Our latest group email should be at the top of this page. Scroll down for our archive.
For the 2022-2023 school year:
Email sent 05-16-2023:
Parents Night Out in conjunction with Champions GR8 Kidz:
You can still sign up for the parents night out, this Friday the 19th, from 6-8:30pm. See the attached flyer or use this link to REGISTER NOW! Spaces Limited! https://sparkpages.io/?i=_IHU
If this event is well attended and well liked, this could become a regular WEST offering next school year and something we could schedule every 2-3 months throughout the year.
Vote! Today is the day to make your opinion known:
WEST typically provides a couple of volunteers in support of the school budget vote, come on out and vote and say hello to them or whomever the current helpers happen to be – The Westhill CSD 2023-2024 Budget Vote takes place today, Tuesday, May 16th from 7am to 9pm in the Westhill High School Auditorium Lobby.
The WEST led appreciation events were a huge hit!
Final tallying and paperwork are still to be completed but last week we were able to show the two school buildings and the transportation department an unprecedented amount of appreciation. Thank you so much for all the physical help and the gift card, food, and monetary donations! From behind the scenes it is very satisfying to see how much these events have grown over the years and how generous our families are.
Spirit Wear Has Been Ordered and Delivery is Expected Soon:
Thank you for your patience. Expect an update very soon on when and where the latest order will be available.
Original Works Children’s Artwork Is Being Distributed:
We did a very short notice pick up event last Thursday night. The next opportunity to pick up your artwork will be in the gymnasium (to the side of the book fair) at the Cherry Road Open House and Book Fair tomorrow night (Wednesday, the 17th). Please seek out our volunteers there to grab your orders. Any remaining orders after tomorrow night will be worked out individually with the families on how to receive them.
CORRECTION:
In our last group email we incorrectly stated that WEST was the only group that did an appreciation event for the transportation department. Someone wrote in to let us know that was not the case, so we wanted to pass along this information to you as well – The WHS Parent Organization has been including several of the transportation employees in their staff appreciation week at the high school building. So that is great!
We will be more careful in our wording in future years when getting the word out that WEST long ago took on the role of providing the “big” bus driver/transportation department appreciation event that includes everyone who works out of that department. In more recent years, with social media and the convenience of payment systems like PayPal and Venmo, the incoming donations have slowly grown. Last year, when the District Office used ParentSquare to get our appeal out to every household the contributions more than doubled. The long-time employees were shocked with what we delivered to them and did not understand how they were receiving so much last year. We are thrilled to let you know that thanks to even more generosity from you all this year, we beat out last year’s total by about 10%! Once again, the employees there were shocked by what they received Friday morning. Our volunteers stressed that the donations had come from the entire school district community and that WEST was simply the conduit/delivery mechanism for getting the community donations to them.
For new parents at Walberta Park – all of the school groups names and roles can be very confusing at first. Did you know that we have a simple explanation, with links, to the most likely groups you will hear about and be dealing with as your students get older? Scroll down to the bottom of our Parent Resources page to read about them all in the Parent Groups section: https://westhillparent.org/parent-resources/
Thank you to the parent who took the time to send in the correction to the last email. If you notice something we are doing weirdly or just plain wrong, please speak up! And if you do not feel comfortable including your name, please use our anonymous feedback form at the bottom of our Forms page: https://westhillparent.org/forms/ (Just leave the email address field blank to use it anonymously.)
Our school district is at its strongest when we all work together! Let’s take the momentum from the awesome appreciation weeks all the groups did this year… and set a new standard for what the school buildings can expect from us as parents.
Dates of interest for our WEST families through the end of the school year:
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Friday, May 19 – Friday, May 19 – WEST Parents Night Out with Champions GR8 Kidz
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Wednesday, May 24 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS (Note this is a date change.)
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Tuesday, May 30 – Additional day off from school for Memorial Day Weekend. (School calendar change.)
Thursday, June 1 – 3rd and 4th grade CRS Choral Concert at WHS
Friday, June 9 – 1st Graders visit Cherry Road School
Wednesday, June 14 – Flag Day Parade
Thursday, June 15 – WPS Field Days (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – CRS Water Carnival (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – WPS 1st Grade Farewell Program
Monday, June 19 – Juneteenth, No school
Wednesday, June 21 – 4th Grade Moving On Ceremony
Thursday, June 22 Last day of School, Report cards distributed, Now a “half day” only (School calendar change.)
