WESTLAWN ELEMENTARY NEWSLETTERFIRST SIX WEEKS 2020-2021

THERESA ALLENAssistant Principal

ELODIA WITTERSTAETTERPrincipal

KIAUNDRA WALKERAssistant Principal

FROM OUR PRINCIPAL Hello Westlawn Students and Families,

It is so hard to believe that we are already at the end of the first six weeks. I would like to take a moment to give a HUGE shout out to our entire staff who have worked so hard to prepare for our students both on campus and remote. Our students have done such an amazing job with the safety protocols the district has implemented across all elementary campuses.

This year we have the OpportUNITY to come together, LEAD by example, LEARN from one another, and GROW in this new journey together. We’ve had a lot of celebrations with students and staff members and looking forward to many more! We look forward to a great 2nd six weeks.

I would like to introduce our two new assistant principals, Theresa Allen and Kiaundra Walker. Together they have about 35 years of experience in the field of education. I am very excited about our leadership team this year and our staff. Together, we will continue to do our best to serve our Westlawn students and families.

Elodia Witterstaetter Principal

Habit 1 — Be ProactiveYou're in Charge of YouI am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.

Habit 2 — Begin with the End in MindHave a PlanI plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.

Habit 3 — Put First Things FirstWork First, Then PlayI spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.

Habit 4 — Think Win-WinEveryone Can WinI balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in othersÕ Emotional Bank Accounts. When conßicts arise, I look for third alternatives.

Habit 5 — Seek First to Understand, Then to Be UnderstoodListen Before You TalkI listen to other people’s ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints. I listen to others without interrupting. I am conÞdent in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking.

Habit 6 — SynergizeTogether Is BetterI value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different than me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than anyone of us can alone. I am humble.

Habit 7 — Sharpen The SawBalance Feels BestI take care of my body by eating right, exercising and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I Þnd meaningful ways to help others.

We are preparing our students to be leaders by teaching the

7 Habits of Highly Effective People:

INTRODUCING OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES

LAURA DEANCounselor

COUNSELOR’S CORNERMy name is Laura Dean, and I am so excited to serve as your counselor this year! For the last few years I have been the 5th grade math interventionist at Westlawn, so getting to work with ALL students this year will be the best! At home, I have three children whom many of your students know; Zoe, Mia, and Sam. We like to explore and try new things! As counselor, I would love to hear from you about any ideas or needs you may have that can help your child be successful here at Westlawn. We have a variety of resources and services to help your child learn and develop both inside and outside of the classroom.

I have really enjoyed getting to know your children this first six weeks and can’t wait to see how they grow throughout the year. Mrs. Shaw and I were happy to present a lesson on Habit #1: Be Proactive. We were able to visit every classroom and talk to the

students about proactive and reactive choices, pushing the “pause button,” and thinking before we make a positive, healthy choice. Ask your child about pushing his or her “pause button!” I would love to hear what they were able to teach you or discuss anything else you wish to share! Please feel free to contact me any time by calling the front office.

QUOQUISE NICKLEBERRYInstructional Coach

STEPHANIE PARKERInstructional Coach

Westlawn Elementary welcomes Mrs. Stephanie Parker and Ms. Quoquise Nickleberry to our campus as our new Instructional Coaches. Mrs. Parker has been teaching for fifteen years and ten of those years have been with TISD. Ms. Nickleberry has been teaching for fifteen years, all with TISD. They are both excited and thrilled to be a part of the Westlawn family and are looking forward to working and supporting the teachers and staff here at Westlawn.

One of the roles of Instructional Coaches is supporting our staff with planning. This year Ms. Nickleberry and Mrs. Parker helped us get off to a good start with Leader in Me by helping staff plan for the implementation of a program called The First 7 Days. For the first 7 days of school this year, our entire school focused on one of the 7 habits each day. This gave students and staff an opportunity to review the 7 habits and start off with a solid foundation for success this year. Thank you Ms. Nickleberry and Mrs. Parker for your part in moving us forward on our Leader in Me Journey.

