Dear Parents and Guardians,
We hope you are enjoying the last few weeks of summer and finding time to relax and recharge! We are busy getting ready at West and are excited to welcome our students and families back for another great year.
A special welcome to our new families! We are so happy to have you joining the West School community and look forward to getting to know you and your children.
As we begin the year, our focus remains simple: creating a school where children feel safe, connected, challenged, and excited to learn. Our faculty and staff are preparing classrooms and learning experiences that encourage students to think, take risks, build independence, and grow both academically and socially.
Class placements will be sent on Thursday, August 20th. A great deal of thought and care goes into this process as we consider each child’s academic, social, and emotional needs while creating balanced classrooms and strong learning communities. We are excited for students to meet their teachers and classmates and begin the year together.
Our partnership with families is still an important part of what makes West such a special community. We look forward to working together throughout the year and hope you will find many ways to connect with our school and our wonderful PTC.
Most importantly, we can’t wait to have our students back in the building! We look forward to another year of learning, growing, building relationships, and creating great memories together.
Please take a few minutes to review the important information and dates below as we prepare for the start of school.
Enjoy the rest of the summer. We’ll see you soon!
All the Best,
Jan Murphy Trish Gracia
Principal Assistant Principal
Who’s Who (and What’s New) @West?
We have several new staff members to welcome to our West School Community! Please read on for details…
Grade Level Changes
Ms. Hauser to Kindergarten (from grade 1)
Ms. Minnich to Reading Specialist (from grade 2)
Ms. Pattison to District Math Coach (from grade 2)
Ms. Holobigian to grade 2 (from bldg sub)
Mrs. Fortmann to grade 4 (from grade 3)
Ms. McCaffrey to Building Sub (from teaching assistant)
Welcome - New to West Faculty and Staff
Grade 2: Ms. Suzanne Holobigan
Grade 3: Ms. Brianna Curcio
Grade 4: Mrs. Susanna DeOreo
Building Sub: Ms. Victoria McCaffrey
School Psychologist (Pre-K and K-4): Mrs. Mary Kate Nicholas
Daytime Custodian: Mr. Bill Williams
Nighttime Custodian: Mr. Michael Soto
District Math Coach: Mrs. Alison Pattison
"New to West" Orientation
On Thursday, August 20th, we will host our New to West Orientation for all new students in grades 1-4. The event will be held at West at 10:15 AM
"Meet and Greet"
On Wednesday, August 26th, we will host a Meet and Greet for all students in grades 1-4. This will be held in your child’s classroom from 10:30 - 11:00 AM. The Meet and Greet will end promptly at 11:00 AM to give teachers the opportunity to have lunch. The first day of school for students in grades 1 through 4 is Thursday, August 27, 2026.
Kindergarten "Meet and Greet" is the First Day of School
Our kindergarten students will come to school with their parents on Thursday, August 27th, the first day of school. They WILL NOT ride the bus the first day of school. Each kindergarten family recently received a letter with the specific time for their classroom visit.
West School Hours
The instructional day for students is 8:40 a.m. to 3:10 p.m.
School begins each day at 8:40 AM and ends at 3:10PM. Supervision begins at 8:30 AM; students are not to be dropped off prior to 8:30 AM unless enrolled in Early Birds.
Our Early Bird program is available for working parents who need chil care. It runs from 7:30 - 8:30 a.m. Registration information for Early Birds can be accessed HERE.
We encourage families to use bus transportation to ease traffic flow at the start and end of the day. If your child will be picked up by car, we will continue to use the back loop. We encourage families to use bus transportation to ease traffic flow at the start and end of the day. If your child will be picked up by car, we will continue to use the back loop.
Parent Pickup: ORANGE cards will be distributed to your child on the first day of school. The card has your last name printed on it.. Please place your card in the passenger side window so that staffcan easily read it and have your child ready. On the first day, a simple sheet of paper with your name will suffice. Please be sure that you place this name card on the passenger side window each day to allow our staffto match your child to your car.
Enrollment Snapshot
We are beginning the year with 27 sections across pre-K through grade 4. This includes a shift from five sections in grade 1 to four, while increasing a section of kindergarten to five classrooms. We also have 16 new students and 11 new families joining our West School community.
Pre-K: 3 sections
Kindergarten: 5 sections
Grade 1: 4 sections
Grade 2: 5 sections
Grade 3: 5 sections
Grade 4: 4 sections
Our total K-4 enrollment is 432 students, with 33 pre-K students enrolled to date.
Thank You to Our Custodians
Our custodial and maintenance staff have been hard at work preparing West for the new school year. The building has been cleaned, polished, and prepared to welcome students and staff. A special thank you to our Director of Facilities, Scott Olson, Head Custodian Juan Ochoa, and our custodial team, Bill, Katrina, and Jacob, for their hard work and attention to detail through the summer. We truly appreciate all they do to keep West safe, clean, and ready for learning.
Thank You to Our Administrative Assistants
A huge thanks to Lauren Radigan and Valeska Diaz for all their hard work behind the scenes this summer. Their organization, flexibility, and attention to countless details have helped ensure we are ready for a smooth and successful start to the school year. We are so grateful for all they do for West!
Van Drivers - Thanks for all your summer help!
A special thanks to Sandra and Nanette for their hard work getting West ready for the new year. From cleaning desks and lockers to washing windows and preparing classrooms, their attention to detail helped make our schools shine. We truly appreciate all they do!
New to West
Teaching Assistants: Fanny Forero, Genevieve Bass, and Christi Malaterra
Interns/Student Teachers: Alyssa Catalano
Instructional Leaders
Grade K: Jen Kennedy
Grade 1: Tanya Striffler
Grade 2: Maria Hedus
Grade 3: Kelly Halloran
Grade 4: Tania O'Leary
Special Education: Alicia Ponticello
Special Area: Steffanie Sommerville
Pre-K: Ashley Klein
School Lunches
Here is a LINK with information about our school lunches
Student Options $3.90 (Students should order double portions in the morning). There are seven daily lunch options available: West School Lunch Menu
Options: Hot lunch, Sandwich Lunch, Bagel Lunch, Sunbutter & Jelly Lunch, Pinwheel Lunch, Cheese & Cracker Meal, and our new Vegan Burger Lunch.
Calendars
Important Dates to Remember