Email sent 05-04-2023:
Please donate by 5/7 – Last chances to help out our transportation and staff appreciation events:
Transportation Department –
Pssssttttt! We want to let you in on a secret…WEST is the ONLY school group that provides a thank you event to the school’s transportation department! So, please nudge your neighbors with older students and ask them if they’ve contributed yet? See the attached flyer if you are interested in making a donation or need to tell others what to do. All donations will go towards a special breakfast, just for the bus drivers and transportation department staff, on May 12th, and a gift card for each employee. Last year we were able to overwhelm them with the biggest appreciation event that they had ever received and this year we want to surprise them with your generosity again!
Walberta Park and Cherry Road Staff Appreciation Week 05/08 – 05/12:
Staff Appreciation week planning is underway. Please click the link to see where we are still looking for donations of items and time https://signup.com/go/VswTjDA
(There is currently more need for Walberta Park School donations and support, but both buildings could use some help! Please skim through the list and see if there is something that you can do to support WEST’s amazing staff appreciation week offerings.)
Donations of money to help with the luncheon and other fun things for teachers can be done through our venmo: @WESTPARENTORG (comment Staff appreciations) or with a check sent in to CRS or WPS, payable to WEST and please put WEST Staff on the envelope.
New WEST Offering – Parents Night Out in conjunction with Champions GR8 Kidz:
Hey Families!! Great news!!!
On Friday, May 19th from 6:00pm-8:30pm Champions GR8 Kidz will be hosting a Parents Night Out Fundraising event to benefit WEST!! Registration is required! Spaces Limited! Participants must currently be in Kindergarten-4th Grade!
Champions GR8 Kidz is offering a special fundraising rate of ONLY $15 for Cherry Road and Walberta Park students! Plus, 100% of proceeds from Cherry Road and Walberta Park students will go DIRECTLY TO WEST!!!
And it only gets better… Parents will get a well-deserved break while your kids have a blast! Champions GR8 Kidz will even provide one slice of pizza, fruit snacks, and a bottle of water for all participants.
Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity to support our school and give your kids a night to remember. See the attached flyer or use this link to REGISTER NOW! Spaces Limited! https://sparkpages.io/?i=_IHU
Spirit Wear Has Been Ordered:
Thank you for your patience as we extended our sale dates. The order has been placed and is being processed by the company. You can expect to hear from us by the end of the month on how to get your shirts.
Original Works Children’s Artwork Has Shipped:
We expect to receive your children’s customized artwork products today or tomorrow and will be trying to set up a pick-up night for you next week. If you made an order, you can expect to hear from us soon!
Dates of interest for our WEST families through the end of the school year:
Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5 – WPS Family Breakfast Week
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Friday, May 19 – Friday, May 19 – WEST Parents Night Out with Champions GR8 Kidz
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Wednesday, May 24 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS (Note this is a date change.)
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Thursday, June 1 – 3rd and 4th grade CRS Choral Concert at WHS
Friday, June 9 – 1st Graders visit Cherry Road School
Wednesday, June 14 – Flag Day Parade
Thursday, June 15 – WPS Field Days (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – CRS Water Carnival (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – WPS 1st Grade Farewell Program
Monday, June 19 – Juneteenth, No school
Wednesday, June 21 – 4th Grade Moving On Ceremony
Friday, June 23 Last day of School, Report cards distributed
Email sent 04-26-2023:
Did you know that the Westhill transportation department has almost 60 employees? WEST would like your help to show our appreciation to all the bus drivers, mechanics and support team members. They work hard each and every day to transport students to and from school, athletic contests and a variety of field trips. Please see the attached flyer if you are interested in making a donation. All donations will go towards a special breakfast, just for them, on May 12th, and a gift card for each employee. Thank you!
Staff appreciation week is coming up May 8th through May 12th. See the attached flyer for details on the various ways that you can contribute your time and efforts to show your appreciation. Don’t have time to help out but still want to pitch in? Make a straight donation to WEST and your entire donation will be used to support the various events throughout the week. The more you give, the more appreciation we will pass directly along to the staff! Please make payments through venmo @WEST-PARENTORG and comment: staff appreciation, or send a check
made out to WEST to CRS or WPS in your child’s backpack.
Our extended spring spirit wear sale is almost over! It will close April 28th. See the attached flyer for details or go directly to our Google Form link to order.
Did you do some Earth Day cleanup? Want to get rid of those cans and help out WEST at the same time? See our attached flyer on the easy ways you can turn those cans into school field trips for your child. (Along with the multitude of other enrichment activities that WEST provides.)
