September 22nd: Life Long Ago On Campus Experience
September 25th: K-8 School Spirit Day (Sports Day)
September 25th: Olympic Triathlon Event Day
October 1st: Picture Retake Day (OPTIONAL)
October 2nd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
October 5th-9th: Fall Break (No School)
October 15th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
October 24th: Fall Festival
October 26th-30th: Red Ribbon Week- Dress Up Days
October 26th: K-8 Spirit Day- Be Brave & Active (Wear Active Wear)
October 27th: K-8 Spirit Day - We Keep Our Paws Off Drugs (Animal Print OR Dress Like An Animal)
October 28th: K-8 Spirit Day - From Head to Toe, I am Drug Free (Silly Hat & Silly Socks)
October 29th: K-8 Spirit Day - Be a Hero (Dress As Your Hero)
October 30th: K-8 Spirit Day - I Am Drug Free (Wear Red)
Library: We will have Library every Wednesday. Please be sure to have your child return their Library book on or before Wednesday each week, so that they may check out a new book. Thank you for your help with this!
On Campus Experience- Sutter's Fort: This Tuesday, September 22nd, all of the First Grade students will be participating in an On-Campus Experience from Sutter's Fort to extend their learning about Life Long Ago! Your child will have the opportunity to learn more about school, transportation, and home life from Long Ago! I am SO excited for this special day, and I know your child is too!
Olympic Triathlon: The 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon, our one big fundraising campaign each year, is in full swing! CLICK HERE to watch the video with more information. CLICK HERE to set up your family donation page on the PledgeStar website. You can customize it with your student’s name, a photo, and a donation goal. It is easy to quickly request sponsors via email or text, explaining why Westlake is amazing and how they can help us meet our goal this year. The more students who hit the $150 goal, the bigger the celebration for our school community!
🟢 Math Unit 2 will be assessed the week of October 26th.
Math
We recently began Unit 2 in our math curriculum. Watch this video to learn more about the concepts covered in this unit. We have been writing expressions and equations to solve story problems and showing our thinking with drawings and numbers. Play this addition game and this subtraction game to further develop these concepts at home. 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 2 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 sound review, tapping to read words, tapping to spell words, and reading sentences in the correct order. Please practice tapping out each sound in a word and then tapping to write out a word (lit, lip, lap, rap, rip, nip, sip, sit, set). Click here for additional information and activities to support your child throughout Unit 2 of phonics.
Comprehension
We have been focusing on comparing and contrasting to help us understand what we read and what is read to us by finding similarities and differences between texts or within one text. Use this link and video to help your reader at home.
Grammar
We have been focusing on statement (telling) sentences to help us make our sentences interesting and precise. Please utilize this resource to help your child at home.
This week we continued to learn about Respect through our Character Strong social-emotional learning curriculum. We focused on building and understanding friendship, accepting peers as they are, and connecting pieces of positive social interaction. Students engaged in a Friendship Puzzle lesson to learn how individual actions fit together to build a healthy community. We read the book Amy Wu and the Warm Welcome and students were asked to observe the illustrations throughout the book. They noticed how Lin acts at school (shy and quiet) versus how he acts with his family (expressive and happy) to learn how environment impacts comfort.
Click here to download the Grade 1 Respect Newsletter
See the weekly email for information on what your children are learning in Specialty Classes, upcoming assessments, and resources to practice at home.
Click here for Specialty teachers' websites and contact information.
19th Annual Olympic Triathlon:
The 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon, our one big fundraising campaign each year, is in full swing! CLICK HERE to watch the video with more information. CLICK HERE to set up your family donation page on the PledgeStar website. You can customize it with your student’s name, a photo, and a donation goal. It is easy to quickly request sponsors via email or text, explaining why Westlake is amazing and how they can help us meet our goal this year. The more students who hit the $150 goal, the bigger the celebration for our school community! CLICK HERE to sign up to work a shift on Event Day, Friday, September 25th.
K-12 Picture Retake Day:
Our Picture Retake Day is Thursday, October 1st. CLICK HERE for the memo. See below for who should have their picture taken on October 1st:
Students & staff who are new to our school since the original picture day
Students & staff who were absent on the original picture day
Students & staff who would like to retake their photo
CLICK HERE to order pictures
Jibe Walk/Bike to School Challenge:
The first Jibe Walk and Bike to School Challenge of the year is here. Just walk, bike, or scoot to school and have your Trip Card scanned as many times as you can between now and September 25th for a chance to win. The three classes with the most participation will receive a prize for the entire class! CLICK HERE for the flyer. Don’t have a card yet? No problem, CLICK HERE to register today.
