Embedded Files
Weekly newsletter
Stay up to date with the Class Newsletter (posted every Friday before 4:00 pm).
Week 12
WWeeW
Week 12
Happy Friday, Explorer families!
Can you believe how fast time is flying by? We are wrapping up our first trimester of Kindergarten, and it’s amazing to see how far our kindergarteners have come. They’re becoming more confident, curious, and independent every day. I can’t wait to see all the great things they’ll do as we head into the next part of the year.
Parent-Teacher conferences are coming up soon, and it will be a great time to talk about the growth your child has made. Please be prepared to share if you have questions or concerns about your child and their progress. Conferences will take place November 16–20. Please note that conferences are for parents/guardians only; students do not need to attend. If you haven't scheduled yet, please use the Canyon Creek Online Scheduler to choose your time. Our school password is explorers. If you don't know your student's ID number, simply click LOOKUP STUDENT ID on the scheduling page. CLICK HERE to schedule your conference.
📅 Upcoming Dates
November 11th: Veteran's Day (No School)
November 20th: K-8 Spirit Day - Mix and Match Day
November 16th-20th: K-8 Parent Teacher Conferences (Early Dismissal all week at 1:00 PM)
November 23rd-27th: Thanksgiving Break (No School)
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
☔With Rainy Weather on the Way We are expecting rain again next week. With that in mind, please prepare your student by
Labeling Outerwear
Practicing putting on rain gear independently
Leaving umbrellas at home
📂 Friday Folders: Sent home every Friday with important papers, resources, and your child’s work. Please check them over the weekend, remove papers, and return the folder on Monday.
This week we:
Phonics:
We will learn letters v and w.
Math
Unit 3: 2D Shapes
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting. My story has a beginning, middle, and end.
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Science
Science: Push and Pull
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
We will learn letters y and x.
Math
Unit 3: 2D Shapes
Writing:
Narrative Review
Supporting skills (fine motor, letter formation, labeling, illustrations)
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Science
Science: Push and Pull
🏫 School Information
🏫 School Information
Family Survey: We have a brand new Family Survey that reflects the feedback our communities provided last year during our Strategic Plan development. We want to hear from every family, twice a year, regarding the progress we are making toward our Strategic Plan goals. Please CLICK HERE to complete the Family Survey by Friday, November 20th.
Fall Food Drive: Our Annual Fall Food Drive benefiting Joey’s Food Locker will run through Wednesday, December 2nd, concluding at our Annual Chili Cook-Off. Food collection bins can be found in the reception area of each campus. Thank you for helping us give back to our Natomas community!
Connect, Engage, Contribute: What an incredible launch to the school year! As we begin preparing our charter renewal petition, it's important that we share the story of what makes Westlake Charter School special: the powerful partnership between our school and our community.
Every time you connect, engage, or contribute to WCS, you help bring our mission to life. And every contribution counts! Have you connected, engaged, or contributed your time this year? If so, CLICK HERE to log your hours today!
We want to celebrate and capture all of it! Please take a moment to log your volunteer hours. These moments, big and small, help demonstrate the strength of our WCS community and the incredible things we can accomplish when school and community collaborate.
Thank you for showing up, pitching in, and making Westlake such a special place to learn and grow. We couldn't do it without you!
Mystery Reader Challenge: We value school and community collaboration at WCS. As part of our October and November Mystery Reader Challenge, Westlake would like to welcome our community members into our classrooms to read.
If you have a cool job and would like to come tell us a little bit about your job and read us a book, CLICK HERE to sign up.
If you have a connection to a business or organization in our community and would like to include them in our Mystery Reader Challenge, please CLICK HERE to let us know.
Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL: On Wednesday, November 11th, Westlake Charter School will be observing Veterans Day. There will be no school and our BASE program will be closed.
K-8 Conference Week: Conference week is November 16th - 20th. CLICK HERE to schedule your conference. The online scheduler is available to families through November 17th. We strive to have 100% of our families meet with their teacher! CLICK HERE for instructions on how to use the online scheduler. Remember, during conference week, we will dismiss early to allow time for teachers to meet with each of our families. Kindergarten will dismiss at 1:00 PM, and 1st–8th grade will dismiss at 1:30 PM. Our K-8 BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day.
K-12 Spirit Day - Mix & Match Day: Mix & Match day will be Friday, November 20th. Dress up in wild colors, mismatched shoes, different colored socks or different patterns (for example, stripes with polka dots, colors that clash, etc.) Don’t forget to show your WCS spirit by posting pictures on all social media platforms and using the hashtag #WCSSpiritDay!
Thanksgiving Break: Both campuses will be closed for Thanksgiving Break Monday, November 23rd through Friday, November 27th. We look forward to welcoming staff and students back on Monday, November 30th. Our BASE program will also be closed during Thanksgiving Break.
Specialties Information🎨🏃📚
Art - Ascheman
Kindergarten will make friendship bracelets; one for themselves and one for a friend.
PE - Ms. Morales
This week we will begin working on hand dribbling games
Spanish - Grimaldi
This week students will learn about the weather in Spanish.
Week 11
Good afternoon!
This week we had so much fun learning all about the life cycle of pumpkins! The students loved exploring how pumpkins grow — from tiny seeds to big, beautiful pumpkins. We read stories, sang songs, and did hands-on activities that helped us understand each stage of the pumpkin’s journey.
We wrapped up our week with a special Pumpkin Day celebration on Friday! The children enjoyed creating festive pumpkin crafts, measuring and comparing different pumpkins, investigating the inside of a pumpkin, and even tasting some delicious pumpkin pie. It was a wonderful way to bring our learning to life!
Thank you for your continued support and for helping make our pumpkin week such a success. The excitement and curiosity the children showed made it a truly memorable week for everyone.
📅 Upcoming Dates
November 11th: Veteran's Day (No School)
November 20th: K-8 Spirit Day - Mix and Match Day
November 16th-20th: K-8 Parent Teacher Conferences (Early Dismissal all week at 1:00 PM)
November 23rd-27th: Thanksgiving Break (No School)
🏫 School Information
🏫 School Information
Mystery Reader Challenge:
We value school and community collaboration at WCS. As part of our October and November Mystery Reader Challenge, Westlake would like to welcome our community members into our classrooms to read.
If you have a cool job and would like to come tell us a little bit about your job and read us a book, CLICK HERE to sign up.
If you have a connection to a business or organization in our community and would like to include them in our Mystery Reader Challenge, please CLICK HERE to let us know.
Veterans Day - NO SCHOOL:
On Wednesday, November 11th, Westlake Charter School will be observing Veterans Day. There will be no school and our BASE program will be closed.
K-8 Conference Week:
Conference week is November 16th - 20th. CLICK HERE to schedule your conference. The online scheduler is available to families through November 17th. We strive to have 100% of our families meet with their teacher! CLICK HERE for instructions on how to use the online scheduler. Remember, during conference week, we will dismiss early to allow time for teachers to meet with each of our families. Kindergarten will dismiss at 1:00 PM, and 1st–8th grade will dismiss at 1:30 PM. Our K-8 BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day.