Need Mulch? Want to support the Westhill school district and have those heavy bags dropped off right at your house? The Westhill Educational Foundation’s second annual Mulch Fundraiser is accepting orders through April 30th. Go to https://www.westhillfoundation.com/mulch-sale/ or see the attached flyer for how to order and for the pickup or delivery details.
Dates of interest for our WEST families through the end of the school year:
Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28 – CRS Family Breakfast Week
Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5 – WPS Family Breakfast Week
Tuesday, May 2 – Wednesday, May 3 – Third and Fourth graders Math NYS CBT
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Wednesday, May 24 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS (Note this is a date change.)
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Thursday, June 1 – 3rd and 4th grade CRS Choral Concert at WHS
Friday, June 9 – 1st Graders visit Cherry Road School
Wednesday, June 14 – Flag Day Parade
Thursday, June 15 – WPS Field Days (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – CRS Water Carnival (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – WPS 1st Grade Farewell Program
Monday, June 19 – Juneteenth, No school
Wednesday, June 21 – 4th Grade Moving On Ceremony
Friday, June 23 Last day of School, Report cards distributed
Email sent 04-20-2023:
Last Day to Order from our Child’s Artwork Sale:
Please see our website: westhillparent.org/sales/childrens-art-sale/ or the customized paper that came home in your child’s backpack for details on how to order. (Example attached.) Order through today (April 20th) with the initial pickup of your product expected to be available the second week of May. (Note that there was a typo in our email address on the back of the paper sent home. If you have any questions about the fundraiser, please email us [email protected]) If you have any trouble ordering at this point, please call their customer service number: 518.584.9278
Our spring spirit wear sale has been extended! Will now close April 28th. See the attached flyer for details or go directly to our Google Form link to order.
Last Reminder for PWP – proceeds will go to the St. Charles Food Pantry and the Westhill Educational Foundation:
The 10th Annual Paint Westvale Purple Run/Walk races are being held on Sunday, April 23rd. See the attached flyer or use these links to:
Any questions can be sent to their email – [email protected]
Dates of interest for our WEST families through the end of the school year:
Monday, April 24 – Tuesday, April 25 – Third and Fourth graders ELA NYS CBT
Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28 – CRS Family Breakfast Week
Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5 – WPS Family Breakfast Week
Tuesday, May 2 – Wednesday, May 3 – Third and Fourth graders Math NYS CBT
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Tuesday, May 30 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Thursday, June 1 – 3rd and 4th grade CRS Choral Concert at WHS
Friday, June 9 – 1st Graders visit Cherry Road School
Wednesday, June 14 – Flag Day Parade
Thursday, June 15 – WPS Field Days (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – CRS Water Carnival (Rain date 6/20)
Friday, June 16 – WPS 1st grade Farewell Program
Monday, June 19 – Juneteenth, No school
Wednesday, June 21 – 4th Grade Moving On Ceremony
Friday, June 23 Last day of School, Report cards distributed
Email sent 04-12-2023:
Our spring spirit wear sale ends today! (April 12th.) See the attached flyer for details or go directly to our Google Form link to order.
Yearbook ordering ends this week. Order through April 15th with delivery expected in mid June. More details are available at: westhillparent.org/yearbook or you can order directly through this link: https://store.shopyearbook.com/WalbertaCherryRoad-22-23
Your Child’s Artwork Sale Has Started:
Please see our website: westhillparent.org/sales/childrens-art-sale/ or the customized paper coming home in your child’s backpack for details on how to order. Order through April 20th with the initial pickup of your product expected to be available the second week of May. (Note that there was a typo in our email address on the back of the paper sent home. If you have any questions about the fundraiser, please email us [email protected])
Two WEST adjacent activities reminder:
- The Chip In For Education Fundraiser (adult only event) is back for the first time in four years and is being held this Saturday, April 15th.
Details on how to reserve your tickets are on their website: https://www.westhillfoundation.com/chip-in-2023/ or you can email [email protected] with questions about the event or volunteer opportunities.
- The 10th Annual Paint Westvale Purple Run/Walk races are being held on Sunday, April 23rd. Use these links to:
Any questions can be sent to their email – [email protected]
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Tuesday, April 18 – Seventh WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Monday, April 24 – Tuesday, April 25 – Third and Fourth graders ELA NYS CBT
Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28 – CRS Family Breakfast Week
Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5 – WPS Family Breakfast Week
Tuesday, May 2 – Wednesday, May 3 – Third and Fourth graders Math NYS CBT
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Tuesday, May 30 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Email sent 03-30-2023:
Feedback on our new spirit wear designs and styles was very positive last fall. If you missed out or want to order more, now is the time! Our spring spirit wear sale is open through April 12th. See the attached flyer for details or go directly to our Google Form link to order.
