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Dear Families,
This month, we’re focusing on empathy💚, seeing things from someone else’s point of view and showing care through our actions. December can be busy and full of big feelings 🎄✨, so it’s a great time to slow down and help our kids look for ways to be kind, understanding, and supportive of others. At school, we’ll be practicing using calm words 😌, checking in with friends 🤝, and thinking before we act 🧠. You can help at home by talking with your child about how others might feel in different situations and celebrating those small moments when they show empathy 💕.
We’re also kicking off a December attendance push 🎉 Students need to attend every single day, and showing up on time helps build strong routines. This month, students can even earn house points for their consistent attendance. Every day counts, and we’re excited to add a little extra fun and motivation during this busy season! ✨
Together, we can help our kids grow into caring, thoughtful humans who lift each other up. 💫 It is truly so great to be a part of West Hills! 💙
Warmly,
Principal Powell
💜Fly Dragons Fly!💜
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Altruismo scored the most points for November! Help us celebrate the House of Givers!
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Exciting News!
We’ve partnered with Unique Experience to bring you the official West Hills store — now live online!
You can now purchase house shirts and West Hills attire anytime, from anywhere. Show your school spirit in style!
🛍️ Shop Now: Shop the West Hills store!
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The Bremerton Backpack Brigade exists to provide supplemental food on weekends for children in need throughout the elementary schools in Bremerton. If your family is in need of food support, please contact Mrs. Clemmons (school counselor) to enroll. Mrs. Clemmons can be reached via email at:
caitlin.clemmons@bremertonschools.org or via phone 360-473-4609.
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Highly Capable referral window is open!
The window to refer students for Bremerton School District’s Highly Capable (HiCap) services opens December 1, 2025, and closes March 15, 2026. Families, teachers, and community members are encouraged to refer students for consideration.
HiCap services help ensure advanced learners are challenged, engaged, and supported in reaching their full potential. Students in grades 1–5 may receive services in their neighborhood schools through clustered classrooms, while students in grades 6–12 benefit from rigorous courses and advisory support in literacy and/or math.
Families will be notified of screening results by early May, and identified students will begin receiving services in the 2026–27 school year. Learn more on the HiCap page of the Bremerton School District website or by contacting your child’s principal or school counselor.
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Important winter weather Information
Brr! It is getting cold outside! We want to make sure that our staff and families are prepared and know what to expect should we have weather-related school delays or closures!
What families need to know
We make every effort to make the decision about school closures due to winter weather by 5:30 a.m. (or sometimes even the night before, if possible).
We will communicate information and updates about weather impacts on school via:
Important: We do not send out early morning "robo calls" for snow days or winter weather delays. If a decision is made to delay or cancel school the night before, we will notify families and staff via ParentSquare and robo call that evening.
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BSD's Child & Family Resource Guide
Looking for community resources for your child or family? We invite you to visit our Child & Family Resource Guide linked from our website (look in the "Services & Support" menu). If you have additions or suggestions for this guide, please send them to brigitte.vernon@bremertonschools.org.
DOH Safety Study Hall
The Safety Study Hall is a one-stop resource for schools, families, and students looking for tools and guidance on essential health and safety topics. Created by the Washington Department of Health and OSPI, this hub includes strategies for preventing opioid overdoses, securely storing medications, and firearm safety. Start learning today: https://doh.wa.gov/community-and-environment/schools/safety-study-hall
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Every week volunteers pack, transport and deliver food to the elementary schools. Their mission is, "to address that gap and provide Bremerton's children with healthy food for the weekends." For the holiday break volunteers pack, transport and deliver food boxes to the elementary schools. Thank you Bremerton Backpack Brigade for bridging that gap for our students and always having a kind, positive presence! |
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We L💙V E our Community Partners! |
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- Phonics: Ending sounds and blending.
- ELA: Letter sounds, retelling stories in sequence.
- Math: 2D and 3D shapes.
- Writing: Answering an opinion page with making a choice of which item they like and trying phonemically spell the words.
- SEL: Empathy.
