OCTOBER 2017

October and November Calendar

Oct. 5 - Vision & Hearing Screening Oct. 9 - Non-Student Day, No SchoolOct. 25 - School Spirit Day - Unity Day (Wear Orange) Oct. 26 - School Spirit Day- Movie/Book Character Trick or Treat Street, 5:00-6:30pm Oct. 27 - Non-Student Day, No School Nov. 2-3 Student Led Conferences - No SchoolNov. 6 - Fall Picture RetakesNov. 10 - Veteran’s Day - No SchoolNov. 17 - PTA Movie Night (PK-5) & ASB Dance (Grades 5-8) , 5:30-7:30Nov. 23-24 Thanksgiving Break - No SchoolNov. 29 - School Spirit Day- Crazy Mismatch Day

Halloween, Costumes and West Hills

There are no costumes or props of any kind allowed at West Hills during the month of October. Students who come to school in a costume will be asked to change. If it is not possible to change, parents will be contacted.

PTA’s Trick or Treat StreetWho: West Hills PTA SponsoringWhat: The Annual PTA Trick or Treat StreetWhen: Thursday, October 26, 5:00-6:30 pmWhere: Here at the Halls and Haunts of West Hills STEM Academy

We Need Candy Donations!

Trick or Treat Street depends upon your donations of bagged/wrapped Halloween candies for us to give away! Please bring donations to the office. We thank you greatly!!

We hope to provide a safe and dry alterna-tive for Trick or Treating for our students, families, and community.

West Hills STEM Academy Inspires a community of 21st century lifelong learners who are equipped to

explain, engage, elaborate and evaluate in a global community.

Greatschools.orgFamiles that move into a new area often turn

to greatschools.org to learn about the neigh-borhood school. Did you know that you can write a review on greatschools.org for West Hills STEM Academy? Please share your posi-tive experiences.

Habits of MindOur students are learning and practicing Hab-

its of Mind. Each month our teachers focus on a new Habit.

September: Managing Impulsivity October: Persistence November: Thinking Flexibly December: Remaining Open to Continuous Learning

January: Gathering Data Through the Senses February: Questioning and Problem Posing March: Striving for Accuracy April: Listening With Understanding and Empathy May: Creating, Imagining, Innovating June: Thinking Interdependently

Google Account for EducationThis year Bremerton School District has provid-ed all students with a Google Account For

Education. This means that the students can access their online school work and docu-ments at home. The Google Chrome web browser is required for the students to access their work. To access their work, they need to log into Google Chrome. Their account log in is: their ID (lunch) number@bsdstu-dents.org. Password is the same password they use at school (first 4 letters of last name, capitalize the first letter, then birth-day- 2 digits for month, 2 digits for day (ie. Smit0101). If you have any questions you can contact Val Sandell at

Ebooks Ebooks are now available from the West Hills STEM Academy library. If you are in-terested in checking out our selections of ebooks, you can download the app Destiny Discover. Choose the school West Hills in Bremerton. All students can then login as themselves like they log onto the computers. You can then browse the book list and check out any book that is available.

Student Led Conferences Conferences are on November 2-3. Sign-up sheets will be coming home from teachers beginning mid October.

For up to the minute news, tweets from students, and a glimpse into what #180DaysofSTEM looks like! Follow us at @WHSTEMAcademy

Y-Kids Y-Kids is located in the portables near the annex building. Hours of operation are from 6:00 am-8:40 am

and 3:35 pm-6:00pm. On Wednesday after-noons hours are 1:40 pm-6:00pm. Site direc-tor is Ms. Liz and you can contact her at (253) 376-4285.