The 2022-2023 school yearbook is available to order. Order now through April 15th with delivery expected in mid June. More details are available at: westhillparent.org/yearbook or you can order directly through this link: https://store.shopyearbook.com/WalbertaCherryRoad-22-23
Your Child’s Artwork Sale Coming Soon:
Keep an eye out after spring break for updates and flyers for how to order your child’s artwork on several different products. The art teacher worked hard to get artwork ready for over 600 students and it has been sent off to the company for processing. Online ordering information will be coming home in two weeks.
Passive Fundraisers:
We learned earlier this month that Amazon has shut down its Amazon Smile program as of late February. Thank you to everyone who had us earmarked as their charity of choice! It was a simple source of passive fundraising for WEST for several years and its benefit to us was growing each year. It will be missed. You can read Amazon’s announcement about the change here.
Thankfully, we still have another easy way for you to help WEST raise a little money while doing something you already do. Please consider taking advantage of our relationship with two local bottle and can redemption companies. You can take your returnables to Western Lights Bottle Return or to the various locations of the Bottle & Can Redemption Centers. See the attached flyer for how the process works at each company as it differs slightly. It “can” save you time while helping out WEST!
Two WEST adjacent activities coming up:
Many Westhill families stayed in the school district or bought a house in the school district specifically to take advantage of the quality of the neighborhoods and the schools. Two events are coming up in April that are exactly what makes the Westhill community so special! Please consider attending or volunteering at these events. Events like these can only continue to shine if families care enough to help out and take part.
- The Chip In For Education Fundraiser (adult only event) is back for the first time in four years and is being held on Saturday, April 15th. See the attached flyer for details. Details on how to reserve your tickets are on their website: https://www.westhillfoundation.com/chip-in-2023/ or you can email [email protected] with questions about the event or volunteer opportunities.
- The 10th Annual Paint Westvale Purple Run/Walk races are being held on Sunday, April 23rd. Use these links to:
Any questions can be sent to their email – [email protected]
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Thursday, March 30 – WPS Open House and Book Fair
Thursday, March 30 – Spring Plant Sale Pick Up at WPS
Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7 – Spring Recess – No School
Tuesday, April 18 – Seventh WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28 – CRS Family Breakfast Week
Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5 – WPS Family Breakfast Week
Tuesday, May 2 – Wednesday, May 3 – Third and Fourth graders Math NYS CBT
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Tuesday, May 30 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Email sent 03-04-2023:
Another chance to buy our new spirit wear designs:
Feedback on our new spirit wear designs and styles was very positive last fall. If you missed out or want to order more, now is the time! Our spring spirit wear sale just opened and will continue through April 12th. See the attached flyer for details or go directly to our Google Form link to order.
Our spring flower sale from Hafner’s continues through March 10th. Pick up will be on March 30th. Please see the attached flyer for details and ordering information. Or you can go directly to our Google Form link.
March 6th through March 10th is our spring food drive week. See the flyer below for details. Be sure your child knows that they can “vote” for which dress up day they want based on what box they put their food items in when they drop them off!
The 2022-2023 school yearbook is available to order. Order now through April 15th with delivery expected in mid June. More details are available at: westhillparent.org/yearbook or you can order directly through this link: https://store.shopyearbook.com/WalbertaCherryRoad-22-23
A WEST friendly activity:
This year’s Paint Westvale Purple is being held on Sunday, April 23rd. They offer a race distance for every member of the family – a Free Kid’s Fun Run (for kids 7 and under), a 1-Mile Bubble Run and a 5K Run/Walk. New this year, the color run is being changed to a bubble run and will include an event t-shirt with your registration. There is student pricing available for the 5K and early bird pricing for adults through March 15th. This is a school aged and community focused event, held right at Cherry Road School, with proceeds benefiting St. Charles Food Pantry and the Westhill Educational Foundation. For more details and to register you can go to the registration site or through the PWP website.
Another set of thank yous:
During early February WEST provided snow cone treats at Cherry Road to go along with their P.S. I Love You week celebration and at Walberta Park to go along with their February parties. Thank you to the volunteers that made this possible at both buildings and to Terry Road Market for donating the ice!