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Phonics/Foundational Skills: Small groups based on individual student needs to fill gaps, maintain learning, and extend learning to include blending CVC words, digraphs and blends, letter names and sounds, vowel teams, etc. ELA: independent and group work that aligns with student needs. Writing: Legibly writing sentences from models with capitalization and punctuation. Math: using multiple strategies to complete mixed addition and subtraction word problems through 10, including missing addends. SEL: Empathy - understanding what someone else is feeling; Being thankful for the positive things that are in their lives. |
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Phonics: Digraphs, blends
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ELA: Story elements, main idea, lesson/central message
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Writing: Sentences, Informational paragraph
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Math: Addition strategies within 1000
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SEL: Empathy
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Phonics: Vowel teams: focusing on long 'i' sounds.
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ELA: Focusing on identifying main idea and supporting details of a text to build up comprehension skills.
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Vocabulary: Continue to work on identifying the prefix, suffix and base part of a word.
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Math: We are working on estimating/rounding numbers to the nearest ten and hundreds.
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Phonics: R-controlled vowels and vowel teams
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ELA: Compare and contrast- natural disasters
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Writing: Informational writing
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Math: Multiplication up to 4 by 1 digit
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SEL: Empathy/ sportsmanship at recess
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Phonics: Review foundational skills and focus on strategies to build confident readers.
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ELA: Finding the theme in fiction text. Using their own words and text evidence to explain their reasoning.
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Writing/Art: December research projects!
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Math: Adding and Subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.
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SEL: Describing different points of view to build empathy for others.
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Phonics: Long vowel sounds
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ELA: Citing Text Evidence
- Writing: Write informative text with details
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Math: Solving word problems
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SEL: Empathy - understanding others feelings
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Our Foundational Pillars (Vision, Mission, Collective Commitments, and Goals) are the core beliefs that guide how we learn, work, and treat each other at West Hills. They help us stay consistent as a community and make sure every student feels supported, challenged, and connected. These pillars shape the way we make decisions and grow together throughout the year.
This month we’ve added Collective Commitments to our foundational pillars, and it already feels like the right next step for our community. These commitments are all about showing up for each other, staying consistent, and keeping our expectations high for every student, every day. I’m excited to see how this shared focus keeps us aligned and moving forward together.
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1. We commit to communicating positively and consistently
…using common language, clear expectations, and solution-focused interactions with students, families, and one another.
2. We commit to engaging, empowering, and celebrating all students
…by fostering ownership, belonging, and goal-setting, and by celebrating all forms of academic and personal growth.
3. We commit to intentional, collaborative practices through professional excellence
…working in PLCs with shared purpose—planning, assessing, and responding collectively to student learning needs.
4. We commit to ensuring high levels of learning for every student
…through timely support, scaffolds, and enriched opportunities, grounded in our belief that all students can achieve.
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12/09 PTA Meeting in the Library
12/11 Altruismo Family Game Night
12/11 Bremerton School Board Meeting 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
12/15 Winter Head Gear (Hats, headbands, etc)
12/16 House Colors
12/16 Winter Concert 4:30-5:30
12/17 Ugly Sweater Day
12/18 Comfy Sock Day
12/19 Pajama Day
12/22 - 1/2 Winter Break (no school - District office closed)
1/5 Welcome back!
1/8 Bremerton School Board Meeting 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
1/19 Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday - No school
1/22 Isibindi Family Night
1/30 Non Student Day (No school)
3/12 5th grade Navy STEM Day
3/26 Seattle Arts Tour 4th/5th Grade
6/10 Pinewood Derby 4th Grade
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West Hills STEM Academy empowers students to thrive through innovative learning, resilience, and self-advocacy. By building strong connections in a safe and equitable environment, we prepare ALL students to achieve at high levels and face future challenges with confidence.
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G.R.O.W.T.H. We Ensure It…Every Student, Every Standard, Every Day
Guarantee achievement
Realize mastery
Obtain independence
Welcome connections
Tenaciously uphold expectations
Honor progress
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West Hills STEM Academy
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The Bremerton School District does not discriminate in any programs or activities on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, veteran or military status, sexual orientation, gender expression or identity, disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups. The following employee(s) has been designated to handle questions and complaints of alleged discrimination: Carol Bailie at 360.473.1026, or the Section 504 Coordinator, Mark Mayfield at 360.473.4702. Mailing address: 134 Marion Avenue North, Bremerton, WA 98312.
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Bremertonschools.org Website Update
We now have a button on the footer of EVERY web page that allows people to translate the entire website into multiple languages - with one “toggle.”
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Kimberly Powell
Kimberly is using Smore to create beautiful newsletters
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