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
📂 Friday Folders: Sent home every Friday with important papers, resources, and your child’s work. Please check them over the weekend, remove papers, and return the folder on Monday.
📚 Library Reminder: This week, our class visited the library and checked out books! Please help your child return their books on Monday so they can check out new ones. Happy reading!
As a quick reminder, please help your child remember not to bring toys, makeup, or slime to school. These items can be distracting during learning time and we want to make sure everyone can stay focused and have fun together in class.
This week we:
Phonics:
This week our focus letters were l, h, and k.
Math
Comparing Numbers review and assessment
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. I can add labels to my picture.
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Social Studies:
Science: Push and Pull
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
We will learn letters v and w.
Math
Unit 3: 2D Shapes
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting.
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Science
Science: Push and Pull
Art - Ascheman
Next week kindergarten artists will learn about the artist Mary Blair. They will glue shapes to paper to create a castle-like structure in the style of the Disney artist; similar to her famous contribution to Disneyland, It's a Small World.
PE - Ms. Morales
This week students will continue bowling and tagging games
Spanish - Grimaldi
Week 10
Can you believe how fast time is flying by? The first trimester is coming to a close. Our Explorers have grown so much since the start of kindergarten! They’re becoming more confident, curious, and independent every day. I can’t wait to see all the great things they’ll do as we head into the next part of the year.
It’s time to sign up for fall conferences! This is a great opportunity to talk about your child’s progress and goals for the year. Please remember that conferences are for adults only—students do not attend. I’m looking forward to meeting with each of you! Conference week is November 16th - 20th. CLICK HERE to schedule your conference. The online scheduler is available to families October 26th through November 17th. We strive to have 100% of our families meet with their teacher! CLICK HERE for instructions on how to use the online scheduler.
📅 Upcoming Dates
October 30th: Pumpkin Day 🎃🍂
November 11th: Veteran's Day (No School)
November 20th: K-8 Spirit Day - Mix and Match Day
November 16th-20th: K-8 Parent Teacher Conferences (Early Dismissal all week at 1:30 PM)
November 23rd-27th: Thanksgiving Break (No School)
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
🍬 Keep Halloween Candy at Home We know how exciting all that Halloween candy can be! Please help your child keep treats at home so we can focus on learning and healthy snacks at school. Thank you for helping us maintain a positive and distraction-free classroom environment!
🧤Winter Weather is Here: As the seasons change, please send in an updated set of extra clothes for your child that’s appropriate for winter weather. This includes long sleeves, pants, and extra socks. Having a fresh set of clothes at school ensures your child stays comfortable during the day if needed. Thank you for your help!
☔With Rainy Weather on the Way As we prepare for rainy days, please remember the following:
Label Outerwear: Be sure to label your child’s coats, jackets, and other outerwear to avoid mix-ups.
Practice Independence: Encourage your child to practice putting on their coat independently at home—it’s a great skill for rainy and chilly days!
Please, NO Umbrellas! For safety and convenience, we ask that students leave umbrellas at home.
This week we:
This week our focus letters were p and j.
Math
Counting groups in unusual arrangements.
Comparing groups using “more” and “fewer”.
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. .
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Social Studies:
The Leaf Thief
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Next week our focus letters will be l, h, and k.
Math
Unit 3: 2D Shapes
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. .
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Social Studies:
Science: Push/Pulls
🏫 School Information
🏫 School Information
Fall Festival:
Join us for an afternoon of fall fun, carnival games & community TOMORROW, Saturday, October 24th from 3:00 - 6:00 PM at our Annual Fall Festival!
CLICK HERE to purchase pre-sale tickets featuring our NEW Unlimited Play Wristband option!
CLICK HERE to volunteer during the festival or donate a dessert for our popular Dessert Walk!
CLICK HERE to learn more about the vendor fair
CLICK HERE for Silent Auction
See the WAVE section of the Westlake Weekly for more information!
Fall Book Fair:
Our Scholastic Book Fair opens at the Fall Festival tomorrow, Saturday, October 24th and will continue to run from Monday, October 26th - Friday, October 30th. K-8 students will have the opportunity to visit the book fair during their regularly scheduled library visit and/or after school with a parent/guardian at the times listed below. CLICK HERE for the link to set up your student’s e-wallet because cash is not accepted at the book fair. The book fair schedule is as follows:
Saturday, October 24th, 3:00 - 6:00 PM
Monday, October 26th, 3:15 - 4:15 PM
Tuesday, October 27th, 3:15 - 4:15 PM
Wednesday, October 28th, 1:15 - 2:30 PM
Thursday, October 29th, 3:15 - 4:15 PM
Friday, October 30th, 3:15 - 4:15 PM
Red Ribbon Week:
We will be celebrating Red Ribbon Week from October 26th through October 30th. This is a national school-centered activity related to making healthy choices by avoiding drugs and alcohol. Parents can team with WCS by talking to their students about what they learn during Red Ribbon Week and opening conversations with students about making positive choices throughout their lives.
Our K-8 Campus will celebrate Red Ribbon Week with the following Spirit Days. Please remember to follow the dress code guidelines in the K-8 Family Handbook for spirit days.
Monday: Be Brave and Active (active wear)
Tuesday: We Keep our Paws off Drugs! (animal print or dress like an animal)
Wednesday: From Head to Toe, I am Drug Free (silly hat and socks)
Thursday: Be a Hero (dress as your hero)
Friday: I am Drug Free (wear red)
Jibe Walktober Challenge:
Walktober is here! Challenge yourself to walk to school and have your Trip Card scanned as many times as you can between now andOctober 30th for a chance to win. All classes with at least 50% participation win a party-in-a-box for the entire class to enjoy! CLICK HEREfor the flyer. Don’t have a card yet? No problem, just CLICK HERE to register today.
Mystery Reader Challenge:
We value school and community collaboration at WCS. As part of our October and November Mystery Reader Challenge, Westlake would like to welcome our community members into our classrooms to read.
If you have a cool job and would like to come tell us a little bit about your job and read us a book, CLICK HERE to sign up.
If you have a connection to a business or organization in our community and would like to include them in our Mystery Reader Challenge, please CLICK HERE to let us know.
K-8 Conference Week:
Conference week is November 16th - 20th. CLICK HERE to schedule your conference. The online scheduler is available to families October 26th through November 17th. We strive to have 100% of our families meet with their teacher! CLICK HERE for instructions on how to use the online scheduler. Remember, during conference week, we will dismiss early to allow time for teachers to meet with each of our families. Kindergarten will dismiss at 1:00 PM, and 1st–8th grade will dismiss at 1:30 PM. Our K-8 BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day.