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Monday, March 6 – Friday, March 10 – Spring Food Drive for St. Charles Food Pantry
Tuesday, March 7 – Sixth WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS
Monday, March 13 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, March 17 – Second Trimester Report Cards distributed
Thursday, March 30 – WPS Open House
Thursday, March 30 – Spring Plant Sale Pick Up at WPS
Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7 – Spring Recess – No School
Tuesday, April 18 – Seventh WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Monday, April 24 – Friday, April 28 – CRS Family Breakfast Week
Monday, May 1 – Friday, May 5 – WPS Family Breakfast Week
Tuesday, May 2 – Wednesday, May 3 – Third and Fourth graders Math NYS CBT
Wednesday, May 17 – CRS Open House and Book Fair
Monday, May 22 – Fourth to Fifth Grade parent orientation at OHMS Cafeteria
Wednesday, May 24 – Fourth Grade visit to OHMS
Friday, May 26, and Monday, May 29 – Memorial Day Weekend – No School
Tuesday, May 30 – Eighth WEST Meeting, 7PM CRS
Email sent 02-14-2023:
Still time to join in on the fun:
There are over 40 snow tubing spots still available for tomorrow (Wednesday, February 15th) and Four Seasons just confirmed with us today that they have plenty of snow despite the warm weather. The tubing hill is open for us tomorrow from 5 to 8 pm. We will keep the sign up open until 1 PM tomorrow or until the spots fill up, whatever comes first: Sign up through our Google Form link to reserve your spot. (All the spots for Tuesday, February 21st are full.) For full details about the event go to: westhillparent.org/student-fun
New fundraiser:
We are trying a new fundraiser – selling spring flowers from Hafner’s. Order now through March 10th and pick them up on March 30th. Please see the attached flyer for details and ordering information. Or you can go directly to our Google Form link.
Reminders:
Fourth grade parents: We need you to submit your fourth graders baby photo and what they would like to be when they grow up in order to make their final WEST yearbook extra special! See the attached flyer for details. (We have only received photos from about half of the 4th grade students so far. Please get your photos submitted soon so that our volunteers can get those pages completed!)
The 2022-2023 school yearbook is available to order. Order now through April 15th with delivery expected in mid June. More details are available at: westhillparent.org/yearbook or you can order directly through this link: https://store.shopyearbook.com/WalbertaCherryRoad-22-23
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Wednesday, February 15 – WEST Snow Tubing at Four Seasons Night #1
Monday, February 20 – Friday, February 24 – Winter Recess – No School
Tuesday, February 21 – WEST Snow Tubing at Four Seasons Night #2
Monday, March 6 – Friday, March 10 – Spring Food Drive for St. Charles Food Pantry
Tuesday, March 7 – Sixth WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS
Monday, March 13 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, March 17 – Second Trimester Report Cards distributed
Thursday, March 30 – WPS Open House
Thursday, March 30 – Spring Plant Sale Pick Up at WPS
Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7 – Spring Recess – No School
Email sent 01-30-2023:
You can now sign up for the WEST snow tubing nights at Four Seasons. The tradition has grown so popular over the years that we now schedule two nights, including one during the winter break week, to try to get as many families involved as possible. The two WEST nights are Wednesday, February 15th and Tuesday, February 21st. See the attachment for full details and the sign up links. Please reach out to us if you have any questions. You can also find the flyer and sign up links at: westhillparent.org/student-fun
Fourth grade parents: We need you to submit your fourth graders baby photo and what they would like to be when they grow up in order to make their final WEST yearbook extra special! See the attached flyer for details.
The 2022-2023 school yearbook is available to order! Order now through April 15th with delivery expected in mid June. More details are available at: westhillparent.org/yearbook or you can order directly through this link: https://store.shopyearbook.com/WalbertaCherryRoad-22-23
Please see the attached document with information for parents interested in taking on leadership roles within WEST. We cannot continue to do what we do without you and your help!
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Tuesday, February 7 – Fifth WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS
Wednesday, February 15 – WEST Snow Tubing at Four Seasons Night #1
Monday, February 20 – Friday, February 24 – Winter Recess – No School
Tuesday, February 21 – WEST Snow Tubing at Four Seasons Night #2
Monday, March 6 – Friday, March 10 – Spring Food Drive for St. Charles Food Pantry
Tuesday, March 7 – Sixth WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS
Monday, March 13 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, March 17 – Second Trimester Report Cards distributed
Thursday, March 30 – WPS Open House
Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7 – Spring Recess – No School
Email sent 01-12-2023:
Happy New Year!
