will be a uniform picture day.  Please see the Westlake Weekly information below for more details.

Volunteer Opportunities

I will be providing information on how to sign up for volunteer work in our classroom and to complete projects at home at our Back to School Night this Wednesday, August 27th, and in all future weekly newsletters.

Coming Up Next Week

Explorer of the Week:  💜 Jessica 💜

Math: Illustrative, Unit 1  Addition, Subtracting, and Working with Data

Phonics: Fundations, Unit 1, Week 2: letter names and sounds, letter formation

Comprehension: Ask and Answer Questions

Grammar: Sentences (writing a complete sentence)

Writing: Personal Narrative (First, Next, Last)

Thematic Study: Let's Be Friends and Citizenship (How can I be a good friend?)

Assessment Information

Homework/Schoolwork Resources

Week 2, August 18-22

Math

We recently began Unit 1 in our math curriculum. Watch this video to learn more about the concepts covered in this unit. We have been exploring expressions and sums in math this week. Students may log into Imagine Math at home to practice their math facts and skills (access Imagine Math through Clever). I recommend that children practice using Imagine Math 15 to 20 minutes every day. Click here for additional information to support your child throughout Unit 1 of math.


Writing

This trimester we are focusing on Personal Narrative Writing. Personal Narratives have a Topic Sentence, Transition Words (First, Next, Last) and a Closing Sentence. Click here to access the documents we will use to organize our writing this trimester.


Phonics

This week in phonics we focused on the letters t, b, f, m, n, i, u. We learned about correct letter formation and which line to write a letter, how to grip our pencil, and how to extend the vowels.  Please practice writing, saying, and using these letters in things you write, read, and see. Click here for additional information and activities to support your child throughout Unit 1 of phonics.


Comprehension

We have been focusing on making predictions while reading. Good readers make predictions to help them better understand a text. Use this poster to help your reader at home. 


Grammar

This week we focused on writing complete sentences. Use this song to review complete sentences at home.

Social Emotional Learning

We continued to get to know our classmates this week. We read and discussed stories about friendship.  We watched a video on how to be a good friend and started learning a friendship chant.  We created community agreements for our classroom that will support our learning. We have been busy reviewing and practicing safe and responsible recess and cafeteria procedures.  We celebrated our first free choice time today by earning ten "I Like What I See" happy faces from Mrs. O.  We are very close to completing our first "Westlake Way" expectations & reward poster; we are hoping to earn popsicles from the principal next week.  All of my students are busy earning gold treasure box sticker coins for their individual treasure maps by making good choices and working hard during instruction time.  Finally, but not least our class table groups are enjoying a little friendly competition by earning table points for cleaning up their work areas in a timely manner.  

Westlake Weekly Information

K-8 Back to School Night:

Our K-8 Back to School Night is NEXT Wednesday, August 27th. To the best of our ability, we would like to keep this event distraction free by encouraging families to make this a non-student event. This will allow for teachers and families to connect in a distraction-free environment. For families that need supervision, our BASE program will be available to help, however, space is potentially limited. If you know that you will need childcare to attend this event, please CLICK HERE to RSVP for BASE as soon as possible so that we can properly prepare. 


Fall Picture Day:

K-8 picture day will be on Tuesday, September 2nd. This is a uniform picture day for our K-8 campus. All students will have their picture taken for the yearbook and student IDs, even if they don’t purchase a picture package. CLICK HERE to pre-purchase your pictures online. Group pictures will be taken for Kindergarten through 5th grade classes only. 


Free and Reduced Price Meals:

Families, each year it is incredibly important to our school that we are able to account for every student during this form collection process. We are authorized by the Natomas Unified School District and as a part of our partnership, we commit to collecting these forms from every family. Physical copies of the 2025-26 application will be available at Meet the Teacher. Please complete this form for every student in your family and return it to either front office. While meals remain free for all students this school year, this is important data for our Charter authorization.


After School Live - Fall Explorer Enrichment:

Our fall Explorer Enrichment starts soon!  CLICK HERE to see the catalog of Explorer Enrichment course offerings and information about how to sign up. E-mail amayle@westlakecharter.com with scholarship inquiries.


Learning Lab:

The Learning Lab is open to Middle School Explorers after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3:15 - 3:45 PM. The Learning Lab is staffed by an Instructional Aide to assist Middle School students with their classwork and homework.  Families should sign up their Middle School student(s) using School Dismissal Manager.


Jibe Bike Doctor:

Bike Doc is North Natomas Jibe's free basic bike repair and tune up service. This basic repair service is offered at no cost to our community. Students and families of Westlake Charter School are invited to register to bring in bicycles on September 5th from 3:15 – 6:15 PM. CLICK HERE to book a spot or show up day-of for service first come, first served. (Families can register up to 4 bikes for individual appointments.) Note that not all issues are fixable by Bike Doc in the repair window. These issues can be referred to a bike shop for in-depth service.

