This week’s theme is focus. Stay true to yourself, but always be open to learn. Work hard, and never give up on your dreams, even when nobody else believes they can come true but you. These are not cliches but real tools you need no matter what you do in life, stay focused on your path. Successful people maintain a positive focus in life no matter what is going on around them. They stay focused on their past successes rather than their past failures, and on the next action steps they need to take to get them closer to the fulfillment of their goals rather than all the other distractions that life presents to them. 

8/23/19

This is Principal Ms. Taylor with the Weekly Update for Friday, August 23, 2019. Thank you Westlake Scholars, Staff and Parents for another great week.  As we move into Week 3, parents please be sure that you speak with your scholar about meeting the expectation of being to class on time and prepared to learn. 

• Sports at Westlake: This coming Monday, August 26 there will be a meeting with our Athletic Director, Coach Mom, for all scholars interested in playing sports this year.  Please allow your scholar to come to Room 20 @ 3:45 PM on Monday to learn more about our sports program.

• Clipper Cards: If you completed the registration form to join our Transit Pass Program for a clipper card, they are scheduled to arrive on or near September 1.  Once they arrive we will make an announcement to parents and scholars.
• PE Clothes: For those families that ordered PE Clothes, we are anticipating arrival the first week of September.  We will make an announcement to scholars as well as in our Friday update to parents once the clothes have arrived.  PE uniforms will be distributed to scholars in their PE class.
• Labor Day Holiday: There will be NO SCHOOL Monday, September 2 in observance of Labor Day.  School will resume on Tuesday, September 3 following our modified block schedule with a dismissal time of 2:15 PM.

• Back to School Night: Back to School Night will take place on Thursday, September 5 from 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.  We will host our Annual Title I Meeting beginning at 5:30 PM. All parents/guardians are urged to come out and meet your scholar’s teachers and learn more about what Westlake has to offer you and your family.

• School Picture Day: We will host our School Picture Day on Tuesday, September 10.  Picture Day order forms will be distributed to scholars next Friday.  All scholars will be required to take a photo for their ID Card (even if they are not purchasing a picture package).

• 8th Grade Promotion Contracts: Attention 8th Grade Parents.  As we begin the year and work towards preparing your scholars for high school we want to be sure that you are aware of the promotion requirements.  All 8th grade scholars must have a minimum 2.50 GPA, no D/F in ELA or Math, a 96% attendance rate and zero suspensions. Ms. Nguyen, Academic Counselor, sent home a Promotion Contract with all 8th Grade Scholars.  The contracts are due back to her with parent signature on Monday, August 26. Please ask your scholar about this contract.  

• If you have any questions or concerns about anything please feel free to speak with an Administrator.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Monday, August 26 - 8th Grade Promotion Contracts due and Westlake Sports Program Meeting, 3:45 PM, Room 20
• Friday, August 30- Picture Day Packets distributed to scholars
• Monday, September 2- LABOR DAY HOLIDAY-- NO SCHOOL
• Thursday, September 5- Title I Meeting, 5:30 PM and Back to School Night, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
• Tuesday, September 10- SCHOOL PICTURE DAY

Those are the updates for Friday, August 23, 2019.  Stay fly and SOAR and please remember to take care of yourself, take care of one another and take care of Westlake.

8/16/19

This is Principal Ms. Taylor with the Weekly Update for Friday, August 16, 2019. For families that are new to our community, you will receive this message every Friday at 6:00 PM with important announcements and information for you and your scholar. Thank you Westlake Scholars, Staff and Parents for a great start to the 2019-2020 school year.  Our scholars have quickly gotten back into the groove of school. Because of this great start, we are anticipating this being a wonderful year for our Westlake Community.

Some highlights from this week:

• On Monday our OUSD Superintendent Dr. Kyla Johnson-Trammell, City of Oakland Mayor Libby Schaff and other dignitaries came to Westlake for a visit. They visited classrooms and spoke with scholars and staff members. They were very impressed with the progress that Westlake is making and that is because of all of the wonderful scholars and staff at Westlake.  
• On Wednesday we held our first grade-level family assemblies.  The Admin Team (myself, Mr. Ron Thompson, Assistant Principal, and Mr. Moses Omolade, Community Schools Manager) spent time with the scholars informing them of our expectations for the year.  Our focus is Academics!
• Scholars are doing well with adhering to our new cell phone policy.  We had very few issues this week. Thank you Warrior Eagle parents for helping us to enforce this policy and help keep our scholars focused on their academics during the school day.
• Today our scholars and staff got together for a Popsicle social after school to build community and spend quality time together.  Thanks to the scholars that stopped by.

A few reminders:

• Next week we will begin our modified block schedule.  School will dismiss at 3:30 PM on Monday, Thursday and Friday.  We ask that all scholars are off campus by 3:45 PM unless they are participating in the after school program.  School will dismiss at 2:15 PM on Tuesday and Wednesday. We ask that all scholars are off campus by 2:30 PM unless you are in the after school program. Please plan accordingly.
• The building will open at 8:30 AM daily.  The blacktop area will be open for those that arrive before 8:30 AM. Scholars please be sure that you are entering the school through the back gate and entering the building through the double doors to the blacktop area.
• Cars will not be allowed in the school bus loading zone before or after school.  Please make arrangements to pick up your scholar in a safe place around the school campus.
• If you completed the registration form to join our Transit Pass Program for a clipper card, they are scheduled to arrive on or near September 1.  Once they arrive, we will make an announcement to parents and scholars.
• If you have any questions or concerns about anything please feel free to speak with an Administrator.

Important Upcoming Dates:

• Tuesday, August 20 and Wednesday, August 21 -first minimum days of the school year; dismissal at 2:15 PM.
• Monday, September 2- LABOR DAY HOLIDAY-- NO SCHOOL
• Tuesday, September 10- SCHOOL PICTURE DAY (more information coming soon)

Those are the updates for Friday, August 16, 2019.  Stay fly and SOAR and please remember to take care of yourself, take care of one another and take care of Westlake.

Students To Receive Free Bus AC Transit Bus Passes

Westlake is one of five OUSD schools that have been chosen to participate in Alameda CTC’s transit pass program for the upcoming 2017-18 School Year. ALL students will receive free AC Transit bus passes that will be valid year-round! Sign ups will begin during registration. Questions? Contact the school office.