Week 9
Week
We hope you had a great Fall Break! This week we completed our unit about Community Helpers. It was so much fun to learn about the people in our community who help to keep us safe and healthy. We also continued to learn about being responsible and how that can benefit our classroom community. In phonics, we added the letters “E” and “R” to our vocabulary as we strive towards learning all 26 letters. In math, we worked on identifying quantities that have More, Less, or the Same. The students have also been working hard on drawing their own narrative stories and labeling the items they draw. A busy and productive week in Kindergarten!
Upcoming Dates
October 24th: Fall Festival
October 30th: Pumpkin Day
Classroom Information
Classroom Information
Friday Folders: Sent home every Friday with important papers, resources, and your child’s work. Please check them over the weekend, remove papers, and return the folder on Monday.
Library Reminder: This week, our class visited the library and checked out books! Please help your child return their books by Thursday so they can check out new ones next week. Happy reading!
Save the Date: Pumpkin Day! We’re excited to celebrate Pumpkin Day on Friday, 10/30!! Our class will enjoy a variety of pumpkin-themed centers from 11:30–12:30, and we’ll need grownups to help make the fun happen. Please mark your calendars and keep an eye out for sign-ups and more details after break.
This week we:
This week our focus letters will be e and r.
Math
Counting groups in unusual arrangements.
Comparing groups using “more” and “fewer”.
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. .
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Social Studies:
Community Helper
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
This week our focus letters will be p and j.
Math
Counting groups in unusual arrangements.
Comparing groups using “more” and “fewer”.
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. .
SEL:
Core Value of Responsibility
Social Studies:
The Leaf Thief
School Information
School Information
Mystery Reader Challenge:
October and November are Mystery Reader Months at Westlake Charter School. We are welcoming families into our Kindergarten - 5th grade homeroom classrooms, and Humanities classes in Middle School to encourage family engagement that centers on literacy. We are encouraging families to sign up to be a Mystery Reader in the following ways:
Classic In-person Surprise Mystery Reader:
Recorded Surprise Mystery Reader: Perfect for families who may work different schedules, and long-distance family members.
In-Person or Recorded Surprise Chapter Mystery Reader: Perfect for older classes where teachers are already doing immersive reading activities that include the teacher reading a book aloud and students reading along.
Below is all the information you will need to connect, engage, and contribute during the Mystery Reader Challenge!
CLICK HERE for more information about the Mystery Reader Challenge
CLICK HERE to sign up to be a Mystery Reader
CLICK HERE for some fun ideas about how to be an excellent Mystery Reader
CLICK HERE for our Family Volunteer Process
CLICK HERE for our Classroom Volunteering 101 training in Everest Academy
K-8 Conference Week:
Save the date for our K-8 Conference week - Conferences will take place November 16th - 20th. Remember, during conference week, we will dismiss early to allow time to meet with each of our families – Kindergarten will dismiss at 1:00 PM, and 1st - 8th grade will dismiss at 1:30 PM. Our BASE program will be open after school until 6:00 PM each day. The online scheduler will be open from October 26th through November 16th.
Jibe Walktober Challenge:
Walktober is here! Challenge yourself to walk to school and have your Trip Card scanned as many times as you can between October 19th and October 30th for a chance to win. All classes with at least 50% participation win a party-in-a-box for the entire class to enjoy! CLICK HERE for the flyer. Don’t have a card yet? No problem, just CLICK HERE to register today.
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 October 24th. CLICK HERE To register for Bike Doc free bike repair.
Specialties Information
10/12/2026
Weekly Focus
Art - Ascheman
This week we talked about all the cool things we can do with our hands in art. We also read the book Hands Are Not for Hitting as a reminder about using safe and helpful hands. Next week we will read Walter's Wonderful Web and then begin our artwork about shapes and spiders!
PE - Ms. Morales
This week students will practice hand dribbling skills
Spanish - Grimaldi
Students will learn the months of the year in Spanish.
Week 8
ppy Friday, Explorer families!
Week 8
This week, we continued our exploration of community helpers! We were especially excited to welcome a police officer and his K9 partner, along with an ASL interpreter and an Emergency Room nurse. Our students loved learning about the important roles these community helpers play and how they help care for and keep our community safe. We also continued building important character skills through our Character Strong curriculum, focusing on responsibility and what it means to be responsible learners and community members.
As we head into Fall Break, we hope everyone enjoys some well-deserved time to rest, relax, and recharge! We look forward to welcoming our kindergarteners back refreshed and ready to learn, explore, and grow together. Have a wonderful break!
Upcoming Dates
October 5th–11th: Fall Break (No School)
October 24th: Fall Festival
October 30th: Pumpkin Day
Classroom Information
Classroom Information
Friday Folders: Sent home every Friday with important papers, resources, and your child’s work. Please check them over the weekend, remove papers, and return the folder on Monday.
Extra Work: This week I am sending home extra work pages I have been collecting the past four weeks. These are never mandatory and your student should never feel stressed about these pages. They are just extra pages I collect throughout the month and can be completed for extra practice.
Library Reminder: This week, our class visited the library and checked out books! Please help your child return their books by Thursday so they can check out new ones next week. Happy reading!
Save the Date: Pumpkin Day! We’re excited to celebrate Pumpkin Day on Friday, 10/30!! Our class will enjoy a variety of pumpkin-themed centers from 11:30–12:30, and we’ll need grownups to help make the fun happen. Please mark your calendars and keep an eye out for sign-ups and more details after break.
This week we:
Phonics:
This week our focus letters are d and s.
Math
Counted groups of up to 10 objects.
Determine if a group is more or less.
Practiced number formation.
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
The Westlake Way
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Social Studies:
Community Helpers
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
This week our focus letters will be e and r.
Math
Counting groups in unusual arrangements.
Comparing groups using “more” and “fewer”.
Writing:
Narrative Unit: I can tell a story with characters and a setting,
I can tell a story with a beginning, middle, and end. .
SEL:
Core Value of Excellence
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Social Studies:
Community Helpers
School Information
School Information
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. Our BASE program will be open during Fall Break. Please CLICK HERE to register for the day(s) you plan to have your Explorer attend.
Mystery Reader Challenge:
October and November are Mystery Reader Months at Westlake Charter School. We are welcoming families into our Kindergarten - 5th grade homeroom classrooms, and Humanities classes in Middle School to encourage family engagement that centers on literacy. We are encouraging families to sign up to be a Mystery Reader in the following ways:
Classic In-person Surprise Mystery Reader:
Recorded Surprise Mystery Reader: Perfect for families who may work different schedules, and long-distance family members.
In-Person or Recorded Surprise Chapter Mystery Reader: Perfect for older classes where teachers are already doing immersive reading activities that include the teacher reading a book aloud and students reading along.
Below is all the information you will need to connect, engage, and contribute during the Mystery Reader Challenge!
CLICK HERE for more information about the Mystery Reader Challenge
CLICK HERE to sign up to be a Mystery Reader
CLICK HERE for some fun ideas about how to be an excellent Mystery Reader
CLICK HERE for our Family Volunteer Process
CLICK HERE for our Classroom Volunteering 101 training in Everest Academy
Specialties Information
10/12/2026
Weekly Focus
Art - Ascheman
When we return from fall break, kindergarten artists will listen to the story Walter's Wonderful Web. Then they will create an artwork based on the story and focus on the art element of shape!