Fall Break:
Both campuses will be closed for Fall Break Monday, October 5th through Friday, October 9th. We look forward to welcoming staff and students back on Monday, October 12th.
September 10th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
September 22nd: Life Long Ago On Campus Experience
September 25th: K-8 School Spirit Day (Sports Day)
September 25th: Olympic Triathlon Event Day
October 2nd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
October 5th-9th: Fall Break (No School)
October 15th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
October 24th: Fall Festival
October 26th-30th: Red Ribbon Week- Dress Up Days
October 26th: K-8 Spirit Day- Be Brave & Active (Wear Active Wear)
October 27th: K-8 Spirit Day - We Keep Our Paws Off Drugs (Animal Print OR Dress Like An Animal)
October 28th: K-8 Spirit Day - From Head to Toe, I am Drug Free (Silly Hat & Silly Socks)
October 29th: K-8 Spirit Day - Be a Hero (Dress As Your Hero)
October 30th: K-8 Spirit Day - I Am Drug Free (Wear Red)
Library: We will have Library every Wednesday. Please be sure to have your child return their Library book on or before Wednesday each week, so that they may check out a new book. Thank you for your help with this!
Olympic Triathlon: The 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon, our one big fundraising campaign each year, is in full swing! CLICK HERE to watch the video with more information. CLICK HERE to set up your family donation page on the PledgeStar website. You can customize it with your student’s name, a photo, and a donation goal. It is easy to quickly request sponsors via email or text, explaining why Westlake is amazing and how they can help us meet our goal this year. The more students who hit the $150 goal, the bigger the celebration for our school community!
Math
We have been surveying, looking at data, and answering questions about data 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.
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 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. 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 setting to help us understand and visualize what we read and what is read to us. Use this resource to help your reader at home.
Grammar
We have been focusing on the telling part of a sentence to help us make sentences interesting and precise. Please utilize this resource to help your child at home.
This week we continued to learn about Respect through our Character Strong social-emotional learning curriculum. Students learned how to see the value in others, how to treat others with care, how to actively listen through non-verbal cues, understand differences, and identify actionable respect. Some activities included creating non-verbal cues or agreements to remind students to show daily respect to peers, teachers, and school spaces. We read the book Big and discussed impactful and grown-up vocabulary that helps them express their feelings and navigate social situations.
Click here to download the Grade 1 Respect Newsletter
See the weekly email for information on what your children are learning in Specialty Classes, upcoming assessments, and resources to practice at home.
Click here for Specialty teachers' websites and contact information.
Olympic Triathlon:
The 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon, our one big fundraising campaign each year, is in full swing! CLICK HERE to watch the video with more information. CLICK HERE to set up your family donation page on the PledgeStar website. You can customize it with your student’s name, a photo, and a donation goal. It is easy to quickly request sponsors via email or text, explaining why Westlake is amazing and how they can help us meet our goal this year. The more students who hit the $150 goal, the bigger the celebration for our school community!
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.
Jibe Walk/Bike to School Challenge:
The first Jibe Walk and Bike to School Challenge of the year is here. Just walk, bike, or scoot to school and have your Trip Card scanned as many times as you can between September 14th and September 25th for a chance to win. The three classes with the most participation will receive a prize for the entire class! CLICK HERE for the flyer. Don’t have a card yet? No problem, CLICK HERE to register today.
September 4th: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
September 4th: WAVE BINGO Night (6:00-8:00 PM)
September 7th: Labor Day (No School)
September 10th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
September 22nd: Life Long Ago On Campus Experience
September 25th: K-8 School Spirit Day (Sports Day)
September 25th: Olympic Triathlon Event Day
October 2nd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
October 5th-9th: Fall Break (No School)
We had an exciting fourth week in 1st Grade! During the fourth week of 1st Grade, we had lots of fun beginning to learn about Life Long Ago, we created sentences that identified the naming part (noun) of a sentence, we practiced different ways to solve an addition sentence, we had some Phonics fun with Baby Echo by making short A and short I words, we learned about and identified the different parts of a story, and as always we participated in Fun Friday!
