Dolphin Weekly Waves

From the Principal

We will begin MAP (Measures of Academic Progress) Testing this week. MAP is a standardized test and is given on the computer. MAP measures a student's progress and growth throughout the year and allows teachers to pinpoint student strengths and weaknesses in order to develop instruction to better meet our student's needs. MAP is called an "adaptive" test meaning that it adjusts the difficulty of the questions based on student responses. This makes the test tailored to a student's learning level. There is no passing or failing of MAP; instead, the scores provide a snapshot of where students are performing compared to their peers.

How can you help your child prepare for MAP? The best way to prepare your child is to encourage them - make sure to let tell them that you know they will do a great job. MAP is not intended to cause stress! It is a check-up to see how students are progressing. Making sure your child has a good night's sleep and a stress-free morning will also help your child's performance.

We know our students will do a wonderful job on MAP!

Please be sure to mark your calendar for our Family Night (Open House) next Thursday, September 7 from 5:00-7:00. We are excited to have our families in the building and look forward to spending time with you!

Calendar Note.... Picture Days - Tuesday and Wednesday, September 26 and 27 - A schedule will come soon.....

We are continuing our journey to be the BEST each of us can be! Have a wonderful week!

Angie Garrison, EdD

Principal

West End's Mission: Our West End Community maximizes students’ potential by providing instruction that builds our students’ knowledge, strengthens their skills, and develops in them career-ready characteristics for success in an ever-changing world.

If you have a child birth to 5 years old, be sure to sign-up for Dolly Parton's Imagination Each month, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library mails a high quality, age appropriate book to all registered children, addressed to them, at no cost to the child’s family. Click the picture and scroll down to the "Can I Register My Child Box?" to sign-up!

Homework Center Parents

We need your help! Our students do not always have homework. While we have activities for days when a student may not have homework, we find they prefer something of their choice. It would be helpful for them to have something each day to give them a personal choice when they don't have homework - a book to read, materials to color/draw, etc.

Pick-Up and Sign-Out

Please wait until you have arrived at West End to call/text for pick-up. Calling and texting when you have not arrived pulls staff away from students for extended periods of time. Also, the district requires a parent sign-out each day. Thank you for help us with this requirement by signing your student(s) out.

Parents- your child attends a schoolwide Title 1 school. We would like to tell you more about what that means. Please read the 2023-2024 West End Title 1 Newsletter. We will discuss this more in detail at our "Kick Off" Open House event on September 7.

Tech fees for all students in grades K5-5th are due. They are $25 per student. Tech fees are required each year, and cover accidental damages to the device during the school day and at home. Each teacher decides when the device is needed for at home use, but will not be allowed to send it home with your child until the tech fee is paid. Our administrative team has begun contacting families that have not paid. Please reach out to us if you have questions about this.

For the month of August, we are learning about self- control. Self- control means we should stop and think before we act. Waiting helps children learn self-control. And it teaches them that others have needs, too. Make the wait-time short and give your child something to do in the meantime. Also, playing with friends offers many opportunities to help your child learn to wait, to share, and to take-turns. Teachers will be choosing a student from their homerooms that have greatly demonstrated this core skill all month long to be our first "Distinguished Dolphin!"

If your child is absent, please remember to send in parent notes, doctor/dentist notes, etc. so that attendance can be coded correctly in PowerSchool. You can also complete the Google form at the link below with details for the absence. A message is sent to our Data Entry Clerk via email including that information as a note for the absence(s).

Each month, you have the opportunity to honor a teacher of your choosing as the "West End Teacher of the Month!" Simply complete this form telling us why the teacher you chose is deserving. You may nominate as many times as you wish. Thank you for supporting our teachers and recognizing the hard work they put in to teaching your child each day. 😍

Our teachers and staff have worked to create Be Your Best Behavior Matrix to share with our students so that everyone understands what behaviors are expected throughout the building. These are being discussed with your child during the school day. We would like to share this matrix with our families.

• MySchoolBucks - Sign up for a MySchoolBucks account for online payments for tech fees, field trip fees, t-shirt sales, etc.

• All students K5-5 will be assigned a device for classroom and home use. Before sending the device home, a $25 Tech it Home user fee to cover accidental damage to the device, charging device, and carrying case should be paid. More information about the Tech It Home Fee.
• Schoology is a learning platform that allows parents to communicate with teachers, stay on top of student assignments, and monitor student progress (grades 3-5). Access Codes will come home soon. Please let us know if you need help getting connected.
• Securly is a powerful tool designed to help parents monitor and set limits on their child's school-issued device. Please let us know if we can help with the program.

Be sure to follow West End on Facebook!

West End Website

Twitter- @westendelem

Instagram- @westendelem

Phone (864)397-2500

Dr. Angie Garrison, Principal Email: angiegarrison@pickens.k12.sc.us