September 28, 2026

West September News #5

Dear West Families,

Welcome to the last week of September and the beginning of October! 

Dudes & Donuts is at West Elementary this Thursday, October 1, 7:45–8:15 AM. Dads, grandpas, uncles, family members, and other important “Dudes” are invited to join their West student for a donut and a little time together before the school day begins! While you’re here, we’ll also share some of the many opportunities to get involved and be part of the West Elementary community. RSVP for Dudes and Donuts here!

Our second annual West Pumpkin Decorating Contest will begin the first week of fall conferences! This year’s theme is Favorite Family Friendly Movie or TV Character. Pumpkins need to be decorated at home and brought to school by an adult during fall conference times– Oct. 13, Oct. 21 and Oct. 22. Please remember that pumpkins can be decorated with paint, recycled materials, craft supplies or anything else that makes the best Movie or TV character pumpkin, BUT NO CARVING!! 

Students will vote on their favorite pumpkins the week of October 26th, and winners will be announced at our West Spooktacular, Thursday, Oct. 29. Categories that will be judged are Best Themed Pumpkin (one per grade), Best Use of Glitter, Best Use of Recycled Materials, Most Likely to Make You Smile, and Most Unexpected Materials Used.

This Week’s PBIS Focus Lesson is all about arriving at school! Help your student have POWER in the morning by watching today’s morning announcements!

West students begin each morning by watching and interacting with our virtual Daily Announcements. The announcements include jokes, celebrations, important information and more! Follow our Daily AnnouncementsHERE.

Our West students love a good bowl of Ramen Noodles! The one problem we are having is the length of time it takes to prepare the Ramen. If you are sending your student with uncooked Ramens, please also supply a bowl and a small container of water for cooking. Remind your student to ask for adult help right away when lunch begins so the Ramen has time to cook and cool before lunch is over. A good alternative to sending the uncooked Ramen, is to cook it at home the night before and we can heat it up at school. 

Please keep in mind that breakfast is served from 8:00-8:25 AM. If your student arrives after that time, they will receive a breakfast option from the front office.

Please contact our administrative team with any questions or concerns!

Warmly,

Chad Tolson, Principal

Jennifer Heinritz, Assistant Principal

Coming up in October. . . 

2026 School Nurse Fun Run- Thursday, October 1 at 6pm at Kollen Park. Register by September 7 to vote for the 2026 Fun Run shirt color & guarantee a shirt! Use code at checkout: funrun26

Spooktacular Parents Night- Thursday, October 30th– Time and more details to come! We do need candy donations to make this event a success. It would be greatly appreciated if you could send a bag or two of candy to your classroom teacher. Hope to see you there! 

Boys Volleyball Clinic 

Holland Rec is hosting a boys volleyball clinic for grades 3-6. This is a great introductory volleyball experience where participants will learn the basics of indoor volleyball. 

Dates: Tuesdays, November 3 - 24

Times: 3rd & 4th 5:30 - 6:25 PM and 5th & 6th 6:30 - 7:25 PM

Sign-up at this link: Youth Volleyball – Holland Parks and Recreation

Registration Early Deadline: 9/28

Normal Deadline: 10/19

Volunteer at West-- We are looking for Recess Rangers and/or Traffic Aides! 

We are looking for parents and guardians who are available to be an extra helping hand.

Recess Rangers arrive at 11:00 AM and stay until about 1:00 PM. They spend time with students during lunch recess, help manage conflict peacefully, and model responsible behavior to students. Recess Ranger Sign-Up

Traffic Aides arrive at 8 AM and stay until about 8:45 AM. They help manage the flow of car traffic in the front drop-off area. Traffic Aide Sign-Up

POWER Store Helpers arrive at 12:50 PM and stay until 3:00ish. They help students buy fun prizes with the Power H tickets that they have earned and saved. You can sign-up for dates that work in your schedule. Power H Store Volunteer Sign Up

All volunteers must fill out the volunteer background check on our website at least one week ahead of time.