Each day this week brought a new group of students to school. Yesterday we welcomed everyone back to school. Students are learning new routines, connecting with old friends, and welcoming new friends. We have held fire drills Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Today I watched 6th grade and PreK students have their first Buddies time in the PreK play yard. Buddies is a time-honored tradition at Westfield. Younger students look forward to their time with their older friends and the older students learn to play and care for their younger friends. This year students will attend Meeting for Worship with their buddies.
This Friday 9/3 we will take class pictures and our all-school picture. These pictures will be featured in the Parents and Guardians Council school calendar (PreSchool 2 will have its class picture next Thursday - 9/9). Individual student pictures will be taken next Wednesday and Thursday.
On Thursday, September 9th we will have our Prek, Kindergarten, and Preschool Back to School Nights. These events will be on ZOOM. Look for ZOOM links from your childrens’ teachers next Thursday morning. We want to keep you, our teachers, and your children safe. There will be other opportunities for you to visit and see your student’s classrooms as individual parents.
6th-8th grade students will go to Camp Dark Waters next Thursday. They will have their individual school pictures taken on Wednesday. Look for an email with more information about Camp Dark Waters and a permission slip to return in an email from me tomorrow. Remember that parents are dropping their students off at Camp Dark Waters and picking them up from the Camp at the normal school drop-off and pick-up times. The camp address for GPS is 26 New Freedom Rd, Medford, NJ 08055.
We are still waiting for a few students’ medical records and immunization records to be uploaded into the Magnus Health system. We need this information so that we can help you keep your children healthy and safe.
On the COVID-19 front, as you know Governor Murphy signed an executive order requiring all employees, volunteers, and contractors who work in schools to be vaccinated for COVID-19 by October 18. At this time most WFS employees are vaccinated. Those who are granted medical or religious waivers will have weekly COVID-19 tests. With so many of our students too young to be vaccinated, it is incumbent upon the adults who support them to do everything in our power to keep them healthy and in school.
L'Shana Tovah tikatevu/A happy and healthy new year seems a fitting way to end this first “View From My Window”. Have a wonderful and restful Labor Day weekend. Happy Roshanah to our Jewish families.
Sincerely,
Margaret
___________________________________What I Am Reading:
Knights and Dragons by Matt Phelan
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman