This Week at West Elementary School january 23, 2023

OLSAT Testing for 2nd Grade Students

2nd Grade parents, on Friday, January 27, our 2nd-grade students will take the OLSAT Test. This is the Otis-Lennon School Ability Test. The OLSAT assesses students on their verbal ability and non-verbal ability. There is no preparation or studying that we do for this test. We give this test to help us know more about our students, and it is used as one of the criteria we use in our Child Find procedures for identifying Gifted and Talented students. On January 27, we ask that our students arrive at school on time, eat a good breakfast that morning, and get a good night's rest the night before the test.

ACCESS Testing for EL Students begins Monday, January 30, 2023

ACCESS Testing for EL Students begins on Monday, January 30, 2023. I know that our students have been preparing for this, and we are excited to see their progress.

West Elementary's Book Vending Machine was featured on ABC 33/40 News

Here is a link to the ABC 33/40 News feature on our West Elementary School Book Vending machine. You can see Mrs. White, Lorelai J., and Lucy W. interviewed about the Book Vending machine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3Tj47XbyWQ

Warnke Road NW Closures in February 2023

Parents, Warnke Road NW will be closed at different times during the month of February 2023 to replace the sewer and water lines. Some parents use Warnke Road in the morning and afternoon for arrival and pickup. Please be aware that it may be closed on days in the month of February.

Speed Tables on 3rd Street SW

Parents, you will notice that speed tables will be placed on 3rd Street near West Elementary School which will slow down the traffic near the school. This summer our Leadership Team discussed that we needed to slow down the traffic as a safety concern for our students. We use the City Football Field for recess and cross over 3rd Street from the school. I met with Erica York, City of Cullman Engineer, Mayor Woody Jacobs, Mayor of Cullman, and Kyle Kallhoff, Superintendent of Cullman City Schools in August to discuss the speed tables. The City ordered the tables for the school system and will have them installed in the next couple of weeks. If you pick up your child on 3rd Street, you will notice the speed tables near the crosswalk to the City Football Field and near the exit to the Gym Parking Lot. We want to thank our school Leadership Team, Mrs. York, Mayor Jacobs, and Mr. Kallhoff for their support in installing these speed tables, and we feel that this will make for a safer campus.

6th Grade Students Meeting with Cullman Middle School Counselor

6th Grade Parents, Mrs. Ponder, Cullman Middle School Counselor, will meet with the West Elementary School 6th Grade students on February 8 during their Social Studies class to discuss their 7th-grade schedules. Students will receive information on registration for the 7th grade for the 2023-24 school year.

5th and 6th Grade at Birmingham Squadron Game on March 7, 2023

Our 5th and 6th-grade students have been invited to attend a Birmingham Squadron Literacy Day basketball game on March 7 at 11:00 AM at the Legacy Arena in Birmingham. I talked to the students this morning about how they earn the ability to attend the game. For 6th-students, they must achieve 25 AR points between January 17 and March 3 and not have a suspension (no In School Suspension or Out of School Suspension). For 5th Grade students, they must show progress on their iReady Reading lessons between January 17 and March 3 and not have a suspension (no In School Suspension or Out of School Suspension). The Birmingham Squadron plays in the Gatorade League, which feeds the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA. It should be an exciting day, and we want to encourage all our 5th and 6th Grade students to meet their goals and attend. Students will receive lunch at the game. This is a students only field trip.

Cullman City Schools Strategic Plan Community Meetings

Parents, on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, at 6:00 PM in the West Elementary School Lunchroom, there will be a community meeting seeking input into the priorities and goals for Cullman City Schools for the next five years. There are two other meetings scheduled for January. The first meeting is Monday, January 23 at 5:30 PM at Terri Pines and the third meeting is Monday, January 30 at 5:30 PM at the Cullman High School Auditorium. Our school system needs parent and community input to set our priorities and goals. Mr. Kallhoff, Cullman City Schools Superintendent, and Dr. Page will facilitate the meeting on January 24. Here is a link to an article in the Cullman Tribune on the purpose of the community meetings. https://www.cullmantribune.com/2023/01/04/cullman-city-schools-sets-community-meetings-for-strategic-plan-update/

The last day to order the 2022 - 23 Yearbook is Tuesday, January 31, 2023.

You can order the yearbook online at https://www.balfour.com/student-info?smi=417#remove or follow the link at the West Elementary School webpage, wes.cullmancats.net. Yearbooks are $35.00. For additional questions, you can email Mrs. Kelly, Yearbook Sponsor, at tkelly@cullmancats.net.

Attendance

We always want to emphasize attendance with our students. We are off to a great start. We want to remind parents that you can use up to eight parent notes to excuse an absence in a school year. You can use up to five parent notes in one semester. For example, if you used three parent notes in the first semester, you can use five in the second semester. During the month of February, we are going to emphasize our Attendance HERO program. We want our students "Here Ready, Everyday, On time". A student that has perfect attendance from February 6 through March 3 will receive an "Attendance HERO" t-shirt. Thank you for emphasizing your child's attendance.

5th and 6th Grade Robotics Group A meets on Wednesday, January 25 from 3:00 - 4:15 PM.

Presidents' Day Holiday is Monday, February 20, 2023. No School for students.

Spring Picture Day is Thursday, March 2, 2023. Individual pictures only.

No School for Students on Monday, March 13, 2023. Teachers will have a professional development and workday on this day.

Cullman City Schools Spring Break is Monday, March 27 through Friday, March 31. No School for Students.