Labor Day - NO SCHOOL: Westlake Charter School and our BASE program will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day.
Library: We will have Library every Wednesday. Please be sure to have your child return their Library book on or before Wednesday each week, so that they may check out a new book. Thank you for your help with this!
Math
We have been surveying and looking at data in math this week. 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). 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 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 story elements to help us understand the different aspects of what we read and what is read to us. Use this resource to help your reader at home.
Grammar
We have been focusing on the naming part of a sentence to help us make sentences interesting and precise. Please utilize this resource to help your child at home.
Friendships can have a major impact on your health and well-being. When each friend feels valued, accepted, and loved, they feel Respected. Friendships that share Respect allow us to build trust, feelings of safety, and well-being. This month's focus for 1st grade is on practicing Respect with our friendships. Click here to download the Grade 1 Respect Newsletter.
See the weekly email for information on what your children are learning in Specialty Classes, upcoming assessments, and resources to practice at home.
Click here for Specialty teachers' websites and contact information.
Olympic Triathlon:
The 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon, our one big fundraising campaign each year, is in full swing! CLICK HERE to set up your family donation page on the PledgeStar website. You can customize it with your student’s name, a photo, and a donation goal. It is easy to quickly request sponsors via email or text, explaining why Westlake is amazing and how they can help us meet our goal this year. The more students who hit the $150 goal, the bigger the celebration for our school community!
Labor Day - NO SCHOOL:
Westlake Charter School and our BASE program will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day.
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.
August 27th: WAVE Beach Social (6:00 PM- 7:30 PM)
September 4th: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
September 4th: WAVE BINGO Night (6:00-8:00 PM)
September 7th: Labor Day (No School)
September 10th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
September 25th: K-8 School Spirit Day (Sports Day)
September 25th: Olympic Triathlon Event Day
October 2nd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
October 5th-9th: Fall Break (No School)
Fall Picture Day: K-8 Picture Day will be on Tuesday, September 1st. 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.
Back To School Night: It was wonderful to see so many of you at Back to School Night on Wednesday! I am excited to embark on this school year as partners in your child's education. As I stated at Back to School Night, I am including the presentation, for your reference.
Labor Day - NO SCHOOL: Westlake Charter School and our BASE program will be closed on Monday, September 7th for Labor Day.
Library: We will have Library every Wednesday. We began our weekly Library visits this week! Please be sure to have your child return their Library book on or before Wednesday each week, so that they may check out a new book. Thank you for your help with this!
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.
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 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 to help us understand what we read and what is read to us. Use this link to support your reader at home.
Grammar
We have been focusing on the different parts of a sentence to help us make sentences interesting and precise. Please utilize this resource to help your child at home.
This week we continued to learn about kindness through our Character Strong social-emotional learning curriculum. Students are having fun practicing kindness, learning new coping strategies, and discovering how even the smallest act of kindness can make a BIG difference. We read the book Enemy Pie and discussed how showing kindness can lead to an unexpected new friend.
See the weekly email for information on what your children are learning in Specialty Classes, upcoming assessments, and resources to practice at home.
Click here for Specialty teachers' websites and contact information.
Fall Picture Day:
K-8 picture day will be on Tuesday, September 1st. 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 Priced Meals:
Good news! This year, we qualify to complete the SHORT form for Free and Reduced Priced Meals (FRPM). 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. This quick form plays an important role in determining how much funding our schools receive. Every completed form helps ensure Natomas Unified receives the full funding our students deserve. When forms are not submitted, schools can miss out on valuable resources. Even if you believe your family may not qualify, your response still makes a difference. CLICK HERE to complete the 2026-2027 Educational Benefit Form.
Grade Level Field Lesson & School Supplies Donations Competition:
First Grade families: In the first 30 days of school, we’d like to raise at least 50% of our Field Lessons and School Supplies fundraising goal! Every dollar raised goes to pay for our First Grade Explorers to travel to Field Lessons and pays for school supplies so you don’t have to run around Target looking for “just the right” glue stick!
Using the links below, you can,
Donate to our grade level using this link!
Fundraise by posting our grade level link on Social Media, or send the link to friends and family asking for contributions to your students’ grade level!