PTA Information

Please join us for the 1st PTA meeting of the year on Wednes-day September

27th in the Innovation Zone at 6:00pm. Dinner is provided and kids are welcome! You will hear more about upcoming events such as Trick or Treat Street, volunteer opportuni-ties, fundraising and more! We encourage all to take advantage of mem-bership and provides several ways to have a voice through our many programs and ser-vices. The support networks offer high caliber networking events, professional development sessions, business and legislative resources, and business and community focused volun-teer opportunities. To gain access to the benefits mentioned above and so much more, you can join us on Facebook or contact the Executive board members on Remind App ( just txt @e9d8d7 to 81010)

21st CenturyS.U.C.C.E.S.S. Program

Aloha, I am Kelly Bonsell, the Site Coordina-tor for S.U.C.C.E.S.S.. Wow, summer has come and gone and we are well into the new school year. It went extremely fast, but we squeezed lots of fun into it! For those of you in our program (or were for the summer), make sure you check out our Summer and Welcome Back Newsletter. I have attached quite a few pictures and have written about the many activities and field trips we did in just 4 short, but sweet weeks.

S.U.C.C.E.S.S. started Monday, September 25th. It runs Monday-Thursday, 3:35-5:30 PM. Our program is close to full, but if you hurry we might have a couple spots left. Ask the office for an application. Our space has moved from the Annex building to Room 16. We are in a cozy room, but we will utilize the gym and will be very creative with our Aca-demic Lessons, Choice Times, and space. If you haven’t met me and my 5 co-workers, come to Room 16 after school and say Aloha!

PlaySchool for Preschool

Are you looking for a fun activity for your pre-schooler? Join us for a time to learn and play at PlaySchool! PlaySchool is an opportunity for you and your child to spend time engag-ing in fun activities designed to build readi-ness for kindergarten. Activities are geared towards children ages 3-5, however siblings are welcome to attend also! Please call (360) 473-4600 for more information or to register your child. PlaySchool sessions occur month-ly on the third Friday morning at West Hills or the first Friday afternoon on the East Side.

Staff of the Month Congratulations to

Mrs. Geving5th Grade Spanish Immersion

She was nominated by the students to be the Staff of the Month for the Month of October.

Washington State Learning Standards

West Hills STEM Academy, like all schools in Washington, is guided in our teaching and curriculum by learning expectations for all students. These guidelines are called the Washington State Learning Standards. They provide teachers and staff with student learning expectations for every grade level. The implementations of statewide standards is required by the U.S. Department of Educa-tion.

Four learning goals provide the foundation for the development of all academic learning standards in Washington state:• Read with

comprehen-sion, write effectively, and commu-nicate suc-cessfully in a variety of ways and settings and with a variety of audiences;

• Know and apply the core concepts and principles of mathematics; social, phys-ical, and life sciences; civics and history, including different cultures and participa-tion in representative government; geog-raphy; arts; and health and fitness;

• Think analytically, logically, and creatively, and to integrate technology literacy and fluency as well as different experiences and knowledge to form reasoned judg-ments and solve problems; and

• Understand the importance of work and finance and how performance, effort, and decisions directly affect future career and educational opportunities.

More information on the Washington State Learning Standards can be found at http://www.k12.wa.us/

Counselor CornerNational Anti-Bullying Month

Together against bullying: United for kind-ness, acceptance and inclusion

October is annually celebrated as anti-bullying month, an important issue to address in all schools across the country. To raise awareness about bullying prevention at West Hills, every classroom will participate in lessons about what bullying looks like and how to stand up against it in a safe and positive way.

Activities range from puppet shows about bullying in the kindergarten classes, reading books about hurtful teasing from the perspec-tive of the victim, bystander and bully and role playing what can be done in several types of bullying situations.

October 25th is Unity Day. Students and staff are encouraged to wear orange to show unity against bullying at West Hills STEM Academy.

“ORANGE provides a powerful, visually com-pelling expression of solidarity,” said Paula Goldberg, Executive Director of PACER Center. “When hundreds of individuals in a school or organization wear orange, the vibrant state-ment becomes a conversation starter, sending the unified message to kids to know that they are not alone.”