PE - Ms. Morales
Kinder will practice different movement patters as they travel in space.
Spanish - Grimaldi
Students will learn about 5 different hispanic countries.
Week 7
Week 7
Hello Explorer Families,
We’ve wrapped up another wonderful week in kindergarten! The class has been working hard and learning so much together.
We have kicked off our new social studies unit on Community Helpers. We’ve talked about what a community is and how important helpers like firefighters and police officers keep our communities safe. Over the next two weeks, we’ll continue learning about even more helpers who make a big difference in our world.
Thank you, as always, for your support at home. It’s such a joy to see how much your children are growing and learning each week!
Progress Reports: Today in your child’s Friday folder you will find their first trimester progress report cards. Some of the information might be a little overwhelming. I would suggest reading through each page with information about kindergarten and grading. Then I would suggest looking specifically at page 3 to see your child’s phonics scores. Remember we are not expecting students to have these skills mastered. The ones in the white boxes are the things we will be working on ALL YEAR and do not need to be mastered until THE END OF KINDERGARTEN. The grayed out boxes on the Basic Phonics Skills Test (BPST) are future skills that your child will be working on beginning in 1st grade-3rd grade and are not graded in kindergarten.
At the time of reporting, students had learned the following letters: t, b, f, m, n, i, u, c and o— so their current progress should reflect a total score out of 9 for the BPST. Be sure to check the back of page 3 for a detailed comment about your child’s progress. Please take time to celebrate your child’s successes and please reach out if you have any questions or need any clarifications.
📅 Upcoming Dates
📸 Thurs, Oct 1 - Picture Retake Day
🍁 Mon, Oct 5- Fri, Oct 9 - Fall Break: NO SCHOOL
📚Library Books: Our class is enjoying their weekly visit to the library. We will bring these books home to enjoy over the weekend. Please make sure your child returns their book by Wednesday as our library day is Thursday.
Classroom Information
Classroom Information
This week we:
Phonics:
Fundations and Heggerty (Unit 1.5)
We learned letters a & g.
Math
We practiced comparing groups of objects that don’t match.
Learned the concepts of more, less, and fewer.
Writing:
Illustration Unit:
I can label a scene.
SEL:
Continuing to practice the Core Value of respect.
Practice Kindness.
Community Helpers:
Learned about communities, firefighters, police officers, and doctors.
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Fundations and Heggerty (Unit 1.6)
We will learn letters d & s.
Math
We are continuing to practice comparing groups of objects that don't match.
Writing:
Learn about the beginning, middle, and end of a story. We will practice labeling our illustrations to give more details to our readers.
SEL:
Continuing to practice the Core Value of respect.
Learn about responsibility.
Community Helpers:
Learn about nurses, mail carriers, veterinarians, and farmers.
🏫 School Information
🏫 School Information
19th Annual Olympic Triathlon:
The 19th Annual Olympic Triathlon Event Day on Friday was the highlight of our one big fundraising campaign each year, which runs through Wednesday, September 30th! CLICK HERE to watch the video with more information about the Olympic Triathlon. Then, if you haven’t done so already, CLICK HERE to set up your family donation page on the PledgeStar website - it’s not too late! 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.
K-12 Picture Retake Day:
K-12 Picture Retake Day: Our Picture Retake Day is Thursday, October 1st. 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
Fall Break:
Both campuses will be closed for Fall Break Monday, October 5th through Friday, October 9th. Our BASE program will be open during Fall Break. Please CLICK HERE to register for the day(s) you plan to have your Explorer attend.
Lost and Found:
The Lost & Found at each campus is overflowing with jackets, lunch boxes, water bottles and more! K-8 families: Swing by to check for missing items behind the Admin Building. WCHS students: Look in the Commons during arrival, lunch, and dismissal. All unclaimed items will be donated over Fall Break.
Art - Ascheman
Kindergarten will be using the skills they have learned about line for a mystery drawing! *Hint: It's an animal that flies in the night!
PE - Ms. Morales
This week we will practice parachute games
Spanish - Grimaldi
This week students learned about los numeros and reviewed vowels en español.
Happy Friday! We had a busy and exciting week in kindergarten!
Our core value for the month is Respect, and during our morning meetings, we have been exploring what respect looks and sounds like in our classroom. We have been practicing being polite, listening when others are speaking, and learning how to solve problems by talking about our feelings and working through challenges together.
In literacy, we continued our investigation of the parts of a story: plot, characters, and setting. We listened to a variety of stories and practiced identifying each of these important story elements.
In math, we have been learning to use our fingers to show numbers and working with partners to identify how many fingers are being shown. We call this activity “Math Fingers,” and the students have been having fun practicing this new skill!
We are also continuing to focus on individual letter sounds. This week, our focus letters were O and C, and we practiced identifying and producing their sounds.
Finally, we introduced the concept of labels and have been busy labeling our bodies and different objects around our classroom. The students have enjoyed noticing all the things we can name and label!
IMPORTANT PERMISSION SLIP - Please return Monday
I am sending home an information letter and a permission slip with your students today. As you might recall, I am a teaching intern. I am in the process of taking the California Teaching Performance Assessments (CalTPA) which I need to pass in order to get my final credential in December. Part of this assessment requires me to video record a math lesson and an English Language Arts lesson. The videos will only be seen by my mentor at Westlake Charter School and the assessors at the California Teaching Commission. I would like to record the math lesson next week. The ELA lesson will be recorded in November. Please read over the information sent home and return the permission slips in their Friday Folders on Monday. I greatly appreciate your help.
Upcoming Dates
Fri, Sept 25 - Spirit Day: Sports Day
Dress in sports attire or clothing that represents your favorite sports team. No dangerous accessories (i.e., bats, hockey sticks, metal cleats).
Fri, Sept 25- Olympic Triathlon
Thurs, Oct 1 - Picture Retake Day
Mon, Oct 5- Fri, Oct 9 - Fall Break: NO SCHOOL
Classroom Information
Classroom Information
This week we:
Phonics:
Learned the letters c and o.
Math
Introduced the concepts of more and fewer.
Writing:
Illustration Unit:
We can label items.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
The Westlake Way
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Reading:
Identify characters, setting, and events
Retell story in order
Answer questions about the story
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Learn letters a and g.
Math
Continue learning about concepts of more and fewer.
Writing:
We are continuing with the concept of labels. Students are attempting to write their own labels using letter sounds.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
The Westlake Way
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Reading:
Identify problems and solutions in a story.
Retell story in order
Answer questions about the story
School Information
School Information
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.
Week 5
Happy Friday, Explorer Families!
