Dear West Families,

Please be advised that our Spring Break begins tomorrow, April 3rd, and continues through Tuesday, April 7th. We look forward to seeing all students back in the classroom on Wednesday, April 8th. Looking further ahead, fourth quarter progress reports will be sent home on April 17th. We also have an early dismissal scheduled for April 22nd, with students heading home at 12:25 pm.

Our focus for the fourth quarter is “Getting Prepared for the Next Grade Level.” We want every student to push themselves to be ready for the upcoming school year. We encourage you to reach out to your child’s teacher if you are unclear about where they stand academically. There are many opportunities for students to catch up if they are behind. In math, students use My Path, a digital platform that analyzes individual strengths and weaknesses to help them master grade-level standards. Reading and writing practice can happen anywhere and at any time, and we encourage you to have your child read simple books or practice writing whenever possible. Your support and encouragement at home make a significant difference.

Scholar Students of the Month

These students have demonstrated academic excellence through their hard work, participation, and dedication to their studies. 

Tobias Harvey, King Jason, Rose Constantin, Milo Dodson, Grayson Lopez-Peoples, Se'Meir Colen, Zimani Pickett, Brice Corzine, Briella West, Azariah White, Jolie Dwiggins, Elaina Mcafee, Cecelia Minier, Jusin Prude, RJ Steward, Lilah Linares, Dominic Hall, Evelyn Funk

Model Students of the Month

These students demonstrate excellence by serving as leaders and role models for their peers, consistently putting forth their best academic effort.

Addison Stutz, La'Mia Phipps, Skylar Neal, Jayda Kelley, Leslie Buford, Remington Layton, Jessica Dumitru, Hazel Shanks-Jackson, Natalie Dunse, Lettie Talkington, Kree O'Neal, Avery Woods, Teddy Caveny, Kevin Zheng, Juniper Phillips, Tristan Woods, Owen Pichee, Autumn Reece

R.O.A.R. Volunteers

We are looking for more volunteers for our R.O.A.R. (Reach Out and Read) program. To participate, complete a volunteer application and come to the school at 7:30 am to listen to our students read. Please enter through the front door near the office to sign in; do not use the student entrance.

April Tier One Updates

The Referral Free Reward for April is Extra Recess. With only a few days left in March, please talk to your children about making good choices and being responsible, respectful, and safe. While we are only two days into April, 11 out of our 431 students have already received referrals. Please encourage your child to follow school rules so they can earn the Extra Recess reward at the end of the month.

Weekly Shout Outs

Second Grade

Mrs. Barzee’s class averaged 89% on their Unit 4 assessment. This test measured how well students can use different tools (like rulers and yardsticks) to measure the length of objects and compare the lengths of two different items. Almost 70% of her class scored over 80%.

Third Grade

Mrs. Hall’s class averaged 79% on their equivalent fractions quiz, with nine students earning perfect scores.

Mrs. Bick’s class averaged 74% on their quiz regarding using symbols like greater than or less than to compare fractions, with nine students scoring over 80%.

Fourth Grade

Mrs. Evans’ class averaged 84% on their Relating Decimals to Fractions quiz, and 18 students scored over 80%.

Mrs. Bryant’s class averaged 82% on the same quiz, with 22 students scoring over 80%.

Fifth Grade

Mrs. Rodriguez’s class averaged 75% on their Understanding Division with Unit Fractions quiz. This means students are learning how to divide whole numbers by fractions and fractions by whole numbers. Five out of eight students scored over 80%.

At-Home Digital Support

Please encourage your child to complete i-Ready My Path lessons at home for at least ten minutes per day. This digital support helps your child prepare for rigorous assessments. To access My Path:

1. Have your child sign into their Google Account.

2. Go to portal.altonschools.org.

3. Click Clever, then i-Ready, then My Path.

You can view this family document to track student progress: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RVM5ahBg7EbnbA5twBSCOu6ODSP7kfmg/view?usp=sharing

Grade Level Resources

K-5 Family Resources Video: https://www.loom.com/share/a2608dca526f4e2eb9e5140ba1542a3b?sid=507307ba-03b1-4b42-b932-f8aa6dc75b9b

2nd Grade: https://sites.google.com/altonschools.org/alton-school-district-curricul/2nd-grade

3rd Grade: https://sites.google.com/altonschools.org/alton-school-district-curricul/3rd-grade

4th Grade: https://sites.google.com/altonschools.org/alton-school-district-curricul/4th-grade

5th Grade: https://sites.google.com/altonschools.org/alton-school-district-curricul/5th-grade

Character Trait: Cooperation

This month we are focusing on cooperation. You can watch a video on this trait here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zb30dFjXxJU&t=108s

District Scorecard Progress

We are tracking two important goals in our District Improvement Plan:

Goal 1: Increase the percentage of students with perfect attendance weeks. Consistent attendance is a strong predictor of academic success.

Goal 3: Increase the percentage of students passing every class. We are focused on providing targeted support to ensure every student masters grade-level standards.

Thank you for supporting your child by emphasizing the importance of daily attendance.

Communication and Important Numbers

All school communication continues through ParentSquare. Please ensure you are connected.

West Elementary School: 618-463-2134

Bus Garage: 618-466-5400

My Ride K–12 App: Use your student’s 6-digit “Other ID” from Skyward to register and stay updated on transportation.

Important Dates

April 3: Spring Break Begins

April 8: School Resumes

April 17: Progress Reports Sent Home

April 22: Early Dismissal (12:25 pm)