Catching up on news from the end of December:
Did you notice all the mentions of WEST in the Hill & Vale that came home in December? (Can be seen here.) WEST was mentioned on the Book Fair update on page 2 and the Fall Obstacle Course section on page 3. But we want to draw extra attention to the write up on the District News update on page 14. It details how you can support charitable Westhill organizations, including WEST, while shopping at Amazon.com. If you use Amazon.com and do not use Amazon Smile, please take the time to sign up for the charity you prefer to support – we hope that you will consider choosing “Westhill Elementary Schools Together”, but understand if you choose something else. The important part is that you choose something you want to support. Once it is set up, Amazon automatically credits the charity of your choice with no change to what you pay for your purchases. WEST has received payments for $317.41 through the Amazon Smile program in the last 12 months and just under $950 total since inception, so it really does add up! We appreciate all of you who are already supporting WEST this way and hope that some others join in. If you have any questions about this and how to sign up, please reach out to us.
Thank you to all the volunteers that made the snow cone days possible at both Cherry Road (Monday, December 19th) and Walberta Park (Tuesday, December 20th). An extra big thank you to Terry Road Market for donating the ice for all the snow cones both days. WEST hopes that the simple treat helped to brighten up the students’ days.
WEST also provided funding for all five grade levels in support of their holiday classroom parties! Thank you for supporting our fundraisers so that we can continue to add fun to the school experience for every student.
If you were asked to go in and help with classroom parties and took any photos or if you have photos of the drama club performances or other in school activities that you are willing to share, please pass them along for possible inclusion in our yearbook! It is very easy to do and photos can be dropped right into a specific classroom area. Details are in the attached flyer or you can always get the information on our yearbook page: https://westhillparent.org/yearbook/
Looking ahead:
See the attached flyer for instructions for how to access the fall version of the WEST Student Directory through ParentSquare. If your family info is not listed, please consider submitting information to be included in our updated version next month. The directory can be an awesome resource for community building and helping your student bond with their classmates.
The 2022-2023 school yearbook is now available to order! Order now through April 15th with delivery expected in mid June. Here is the order link for your convenience: https://store.shopyearbook.com/WalbertaCherryRoad-22-23
Stay tuned for details and how to sign up for the WEST snow tubing nights at Four Seasons coming up in February. The dates have been reserved for Wednesday, February 15th and Tuesday, February 21st.
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Monday, January 16 – Martin Luther King Day – No School
Wednesday, January 25 – WPS/CRS Physicals
Tuesday, February 7 – Fifth WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS
Wednesday, February 15 – WEST Snow Tubing at Four Seasons Night #1
Monday, February 20 – Friday, February 24 – Winter Recess – No School
Tuesday, February 21 – WEST Snow Tubing at Four Seasons Night #2
Tuesday, March 7 – Sixth WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS
Monday, March 13 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, March 17 – Second Trimester Report Cards distributed
Thursday, March 30 – WPS Open House
Monday, April 3 – Friday, April 7 – Spring Recess – No School
Email sent 11-15-2022:
A few quick WEST reminders for this week:
Tonight (Tuesday, November 15th) is the Walberta Park School fall Book Fair from 5:30 – 7:00. Cherry Road families are welcome to join in as well.
Our Thanksgiving Food Drive is ongoing throughout this week. See the attached flyer for suggestions and send in donations with your student for them to place in the collection boxes just inside the doors at both school buildings.
Our second annual Turkey Trot is coming up next week, Wednesday, November 23rd from 9 – 10:45. There will be giveaways for the students that run and the Exhale cafe & bake shop food truck will be on hand with refreshments available to purchase. See the attached flyer or go to our web page to get to the RSVP form: westhillparent.org/turkey-trot/
Our two biggest fall fundraisers are still open:
Wreath and Poinsettia Sale open through the 23rd – westhillparent.org/sales/wreaths
Witty Wicks Candle Sale due back on the 28th – westhillparent.org/sales/ww/
External information:
We received a mailing from the 2022-23 SKI/NY Passport Programs for 3rd and 4th graders. If you are interested in learning more about the program please see the attached letter they sent us or go to their website for full details: iskiny.com
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Tuesday, November 15 – WPS Evening Book Fair
Thursday, November 17 – WPS Picture Retake Day
Tuesday, November 22 – Early Dismissal Drill – Students released 15 minutes early
Wednesday, November 23 – WEST Turkey Trot at the WHS track
Wednesday, November 23 – Friday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Recess – No School
Tuesday, November 29 – Third WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room
Friday, December 2 – Warrior Friday
Tuesday, December 6 – Parent Teacher Conferences, Early Dismissal
Thursday, December 8 – Parent Teacher Conferences, Early Dismissal
Thursday, December 15 – CRS Choral Concerts for 3rd and 4th Graders at WHS Auditorium
Wednesday, December 21 – CRS Drama Club Performance
Wednesday, December 21 – CRS Holiday Parties
Thursday, December 22 – CRS Charity Drive/PJ Day
Thursday, December 22 – WPS Monthly Program Charity Drive/PJ Day
Friday, December 23 – Holiday Recess Begins – No School
Tuesday, January 3 – School Resumes
Email sent 11-07-2022:
WEST Fundraising:
We understand that fundraisers get overwhelming. So WEST is doing what we can to cut down on the number we do by only holding our most useful and efficient ones.
