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Mr. Beckstrand Principal's Messages of 2006
Click on the month link below to see Mr. Beckstrands message for that month.
Aug.-Sept.06 | Oct.06 | Nov.06 |
Dec.06 | Jan.07 | Feb.07 |
Mar.07 | Apr.07 | May07
 Principal's Message
- Dec. 2006 [Menu]
Great
things are happening at Westmore! Our faculty has
a reputation for being a professional, knowledgeable, caring group of educators. District representatives continually
tell me what a great staff we have here at Westmore. They are impressed
with the programs we offer our students and they notice how well our students
are performing academically.
We
recently hired three full-time aides to assist first and second grade students
who need more one-on-one attention with reading, writing, and math. These aides are
talented, caring individuals who truly want to help our students succeed. We
welcome our new aides!
I
am impressed with the number of students who read daily and complete homework
consistently. Thank you,parents, for supporting our children in their
school responsiblities.
Please check regularly with your child's teacher or check the Powerschool website
if you are concerned about completion of assignments.
There si no need to wait to wait until Parent Teacher conferences to ask quesions
or to find out how your child is doing. We are here to serve you.
Winter
is here and with it comes "inside days." It's easy for you to know whether or not to send our child directly inside the school upon arriving in the mornings.
A red flag may be posted outside the building signaling students to come inside. Please feel free to drop your child off at the front entrance where
it is the shortest distance for them to enter the building. Students will be supervised in the hallway by the main office
until the bell rings. We look forward to an enjoyable winter and we
are taking extra precautions to provide the children with a comfortable and healthy
learning environment.
This
winter we are encouraging the students to read good books instead of watching
excessive television. Reading increases vocabulary, improves spelling,
and opens the world to creative
minds.
Next
week, December 5th, we will hold our second School Community Council meeting
of the year. Please contact any of our council members if you have concerns or suggestions. We
appreciate
your input and involvement in the affairs of our school.
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Principal's Message
- Nov. 2006 [Menu]
I would like to take a minute and inform you of what is going on with math at Westmore.
There have been some questions about whether Westmore will change from Investigations to a different math program.
There is much debate about what is the best program for teaching mathematics.
Many of you know that Westmore is in its
second year of implementing the Investigations math program. Because of this important decision, we now have a kindergarten
through sixth math program which provides teachers guidance as to what math concepts to teach and when to teach them. We realize
there is no perfect mathematics program and because of that we recognize how crucial it is that classroom teachers understand how to provide a balanced
math program for students.
Not too long ago, the literacy war between whole language and phonics swept the
nation. Alpine School district recognized the value of both points of view and
began emphasizing a balanced approach to teaching literacy. If you were to observe
literacy instruction today, you would not see a teacher following a specific literacy
program and using a single program's materials. Instead, you would realize the "program" is
defined by the teacher's ability to use knowledge, skills, and materials to help
students learn. Of course we recognize the importance of instructional materials
which teachers use as tools for learning. Some materials are a better
match than others and we are very selective as to what materials will best facilitate
student learning.
With
the support of BYU, our teachers are creating a balanced math program. Our faculty meets twice a month for two hours at a time
after school hours to study mathematics instruction. This is a huge investment of their time and energy and we already see the benefits
of the partnership.
In order to facilitate the creation of a balanced math progra, Alpine School District has put together a committee to research
existing math programs. In April of next year, each shool's faculty and School Community Council will then make selections what will
best meet the needs of their school. We are excited to have the continued support of the district in providing
our teachers and students with excellent resources for a robust and balanced math program.
Westmore's School Community Council will play an active roll in learning about existing options for math instruction and they
can answer your questions or concerns about our endeavor to improve our balanced math program. The council wants to know about
your concerns and ideas. They have given permission to have their contact information available to you. Please feel free to also talk to your
child's teacher or me about any questions or concerns.
Westmore's School Community Council
Lori Atoa 226-4788 loriatoa@comcast.com
Marie Arnold 223-9517 michaelandmarie@hotmail.com
Jennifer Asplund 431-0913 j.asplund@msn.com
Corrina Bunker 836-5439 martinez@aol.com
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Principal's Message
- Oct. 2006 [Menu]
New Bond and Leeway - Why Vote?
The Alpine School District Board of Education is calling for a $230 million
leeway and bond election on November 7th. Its passing will allow Alpine District to continue to plan for growth
and modernizing needs.
Funding
from the bond will be used for construction of new buildings and the renovations
and remodeling of existing buildings. The
leeway will be used to provide the necessary funding for the operational support
of the new facilities. New personnel and utilities will be needed with the construcion
of new schools. With the passing of
the bond the Alpine District is planning to complete a new high school, two middle schools and up to five elementary schools,
along with numerous renovation and remodeling projects throughout the district. The Board developed a prioritized list
based upon the areas of greatest need. This list is broken into four phases: |
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Phase A
Begin new high school in Saratoga Springs.
New elementary school
Pleasant Grove High remodel
Highland Elementary addition
Total = $57,835,000
Phase B
Orem High rebuild (New Building)
Finish new high school
New middle school
New elementary school
Lakeridge Jr. remodel
Shelley Elementary classrooms
Sego Lily Elementary classrooms
Total = $69,800,000
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Phase C
Two new elementary schools
Lone Peak High School addition
American Fork Jr. High auditorium
Greenwood Elementary classrooms
Meadow Elementary classrooms
Total = $34,100,000
Phase D
New middle school
Two new Elementary Schools
Pleasant Grove Jr. High addition
Dan Peterson classrooms
Purchase of site property
Siesmic upgrades
Electric/Data rewiring
Total = $68,150,000
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Projected Impact on Taxpayer
The impact on the taxpayer will come in
stages. The bond is designed to meet the growth needs of 8,000 to 9,000 new students over the next four years. There
are immediate needs that will be addressed in the first phases, but monies will be issued in later phases, but monies will be
issued in later phases as increased enrollment creates need. According to the projections, taxes on a $200,000 home will raise
approximately $57.86 per year by the end of four years implementation.
Westmore
benefited directly form the passing of Alpine District's bond in 2001. We received
much needed remodeling in the following ways: a new cafeteria and kitchen, new
central air conditioning &
heating system, new windows, remodeled classrooms, (i.e. carpet, ceiling, repainted0,
and a remodeled entrance way. The passing of Alpine District's bond in 2001 brought
sanity and relief to our over-crowded schools to the north.
If you wish to have a voice in how the Alpine School District deals with current and future
growth needs, become involved. Your vote and your neighbors' votes will be the determining
factor in what Alpine District and Westmore wil be like in the years to come. Please let your
desires be heard. Your vote is important - VOTE November 7th!
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Principal's Message
- Welcoming Address - Aug.-Sept.2006 [Menu]
Dear Parents and Students:
Welcome back! The staff
and I look forward to seeing you again. We especially look forward to meeting
those of you that are new to Westmore. Please stop by and say "hello" when
you visit the school. There are several newcomers to our team. We are excited
to welcome them and encourage you to get to know them.
"We're
All In This Together!" is the theme for the year. Each of us plays
an important role in educating our youth. We ALL have a stewardship to guide
the youth of
our community and the children of our community.
Westmore's tradition of focusing first on the child continues
with added emphasis on involving the parent. We welcome Mrs. Jennifer ASplund, our new PTA president who will help us establish a
strong parent volunteer program. We recognize and respect teh role that each parent plays in a child's education. Parents, I invite you to actively participate
with your child's teacher an enjoy the experience of watching your kids grow and learn.
Sincerely,
Barry Beckstrand
Principal
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