The View—Volume VII, No. 8 | April 2009

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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

I am regularly contacted by parents from around the world who are planning to move into the community so that their students can attend Westview.

This international reputation for excellence is especially gratifying considering that the school is only 7 years old. It is a real tribute to the hard work of our students, staff and a phenomenally supportive parent community.

In the past few years, a number of public acknowledgments have elevated our profile, including recognition for excellence by Newsweek and U.S. News and World Report, and our recent designation as a National AVID Demonstration Site. This reputation has a positive impact on college admissions, employment opportunities and property values.

The most publicized measure of Westview’s academic excellence is the Academic Performance Indicator (API.) This number demonstrates the degree to which our students have mastered the California State Standards in the areas of English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science, and it is determined by student performance on the STAR exams.

Last year I was especially proud of our Westview students and teachers. Despite missing a week of school due to wildfires, and then experiencing months of turmoil as half the staff received pink slips, Westview’s API continued to climb, from a score of 836 to 843. This score has placed Westview in the top five of open admission public high schools in San Diego County, and we’re only 7 points away from first place Coronado High School. 

The STAR exams are different than the other tests that our students take in that while most exams have a high-stakes purpose for individual students, STAR is the exam that requires students to work together as a team.

The scores of all 9th, 10th and 11th grade students are combined to create a school’s API score.

Students who miss parts of the test or don’t make an effort are still counted and their low scores pull the average down.

As we approach our STAR exams later this month, I encourage you to talk to your students about this opportunity to demonstrate their Wolverine Pride and continue to show the world why Westview students are second to none! 

Dawn Kastner
Principal

What’s coming up...

Check the school calendar for more events

WINTER SPORTS

Spring sports are underway. Come out and support your favorite Westview team! Get the latest information about schedules by clicking the links below:

• Baseball

• Dive

• Golf (Boys)

• Gymnastics

• Lacrosse (Girls)

• Lacrosse (Boys)

• Softball

• Swim

• Tennis (Boys)

• Track & Field

• Volleyball (Boys)

Quick web links

Daily Bulletin – visit the daily bulletin to see what’s happening today!

School Calendar – see what events are coming up throughout the year.

General Information – can’t find what you’re looking for? Try this link.

Athletics – support your Westview Wolverines – visit the athletic pages to see when your favorite team is playing.

Counseling – graduation requirements, colleges visiting Westview, scholarships, course catalog, etc.

PTSA Webpage - see all that the Westview PTSA has to offer.

ADULT ED CLASS OFFERED AT WESTVIEW

Did you know that low cost healthcare career training is available right on the Westview campus? 

Poway’s Career Technical and Adult Education program offers Healthcare Essentials, Nursing Assistant and Medical Assistant training.

These courses are a great place for students to find out if they are interested in health careers or to start working towards their goals of becoming a nurse or other healthcare professional.

Students must be at least 18 years of age for either class and have a social security card for the Nursing Assistant class.

After completing either the Nursing Assistant or Medical Assistant courses, students can take state exams to become certified.

The Healthcare Essentials course is an introduction to healthcare careers and is also a prerequisite for some vocational nursing programs.

For more information, please go to www.powayadultschool.com

PTSA PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

When my husband and I bought our first home in San Diego, we didn’t pay much attention to the school districts. We chose our home based strictly on aesthetics and begrudgingly paid Mello Roos tax for something we felt had no real benefit to us. We sold that home, moved to the east coast, and then a few years later returned to America’s Finest City. This time our search for a home to buy had a much different list of criteria. Why? We had become parents since the last time we lived here. And the number one criteria on our list? School district.

There was no doubt that Poway Unified is where we wanted our kids to be (to the extent that we walked away from a house we loved after learning it was just over the boundary into San Diego Unified). At that time, probably the most significant indicator to me that PUSD was superior was its consistently high-performing schools based on test scores. Over the years, however, through my involvement in PTA and volunteering in the schools, I have come to realize that what makes our district special is so much more than test scores. I believe it’s those intangible things that truly differentiate us.

Case in point: I was speaking with a woman who recently launched a parenting website (www.suchasmartmom.com) who lives in Scripps Ranch (different district). She commented on what a powerhouse district we are and says that her website statistics are testimonial to that. Apparently, Poway Unified parents by far out-measure all the other districts in San Diego County when it comes to how many visit the site, how much time they spend on the site, and how many pages on the site they access for parenting and educational tips. As a group, we parents are incredibly involved and extremely dedicated to the school-home partnership. Good for us!

This involvement and dedication can be a key to helping our district pull through these challenging economic times with minimal disruption to our children’s learning.

As I sat in a presentation earlier this week with Dr. Phillips and other district officials, I felt encouraged for the first time in a while. District officials are working tirelessly to find ways to meet the severe budget constraints while minimizing the loss of teaching staff and keeping class sizes as small as possible. They are committed to keeping parents informed and understand that it’s important to leverage our partnership. While there are difficult choices to be made, there is a spirit of cooperation among all groups involved that is centered around the most important focus … what’s best for kids.

