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WILDCAT WIRE

A Weekly Publication of the Westland Middle School PTA   4/21/09
IN THIS ISSUE...
PTA Meeting 4/21
Westland Wild Dash 5K
Music Discount Cards
Seedlings for Change
Community Partnerships
Calendar    
 
4/21 Plant Sale 5:00-7:00pm Westland
 
4/21 PTA General
Meeting
7:00-9:00pm Media Center. (See below)
 
4/22 Soccer vs. Tilden 3:15pm Boys home; girls away
 
4/23 Incoming Bethesda Elem. Parent Coffee 8:45-10:00am at the Emden residence. RSVP to Alysa.
 
4/25 Westland Wild Dash 5K 8:30am 
 
4/28 Incoming Somerset Elem. Parent Coffee & Dessert 7:30-9:00pm at the Antonelli residence. RSVP to Ari.
 
4/29 Soccer vs. Pyle 3:15pm Girls home; boys away. 
 
PTA Meeting 4/21 
The PTA General Meeting is tonight, Tuesday, April 21, 7:00-9:00pm in the Media Center!
 
As part of Montgomery County's Middle School Reform initiative, several new courses will be introduced to the Westland 6th and 7th grade curriculum next year.
 
Principal Danny Vogelman will be on hand to discuss the new courses, as will Mr. Marty Creel, Director, MCPS Department of Enriched & Innovative Programs, and Ms. Stacy Gray, Supervisor, Middle School Expansion of Enriched & Innovative Programs. 
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A Plus LogoCOLES MARTIAL ARTS ACADEMY  
 
Now there's yoga at Coles Martial Arts!   Level I & beginners spring 8-week session starts Saturday, April 18th and ends Sunday June 14th. Wed. 9:30-10:45am and Sat & Sun. 7:30-8:45am   Questions? E-mail instructor Laurel Goeke 

 
Well, Mr. Vogelman assures me he's been training hard and is ready to run on Saturday in Westland's Wild Dash 5K. Lots of teachers and staff are planning to participate as well, so we now we just need a great turnout from parents and kids. It's going to be a beautiful day - no more excuses. Just sign up and have a blast!
 
Many thanks to Jan Eisner for providing coffee & snacks for the Principal's Coffee last week. Also, many thanks to Hope Pinkerton, Carol Kelly, Betsey Hudis, Maria Northup, Ari Antonelli, Katja Fras, Sherman and Angie Davis, Jacky McGroarty, Michele McNealy, Amy Nadel and Alex Weiner for providing a fantastic spread at yesterday's staff meeting. It was clearly much appreciated as there wasn't a crumb left!  And a belated thank you to all who contributed to the fantastically successful Career Day on April 2nd. I heard great reviews from both presenters and students alike. Many thanks to the Guidance Office for spearheading this effort and to all who participated.
 
As I mentioned last week, in an effort to reach out to new parents, the PTA is also hosting a series of coffees and desserts for incoming parents from our feeder schools. I'm hosting a morning coffee for BE parents on April 23, and Ari Antonelli is hosting a dessert for Somerset parents on April 28th. If you'd like to host a get-together for your elementary school, please let me know.
 
As always, please contact me or Alex Weiner if you'd like to hear more about all of the opportunities that are available with the PTA next year. The best jobs go early, so don't delay!
 
- Alysa  Emden
PTA President 
3rd Annual Westland Wild Dash 5K!
 
RunningOkay, the countdown's on. Just four days left until the 3rd annual Westland Wild Dash 5K on Saturday, April 25 at 8:30am!  Time to get serious about running, and about volunteering.
 
Register NOW!! To sign up online, just click here.  Or you can register at Westland on Friday from 7:15-8:00am, 2:30-3:15pm, and 5:00-8:00pm. More of your entry money goes to Westland if you register before race day; we have to pay a fee for each race day entry. So don't procrastinate!
 
Volunteer NOW!! We need course monitors to keep our runners safe. We need at least one adult at every interesection on the race route. At last count, we have just two volunteers. Please, show your support of this great Westland tradition and give just a half hour or so of your time. Please contact Meredith Valmon if you can help!
 
Encourage your kids to run. Don't forget, every Westland student who runs faster than Mr. Katz gets to throw a pie at him! Also, we've got great prizes for winners in different age groups, as well as great raffle prizes. Your race number is your ticket, so everyone is eligible to win.
 
See you Saturday!
Save $$$ and Support Westland Music! 
Discount CardYou can save money and support Westland music by purchasing a discount card. Just $10, the card entitles you to the following fantastic deals every day until 2/28/10 at these area merchants:

Giffords Ice Cream & Candy - buy one small ice cream cone and get one free
Modell's Sporting Goods - save 10% off any purchase,
Bethesda Bagels - buy 1 dozen bagels, get 6 free or 10% off any purchase
Potomac Pizza - 10% off purchase (Dine-in only)
Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream - 15% off any purchase
Baja Fresh - $2 off any purchase of $8 or more
Mustard Seed - 20% off new merchandise.
 
Please support Westland's dedicated and talented teachers and students in the Music Department by purchasing a discount card. It's a win/win fundraiser - the music department raises money and you save money. The money raised through this fundraiser will be used for instrument repair, choral music, and scholarships for the upcoming Busch Garden music competition field trip in May, among other things. You decide what to do with the money you save by using the Discount Shopping Card!
 
Get one for every member of your household! The cards also make great gifts! Please contact Cindy Stauffer if you have any questions.
Westland  Seedlings To Benefit Perry School! 
 
Seedling in handsIn February, approximately 28 Westland students gathered after school to plant organic vegetable & flower seeds as part of a new community service project. Under the guidance of science teachers Alison Lepard and Stephanie Lee, the students have been tending the seedlings, and they have now grown into full-fledged plantlings!
 
Now, it's time for the next step. The kids plan to sell the plants to raise funds to benefit the Perry School in Washington, DC, which runs an all-scholarship camp for kids in need. The sale will take place on Tuesday, April 21 from 5:00-7:00pm before the PTA Meeting - please plan to attend both the sale and the meeting!
 
Thanks to parents Lauren Rubenstein & Jenny Brown, and to Ms. Lepard and Ms. Lee for spearheading this great effort!
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 $3,804.25 to date! HOWEVER, Pyle has earned $5,293.44. Hmmmmm....Click here to check out school totals...and 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."