If you want to support WEST projects but don’t see a fundraiser that interests you, you can “opt out” of partaking in our fundraisers and donate directly to us through our Westhill Pay In Advance (WPAY) initiative: westhillparent.org/fundraisers/wpay/ This is the most efficient way to support our efforts!
This time of year gets really busy with our asks, as three of our four traditional fundraisers for the school year occur in the fall (with the fourth – your children’s artwork sale being planned for the spring):
- For those of you who ordered from our Spirit Wear Sale, you should have gotten an email about the pickup night being held this Wednesday, November 9th, from 5-7 in the Cherry Road School cafeteria. Please pick up your items then (or have another parent grab them for you) or email us to make arrangements to have them sent home. Your purchases and your extra funds added allowed us to provide the school social workers with dozens of shirts for them to make sure that no students are left out of the fun on the monthly Warrior Fridays.
- We are very glad to be able to bring back our Wreath and Poinsettia Sale this year with Hafner’s as our new supplier. Please see the attached flyer for details or go to westhillparent.org/sales/wreaths to order. (Orders are due by November 23rd with product pick up on December 3rd.)
- Witty Wicks Candle Sales have been our most successful fundraiser in recent years and details will be coming home soon on how you can take orders by hand or online – including out of town ordering for friends and relatives that are not nearby. See the attached flyer or go to https://westhillparent.org/sales/ww/ for details.
Looking ahead:
Our Thanksgiving Food Drive is coming up next week – November 14th through the 18th. Please consider supporting our effort to provide food items to the St. Charles Food Pantry by sending the items in with your child any day that week.
Our “second annual” Turkey Trot is being planned for the morning of Wednesday, November 23rd at the Westhill High School track. Stay tuned for details and how to sign up for this free, family fun, event.
Some left over thoughts from the past couple of weeks:
Thank you to everyone that rolled with the weather postponement and were still able to come out to the Pumpkin Hollow family fun outing on October 24th. The turnout was much larger than last fall and it was great to see so many Westhill families enjoying the fall evening and what could be a new yearly WEST tradition.
Were you able to help out in the classrooms and take any photos of the fall parties? If so, (or for future times when you get into a classroom or go on a field trip to help), please send along your photos for possible inclusion in our yearbook. It is very easy to do and photos can be dropped right into a specific classroom area. Details are in the attached flyer or you can always get the information on our yearbook page: https://westhillparent.org/yearbook/
Your funds in action:
Cherry Road parents hopefully heard fun stories about the obstacle course your children were able to do in their physical education classes the last week of October. This year, for the first time, an inflatable obstacle course was part of the overall set up in the gym to take the fun to another level. That inflatable rental was made possible by using WEST funds that are set aside for use specifically at Cherry Road School.
Most of the classroom fall parties at both Walberta and Cherry Road schools were supplemented by WEST funding as we continue to find ways to convert your fundraising dollars into smiles and special memories for the students at both schools.
We cannot do what we do and continue to provide these sort of fun activities for your children without your support! Thank you.
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Tuesday, November 8 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day – No School
Monday, November 14 – Friday, November 18 – Fall Food Drive
Tuesday, November 15 – CRS Picture Retake Day
Tuesday, November 15 – WPS Evening Book Fair
Thursday, November 17 – WPS Picture Retake Day
Tuesday, November 22 – Early Dismissal Drill – Students released 15 minutes early
Wednesday, November 23 – WEST Turkey Trot at the WHS track
Wednesday, November 23 – Friday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Recess – No School
Tuesday, November 29 – Third WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room
Friday, December 2 – Warrior Friday
Tuesday, December 6 – Parent Teacher Conferences, Early Dismissal
Thursday, December 8 – Parent Teacher Conferences, Early Dismissal
Thursday, December 15 – CRS Choral Concerts for 3rd and 4th Graders at WHS Auditorium
Wednesday, December 21 – CRS Drama Club Performance
Wednesday, December 21 – CRS Holiday Parties
Thursday, December 22 – CRS Charity Drive/PJ Day
Thursday, December 22 – WPS Monthly Program Charity Drive/PJ Day
Friday, December 23 – Holiday Recess Begins – No School
Tuesday, January 3 – School Resumes
Email sent 10-12-2022:
Based on it being a popular choice in our survey, we have arranged a fall family fun outing with The Pumpkin Hollow again. It is next Monday, October 17th from 4-6 pm. You do not need to pay until you arrive on Monday, but please RSVP this week if you plan to attend so that they can plan on how many of us to expect. See the attached flyer for full details on the group deal they set up for us or you can get directly to our RSVP Google Form here.
