PTA News
Restaurant Night
Today is the last day to grab a meal at Grilled Cheese & Co. to both support a local restaurant and your PTA. The more business we bring in, the larger the contribution--as much as 25%! Bring your flyer or just mention Westowne PTA.
Thanks to the many who have already taken advantage of this restaurant night! Do you have questions or ideas about future restaurant nights? Drop us a line.
After School Clubs
Lego Robotics will begin Monday, February 2nd and Wednesday, February 4th. A couple important notes:
- Registration is now closed.
- Participants will receive a confirmation email or phone call prior to the start date. Please do not assume your child has a spot or that we received your registration. We can facilitate your children getting to the class and back safely into your care only if they are on our class roster.
- Pickup for after school clubs is promptly at 4:35 in the lobby.
Market Day
Pickup for this week's order is Wednesday, February 4th from 6:00 - 7:00.
Assessments Guide
Westowne's January "Words to the Wise" newsletter listed the dates for upcoming assessments. The National PTA has released a "Parents Guide to New Assessments in Maryland" that answers some of your questions, including what many of those acronyms mean.
Teacher Reimbursement
Good news, Westowne teachers! We are now able to offer you each a reimbursement for purchases of educational materials up to $50. Please fill out a PTA disbursement form, include the original receipts, and drop it all off in the PTA box in the front office.
This program is funded through a direct-donation campaign. Parents were asked to donate $10 per grade of their child. We were also able to build this fund through contributions to the end of year giving campaign. Thanks to the generosity of the Westowne family, we are better able to subsidize your efforts in the classroom.
Please keep in touch whenever we can support you: on Facebook, by email, through membership, and at the monthly PTA meetings on the second Tuesday of the month at 7:00 in the library.
Think Globally, Learn Locally: A Multicultural Literature Night
Save the date for Thursday evening, March 19th!
Help us celebrate Westowne's diversity by sharing your cultural connections with us during our multicultural literature night. We need families to host tables sharing their culture and experiences. We need volunteers to run the stories and crafts in the classrooms. And we need help throughout that week with Book Fair. Send us an email or check out our Volunteer Spot for Book Fair.
eScrip Rewards Program
eScrip is the reputable program that partners with Safeway to support schools throughout the country. If you shop at Safeway, shop online at a wide variety of merchants including Amazon and Toys R Us, or dine out at local restaurants like Kelsey's in Ellicott City, sign up for this great reward program.
- Start by securely registering your loyalty, credit, and debit cards.
- When grocery shopping or dining at participating locations, use those cards to make your purchases.
- And before shopping online, visit the newly redesigned Online Mall, which will direct you to your favorite stores--and contribute to your PTA.
School News
Daily Absence Notification
Beginning earlier this week, Westowne started notifying parents by 10:00 AM if their child is absent from school. This service is being implemented throughout Baltimore County Public Schools.
It's Cold Outside!
To accommodate for the varied temperatures in and out of the school building, consider dressing your children in layers. Outdoor recess occurs when the weather permits.
Blue Jeans - Green School
The Green Thursday activity for January will be collecting gently used blue jeans in all sizes. The blue jeans drive will run from January 22nd - February 6th. Jeans will be donated to homeless shelters in our area. This collection is sponsored by www.dosomething.org.
As usual, the Green Team will have an exciting contest to keep everyone motivated. Keep your eyes open for the graph that will be in the hallway by Mrs. Ingle’s classroom to see how your child’s class is doing. The winning class will win an ice cream party, so be certain to turn in donations to your child's teacher.
Community News
Catonsville Cougars Track & Field Team
Catonsville Recreation and Parks offers this team opportunity for children ages 7-18. Registration begins in early February, practices start in late March, and meets are typically on Saturdays, beginning in May. The fee is $95. Contact Martin or Kathy Schultheis for more information.
410-499-1263 or mkschultheis@gmail.com