VOLUNTEERS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS (VIPS) & PARENT LIGHTHOUSE

We are very proud of our Westlawn VIPS and Parent Lighthouse Teams. Over the years, they have become more and more active. They have contributed to our school in many ways. Here are just a few:

➥ Planning and serving at Staff Appreciation Days

➥ Providing feedback to help us improve our school and plan new events, such as Semester Celebration

➥ Collaborating with our Leader in Me Coach and Staff Lighthouse Team

➥ Working at the Book Fair

➥ Serving at Thanksgiving Lunch

➥ Planning, decorating and working at our school dances

➥ Hosting a Trunk-or-Treat booth at the HATT Halloween event last year

➥ Helping with general needs like copies, sharpening pencils for testing, helping teachers decorate bulletin boards, etc.

As you can see, there is something for everyone within these two organizations! Whether you have a little or a lot of time to volunteer through VIPS…..or you would just like to provide input for school improvement as a Parent Lighthouse Member, WE NEED YOU! All Westlawn family members are invited to join.

Although this year may look a little different due to COVID-19 restrictions, we are committed to continuing our family and community involvement this year. Join our virtual VIPS & Parent Lighthouse round up on Tuesday, October 20 to find out more! We will have two identical meetings: 9:00 a.m. and again at 5:30 p.m. You must RSVP to receive instructions on how to join via computer or phone. Email Amberly.Shaw@txkisd.net or call Amberly Shaw or Arvis Deloney at 903.223.4252 to RSVP. If you are interested but can’t join the round up, just let us know and we will get you the information.

Parent Lighthouse members preparing to serve hot dogs at our first family night last year.

VIPS treated our staff to a Treat Day last November.

A FAMILY NIGHT IS COMING!

WE’RE BEGINNING WITH THE END IN MIND WITH CLASS MISSION STATEMENTS

Ms. McCowan’s class mission statement is written on her board, right above the class expectations.

Ms. Clayton’s class mission statement hangs outside of her door and is signed by students in her class, showing their commitment.

THINKING WIN-WIN

AT LUNCHWe discovered that some students really enjoy watching a movie at lunch, while others would rather socialize with their friends. However, we also have to make sure that the socializing isn’t so loud that it disrupts the learning of other students in class. How do you solve this? With a Win-Win solution! Each week, students have some days where they watch a movie and others where they can talk and socialize. To help them remain at an acceptable volume while talking, we have started a management system. The colors green, yellow, and red are used to show students how they are doing. Points are awarded according to the color each class is on at the end of their lunch period. The class with the most points at the end of the six weeks receives the Golden Tray Award! Our Golden Tray Winners for the first six weeks were:

THIRD GRADETie between

Ms. Lovejoy (Hubbert) & Ms. Perez

FOURTH GRADEMs. Turner

FIFTH GRADEMs. James

CELEBRATIONS!Celebrations are an important part of a Leader in Me School. We are working hard to celebrate all types of successes. Here are a few examples from the first six weeks:

Students and staff members get

to ring the Victory Bell when

they achieve a goal, whether it’s

academic or personal. We will also

ring it on the days when we meet

our staff or student attendance

goal for the day. When the bell

rings, everyone who hears it stops

and cheers! It is a great way to

celebrate together.

Another way we are celebrating student success this year is with Positive Office Referrals. Students who demonstrate one of our leadership habits can be sent to the office by a staff member to receive recognition for their positive behavior. The student is given a certificate, and they get to ring the Victory Bell. JEREMYAH THURSBY (pictured above) was awarded the very first Positive Office Referral this year! LANIYA LONG (pictured to the right) was the first Positive Bus Referral.

