Calendar
2/26 Greco-Roman Day. 6th grade honors the ancients all day!
2/26 Basketball Games. 3:15pm. Boys at Westland; Girls at North Bethesda.
2/27 Black History Month Assembly. 8:00-10:30am Westland cafeteria.
2/27 Early Dismissal.
School ends at 12:10pm.
3/3 Spring Musical Auditions. 2:50-5:30pm. Westland Cafeteria.
3/5 Spring Musical Auditions. 2:50-5:30pm. Westland Cafeteria.
3/6 6th Grade Field Trip. 8:30am -2:15pm. Newseum.
3/7 PTA Cocktail Party & Fundraiser.
7:00-10:00pm ArtWorks in Bethesda.
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Seeds for Change!
 Approximately 28 Westland students gathered after school on February 19th to plant seeds as part of a new community service project. Under the guidance of science teacher Alison Lepard, the students will tend the seedlings, and then sell them to raise money to send kids to camp! The project is a benefit for Perry School in DC, which runs an all-scholarship camp for kids in need. Thanks to parent Lauren Rubenstein and to Ms. Lepard for spearheading this great effort! |
 Westland Wildcat Archives
If you missed an issue,
or just want to refer back to one, click here for the Westland Wildcat Archives! |
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THANKS TO OUR WILDCAT SPONSORS!
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It's been a busy February at Westland. That, coupled with an unusually hectic travel schedule, has definitely adversely affected my weekly newsletter schedule! My apologies.
To go back to the start of the month, the PTA's first ever BINGO Nite took place on Friday, February 6th. Over 100 people came out and enjoyed a great evening of bingo, pizza and prizes. Many thanks to Renee Magner, Alex Weiner, Pam Brown and Barb Glickman for putting in so much time & effort. It was a great community event!
The following week, the Westland community suffered a terrible loss when our beloved 6th grade teacher and team leader Ron Hegedus passed away suddenly. We miss him terribly, although his memory lives on through the thousands of students he taught, and through his many friends, colleagues, and family.
On February 18th, Westland hosted the B-CC Cluster Meeting. Representatives of our cluster schools gathered to meet with Frank Stetson and get updates on the financial outlook for MCPS next year. The wonderful food & drink provided by Karen Lippold offered a tasty counterpoint to the somewhat gloomy news.
Apropos of next year, on February 19th, Mr. Vogelman hosted his monthly principal's coffee. Over 50 prospective parents attended! Many thanks to Jan Eisner for providing coffee and snacks on behalf of the PTA.
We've got a couple of special events coming up on Saturday, February 28th. First, the PTA is hosting a coffee and desert for families with special needs children. For more information, please contact Jocelyn Hulbert. Second, the Guidance Advisory Committee, under the leadership of Chris Lawrence, and the Guidance Office staff have teamed up to put together an "International Connections" dinner on Saturday, Feb. 28th. Gina Seebachan has graciously agreed to host this event for international families new to Westland. Please contact Gina if you can attend!
Finally, we're working hard to put together a great party on March 7 - see below for details! It will be a fun evening in a very cool space; you'll have a chance to visit with friends and teachers, and see some amazing art created by Westland students. Hope to see you all there!
- Alysa Emden
PTA President |
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Westland Community Mourns Ron Hegedus
The Westland community suffered a terrible loss with the untimely death of Ron Hegedus on February 12th. Mr. Hegedus was a beloved 6th grade teacher at Westland for many years who touched the lives of literally thousands of students.
In a wonderful outpouring of compassion, teachers, staff, parents, and students all supported each other as the community struggled to come to terms with the news. Counselors were available to students and teachers, and parents kept the staff lounge stocked with flowers, food & drink.
A memorial service was held on Tuesday, Feb. 17th, and the church was overflowing with friends, family, colleagues, students, and parents. It was a beautiful tribute to an exceptional person.
The Washington Post has an online guestbook for Mr. Hegedus, which offers a way to extend condolences to his family and friends and to share memories. The book will remain open until March 17th.
Westland has established a Memorial Garden & Student Scholarship Fund in Mr. Hegedus' memory. Checks can be made payable to Westland MS and sent to 5511 Massachusetts Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20816; please indicate the "Ron Hegedus Memorial Fund" in the memo line.
In addition to many other skills and passions, Mr. Hegedus was a terrific gardener. A Japanese maple from his yard will be transplanted to Westland as the centerpiece of a garden to be created this spring in his honor. |
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Celebrate Westland's Cultural Arts!
 You should have received your invitation by now to the PTA's Cocktail Party & Fundraiser on Saturday, March 7th. It's going to be a great evening of cocktails, light fare, friends and fine art to benefit the cultural arts and other curriculum enrichment programs sponsored by the PTA.
The party will take place at ArtWorks Fine Art Studio in Bethesda. Westland students' art work will hang in the galleries and we hope to have musical performances as well.
Please send in your rsvp card today! Tickets are $25 per person, and additional donations are most welcome.
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SGA Collects Change to Make Change!
The Westland SGA's coin collection drive to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is well underway! The Pennies for Patients campaign is a nation-wide effort by students to raise funds to help people with blood cancer. So far, the 8th grade is in the lead, but that could change any day! Please check under your sofa cushions, your car seats, or wherever change tends to accumulate in your household, and join with your child in supporting this great effort. | |
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Support Our Community Partnerships!
The PTA relies on the support of its community partners to help underwrite our many programs. But it takes two to make a partnership successful! Westland partners with the following organizations:
- Giant A+ - Westland has earned $2,605.59 to date! Don't forget to use your Bonus Card when you shop.
- Safeway E-scrip - You can still register. Just click here! Designate Westland MS, Group # 6586159.
- Wordex Corporation - Go green and save green with this great ink cartridge refill program. Just take your empty cartridges to Wordex (4808 Auburn Ave.). You'll get a refilled cartridge at a cost that's less than half of buying new and Westland will get $3 for every refilled cartridge!
- Target "Take Charge of Education" - Register your red card today and earn money for Westland. Just click here!
- Snider's Supermarket and Chevy Chase Supermarket - Westland earns 1% of everything you spend! All you have to do is SAVE YOUR RECEIPTS. Then, send them into school in an envelope marked "PTA - Grocery Receipts."
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