August 15th, 2025

Upcoming Dates

August 15th:  WAVE Meeting (6:00)

August 27th:  Back to School Night (6:00 & 6:40)

September 1st:  Labor Day (No School)

September 2nd:  School Pictures (in uniforms)

September 5th:  WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 am)

September 5th:  Bingo Night

September 15th:  JIBE Bike Doctor on K-8 Campus (3:15-6:15 pm)

September 19th:  School Spirit Day (Sports Day) & Safety Drill

September 26th:  Olympic Triathlon

October 6th-10th:  Fall Break (No School)

October 25th:  Fall Festival

December 12th:  Movie Night

Classroom Content

Hello families! I enjoyed meeting all of you this week! Our class had a lot of fun getting to know one another and learning our classroom & school expectations and procedures. All of your children did a great job showing respect and kindness this week in school!  I am looking forward to getting to know each student better next week!

Please be patient with me as I learn to say your children's names correctly.  Learning new names has always been a challenge for me, and normally it takes me a couple of weeks to get it right.  

I will discuss volunteering at home (preparing projects/craft materials/sharpening pencils) in my next newsletter on August  22nd. I will also discuss volunteering at our Back to School Night on August 27th.  I welcome in-classroom volunteers to help with small reading groups, small math groups, science experiments, writing workshops, field lessons, etc. after the first week of October.   I also welcome families to share their culture with our class...if you have something you would like to share with us please email me and I will coordinate with you a date/time to share your culture with us.

Over the next two weeks, students will take turns bringing home a special homework paper bag and a small "All About Me" poster. They should find three items to place inside the bag that they can use to help them tell us more about themselves.  They should work with their family to fill out the poster and place it inside the bag.  They should bring back their bag ready to share with our class the following school day.   You can help by asking them if they have received their "homework bag" yet.  

I will be introducing and modeling "Explorer of the Week" in class next week and will place more information about this fun activity in my next newsletter.

Trick Words: 

click here for word lists and sight word games to support your learner at home

Nightly Reading: Be sure to have your child read for at least 15-20 minutes nightly. Your child can read independently, to someone, or someone can read to your child. RAZKids and the local library are great resources for your child to utilize. Trick word practice counts, too! Remember, the more children practice their reading, the more proficient readers they become!

Coming Up Next Week

Explorer of the Week:  💜 Mrs. O. 💜

Math: Illustrative Math, Unit 1 (Addition, Subtraction, and Working with Data)

Phonics: Fundations Unit 1, Week 1 (Letter-Keyword-Sound associations & Letter Formations)

Comprehension: Making Predictions

Grammar: Writing Complete Sentences

Writing: Personal Narrative

Thematic Study: Friendship/Citizenship

Assessment Information

During the first two weeks of school, students will be assessed on their letter names, sounds, and trick words (sight words).  I will use this data to help me build small reading groups so I can help your children reach their individual reading goals.

Homework/Schoolwork Resources

Week 1 August 13-15

Math

We have been focusing on number writing in math this week. Practice writing your numbers to 20 at home! 


Phonics

This week in phonics we focused on letter review. Practice singing your ABCs and writing your letters correctly.


Writing

This trimester we are focusing on Personal Narrative Writing. Personal Narratives have a Topic Sentence, a Sequence of Events (First, Next, Last), and a Closing Sentence. Please utilize this resource to help your writer at home. 

Social Emotional Learning

This week we focused on getting to know our classmates and learning their names. We will continue to work on building our classroom community and learning about our classmates next week while focusing on friendship skills.

Westlake Weekly Information

K-8 Back to School Night:

Our K-8 Back to School Night is on Wednesday, August 27th. To the best of our ability, we would like to keep this event distraction free by encouraging families to make this a non-student event. This will allow for teachers and families to connect in a distraction-free environment. For families that need supervision, our BASE program will be available to help, however, space is potentially limited. If you know that you will need childcare to attend this event, please CLICK HERE to RSVP for BASE as soon as possible so that we can properly prepare. 


Fall Picture Day:

K-8 picture day will be on Tuesday, September 2nd. This is a uniform picture day for our K-8 campus. All students will have their picture taken for the yearbook and student IDs, even if they don’t purchase a picture package. CLICK HERE to pre-purchase your pictures online. Group pictures will be taken for Kindergarten through 5th grade classes only. 


Free and Reduced Price Meals:

Families, each year it is incredibly important to our school that we are able to account for every student during this form collection process. We are authorized by the Natomas Unified School District and as a part of our partnership, we commit to collecting these forms from every family. Physical copies of the 2025-26 application will be available at Meet the Teacher. Please complete this form for every student in your family and return it to either front office. While meals remain free for all students this school year, this is important data for our Charter authorization.


After School Live - Fall Explorer Enrichment:

Our fall Explorer Enrichment starts soon!  CLICK HERE to see the catalog of Explorer Enrichment course offerings and information about how to sign up. E-mail amayle@westlakecharter.com with scholarship inquiries.