We hope you all had a wonderful extended Labor Day weekend! Students continue to grow in the classroom as we learn to be kind and respectful in our school community. In phonics, we introduced our first vowel letters of I and U. We are now able to create simple words with the letters we have learned. In math, we practiced counting, number formation, and strategies to help us keep our math counting organized. Students are building their pre-writing skills by learning how to add multiple people, create a setting, and more detail to their drawings. We have also been learning to identify the various parts of a book including the front cover, back cover, spine, author, and illustrator. This week we also learned how to differentiate between the characters and setting using Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
As we continue through the year, please encourage your child to practice letter sounds at home. A few minutes of practice each day can make a big difference! Please also continue to build those important fine-motor and art skills at home by giving your child opportunities to cut, glue, draw, and create. Soon, we will begin our exciting unit on Community Helpers, where students will learn about the many people who help make our community a wonderful place to live. Your children are doing a fantastic job, and we are so proud of their progress. Thank you for your continued support—we are looking forward to a wonderful year together!
Upcoming Dates
Upcoming Dates
Fri, Sept 25 - Spirit Day: Sports Day
Dress in sports attire or clothing that represents your favorite sports team. No dangerous accessories (i.e., bats, hockey sticks, metal cleats).
Classroom Information
Classroom Information
This week we:
Phonics:
Continue our first unit (1.3) learning the letters i and u.
Math
Count groups of up to 10 objects.
Writing:
Illustration Unit:
We can use shapes to draw everyday objects.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
The Westlake Way
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Reading:
Identify characters, setting, and events
Retell story in order
Answer questions about the story
Phonics:
Continue our first unit (1.3) learning the letters i and u.
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Continue our first unit (1.4) learning the letters c and o.
Math
Count groups of up to 10 objects.
Writing:
Illustration Unit:
We can label a picture.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
The Westlake Way
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Reading:
Identify problems and solutions in a story.
Retell story in order
Answer questions about the story
Friday Folders: These are official communication folders from the school to home. Friday Folders will contain important documents including future report cards, flyers, curriculum resources as well as your children’s work from that week. These folders will be sent home every Friday. Please take time to check your child’s backpack over the weekend, review (and remove) any work or flyers in them then place them back in your child’s backpack to be returned every Monday. I will continue to fill folders every week so please check them often.
Snack Time: We have snacks in class every day at 1:00 except Wednesday when snack time is 12:30. Please send your child with an afternoon snack in a separate container. It is ok to keep the separate container in their lunch box. If your child does not have a snack, I am always happy to provide them with a snack. The usual snacks I have are Goldfish, Cheez-It's, Pirate's Booty, or Granola Clusters. I do not hand out candy or fruit gummy snacks. I have told the students if they have a snack from home, they must eat their own snack. If they do not have a snack I provide it. If they are still hungry after finishing their home snack, then I also provide an additional snack. Please let me know if you have any questions about snack time.
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.
Art - Ascheman
Kindergarten artists will now add tempera paint to their pastel line artworks. We will learn about the colors of the rainbow in order. These colors will be used to paint their line artwork.
HERE is a link for art class songs that are great for review of lessons. We have listened to the line's song and soon we will listen to the rainbow colors song!
PE - Ms. Morales
This week we will play games using scoops working on overhand throw.
Spanish - Grimaldi
Classroom Objects Review: Students are reviewing classroom object vocabulary in Spanish through interactive games, matching activities, and speaking practice. They are practicing recognizing, naming, and using the vocabulary in class.
Week 4
Happy Friday, Explorer Families!
We have officially been in school for four weeks, and we are off to a wonderful start! This week, we enjoyed Picture Day and had the opportunity to capture some special memories of our growing kindergarteners. The students are learning and growing every day as they become more comfortable with our classroom routines and expectations. We are working hard on learning our letter sounds and practicing correct letter formation. The students are also beginning to know their daily routines and are becoming more independent each day. It has been wonderful to watch them make new friends while developing valuable social-emotional skills such as sharing, taking turns, communicating, and working together.
As we continue through the year, please encourage your child to practice letter sounds at home. A few minutes of practice each day can make a big difference! Please also continue to build those important fine-motor and art skills at home by giving your child opportunities to cut, glue, draw, and create. Soon, we will begin our exciting unit on Community Helpers, where students will learn about the many people who help make our community a wonderful place to live. Your children are doing a fantastic job, and we are so proud of their progress. Thank you for your continued support—we are looking forward to a wonderful year together!
📅 Upcoming Dates
📅 Upcoming Dates
🚫 Mon, Sept 7 – Labor Day – No School
🎾 Fri, Sept 25 - Spirit Day: Sports Day
Dress in sports attire or clothing that represents your favorite sports team. No dangerous accessories (i.e., bats, hockey sticks, metal cleats).
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
This week we:
Phonics:
Continues our first unit, practicing letters b, f and t.
Learn letters m and n.
Math
One to one correspondence while making groups and determining the number of objects within 10.
Writing:
Continue our illustration unit. Learning how to draw the setting.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
Kindness
Reading:
Owls at Night
Identifying letters vs. words vs. sentences.
Thematic:
Continue concepts about print
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Continue our first unit (1.3) learning the letters i and u.
Math
Count groups of up to 10 objects.
Writing:
Illustration Unit:
We can use shapes to draw everyday objects.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
The Westlake Way
Strong Choices Vs. Weak Choices
Reading:
Identify characters, setting, and events
Retell story in order
Answer questions about the story
📂Friday Folders: These are official communication folders from the school to home. Friday Folders will contain important documents including future report cards, flyers, curriculum resources as well as your children’s work from that week. These folders will be sent home every Friday. Please take time to check your child’s backpack over the weekend, review (and remove) any work or flyers in them then place them back in your child’s backpack to be returned every Monday. I will continue to fill folders every week so please check them often. This week, Unit 1 of our math’s family-resource worksheets are available.
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.
Art - Ascheman
Kindergarten artists will learn all about the element of line! They will make a multimedia artwork with black pastel and watercolors!
PE - Ms. Morales
This week we will work on our underhand toss
Spanish - Grimaldi
This week students reviewed saludos and colores. We introduced new vocabulary, which consisted of classroom objects.
Week 3
Week
Happy Friday, Explorer Families!
We’ve officially finished our third week of school! I have truly enjoyed watching the students grow and learn together. Thank you so much to all of you who attended Back-to-School Night. I appreciate the time you took to partner with me in your child’s learning journey.
Over the past few weeks, the students have been working hard to learn our classroom routines and procedures. They are becoming more familiar with expectations, which is allowing them to be more independent throughout the day. I’m also noticing that they are becoming more comfortable with one another and developing wonderful new friendships!
At home, please continue to support your child in fostering independence skills—such as taking care of personal belongings, cleaning up after themselves, and completing simple tasks on their own. These skills help build confidence and responsibility both in the classroom and beyond.
📅 Upcoming Dates
📅 Upcoming Dates
📸 Tue, Sept 1 – Picture Day (Uniforms required)
🚫 Mon, Sept 7 – Labor Day – No School
🎾 Fri, Sept 25 - Spirit Day: Sports Day
Dress in sports attire or clothing that represents your favorite sports team. No dangerous accessories (i.e., bats, hockey sticks, metal cleats).