New Way to Contribute: CLICK HERE to refer a business that may be interested in sponsoring an Explorer! Our Explorer Partners team will reach out to every business that is referred by a family member and help the business to sponsor an Explorer! When they do, they will become a part of our Explorer Partners Program!
We’ve now reached 33.96% of our goal and our families have referred three businesses! Let’s go families, let’s make sure First Grade wins big by hitting 50% of our goal!
August 26th: K-8 Back To School Night (6:00 PM- 6:30 PM OR 6:40 PM- 7:10 PM)
August 27th: WAVE Beach Social (6:00 PM- 7:30 PM)
September 4th: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
September 4th: WAVE BINGO Night (6:00-8:00 PM)
September 7th: Labor Day (No School)
September 10th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
October 2nd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
October 5th-9th: Fall Break (No School)
K-8 Back to School Night: Our K-8 Back to School Night is NEXT Wednesday, August 26th. 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.
Kindergarten through 5th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session One is 6:00 - 6:30 PM, Session Two is 6:40 - 7:10 PM. A video from your child's Specialty teacher(s) will be available.
Fall Picture Day: K-8 Picture Day will be on Tuesday, September 1st. 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.
V.I.P: Each student in our class will have the opportunity to be V.I.P for a week this school year! I will send home a V.I.P poster for your child to complete the week before it is their scheduled V.I.P week. During their V.I.P week, your child will share their V.I.P “All About Me” poster with the class (Monday) as well as participate in "Hot Seat" so we can get to know the V.I.P better. Your child may also bring in their favorite book to share. Your child (or Mrs. Harold-Jones) will read it to the class (Wednesday). Your child may bring a favorite toy/ object from home to share with the class (Friday). I will provide more information about this at Back To School Night.
Library: We will have Library every Wednesday. We will begin our weekly Library visits next week! Please be sure to have your child return their Library book on or before Wednesday each week, so that they may check out a new book. Thank you for your help with this!
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). 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 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 the components of complete sentences.
We’re excited to kick off the new school year by talking about Kindness. Our definition of Kindness is acting with understanding, generosity, and care. We believe developing skills around Kindness will help us build a strong foundation for a great year of learning, connecting, and growing together. Check out our Family Letter for more information about PurposeFull People and some fun ways you can join us in kicking off our most Kind year yet!
See the weekly email for information on what your children are learning in Specialty Classes, upcoming assessments, and resources to practice at home.
Click here for Specialty teachers' websites and contact information.
Grade Level Field Lesson & School Supplies Donations Competition:
First Grade families: In the first 30 days of school, we’d like to raise at least 50% of our Field Lessons and School Supplies fundraising goal! Every dollar raised goes to pay for our First Grade Explorers to travel to Field Lessons and pays for school supplies so you don’t have to run around Target looking for “just the right” glue stick!
Using the links below, you can,
Donate to our grade level using this link!
Fundraise by posting our grade level link on Social Media, or send the link to friends and family asking for contributions to your students’ grade level!
New Way to Contribute: CLICK HERE to refer a business that may be interested in sponsoring an Explorer! Our Explorer Partners team will reach out to every business that is referred by a family member and help the business to sponsor an Explorer! When they do, they will become a part of our Explorer Partners Program!
We’ve now reached 32.24% of our goal. This week the grade level with the most business referrals will win a prize! Let’s go families, let’s make sure First Grade wins big!
K-8 Back to School Night:
Our K-8 Back to School Night is on Wednesday, August 26th. 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.
Town Hall Sessions: We have three identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session One is 5:30 - 5:50 PM, Session Two is 6:45 - 7:05 PM, Session Three is 7:15 - 7:35 PM. Dr. Eick will share our vision for the year and engage our community in some exciting announcements about our future.
Kindergarten through 5th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session One is 6:00 - 6:30 PM, Session Two is 6:40 - 7:10 PM. A video from your child's specialty teacher(s) will be available.
6th-8th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session One is 5:00 - 5:40 PM, Session Two is 6:00 - 6:40 PM. During these sessions, you will meet with your student’s core teachers and specialty teachers. Your students are creating your schedule for the evening.