If you are interested in learning more informa-tion about bullying, how to help prevent bully-ing or find resources for your child to explore, you can visit

http://www.pacer.org/bullying/nbpm/unity-day.asp

Kasia Roque

School Counselor

West Hills STEM: Home to Washington Reading Corps!Washington Reading Corps is a branch of AmeriCorps that focuses on building literacy in our schools. West Hills STEM has had Reading Corps members serv-ing at our site for 18 years. Members tutor students in kindergarten through 3rd grade as well as help recruit volunteers. The extra tutoring opportunities provided through this program help our struggling readers either catch up to the reading ability of their peers or improve their reading by an entire grade level. We are currently seeking parents, grandparents, and high school or col-

lege students etc. who would like to come volunteer in our program. (Even an hour a week is greatly appreciated!) No experience necessary because we will provide the training. If you are interested in volunteering in this valuable program, please call Chris Drebick at 360-473-4676 or come by room 17 before or after school.

Meet Our WRC Members!

Sophia Cook: Hi! My name is Sophia Cook, and I will be one of the Washington Reading Corps volunteers this year. I am from Iowa, and went to school at the University of Denver. I play the piano and guitar, write songs, and love the great outdoors! I chose to join the literacy pro-gram at West Hills this year because I am an avid reader and “word nerd”, and want to share my passion for reading with kids! I am very excited to help our students build their reading and writing skills and discover their love for reading.

Ashley Phillips:Hello! My name is Ashley Phillips and I am new to West Hills STEM Acade-my as a Washington Reading Corps tutor for the 2017-18 school year. I was raised in the Pacific Northwest, earned my associates degree from Olympic College in Bremerton, and graduated from the University of Washington with my degree in Japanese Language & Literature. I just returned from a year of teaching English in Japan and I’m excited to be a part of the community at West Hills.

State Learning Standards & TestingWhat are learning standards?The Washington State K–12 Learning Standards define what all students should know and be able to do at each grade level.

Why do we need them?Rigorous learning standards require students to think critically and creatively about content—rather than memorize it—so they are ready for careers, college, and life after high school.

Which content areas have learning standards?Standards exist in 13 content areas including math, English language arts, science, educational technology, and world languages.

Why do we have state tests?Measuring student progress on important skills and knowledge is key for families and teachers to know if students are on track to graduate with options, or if they might need extra help or advanced learning opportunities.

Testing data is also a tool for schools, districts, and the state to help educators improve instruction for all students. Statewide testing also helps ensure all public school students, no matter where they go to school, have access to a quality education.

Are state tests required?State and federal laws require students to be tested in:

• English language arts and math: Grades 3 through 8 and high school (students take the Smarter Balanced assessments)

• Science: Grades 5, 8, and 11

Real-world skillsWashington’s learning standards and assessments focus on real-world skills that students are learning and practicing in the classroom every day such as problem solving, critical thinking, and writing. On assessments, students show their work, write, and explain their answers as part of the assessment process, thus measuring skills and knowledge they will need to pursue the career path of their choice.

Closing gapsThe assessments help identify achievement gaps and allow school districts and the state to direct resources where they are needed the most.

Testing is just one measureState testing is one of several indicators, in combination with report cards, teacher feedback, and classroom work used to create a complete picture of a student’s progress in school.

The right stuffWashington’s state learning standards and the aligned assessments are designed to prepare students for college, work, and life.

Accessible for all studentsThe Smarter Balanced tests are designed to accommodate all students, including those with disabilities and English language learners.

about Washington’s K-12 Learning Standards and Assessments

TOP 5 FACTS

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OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION • WWW.K12.WA.US PUBLICATION NO. 17-0020

Learning Standardsbit.ly/StateStandards or email CoreStandards@k12.wa.us

State Testingwww.WAtesting.com or email StateTesting@k12.wa.us

Support Your StudentGreat Schools: bit.ly/2tRyZoO

LEARN MORE!

To see which tests are required for high school graduation, please visit www.WAtesting.com.