We have a rough draft of the 2022-2023 student directory and are working on getting that finalized this month. Please submit your family information through our Google Form by the end of this week if you want to be included. You can choose what information you want to share. For new parents, this directory is used to help find your children’s classmates’ contact information for planning playdates and birthday parties and other social events. Once completed, it will be hosted on ParentSquare for easy access. We only have about 200 entries so far, so could use more participation to make it more helpful for all the families that will want to use it.
Picture days occurred at Walberta Park on Thursday the 6th and at Cherry Road on Tuesday the 11th. Be sure to get your orders in for your child’s photos at bjkphotos.com if you want to order and have not done so already.
Along with the spirit wear that everyone is encouraged to wear on Warrior Friday’s the staff gets some extra attention behind the scenes. Typically WEST does our big staff appreciation event during the month of May, but the school superintendent reached out to WEST and other groups associated with the school and encouraged us all to consider spreading our appreciation throughout the year. After discussing and approving the idea in our September meeting WEST was able to “sponsor” the Warrior Friday that just occurred on October 7th. It allowed us to show our appreciation for teachers and staff at all four of the Westhill buildings!
We have initial permission from the school district to once again plan a Turkey Trot on the morning of Wednesday, November 23rd at the high school track. Please save the date.
Third and fourth graders will have a chance to sign up for this year’s Rubik’s Cube Club soon. The club will be held before school on one Wednesday a month starting in November.
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Tuesday, October 18 – Second WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room
Friday, October 28 – WPS and CRS Halloween Parades
Friday, November 4 – Warrior Friday
Tuesday, November 8 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day – No School
Tuesday, November 15 – CRS Picture Retake Day
Thursday, November 17 – WPS Picture Retake Day
Tuesday, November 22 – Early Dismissal Drill – Students released 15 minutes early
Wednesday, November 23 – WEST Turkey Trot at the WHS track
Wednesday, November 23 – Friday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Recess – No School
Tuesday, November 29 – Third WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room
Email sent 09-22-2022:
Please note that this is the final time we intend to use our 2021-2022 school year mailing list. For you parents whose youngest students have moved on to OHMS or those of you who have moved out of the district, we hope your children are off to great starts in their new adventure! We are including you a final time so you have a chance to see our gratitude for all that you made possible to end the school year. (The Water Carnival, Field Days and end of year ceremonies would not be the same without WEST funds and volunteers. Field trips would not be possible without WEST funds.) We are attaching our June/September newsletter as a way to emphasize all that you made possible.
For those families who still have students in Walberta Park or Cherry Road School, please make sure you take the time (if you have not already) to sign up for our 2022-2023 school year mailing list. We refresh our lists every year so need you to take the step to give us your information and explicitly opt in again.
You can get to our email list form, our student directory form and our volunteer interest form here: westhillparent.org/forms/
Other important items from the top of our newsletter:
Please consider filing out our back to school survey so we can know how best to plan for the new school year.
For the first time in years we are offering an upgraded Spirit Wear Sale:
Order by the end of the month with shirts expected to be available in October: westhillparent.org/sales/
2021-2022 School Year Yearbooks Still Available:
Email us for details on how to get a softcover copy of last year’s yearbook.
Dates of interest for our WEST families for the next couple of months:
Tuesday, September 27 – First WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room
Thursday, October 6 – WPS Picture Day
Monday, October 10 – Columbus Day – No School
Tuesday, October 11 – CRS Picture Day
Tuesday, October 18 – Second WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room
Friday, October 28 – WPS and CRS Halloween Parades
Tuesday, November 8 – Staff Development Day – No School
Friday, November 11 – Veterans Day – No School
Tuesday, November 15 – CRS Picture Retake Day
Thursday, November 17 – WPS Picture Retake Day
Tuesday, November 22 – Early Dismissal Drill – Students released 15 minutes early
Wednesday, November 23 – Friday, November 25 – Thanksgiving Recess – No School
Tuesday, November 29 – Third WEST Meeting, 7 PM CRS Staff Room