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
This week we:
Phonics:
Learned letters b and f.
Math
Use math manipulatives when counting small groups of objects.
Writing:
Begin our illustration unit. Learning how to draw people.
SEL:
Strong choices VS weak choices
Kindness
Reading:
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Thematic:
Concepts about print (parts of a book, author and illustration, reading left to right)
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Continue our first unit, learning the letters b and f.
Math
One to one correspondence while making groups and determining the number of objects within 10.
Writing:
Continue our illustration unit. Learning how to draw the setting.
SEL:
Core Value of Respect
Kindness
Reading:
Owls at Night
Identifying letters vs. words vs. sentences.
Thematic:
Continue concepts about print.
📂Friday Folders: These are official communication folders from the school to home. Friday Folders will contain important documents including future report cards, flyers, curriculum resources as well as your children’s work from that week. These folders will be sent home every Friday. Please take time to check your child’s backpack over the weekend, review (and remove) any work or flyers in them then place them back in your child’s backpack to be returned every Monday. I will continue to fill folders every week so please check them often. This week, Unit 1 of our math’s family-resource worksheets are available.
🏫 School Information
🏫 School 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:
Kindergarten 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 Kindergarten Explorers to engage in 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. Let’s go families, let’s make sure Kindergarten wins big by hitting 50% of our goal!
WEEK 2
Week 2
Happy Friday, Explorer Families!
We have accomplished a huge Kindergarten milestone-the first full week of school! This is a huge change for many of our youngest Explorers. Big changes like this can lead to your kindergartener being extra tired, hungry, and/or emotional. Some students may need more physical contact and affection from their trusted adults. You might even experience some regression in areas like bed wetting, potty accidents, thumb sucking, emotional outbursts, and more. Each child is different, but please reach out if you are still seeing changes like this in a few weeks.
This week we began our new social-emotional curriculum, Character Strong! Each Monday across our K-8, students will participate in a Character Strong lesson during Morning Meeting as we build skills around kindness, relationships, self-awareness, and responsible decision-making. We are also excited to partner with families in this work. CLICK HERE for a video from Character Strong.
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. CLICK HERE to 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!
📅 Upcoming Dates
📅 Upcoming Dates
🏫 Wed, Aug 26 – Back to School Night
📸 Tue, Sept 1- Picture Day (Uniforms required)
🚫 Mon, Sept 7 – Labor Day – No School
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
This week we:
Phonics:
Started our Fundations phonics orientation unit and learned the letter t.
Math
Began math manipulatives exploration.
Writing:
Practiced pencil strokes and name writing.
SEL:
Practiced being kind and responsible.
Learned our friends’ names.
Practiced classroom routines and procedures.
Reading:
Listened to books about school
Thematic:
Explored new learning tools such as whiteboard markers and glue.
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Continue our first unit, learning the letters b and f.
Math
Use math manipulatives when counting small groups of objects.
Writing:
Begin our illustration unit.
SEL:
Strong choices VS weak choices
Kindness
Reading:
Read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Thematic:
Concepts about print (parts of a book, author and illustration, reading left to right)
🥨Snack Time: We will eat snack every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday afternoon in kindergarten. Please provide a healthy snack in your child’s backpacks every day. Be sure to pack snacks in a separate bag, or pocket in your kinder’s backpack. Help your kindergartener at home to understand whether they are putting “lunch” in their backpack, or “snack”. There has been some confusion about which food is lunch and which are snacks.
📂Friday Folders: These are official communication folders from the school to home. Friday Folders will contain important documents including future report cards, flyers, curriculum resources as well as your children’s work from that week. These folders will be sent home every Friday. Please take time to check your child’s backpack over the weekend, review (and remove) any work or flyers in them then place them back in your child’s backpack to be returned every Monday. I will continue to fill folders every week so please check them often. This week, Unit 1 of our math’s family-resource worksheets are available.
🏫Back to School Night: Please plan to attend this evening event on Wednesday, August 26th to get updated information about kindergarten academics, online academic platforms we are using this year, and pro tips on how to help your kindergarten scholar be successful this school year. Please read the School Wide Information provided below for more information regarding this event.
🏷Name Labels: It is very helpful to me and the kindergarteners if all of their items are labeled clearly with their names. Some items you may consider labeling are lunch boxes, water bottles, sweaters/jackets, snack bags, and even lunch containers.
🏫 School Information
🏫 School Information
Grade Level Field Lesson & School Supplies Donations Competition: Kindergarten 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 Kindergarten Explorers to engage in 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 28.13% 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 Kindergarten 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
8/24/2026
Weekly Focus
Upcoming Assessments
Resources for Practice at Home
Art - Ascheman
Kinder artists learned about how we play, build, and imagine using our classroom art centers this week. Next week we will learn about whole body listening. We will use crayons to color a whole body listening kid, and identify the parts of whole body listening.
HERE is a song to help your artists remember what it looks like to show, respect, responsibility, and stewardship during learning time in the art classroom.
PE - Ms. Morales
Spanish - Grimaldi
This week, I reviewed colors and common Spanish greetings, including good morning (buenos días), good afternoon (buenas tardes), and good night (buenas noches). I also went over class expectations and classroom rules with students.
WEEK 1
Week 1
Happy Friday, Explorer Families!
I hope the first week of kindergarten treated you well! Our classroom has been full of excitement as we’ve learned each other’s names, explored our new classroom, and practiced routines for a great year ahead.
I really appreciate having the chance to meet so many of you this week! Please let me know if you have any questions or need any clarification. I am looking forward to working with you.
📅 Upcoming Dates
📅 Upcoming Dates
✨ Mon, Aug 17 – Kindergarten Specialty Rotations Begin
🏫 Wed, Aug 26 – Back to School Night
📸 Tue, Sept 21 – Picture Day (Uniforms required)
🚫 Mon, Sept 7 – Labor Day – No School
🍎 Classroom Information
🍎 Classroom Information
This week we:
Learned routines and procedures
Learned how to be safe at school and in our classroom
Learned where to find materials in the classroom.
Learned our classmates' names and practiced recognizing our own names.
Learned recess rules and routines.
Learned cafeteria rules and routines.
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Begin our Fundations phonics orientation unit
Math
Begin math manipulatives exploration
Writing:
Practice pencil strokes and name writing
SEL:
Be responsible in shared spaces
Reading:
Listen to books about school
Thematic:
Explore new learning tools such as scissors and glue
🎨 🇪🇸🏃 Specialties: Kindergarten will be starting our specialties rotations next week. Please make sure your students are wearing PE appropriate shoes and have a labeled water bottle. Our schedule is below:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
No Specialties
Early Dismissal
🕒 Dismissal: Beginning Monday 8/17, dismissal will be at 2:45. Please be sure that you update your school dismissal manager on how you will be picking up your child: carline, classroom door, or BASE.