VICTORY BELL

AWARDSEvery 6 weeks, teachers from each TISD elementary campus are asked to nominate a small number of students to be considered for the honor of Superintendent’s Leader in Me Champions. The Habit 1: Be Proactive nominees from Westlawn for this first six weeks were: Chance Burton, Ariel Hernandez, Davion Jackson, Kenyon Jester, Javyn Long, Laniya Long, Sawyer Martin, Leighton Mosley, Jasmine Wrightner & Edgar Cuz Yat

JASMINE WRIGHTNER

LEIGHTON MOSLEY

The winners for this six weeks were Jasmine Wrightner & Leighton Mosley.

They were surprised with a certificate, tshirt, and a yard sign to showcase their accomplishments.

ALL “A” HONOR ROLL ~ FIRST SIX WEEKS3RD GRADELilium BarnesChance BurtonMarcus FinleyEric HancockTrey Hogue

4TH GRADEAriel HernandezSawyer MartinKadarrius MasonJohn NarroMadison RichardsZaria Tyson

5TH GRADEJazlynn ColemanJaqwon HankinsKamryn JesterKardell RobinsonKaden RossBroderick Washington

3RD GRADEJy’Naijah AbrahamLapayton BraggRylie CannonKaden ConcepcionTrae’Vyon DotsonJazlyn ForteJonathan GailesTaylyn HamiltonTreneashia HankinsTarajii ManleyKylei McFallNahaven MooreAlana SheppardMikailah WalkerBrashya WebbJeremiah WhiteJoel WhiteTayla WilliamsJasmine Wrightner

“A-B” HONOR ROLL ~ FIRST SIX WEEKSTaliah AbrahamCharles BairdBryant BarksdaleKyre ButlerKa’Mire CarriganCortez CollinsIdris DiopNyleigh DowdenAzul EspinozaBryden EwingsRylei FarrisDecourion GantJayden GossettJa’Den GriffiePrince GuinyardBraidan LongJavyn Long

Noelle LopezJuan Lopez- RosasA’Riyah MillerJavon MooreKaedyn MooreI’Mya MorrisAntwaun MurrayMalachi NoblesJamir RobersonMcKenzi SanchezKeilyn SmithS’Quoya TaylorArianna ThompsonJalen ThorntonRylee WarrenBrashay WebbNoah White

Olivia AndersonJa’mari AntwineTiffany BowenJa’koryn BradleyEsmerelda ClausenTrenton ColemanChase CrinerTyree FranklinDeniyah GantMyah GoodenRaphael HillDavion JacksonJa’Kerriana JamesLegacie JohnsonQuanisha JohnsonMiracle Jones

Terrell LawrenceAja Leeks- EvansLaniya LongPaytrin LongAmauree LoweSha’Miracle MillerKemario MixonJamil NoielAmorien ReedLondon RichardsonMalajah SmithDerrick TaylorTrey TaylorAmordre WilliamsBralon WilliamsShamar Williams

4TH GRADE 5TH GRADE

Making a Difference!

BOARD OF TRUSTEE

SUPERINTENDENT

First Baptist Church Golden Circle

United Way of Greater Texarkana Walmart

PRINCIPALHarvest Texarkana

Neurosurgical Associates of TXKInternational Rotary Club

Wells Fargo Mayo

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL Solomon Freight

Patterson’s Photo Studio & Imaging

John and Tonja Hays Texas Roadhouse

Junior League of TexarkanaVickie Treece - REMAX

Orr Auto TexarkanaWilliams Memorial

United Methodist Church

COUNSELOR Entergy First Baptist Church Nash Gateway Tires Office Depot Whataburger

TEACHER Arby’s Christ Nations Suzetta Dodson El Chico’s First Baptist Church Wake Village Happy Tails Boarding, LLC Healthcare Express Literacy Council of Bowie and Miller Counties Darrah McGuire Office Depot Oubre Animal Clinic Sid’s Automotive Slim Chickens Sports Magic St. Paul Missionary Baptist Church Taco Bueno Tacos 4 Life Zeta AMICAE of Texarkana

Westlawn Elementary thanks all of ourPartners In Education Business Partners

for their continued support of our students and staff.