Talk of the Hawks

So far, car rider drop off and pick up have been going very well. Below are just a few reminders to keep things moving as safely and smoothly as possible.

• If you are dropping of a WHP student, all students get dropped off there. There are staff available to get your WHI student up to their building. Dropping off at both location creates unnecessary traffic at WHI. **All pick up is at WHP unless you are picking up before 3:15.
  
  
• Please stay in your vehicle and follow the directions of the morning drop off staff outside.
  
  
• Please do not pass vehicles in front of you after your child exits the vehicle. This creates an unnecessary risk to students who may be exiting the driver's side of the vehicle in front of you. A staff member will let you now if it is safe to pass.
  
  
• Please have your student(s) exit the vehicle from the passenger side directly onto the curb.
  
  
• If at all possible, do not have your student get items from the trunk or back of the vehicle. Rather, have those items in hand when they exit.

December 4th @ 7:00 pm -PTO meeting at WHP

December 22nd - Holiday Parties

December 25th - January 1st - No school: Christmas Break

Hello West Hills!

December is such a fun month for everyone. With a short school calendar and all the fun to be had, it will fly by. Through all of the activities, we still need to remain focused on our school work. Make sure that you are learning and working hard right up to your classroom party.

In December, I would like to reflect a little bit on our recent celebrations. In October, we had Unity Day and Red Ribbon Week. In November we had World Kindness Day and Children’s Grief Awareness Day. All of these celebrations are meant to show our kindness, acceptance, and love for one another. They promote showing compassion and care for others. Yes, it is wonderful to have time set aside throughout the year to commemorate these ideas. More importantly, we cannot stop there. We as members of this community, need to continue being kind, displaying our beautiful hearts all throughout the year. Not because Santa Clause or anyone else say that we should. We need to treat others and ourselves with respect because that is the right thing to do. We need to show others that we are there for them and others will show you the same feelings in return. The world we live in is a very vulnerable place and only we can make a positive turn by our actions. Be a friend, be someone others are comfortable to be around, and be the best you that you can be! I also would like to thank those of you that participated in Career Day at West Hills Intermediate. It is a wonderful day for our children that they enjoy and learn so much. Your acts of kindness leave a lasting impression on our students. It is never too early to begin thinking about ourselves and what we want out of life. When the time comes to make a life decision, we want our students to make choices that best benefits them. We hope to see you again next year!

How can we do all of this? Well, we can start small with just simple acts of kindness. Acts of kindness do not have to cost money or time, but they may help someone in need. They certainly show what kind of person that you are. Our actions are contagious. Others see your kind heart and they will follow your lead. Those that you have touched with your kindness, will remember how that felt. If we all participate in enough random acts of kindness, just imagine the impact that would have on our community or even the world! Start small, make it a part of your daily routine, all at the same time helping the others. Remember everything that you do is impacting someone in some way.

West Hills students and families, my wish is that you all have a wonderful month of December. Be safe, have fun, and enjoy your time with family and friends.

Always Choose Kindness,

Mr. Walters

• Attention 6th Grade Parents: All 6th grade students are required to have the following completed. Please submit documentation to the School Nurse.
• A physical exam
• Tdap and Meningococcal vaccinations

• Attention 5th Grade Parents: It is not too early to start sending in required physical and immunization reports for the next school year.

Meetings: PTO meetings are normally held the first Monday of each month at 7:00 pm at West Hills Primary. The December meeting will be held on Monday, December 4th.

Nine of our WHI 6th grade chorus members attended chorus fest at Punxsutawney High School on Tuesday November 21st. The students rehearsed their choir music for the majority of the day before performing a fantastic concert that evening. Congratulations to Luke Crossley, Ray Kilgore, Luna Orin, Belle Bowser, Harper Bradigan, Abigail Wingard, Riley Dotts, Marie Webb, and Gabbie Cloak! Thank you all for representing our school and district very well. We are very proud of you and your accomplishments!

It's December which means it's holiday concert time! The 5th and 6th grade choir has been working hard this fall and we are excited to present our holiday concert on Thursday December 21st at 6:30 pm. The concert will take place at the Armstrong Junior Senior High School and is free and open to the public. Students in the choir are asked to dress nicely in festive wear in nice comfortable shoes. Students should arrive at the high school at 6:15 pm. All choir students must attend. If you have any questions about the concert, please don't hesitate to ask. Mrs. Bricker can be reached at dbricker@asd.k12.pa.us.

We are so excited to see you and make some beautiful holiday music. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Band Room News

Our West Hills 5th and 6th Grade Band will be performing in the Band Extravaganza Concert on January 17 at 7:00p.m. in the Armstrong High School Auditorium.

Everyone is welcome to attend the concert and hear music played by bands from Lenape, West Hills and the bands at Armstrong High School.

Please make sure to check out our band page for important updates throughout the school year. You can find the page by using this link http://www.bit.ly//westhillsband

I look forward to seeing you at our Band Extravaganza Concert!

The holidays are a very busy time of year, but they can also provide opportunities for simple, fun ways to help your child read, write and chat over the school break.

We’ve put together some of our top tips to support reading, writing and communication:

Christmas cards

Encourage your child to write Christmas cards to school friends, teachers and family members. If they’re younger, buy a set with a pre-written message but get them to sign their name on each one. This repetition is great for learning. If you have time you could make your own cards together.

Festive recipes

Writing a shopping list, finding the right ingredients in the shop and following a recipe are all fun ways to improve your child’s reading.

Sing carols or festive songs

Following along with lyrics to festive songs is a great way to boost reading and listening skills. Plus, for younger children, the rhyme and rhythm of songs is helps to develop their language.

Read festive stories

There are a huge number of stories that you and your child can read together to get you in the festive spirit.

Email: bpetras@asd.k12.pa.us
Website: https://wis.asd.k12.pa.us/
Location: 175 Heritage Park Drive, Kittanning, PA, USA
Phone: (724) 543-1121
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/West-Hills-Intermediate-111184674071872