🕒 Dismissal: Beginning Monday 8/17, dismissal will be at 2:45. Please be sure that you update your school dismissal manager on how you will be picking up your child: carline, classroom door, or BASE.
📂 Friday Folders: These school-to-home folders will be sent home every Friday with important papers—such as report cards, flyers, curriculum resources, and your child’s work. Please empty the folder over the weekend and return it every Monday so I can refill it. If folders aren’t returned, papers will be placed directly in backpacks.
🥨 Snack Time Next week, we’ll begin having an afternoon snack! Please send a snack that is clearly separate from your child’s lunch. A separate container or paper bag with a name on it works well. Please practice with your child how to let the teacher know if they are having school lunch. In my class, students move a picture of themselves on the white board and place it under the label of cold lunch or hot lunch.
🥨 Snack Time Next week, we’ll begin having an afternoon snack! Please send a snack that is clearly separate from your child’s lunch. A separate container or paper bag with a name on it works well. Please practice with your child how to let the teacher know if they are having school lunch. In my class, students move a picture of themselves on the white board and place it under the label of cold lunch or hot lunch.
For everyone’s safety, no peanuts, peanut butter, or tree nuts in lunches or snacks. Thank you!
For everyone’s safety, no peanuts, peanut butter, or tree nuts in lunches or snacks. Thank you!
🏷 Name Labels It is very helpful to me and the kindergarteners if all of their items are labeled clearly with their names. Some items you may consider labeling are lunch boxes, water bottles, sweaters/jackets, snack bags, and even lunch containers.
🏷 Name Labels It is very helpful to me and the kindergarteners if all of their items are labeled clearly with their names. Some items you may consider labeling are lunch boxes, water bottles, sweaters/jackets, snack bags, and even lunch containers.
The outside of lunch boxes 🥪
Water bottles 💧
Sweaters/jackets 🧥
Snack bags 🍎
Lunch containers 🍱
🎒 Kindergarten Gear If you have not yet sent in your extra change of clothes and family picture, please do so next week. If these items are still in your child’s backpack, please remind them to give them to me at the beginning of the day. I am happy to print a picture if you email it to me.
🏫 School Information
🏫 School Information
Grade Level Field Lesson & School Supplies Donations Competition: Kindergarten 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 Kindergarten Explorers to engage in 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!
Our Grade Level is off to a great start! School just started and we are already at 12.69% of our goal. This week the grade level with the highest growth over last week will win a prize! Let’s go families, let’s make sure Kindergarten 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.
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.
Specialties Information🎨🏃📚
Art - Ascheman
This week artists will play and EXPLORE with creative toys that help them with imaginative play, fine motor skills, and building relationships with their peers. They will also sign an agreement that tools and toys stay in our art classroom. Following these activities, we will learn about our classroom expectations through song and color.
PE - Ms. Morales
Welcome back PE explorers! This week we are going over policies and procedures for our PE class.
Spanish - Grimaldi
¡Hola, Spanish explorers! This week we’ll get to know our Spanish classroom and our teacher. We’ll practice classroom routines and expectations. See you soon!
WWeek 37
Week 38 -
Hello Explorer Families!
We are 3 days away from wrapping up a very successful year of Kindergarten! This last full week of the school year has been packed with games, activities, and time spent with all of our new Westlake friends.
Our class has been practicing daily for our Aloha Celebration. The students are so excited to perform this evening, and we hope all families will be able to join us for this special event!
We have asked students to dress up in their favorite outfit for the celebration. It will be such a fun way for them to show their personality and celebrate all they have accomplished this year.
Please drop off your child at their classroom this evening at 5:15pm!
📅 Upcoming Dates
🌺 June 5th: Aloha to Kinder at 5:30 PM
🎽June 9th: Field Day (Students Wear Red)
☀️🎉 June 10th: Last Day of School (12pm dismissal)
This week we:
Phonics:
Tap words with digraphs
Sentence reading and dictation
Sight Words:
one
Math:
Review
Writing:
Writing conventions
SEL:
Explore the Core Value: Perseverance
Reading
Literature review
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Tap words with digraphs
Sentence reading and dictation
Sight Words: Review
Math:
Review
Writing:
Writing conventions
SEL:
Explore the Core Value: Perseverance
Reading
Literature review
🏫 School Information:
Family Survey:
The Family Survey is taken three times a year. CLICK HERE to answer six questions to rate your family's experience at Westlake Charter School during the 2025-26 school year. The deadline is THIS Sunday, June 7th.
K-8 Field Day:
Mark your calendars for our K-8 Field Day! Field Day will take place on campus for Kindergarten - Fifth grades and at Valley Oak Park for Middle School. Help us end an amazing year by signing up to volunteer or make a donation for Field Day. CLICK HERE to volunteer or make donations for Field Day.
K-5 - Tuesday, June 9th, 9:00 AM - 12: 00 PM (on the blacktop and field)
6-8 - Tuesday, June 9th, 8:30 - 10:00 AM (Valley Oak Park)
This will be a free dress day and each grade level will represent their grade level by wearing a different colored t-shirt. Please see below for what color shirt to have your child wear that day!
Kinder - Red
1st - Orange
2nd - Yellow
3rd - Green
4th - Blue
5th - Purple
6th - Black
7th - Blue
8th - Tie-Dye
NUSD Summer Meals Program:
Natomas Unified School District is proud to participate in the Summer Meals Program, ensuring that youth in our community have access to nutritious meals during the summer break. From June 3rd through July 31st, 2026, free breakfast and lunch will be available to all children 18 and younger. CLICK HERE for more information.
Summer BASE Registration - Open Now!!
We're getting ready for an exciting Summer BASE Program and would love to get a head start on planning! If your family is interested in attending Summer BASE, please CLICK HERE for more information and CLICK HERE to fill out our 2026-2027 BASE Registration Form. We have lots of fun in store with weekly themed activities, including STEM Week, Carnival Week, Art & Creativity Week, and more!
Yearbooks:
The 2025-26 Westlake Charter School yearbooks are still available to order! CLICK HERE to order your K-8 yearbook through TreeRing and have it shipped directly to your home! Use code 101667583471473.
Specialties Information: 🎨🏃📚
6/8/2026
Weekly Focus
Art - Ascheman
In kindergarten next week students will be printmaking!
PE - Ms. T
Greetings Movers! We will be celebrating our final class together next week. I would also like to thank you, the parents/guardians, for a wonderful year here at Westlake Charter. Your kiddos have been memorable and fun to teach!
Spanish - Santos
This week we will highlight the special moments from Spanish Class. It's been a great year.
Week 36
Week 37
Hello Explorer Families!
We are starting to wrap up our wonderful school year together! These last few weeks have been filled with so much learning, laughter, and special memories.
Our class has been working very hard practicing our songs for the Aloha Celebration on June 5th. The students are so excited to perform, and we hope all families will be able to join us for this special event!
We have asked students to dress up in their favorite outfit for the celebration. It will be such a fun way for them to show their personality and celebrate all they have accomplished this year.
