Friday
December 15
Spirit/Pizza Day
Last Day to pledge for Annual Giving & the 100% participation match
December 18
- January 1
Winter Vacation
No School
No Childcare
Tuesday
January 2
School Resumes
Auction
Kick-Off and Free Lattes! 8am-10am
Friday
January 5
Tour 9:15am
Spirit/Pizza Day
Wednesday
January 10
Tour 9:15
Friday
January 12
Assembly
9:30am
Monday
January 15
Martin Luther
King Jr. Day
No School
No Childcare
December 14, 2006
Service at Westside
Northwest Harvest Food Drive
Welcome New Students
Annual Giving
Thank You Volunteers
Auction Kick-Off and Latte's
In Service to Community
Service at Westside
Everywhere we go this holiday season we are inundated with the message that it is “better to give than to receive.” Whether it’s a bell ringer outside the grocery store, the toy box to be filled at Starbucks or Westside’s own Toys for Tots box sitting outside the office. It’s an important message, and one that was even addressed on one of those 60 minutes type “news” shows the other night. We are the richest country in the world. How much do we as a country, and as individuals, give?
I just opened a magazine to an article titled, “Teaching kids to lend a helping hand.” And it is true that we need to teach students empathy, cooperation and respect. Everyday, in our own school community – parents, students and teachers – demonstrate a generosity of spirit in so many ways. We are asked for gifts, and we are also asked to participate in community service.
In this Update, Linda Turner, our 5th grade teacher, will address how service is being taught here at Westside, and all the different aspects that are part of our service curriculum. We often think that it means donating and/or volunteering, and it does, but it also means a lot more.
The National Association of Independent Schools (or nais.org) came up with five questions that every parent can ask to spot a high-quality school. One of these questions was about the value of education as it relates to service, civic participation and the ability to make ethical decisions.
Here’s the question:
Do students get a clear value from their education? Schools that encourage active civic participation, show an ongoing commitment to community service, and teach students how to make ethical decisions can add significant value to a student’s educational experience.
To find out more about the five questions every parent should ask, visit http://www.nais.org/files/PDFs/FINALFiveQuestions%20101304.pdf.
We collected almost 900 food items!
By the 4/5 classroom
Thank-you Westside Community for your generosity this season. We have collected about 900 food items for the North West Harvest Food Bank!
Thank you so much to everybody who helped. You did a great job of remembering to bring in the food! The Northwest Harvest truck will be here the first week in January and the four/five class will help load the food. Thank-you again, and Happy Winter Holidays!
Welcome New Students
Westside has two new students that started in the last month, Sarah R. and Kyle H. Both these students are in Claudia’s pre-kindergarten class. Kyle joins his sister, Lauren (Marsha’s class), at Westside School, and Sarah’s family is brand new to the school.
Two new students will be added to the roster starting in January, Symon and Aidan B. This family left Westside and moved to Singapore in the winter of 2005, and have moved back to West Seattle.
A new roster will be sent out in January.
Annual Giving
It’s not too late to give to annual giving! The 100% classroom participation match is still available through December. If you haven’t given, please email Jana at janar@westsideschool.org.
Thank You Volunteers!
Thank you all Winterfest volunteers! Coordinator Tracy Leber spent many hours last night setting up the gym, and filmer John Nuler and his daughter Anna also were essential to set-up. Thanks to Dean Sleeper for coordinating the filming efforts, and to filmers Jim Loughlin, Shawn McNally, Maura Costello and John Nuler. And, thanks to everyone who brought treats, and Peggy King for all her help!
Also, thanks to our music teacher Cathy Chutich for getting such great results from our students.
Winterfest DVD’s should be available in January.
Auction Kick-Off and Latte’s!
Our 18th annual auction is kicking off on our first day back to school! Mark your calendars for Tuesday, January 2nd, and stop in during drop-off for a free, custom-made latte and an auction kick-off surprise! Don’t miss out. More to come later!
In Service to Community
By Linda Turner, Fifth Grade
Especially during the holiday season, people think of extending themselves to help others. Our halls are decked with hundreds of pounds of food items for Northwest Harvest. Students all over the school shone with excitement about bringing something to school to give to others, not as fortunate as they. The toys overflowed in the Toys for Tots box, as kids brought gifts for other kids who they don’t even know. What’s even more wonderful is that children love to help and give no matter what time of year it is.
Giving, donating, and participating in community service activities is part of a very organized national trend in education, Service Learning. Service Learning combines service objectives with learning/educational objectives. The intent is that the service activities change both the recipient and the provider of the service. Students combine service tasks with structured opportunities, then reflect, communicate, and grow in self-discovery. Joyful giving, helping and service is the result throughout the year at Westside.
Each grade participates in the spirit of service. The developmental levels help determine the type of service the class participates in. In the broader context, each grade has participated in some way to service.
The first graders are participating in Classroom Care with the goal of reading 100 books in class. Scholastic Books then will donate 100 books to classrooms in need around the country. The first grade also donates the proceeds of the bakery each year to a local, non-profit organization.
Second grade typically ties community service to their social studies or science projects. In studying Native cultures, they sell baked goods, then donate the money to Native American health clinics. During their study of bats or owls, they raise and donate money for the natural preservation of animals.
Third graders demonstrate the spirit of sharing by collecting and sending school supplies to Kenya. They also willingly help with grounds clean-up or recycling.
Fourth and Fifth graders are involved with various service activities. They lend a hand to the preschool classrooms during pick-up by helping the students into their cars, they put away chairs after assemblies, and they work with younger students. They also have the opportunity to organize all-school events to support community agencies. These past few years they’ve coordinated with Northwest Harvest, and this year, they will be help load the NW Harvest truck when it comes to pick up the food the first week in January.
Kindergarten hosted the Toys for Tots this year and will be organizing other service events during the year. Each grade serves with excitement and pride. At this time of year we delight in helping others. This year, we commit to service throughout the year.
Students speak out about serving, helping and sharing with others.
When I help others, it makes me feel good. It makes them happy, and I feel a kind or warmth which makes me joyful. Ann
Helping others makes me feel very good. If you help somebody you will earn their respect and they will be grateful. If I help someone I feel like I am doing my part. Helping people is part of the “Golden Rule,” treat others how you want to be treated. Dylan
I like helping people because it makes me feel good inside. One time some people in my neighborhood were cleaning and picking up trash in the streets. I decided to help out even if I was giving up a Sunday. If other kids gave up a Saturday or a Sunday, the world would get better. I felt good because I was doing my part! Mariam
When I help people it makes me feel really good, because it makes them happy. It’s a good deed. It also makes me feel happy because the other person can trust you, and you can do more for them. Grant
Helping others makes me feel good because I know that I am doing the right thing. When a person thanks me after helping them it feels good. I am grateful when others help me out too. Nikhil
When I help someone out I feel very good because helping others doesn’t happen a lot. When I help, I feel special that I can. When I got cans for the food drive that was helping out, and we all worked together. Aidan
When I make gifts for friends, family, and even people I don’t know, I get a warm feeling. When I brought cans for the food drive, I felt grateful that when I go home I have plenty to eat, heat and a house. Giving to people makes me feel wonderful! Autumn
When I do something for someone at school, that person is grateful, which makes me feel even better than I did before. This week and last we have been doing a food drive for people who don’t have enough. At my school we like to help out. The reason I feel so good when I do something for someone is because it goes both ways. Patrick