News & Notes

As we prepare for our END OF YEAR CELEBRATION on Friday, May 27th, we want to make sure everyone is aware of some changes we’ve made several weeks in advance so we can all plan accordingly. We will send a reminder in May as well.

• May 27th will be a 12:00 dismissal (instead of the 1:00 we used to have). Grab and Go Lunches will be available for all students. We moved up student dismissal by an hour so we could highlight our End of Year Celebration and be less rushed.
• We plan to have a quick and fun End of Year Celebration that will last from 1:30-2:45 (at the latest) in the High School Auditorium. All Teachers and Administrators are required to attend as this is contract time during a contract day. Each building will sit together in a designated area. Look for info to come from your building principal. All Classified Staff are strongly encouraged to attend and be paid for their time while “on the clock.” If you need to clock in early or extend the time frame that you’re on the clock that day so you can be paid, we want you to be with us if you can. We want to celebrate ALL staff. Please check with your supervisor if you need assistance.
• We will also have dozens of gift cards that will be randomly drawn and given to staff winners throughout this celebration.

Have a wonderful week.

- Andrea, Mark, and Mike

REMINDER: now is your chance to choose your size and style for a FREE staff t-shirt to kick off the 2022/23 school year!

Please click here to let us know what size shirt you would like, and what building we should deliver it to. Once ordered, these shirts will be delivered to buildings and ready for you to pick up when we return on August 8. If you have already submitted your shirt request, ignore this email.

These are Gildan brand cotton t-shirts, in unisex sizes. Please note: due to the quantity of shirts we are ordering and our hopes to provide each staff member what works best for them, we cannot change your order once you choose a size. Thank you for understanding.

The online ordering form will close Friday, April 29. If you do not fill out the form via the link above, you will still receive a free shirt, but your colors/sizes will be limited.

Do you have news to share, an event to promote, or an achievement to celebrate? Let us know! We have a variety of outlets to share positive news including social media, websites, our app, newsletters and media coverage. Please email us at communications@westside66.net (more than 24 hours in advance when possible.)

Members of WE-SIDE have been visiting Community Clubs throughout the District to share with families what WE-SIDE is about. We have already experienced much positive feedback and dialogue!

We encourage you to read each image below to get a more-detailed look at what our representatives are sharing throughout our community!

Congratulations to Allison Denton, School Psychologist at Swanson Elementary, who has welcomed a baby boy into her family! Logan Hayes Denton was born February 16. Congratulations to Allison and her family!

We know your time is limited and valuable - and we appreciate you taking a few minutes to read our Westside News & Notes Staff Newsletter! NEW FOR 2021-22: Play Along - Win a Prize! Every week, we will pose a question in our newsletter. Simply email communications@westside66.net with your response, and you will be entered in a prize drawing!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

IN THESE FINAL WEEKS OF SCHOOL, WHAT IS YOUR GO-TO TO HELP YOU GET THROUGH TOUGH DAYS?

All Westside Community Schools & Westside Foundation staff members (ECC/Club 66) are eligible!

MARCH WINNERS:

• ABIGAIL LYNCH, WMS
• KIM GRADOVILLE, WHS
• CHRISTY BINTZ, OAKDALE

Nebraska Congressman and State Senator Brad Ashford, who was also a graduate of Westside High School (1967), died April 19. Mr. Ashford returned to Westside several times to speak to our students, and he was inducted into the Westside Hall of Fame in 2004. Our thoughts and condolences are with his loved ones as we remember this public servant and Westside Warrior.

Our condolences are with Tim Hill as his grandson, Abe Kuhnert-Hill, died April 14. Tim is a member of our Business Office at the ABC Building. Here is a link to Abe's obituary: https://www.petersonmortuaryinc.com/abraham-abe-joseph-kuhnert-hill/

Please keep Tim and his family in your thoughts.

The students enrolled in the "Arts For ME!" program have designed their very own t-shirt! You can purchase one for $15, room 350 at WHS, or email Erin Lunsford at lunsford.erin@westside66.net. All proceeds go to support the "Arts For ME!" program, and all shirts are printed at WHS, thanks to the Colosseum. Thanks for considering!

We are excited to be making plans for a Back-To-School Celebration on Sunday, August 14, 2022, at Westside High School. This FREE event is for our entire district - all students, staff members, their families, and our community. We will have games, prizes, entertainment and food!

We hope this will be a great opportunity for our schools, departments, coaches, sponsors, and organizations to gain exposure and support for your great work throughout the school year. We plan to have vendor booths/tables around the track at Westside High to allow your group space, at no charge. If you would like to set up a table or booth for your club or organization, please email communications@westside66.net.

Some additional details:

• The event will run from Noon until 4:00pm on Sunday, August 14. We will open the WHS stadium gates at 8:00am to allow for vendors to begin setting up booths and tables.

• You are welcome to offer games, prizes, activities, ‘meet and greets’, demonstrations, etc.

• You will be responsible for bringing, setting up and tearing down your area and anything else you bring with. There will not be any electrical outlets available.

• This will be a GREAT opportunity for you to showcase your organization and fundraise if need be. Do you have shirts or gear to sell? Do you have small calendar handouts with events? Do you have students who can engage with families and stakeholders?

• Do you have social media? Hand out postcards with your contact information and how folks can follow you for updates.

We also plan to offer entertainment for families throughout the day. If this is something your students and/or group would be interested in, please email communications@westside66.net to reserve a performance time.

Once we determine how many vendors/performers we have, we will then send out additional logistics and details as we get closer to the event.

Want to catch an Omaha Performing Arts production? Use our Westside discount, special for Westside employees! Use promo code WCS2122 on the top right of the ticket purchasing page.

CLICK HERE for tickets and schedules.

Wicked, April 27 - May 15

SNAP! A Mystery And Magic Performance, May 18

An Evening With Lisa Fischer, May 26

Anastasia, June 7 - June 12