Calendar
10/12 Columbus Day - Open House!
10/13 8th Grade Parent Coffee. 9:000-10:30am COSI, Bethesda.
10/15 Hispanic Festival Potluck Dinner. 7:00 - 8:30pm. Rock Creek Forest ES (note locations change!).
10/16 No School - MSTA Teacher Convention.
10/20 Softball vs. Pyle. Girls home; boys away. 3:15pm
10/22 7th Grade Parent Coffee. 8:30-10:30pm La Madeleine, Bethesda.
10/22 Guardian Circle Dinner 6:30-8:00pm, followed by talk by author Susan Stiffleman (see below), 8:00-9:00pm. B-CC Cafeteria.
10/24 Second Time 'Round Sale. 8:00am-4:00pm. Westland Cafeteria.
10/26 PTA Magazine Sale kicks off!
10/27 Fall Play Audition. 2:50pm. Westland Cafeteria.
10/29 Fall Play Read Through. 3:00pm Westland Cafeteria.
10/30 6th Grade Field Trip to Baltimore Aquarium. All day.
10/30 SGA Halloween Dance. 7:00-9:00pm. Westland. |
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Guardian Circle Dinner & Speaker
The first Guardian Circle dinner and meeting of the 2009/10 school year will take place on Thursday, Oct. 22 from 6:30-8:00pm in the B-CC Cafeteria. The Guardian Circle is a joint effort between the PTA and Westland to ensure that all families have access to the resources they need to help their children succeed at Westland.
 The dinner meeting will be followed by a talk at 8:00pm, co-sponsored by the Guardian Circle and the Westland PTA, by Susan Stiffelman, author of "Parenting Without Power Struggles: Raising Joyful, Resilient Kids While Staying Cool, Calm and Connected" to which the entire Westland community is invited. You can read more about Ms Stiffelman's work by clicking here. It should be a great talk, and I hope many in the Westland community will be able to attend. |
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THANKS TO OUR 2009/10 WILDCAT SPONSOR!
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Many thanks to those who managed to attend the first PTA General Meeting of the school year last Thursday. Principal Danny Vogelman and his leadership team opened the evening by describing the "State of the School". I am happy to report that Westland students' MSA test scores continue to improve, with more and more children testing as proficient or advanced in both math and reading.
This good news was followed by an eye-opening, if somewhat disturbing, presentation by Montgomery County State's attorney Stephen Chaikin about the perils of electronic media. To watch some of the videos presented at the meeting, go to the MCPS Cybersafety website. For more information about internet safety resources, go to the Montgomery County State's Attorney's webpage. There is is list of helpful links there, including one that Mr. Chaikin specifically recommended, Netsmartz. Additional cybersafety resources can be found on the MCCPTA website. There was a wealth of information, and the PTA may well schedule another presentation so that more parents can learn about this important topic.
If your schedule permits, please plan to stop by Westland's Open House on Monday, Oct. 12th - Columbus Day. You can visit classes, check out the Media Center, shop at the School Store...and much more. Please stop by the PTA welcome tables in the front hall for coffee and a snack to start your visit. If you haven't already done so, you can join the PTA, purchase a music discount card and join the Music Boosters Club, buy an environmentally friendly "chico bag", and just say hello! As always, please contact me or Exec. Vice President Alex Weiner if you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or especially offers of help! - Alysa Emden
PTA President |
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8th Grade Parent Coffee on Tues. 10/13/09!
Last Tuesday, 6th grade parents had a chance to chat. This week, 8th grade parents can do the same!
Please join 8th grade VPs Patty Craver and Laura Ginns, as well as Principal Danny Vogelman and Assistant Principal Maniya Desroches, at Cosi in Bethesda from 9:00-10:30am. We'll have a chance to catch up, and see what the year has in store for our 8th graders. Hope to see you there! |
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Hispanic Heritage Potluck Celebration - La Cena celebrando el mes de la Herencia!
 Westland is celebrating Hispanic heritage month from Sept. 15-Oct.15. The students have been participating in classroom and other activities designed to celebrate the diversity and depth encompassed within the Hispanic community. The culmination of this effort is a school-wide potluck dinner planned for Thursday, Oct. 15th from 7:00-8:30pm at Rock Creek Forest ES cafeteria ( note new location!) Join in the festivities of music, dance, food, and family. See student work and experience the many colors of the Hispanic culture. Please bring a dish to serve 6-8 (main course or dessert). The PTA will provide drinks.
Westland les invita a una celebracion especial que reconoce
la diversidad de la comunidad escolar en la Cena de la Herencia Hispana. Participa en un evento cultural de musica, baile, comida, y familia. Vean trabajos de los estudiantes y pasen unanoche celebrando varios "colores" de la cultura Hispana. |
Make Your Views About Math Known!
In an effort to improve its K-12 mathematics teaching and learning program, MCPS has established a multi-stakeholder work group. The work group is currently investigating issues related to mathematics curriculum, instructional practices, assessment, professional development, and acceleration.
As part of this effort, the work group is conducting a brief, five-question survey of parent opinions about the MCPS math program. The work group has asked each school's PTA to help gather this important information.
To facilitate the collection of this information (and to save a few trees!), the Westland PTA has created an on-line survey. Please click here to let your opinions be known about this issue. |
 Westland's First Annual
Second Time 'Round Sale!!! The Westland PTA is sponsoring its first-ever Second Time 'Round Sale on Saturday, Oct. 24. It's a great opportunity to be out with the old and outgrown, and in with the new and affordable!
We will accept all clothing, shoes, and sports equipment in GOOD, CLEAN, CONDITION - if you wouldn't buy it, please don't donate it! You can drop off donations at Westland's front office any time during school hours from now until Friday Oct. 23. You can also drop off donations at 5216 Edgemoor Lane, Bethesda, MD 20814 any time.
Alex Weiner & Alysa Emden are masterminding (sort of!) the sale, but are in need of many helpers to sort, display, and sell the goods on Friday afternoon and all day Saturday. We promise fun working conditions, no pay, and a first look at what's being offered. Please contact either or both of us if you can help! | |
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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+ - This program applies to purchases made between Oct 9th through March 25th. But you can still sign up!!! Click here to register your card! It takes two seconds. Westland's code is 00660.
- 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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 Westland Wildcat Archives
If you missed an issue, or just want to refer back to one from last year, click here for the Westland Wildcat Archives! | |
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