December 2012

Kindergarten students at Westside performed their Christmas program on December 20th.  Each student was responsible for memorizing a part (either in English or in Spanish). 

Participants from the upper grades at Westside recently competed in the Geography Bee.  Two representatives from each class were chosen to participate.  Brynn Dinkel from Mrs. Bird's 6th grade class, won top honors. 

On Tuesday, December 18th, sixth-grade students at Westside performed for parents in an evening assembly.  The orchestra program was instituted several years ago, and many of the sixth-graders come early several days a week to practice.

Students in the third grade recently learned about Native Americans from Mrs. Larsen, a parent from Mrs. Manning and Mrs. Arroyo's class. They finished up a unit on Native Americans learning about different traditions of the Crow Indians From Mrs. Larsen.

Mr. Top, a parent in Mrs. Couch's class who just came back from a deployment with the Navy, came to visit with her class. He talked about his different experiences while he was gone and showed videos and pictures of the ship they were on.

Choir students from Springville Junior High School performed at Westside on December 18th.  The performance involved several Christmas musical numbers.  During one of the songs, the teacher had all of the students stand up and take part in a Christmas chant in rounds.  The performance was made all the more special as Mrs. Bird's son performed a solo.

Mrs. Adamson, teacher of the UEI unit at Westside, presented the Christmas program/movie for the UEI students.  All of the students were showcased in a Christmas movie where they were dressed up as super heroes and made holiday treats. 

On Monday, December 17th, sixth-grade students played their teachers in a game of indoor floor hockey.  The teachers were unstoppable and to the disappoint of the sixth-graders, defeated them.  Even Mrs. Matis, the school principal, participated in the game.

During the week of December 10-14, students at Westside participated in the annual food drive.  To motivate students to bring food, the student council initiated the "Food Fight." Each classroom was awarded points based on how many items of non-perishable food they brought in.  Other classes in the school, however, could bring in certain food items and "bomb" another classroom which detracted points from their score.  These "bombing" items consisted of tuna fish, peanut butter, and chili which the food bank specified were most needed.

Last week, fourth graders performed their program for parents and students in the school.  Part of the fourth-grade curriculum involves the study of Utah history.  The program focused on some of prominent points of Utah alphabetically.  Students were donned in attire from cowboys and indians, to pioneers.

The sixth-grade students at Westside recently showcased projects they constructed for a culminating event of their study of Egypt.  Student projects ranged from constructing pyramids to re-enacting the process of mummification.  Younger students, as well as parents, were amazed with the caliber of the projects, and knowledge these sixth graders possessed.