Fall Picture Day:
K-8 picture day will be on Tuesday, September 1st. 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 Priced Meals:
Good news! This year, we qualify to complete the SHORT form for Free and Reduced Priced Meals (FRPM). 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. This quick form plays an important role in determining how much funding our schools receive. Every completed form helps ensure Natomas Unified receives the full funding our students deserve. When forms are not submitted, schools can miss out on valuable resources. Even if you believe your family may not qualify, your response still makes a difference. CLICK HERE to complete the 2026-2027 Educational Benefit Form.
Learning Lab:
The Learning Lab is now 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 Walk and Bike to School Program:
The Jibe Walk and Bike to School Program is back! Students earn prizes and rewards for walking, biking, or scooting to school while parents skip the drop-off line and gain peace of mind knowing they will be notified when their student is scanned in at the school’s entrance. If your student already has a card, they can simply find an adult in an orange apron when arriving on campus to get scanned in. Need a card? Please CLICK HERE to register.
August 13th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
August 14th: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
August 26th: K-8 Back To School Night (6:00 PM- 6:30 PM OR 6:40 PM- 7:10 PM)
September 4th: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
September 4th: WAVE BINGO Night (6:00-8:00 PM)
September 7th: Labor Day (No School)
September 10th: WCS Board Meeting (6:30 PM)
October 2nd: WAVE Coffee Talk (8:30 AM)
October 5th-9th: Fall Break (No School)
Math
We have been focusing on number writing in math this week. Practice writing your numbers to 20 at home! Students may log into Imagine Math at home to practice their math facts and skills (access Imagine Math through Clever).
Writing
This trimester we are focusing on Personal Narrative Writing. Personal Narratives have a Topic Sentence, Sequence of Events (First, Next, Last), and a Closing Sentence. Please utilize this resource to help your writer at home.
Phonics
This week in phonics we focused on letter review. Use this link to help your reader improve their letter sound knowledge.
This week, we focused on getting to know our classmates and learning each other's names. We will continue to work on building classroom community and learning about our classmates in the coming weeks.
We will begin our brand new Social Emotional Learning curriculum next week! Check out this welcome video for the program we will be using!
See the weekly email for information on what your children are learning in Specialty Classes, upcoming assessments, and resources to practice at home.
Click here for Specialty teachers' websites and contact information.
K-8 Back to School Night:
Our K-8 Back to School Night is on Wednesday, August 26th. 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.
Kindergarten through 5th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session one is 6:00 - 6:30 PM, session two is 6:40 - 7:10 PM. A video from your child's specialty teacher(s) will be available.
6th-8th Grade Families: We have two identical sessions, you only need to attend one. Session one is 5:00 - 5:40 PM, session two is 6:00 - 6:40 PM. During these sessions, you will meet with your student’s core teachers and specialty teachers. Your students are creating your schedule for the evening.
Fall Picture Day:
K-8 picture day will be on Tuesday, September 1st. 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 Priced Meals:
Good news! This year, we qualify to complete the SHORT form for Free and Reduced Priced Meals (FRPM). 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. This quick form plays an important role in determining how much funding our schools receive. Every completed form helps ensure Natomas Unified receives the full funding our students deserve. When forms are not submitted, schools can miss out on valuable resources. Even if you believe your family may not qualify, your response still makes a difference. CLICK HERE to complete the 2026-2027 Educational Benefit Form.
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 17th. 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 Walk and Bike to School Program:
The Jibe Walk and Bike to School Program is back! Students earn prizes and rewards for walking, biking, or scooting to school while parents skip the drop-off line and gain peace of mind knowing they will be notified when their student is scanned in at the school’s entrance. If your student already has a card, they can simply find an adult in an orange apron when arriving on campus to get scanned in. Need a card? Please CLICK HERE to register.
Welcome to our 1st Grade Class!
I hope you had a wonderful Summer Break! I, myself, enjoyed lots of snuggles with my puppy, reading, relaxing, traveling, and connecting with my loved ones and friends!
Speaking of connecting, I will be sending out weekly newsletters to you every Friday at 4:00 PM via email! You can expect to find important dates, class announcements and reminders, curriculum highlights, upcoming assessments, resources, Specialty Class information, and school news within each weekly newsletter. You may also email me at rharoldjones@westlakecharter.com with any questions, concerns, comments, celebrations, etc.
I look forward to partnering with you this school year to make your child's 1st Grade year an exciting success!
Farewell, Summer! Hello, Funtimes in 1st Grade!