It has truly been such a joy spending these last few weeks together and watching how much your children have grown throughout kindergarten. Thank you for all of your support this year!
📅 Upcoming Dates
🌺 June 5th: Aloha to Kinder at 5:30 PM
☀️🎉 June 10th: Last Day of School (12pm dismissal)
This week we:
Phonics:
Tap words with digraphs
Sentence reading and dictation
Sight Words: do
Math:
Review
Writing:
Writing conventions
SEL:
Explore the Core Value: Perseverance
Reading
Literature review
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Tap words with digraphs
Sentence reading and dictation
Sight Words: one
Math:
Review
Writing:
Writing conventions
SEL:
Explore the Core Value: Perseverance
Reading
Literature review
🏫 School Information:
K-8 Field Day:
Mark your calendars for our K-8 Field Day! Field Day will take place on campus for Kindergarten - Fifth grades and at Valley Oak Park for Middle School. Help us end an amazing year by signing up to volunteer or make a donation for Field Day. CLICK HERE to volunteer or make donations for Field Day.
K-5 - Tuesday, June 9th, 9:00 AM - 12: 00 PM (on the blacktop and field)
6-8 - Tuesday, June 9th, 8:30 - 10:00 AM (Valley Oak Park)
This will be a free dress day and each grade level will represent their grade level by wearing a different colored t-shirt. Please see below for what color shirt to have your child wear that day!
Kinder - Red
1st - Orange
2nd - Yellow
3rd - Green
4th - Blue
5th - Purple
6th - Black
7th - Blue
8th - Tie-Dye
Family Survey:
The Family Survey is taken three times a year. CLICK HERE to answer six questions to rate your family's experience at Westlake Charter School during the 2025-26 school year. The deadline is Sunday, June 7th.
Summer BASE Registration - Open Now!!
We're getting ready for an exciting Summer BASE Program and would love to get a head start on planning! If your family is interested in attending Summer BASE, please CLICK HERE for more information and CLICK HERE to fill out our 2026-2027 BASE Registration Form. We have lots of fun in store with weekly themed activities, including STEM Week, Carnival Week, Art & Creativity Week, and more!
Yearbooks:
The 2025-26 Westlake Charter School yearbooks are still available to order! CLICK HERE to order your K-8 yearbook through TreeRing and have it shipped directly to your home! Use code 101667583471473.
Specialties Information: 🎨🏃📚
Week 35
Week
Wee
Wee
Week 36
Happy Friday, Explorer Families!!
As we near the end of the school year, it has been so wonderful to see how much the students have grown! They have worked hard not only in academics, but also in learning the importance of kindness, being a good friend, and making strong choices each day. I am so proud of all the progress they have made this year. The students continue to work very hard as we finish up our end-of-year assessments, and their effort and perseverance have truly shown. Thank you for all of your support throughout the year! Please remember that there will be no school on Monday in observance of Memorial Day.
📅 Upcoming Dates
📖 May 22nd: K–8 Spirit Day (Book Character Day)
🇺🇲 May 25th: Memorial Day- Campus Closed
🌺 June 5th: Aloha to Kinder at 5:30 PM
☀️🎉 June 10th: Last Day of School (12pm dismissal)
Sorry to Bug You 🐞
Please remind your students they are not allowed to bring live insects into the classrooms. Many students have been bringing in beetles, rolly-pollies, bees, spiders and ants into the classrooms. Students have been reminded at school multiple times. Please help enforce this by reminding students they are not allowed to play with or capture insects at school. While we absolutely love the enthusiasm about nature and science, we would appreciate keeping our classrooms bug free. Thank you for your help!
🍎 Classroom Information
👀Sight Words👀: As our kindergarten year is wrapping up, don’t forget to go back and review our sight words. This will help your child build their confidence as readers. Remember these are words that students should know from memory and should be able to identify quickly. Putting them on flashcards and playing games can make sight words engaging and enjoyable when you are practicing at home! Here is a list of our kindergarten sight words:
🌺 Save the Date: Aloha Kindergarten Performance!
The end of the year is quickly approaching, and we’re excited to celebrate with a special Aloha Kindergarten performance! Students will sing songs and enjoy a sweet treat to mark this wonderful milestone. We invite all students to wear bright summer clothes or Hawaiian-themed outfits for the occasion.
📅 Friday, June 5th, 2026 at 5:30 PM
📍 In the Gym
This week we:
Phonics:
Tap words with digraphs
Sentence reading and dictation
Sight Words: do
Math:
Review
Writing:
Writing Conventions
Naming Parts and Telling Parts of Sentences.
SEL:
Explore the Core Value: Perseverance
Science
Plants and Animals: Plants
Reading
Reading informational text.
Literature review
So that next week we can:
Phonics:
Tap words with digraphs
Sentence reading and dictation
Sight Words: one
Math:
Review
Writing:
Sentence Structure practice
SEL:
Explore the Core Value: Perseverance
Science
Plants and Animals: Plants
Reading
Reading informational text.
Literature review
Art - Ascheman
Next week kindergarten artists will be read the book Monsters Love Colors and then create an artwork based on the story.
PE - Ms. T
Greetings Movers! As we near the last couple weeks of school we will be reviewing all of our learned movement concepts from this year.
Spanish - Santos
Hola, familias. This week we will continue learning the vocabulary and activities related to Summer in Spanish.
K-8 Field Day:
Mark your calendars for our K-8 Field Day! Field Day will take place on campus for Kindergarten - Fifth grades and at Valley Oak Park for Middle School. Help us end an amazing year by signing up to volunteer or make a donation for Field Day. CLICK HERE to volunteer or make donations for Field Day.
K-5 - Tuesday, June 9th, 9:00 AM - 12: 00 PM (on the blacktop and field)
6-8 - Tuesday, June 9th, 8:30 - 10:00 AM (Valley Oak Park)
This will be a free dress day and each grade level will represent their grade level by wearing a different colored t-shirt. Please see below for what color shirt to have your child wear that day!
Kinder - Red
1st - Orange
2nd - Yellow
3rd - Green
4th - Blue
5th - Purple
6th - Black
7th - Blue
8th - Tie-Dye
Family Survey:
The Family Survey is taken three times a year. CLICK HERE to answer six questions to rate your family's experience at Westlake Charter School during the 2025-26 school year. The deadline is Sunday, June 7th.
Summer BASE Registration - Open Now!!
We're getting ready for an exciting Summer BASE Program and would love to get a head start on planning! If your family is interested in attending Summer BASE, please CLICK HERE for more information and CLICK HERE to fill out our 2026-2027 BASE Registration Form. We have lots of fun in store with weekly themed activities, including STEM Week, Carnival Week, Art & Creativity Week, and more!
Yearbooks:
The 2025-26 Westlake Charter School yearbooks are still available to order! CLICK HERE to order your K-8 yearbook through TreeRing and have it shipped directly to your home! Use code 101667583471473.
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