November 2018

As a school, we will focus on kindness in December. The Random Acts of Kindness (RAK) calendar (shown here) is a way that some classes will incorporate RAKs. One class is focusing on Random Acts of Classroom Kindness (RACK) by filling RACK SACKs with notes of appreciation, compliments, and noticing when others are kind to one another. We want to light up our school with kindness!  Parents, talk to your children about ways they have shown, or been shown, kindness at school.

"In a world where you can be anything, be kind."

We have great appreciation for our Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students). Students as well as teachers, look forward to them helping at our school. Thank you for helping to make "Westside the Best Side!"

WATCH D.O.G.S. is a K12 program that makes it easy for fathers (or father figures) to spend meaningful time with their children in a school setting. 

#westsidewildcats #beyourbest #wildcatsroar #neboschooldistrict #nebohero #studentsuccess 

Happy birthday to our phenomenal principal! We are so glad that you were born!  #bestprincipalaward

#westsidewildcats #beyourbest #neboschooldistrict

Our upper grades had a delightful assembly with Shelly Brown.

In sixth grade, we have been learning about the effects of heat. We did several experiments where we predicted and discovered the effects of heat on different objects: marshmallows, chocolate, gummy bears, jello. We discovered that marshmallows and chocolate will burn before they melt all over the pan, that gummy bears melt instantly but when taken off the heat, they immediately turn hard like jolly ranchers, and also that jello turns back to solid form after heating without going back in the refrigerator. Science is so COOL, especially when learning about HEAT!

In sixth grade science, we have been learning about the properties and effects of heat. In this experiment we were seeing what happens to ice cubes when heat is applied. Students made predictions about how long it would take to melt. They were surprised that it took 14 minutes to melt and that it melted in the middle first and had frost on the outsides of the pan. They were also surprised at the uneven heating of the water after it melted. A student then asked what would happen if we tried to melt a solid block of ice rather than the ice cubes.

In sixth grade, we discovered the difference in densities of hot and cold water. We used divided tanks that we poured hot (red) water in one side and cold (blue) water in the other. Upon lifting the divider we noticed the cold water staying at the bottom beneath the hot and the hot moving to the top of the cold. We learned that cold water is more dense than warm water because the molecules are moving slower.

These sixth grade students learned about the different ways that heat is transferred. One way is by radiation, as shown here. 

Mrs. Crozier's class read "The Best Part of Me: Children Talk About their Bodies in Pictures and Words" as a mentor text to introduce the essay topic for the week. Following their discussion, they wrote an opinion essay on what they belived to be their best part.

#westsidewildcats #beyourbest #wildcatsroar #neboschooldistrict #nebohero #studentsuccess #uted #loveUTpublicschools 

This is Ms. McFerren's class "Explorer  Hall  of  Fame." Groups chose a famous explorer to do some research on then made a life sized version with important facts and information for all to see. The figures were made with the bodies of the students.

#westsidewildcats #beyourbest #wildcatsroar #neboschooldistrict #nebohero #studentsuccess #uted #loveUTpublicschools