Learning Lab:

The Learning Lab will open to Middle School Explorers after school on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 3:15 - 3:45 PM beginning Monday, August 18th. The Learning Lab is staffed by an Instructional Aide to assist Middle School students with their classwork and homework.  Families should sign up their Middle School student(s) using School Dismissal Manager.


JIBE Bike Doctor:

Bike Doc is North Natomas Jibe's free basic bike repair and tune up service. This basic repair service is offered at no cost to our community. Students and families of Westlake Charter School are invited to register to bring in bicycles on September 5th from 3:15 – 6:15 PM. CLICK HERE to book a spot or show up day-of for service first come, first served. (Families can register up to 4 bikes for individual appointments.) Note that not all issues are fixable by Bike Doc in the repair window. These issues can be referred to a bike shop for in-depth service.


August 1, 2025

Upcoming Dates

August 8th:  Class Lists will be released & posted by the office for K-5

August 12th:  Meet The Teacher (12:30 PM-2:30 PM)

August 13th:  First Day of School (8:30 AM) 

September 2nd:  School Pictures (in uniforms)

September 1st:  Labor Day (No School)

October 6th-10th:  Fall Break (No School)

Classroom Content

Welcome to First Grade!  I am very excited to work with you and your children this school year!  Together, we can make sure your child has a great first-grade year and grows as a student!  

Our classroom number is C105.

Your children will receive a name tag to wear on the first day of school, with their black top line-up spot on it, at our Meet the Teacher day on August 12.


Morning Procedures:

Our school day will start at 8:30 am each day and end at 3:15 pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.  First graders will be dismissed at 1:30 pm on Wednesday the entire school year. WCS staff will provide supervision for your children in the cafeteria at 7:45 am, where they can eat breakfast and visit with friends until 8:20. The campus gate located next to the office will be open at 7:45 am.  All other gates will open at 8:10 am, and your children will be encouraged to line up on the blacktop to participate in our K-5 morning lineup meeting at 8:25.

The play structure is closed between 7:45 and 8:30 am.

Our before-and-after-school program (BASE) is available this school year, starting at 7:00 am and ending at 6:00 pm.  Please get in touch with BASE for more details.

All students in grades K-5 will line up behind their classroom number (C105) and on their assigned lineup spot located on the blacktop each school day by 8:25.  Your child will be given an assigned lineup spot at our Meet the Teacher Day and may be reassigned a new number after the first two weeks of school..  Your child will bring home a paper with their lineup spot number in their blue Parent Communication folder.  I will meet your children each day on the blacktop at 8:25 to walk them to our classroom.

Lunch and Recess Information:

Lunches will be served in our school cafeteria for students who order one from their teacher in the morning.  Students will sit with our first-grade class at our assigned lunch table.  Students may sit next to classmates of their choice. Children will not be allowed to change seats once they make their selection for the day due to safety reasons.  First graders will take a lunch break from 11:20 to 11:45.

First graders will enjoy three outdoor recess times during the school day at the following times:  9:40-9:50 am, 11:45 -12:00 am, and 1:20-1:35 pm.   Structured group games will be offered to our class during these times (i.e., soccer, running games, wall ball, etc.).  Students may select a recess activity of their choice to engage in with other first graders.  Students should listen to the yard duty staff's directions.

School Supplies:

With the expectation of a backpack, lunch box (if needed), face mask (optional), and water bottle, all other school supplies have been purchased by the school.  You do not need to buy supplies to send to school with your child.  If you can donate $25 to help cover our first-grade school supplies, please use the following link to do so.  You can also find the donation link on our Westlake Charter website.  We appreciate your help.

School Dismissal Manager

Please CLICK HERE log into School Dismissal Manager using the credentials emailed to you. You will be prompted to change your password on your first login. After logging in, click on the Parent Welcome Letter in the top menu for instructions. Make sure to update your students’ dismissal arrangements before the first day of school. If you didn’t receive an email, check your spam folder. Please e-mail admin@westlakecharter.com with any questions.

Volunteers:

Parents are welcome to volunteer to work in our classrooms in a few weeks.  More information will be provided on volunteer opportunities at our Back to School Night.  

Clever Log-in:

Your student can now access Clever Portal to use Westlake Charter School learning resources such as Lexia, Imagine Math, RazKids, etc. - try it out at https://clever.com/in/westlakecharter.  Your child can log into their Clever Portal using their regular username and password for Westlake School devices. I will send home their WCS login information in their blue Parent Communication folder during the first week of school.

Online Weekly Classroom Newsletters:

I will post an updated newsletter to our classroom website every Friday afternoon by 4:00 pm for your review.  You can access our classroom website by going to the Westlake Charter School website and clicking on Staff then click on 1st grade and find my name and click on (Class Website). You will also find a link to our classroom website below my signature block on all my emails that you can click on.

Again, I look forward to getting to know you and your children this school year.  Please email me if you have any questions at hosterhoudt@westlakecharter.com.