Here’s wishing you a relaxing and restful spring break. I look forward to joining forces with many of you upon our return as we work together to be part of the SOLUTION for continued education excellence at Westview and in our school district.

Sue Hasselmann
PTSA President

PTSA MARCH ACTIVITIES

The PTSA was hard at work during the month of March on activities in support of our goals and objectives approved at the beginning of the school year. Here’s a summary of some of the things accomplished:

Mock Testing – About 65 students came out on a Saturday morning to take practice SAT and ACT exams. Information sessions were held for parents and students about the college testing process and available prep services. A huge thank you goes out to Cathy Carpenter for coordinating this program. This was our final mock testing opportunity for the school year.

Eighth grade outreach – On March 17, parents of incoming freshman gathered at Westview to learn about our school. The PTSA was present to distribute materials on volunteer opportunities and PTSA activities. Thank you, Cindy Kodama and Allison Aquino Arcio, for acting as our PTSA ambassadors!

Nominating Committee – The PTSA nominating committee worked diligently to put together the slate of officers to be elected at our next association meeting on April 14. Please be sure to join us at the meeting and lend your support to those who have stepped forward to serve on next year’s board. Kudos to nominating committee members Mari Stryjewski, Kris Shetter, Zhaleh Moshavegh, Paula Dycaico, and Cindy Woodward for all your hard work.

Canned Food Drive – The PTSA worked with ASB and individual home rooms to support the spring food drive. Many thanks to Elsie Delletorri for her ongoing work in the area of community concerns.

PTSA SAFETY AND WELLNESS SYMPOSIUM

ASB

Adult ED Classes 

Inspirational Thought

Navy JROTC

Principal's Message

PTSA President's Message

PTSA March Recap

Quick Web Links

Safety and Wellness Symposium

Senior Scholarships

Spring Sports

What's Coming Up

ASB

Class of 2011
Hey sophomore parents! Class shirts are coming, so encourage your students to purchase one soon.

Class of 2012 
Bring class shirt designs to the ASB room or
L-114 for next year. Parents, look forward to class fundraiser nights in April!

Prom 2009 - A Rush of Inspiration

Prom 2009 will be held on Saturday, May 16, 8:00pm-Midnight at the San Diego Hall of Champions in Balboa Park.

This year's theme is
"A Rush of Inspiration".

Tickets are NOW AVAILABLE at the finance office.

March 23-April 3: $60
April 13-May 8: $65
May 11-15: $70

Click here for a Guest Pass Form.
Forms are due Wednesday, May 13.

NAVY JROTC

Westview has qualified for the National Academic, Drill and Athletic Championship at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida on April 17 and 18. Forty cadets will compete in five drill events, a unit personnel inspection, push ups/sit ups and relay races plus a unit academic exam. Joining Westview is Troy High School from Fullerton, California. This is Westview's first trip to Nationals!

The marksmanship team competed in the Navy JROTC Service Championship at Camp Perry, OH, late February. Four cadets competed over two days in the 10 meter prone, standing and kneeling position and in the end placed 19th overall (not too bad considering there are over 600 NJROTC units nationwide). The team placed 2nd at the state qualifier in January at Santa Ana, California.

On March 21 the Academic Team placed 6th at the State "Brain Brawl" Championship here in San Diego. The team qualified for the semi-final round in a jeopardy style format after placing 2nd then 1st in the first two rounds but fell short in their attempt to reach the "Final Four."

The ROTC Ball was held March 14 at the Carmel Mountain Ranch Country Club. Nearly 100 cadets and their dates joined in the fun. Cadets had to enter through the "Receiving Line" to introduce themselves and their dates to the unit leadership. The cadets received ballroom dancing lessons the day before and put some of their "new moves" to work on the dance floor!

Upcoming events include Youth Physical Fitness Challenge, Miss Poway Pageant Escort Duty, Magic Mountain Field Trip and the end of year Awards Ceremony. The cadets will also support the YMCA Healthy Kids Day and Deer Canyon Elementary School's Family Fun Night.

NJROTC is an elective and can take the place of ENS 3/4. It is a citizenship development course designed to help students become better leaders and followers in addition to assisting in time management. Cadets have the opportunity to attend leadership academies and seminars during the summer that stand out on college applications. 

THANKS FOR THE SUPPLIES!

Thank you to those of you who donated much needed supplies for our Westview staff at the spring semester back-to-school night.

A huge thank you also goes out to our amazing NJROTC parents and students for rallying for the cause and collecting an impressive display of supply donations.

We are so proud of the way you represent Westview in the community and are always impressed by how you go above and beyond the call of duty.

THANK YOU!!!!

 INSPIRATIONAL THOUGHT

I hope I shall possess firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider the most enviable of all titles, the character of an honest man.
                  - George Washington